Achievements and News

In its 75th year College of Business students achieved excellence in many ways, including a President’s Award for Leadership and a Commencement speaker, outstanding student awards and top finishes at competitions and tournaments, impressive student-athlete accomplishments, and recognition for bravery and kindness.

Victoria Cameron Earns Army ROTC Honor

Cadet Victoria Cameron is the Michigan Tech Army ROTC Arctic Warrior Battalion's recipient of the George C. Marshall Award. Cameron was nominated to represent the battalion at the George C. Marshall Leadership and Awards Seminar, held at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

A tradition since 1978, more than 200 of the nation's top Army ROTC and United States Military Academy cadets met to participate in the event, which featured seminars and roundtable discussions with Army senior leaders, defense experts, cadre, and peers. Cadets are nominated from their respective programs based on scholarship, leadership, physical fitness, and community involvement.

Cameron is a senior management major in the Michigan Tech College of Business, where she also serves as a student ambassador and is on the Dean's Student Advisory Council.

"This is a huge honor and a major accomplishment and I couldn't have done it without the support of College of Business faculty and staff over the last four years," says Cameron, a native of Petoskey, Michigan, who earned full in-state tuition as a high school senior.

Cameron has interned with the US Department of Justice, tasked with mitigating bombings, suspected terror attacks, shootings, and other threats of violence, as well as conducting database checks and open-source research to further national security investigations.

Stephanie Franco Interns With City Of Houghton

Since 2011, the City of Houghton—the fastest-growing city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula—has recruited the talents of Michigan Tech College of Business interns. The internships provide valuable, hands-on learning experience for students and assist the city in accomplishing strategic goals.

Marketing major Stephanie Franco presented the results of the 2022 Quality of Life Survey to the City Planning Commission and local residents. The survey is conducted every five years and supports the city's five-year plan. Franco worked closely with her advisor, Junhong "Jun" Min, professor of marketing at the University, to decipher and communicate the marketing analytics. Min credited Franco's involvement for boosting this year's response rate to 33 percent of the 1,922 surveys distributed, up from 31.9 percent in the past. Additionally, Min noted that the layout was significantly overhauled this year by highlighting community voices within the slide deck, a feature also credited to Franco. "Stephanie's precision, work quality, and enthusiasm are remarkable. Through the internship, Stephanie gained valuable experience beyond the classroom while contributing to the greater Houghton community," Min noted.

Residents voiced their desires for future projects or goals including: keeping the historic feeling of Houghton, mindful snow removal by public works, improved accessibility for the disabled community, more sidewalks, and more ethnic food options.

View Franco's presentation.

In addition to the internship, Franco is a member of the American Marketing Association student organization. She has participated in regional marketing competitions and attended industry field trips. Along with fellow marketing students, Franco successfully launched the Husky Closet Collective (Instagram @husky.closet.collective) marketing campaign, a new clothing service provided on campus.

Anderson Piercey Appointed as Commencement Student Speaker

Undergraduate student speaker Anderson Piercey, who earned his bachelor's in management, addressed the Class of 2023 at Michigan Tech's Undergraduate Spring Commencement.

Piercey's speech centered on the importance of kindness and community.

Hailing from Shelby Township in Lower Michigan, Piercey was a senior resident assistant, resident assistant, and academic success coach during his time at Tech, earning the highest regional award presented to affiliates of the National Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). He was recognized by Michigan Tech Student Affairs in 2020 for exceptional enthusiasm in student leadership.

He made memories while helping others embrace Tech traditions. "One of my favorite memories of Michigan Tech—this is one of many!—is marching 68 residents from Wadsworth Hall to the Memorial Union Building for K-Day," he said. "It was the first time that I felt like a true student leader on campus. I made a lot of my residents come out of their shells for the first time, and the look of shock on peoples' faces as we took up an entire bus heading to Chassell was something I'll never forget."

Active in Pavlis Honors College and on the Dean's List every semester, Piercey was a member of numerous campus and community organizations, including the Society of African American Men, Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Education, and Mitch's Misfits. He volunteered with Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, Friends of the Library, and the Copper Country Humane Society.

In the College of Business, Piercey worked as a research assistant on the project "Engaging Under-Resourced College Students in the Western Upper Peninsula," mentored by faculty member Jonathan Leinonen.

"I chose Michigan Tech because I'd been awarded a good amount of scholarships to come here," said Piercey. "In my second year, I found myself captivated by the efficient processes and lean manufacturing mindsets within the management program. Amazing professors like Roger Woods gave me challenging but rewarding courses that made me excited to explore project management."

After graduating, Anderson planned to begin his career as an associate business analyst at Auto-Owners Insurance in Lansing. "I'll also be pursuing my hobbies of reading, photography, hiking—I anticipate I'll be coming back up here for the best views!—and writing," he added.

Skyler Spitzley Receives National Red Cross Award

Skyler Spitzley of Ovid, Michigan, a management major concentrating in supply chain and operations management, received an American Red Cross national lifesaving award for her actions during an emergency situation at the Student Development Complex pool in June 2022. "We saw a situation and acted, like we were prepared to," said Spitzley, one of three lifeguards on duty when a patron began experiencing chest pains. "The fact that the patron is still alive and breathing is an award in itself."

Husky Teams Top Project Management Competition

Michigan Tech teams earned both first and second place in THEProject, a semester-long project management competition sponsored by the Western Michigan Project Management Institute. Huskies went up against competitors from Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, and Western Michigan University.

The competition experience is a tool to ignite student interest in project management as a career path. Teams are composed of three to six students, each with a faculty champion and project management professional (PMP) certified mentor.

"This is not just me talking about how a project should work, but the reality of how projects actually work," said Roger Woods, associate teaching professor of operations management in the College of Business.

This year's challenge centered on developing a plan to prevent and protect digital infrastructure from ever-increasing ransomware attacks in the context of the fictional "Acme Corporation."

Both teams were awarded cash prizes from a panel of PMP certified executive judges, who look for applicable use of project management techniques, quality of solutions, and presentation ability.

A point of pride for the Black and Gold: Michigan Tech is the only school to place in the top three every year of the competition.

President's Award for Leadership Goes to Aerith Cruz

Management information systems major Aerith Cruz, a 2020 Chaska High School graduate, is the 2023 recipient of the President's Award for Leadership, presented annually to one Husky selected from a pack of nominees who provide exemplary leadership to peers through activities at Michigan Tech. At the Student Leadership Awards Ceremony on April 14, President Rick Koubek honored Cruz with the award. Cruz co-hosted the annual event, which celebrates and recognizes leadership, excellence, kindness, and achievement.

Throughout Cruz's layers of involvement on campus, a common thread is present: creating opportunities for others—even when they can't see the possibilities for themselves.

As a Leading Scholar, Cruz has supported students considering their MTU journey by volunteering at more than 10 scholarship events and mentoring five prospective students as a Tech Pal. She has also supported her peers as both an Orientation Team Leader and ExSEL peer mentor with the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success.

As a former varsity fencer, Cruz was determined to make fencing accessible at Tech. She introduced beginner lessons, led community events, and created training regimens.

Under Cruz's leadership as president of the Fencing Club at Michigan Tech, more than 200 participants tried the sport for the first time, and active membership in the group increased by 500 percent!

Cruz is a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEM. She has served on the Center for Diversity and Inclusion's President's Council, where she has been pivotal in mentoring fellow leaders in guiding their organizations and advocating for the needs of students.

Perhaps her most notable impact has been serving as the president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a student organization with more than 200 members. Throughout her term, Cruz sponsored campuswide initiatives, such as hosting the Breaking Stereotypes for Women Engineers event, and advancing The Cycle Project, which provides free menstrual products throughout campus.

Cruz's years of service with SWE culminated with the establishment of the SWE Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a SWE member beginning in 2026. This fall, Cruz was recognized by SWE for her impact on the Society and our section and community with the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award.

University Recognizes Marco Marquez For Bravery, Kindness

Finance and accounting double major Marco Marquez is this year's recipient of the Award for Bravery and Kindness in Service to Others, presented to a Michigan Tech student who consistently, without fanfare, exhibits qualities related to bravery, kindness, generosity, humility, and resilience.

Read what nominators admire about Marquez:

"Marco has put countless hours into events such as Walk in Her Shoes—demonstrating his kindness and bravery in being a voice for those who need it."

"He goes out of his way to help others daily, creating connections with diverse communities on campus."

"Warm and welcoming nature ... a valuable and integral part of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion familia."

"Marco is well known in the College of Business as well as the overall community at Tech. He is kind to peers ... loves to connect with his professors and is held in high regard among faculty."

"Marco demonstrated bravery by studying abroad in Germany. He spent a couple of years honing his ability to speak the language."

"Marco worked as an intern for both GM and the Ideal Group, utilizing his finance and accounting studies in a professional setting."

Adam Witkowski Takes on World Cup

Senior Michigan Tech Nordic skier Adam Witkowski, a management information systems major, competed in his first World Cup, representing the United States in Livigno, Italy. "It was a great experience skiing against the best in the world. There are so many positives that I can take away, and the biggest one is that I belong with the best in the world," Witkowski said.

Faculty Fellow Supports Alternative Spring Break

With support from the Mickus Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Business Impact, business Huskies—Jake McDowell, Elisabeth Mattson, Madison Mattila, and Emily Kughn—opted for the Student Leadership and Involvement alternative spring break trip, immersing themselves in the culture of Sangolquí, Ecuador. The students partnered with Manna Project International to serve the Chillos Valley by leading children's art classes and painting a soccer field.

Clayton Sayen Concludes Historic Career

Clayton Sayen '22 '23 (BS Marketing and Engineering Management, MBA) concluded his career as one of the most decorated student athletes in University history. The Houghton, Michigan, native saved his best year for last, qualifying for the 1,500m at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the second-straight year and placing 15th overall in the event.

Sayen was the back-to-back GLIAC outdoor 1,500m champion and holds the meet record in the event. In fall 2022, he had the highest individual finish in Michigan Tech history at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where he placed 16th overall, contributing to a 10th-place finish for the men's squad—the highest team finish in program history.

Sayen holds MTU records in the 1,500m (3:43.84) and the 800m (1:49.27).

"My time as a Husky has been great and I'm happy to have been part of a program that has seen such improvement over my five years," he said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity that Michigan Tech has given me and I look forward to this program growing and improving moving forward."

Celebrating 75 Years of Business at Michigan Tech

For 75 years, business degrees have been a fixture of Michigan Technological University. First offered in 1948 as a one-year program leading to a BS in Engineering Administration, the curriculum was originally designed to be attached to a previously earned four-year science or engineering degree.

Seven graduates were initially awarded the degree in 1949. One of the very first was Albert Mickus, who started the program in '49 and graduated in '50. The Mickus family has provided generously to Michigan Tech and the College of Business. Albert's son, Michael, earned two degrees from Michigan Tech, including a business degree in 1975.

You, too, can honor our history and provide for our future—donate today.

Steve Coates Says Farewell to Flyers

Steve Coates '73 (BS Business Administration), a former Husky and 2018 inductee to the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame, aired his final broadcast as the Philadelphia Flyers' analyst back in April, capping off a broadcasting career spanning 40+ years. Coates was known for his unique sense of humor mixed with the knowledge of a hockey lifer who played seven seasons professionally, reported NHL.com.

Fast Facts and Rankings

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.