Sponsored by MSUN's Office of the Provost and organized by the Instruction, Research, & Faculty Development committee, along with the Office of Teaching & Learning Excellence

RSVP

Seating is freely available but RSVPs are appreciated, and a sack lunch will be reserved for those who RSVP. Please complete the RSVP form here. Contact Emilee Luke with questions or cancellations. 

Brown Bag Lectures allow faculty across all disciplines at MSU-Northern to showcase their work and to build a sense of community inquiry and interest around that work. Campus and community members are welcome to attend! View our Archive Brownbag Lecture Series page here. 

Presentations will last about 1 hour and are located in either Hagener Science Center 101 ("The Pit") or Hensler Auditorium (in the Applied Tech Center/ATC). Printable campus map

Upcoming lectures

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 — 11am-12pm in ATC Hensler Auditorium

Presenter: Aaron Riggin

Lecture: Idle Assets to Active Learning: Revitalizing Campus Resources for Student Engagement

Summary: Professor Aaron Riggin will share his educational journey of transforming unused machinery, tools, and processes into valuable classroom resources within his programs. On many campuses, outdated equipment often sits forgotten in corners, gathering dust—unnoticed until someone asks what it is. Professor Riggin will illustrate how student curiosity became the catalyst for integrating these old, yet new-to-him, machines and tools into the learning environment. He will also discuss the challenges encountered along the way—some equipment was broken, others had dead batteries, and many simply lacked someone who knew how to operate them. Despite trials, tribulations, and the occasional dead-end project, the effort to experiment with these neglected items proved worthwhile. Through this presentation, Professor Riggin hopes to inspire others to see the potential in overlooked resources and consider how they might breathe new life into something they never expected to use.

Bio: Originally from Havre, Montana, Aaron Riggin is a proud graduate of MSU–Northern, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Technology in 2011, followed by a Master of Science in Education, Instruction, and Learning in 2022. From 2011 to 2013, he worked as a Development Technician and Test Rider for Indian Motorcycle (Polaris Industries). During this time, he was part of the chassis development team for several major models, including the 2014 Indian Chief, Chieftain, and Chief Vintage, as well as the 2015 Scout and Polaris Slingshot. It was through this experience that he developed a deep passion for manufacturing, machining, and design. Professor Riggin’s hobbies include working with machine tools, electronics, motorcycles, and spending time camping. In his role at MSU–Northern, his goal is to inspire excitement around manufacturing and design. He thrives on creating things from scratch and is eager to share that passion with his students.

Information for presenters

Please see our presenter guidelines. If you have questions or would like to present, please contact Emilee Luke.