April 20, 2026

Houssein Yassin will take the podium on Friday, April 24, as Michigan Tech’s 2026 Spring Commencement graduate student speaker. A Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics, Yassin has felt like he belonged at Michigan Tech since well before he ever came to campus.

“I used to watch YouTube lectures from Professor Gordon Parker, and with every lecture, Michigan Tech felt less like a university far away and more like a place where I belonged,” he said.

Yassin first came to Tech in 2021 as a mechanical engineering master’s student and Fulbright Scholar, advised by the very professor who inspired him to come to Tech in the first place.

“When I received the Fulbright and realized I would be coming to my first-choice university, it felt surreal,” said Yassin. “Then, once I arrived, that feeling kept returning in different ways — walking onto campus for the first time, seeing the beauty of this place, and realizing that the professor whose lectures I once watched online had now become my advisor.”

Read more about Yassin’s Michigan Tech experience on the College of Engineering Blog.

As environmental engineering major Caelan Mead-O’Brien takes the stage as Michigan Tech’s undergraduate student commencement speaker on Saturday, April 25, his goals are simple: share what he’s learned and deliver an address that others will find meaningful.

“Tech is challenging, yet supportive, and absolutely worth the effort. And of course, enjoy your time here. It really does fly by,” said Mead-O’Brien, who plans to return to Michigan Tech next fall as a master’s student.

Learn about his plans for protecting Michigan’s most vital natural resources, his success and growth as a Husky, and the people who helped him along the way on the College of Engineering Blog.

In the next few months, Michigan Technological University’s online ticket buyers will notice a few changes when they log on to purchase admission to University events. Both the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and Michigan Tech Athletics are switching to the vivenu ticketing platform.

Up to this point, Michigan Tech Athletics and the Rozsa have shared one ticket purchasing website. With vivenu, each will have their own online ticketing shop.

This change will ultimately improve Michigan Tech’s ticket purchasing experience. However, there will be a short adjustment period. Patrons who have purchased tickets to Rozsa Center events within the past several years should expect to receive an email in the coming weeks from vivenu requesting that they set up a new personal account. The same applies to those who have purchased tickets for Huskies athletics events. (Patrons who have attended both will receive separate emails for each system.)

While an account is not required to purchase tickets, it is recommended in order to receive information or updates about events and take advantage of potential special offers. Students, staff and faculty should be sure to use their MTU Single Sign-On when creating their account to take advantage of Student Rush Tickets sponsored by the Experience Tech fee and other offers.

All previously purchased tickets for upcoming events are still valid, and tickets for upcoming Michigan Tech events will be available to purchase on our existing ticketing platform through the month of May. Beginning June 1, all ticket sales for both Athletics and the Rozsa will only be available on their new individual vivenu online ticketing shop. 

Ticket buyers are encouraged to follow the Rozsa Center and Michigan Tech Athletics on social media or subscribe to email newsletters for more updates as the transition progresses.

Please visit the Rozsa’s How to Buy Tickets at the Rozsa webpage for more information. Further questions can be directed to either the Rozsa Box Office or the Michigan Tech Central Ticket Office.

Michigan Tech’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC invite you to our Spring 2026 Commissioning Ceremony, being held on Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. in the Rozsa Center Lobby.

This semester, we have five Army cadets and two Air Force cadets commissioning. Those commissioning are from the following programs:

• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Forestry
• Geospatial Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Michigan Tech’s Health Research Institute (HRI) is hosting a three-day Bioinformatics Bootcamp from May 13-15, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The camp will include hands-on training in processing and analyzing amplicon data, metagenomic data and RNAseq data. The training includes learning how to visualize and report bioinformatics data, understanding how next-generation sequencing works, and the different types of questions that can be asked using sequencing. 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please sign up to participate. Spots are limited and some students may end up on a waitlist. 

Sign Up for HRI's Bioinformatics Bootcamp.

Job Postings for Monday, April 20, 2026

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Radar Signal Processing Engineer II, Michigan Tech Research Institute.

Radar Signal Processing Engineer III, Michigan Tech Research Institute.

Senior Radar Research Engineer, Michigan Tech Research Institute.

Custodian – First Shift (12 months), Athletics and Recreation. (​AFSCME posting dates are April 20 to April 27, 2026. External applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal ​AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal ​AFSCME posting dates.)

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment or for an interview at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or humanresources@mtu.edu.

Kayla Gabehart and Adam Wellstead (both SS) provided the Houghton County Board of Commissioners with an update on the “Second Portage Crossing: Phase 1 Feasibility Report for Decision-makers” report at the board’s monthly meeting on April 16.

This study was conducted by the MTU STEM Public Policy Lab and 14 students in the SS3626 Essential Education Experience class for the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA).

The policy lab will continue to consult with KEDA and engage Essential Education Experience-enrolled students in Phase 2, which will assess the public’s views on the feasibility of a second Portage crossing.

Wyoming’s Lovell Chronicle featured Michigan Tech alum Cynthia Porter ’94 (B.S. Mathematics) in a story about her appointment as principal of Lovell High School.

Summer Hours Begin Next Monday

Beginning next Monday, April 27, the University will shift to our summer hours schedule. The core hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., meaning all offices must be staffed during these hours.

Employees are expected to fulfill their usual full-time or part-time obligations. Employee work schedules during this time must be coordinated with, and approved by, their supervisor.

Regular office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will resume on Aug. 17.

*****

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 Friday, April 24, will receive initial first consideration.

*****

Design Your Academic Life Faculty Workshop

Faculty are invited to apply to the Design Your Academic Life (DYAL) Workshop, to be held the afternoon of May 4 and all day on May 5 at the Michigan Tech Alumni Center, formerly the Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC). 

Whatever stage of career that you’re in, the DYAL Workshop is designed to help faculty assess and align their personal and professional lives, explore ways to prototype their desired future, set purposeful steps toward their goals, and identify support networks as they develop action plans.

More information and an application link can be found in the workshop flyer.

Space is limited, so interested faculty are encouraged to apply right away, but no later than April 24. Faculty are asked to fully commit to the event by clearing their calendars for the entirety of the workshop.

This event is sponsored by KEEN and the Kern Family Foundation, in collaboration with the provost’s office. Questions can be directed to Shari Stockero at stockero@mtu.edu.

*****

Engineering Fundamentals Honoring Retiring Faculty

The Department of Engineering Fundamentals invites you to join us for a celebration congratulating AJ Hamlin and Brett Hamlin on their upcoming retirement from Michigan Tech. A Retirement Open House will be held from 4-6 p.m. on April 28 in MUB Ballroom A1. 

Campus and community members who wish to honor AJ’s and Brett’s many distinguished contributions to the Department of Engineering Fundamentals and the Michigan Tech community are invited to stop by. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served, with a short program taking place at 5:15 p.m.

RSVPs are appreciated by tomorrow, April 21. Please complete the RSVP form, email Darlene Saari at dfsaari@mtu.edu, or call 906-487-3057. We hope to see you there!

*****

Research Services Survey: Your Input Requested

Michigan Technological University’s Vice President for Research Office (VPR), in coordination with the Research Advisory Council (RAC), is conducting a short survey to solicit feedback on and current opinions of the overall effectiveness of research services, functions and programs at Michigan Tech. We will track satisfaction ratings from this survey annually.

All faculty and research-active staff should have received a survey invitation and personalized survey link by email on April 8. Please provide your responses by April 30.

If you did not receive a survey and would like to participate, please contact research@mtu.edu.

Improvements from Last Year’s Survey
Reporting back on the 2025 survey yielded valuable feedback. Over the last year, VPR units have prioritized several improvements. Below, we highlight improvements in each unit demonstrating that we are listening and making positive change: 

Innovation and Commercialization:

• Initiated, and continue to refine, the pilot of a new Lean Program Management Systems Engineering (LPM) methodology which improves technology de-risking efforts and provides milestone-based plans for translation to commercialization.

• Added a new position dedicated to continuous process improvement and research partner engagement/cultivation, supporting the scaled growth of MTU's research enterprise.

Research Development:

• Streamlined internal award application/proposal requirements and submission/review processes.

Research Integrity and Facilities:

• Created the Materials Characterization and Fabrication Core Facility (MCFF), integrating expertise and instrumentation in microfabrication (MFF), microanalytics (MAF) and chemical/morphological analysis (ACMAL). MCFF improved operations, staffing and access for MTU’s research community.

Sponsored Programs:

• Implemented improvements in proposal deadline clarification, calculation and management to support continued growth in sponsored research.

Research Institutes:

• All freestanding research centers were folded in under an existing research institute or combined into a new one, ensuring strong levels of support to all members.

• The Frontiers Research Institute was created from the Institute of Materials Processing (IMP), Michigan Tech Aerospace Engineering Research Center (MARC), Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and Research and Innovation in STEAM Education Institute (RISE) research centers.

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

New Huskies Orientation Presentation Session

Monday, April 20, 8:30–11:30 a.m.

Acoustics Community of Practice Meeting

Monday, April 20, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Michigan Technological University is a recognized leader in acoustics education and research. In an effort to coordinate these initiatives across campus, an Acoustics Community of Practice is being organized to help colleagues meet, learn about each other's work and plan future collaborations. The inaugural meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 20, 10–11:30 a.m. in GLRC 202. Anyone in the campus community who works in acoustics, vibrations, noise, sound design, audio, speakers, signal processing or adjacent areas is welcome to attend. A Zoom link will be provided for those who sign up through the Google Form and cannot attend in person. The first meeting will serve as a meet-and-greet opportunity. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to give a 90-second introduction covering who they are, what they do and how greater coordination could benefit our community. Fill out the Google Form to indicate interest in the Acoustics Community of Practice.

Together In Song - Keweenaw Music Educators Association (KMEA)

Monday, April 20, 6 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Black Performance Hall

PRESENTED BY Keweenaw Music Educators Association (KMEA) Experience the power of unity at Together In Song, a spectacular choral showcase bringing together talented students from across the Keweenaw. Moving beyond school rivlaries and boundaries, these young performers will join forces to perform as one, unified ensemble. Things to know DATE | Monday, April 20, 2026 TIME | 6 p.m. LOCATION | Rozsa Center SEATING | General Admission PUBLIC TICKETS | Pay As You're Able ($20, $15, $12, $8, $5) What is Pay As You're Able? CONTENT GUIDANCE | None 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. Plan Your Visit to the Rozsa Rozsa Box Office InformationAccessibility Services Find a Digital ProgramPlan your Parking​ Get Involved Volunteer to UsherDonate to Support the RozsaMeet Our DonorsGet Updates via Email View All Upcoming Events Personal Responsibility Statement Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every person or for all ages. The Rozsa Center provides content guidance to alert audience members to common potentially sensitive or distressing material…