March 30, 2026

The next big advancements in physiology and cell biology are happening at the micro-level. In Associate Professor Smitha Rao’s Biomedical Micro-Devices Lab, research is being conducted across a range of fields, from nanofiber scaffolding to cancer metastasis to cellular uptake of heavy metals.

Starting with the simple question of how cells work, Rao leads her students through the expansive world of micro- and nanostructures. With lab members ranging from high schoolers to Ph.D. candidates, she is a dedicated mentor, committed to helping each of her students find their own way.

“That’s the whole point: You train them, you stand back and see what they can accomplish,” said Rao.

Step into the Biomedical Micro-Devices Lab and meet Rao’s students on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

The Van Pelt and Opie Library is happy to provide greatly expanded access to journals published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The library was previously able to offer access to 14 subscription-based journals in addition to RSC’s open access titles. The library’s current subscription now includes access to all 57 peer-reviewed journals from the RSC!

The journals published by RSC cover core chemical sciences as well as related fields such as biology, biophysics, energy and environment, engineering, materials, medicine, and physics.

You can access RSC journals through the library's website and catalog and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Journals page.

Please join Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) on Wednesday, April 1, from 9-10 a.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge (MUB 107) for our monthly Cup of Joe with the Safety Crew.

Michigan Tech’s Safety Team — EHS and RISSC (the Office of Risk, Insurance, Safety, Security, and Compliance) — will be hosting our monthly Safety Round Table: a place for all Huskies to share a cup of coffee and learn about the importance of campus health and safety.

Topic: This month we will focus on National Stress Awareness Month and what benefits are available to help MTU employees with stress.

Enjoy a cup of coffee and a muffin during our short presentation by Dawn Montag from Human Resources on benefits available to employees at Michigan Tech. April is National Stress Awareness Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the impact that stress can have on our health, well-being and work. At Michigan Tech, we want to remind everyone that support and resources are available to help you manage stress and maintain a healthy balance both at work and at home.

So mark your calendars and come ask the questions you have always wanted to ask and get the answers you need about Michigan Tech safety programs, legal compliance issues and additional resources… and have a cup of Joe with the Safety Crew!

As the semester winds down, many departments are finalizing their needs for student staff over the summer and into fall semester. If your department has roles that need to be filled, Career Services strongly encourages you to post them on Handshake as soon as possible. From day one, Huskies are in the habit of seeking opportunities on Handshake; this is a good way to add visibility to your postings.

Handshake allows for both direct-applying through the platform as well as linking out to a different process, meaning that departments can easily maintain their own existing application systems (Google forms, fillable PDFs). 

Career Services will be running an end-of-semester reminder campaign with emphasis on local and on-campus jobs, so the timing is right for getting your postings up to date!

Learn more about how to post positions by visiting the Career Services website. Contact our office at career@mtu.edu or 906-487-2313 with further questions.

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.

Fiber crafters from the Michigan Tech community! If you knit, crochet, spin, embroider, cross-stitch, bead, weave or do any other kind of craft involving yarn, cloth, fiber or string, this is the meetup for you. Feel free to bring your lunch as well as your works in progress. We welcome students, staff, faculty and the community — the more the merrier!

Our meetings will be on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at the Van Pelt and Opie Library in Library 103 from noon to 1 p.m.

The Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education has received over 100 photos from students in our annual Study Away Photo Contest, and we’d like your help in choosing a winner for the People’s Choice category!

We’ve narrowed the field to 13 final photographs, which you can view and submit your vote for at the Study Away Photo Contest 2026 Public Voting form.

This contest showcases the diverse and enriching experiences our students have encountered during their study away programs, capturing moments that reflect cultural immersion, academic exploration and personal growth.

Thank you for your time and commitment to enhancing our students’ educational experiences! Your participation as a judge not only honors their efforts but also underscores the importance of global learning within our University community.

Voting will be open through Thursday, April 2.

Husky Eats at Michigan Tech is excited to announce new cooking classes being offered this May!

Sharpen your skills, expand your palate and learn how to elevate your cooking skills alongside MTU Husky Eats Executive Chef Erik Copeland and Sous Chef Ron Edwards. Whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or looking to level up your technique, these hands-on classes will guide you through essential skills and teach you to prepare delicious dishes. Each two-day course costs $50 per person.

Each course includes two immersive sessions, with Day 1 covering kitchen safety, foundational knife skills and preparing a small takeaway dish. Day 2 offers a deep dive into the theme of the week as you prepare a meal and expand on your skills. 

Available Cooking Classes:

• Knife Skills & Mother Sauces — Tuesday and Thursday, May 12 and 14
  This class is perfect for anyone who wants to cook smarter, safer and more deliciously
  • Day 1: Master the fundamentals that every great cook relies on. You’ll learn how to handle a knife with confidence and create two of the classic French “mother sauces” — béchamel and hollandaise — the building blocks for countless culinary creations. Then, put your new skills to work by whipping up an aioli composed salad.
  • Day 2: Use your new skills to craft a rich, elevated macaroni and cheese from scratch, and master eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce.
    
    
• Basic Home Butchery — Tuesday and Thursday, May 19 and 21
  Take the mystery out of preparing meat at home.
  • Day 1: In this hands-on class, you’ll learn how to break down a chicken while gaining a deeper understanding of how to get the most out of every piece. We will also cover the proper technique and tools to use for trimming a pork tenderloin.
  • Day 2: Prepare a roasted chicken meal — all while reinforcing essential kitchen safety and knife skills.
    
    
• Fundamentals of Seasoning: Herbs and Spices — Tuesday and Thursday, May 26 and 28
  Discover how herbs and spices can transform everyday ingredients into extraordinary meals.
  • Day 1: This class explores the fundamentals of seasoning so you can cook with more confidence and creativity. Learn to build flavor through fresh herbs, dried spices and aromatic blends as you prepare chimichurri, a vibrant, herbaceous and tangy uncooked sauce from Argentina and Uruguay.
  • Day 2: Put your new flavor knowledge into action and create a tasty marinade for your own steak and experiment with combinations of herbs and spices that elevate your cooking from simple to spectacular.

Learn more about each course and find links to purchase tickets at the Husky Eats website. Sign-ups open today, March 30, at 10 a.m. Limit 12 seats per class.

Final course details for appropriate attire and parking information will be emailed to attendees after signing up. Courses will be held at The Eatery at McNair Hall on Michigan Tech's campus: 1801 Townsend Dr. in Houghton.

Questions? Email us at huskyeats@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1861 during business hours.

Join the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Robotics Initiative tomorrow, March 31, at noon in EERC 227 for a Robotics Colloquium titled “Coordinating Heterogeneous Harvesting Robots Under Real-World Constraints with Heuristic and LLM-based Approaches” presented by Ph.D. student Hyeseon Lee.

Lee works with Jung Yun Bae (MAE) as part of a Michigan Tech team developing a fleet of agile and affordable lavender-harvesting robots.

Lunch will be provided.

Add the Robotics Colloquium to Your Google Calendar.

From the abstract:
Small farms are facing a growing challenge: acute labor shortages and limited access to specialized machinery. While robots offer a promising solution, coordinating robotic teams in real-world environments becomes a challenging routing problem. For example, robots must navigate rows of varying sizes, manage limited battery life, and unload harvested crops while working together despite having different capabilities. This talk will explore how to coordinate heterogeneous robotic teams under these realistic constraints. The work develops optimization methods, efficient greedy algorithms, and a new approach using Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate solutions directly from high-level descriptions. The results demonstrate a key trade-off between efficiency and adaptability, and highlight the emerging role of LLMs as flexible tools for real-world robotic coordination. While oriented toward agricultural applications, this work extends to broader heterogeneous multi-robot systems.

The Iron Mountain Daily News quoted Robert Nemiroff (Physics) in a story about the Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, happening April 16-18 at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor. Nemiroff will present a talk about the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day project at 1 p.m. on April 17 during the festival. The story was picked up from the Mining Journal.

The Daily Mining Gazette ran a story about the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey defenseman Joe Prouty signing an ECHL contract with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

The Hockey News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about three recent signings made by the NHL’s Dallas Stars, including Michigan Tech hockey defenseman Jack Anderson.

WZMQ 19 News mentioned Michigan Tech men’s basketball guard Marcus Tomashek in a story about his being named an NABC All-American for the second straight year.

Sustainability Demonstration House Hosting Waste Reduction Drive

The Sustainability Demonstration House (SDH) at Michigan Tech is hosting the Keweenaw’s seventh annual Waste Reduction Drive on April 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MTU Student Development Complex’s south parking lot (Lot 22). Students and community members can begin collecting eligible items now to join the effort to reduce waste and promote responsible disposal.

This year’s free collection items are clean Tetra Pak cartons, empty deodorant tubes and beauty products, socks, razors, and dental products of any condition.

New this year, fluorescent light bulbs can be recycled at a subsidized cost. Four-foot and eight-foot bulbs are $2 per pound (about $1 per four-foot bulb). Smaller compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs are $4 per pound (about $1 per CFL). Cash and card payments will be accepted, and the bulbs must be whole.

Email the Sustainability Demonstration House with any questions at sdh@mtu.edu. 

About the Sustainability Demonstration House
Michigan Tech’s Sustainability Demonstration House is a living laboratory of sustainability projects in real-time. Students are working to retrofit a 1950s house designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The house serves as a model of sustainable living for the campus and community, striving for low waste, energy and water use. Projects include aquaponics, hydroponics, rainwater collection, beekeeping, maple syrup making and three varieties of composting. The residents host four open houses, two workshops and a variety of on-campus events each year. Visit the Sustainability Demonstration House website to find your next opportunity to visit the house.

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Nominations Sought for KCP Future Faculty Fellowships

Applications are being accepted for King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowships, a program funded by the state of Michigan. The purpose of the KCP Future Faculty Fellowship Program is to increase the pool of academically and economically disadvantaged candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in post-secondary education.

Funding may begin in fall 2026. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on April 20.

Applicants will complete the following steps listed under “Application Procedure” on the Graduate School’s KCP fellowship webpage.

• Review the eligibility criteria to ensure eligibility (see step 1)
• Gather the materials needed for an application (see step 2)
• Create an account on the MILogin for Citizens portal (see step 3)
• Submit an application on the MILogin portal (see step 4)

KCP fellowships provide students up to $20,000 (M.S. students) or $35,000 (Ph.D. students) to pursue their degrees. Funds may be used to support students, including faculty and staff, pursuing degrees at Michigan Tech. For Michigan Tech students, the Graduate School and nominating department must also contribute matching funds to help support the student.

Complete information about eligibility criteria and materials needed for an application is available on our webpage. Please note that applications will be submitted through the MILogin for Citizens portal. Questions about eligibility or the application procedure can be directed to Debra Charlesworth. Applicants may work with Lea Marlor to prepare their educational and career goal statement.

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Gala Latina

Hosted by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Gala Latina is a free cultural event open to the community. It is happening on campus next Saturday, April 4, from 6-10 p.m. in the DHH Ballroom, making it easily accessible for residents. 

Gala Latina is meant to be a de-stress opportunity for students to let loose and create a sense of community for everyone while also learning something new about our Latino culture. There will be music from various cultures and food, games and prizes, and dancing will be strongly encouraged!

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Seminar and Student Workshop with KCP Visiting Scholar Gwen Bridge

Join the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science for two events with King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Program visiting scholar Gwen Bridge:

• Visiting Scholar Seminar
  Tuesday, March 31, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Noblet G002 
  Join the KCP Visiting Scholar Seminar on Zoom (use passcode 056654)

• Student Workshop: Indigenous Perspectives
  Tuesday, March 31, from 3-4:30 p.m. in Noblet G002
  (In Person Only)

See the Visiting Scholar Events Flyer.

Bridge is a KCP Program visiting scholar focused on Indigenous issues and practical, community-led solutions. Her work emphasizes respectful partnership, Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge systems, and the design of financial solutions — including funding models and resource strategies that better align with Indigenous priorities. Her talk will highlight actionable approaches for institutions to build trust, share benefits and support long-term, self-determined community outcomes.

Following the talk, Bridge will lead a student workshop focused on Indigenous perspectives.

Bridge is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada, and as an Indigenous business owner, her consulting firm leads many initiatives to advance Indigenous issues in the U.S. and Canada. She also works with the Ecological Society of America and acts as an Indigenous advisor to governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on relationships with Indigenous peoples, reconciliation, ethical space, and UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) implementation policy development, facilitation and engagement strategies. Many Indigenous nations call upon Bridge to build strategies and programs for Indigenous rights assertion across North America.

This program/lecture is partially funded/sponsored by the Visiting Professor Program which is funded by a grant to the Office of the Provost from the State of Michigan's King-Chávez-Parks Initiative. Additional sponsors include the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, the College of Sciences and Arts, Office of Community Engagement, the McNair Scholars Program and the Ford Center.

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CommUNITY Conversations: Religious and Cultural Observances

Join the Student Affairs CommUNITY Education Team for a CommUNITY Conversation featuring a panel of students, staff and community members discussing religious and cultural observances. The conversation will be held today, March 30, from 12-1 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A2. This is a brown bag event, so feel free to bring your lunch.

This event invites our campus community to come together to listen, learn and reflect on their lived experiences within and beyond Michigan Technological University. Through personal stories and open dialogue, our panelists will share insights about their religious and cultural observances, and challenges/barriers they have faced observing them on campus. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful discussion.

Light refreshments will be provided. All are welcome.

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DataSENSE Workshop Series: Version Control with Git

The DataSENSE NRT at Michigan Tech is hosting a Version Control with Git workshop series on research computing skills for graduate students, faculty and staff. The series is focused on repositories in Git, tracking changes, remotes in github, collaborating and more.

Workshop sessions will be held on Thursday afternoons from 4-5:15 p.m. in EERC 229 on the following dates. Please plan to attend each of the days in the series. 

Workshop Dates:

• Thursday, April 2
• Thursday, April 9
• Thursday, April 16

The workshop series’ target audience is learners who have little to no prior computational experience. The instructors will put a priority on creating a friendly environment to empower researchers and enable data-driven discovery.

Participants should expect to bring a laptop to follow along with the lessons in the workshop. You may be asked to install software ahead of the workshop, so make sure you have administrative privileges. 

Space in EERC 229 is limited and will likely fill quickly. Please register to attend the workshop before the end of today, March 30. After confirming your registration, we will email out additional information ahead of the workshop sessions. 

The workshop series is free for all attendees. We hope you will sign up!

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More Than Just a Form: Join For Michigan and Help Shape the Future on Campus!

Have you seen us around? Every week, the Michigan Tech student group For Michigan has been hitting the pavement on campus with one goal: making sure every student’s voice is heard. We’ve had incredible success helping our peers register to vote, and we’re ready to take things to the next level.

We are officially transitioning into a registered student organization (RSO) at Tech, and we need you to help build the foundation. Whether you’re passionate about civic engagement or just want to help your fellow students navigate the voting process, there’s a place for you here.

We’re currently scouting to fill these roles:

• Advisor (faculty/staff)
• Secretary (organized and detail-oriented)
• General Members (the heartbeat of our mission!)

Ready to make an impact? Check out For Michigan’s volunteering shifts on GivePulse, or reach out to Zoe Loveday at zmloveda@mtu.edu to grab our Discord link. Let’s increase our campus’s civic footprint together!

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

New Huskies Orientation Paperwork Session

Monday, March 30, 8–10 a.m.

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New Huskies Orientation Paperwork Session

Monday, March 30, 8–10 a.m.

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PhD Defense: David Brattley

Monday, March 30, 9–10 a.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Wayne Weaver Multilayer Adaptive and Cooperative Control of Pipeline Systems: From Local Loop Adaptation to Distributed Game-Theoretic Coordination Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/s/86849247652

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Mental Health Screening

Monday, March 30, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Hamar House Conference Room

As the days finally get brighter, take a moment to check in on your mental health. Our March screening event is a chance to reflect, recharge, and step into spring with support, clarity, and resources that match what you need.

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CommUNITY Conversations

Monday, March 30, 12–1 p.m. | MUB Ballroom A2

Join us for an afternoon of authentic storytelling and community reflection at our dialogue event around cultural and religious observances. The CommUNITY Education Team is bringing together students and community members to share what it really looks like to practice religious and cultural observances alongside modern academic life. Whether you are looking for support, curious about your neighbor’s traditions, or simply want to gain a better understanding of others lived experiences, we invite you to pull up a chair. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch. Desserts will be provided.

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Master's Defense: Elisa Resendiz

Monday, March 30, 1–2 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G002

Wildlife Ecology and Cons Advisor: Jared Wolfe Fat Birds: How Human Medical Devices Reveal Patterns of Starvation and Refueling in a Population of Migratory Songbirds Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/85036168510

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PhD Defense: Marcello Guadagno

Monday, March 30, 1–2 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Paulus van Susante MODELING AND TESTING CHAIN TRENCHER EXCAVATOR AND CONE PENETROMETER ROBOTIC PROSPECTING SYSTEMS FOR LUNAR IN-SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/86124165814

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ASCII - BYTE meeting

Monday, March 30, 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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Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Monday, March 30, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Israel Adeoye, PhD Candidate, Environmental Engineering, Michigan Tech Antibiotic Resistance Dynamics in Sewer and Treated Wastewater Systems Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens both the ecosystems and human health, with wastewater providing favorable conditions for microbial genetic exchange, thereby contributing to the spread of AMR. Sewer systems are a significant but understudied environmental reservoir for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where extended hydraulic residence times, continuous nutrient availability, and extensive biofilm formation create favorable conditions for the retention and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Although wastewater plants have been widely studied as critical AMR control points, the role of upstream sewer biofilms in shaping resistance dynamics remains poorly defined. Furthermore, evidence shows that both ARB and ARGs can persist and even proliferate within treated wastewater systems, making it a particular concern as treated wastewater is widely applied for agricultural irrigation. Hence, evaluating regrowth after disinfection in reused…

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ICC Executive Director Candidate: Research and Scholarship

Monday, March 30, 3:00 p.m.–3:50 a.m. | Rekhi Hall, G009

With over 25 years of experience spanning institutions such as Imperial College London and the University of Melbourne, our guest speaker is a global expert in cybersecurity, AI, and software engineering. Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Houston and Founding Director of a U.S. DOT Tier-1 University Transportation Center, Jack Zhang has authored over 110 peer-reviewed papers, six books, 3 book chapters and holds six patents. Jack’s career is defined by high-impact innovation, including the invention of 50+ security algorithms and the management of over 34 research and education projects funded by major agencies like the NSF, NIH, and DoT TxDOT, and private institutes. Join Jack to learn more about his research and scholarship as it relates to MTU's Institute for Computing and Cybersystems (ICC)

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Master's Defense: Thomas Pavell

Monday, March 30, 3–4 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 133

Physics Co-advisors: Will Cantrell and Shawn Brueshaber An Investigation on Downwind Impacts of the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake-Effect Snow Events Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/88585195401

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PhD Defense: Shipra Tiwari

Monday, March 30, 3–4 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 122

Electrical Engineering Advisor: Flavio Bezerra Costa MODELING, STABILITY, CONTROL, AND PROTECTION OF GRID-FORMING INVERTERS UNDER FAULT RIDE-THROUGH CONDITION Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/86333863201

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Huskies Swim Training - Session 3

Monday, March 30, 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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Parent & Child Aquatics (Ages 6 mo-3 yrs) - Session 2

Monday, March 30, 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, March 30, 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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Pickleball Club Weekly Practice/Meeting

Monday, March 30, 9–11 p.m. | Gates Tennis Center

Come join us at Gates Tennis Center for some Pickleball! We have equipment that is free to use and its a great way to have some friendly competition against fellow huskies. If you have never played pickleball and want to learn, then you came to the right place! We can teach you how play, so feel free to come at any time and join in on the fun.