February 20, 2024

Please Take Note: UMC Digital Services is consolidating several contact email addresses to help streamline our processes. Going forward, you will need to email webmaster@mtu.edu for all messages related to:

• The Omni CMS content management system
• Sites on the mtu.edu domain
• Departmental news blogs
• The University Events Calendar
• The interactive campus map

Other addresses, including cmshelp@mtu.edu and webcal@mtu.edu, will be phased out.

Thank you for helping us become more efficient in serving campus.

Each year, at our annual banquet, GSG gives out four merit awards, one each to an exceptional staff member, an exceptional graduate mentor, an exceptional graduate student leader and an exceptional graduate student scholar. For a complete description of the categories, and to access the nomination form, please visit the Merit Awards 2024 website.

Nominations for awards will close on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 11:59 p.m. This year's banquet is on March 27.

If you have any questions, please contact Anusha at gsg-prodev@mtu.edu.

In our new season of IPEC Presents, we contemplate ethics as it relates to interdisciplinary research.

Our first guest this season is Alexandra Morrison, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Michigan Tech. Alexandra is also advisor to the Ethics and Philosophy minor, overseeing undergraduate students from across campus. Her main research areas include 20th century continental philosophy (especially phenomenology and existential thought), social and political philosophy (including feminist philosophy), and the philosophy of technology and STEM ethics pedagogy. She is currently working on several interdisciplinary projects in STEM ethics, as well as a manuscript that makes a phenomenologically-based critique of recent approaches to an ethics of AI.

Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

The Women in Academy (WIA) is hosting the 2024 Breakfast with the Provost event to gather as a group and discuss openly with Provost 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 (tlbal@mtu.edu) or Smitha Rao (smithar@mtu.edu).

There will be a breakfast with coffee, tea and orange juice, including vegetarian options. 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. 

Date: March 18

Time: 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Location: MUB Alumni Lounge B

Please RSVP by March 7. 

Save the Date: On March 6 from noon to 1 p.m. in Library 103 (or via Zoom), join a discussion on research and engagement opportunities in the thematic area of food and forest resilience.

Panelists Valoree Gagnon and Tara Bal (both CFRES) and Maria Janowiak (USDA/NIACS) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.

Add the event to your Google Calendar.

Have you noticed that different people have vastly different experiences in classes, meetings, informal and formal events and other interactions on campus? Ever noticed that this is dependent upon visually identifiable characteristics (gender, skin color, etc.)? Would you like to learn more about becoming an ally in the moment and help intentionally craft the culture at Michigan Tech to position every single individual for success (not just those who fit the "historically typical" mold)?

The ADVANCE Initiative at Michigan Tech is proud to present a deep dive workshop with the goal: “Stand together in the quest for gender and racial equity.” The workshop will be held March 15 and is for returning attendees who want to investigate strategies for creating an inclusive climate. You are invited to attend one of two sessions, held concurrently, to explore the impact of gender and race on faculty members’ experiences of the University campus climate.

Through a review of the existing research and group discussions, these sessions will seek to shift the dialogue, from individual challenges experienced by underrepresented faculty to seeking to acknowledge and identify institutional challenges and solutions related to gender and racial inequity in higher education.

If you'd simply like to learn more about these issues in a collegial environment, please attend. If you would like to practice allyship, attend and bring a friend!

This workshop will be led by Michigan Tech's own Advocate Team members (cisgender-men-only session) and Advocates and Allies Advisory Board members (women and other genders session).

Lunch will be served at this workshop. All participants need to RSVP in advance.

Workshop Details:

• What: ADVANCE Advocates and Allies Deep Dive Workshop
• When: Friday, March 15, from 12-1:30 p.m.
• Where: MUB Ballroom B
• Who: This workshop is intended for faculty and staff who want to acquire in-depth understanding in creating an inclusive climate.

This workshop is being sponsored by the Advocates Team, the Advocates and Allies Advisory Board (A3B) and the ADVANCE Initiative at Michigan Tech.

ADVANCE at Michigan Tech is an  initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. To learn more about our mission and programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, email us at advance-mtu@mtu.edu or visit our website.

"Embark on a journey of intellect as we gather for an evening of thought-provoking conversations and delectable delights. Join fellow graduate students in shaping the future of our academic landscape by sharing your insights on AI policies," says Chat GPT.

What do you think? Share your thoughts on AI policies for Michigan Tech at the Graduate Student Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Venue: MUB Ballroom A

All graduate students are welcome. Dinner will be served!

Please register in advance. 

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder, on Wednesday, March 6, from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in Room 404 of the Administration Building.

The first half of the session will focus on the mechanics of preparing a well-presented promotion and/or tenure binder and will include insights from those who have been involved in the tenure and promotion review (TPR) process. The second half of the session will focus on how to input data and narratives into Digital Measures to produce a Faculty Activity Report (FAR) for the tenure and promotion binder.

All faculty are welcome; those who plan to submit a tenure/promotion package in the next couple of years are especially encouraged to attend.

Faculty are welcome to attend just one part of the session as their schedule allows. Direct questions to Shari Stockero, assistant provost for faculty development, at stockero@mtu.edu.

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty (ITF) Promotion File, on Thursday, March 7, from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in Room 404 of the Administration Building.

The first half of the session will focus on the mechanics of preparing an ITF promotion file and will include insights from panelists who have gone through the promotion process or reviewed promotion materials. The second half of the session will focus on how to input data and narratives into Digital Measures to produce a Faculty Activity Report (FAR) for the promotion file.

All ITF are welcome; those who plan to submit a promotion package in the next couple of years are especially encouraged to attend.

Faculty are welcome to attend just one part of the session as their schedule allows.

Direct questions to Shari Stockero, assistant provost for faculty development, at stockero@mtu.edu.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering is hosting a seminar presented by faculty candidate Ni Su on Wednesday (Feb. 21) at 10 a.m. in person in M&M 610.

The seminar is titled "Engineering biomimetic materials: Modulating the immune system for enhanced tissue regeneration."

From the abstract: 

The healing process after tissue injury is accompanied by a series of immune responses. The type and duration of the immune response orchestrate the crosstalk with stem cells and can greatly change the outcome from impaired healing to complete regeneration. While biomaterials have been widely used in facilitating tissue regeneration, their existing potential to induce regenerative immune responses remains understudied. My research aims to uncover the immune mechanisms in tissue injuries and innovate biomaterial-based immunotherapy for enhanced regeneration. Throughout my research career, I have engineered biomaterials with biomimetic cues from secretory exosomes, cell membranes, and extracellular matrix as cell-free approaches to modulate the innate and adaptive immune players towards regenerative states during tissue injuries. The resulting favorable immune environment further led to enhanced regeneration in multiple tissue types, from large skin wounds to critical-sized bone defects. Furthermore, leveraging 3D in vitro immune crosstalk model design and in vivo single-cell transcriptomics, we have identified novel crosstalk mechanisms between the immune system and stem cells in the context of biomaterials. Taken together, my studies offer innovative insights into the rational design of the next generation of immunomodulatory biomaterials for regenerative medicine with broader applications in aging and cancer immunotherapy.

Speaker bio: 

Ni Su is a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

It's been an amazing rookie season for Huskies Curl at Michigan Tech, a new student organization on campus. Over the past few months, the curling club has won multiple bonspiels at various locations across the country. Most recently, on Feb. 10-11, they closed out the regular season by sending two teams to Kettle Moraine, WI. An outstanding performance at that event secured the club's position as Midwest Regional Champions!

What's next for the curling Huskies? The College National Championship in Rice Lake, WI, from March 8-10. Visit the USA College Curling website for more information.

Men's basketball sophomore guard Marcus Tomashek scored 34 points to propel Michigan Tech over No. 24 Northern Michigan, 80-69, in front of a crowd of 1,300 at the SDC Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

Tomashek scored over 30 points for the fifth time this season. His 34 points were a game-high, and he also added nine rebounds. Dan Gherezgher scored 22 points. Adam Hobson and Pete Calcaterra combined for 17 points.

The Huskies have won three in a row, besting the Wildcats for the first time since Jan. 31, 2022, to elevate to 9-14 overall and 6-8 in the GLIAC.

Read the full story at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Second half shooting woes doomed the women's basketball team as the Huskies fell 70-45 to Northern Michigan on Play4Kay Day/Alumni Day inside the SDC Gymnasium Saturday.

Tech (12-10, 8-6) trailed early as Northern Michigan (16-7, 10-4 GLIAC) jumped out to a 7-2 advantage in the early stages of the first quarter. Emma Anderson made her first career start and had four points in the first quarter. 

Katelyn Meister had eight of the Huskies' 18 points in the second quarter. However, the Wildcats led 31-30 at halftime.

The Huskies struggled offensively in the second half, as the Wildcats outscored Tech 19-9 in the third quarter and 20-6 in the fourth.

Katelyn Meister led the Huskies with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Maja Kozlowska scored a career-high 10 points to go with four rebounds. 

Read the full story at Michigan Tech Athletics. 

For the third time this season, Michigan Tech sophomore guard Marcus Tomashek has been tabbed the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

Tomashek scored a game-high 34 points to help the Huskies defeat No. 24 Northern Michigan 80-69, his fifth time scoring 30 or more points this season. The Green Bay native neared a double-double with nine defensive rebounds. He shot 12-for-21 from the field (57.1%) and 7-for-10 from the 3-point line (70%). 

Tomaskek is the GLIAC's leading scorer with with 22.1 points per game. He is also the lone player to earn three GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Read the full story at Michigan Tech Athletics. 

Tuesday (Feb. 20)

• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Thursday (Feb. 22)
• Women's Basketball at Wayne State, 5:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloSports
• Men's Basketball at Wayne State, 7:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloSports

Friday (Feb. 23)
• Hockey at Bowling Green, 7:37 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHockey

Saturday (Feb. 24)
• Nordic Skiing hosts NCAA Central Regional Championships at Tech Trails, 10 a.m.
• Women's Basketball at Saginaw Valley State, 1 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloSports
• Men's Basketball at Saginaw Valley State, 3 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloSports
• Hockey at Bowling Green, 7:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHockey

Sunday (Feb. 25)
• Nordic Skiing hosts NCAA Central Regional Championships at Tech Trails, 10 a.m.

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

The Michigan Space Grant Consortium announced its 2024 Award Recipients. Michigan Tech received a total of 14 awards, including 11 Graduate Fellowships, two Faculty Led Fellowships for Undergraduates, and 1 Hands-on NASA Oriented Experiences for Student Groups award. 

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Mont Ripley general manager Nick Sirdenis was interviewed by 9&10 News about the partnership allowing Mount Bohemia season pass holders to ski at Mont Ripley this “winter that wasn’t” season. 

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MLive ran a story about MTU Air Force ROTC cadets getting an opportunity to fly in a C-130 Hercules aircraft. The story was first published in Stories from Husky Nation. 

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Michigan Tech was mentioned in a Midland Daily News story announcing the promotion of Shane Bjorge ’98 (B.S. civil engineering) to city engineer of Midland. 

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Visit Keweenaw included Michigan Tech, the MacInnes Student Ice Arena, the MacNaughton Cup, Mitch’s Misfits, the Huskies Pep Band, and many former MTU hockey players and coaches in a story about the history of hockey in the Keweenaw. 

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Michigan Tech was mentioned in a Chronicle of Higher Education opinion piece analyzing the ranking methodology used by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression in its 2024 College Free Speech Rankings.

A Kalamazoo Success Story for MTU's DECA Chapter 

Earlier this month, 11 members of the Michigan Tech Collegiate DECA chapter attended the State Career Development Conference in Kalamazoo, MI, to compete in three different types of events: individual, team, and prepared business plans. In addition to the competitions, the MTU DECA Chapter also made tie blankets for charity. 

Below are the students who participated, as well as the events in which they placed: 

• Jaylen Body (Marketing & Management): Finalist, Hotel & Lodging
• Veronica Frystak (Marketing & OSM): 2nd place, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
• Dylan Dunneback (Marketing): 1st place, Restaurant and Food Service Management
• Allyana Grochowski (General Business): Finalist, Human Resources Management
• Zach Hooper (MIS & Engineering Management): Finalist, Entrepreneurship Operations
• Sammy Perrone (Marketing): Finalist, Fashion Merchandising Marketing
• Ethan Semenchuks (Engineering Management): 3rd place, Sales Management and Leadership
• Gavin Walters (Engineering Management): Finalist, Marketing Management
• Joe Anthony (Electrical Engineering)
• Wilson Yax (Finance)
• Isaac Pilgrim (Finance)

The following teams also placed:

• Joe Anthony and Gavin Waters placed 3rd in their team event, Business to Business Marketing
• Dylan Dunneback and Allyana Grochowski placed 2nd in their prepared business plan event, Digital Marketing Strategies
• Jaylen Body and Veronica Frystak placed 2nd in their team event, Entertainment Marketing
• Zach Hooper and Sammy Perrone placed 3rd in their team event, Marketing Communications.

Jaylen, Veronica, Dylan, Allyana, Zach, Sammy, Ethan, Gavi, and Joe all qualified for the International Career Development Conference in April 2024 in Texas. 

Nominations Open: Bhakta Rath Award and Michigan Tech Research Award

The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) is accepting nominations for both the Bhakta Rath Research Award and the Michigan Tech Research Award.

The Bhakta Rath Research Award offers an opportunity to promote and reward excellence in scientific and engineering research in the fields of physical and natural sciences and engineering. For complete submission guidelines, visit our Bhakta Rath Research Award page.

The Michigan Tech Research Award offers an opportunity for an individual to be recognized for outstanding achievements in research. For complete submission guidelines, visit our Michigan Tech Research Award page.

Nominations for both must be submitted electronically in PDF format, per the guidelines, no later than 4 p.m. on March 7.

All nominations must be sent to Natasha Chopp at nichopp@mtu.edu.

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Seeking Nominations: Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards

Know someone who is passionate about sustainability and is improving campus or the community through their teaching, research or service? Please consider nominating them for the second annual Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards!

Self-nominations are welcome; nominations from others are encouraged. Please submit nominations via our submission form by Friday (Feb. 23). Award recipients will be informed by March 4 and recognized at an Earth Week lunch event April 19.

The awards will recognize a faculty member, a staff member and a student on campus, each of whom has made significant contributions to advancing sustainability. A public ceremony will be held to celebrate their accomplishments in early April.

Last year’s winners are listed below, and a three-minute video on their contributions is available on the Sustainability Blog.

• Undergraduate: Janelle Freeman (sustainability science and society)
• Graduate: Elise Rosky (Ph.D. in physics candidate)
• Staff: Dan Liebau (facilities)
• Faculty: Mark Rudnicki (CFRES)

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H-STEM Complex Update

With construction on the H-STEM Complex nearing completion, campus will see less activity taking place around the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building over the next few weeks. The H-STEM Complex is still not open to the public, however, as final items and commissioning of the HVAC equipment are still underway for the next few weeks. Move-in of building occupants will begin Thursday (Feb. 22) and will continue through spring break to minimize disruptions to classes.

Following the spring break recess, the H-STEM Complex will be open to the public. In the meantime, we ask that you refrain from wandering into the building, even if barriers get taken down.

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CS Faculty Candidate Presentation with Kai Presler-Marshall

Department of Computer Science (CS) instructional-track faculty candidate Kai Presler-Marshall will give a classroom presentation today (Feb. 20) from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom.

The title of Presler-Marshall’s talk is “An Introduction to Exploratory Data Analysis.”

Join the presentation via Zoom.

From the abstract:
In this talk, we’ll look briefly at exploratory data analysis. We’ll see what problems it solves, how it helps us see trends and patterns in our data, and where it fits into the data science process. As part of this, we will run through several EDA steps on a sample dataset, and see how even simple analyses and visualizations can help us find interesting results that are worthy of further analysis. I will also discuss several aspects of my teaching approach, including some of the techniques I use when teaching computer science and software engineering courses.

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

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Apply to Attend Stanford d.school’s Teaching and Learning Studio

Join a community of educational innovators! Michigan Tech’s IDEAhub invites you to build your innovation toolbox by attending the Stanford d.school Teaching and Learning Studio (TLS).

TLS is a weeklong in-person workshop for university educators held at Stanford’s d.school. IDEAhub will fund at least four Michigan Tech faculty or staff to attend TLS in summer 2024.

This workshop will help you acquire design tools and mindsets, and expand your capacity to navigate complex challenges in higher education, both inside and outside of the classroom. TLS is open to faculty, administrators and other university leaders. In attending the workshop, you will be joining a vibrant, global community of innovative educators (and a community of nearly 20 TLS alumni here at Michigan Tech!).

Dates for the 2024 TLS are June 24-28 or July 22-26 (Michigan Tech participants will be strongly encouraged to choose one week to attend together as a team). IDEAhub will pay the $4,000 registration fee. We will work with participants to coordinate travel and lodging plans and seek cost-share for these expenses from their units/colleges.

Please fill out our d.school Teaching and Learning Studio interest form by Monday (Feb. 26) to express your interest in this professional development opportunity.

Questions can be directed to Maria Bergstrom at mjbergst@mtu.edu or Kelly Steelman at steelman@mtu.edu.

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This Week's C-Cubed Menu

Menu for Thursday (Feb. 22):

Vegetable Egg Scramble (Vegetarian, Egg, AD, AG)
Country Fried Steak (Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy)
Eggs (Vegetarian, Egg, AD, AG)
Hash Browns (Vegan, Gluten, AD)
Sausage (Soy, AD)
Country Gravy (Dairy, Gluten)
Biscuits (Vegetarian, Gluten, Dairy, Soy)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon. The luncheon is held each week on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C3, or C-Cubed, lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by Chef Luis Delgado and his 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 cookies are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $15 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union office (MUB 101).

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New Hiring Process, Form I-9 Requirements for Temporary and Student Employees

Human Resources (HR) is updating the process for hiring all student and temporary employees. Beginning March 4, departments wishing to hire students or temporary employees must email hr-help@mtu.edu or visit hr-help.mtu.edu. New hires must provide original documentation regarding Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. No new hires will be allowed to work without providing the required documentation.

HR is hosting a Lunch & Learn on Feb. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) Ballroom B. The event will introduce the upcoming changes in the student hiring process. It is recommended that those involved in the hiring process for departments attend. HR will provide a light lunch. Please sign up using our RSVP form.

If you have any questions, please contact us at humanresources@mtu.edu or 906-487-2280.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024

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

Research Engineer I, Materials Science and Engineering. Apply online.

Facilities Coordinator, Facilities Management. Apply online.

Administrative Aide (12 months/ 40hrs/ 1st Shift) #24049, Business Support Center (UAW Posting Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, 2024 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates.) Apply online. 

Custodian (12 months/ 40 hrs/ 1st Shift) #24033, Facilities Management
(AFSCME Posting Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, 2024 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates.) Apply online. 

Campus Architect, Facilities Management. 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.

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

Simple Machines: Poetry, Letterpress, and the Art of the Little Magazine Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Tuesday, February 20, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries

Simple Machines is a two-edition, international, letterpress poetry magazine founded and edited by Michigan Tech’s M. Bartley Seigel, funded through a Research Excellence...

Cayuse Training Session for IACUC and IBC Modules

Tuesday, February 20, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.

The Office of Research Integrity is now using Cayuse as the electronic submission system for protocol management. Join us on Zoom for an informative training session on using...

Evaluating Job Offers

Tuesday, February 20, 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Workshop geared to provide base knowledge of what to look for in a job offer, and what to do next.

CTL Lunch and Learn- Teaching with AI: Insights and Innovations

Tuesday, February 20, 12–1 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, B2

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for the following opportunity: CTL Lunch and Learn-Teaching with AI: Insights and Innovations https://mtu.libcal.com/event/11999320

Classroom Presentation: CS Faculty Candidate Kai Presler-Marshall

Tuesday, February 20, 1–2 p.m.

Department of Computer Science instructional-track faculty candidate Kai Presler-Marshall will give a classroom presentation on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, from 1-2 p.m. via...

Enterprise Day

Tuesday, February 20, 6–9 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom

Are you interested in learning more about Enterprise at Michigan Tech? Maybe you are thinking about joining Enterprise, but are not sure which team is right for you. Learn...

Keweenaw Accessibility and Advocacy General Meeting

Tuesday, February 20, 6–7 p.m. | Wadsworth Hall (room G17)

KAA is regularly scheduled to meet every Tuesday at 6 pm, we will meet in G17 of Wadsworth Hall (our usual room). New members are welcome, spread the word if you know people...

Pavlis Honors College Information Session

Tuesday, February 20, 7–8 p.m.

Learn more about our Honors College and how to apply.