Recap the happenings from Alumni Reunion 2023. Learn more about this year's alumni award winners and Presidential Council of Alumnae new inductees. And mark your calendars for Alumni Reunion 2024.
Alumni Reunion
Four hundred seventy-two alumni and friends from around the world attended Alumni Reunion 2023, with one attendee traveling 2,340 miles to Houghton for the festivities! Events this year included five that had water themes—kayaking, boat cruises, waterfall tours, and more—and Huskies young and not-so-young celebrated the 39 new Golden M Society members in attendance from the Class of 1973.
Save the Date for Alumni Reunion 2024!
Michigan Tech will host Alumni Reunion weekend on campus August 1-3, 2024. Featured classes are as follows:
- 1954—70 Years
- 1959—65 Years
- 1964—60 years
- 1969—55 years
- 1974—50 years
- 1984—40 years
- 1994—30 years
- 1999—25 years
- 2004—20 years
- 2014—10 years
Alumni from any year are invited to join the festivities.
By the Numbers
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3days of activities
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10featured classes (1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1983, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2013)
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1953earliest class year of an attendee
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2023most recent class year of an attendee
2023 Alumni Award Winners
Dianne Marsh '86 '92—Distinguished Alumni Award
After earning both a bachelor's and master's in computer science, Marsh has had an illustrious career. She worked as a software engineer for several firms before co-founding her own technology firm, SRT Solutions, in 2000. In 2013, Marsh took the position of director of engineering tools at Netflix. She currently serves as Netflix's director of consumer product security and trust.
Dale Elliott '79—Outstanding Service Award
Elliott earned an MBA from Michigan Tech and has accumulated more than 25 years of service to the University on the Tech Fund Board of Directors. While doing so, he has led major corporations in a remarkable career, serving as CEO of Snap-on Tools, president of American Standard's global bath and kitchen business, and president of FCM Advisory Group.
John Gooch—Honorary Alumni Award
Though Gooch has not worked at Michigan Tech since 1984, you can still see his fingerprints all over. During his 17 years at the University, he was involved in the start of Career Services, Public Safety and Police Services, and Summer Youth Programs. Gooch was also instrumental in improving employee benefits to help retain top faculty and staff.
Rolf Peterson—Honorary Alumni Award
Peterson, research professor and professor emeritus for Tech's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, co-leads the world's longest-running wildlife study. His 50-plus years of work studying wolves and moose on Isle Royale, with additional predator-prey research projects completed in Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, and Yellowstone National Park, has brought Michigan Tech great renown.
Linda Phillips '77 '84—Humanitarian Award
Phillips turned a 20-year career in industry and second career in teaching into a long history (over 27 years) of leading humanitarian endeavors in Dominica, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, and Chile. In 2000, she created the Michigan Tech International Senior Design (ISD) program, and from 2000 to 2008 mentored more than 160 students from various disciplines through the program.
Dr. Jessica Thompson (Thoresen) '12—Outstanding Young Alumni
Thompson is a surgical oncologist with Corewell Health West Medical Group in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a member of the breast care team, she specializes in breast surgical oncology. In addition, Thompson serves as a clinical associate professor in Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, where she teaches and conducts research in her field.
Presidential Council of Alumnae 2023 Inductees
Michigan Technological University Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA) members are recognized for exceptional personal and professional achievements in all facets of life.
A new slate of nominated and selected graduates are inducted into this notable Council every other year. Members meet annually on campus, and many volunteer to serve Michigan Tech through a variety of meaningful opportunities.
Vegas, Baby!
With 580,000 square feet of LEDs and an ever-changing exterior display that can be seen from space, Sphere began lighting up the global entertainment scene September 29—and five Huskies had a hand in its creation.
"The biggest challenge was thinking holistically about something no one's ever done before," said Paul Bristol '16, design engineer for Smart Monkeys Inc., a technical consulting firm that specializes in feature-centric design and audiovisual control implementation. Bristol worked with the Sphere Entertainment team as principal design consultant for Sphere's control system. Other sound and engineering program alumni involved in the project include Smart Monkeys Chief Technology Officer Mitch Schuh '09; Eric Smith '18 and Renata Putzig '15, also of Smart Monkeys; and Nate Hunter '13, with creative software and technology company 7thSense.
"We're the center of the brain," Bristol said. "Whenever someone presses on a button, we make sure that what needs to happen does."
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.
