April 1, 2025

The countdown is on — Michigan Tech’s 24-hour giving challenge, Give Back to the Pack, kicks off at noon next Tuesday, April 8! Here’s how you can take part and make a difference:

• Make a Gift: You don’t have to wait until April 8! Your gift today will count toward our Give Back to the Pack matches, challenges and totals.

• Participate in a Match or Challenge: Amplify your impact by taking part in one of our matches, challenges or giving day leaderboards!

• Become an Ambassador: Sign up to become an ambassador and help us spread the word for your favorite areas at Michigan Tech.

• Celebrate With Us: Join us for the on-campus festivities below. We'll have goodies to hand out, photo ops and lots of fun!

  • Tuesday, April 8, from 12-2 p.m. — Van Pelt and Opie Library
    Kick off the first day of Give Back to the Pack! Stop by to share what you're most grateful for at Michigan Tech and add it to our gratitude board.

  • Wednesday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to noon — MUB Commons
    Celebrate the final hours of the challenge! Sign thank-you cards for our generous donors and see the impact our Husky community can make by coming together.

Visit giveback.mtu.edu to learn more and join the celebration of Husky generosity. Questions? Contact Sana Dicks at sdicks@mtu.edu.

Michigan Technological University seeks to engage effectively with governmental officials, staff and agencies at the state and federal level. To this end, the Office of the Vice President for Governmental Relations and the Vice President for Research Office are collaborating to help assist and equip individuals who engage with key government officials on University business.

Our goal in this endeavor is to support the varied work that goes on across campus with governmental constituents, track activities to avoid duplication of effort and raise awareness, and support a common message in our interactions with external partners.

If you have a planned engagement with an elected representative or high-level government executive, or need assistance planning a visit with governmental contacts, please use the Governmental Relations Engagement Form to begin a conversation with Michigan Tech's Government Relations team about how we can best support your efforts.

Please note: The form is intended to only capture interactions with elected officials and key high-level government agency leaders. It is not necessary to report day-to-day interactions with federal program directors, agency contacts or related program-level discussions. The intention is to provide support to the campus community, not to add a reporting burden for routine meetings and conversations.

The Enterprise Program and College of Engineering would like to cordially invite you to join us for the 25th Annual Design Expo on April 15. This event proudly showcases the incredible work of our Enterprise and Senior Design student teams. Volunteer judges are still needed for our milestone 25th anniversary year, which promises to be an exciting celebration of innovation, collaboration and real-world problem-solving.

Judges help us determine the best teams to receive cash prizes. To sign up as a judge and indicate your judging preferences, please complete our 2025 Design Expo Judge Registration form.

Additional Background:
Judging typically takes about an hour, depending on the number of volunteers. Judges need not have any experience or background in the project topics — the intent is for our students to communicate their work effectively to a range of audiences. For those working with a Senior Design or Enterprise team, we can ensure you are not judging your student team(s). We will use the RocketJudge voting software again, although we can print a paper ballot on-site if requested.

Even if you’re unable to serve as a judge, we hope you’ll still attend and experience the remarkable work of our students. Attending Design Expo is a great way to see our students in action while presenting their Senior Capstone Design and Enterprise projects to the public. Work from more than 80 student teams will be showcased.

Please feel free to share this invitation within your organization, campus, alumni and community networks as you see fit. Thank you in advance, and we will provide more event info and judging resources as we get closer to the date!

Event Details:

• What: 25th Annual Design Expo
• When and Where: Tuesday, April 15, from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. at Michigan Tech
  • Student Showcase: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Memorial Union
  • Award Mixer and Ceremony: 2:30-5 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby

The University Senate will convene Meeting 718 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in Chem Sci 102.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend the University Senate meeting via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 718.

On April 13 from 8 a.m. to noon, Michigan Tech IT will be performing quarterly maintenance on the Fischer mylogin system, which requires a full shutdown and restart.

During this maintenance, password resets and mylogin.mtu.edu will be unavailable.

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

This week is the Art in Silico event series!

On Thursday, April 3, we have our two-part reception. Come hear live music from John Kiran Fernandes from the bands The Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System, view the Art in Silico gallery at the Copper Country Community Arts Center, and bid on the artwork for sale! All proceeds go to the CCCAC or toward Michigan Tech scholarships.

Art in Silico Schedule of Events:

• Keynote Talk with Sarah Bell
  Wednesday, April 2, at 3:30 p.m. in GLRC 202
  Keynote Title: “The Voice Synthesis Mixtape: A History of Singing Machines in Eight Songs
  Location: Great Lakes Research Center, Room 202

• Opening Gallery Reception
  Thursday, April 3, from 4:30-6 p.m. at CCCAC
  Light snacks and refreshments will be provided for a reception viewing of the artworks on display at the Copper Country Community Art Center. Take a good look, as many will be available later in the auction!
  Location: 126 Quincy St. in Hancock

• Art in Silico Main Reception
  Thursday, April 3, from 6-8 p.m. at The Orpheum Theater
  Join us for live music from John Kiran Fernandes, the Art in Silico auction, and food and drink from Studio Pizza. Entry is free!
  Location: 426 Quincy St. in Hancock

• Art in Silico Gallery Exhibition
  Wednesday to Friday, April 2-4, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at CCCAC
  View the gallery during these three days at the Copper Country Community Arts Center.
  Location: 126 Quincy St. in Hancock

Welcome to Insights from Student Affairs, your go-to source for the latest updates and information directly from professionals within Student Affairs at Michigan Tech. We aim to keep you informed and engaged with a curated selection of information that impacts our work and student life. Each month, an office within our division will share a bit of their expertise directly related to the excellent work their staff is doing.

This month's column, titled "The two-way street of Culture Shock: Approaching an International Student," comes from Christian Montesinos, J.D., director of International Programs and Services.

The Department of Humanities (HU) chair candidate events originally scheduled for yesterday and today, March 31 and April 1, were canceled due to weather delays and have been rescheduled.

The next candidate will present a department leadership seminar titled "The Lake Whitefish Theory of Leadership" today, April 1, from 1-2 p.m. in GLRC 202 and via Zoom.

The candidate will also present a research and teaching presentation titled “Desire and the Limits of Mediation” tomorrow, April 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in GLRC 202 and via Zoom.

Join the HU Department Chair Seminar on Zoom.

All members of the Michigan Tech community are welcome to attend.

Yan Zhang, research assistant professor in Michigan Tech's Department of Biological Sciences, will be presenting this Thursday, April 3, from 3-4 p.m. in person in GLRC 202 and virtually via Zoom.

Join the BioSci Seminar on Zoom.

Zhang's presentation is titled “Toll-like Receptor 2 in Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Key Driver of ERK-Driven Cell Growth and NF-κB-Mediated Inflammation.”

From the abstract:
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic disorder (frequency 1:400-1:1,000) affecting more than 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide. ADPKD is caused by mutations in PKD1 or PKD2 which encode polycystin-1 (PC-1) and polycystin-2 (PC-2), respectively. The disease is characterized by the continuous formation and growth of numerous fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys. Aberrant innate immune responses play pivotal roles in driving cyst growth and disease progression in ADPKD; however, the precise molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our recent experiments using human ADPKD cells and mouse models showed that activation of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in cystic epithelial cells stimulated ERK-mediated proliferation and NF-κB-mediated expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Our study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms by which innate immunity promotes disease progression and suggests that TLR2 is a therapeutic target for ADPKD treatment.

Join the Humanities Modern Languages program for a public talk by visiting speaker Daniel Noemi Voionmaa this Friday, April 4, at noon in EERC 103. This event is free and open to all.

Voionmaa's talk is titled “In Praise of Football: Poetics, Aesthetics, Politics, and Identities of the Ball.”

Voionmaa is a professor of cultures, societies and global studies at Northeastern University. He will be visiting Spanish classes throughout his visit in addition to the public talk.

From the abstract:
On December 18, 2022, 1.5 billion people watched the penalty kicked by Gonzalo Montiel, at Lusali Stadium in Doha, that gave Argentina its third World Cup. Probably, many more heard about it in the following days. Indeed, Qatar’s World Cup was the epitome of global sports entertainment: the world was not only one, but it was also, literally, a globe, a foot-ball. The 2026 USA-Canada Mexico World Cup is expected to surpass those numbers.

Not a long time ago, in 1930, Argentina had played its first final (without so much success: Uruguay won 4 to 2). The Estadio Centenario was packed; perhaps a few thousands listen to it on the radio (we don’t have the exact numbers), nobody watched it on TV (that happened only in 1954, and just for a few Central European countries. Color came in 1970). Many things have changed in football since that evening in Montevideo, in 1930, no doubt. However, if we were able to hear a conversation of a group of friends after a football match in 1930 and in 2025, we would be surprised how similar they are. Like in life — a comparison many times drawn — change and continuity are simultaneously present. Like life, football can be thought and analyzed from many points of view: tactics and strategies on the field, attitudes of fans in the stands, the politics it involves, a never-ending market-oriented paraphernalia, nationalist discourses, philosophical discussions — postmodern takes, existentialist reverberations, post-structuralist analyses, psychoanalytical insights — and a myriad of cultural and artistic artifacts and productions. Football, soccer, fútbol, calcio, futebol is, as Eduardo Archetti once said, a mirror of our societies (and ourselves), but also a mask that covers and hides who we are and who we want to be.

In these remarks, I will attempt to show, using specific examples, how football has not only created a vast and multilayered imaginary, one in which politics and economics play a key role; but also that it has produced an artistic and poetic corpus that, perhaps, is as attractive as the beautiful game itself.

Finishing a poster or video for Design Expo? Join us to get last-minute feedback, bring questions and work on your project with others!

Workshop Details:

• What: Design Expo Workshop: “Finishing Touches”
• When: Wednesday, April 2, from 2-3 p.m.
• Where: Library 244
• Registration: Register for the Workshop.

Job Posting for Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Admissions Coordinator, Admissions. Apply online.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment, or for an interview, at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or humanresources@mtu.edu.

Andrew Fiss (HU) gave an invited talk on March 25 as part of a week-long Mathematics for Humanity program about international mathematics competitions hosted by the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Edinburgh, U.K.

Fiss’ talk was titled "Of Mathletes and Math Whizzes: Embodied Experiences of High-Stakes Testing in U.S. News about the IMO."

The talk focused on news coverage of the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) from the first time it occurred in the Western hemisphere in 1981 through the events of the 1990s. Journalists consistently joked about the difficulty of covering these math competitions and how they weren't like the usual sports, and in doing so, they began to introduce questions of which bodies succeed in environments of written testing. Such questions continue to be relevant now, potentially for limiting the place of artificial intelligence opponents in international competitions and certainly for expanding mathematical opportunities to more people.

The Mathematics for Humanity workshop, with funding from the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, ran from March 24-28. It ended with a writing event in which the participants from a dozen countries planned a book to come out of the talks.

Spartan Newsroom and the Mining Journal quoted Jared Wolfe (CFRES) in stories about how Indigenous communities rely on forests for food, medicine and cultural values. Wolfe discussed Michigan’s forest management practices and the need to incorporate traditional Indigenous knowledge for more sustainable resource use.

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Spartan Newsroom and the Mining Journal quoted Roman Sidortsov (SS) in stories about the Upper Peninsula's leadership in renewable energy development. Sidortsov discussed the role of local energy production in reducing electricity costs and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on the region’s renewable energy growth.

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Nich Radcliffe (VPA) was quoted by the Keweenaw Report and Adam Meckler (VPA) and undergraduate Zoltan Moran (mechanical engineering) were quoted by WLUC TV6 in stories about Michigan Tech’s Don Keranen Jazz Festival, held March 28-29 at the Rozsa Center.

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WLUC TV6 quoted Michigan Tech graduate student Lexi Tater (sustainable communities) in a story about a protest organized by Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy in Houghton on March 29.

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Lake Superior Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech’s Ford Center and Forest in a story about the state’s lowest temperature for the 2024-25 season, recorded Jan. 21 by the Ford Center: negative 32 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 21.

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Forbes mentioned Michigan Tech alum Roxane Gay ’10 (Ph.D. Rhetoric and Technical Communication) in a listicle of 25 Black authors and their top literary works.

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Industry Today quoted Michigan Tech alum Tessa Kriz ’19 ’21 (B.S. Mathematics, M.S. Statistics) in a story about Nucor’s efforts to inspire the workforce of tomorrow. Kriz discussed how Nucor sponsors summer youth programs at Michigan Tech, offering high school students hands-on opportunities to explore STEM careers.

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Wisconsin's Daily Reporter mentioned Michigan Tech alum Michael Warren '96 (B.S. Civil Engineering) in a story about his leadership of Mission Drywall Company.

VPR Research Series: 'The Future of Work and Artificial Intelligence'

Join the Research Development team and the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture (IPEC) for a VPR Research Series interdisciplinary discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on labor.

The discussion, titled "The Future of Work and Artificial Intelligence" will be held virtually tomorrow, April 2, from 12-1 p.m.

At this event, we will summarize current trends and their cultural, policy and ethical implications. We are interested in hearing from you about how AI is shaping the future of work in your fields!

Join the VPR Research Series Discussion.

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2025 Annual Steam Shutdown

The annual steam shutdown for 2025 will take place during the week following Spring Commencement, from April 27 to May 2, weather permitting.

This outage is required to provide maintenance and service of the boilers and steam distribution system on campus. This planned maintenance improves the reliability of our system and reduces the likelihood of an unplanned failure during the winter heating season.

Please be advised: During the steam shutdown, affected buildings will experience a complete loss of heating and hot water. Distilled water will not be accessible from the steam-powered stills, and steam-driven autoclaves and sterilizers will be non-operational. Furthermore, Central Energy Plant campus emergency generators will be serviced simultaneously, resulting in a lack of emergency power.

Annual steam shutdown dates/times:

• Starts: Sunday, April 27, at noon
• Ends: Friday, May 2, at noon

Buildings affected:

• Administration Building
• ROTC Building
• Academic Office Building
• Annex Building
• Electrical Energy Resources Center
• Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building
• Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Walker Arts and Humanities Center
• Minerals and Materials Engineering Building
• Grover C. Dillman Hall
• Fisher Hall
• J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library
• U. J. Noblet Forestry Building
• H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex
• Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building
• R. L. Smith Building
• Student Development Complex
• Kanwal and Ann Rekhi Hall
• Douglass Houghton Hall
• Memorial Union Building
• Wadsworth Hall
• McNair Hall
• Central Energy Plant
• Facilities Management
• Hillside Place
• Great Lakes Research Center

If you have questions or concerns, contact Steve Store, energy plant manager, at 906-487-2706 (office), 906-390-6336 (cell) or scstore@mtu.edu.

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2025 Annual Power Outages

Facilities Management has developed a five-year rotating plan to service the 12,470-volt switchgear and associated circuit breakers on Michigan Tech's campus. Our campus electrical distribution system depends on this equipment being in good working condition. This work requires a two-night power outage that affects the least number of buildings possible.

We understand that shutting off power can be inconvenient, but we believe that by taking a proactive approach, we reduce the chance of an unplanned failure at a time during the academic year that is even more inconvenient or disruptive.

Please note: In most cases, elevators, fume hoods, exhaust fans, ventilation equipment, normal lighting, plug-in appliances and plug-in equipment will not operate during the outage. Only items connected to the building emergency generator will have power during the outage. The building emergency generators and battery systems that supply power to emergency/egress lighting and special equipment should function as normal. If you are unsure if your equipment connects to the building emergency generator, please contact the Facilities Management building mechanic for your building.

Additionally, Michigan Tech IT will be turning off all network equipment in the affected buildings for these outages, starting at 5 p.m. You should plan to save any work, shut down your computer systems and exit the buildings before the outages.

Buildings affected by the power outages will have the power shut off during the scheduled outages. Some buildings with power will be without phone or internet service.

Annual power outage dates/times:

• Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. until May 1, at 6 a.m.
• Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. until Friday, May 2, at 6 a.m.

Buildings affected by power outages:

• Hillside Place
• Daniell Heights
• Douglass Houghton Hall
• Wadsworth Hall
• McNair Hall
• Great Lakes Research Center
• Central Heating Plant
• Facilities Management
• Electrical Energy Resources Center 
• Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building
• Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Walker Arts and Humanities Center
• East Hall

Buildings with power but no internet or phone:

• Honors House
• Sustainability Demonstration House
• Tech House
• Portage Lake Golf Course

If you have questions or concerns about this plan, please contact Bob Garnell as soon as possible at rjgarnel@mtu.edu or 906-487-2712.

If you have any questions about the Michigan Tech IT outage during these times, contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or 906-487-1111.

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

Master's Defense: Bashiru Ibrahim

Tuesday, April 1, 8:30–9:30 a.m. | Academic Office Building (AOB), 101

Applied Natural Resource Economics Co-advisors: Gary Campbell and Emanuel Castro Oliveira RENEWABLE ENERGY’S IMPACT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS – A CASE...

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PhD Defense: Zhongtian Zhang

Tuesday, April 1, 9–10 a.m.

Biomedical Engineering Advisor: Bruce Lee Biomedical Applications of Reactive Oxygen Species from Catechol Oxidation Attend Virtually:...

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PhD Defense: Lucas Simonson

Tuesday, April 1, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 327B

Applied Physics Co-advisors: Jacek Borysow and Ramy El-Ganainy Linear response of driven non-Hermitian photonic systems

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Master's Defense: Jacob Krier

Tuesday, April 1, 12–1 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 610

Geology Advisor: Gregory Waite Proximal Seismic Tracking of Pyroclastic Density Currents at Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala

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Master's Defense: Jill Muraski

Tuesday, April 1, 12–1 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Advisor: Timothy Scarlett From Riches to Ruin: An Exploration of the Conglomerate Mining Company's Compressor House Attend Virtually:...

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Guiding Growth: A Workshop for Faculty Mentors

Tuesday, April 1, 12:30–2:00 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom B1

Mentoring is an important role of any faculty member, but few faculty receive formal training for this role. Guiding Growth: A Workshop for Faculty Mentors will help faculty...

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PhD Defense: Xinqian Chen

Tuesday, April 1, 3:15–4:30 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 101

Integrative Physiology Advisor: Zhiying Shan Exploring the Role of Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Salt Sensitive Hypertension Attend Virtually:...

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Laziness vs. Burnout Husky Hour

Tuesday, April 1, 4–5 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge

Feeling drained but not sure why? Join us for our Laziness vs. Burnout Husky Hour to explore the differences, complete an energy audit, and gain tools to recharge effectively....

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La Peña - Spanish Conversation Hour

Tuesday, April 1, 5–6 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120A

Join us for our next La Peña Spanish conversation hour! All levels of Spanish are welcome, and you don't need to be taking a Spanish class to participate. Stop by, chat and...

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NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, April 1, 6–7 p.m. | Chem-Sci 102

A weekly meeting where we cover what's going on in the organization, often followed by a guest presenter, then discussion of what's going on in the world of tech.

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Bible Study - John

Tuesday, April 1, 7:00–8:45 p.m. | His House Campus House

Join us as we continue to study the Gospel of John this semester! Who is Jesus? Who did he claim to be? If you are a seasoned Christian or just exploring your...

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Serve The King Main Meeting

Tuesday, April 1, 7–9 p.m. | Wads G42W

Want to learn who Christ is? Why we sin? Why the world is in it's current state? Join us as we preach Christ crucified and risen, salvation to all who believe. Pizza...