April 28, 2026

Even renewable building materials, like wood, have leftover waste. That’s why Michigan Tech researchers are working to improve sustainability in the lumber industry. They’re developing a material made from leftover wood waste, lighter than steel and just as strong, that could revolutionize the lumber industry.

“Wood is the only renewable industrial raw material that has a negative carbon footprint. I believe that it has an important role in our sustainable futures,” said Xinfeng Xie, associate professor of forest biomaterials in Tech’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. “Really, the ultimate question is, can we use wood to replace all these non-renewable materials like steel and concrete?”

Xie leads a group of student researchers in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Waste Upcycling for Defense (WUD) program. The team collaborates with Paul Sanders, Michigan Tech’s Patrick S. Horvath Endowed Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.

“It’s extremely beneficial to see some of the research the University is conducting that many students don’t know about. The faculty on this team are some of the most knowledgeable, hardworking, and dedicated people I’ve met,” said Emily Costigan, an undergraduate student researcher majoring in sustainable biomaterials.

Explore how Huskies are building a more sustainable future for industry and the planet on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

Students from across Michigan Technological University were recognized for outstanding work at the University’s Design Expo 2026, held this spring. The annual event showcases hands-on, project-based learning through Enterprise and Senior Design teams, bringing together students, faculty and industry partners.

This year’s award winners represent excellence in innovation, technical achievement and collaboration. Projects ranged from biomedical solutions and advanced manufacturing to energy systems and space-focused technologies.

Top honors were awarded in the Senior Design and Enterprise Team categories. The event also featured Audience Choice Awards and the annual Image Contest, highlighting projects that captured attention and creativity across the expo floor.

Explore the full list of award winners and learn more about this year’s projects on the Enterprise Blog.

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) External Advisory Board (EAB) Development Fund continues to support innovation across the department, having funded 30 projects, totaling $70,824, since its inception in 2018.

The fund was established as a mechanism for EAB members to support the MAE department directly. The board uses this fund to provide financial support to the department for special needs and projects. Faculty and staff submit proposals, which are evaluated based on their potential to benefit students, faculty and staff; inspire innovation; and address needs that lack alternative funding sources.

This spring, four proposals were submitted, requesting a total of $18,550. After review, the EAB selected three projects for funding, awarding a combined $9,950. The chosen initiatives reflect a strong emphasis on value-driven innovation across faculty, staff and student-focused efforts, particularly those unlikely to receive support through other funding sources.

The funded projects include:

• Jaclyn Johnson ($2,450) — “Development of Automated MATLAB Tools for Processing & Evaluating Experimental Data in Engineering Education”

• Kartik Iyer ($2,500) — “Development of Educational Visualization Modules for Turbulence Dynamics in Engineering Courses”

• CK Choi ($5,000) — “Development of a Hybrid Symbolic-Neural Framework for Metadiscourse Analysis Using Transformer-Based Language Models”

Together, these projects underscore the EAB’s ongoing commitment to strengthening educational tools, expanding research capabilities and fostering innovation within the MAE department.

Four students from the Keweenaw were recognized for their innovation and problem-solving at Invention Convention - Michigan, held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, this past Saturday, April 25.

Adelyn Wilson and Allie Johnston, third graders from Baraga Elementary, earned top honors for their invention, “Magic Footsteps,” a tool designed to help young basketball players improve their layup technique. Their project received first place in the Sports, Games, and Toys category and earned the Designing and Building Award. With these achievements, they have qualified to compete at the national level in June and are the first students from the Upper Peninsula to earn this opportunity.

Other regional participants included Audrey Bratt, a fourth grader from Baraga Elementary, and Corbin Anderson, a seventh grader from Copper Island Academy. Bratt’s “Click Cover” addresses child safety by preventing toddlers from unbuckling car seat restraints. Anderson’s invention, the “Snowmobile Pull Jacket,” designed to reduce injury risk when freeing a stuck snowmobile, was recognized as the top overall scoring project from the Western Upper Peninsula.

These students advanced through InventCon, the Keweenaw’s Youth Innovation Showcase, coordinated by Michigan Tech’s Engineering, Development, Growth, and Engagement (EDGE) program within the College of Engineering in partnership with the Copper Country and Gogebic-Ontonagon intermediate school districts.

InventCon serves as the regional qualifying event for Invention Convention - Michigan and engages students in grades 3-12 in identifying real-world problems and developing solutions through the engineering design process.

The success of Keweenaw students at the state level reflects the growing impact of this regional effort to support student innovation and STEM engagement. For information about future InventCon events, please contact Tom Oliver at teoliver@mtu.edu.

Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 program that encourages students to develop original solutions to real-world problems. Through local, state and national competitions, students apply the engineering design process, build prototypes and present their ideas to judges and industry professionals.

AP News, ABC News, Minnesota Star Tribune, MLive and 153 outlets nationwide quoted Sarah Hoy (CFRES) in a story about Michigan Tech's annual Isle Royale Winter Study, which found the island’s wolf population has risen to 37 — the highest since the late 1970s — while the moose population has declined sharply to 524. The wolf-moose project’s 2025-2026 annual report was announced by Michigan Tech News yesterday, April 27.

WLUC TV6 featured multiple Michigan Tech graduates in coverage of Michigan Tech’s undergraduate Spring Commencement on April 25. The story included reflections from Class of 2026 grads who highlighted their favorite memories from Tech.

The Daily Mining Gazette quoted Andrew Storer (AA), LaReesa Wolfenbarger (CSA) and Dennis Livesay (CC) in a story about Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees meeting on April 24. The board moved to approve a new School of Health, Human, and Biological Systems as well as a new bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence.

Michigan History’s May/June 2026 issue mentioned Tim Scarlett (SS), Ashraf Saleem (AC) and Nathir Rawashdeh (AC/ECE) in a short recap of a Michigan Tech project that’s building digital models of old mines using historic maps. The project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between energy policy experts, archaeologists and data scientists at MTU. It was highlighted on Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog earlier this year.

Ocean News & Technology mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of an Arctic expedition using a portable autonomous underwater vehicle to map the seafloor beneath sea ice. The project includes Tech researchers as collaborators working alongside partners in Alaska.

HRI Hosting Three-Day Bioinformatics Bootcamp

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.

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TIAA Financial Consulting Available On Campus

No matter where you are in life — whether you’re just getting started or planning for retirement — a session with a financial consultant can help you create a plan for your goals. And, it’s at no additional cost as a part of your retirement plan. You’ll get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the appropriate mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

Ryan Hallowell from the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) will be available on Michigan Tech’s campus for one-on-one sessions from May 11 through May 14. MTU employees can schedule time slots with Hallowell in the MUB Datolite Room (MUB 100) during his time here.

Matthew Bunch also from the TIAA will be available on Michigan Tech’s campus for one-on-one sessions from June 8 through June 12. MTU employees can schedule time slots with Bunch in the MUB Greenstone Room (MUB 106A) during his time here.

RSVP today, as space is limited. You can register for a session with TIAA directly by logging in to your TIAA or guest account, then searching for "Michigan Tech" in the Institution field. When asked how you would like to meet, select "In Person at My Employer."

You can also register for a meeting by calling TIAA at 800-732-8353 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

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AppsAnywhere Upgrade Tomorrow

Michigan Tech IT will be upgrading the AppsAnywhere server tomorrow, April 29, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. AppsAnywhere will be unavailable during this time.

Locally installed software — including CORE, COMSOL, aspen One and Labview — will not be affected and will remain available for use.

If you have any questions, we can help. it-help@mtu.edu">Email IT or call 906-487-1111.

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Michigan Tech Magazine — Reader Survey

We value our readers' perspectives and would appreciate hearing from you about this year's Tech Magazine.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and let us know what you think about the 2026 edition. Responses will be accepted through Friday, May 1.

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

PhD Defense: James Davis

Tuesday, April 28, 12–1 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 122

Electrical Engineering Co-advisors: Durdu Guney and Roohollah Askari Comprehensive Analysis of Dynamics of Fluid-Filled Fractures Using a Photographic-Based Approach Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/89136464178