Rick White

Contact

riwhite@mtu.edu
906-487-3510
Administration Building G23

Executive Director of Strategic Communications, University Marketing and Communications

Biography

Rick joined Michigan Tech in 2022 after earning his MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Montana. His essays have been nominated for Best American Essays and published in LitHub, High Desert Journal, The A.V. Club and elsewhere. He also holds an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a BA in Geography from the University of Central Arkansas.

About Rick

Rick leads the UMC communications team in projects ranging from media relations to editing MTU News and Tech Magazine.
He enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling, and exploring the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Recent Stories

The solar car in front of a US map highlighting the route from New York to California.

Chasing the Cannonball Sun

Even on a sunny day in June, there are few more unspectacular places in America for a dream road trip to limp to an end than the Holiday Inn parking lot in Logansport, Indiana. This is especially true—and the sunshine especially ironic—when you're driving a homemade solar car, attempting to complete the first solar-powered trip across America. Read More

Three boats in the water going past a lighthouse.

Charting New Waters in Great Lakes Mapping

On October 23, 1968, a Beechcraft Queen Air 80 airplane belonging to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) disappeared over Lake Superior, just off the western coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The plane was carrying two pilots and a University of Wisconsin graduate student assistant on a routine mission to gather water radiation and temperature data in the Great Lakes region. Their last contact was with the Houghton County Memorial Airport at 12:30 p.m. Read More

Pep Band drummer with his hands in the air in the midst of the band.

1400 Townsend Drive

The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) welcomed RV Soliton to its fleet of marine assets last year. Built by Workskiff, the 26-foot workboat has a bare aluminum hull, a covered pilothouse, and two 150-horsepower outboard engines, which each have a fuel capacity of 150 gallons.
RV Soliton and the other vessels in the GLRC's fleet of marine assets allow Michigan Tech faculty, staff, and students direct access to Lake Superior. Both surface and subsurface assets are available for use by the Tech community and the University's collaborative partners on a shared basis. The fleet includes both crewed research vessels and autonomous surface and subsurface vessels. Read More

Student talking to an employer at Career Fair.

MTU Notches Record High Placement Rate

Within six months of graduation, the vast majority of 2024 Michigan Tech alums either found employment or advanced to graduate school, while others were serving in the military or had chosen to pursue volunteer opportunities. The University's record 94.6% placement rate was calculated using survey data from Michigan Tech's Career Services, which was collected according to guidelines from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Read More

Two students walking under the alumni gateway arch on a sunny day.

Michigan Tech Awarded R1 Classification Reserved for Nation’s Leading Research Institutions

Since 1970, the Carnegie Classification has been the leading framework for comparing and grouping accredited and degree-granting institutions. Carnegie's prestigious R1 status is awarded to doctoral universities for excellence in research activities at the highest level. In 2025, of the more than 4,000 degree-granting institutions nationwide, only 187 are recognized as R1 universities. Read More

Black and white photo of dark-haired hockey goalie in Huskies sweater crouching with legs and arms out in front of a hockey goal, looking at the camera.

MTU to Award Board of Trustees Silver Medal to Tony Esposito

The Board of Trustees Silver Medal is given to those whose personal and professional achievements set an outstanding example for Michigan Tech graduates. University President Rick Koubek will present the award to members of Esposito’s family during a pregame ceremony at the Michigan Tech hockey game versus Northern Michigan University. Read More

Eight staff members, board members and government officials stand in a ballroom smiling at the camera following the presentation of a framed award, held by a woman staff member in the center of the picture.

Michigan Tech Earns Federal Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence

The Jack Donnelly Award recognizes companies and institutions that best demonstrate the ability to stop foreign theft of U.S. defense and national security technology. Out of more than 10,000 eligible organizations in the nation, Michigan Tech's Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) was one of five chosen for the award, which was formally presented at the University's Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Oct. 11. Read More