February 21, 2025

For the fourth year, Michigan Tech’s SENSE (Strategic Experiences through Naval Systems Experiences) Enterprise has been selected to participate in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.

In the 2025 competition, Huskies will identify a promising market and design a device for the blue economy, which includes applications and solutions for marine energy technologies.

"Not only do the students get to build, test, and evaluate a real marine energy device, they also get the experience of learning how to evaluate a real-world market and engage with potential stakeholders," said Tim Havens, SENSE advisor and director of the Tech's Great Lakes Research Center and Institute of Computing and Cybersystems.

Read more in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering's inaugural MAE Magazine.

There’s a little-known resource on the second floor of the Van Pelt and Opie Library that can help students chart a brighter financial future. Michigan Tech’s College of Business, Finance Club and Library are encouraging Huskies to find and use the Bloomberg Terminal.

In addition to developing financial literacy, there’s another strong incentive — cash prizes will be awarded in a stock-picking contest open to all graduate and undergraduate students enrolled this spring semester at Michigan Tech.

The winners will receive $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $100 for third place. An additional $100 prize will be awarded to a randomly selected participant.

“We want the whole university involved,” said Sydney Lurvey ’25, MTU Finance Club member. A finance and economics major with a minor in financial technology, Lurvey is a teaching assistant in the College’s Applied Portfolio Management Program. She’s comfortable navigating the markets and wants all students to feel the same.

Find out how to get in on the fun on the College of Business Newsblog.

College of Sciences and Arts Dean LaReesa Wolfenbarger has selected Issei Nakamura, associate professor of physics, as the featured instructor in this week’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Nakamura will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other spring showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Nakamura is an outstanding instructor who has taught a suite of undergraduate and graduate courses in the last 10 years. His teaching in physics spans a broad range of subjects, including classical mechanics, solid-state physics, statistical thermodynamics, modern physics for quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, special theory of relativity, and computational physics.

Nakamura’s experience as a physicist in the classroom has been deeply fulfilling, allowing him to engage closely with students at Michigan Tech. His student-centered approach to active learning extends beyond classroom engagement, encouraging students to tackle small problem sets before or after each lecture. As the course progresses, this “just-in-time” learning strategy reinforces concepts, strengthens retention and allows misconceptions to be addressed in real time.

“The way you structured the homework assignments was very helpful for learning the new material,” one student wrote to Nakamura. “It encouraged critical thinking as we applied the material we learned in class, connecting overarching concepts with the minutiae of the complex math required to understand the topics.”

“Dr. Nakamura continually revises his courses to ensure that students are learning concepts and skills to reflect the workplace they will enter upon graduating,” said Wolfenbarger.

Nakamura’s commitment to innovative teaching continues to evolve. He has restructured his computational physics course, integrating introductory machine learning techniques into the curriculum to align with the growing demand for computational expertise. This course — a core component of the graduate certificate program Advanced Computational Physics — equips students with advanced numerical skills applicable beyond academia. These competencies open doors to careers in research, technology and industries reliant upon modern computational physics.

Nakamura’s philosophy in physics education is to inspire students’ passion for learning by not only deepening their understanding of theoretical principles but also demonstrating their practical applications. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of different areas in physics, recognizing that students often struggle to integrate concepts across disciplines. To help bridge this gap, he encourages students to draw connections between different physics fields. For example, to help students develop a more intuitive grasp of these abstract concepts, he highlights how principles in quantum mechanics or thermodynamics can be interpreted through classical mechanics.

“Issei is an exceptional teacher who cares about engaging students in learning and has made meaningful contributions by incorporating computational components that greatly enhance the physics courses,” said Ravindra Pandey, chair of the Department of Physics.

Nominations are now open to celebrate and recognize the individual and group efforts of students involved across campus at the 31st Annual Student Leadership Awards! The nomination deadline for all awards is March 9 by midnight.

Each week leading up to the nomination deadline, we will highlight two awards for which you could nominate an outstanding member of our community!

• Rising Star of the Year: The Rising Star of the Year Award celebrates students just beginning to shine as leaders, demonstrating a strong commitment to developing themselves and making an impact at Michigan Tech. This award honors individuals who exhibit promise, determination and a passion for learning through their involvement in campus life and beyond. They are the future leaders of our community, and their efforts deserve recognition. Help us recognize tomorrow’s leaders! Students eligible for this award are first- and second-year undergraduate students. Nominate a student who exemplifies the qualities of a rising star.

• Student Employee of the Year: The Student Employee of the Year Award honors a student who exemplifies responsibility, dependability and outstanding follow-through in their work. This award recognizes individuals who not only excel in their job responsibilities but also take initiative and persevere, exceeding expectations while balancing their academic and employment commitments. These students play an integral role in supporting the Michigan Tech community, and their efforts deserve to be celebrated. Your nomination helps shine a light on their hard work and dedication. Students eligible for this award must be employed on campus for at least one semester. Nominate an exceptional student employee today!

Find more information about all the awards and nomination forms on the Student Leadership Awards webpage.

To better support users logging into the campus VPN with security keys (such as YubiKey) on Windows systems, we are making a slight change to the login process for on-domain and minimally managed systems. Instead of a pop-up window within the F5 BIG-IP Edge application, the login prompt will now open in your default web browser.

To use a security key for VPN access on a personal Windows device, you will need to enable this new behavior manually. For step-by-step instructions, please refer to our “Connecting to VPN (Windows)” support article.

If you have any questions about this update, we can help. Contact IT via email at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

Women in the Academy (WIA) is hosting our 2025 Spring Breakfast with the Provost on March 17 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge, Rooms B and C. The deadline to RSVP is March 7.

At this breakfast event, we will gather as a group for an open discussion with Provost Andrew Storer. We will have some questions prepared and will also open the floor for your questions.

If you have questions that you want to ask but wish to do so anonymously, please include them in the RSVP or email them to Tara Bal at tlbal@mtu.edu or Smitha Rao at smithar@mtu.edu.

Breakfast will be provided, with vegetarian options available along with coffee, tea and orange juice. If you have any additional dietary restrictions, please share them so we can attempt to arrange special meals.

This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and WIA.

Event Details:

• What: 2025 Spring WIA Breakfast with the Provost
• When: Monday, March 17, from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
• Where: MUB Alumni Lounge, Rooms B and C
• RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, March 7

Job Posting for Friday, Feb. 21, 2025

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.

Assistant Teaching Professor, Mathematical Sciences. Apply online.

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.

University President Rick Koubek was quoted by UPword in a story about Michigan Tech’s designation as an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The story highlighted the significance of the recognition and its potential to open up new growth opportunities for the University.

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The Keweenaw Report mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a proposed change to the University’s Diversity Incentive Award.

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WLUC TV6, the Keweenaw Report, 102.3 WGRT-FM and My UP Now mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a benefit concert held on Feb. 19 to support Laurium’s recovery after a fire destroyed its Department of Public Works building. The concert, held at Calumet Theatre, featured performances by local groups, including the Huskies Pep Band.

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The Keweenaw Report mentioned the Mushing Club at Michigan Tech in a story about volunteer training for the CopperDog 150 sled dog race. The training, which includes handling dogs and managing road crossings, will take place from Feb. 28 to March 2 at the CLK Schools.

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The Iron Mountain Daily News picked up Michigan Tech Public Safety and Police Services’ Feb. 18 announcement that missing Michigan Tech graduate student Matthew Sisson (materials science and engineering) was found deceased and no foul play is suspected.

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech men’s basketball junior guard Marcus Tomashek in a story about his inclusion in the Top 50 list for the 2025 Bevo Francis Award.

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USA Today mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb responding to LeBron James' comments regarding his team's record. The article referenced Gottlieb’s viral “Nobody U” comment, made prior to his team’s Dec. 18 loss to Michigan Tech.

Canceled: HU Department Chair Candidate Visit

The Department of Humanities (HU) department chair candidate visit originally scheduled for yesterday and today, Feb. 20 and 21, has been canceled.

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Chemistry Seminar with Dario Stacchiola

Dario Stacchiola, from the Center for Functional Materials at Brookhaven National Laboratory, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar. The seminar will be held in person at 3 p.m. today, Feb. 21, in Chem Sci 101.

Stacchiola’s presentation is titled "In-situ and Operando Surface Chemistry."

From the abstract:
Physical and chemical interactions at material surfaces and interfaces play important roles in electronic and energy storage devices, the chemical industry, and environmental processes. New technologies will be realized by understanding — and ultimately controlling — these interactions on the atomic scale. Through our research program in interface science and catalysis, we develop and apply state-of-the-art capabilities to synthesize and study functional surfaces and interfaces. To explore their structure and chemical composition during dynamic physicochemical processes, we leverage a suite of in situ and operando instruments capable of high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy. Using well-defined ultrathin films — including superconductors, 2D materials, nanoporous oxides, and metal-organic frameworks — we conduct fundamental research in catalysis, chemical separation, and quantum information science. As an example, I will present our studies on Cu-based catalysts.

Stacchiola leads the Interface Science and Catalysis Group at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory (CFN-BNL). He obtained his B.S. degree in 1997 at UNSL, Argentina, and his Ph.D. in 2002 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He was a Humboldt Research Fellow at the Fritz-Haber-Institute in Berlin from 2005-07 and received a Fulbright award in 2019. He has authored 200 peer-reviewed publications and patents. His research focuses on surface chemistry studies under operando conditions by in-situ tools, in particular structure-reactivity relationships in catalysis.

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CFRES Friday Seminar Series: 'Expanding Capabilities Through Collaboration & Creation'

Please join the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) for the first session in our new Friday seminar series, happening today, Feb. 21, from 3-4 p.m. in Noblet G002, followed by a social in the Forestry Atrium.

Shane Oberloier, assistant teaching professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of The Alley Makerspace at MTU, will discuss how research objectives can be enhanced through collaboration and creation.

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

Isle Royale Art Exhibition - Michigan Tech Art

Friday, February 21, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Enter into a world of artistic expression inspired by the wilderness of Isle Royale. The artworks showcased in this exhibition have all been...

Board of Trustees Meeting

Friday, February 21, 9–11 a.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom B

Regular meeting of Michigan Technological University Board of Trustees

Graduating and Still Looking

Friday, February 21, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building (Admin, Building 1), 220 Career Services

Are you graduating in April? Are you still looking for your first opportunity out of college? Join us Friday mornings for coffee and discuss possibilities and strategies for...

MRAF Shared Facility Forum

Friday, February 21, 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

The Marine Research Assets Facility (MRAF) will host a facility forum from 11:45 am to 12:45 pm on Friday, February 21st at the Great Lakes Research Center. University...

Systems Biomedicine and Pharmaceutics: Multiscale Modeling of Tissue Remodeling and Damage

Friday, February 21, 3–4 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 104

Biomedical Engineering Research Seminar Ashlee N. Ford Versypt University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Abstract Dr. Ford Versypt leads the Systems...

Men's Ice Hockey vs Ferris State

Friday, February 21, 7:07–10:07 p.m. | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena

Men's Ice Hockey vs Ferris State Houghton, Mich.