November 22, 2024

Benefits Open Enrollment for the 2025 coverage period will end on Monday, Nov. 25. This is an active enrollment, which means all benefits eligible employees are required to complete the process. Eligible employees should be receiving daily reminder emails from the new Open Enrollment platform, Employee Navigator. If you have begun your Open Enrollment, please ensure that you select the “Sign to complete enrollment” portion on the final page.

Employees who may need additional assistance accessing Employee Navigator can come to the second floor of the Lakeshore Center to use a laptop on the following dates and times:

• Friday, Nov. 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For information on the 2025 benefits, please visit the 2025 Benefits Open Enrollment website and also look over the detailed 2025 Benefits Guide PDF.

In October, Nate Lyons ’25, a senior majoring in sound design in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), brought home a Bronze Award in the Audio Engineering Society (AES) International Student Recording Competition.

Lyons’ award-winning project included atmospheric sound design, sound effects and music for the video game Celeste. To create it, he removed all existing sound for the game and programmed his own.

“The game itself is very dreamlike and ethereal, and it deals with a lot of mental health struggles. I wanted to evoke a very dreamlike, ethereal feel because I feel like that matches not only the landscape of the game but the themes of mental health and anxiety,” said Lyons.

Read more about Lyons’ project and creative process on the College of Sciences and Arts Newsblog.

The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) has awarded the following Century II Campaign Endowed Equipment Fund (C2E2) awards at the recommendation of the C2E2 Committee:

• Bo Chen (CS) — Developing an Autonomous Vehicle Testbed for Research and Education in Vehicle Security

• Terri Jo Frew (VPA) — Peter Pugger VPM-9SS Clay Pug Mill and Stand

• Robert Handler (ChE/BioSci) — Michigan Tech Aquaponics

• Parth Bhatt (CFRES) — Enhancing CFRES's Research and Educational Capabilities through Acquisition of the DJI Mavic 3M Drone

• Matthew Moore (VPA) — Proposal for Making Improvements to the Rozsa Scene Shop Dust Collection System for a Safer and Healthier Environment

• Tan Chen (ECE) — Acquisition of a Humanoid Robot to Advance Multi-Disciplinary Research and Strengthen Robotics Engineering Education at Michigan Tech

Thank you to the C2E2 Committee members and the deans and department chairs for their time spent on this internal research award program.

For additional information on the C2E2 opportunity, visit the C2E2 website.

The Health Research Institute (HRI) at Michigan Tech is pleased to announce Spring Graduate Fellowship awardees for 2025. Congratulations to all recipients!

HRI Spring Fellowship awardees are:

• Grace Dykstra, Chemical Engineering
• Kan Wang, Biomedical Engineering

HRI Student Fellowships are awarded three times a year. More information can be found on the HRI website.

Emeritus and Research Professor David Nitz (Physics) attended a formal ceremony held Nov. 16 in Malargüe, Argentina, to recognize a 10-year extension to the international agreement governing the Pierre Auger Observatory.

According to a news release from the Auger Observatory providing more details on the extension, it is the world's largest cosmic ray detector, covering an area of 3,000 square kilometers. Located in Malargüe, it is operated by a collaboration of more than 400 scientists from 17 countries. The aim of the observatory is the study of the highest energy particles of the universe — ultra-high energy cosmic rays.

Michigan Tech is one of only eight U.S. institutions of higher education to collaborate with the Pierre Auger Observatory — and the University plays a crucial role in the observatory, according to Nitz.

At the social event following the extension's signing, Nitz addressed the assembled funding agency representatives, invited dignitaries and collaboration members. He expressed heartfelt thanks to all in attendance for making the journey that brought the observatory from an impossible dream to the facility that exists today, describing it as "a stellar example of international cooperation in science that transcends political and country boundaries."

Nitz is one of the founding members of the Auger Collaboration, having been invited in 1991 by Alan Watson (Fellow of the Royal Society), and Nobel prize winner James Cronin to join the effort to establish the observatory. After Watson, he is the longest-serving member of the collaboration.

The new director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Brad Wieferich, will be on campus on Dec. 12 for researcher visits and campus tours. In addition, the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will be hosting a luncheon with Wieferich, which is open to all those interested in transportation-related activities.

The luncheon will be held from 12-1:15 p.m. in GLRC 202. Wieferich will give a talk titled “MDOT Strategic Plan Updates” during the luncheon meeting. Please RSVP for the MTTI luncheon for a chance to meet the director and hear his thoughts — the RSVP deadline is Dec. 3.

The presentation will also be available via Zoom.

Join Wieferich's Presentation on Zoom.

In recognition of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Student Affairs CommUnity Education Team presents "Planning and Hosting Accessible Events."

Join us for an informative presentation and engaging panel discussion on creating inclusive and accessible events. Whether you’re organizing a small gathering or a large conference, ensuring your event is welcoming to everyone is essential. This event will provide practical strategies to understand participants' needs, tools to ensure equitable participation, insights from others, and actionable tips you can begin using for your next event.

This event will be held Dec. 3 at two different times and locations to increase access. It will also be available to attend virtually. We hope to see you at either:

• Tuesday, Dec. 3 — 11 a.m. in Admin 404
• Tuesday, Dec. 3 — 6 p.m. in Rehki 214

Learn More or Add a Session to Your Calendar.

Open Recreation Hours during Thanksgiving Break:

• Shooting Range: Closed
• Fitness Center: Weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Weekends 12-5 p.m.
• Multipurpose Room, Track, Racquetball Courts: Weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Weekends 12-5 p.m.
• OAP Climbing Wall: Closed
• SDC Pool (Open/Lap Swim): Open 12-4 p.m.
• Ice Arena, Skate Rental Center: Closed
• Gates Tennis Center: Weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Weekends 12-5 p.m.
• OAP Rental Center: Closed
• SDC Central Ticket Office:
  • Friday, Nov. 22: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 23: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 24: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25-26: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Thursday, Nov. 28: Closed
  • Friday, Nov. 29: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Save the Date: The Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, the Western Upper Peninsula MiSTEM Network and the Copper Country Intermediate School District — in partnership with Superior Fab Lab — are pleased to announce that InventCon @ Superior MakerFest 2025 will take place on March 15.

InventCon is the Western Upper Peninsula regional component of Invention Convention Michigan, a statewide competition where students (grades 3-12) are guided through the invention design process from problem identification through model or prototype development.

All InventCon projects will be judged following Invention Convention Michigan judging criteria. Qualifying projects will be offered the opportunity to advance to the state-level competition, hosted by the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn. Prizes for winners of the state and national competitions include patent application awards, cash and scholarships.

More information, including the location of InventCon, competition rules and guidelines — and more — will be available soon.

An Invention Convention Michigan (ICM) kickoff event will take place on Dec. 7 from 12-4 p.m. in Ballroom A2 of the MTU Memorial Union Building.

ICM is a statewide competition hosted by the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where students (grades 3-12) are guided through the creative thinking process of invention design, from problem identification through model or prototype development, to solve problems big or small that are relevant to their own lives.

Invention Convention competitions occur at the regional, state and national levels. The Western U.P. competition is called InventCon and will be held in conjunction with the Superior Fab Lab MakerFest 2025 on March 15.

Join this kickoff event to get an overview of the competition’s rules and guidelines and access to other ICM resources. The overview will be followed up by activities to get brainstorm juices flowing! MTU Tech Tutors and Mind Trekkers student leaders will be on-site to help students begin their Invention Convention journey.

Michigan Tech volleyball advanced to the GLIAC Volleyball Tournament Semifinal after defeating Wayne State 3-1 on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The fifth-seeded Huskies dispatched the Warriors in Detroit, winning the final three sets, 17-25, 25-18, 25-22 and 25-13.

"What a treat it was to be part of this one. This was a match that I will never forget," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "After a sluggish opening set, we went out and put together three of our best sets of the season. I can't really put into words how much it meant for us to catch fire like that and play with so much joy and confidence. It was a sight to see.

"During pregame, we talked about how our seniors deserve our best effort every time we play to keep our season going. This one was for them. We were our best selves here tonight."

GLIAC Semifinal Match: MTU at Ferris State
Tech improved to 17-11 overall and now travels to the nation's No. 1 ranked team, Ferris State, for the next round. The first semifinal is tomorrow, Nov. 23, with first serve set for noon at Bulldog Arena. The Bulldogs are undefeated at 29-0 and swept No. 8 seed Purdue Northwest in their opening playoff match.

"We have two days to reset, make our way to Big Rapids, and prepare to play one of the best teams in the country," said Jennings. "If we play with the passion and togetherness that we did tonight, we'll have a great battle on our hands."

Watch MTU volleyball on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read more volleyball news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

No. 20 Michigan Tech hockey is hosting No. 17 Minnesota State for a CCHA series at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena this weekend. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. tonight, Nov. 22, and 6:07 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 23.

The series will feature two promotional events — Vollwerth's Family Night tonight and Junior Hockey Night tomorrow — with an opportunity to Skate with the Huskies after tomorrow's game (helmets are required).

Fans can listen to Michigan Tech hockey live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net.

Watch MTU hockey on Midco Sports Plus 2 (subscription required).

Read the hockey preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team has a tall task at the end of its nonconference slate. The Huskies are traveling to Minnesota Duluth for the St. Louis County Basketball Classic, facing host school No. 6 Minnesota Duluth tonight, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. before facing No. 3 nationally ranked MSU Moorhead tomorrow, Nov. 23, at 3 p.m.

A livestream and live stats from the games can be found at the Michigan Tech Athletics Live Events page.

Watch MTU men's basketball on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read the men's basketball preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech women's basketball team is taking to the road for the young season's final nonconference weekend, traveling to St. Cloud State tomorrow, Nov. 23, for an 11 a.m. tipoff, and then taking on Minnesota Duluth on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m.

Live stats and a livestream of the games can be found at Michigan Tech Athletics' Live Events page.

Watch MTU women's basketball on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read the women's basketball preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Paul Dice (APSRC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $10,000 research and development contract from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

The project is titled "PV panel heating for increased power production in winter climates."

A collaborative team of Michigan Technological University researchers have achieved a significant milestone with their publication in ACS Applied Bio Materials.

The paper, titled "Near-Infrared Visualization of NAD(P)H Dynamics in Live Cells and Drosophila melanogaster Larvae Using a Coumarin-Based Pyridinium Fluorescent Probe," highlights a novel approach for real-time monitoring of NAD(P)H dynamics in biological systems.

The study features contributions from undergraduate students Sophia Jaeger, May Waters and Bella Lyn Bigari; graduate students Henry Lanquaye, Dilka Liyana Arachchige, Adenike Mary Olowolagba and Peter Agyemang; research scientists Sushil K. Dwivedi, Ishana Kathuria and Yang Zhang; as well as faculty members Assistant Professor Yan Zhang (BioSci), Associate Professor Rudy L. Luck (Chem), and Professors Athar Ata (Chem), Thomas Werner (BioSci) and Haiying Liu (Chem).

This research was made possible through the generous support of various funding sources:

• Yan Zhang received grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Award Number R15DK137195) and the PKD Foundation (Grant 1021264). She extended her gratitude to the Kansas PKD Research and Translation Core Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center (U54D126126) and the Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Resource Consortium (PKD-RRC) for providing kidney sections from human ADPKD and normal human kidneys.

• Haiying Liu and Rudy L. Luck received funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Award Numbers R15 GM146206-01 and two supplemental grants), enabling the purchase of a cell incubator with oxygen-level control and an LC–MS system. The National Science Foundation (Award Number 2117318) supported the acquisition of a new NMR spectrometer for structural characterization of intermediates and probes, with Liu serving as the co-investigator. Analyses of the fluorescent probe were further supported by Michigan Tech’s high-performance computing facilities.

• Undergraduates May Waters and Sophia Jaeger extended special thanks to the McNair Scholars Program for its financial support, which was instrumental in their participation in this research.

This work represents a significant step forward in the field of bioimaging and emphasizes the transformative power of interdisciplinary collaboration. The team acknowledges the crucial support from these organizations, which enabled the development of innovative tools for advancing biomedical research.

Homeland Security Today mentioned Michigan Tech alum Aston Purdom ’24 (B.S. Cybersecurity) in a story about the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s 2024 summer internship program. Purdom developed automations for the Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Reporting Engine, reducing the need for manual reporting and saving significant time on assessments.

*****

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum was prominently featured in a recent article in Mineral News. The article, titled "Michigan's Keweenaw Super Size Copper Specimens," included information about the museum and illustrated five of the large copper specimens on display, including the 19-ton native copper that was raised from Great Sand Bay in Lake Superior in 2001.

*****

Visit Keweenaw mentioned Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival in a story about winter activities in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The 102nd Winter Carnival, themed “Dragons, Knights & Legendary Sights,” will take place from Feb. 5-8, 2025.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech men’s cross country in a story about their qualification for the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships in Sacramento, California. The Huskies earned an automatic spot after a third-place finish at the Midwest Regionals. 

*****

Sports Illustrated mentioned Michigan Tech alum Bobby Slowik ’09 (B.S. Biomedical Engineering) in a story about potential candidates for the New York Jets’ head coaching position.

CFO Candidate Presenting at Open Forum Today

The University invited two additional candidates to interview for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President for Administration position. Candidate interviews will be conducted over two days and will include a presentation of their vision for research at Michigan Tech at an open forum.

Candidate Open Forum Presentation:
Friday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. in MUB Ballroom B
CFO candidate Paul Edwards will provide a public presentation titled “Academic Finance and Administration: A Vision for Michigan Tech” at an open forum today, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m. in Ballroom B of the Memorial Union.

Candidate resumes, cover letters, interview dates and open forum information can be viewed at the Chief Financial Officer Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view candidate information.

The search committee encourages the campus community to attend and to provide feedback by completing the anonymous comment form provided on the candidate webpage. Feedback forms will be posted immediately following each candidate's visit and remain available for 72 hours following the last candidate’s visit.

Recordings of the candidate presentations will be available to those who are unable to attend because of a valid scheduling conflict, those working 100% remotely and those who have accommodations. Please contact the Office of the President at hlherman@mtu.edu to request access.

*****

Winter Bike Racks and Bike Removal

It is time to move all bikes into their designated winter bike storage areas. If left out, bikes may be damaged by snow removal operations on campus.

Bikes must be removed to allow for storage of the bike racks so they will not be crushed by plow equipment or by the accumulated piles of ice and snow.

In the next couple of days, Facilities Management staff will place colored flagging on the handlebars of bikes on campus. Remove and dispose of the flagging if you’re using your bike. Bikes with flagging on the handlebars that remain on bike racks or are left in other locations on campus after 5 p.m. today, Nov. 22, will be considered abandoned. Abandoned bikes will be collected by the Department of Public Safety and Police Services next week, beginning Monday, Nov. 25.

For those who continue to ride a bike during the winter months, all bike racks are left on campus throughout the winter. Many racks are just moved closer to the buildings so that they are not in the way of snow plowing. Students, faculty and staff can use these bike racks if they choose to. In addition, there are also several sheltered bike racks on campus that may be used by seasonal riders.

• Bike racks on the north side of the Library are sheltered by the building.
• The bike rack at the entrance of the GLRC is sheltered by the building.
• There are sheltered vertical/hanging bike racks under the Dow overpass on Cliff Drive.
• There is a sheltered bike rack on the west side of the EERC, near the H-STEM Complex.

A bike repair station will also be moved to the northeast corner of the Library this winter to provide additional support to those who ride during the winter months.

If you have any questions on winter bike accessibility on campus, please contact Facilities Management at 906-487-2303.

*****

Banner Maintenance on Sunday

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• apps.mtu.edu
• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• Aspire
• Course Tools
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

*****

PhD Proposal Defense: Ayush Chutani, MAE

Ph.D. student Ayush Chutani (mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics) will defend his Ph.D. research proposal today, Nov. 22.

The title of his project is "Snow mitigation for single-axis tracking photovoltaic systems."

The public portion of the presentation will be held from 1-2 p.m. in R. L. Smith 1021. Attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Join Chutani's Proposal Defense on Zoom.

To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.

Open Enrollment Support Session

Friday, November 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

The Journey - Fall Student Art Showcase - Michigan Tech Art

Friday, November 22, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Join Art & Design class students as they showcase eclectic artworks created during the fall semester. CONTENT GUIDANCE

Design Your Academic Life Faculty Workshop

Friday, November 22, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC), Conference Room

The Design Your Academic Life workshop will help faculty assess and align their personal and professional lives, explore ways to prototype their desired future, set purposeful...

Graduating and Still Looking?

Friday, November 22, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Are you graduating soon and need help finding a job? Come in for a coffee and chat with one of our career advisors. We can help tailor your search, review your resume, bounce...

Electron Microscopy Consultation Sessions

Friday, November 22, 1–3 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 607

As part of ACMAL actions to strengthen the electron microscopy user base at Tech, Dr. Erico Freitas is offering a few hours of free-of-charge consultations in November for the...

PhD Defense: Jeffrey Kabel

Friday, November 22, 1–2 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 230

Applied Physics Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap Quantum van der Waals Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

Master's Defense: Shammas Mahmood Shafi

Friday, November 22, 3–4 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 229

Manufacturing Engineering Advisor: Anis Fatima ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE WAVINESS IN WIRE ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Walking is really hard, so let's just do this instead: Navigating a course between the Scylla of abstraction and the Charybdis of embodiment

Friday, November 22, 3–4 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 102

Biomedical Engineering Research Seminar Joshua Schultz University of Tulsa Abstract Walking on two legs is one of the defining features that distinguishes humans as a...

Men's Ice Hockey vs Minnesota State

Friday, November 22, 7:07–10:07 p.m. | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena

Men's Ice Hockey vs Minnesota State Houghton, Mich.

MTU Mathematics Apparel Fundraiser—Support Research!

November 22, all day

Help support research! Funds from this sale will support undergraduate research. Order by November 24 to have your items under the Christmas tree! Send the link to anyone...

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following dissertation, thesis and report defenses occurring next week. Please consider attending to learn more about our students’ scholarship and celebrate their academic accomplishments. Check the University Events Calendar for last-minute updates to times, dates and locations.