April 9, 2026

Whether counting nematodes through a microscope or compiling genetic datasets behind a computer, Michigan Tech students taking part in Paul Goetch’s CUREs — course-based undergraduate research experiences — collectively pursue the same objective: a drug that could suppress cancer cell reproduction.

“Our results show an incredible proof-of-concept that we can use nematodes and wild bacteria as a system for drug discovery,” said Goetsch, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Tech. “We expect that our system could be adapted to screen for a whole panel of important phenotypes associated with human health.”

Along the way, his students often find a passion for research.

“I know the process works when the students start asking questions and head off in their own directions,” he said. “That’s what got me into research and it’s fun when the same spark is lit in up-and-coming researchers. It’s everything I would have liked to do as an undergraduate.”

Explore Goetsch’s methods of supporting excellence in undergraduate research in the 2026 Michigan Tech Magazine.

This is the second entry in a four-part series highlighting the contributions of the 2026 Enterprise Distinguished Service Award recipients.

Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program awards the Enterprise Distinguished Service Award to recognize the dedication and exceptional contributions of advisors and champions who have played pivotal roles in shaping the program’s success. Each of the award winners has more than 15 years of service within Enterprise, dedicating their time and expertise to guiding teams, ensuring student success and advancing the program’s discovery-based learning mission.

This year’s recipients of the Enterprise Distinguished Service Award are Jim DeClerck (MAE), Scott Kuhl (CS), Erin Smith (HU) and Ruth Archer (OCI).

Second Award Winner Profile: Ruth Archer

Ruth Archer, director of Continuous Improvement at Michigan Tech, has spent more than a decade helping Enterprise students develop the mindsets and methods that shape effective engineers, scientists and professionals. She began teaching her first Enterprise course in 2011 and gradually expanded her involvement, eventually developing and teaching two classes focused on Lean principles and the culture of continuous improvement. Her work with Enterprise has influenced not only her students but also her own approach to teaching. 

“The program has shaped my thinking about instruction,” Archer said. “I’ve learned how to better support students — how to interact with them, how to design assignments, what works and what doesn’t. It’s really helped me learn how to teach.”

That learning, she noted, has carried over into her broader continuous improvement work across campus.

Read Archer's full profile on the Enterprise Blog.

The Van Pelt and Opie Library is proud to be celebrating its 150th anniversary as a federal depository library, the second oldest in the state of Michigan!

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by the United States Congress in 1813 to ensure public access to U.S. government information. Michigan Tech’s collection of federal documents was established in April 1876, predating the founding of the University itself. The collection’s origins are traced to Jay Abel Hubbell, who was instrumental in the creation of a school of mines in Houghton, and it includes materials which are difficult or impossible to find anywhere else.

Come celebrate with us! Stop by the library's FDLP anniversary display tomorrow, April 10, to chat with one of our government information librarians and learn more about this important, varied, and historic collection. (It even has board games!)

Grab some swag, test your trivia knowledge and enter a drawing for a chance to win a volume from the NASA Aeronautics book series.

The College of Business is presenting the final presentations for The College Project Competition (TCPC) on Monday, April 13, from 1-4 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. in person in AOB 201 and virtually via Zoom.

TCPC is a regional competition focused on the development of a comprehensive project plan based on Project Management Institute standards. The scenario this year focuses on the remediation and redevelopment of a contaminated brownfield site into a public park.

The competition is part of OSM4350 Advanced Project Management and has been a capstone option for engineering management and management majors since 2013. Students who have completed a Project Management course are eligible to participate.

• Watch the Preliminary Rounds on Zoom — Monday, April 13, from 1-4 p.m.
• Watch the Final Presentations on Zoom — Monday, April 13, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Please reach out to Roger Woods at rhwoods@mtu.edu or tcpc@mtu.edu for more information.

All fully managed Linux Lab systems will be rebuilt with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 before the start of the fall 2026 semester. This includes machines in:

• Dow 211 and 853
• Van Pelt and Opie Library (Orange Zone)
• Rekhi 112, 113, 117 and 118
• Linux coursework servers guardian.it.mtu.edu (joshua.csl) and colossus.it.mtu.edu (wopr.csl)

Michigan Tech IT will begin a scheduled rollout of RHEL 10 to fully managed campus computer labs during the break between the spring and summer semesters. The complete rollout schedule is available on the Michigan Tech IT News blog.

Test Systems
Test systems are available at the Van Pelt and Opie Library (Orange Zone, second floor, Linux workstations numbered 08, 09 and 10). You can also SSH into forbin.it.mtu.edu to test nongraphical aspects of RHEL 10. Please use these test systems to ensure your course material works as expected. Your feedback enables us to identify and solve issues before the fall semester begins. 

For questions or to offer feedback on the RHEL 10 campus lab system, we can help. it-help@mtu.edu">Email IT or call 906-487-1111.

The Michigan Tech community is invited to join the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Natural Resources Department in celebrating Tribal Water Day.

Established by the KBIC in 2019 as an annual celebration, the event invites attendees to learn about how we care for and protect our water. It includes presentations, student posters, informational tables and more.

Everyone is welcome to attend, and lunch will be provided!

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Cera Shelafoe at cshelafoe@kbic-nsn.gov or 906-524-5757 ext. 4239, or Grace Krajenka at gkrajenka@kbic-nsn.gov or 906-524-5757 ext. 4247.

Event Details:

• What: Tribal Water Day
• When: Thursday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Doors open at 8 a.m.!)
• Where: Buck's Bingo Hall, 16449 Michigan Ave. in Baraga, Michigan
• Registration: Please register to attend by April 16

Join the Muslim Students Association (MSA) at Michigan Tech for an interactive workshop on Agentic AI and how it can be used to streamline workflows and boost productivity.

The workshop will be held on April 18 from 3-5 p.m. at the MTU Mosque, 2001 Woodmar Dr., Houghton.

In this session, Ali Awad will introduce the concept of Agentic AI and demonstrate how modern artificial intelligence systems can automate tasks, assist in decision-making and improve efficiency in both academic and professional settings.

This is a hands-on session — attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops.

What You Will Learn:

• What Agentic AI is and how it differs from traditional AI tools
• Practical ways to automate workflows using AI
• Real-world applications in research, engineering and daily productivity

This workshop is open to all students interested in AI, automation and productivity tools.

See Event Details on Facebook.

A Chinese translation of the book “Oil Palm: A Global History” (UNC Press, 2021) written by Jonathan Robins (SS) was published by China Workers Publishing House, Beijing.

The Chinese translation was printed under the title “The Global History of Palm Oil: From Slave Ships to Shopping Baskets” (ISBN 9787500883203). It was translated by Xu Haibing and edited by Zhu Ming.

WCMU Public Media picked up a Bridge Michigan story quoting David Flaspohler (CFRES) about the planned closure of four U.S. Forest Service research facilities in Michigan.

The Global Electronics Association mentioned Michigan Tech undergraduate Emily Daley (electrical engineering) in a story about new board member announcements, recognizing her service as an outgoing student board member.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about its annual Great Lakes water quality monitoring aboard the R/V Lake Guardian.

Patch mentioned Michigan Tech in a roundup of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings, where MTU was included among Michigan institutions in business and engineering.

PR Newswire and 33 national outlets mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the U.S. Green Building Council Local Leadership Awards recognizing HED projects, including Tech’s H-STEM Complex.

Work Shift mentioned Michigan Tech in a report on how semiconductor investments are reshaping regional workforce development systems, citing the University’s definition of mechatronics as a multidisciplinary field in advanced manufacturing.

Keweenaw Report, My UP Now and WLUC TV6 covered Michigan Tech women’s basketball coach Sam Clayton stepping down after eight seasons to pursue a head coaching opportunity closer to her family. Michigan Tech Athletics announced her departure on April 7.

Mathematical Sciences Seminar with Brian Hopkins

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

The seminar will be held tomorrow, 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.

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Mathematical Sciences Graduate Student Seminar with Qiuyun Jin and Caleb Hiltunen

The Department of Mathematical Sciences Graduate Student Seminar Series will take place today, April 9, at noon in Fisher 326.

Qiuyun Jin, Ph.D. student in mathematical sciences, will present “Stability and error estimates of local discontinuous Galerkin methods for incompressible miscible displacements with Darcy-Forchheimer model”.

Caleb Hiltunen, Ph.D. candidate in statistics, will present “Improving the Power of Bonferroni Adjustments under Joint Normality and Exchangeability”.

Read Jin’s and Hiltunen’s abstracts on the University Events Calendar.

Refreshments will be provided.

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Psychology and Human Factors Seminar with Matthew Weber

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 today, 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.

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MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker: Kartik Iyer

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 2 p.m. today, April 9, in EERC 103.

Kartik Iyer will present “Zeroth Law of Turbulence: There Are Zero Laws in Turbulence”.

From the abstract:
In this talk, I revisit this seemingly settled question through the lens of Onsager’s theorem. Using data from experiments and high-resolution simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence, I present evidence that calls into question the zeroth law. These results suggest that mean dissipation in turbulence without walls retains a weak Reynolds-number dependence, mirroring the behavior of the turbulent friction factor in smooth pipes. This naturally raises the deep question: does turbulence ever truly attain an ultimate state characterized by persistent, viscosity-independent dissipation?

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Today's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

Join Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University for the C-Cubed Luncheon, being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

Menu for Thursday, April 9:

• Caesar Salad (V, AG)
• Herb Crusted Chicken Breast (AG, PR)
• Tortellini Primavera (V, PR)
• Parmesan Polenta (V, AG)
• Chef Vegetables (V)
• Breadsticks (V)
• Cookie (V)

The C-Cubed lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by the catering culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea and desserts are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $16 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union office (MUB 101). Meals are dine-in only and personal containers/tupperware or to-go meals are not permitted.

• Submit C-Cubed Feedback
• Receive Weekly C-Cubed Menus

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

FIRST Robotics Competition FIM Escanaba District Event

Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Escanaba High School

Come volunteer with Copper Country Robotics at Escanaba High School on April 9 - 11 for their FIRST Robotics Competition District Event! The Escanaba event is looking for volunteers of all types and needs help in most roles to make this event a success. Keep in mind that you will need to also register on firstinspires.org and pass a YPP background check.

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I-9 Verification at the MUB

Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Memorial Union Building; Room 101

Human Resources will be on-site at the MUB to verify I-9 documentation for new hires.

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Graduate Student Seminar - Qiuyin Jin & Caleb Hiltunen

Thursday, April 9, 12–1 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 326

Please join the Department of Mathematical Sciences in Fisher Hall 326 on Thursday, April 9 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. for our Graduate Student Seminar Series. Refreshments will be provided. Contact the Math Department Graduate Program Assistant, Andi Schoch, via email (ajschoch@mtu.edu) or in person (Fisher Hall 318) with any questions. Presenting this week is Qiuyun Jin and Caleb Hiltunen. Qiuyun will be presenting on Stability and error estimates of local discontinuous Galerkin methods for incompressible miscible displacements with Darcy-Forchheimer model. Abstract: The miscible displacement problem in porous media, governed by the Darcy–Forchheimer model, describes the flow and transport of miscible fluids and arises in a range of applications including groundwater contamination and enhanced oil recovery. The governing system couples a convection-diffusion equation for the concentration with a nonlinear elliptic system for the pressure and velocity , and the strong nonlinear coupling inherent in this formulation gives rise to substantial analytical difficulties. A local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) discretization is employed for the two-dimensional incompressible problem, and…

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PhD Defense: Adenike Olowolagba

Thursday, April 9, 12–1 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 329

Chemistry Advisor: Haiying Liu DESIGN, SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF FLUORESCENT PROBES FOR NAD(P)H, HSA AND CELLULAR MICROENVIRONMENT SENSING

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PhD Defense: James Schwaderer

Thursday, April 9, 1–2 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Advisor: LouAnn Wurst Diet and Foodways in the Coalwood District Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/89190020143

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College of Sciences & Arts Seminar with Matthew Weber

Thursday, April 9, 2–3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

The College of Sciences and Arts will host a guest speaker, Matthew Weber, PhD, from the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa. Weber will present "Mesocortical Circuits and Cognitive Variability" today, Thursday, April 9 at 2 p.m. in the GLRC Room 202. 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. Bio: My scientific…

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Mesocortical Circuits and Cognitive Variability: Research Seminar with Dr. Matthew Weber

Thursday, April 9, 2–3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

We are thrilled to welcome our visitor Dr. Matthew Weber to the College of Sciences and Arts! Join us for a fascinating exploration of Mesocortical Circuits and Cognitive Variability. When: Thursday, April 9th Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Where: GLRC 201 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.

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Girls' Basketball Little Huskies

Thursday, April 9, 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

Thursday, April 9, 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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Nourish to Flourish - Husky Hour

Thursday, April 9, 4–5 p.m. | MUB Commons

What we eat plays a big role in how we feel, focus, and function each day. Join us for Nourish to Flourish Husky Hour, where you’ll build a salad-in-a-jar and learn more about simple, realistic healthy eating habits. Come for the hands-on activity, leave with ideas to support your energy and well-being. (registration required) Register here > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSei5sfe43dzHitDxteeMxZqGNColQmFN6GG2qNRRgshg1gxVw/viewform

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Board Game Night

Thursday, April 9, 5–6 p.m. | ChemSci B002

Join the Acoustical Society of America Student Chapter for a chill board game night before finals week! Board games will be provided, but feel free to bring your own

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The Buzz: Peer Support Community

Thursday, April 9, 5–6 p.m. | Hamar House

We invite you to join our safe and judgment-free space where students can share, listen, and support each other around substance use and recovery. You are welcome here.

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Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 (Ages 6-17 yrs) - Session 2

Thursday, April 9, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 are being offered at the SDC Pool.

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Moccasin Making Workshop

Thursday, April 9, 7:00–8:30 p.m. | Michigan Tech Writing Center

Join us for this workshop! We will be working with KBIC to help us host this event. It is completely free to attend! Although you MUST RSVP by March 26. RSVP will be capped at 13 people (not including e-board club members). Please provide your shoe size!

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Journey Through the Keweenaw: Interactive Walk-through Installations - Michigan Tech Theatre

Thursday, April 9, 7:30–10:00 p.m. | McArdle Theatre

MICHIGAN TECH THEATRE SERIES EVENT This immersive arts experience 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. Things to know DATE | Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11, 2026 TIME | Open 7:30-10 p.m. LOCATION | McArdle Theatre EST. RUN TIME | Self-guided walk-through tours SEATING | General Admission - No seating PUBLIC TICKETS| Free Entry MICHIGAN TECH STUDENT RUSH TICKETS | No ticket required for entry CONTENT GUIDANCE | TBA Rozsa Lobby is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. M-F and 1-8 p.m. on Saturdays. Seating begins a half hour prior to the event start time. View Rozsa Box Office Hours. Thanks to Our Sponsors Support for this Michigan Tech Theatre Event provided by: and the Visual and Performing Arts Circle of Supporters.…