April 6, 2026

Earlier this semester, eight students from the Michigan Tech College of Business traveled to Midland, Michigan, to represent the University at the Collegiate DECA 2026 State Career Development Conference. Their performances did not disappoint, as the Business Huskies carried on a College tradition of placing in the state round and qualifying to advance to the international competition.

DECA serves as a powerful bridge between classroom learning and real-world business applications.

“My time with Michigan Tech DECA has truly been a fulfilling experience. Through DECA, I’ve learned how to work through business challenges professionally while applying the knowledge I’ve gained,” said senior Allyana Grochowski, one of four Huskies who distinguished themselves as state finalists through their exceptional performance in individual and team events.

Learn more about the competition on the College of Business Newsblog.

Integrating Husky Folio into your course doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Join us for the Husky Folio Launchpad on Thursday, April 30. This supportive, hands-on workshop is designed to help you explore the tools, ask questions, and start building at your own pace. With a mix of targeted morning sessions and an open, guided implementation studio in the afternoon, you can choose the experience that fits your needs—and leave with practical progress you can use right away.

• PebblePad Basics: Get familiar with the PebblePad dashboard, key terminology, etc.
• Templates & Workbooks: Learn to design and build structured learning materials for your students.
• Behind the Scenes: Master ATLAS, the administrative side of Husky Folio.
• Implementation Studio: A dedicated "working hour" to build your actual assignments with our team on hand to help.

Register Now for Husky Folio Launchpad. Refreshments and lunch included. Don't forget your laptop!

Have you ever wanted to ask a Fortune 100 president anything? Here’s your chance. Join members of the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council for a Q&A panel in a casual, interactive setting where attendees can ask questions about career advice, leadership insights and real-world business experience.

Attendees are encouraged to mark their calendars and bring questions. This is an opportunity to connect with top-level business leaders.

The panel will take place on Wednesday, April 8, at 5 p.m. in R. L. Smith 111.

Journey Through the Keweenaw: Interactive Walk-through Installations - Michigan Tech Theatre
Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11 | 7:30-10 p.m. 
McArdle Theatre
Michigan Tech Theatre Series

This Thursday through Saturday, April 9-11, the Michigan Tech Theatre Series invites you to the McArdle Theatre for an immersive arts experience that draws on the region's cultural and industrial heritage to create something entirely its own. Visitors will explore a series of displays where sound, light, and projection and technical craftsmanship transform familiar spaces into living works of art. Local history, copper country folklore, and the creative energy of Michigan Tech students and faculty converge in an event that is as much about place as it is about craft. It is not simply a showcase — it is an invitation to experience the Keweenaw through new eyes.

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Celebrations! - Superior Wind Symphony and Campus Concert Band
Friday, April 10 | 7:30 p.m.
Rozsa Center
Michigan Tech Music Series

This Friday, April 10, join the Superior Wind Symphony and Campus Concert Band as they combine for their popular end-of-semester concert, featuring music of joy, triumph, and celebration. You will hear familiar favorites and moving compositions that will help us usher in a joyful spring.

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Reception for Beyond the Frame: Spring Student Art Showcase - Rozsa Art Galleries
Reception: Friday, April 10 | 5-7 p.m.
Exhibit Dates: April 10-14
Rozsa Art Calleries
Michigan Tech Art Series

Also this Friday, April 10, join artists and Rozsa Art Galleries Director, Terri Jo Frew, from 5-7 p.m. for the opening reception for "Beyond the Frame: Spring Student Art Showcase" in the Rozsa Art Galleries A-Space. Students in Scenic and Entertainment Design and Art on Site create an interactive art installation, based on the beloved children's books The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Fancy Nancy, I Spy, and Chicken Little. The exhibit is immersive, and child-friendly. Arrive early for celebrations and hear from the artists to learn about the vision and inspiration for this exhibition.

Please join the Department of Mathematical Sciences as we welcome Brian Hopkins of Saint Peter's University.

The seminar will be held on Friday, April 10, from 1-2 p.m. in Fisher 133. Refreshments will be provided. 

Hopkins' presentation is titled "Six years of the crank-mex theorem".

From the abstract:
In 2020, two pairs of researchers, George Andrews & David Newman along with the speaker & James Sellers, published a surprising connection between two statistics on integer partitions.  The crank, named by Freeman Dyson in 1944 in hopes for a way to better understand results of Ramanujan, was not found until 1988 by Andrews and Frank Garvan.  As one would guess from the 44 year delay, the definition is tricky, yet the crank has become one of the most important statistics in the field.  The mex, a portmanteau of minimal excludant and borrowed from combinatorial game theory, is much simpler to define and compute. The theorem of the title shows that these two statistics are essentially equivalent.  In the short time since the connection was established, around 50 papers have built on the ideas.  We will sample some of that work with a bias towards combinatorial results.  The talk will be accessible to a wide audience, including several examples and beginning with the definition of integer partitions. 

Hopkins received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1997 and has been on the faculty at Saint Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey, since 2001.  He has also taught at New York University, Harvey Mudd College, Seattle University, Quest University in British Columbia, and Mahidol University International College in Thailand.  He was recognized with a Haimo teaching award from the Mathematical Association of America, served as editor of the College Mathematics Journal, and recently published a colorful book Hands-On Combinatorics with the American Mathematical Society.

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today, April 6, in GLRC 202.

Jessica Kozarek, assistant professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Michigan Tech, will present "Ecosystem Impacts and Resilience".

Read Kozarek's abstract on the University Events Calendar.

The College of Sciences and Arts will host a guest speaker, Matthew Weber, PhD, from the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa. The seminar will be held Thursday, April 9, at 2 p.m. in GLRC 202.

Weber's presentation is titled "Mesocortical Circuits and Cognitive Variability".

From the abstract: 
Mesocortical dopamine circuits support cognitive control processes and goal-directed behavior. Precision is crucial to successful, goal-directed behavior, yet the neural mechanisms promoting precision are unclear. I study how mesocortical dopamine circuits contribute to precision along a single behavioral dimension—the timing of action. Specifically, I study interval timing, a cognitive process of tracking time over seconds-to-minutes that guides our actions in time. I will present evidence that neuronal activity in the rodent mesocortical dopamine circuit is crucial for precise interval timing behavior and that targeting this circuit can improve interval timing precision. I will discuss how these results advance our understanding of mesocortical circuits and cognitive variability, and how these results are important for neurological and psychiatric illnesses that disrupt mesocortical circuits.

Stephanie Carpenter (HU) is the PI on a project that has received $10,000 in grant funding from the Modern Language Association (MLA).

The proposal, “Implementing Success: A Toolkit for Humanities Interns and their Internship Sponsors," was selected for an MLA Pathways Step Grant, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Oren Abeles (HU), Sarah Bell (HU), and M.Bartley Seigel (HU) are co-PIs on the project, which will develop a toolkit outlining key aspects of internships for Humanities undergraduate students.

The toolkit will cover reasonable and defined scopes of work, timelines for projects and tasks, setting expectations, and translating traditional humanities skills, methods, and values (critical thinking, interpretation, contextual meaning, ethical situatedness) into terms that are meaningful to internship sponsors. The project aims to help MTU's current employer network imagine new opportunities for Humanities majors, as well as grow partnerships with new internship sponsors.

Lanrong Bi (Chem) recently served as an invited reviewer for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Cellular Mechanisms of Aging and Development (CMAD) study section, held March 30-31.

Bi's continued service in this highly selective role reflects national recognition of Michigan Tech faculty expertise and underscores the university’s growing impact and visibility in advancing biomedical research at the national level.

Science mentioned Adrienne Minerick (ChE/BioMed) in its coverage of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual election results, noting her election as a Member-at-Large for the Engineering section.

Keweenaw Report mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the BRCĒ startup and its experience with the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program (AMMP) Accelerator through the MTEC SmartZone, which partners with MTU.

Michigan Tech Archives Travel Grant Program 2026: Call for Applicants

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections is currently accepting applications for its annual Travel Grant Program. The travel grant brings scholars and researchers to Michigan Tech to work with the Archives’ collections.

Financial support for the Travel Grant Program is provided by the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library, a support organization for the Van Pelt and Opie Library. Grants are awarded for up to $750 to defray the costs of travel to visit and conduct research in Houghton. In addition, graduate students applying to the program may request up to an additional $250 (furnished by the Archives) to help defray any duplication costs incurred during a qualified research trip.

The Michigan Tech Archives houses a wide variety of historical print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the Copper Country and Michigan Tech. Subject coverage is vast, some of which includes University and campus life, regional towns and cities, local industries and businesses, social organizations, events and personalities of the Copper Country and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Primary topical research areas include the western Upper Peninsula, industrial heritage and history, particularly copper mining and its ancillary industries, social history, community development along the Keweenaw Peninsula, transportation and the environment. Finding aids for some of the collections are available on the Archives’ website.

To apply for a travel grant, please visit the Travel Grant Program website.

Applications are due by Friday, April 10. Award recipients will be notified in late April or early May. The successful candidate must complete their travel by Dec. 4, 2026. Electronic submission of applications is required.

For further information, please contact University Archivist Lindsay Hiltunen at copper@mtu.edu.

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African Night (Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are)

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of culture, connection and celebration at African Night 2026. Hosted by the African Students Organization (ASO) at Michigan Technological University, this vibrant event embraces the powerful theme “Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are.” It’s more than just a night out; it’s an experience that brings people together through the beauty of African heritage.

Join us on April 18 in the MUB Ballroom (MUB 207) from 6-10 p.m. for an electrifying showcase of music, dance, fashion and authentic African cuisine. Whether you’re coming to enjoy live performances, explore cultural displays or simply have a great time with friends, African Night promises something for everyone. Don’t miss the chance to celebrate unity, diversity and identity in one incredible evening.

Secure your spot online at the MTU Ticket Office and be part of this special celebration. For more information, contact 906-231-4774.

Come as you are, bring your friends and experience the spirit of Ubuntu — because together, we create something truly meaningful.

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Tie Together for Warmth

Join registered student organizations Well-Being Advocates at Michigan Tech and Sexual Assault & Violence Education (SAVE) to make tie blankets for the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter in Calumet. This event can count toward service hours for those in need. Help a cause that is larger than just campus!

The event will take place today, April 6, from 5-8 p.m. in The Alley Makerspace.

Sign Up to Make Tie Blankets.

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Essential Education Experience Request for Proposals

Michigan Tech's Essential Education Experience manager is inviting proposals for the design and development of 3-credit Essential Education Experience (E3) courses over the summer.

E3 courses aim to provide students with immersive, experiential learning opportunities that foster critical reflection, interdisciplinary approaches and ethical engagement with communities or stakeholders.

For more information about E3 course requirements and the proposal process, please view the E3 Request for Proposals document.

Proposals should be sent to E3 Manager Cassandra Reed-VanDam at cmvandam@mtu.edu, and will be reviewed as they are received. Projects received by a deadline of April 24 will receive initial first consideration.

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ICC Panel: Fostering Program Officer Relationships for Funding

Join the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) tomorrow, April 7, at noon in MUB Ballroom B1 for a panel discussion on fostering program officer relationships for funding.

Our panelists have extensive experience with securing research funding and the connections required to do so, and will discuss their experiences with and strategies for communicating with program officers. This session will specifically benefit faculty, research support staff and graduate students, and lunch will be provided!

Panelists:

• Durdu Guney, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Tim Havens, Computer Science (Moderator)
• Vinh Nguyen, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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Atmospheric Sciences Colloquium: Grad Student Presentations

The following Atmospheric Sciences graduate students will be presenting their research progress at an Atmospheric Sciences Colloquium: 

• Kadja Flore Gali (advised by Will Cantrell and Laura Fierce)
• Swafuva Varappillikudy Sulaiman (advised by Will Cantrell)

This will be an in-person event. The students will give their talks at 4 p.m. today, April 6, in Fisher 101.

Event details, including the graduate students’ presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

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Walker Arts and Humanities Center 40th Anniversary Open House

The Departments of Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts are pleased to invite you to the Walker Arts and Humanities Center 40th Anniversary Open House this Friday, April 10, from 3-6 p.m.!

The event will feature displays, installations, live demos and media presentations from both departments featuring the work of our diverse and accomplished faculty and students. Light refreshments will also be available.

Tour our facilities, including the Michigan Tech Writing Center, the Walker Lab for the Arts and Humanities — formerly the Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ) — and the Stop Motion Studio, and get a sneak preview of the forthcoming Walker Game Studies Lab in Humanities.

Visit the second floor for displays and live demos in the Ceramics, Costume, and Drawing and Painting Studios; the Lighting and Sound Lab; and McArdle Theatre in Visual and Performing Arts.

Our faculty and students will be present to share work, talk shop and look toward the future of the arts and humanities right here at Michigan Tech.

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

Master's Defense: Isobel Bowker

Monday, April 6, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Ana Dyreson COMPARISON OF FIXED TILT AND SINGLE AXIS TRACKING SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS DURING WINTER

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PhD Defense: Gita Deonarain

Monday, April 6, 12–1 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), S012

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Jason Blough Nondestructive Evaluation of Additively Manufactured Parts using Resonant Inspection and Frequency Domain-Based Correlation Criteria Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/85890177864

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Let's Talk

Monday, April 6, 1–3 p.m. | Academic Office Building room 101

Balancing classes, projects, or personal stress? Let’s Talk, in partnership with the College of Business, is a no-pressure, confidential conversation with a Michigan Tech counselor. Get guidance for yourself, support a friend, and learn about mental health resources, all in a friendly, informal setting. All students welcome!

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ASCII - BYTE meeting

Monday, April 6, 3–4 p.m. | Fisher 0231

Come help us make The Byte, ASCII's computing newspaper. Help write articles or just get more information. Looking for journalist, editors, or anyone interested in computing.

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Ecosystem Impacts and Resilience

Monday, April 6, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Jessica Kozarek, Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Michigan Tech Abstract: Many aquatic environmental challenges involve complex interactions between moving water, sediment, biota, water quality, and anthropogenic activities and infrastructure. In this talk, I will present a sample of current and past research that investigates these interactions in streams, rivers, and lakes. I will also discuss unique experimental spaces and field techniques used to illuminate these interactions to help with predictions and mitigations of sediment pollution and aquatic invasive species spread, and design of resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

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PhD Defense: Md Khairul Islam

Monday, April 6, 3–4 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, Forestry G002

Computational Science and Engineering Advisor: Hairong Wei Computational and AI Frameworks for Identifying Key Regulatory Genes and Their Target Genes in Plants and Humans Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/82626473978

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ATM Colloquium - Graduate Student Presentations (GALI, Sulaiman)

Monday, April 6, 4–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 101

Please join ATM graduate students, Kadja Flore GALI and Swafuva Varappillikudy Sulaiman for their presentations on Monday, April 6 at 4 PM - Fisher Hall 101. Kadja Flore GALI (Advisor: Will Cantrell and Laura Fierce) THE EFFECT OF AEROSOL PROPERTIES ON CLOUD DROPLET ACTIVATION AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES IN A CONVECTIVE CLOUD CHAMBER. The response of cloud microphysical properties to aerosol perturbations remains a challenge in predicting the cooling effect of cloud reflectivity. Increasing aerosol number concentrations is known to modify cloud properties; however, the role of underlying aerosol size distributions and compositions in controlling these properties remains unclear. Here, we combine high-resolution large-eddy simulations (LES) with cloud chamber experiments to investigate how aerosol properties (number, size, and composition) and environmental conditions modulate the cloud microphysics. The results show that cloud droplet activation and deactivation rates depend on both aerosol properties and the environmental supersaturation. However, cloud droplet size distributions and optical properties are primarily controlled by aerosol number concentration across most conditions…

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Girls' Basketball Little Huskies

Monday, April 6, 4–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multi Room

Learning skills, working in a team, and having fun: that’s Michigan Tech’s Little Huskies girls’ basketball camp. It’s a great introduction to the sport for young, budding basketball players held in the SDC Varsity Gym and Multipurpose Room. Students learn fundamental skills for team play and individual skills like ball-handling, shooting, defense, and more—all from coaches and instructors who are renowned in their field. Daily sessions are 2 hours, and players will work on fundamental basketball skills like ball-handling, shooting, and team play. Girls, Grades 2-5 (age 7-11)

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Huskies Swim Training - Session 3

Monday, April 6, 4–5 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Huskies Swim Training is a program that provides additional attention and competitive guidance to advanced swimmers looking to focus on stroke technique and efficiency. Sessions will be designed to improve swimming through stroke drills and swimming sets focused on endurance, speed, and race strategy. Coaches will provide feedback and stroke correction in a group environment with an emphasis on promoting a love for competitive swimming and lifelong skills such as discipline, dedication, and teamwork. Come be part of the pack! Competitve swimming opportunities are now availabe to current Huskies Swim Training participants!

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German Stammtisch Conversation Hour

Monday, April 6, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120C

Please join us for German conversation, snacks, games, and more! All levels of German are welcome. Every other Monday starting January 12! Walker 120C (HDMZ) 4:30-5:30pm.

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La Peña Spanish Conversation Hour

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

Join us every other Monday this semester for La Peña, Spanish Conversation Hour, from 5-6pm in Walker 120A! Come practice your Spanish, hang out with other Spanish-speakers, play games, and maybe learn something new! All levels are welcome. Questions? Contact Estela Mira Barreda ebarreda@mtu.edu

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Tie Together for Warmth

Monday, April 6, 5–8 p.m. | The Alley Makerspace

Join the Well-Being Advocates and SAVE to make tie blankets for the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter. GivePulse is linked to receive service hours.

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Parent & Child Aquatics (Ages 6 mo-3 yrs) - Session 2

Monday, April 6, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent & Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6 months to 3 years old. A parent is required to be in the water with each participant.

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Preschool Aquatics (Ages 4-5 years) - Session 2

Monday, April 6, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Preschool Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 4 to 5 years old.

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TEA General Meeting

Monday, April 6, 6–7 p.m. | Fisher 101

General meetings where we discuss happenings in the club and transportation in the area.

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Pickleball Club: Anything but a Paddle

Monday, April 6, 9–11 p.m. | Gates Tennis Center

Bring anything but a paddle to our regular practice! This is meant to include people who would like to play but don’t have a paddle. Everyone is invited. Please keep the item small (fits into a backpack) and is not too heavy to play with (roughly under 1 lbs). People can still bring their paddle to use later during practice.