Northern Lights

1400 Townsend Drive

By all measures, it has been an epic summer for Keweenaw stargazers and Aurora spotters. But the best show came on the night of August 12, when the Perseids overlapped with the Delta Aquarids just as the Northern Lights began to bloom. The result? A spectacular night sky radiating violet light and speckled with meteors. Shine on, Keweenaw.

Tech and the Keweenaw earn "Best Of" accolades, APMP wins on Wall Street, tackling the Husky Bucket List, and more.

Tech On Top

If it seems like Michigan Tech has been in the news more lately, it's not your imagination. The University and its home, the Keweenaw Peninsula, have been grabbing headlines and garnering accolades. We think the rest of the world is simply catching on to what we've known all along: that Tech is the best damn school in the country. Can you feel the love?

Aerial view of campus, the Keweenaw Waterway, and the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.
Scenic view of Michigan Tech's campus.

Best Small-College Town

Michigan Tech was named one of America's best small-town colleges by BestColleges.com. The ranking was based on acceptance, retention, graduation, and enrollment rates. "Can you imagine Michigan Tech in any other city in the country? I can't," said John Lehman, associate vice president of enrollment, marketing, and communications. "For the students studying with us, our location in the wonderful community of Houghton and the Keweenaw perfectly complements the outstanding education they receive."

Most Livable City

The city of Houghton was one of only three cities in Michigan (and the only in the Upper Peninsula) to be named among the top 100 most livable small towns in America by livability.com. Houghton was credited for having a year–round tourist season, affordable housing, good job availability, and a location centered in the heart of the Western UP.

A Princeton Review "Best Of"

Princeton Review's 2016 issue of The Best 380 Colleges ranks Michigan Tech among the best Midwestern colleges and green colleges nationwide. "Every college in our book has outstanding academics," said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of the Best Colleges guide. "Our lists provide direct student feedback that can give students a new way to see the types of colleges that could help them achieve their goals and dreams."

RIding a bike on a wooden boardwalk.Trail Biking Destination

The Lansing State Journal has declared Copper Harbor a world-class mountain biking destination. "Trails with names like "Flying Squirrel," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Flow" crisscross the landscape," the author writes. "With berms, built-up boardwalks, and hair-pin turns, these are quickly becoming known as some of the best trails in the world. Mountain bikers are flocking to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to experience them."

http://www.copperharbortrails.org/


Winning on Wall Street

It's been said the only thing more difficult than winning a championship is repeating. That is exactly what an Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP) team from Michigan Tech has done.

For the second year in a row, the School of Business and Economics' APMP team won the global investment competition at the Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum V, hosted by Quinnipiac University in New York City. The event, held March 19–21, attracted more than 1,200 students from 140 colleges in 40 countries and 39 states.

The APMP sent three students to the competition: Cory Sullivan, who participated in the NASDAQ closing ceremony, Heath Johnson, and Derek Menard.

Cory Sullivan closes the NASDAQ.
Cory Sullivan closes the NASDAQ.

The results of the team's investments were impressive, according to Dean Johnson, James and Dolores Tretheway Professor in the School of Business and Economics and the APMP's founding director. He says what sets the competition apart is the fact that students are investing real money—a lot of real money.

"The team manages $1 million through the Michigan Tech Fund," Johnson explains. "These funds were explicitly donated to be managed by the students." Heath Johnson, the only returning member from last year's winning team, says that while there was a sense of pressure to repeat, the experience of having done it before was beneficial

"After experiencing the competition last year I knew that we had to be mindful not only of our returns, but also the risk subjected to our portfolio," he says. "Our team really wanted to repeat last year's impressive performance. Winning two years in a row out of 141 schools was incredibly exciting. We were able to outperform the market through very consistent returns while minimizing risk."

 

Overheard On Social Media

Facebook comments on an image captured by our webcam atop the GLRC.

Captured from our webcam atop the GLRC!
July 23 @ 7:30 a.m.
Captured from our webcam atop the GLRC! View webcams

Hey. the snow's finally gone!—David Allen

Please try taking another one from exact same spot during fall. It would be really nice to see colorful view of same pic :)—Neelam Chopade

Another beautiful day in the Keweenaw!—Doda Guyer

Looks like it is going to be a HOT day in the CC. CC hot I mean! :)—Suzanne Houle

Love the rainbow :)—Patti Miller Surran

I was just thinking the same thing.—Amanda Sharpe

Awesome—Deborah Eldred Urban

Total likes: 452


Uplode

A student's-eye view from the Michigan Tech Lode

graphic of a computer with email"The Society of Intellectual Sisters' Bra Show is full of educational moments, but doesn't bog the audience down with relentless facts and figures or sad stories." Alexandria VanDuzer gives the annual Bra Show two thumbs up.

"Glenn Mroz is the president of a large university, and Douglass Houghton hasn't made any significant contributions to society since the early to society since the early to mid 1800s." Tom Aito suggests that the city of Houghton will be renamed Mrozville, in the Lode's annual satirical edition, the Michigan Tech Lewd.

"Sometimes reading a book only makes a headache worse. Reading isn't the right choice for everyone, and that's okay." Joseph Pietrzyk doesn't always see the need to read.

"The inaugural snoccer tournament was held at Tech. Teams were comprised of five players; the winning team was the snocc'em Boppers." John Reynolds on Tech's newest Spring Fling sport.

"From here on out, whenever I hand someone my résumé the first heading will read ‘Previous Internship Experience,' and that will give me a huge advantage when talking with companies." Rand Silvers, excited to begin his first paid summer internship.

"Whoever you are, whatever you are doing, peace out." Andrea Spencer says goodbye to readers on the eve of summer break.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 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 and economics, 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.