November 12, 2024

The University has invited two additional candidates to interview for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President for Administration position. Each candidate’s interview will be conducted over two days and will include a presentation of their vision for research at Michigan Tech at an open forum.

The third candidate will interview on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14 and 15, with their open forum scheduled at 1 p.m. on Friday in Ballroom B of the Memorial Union. The fourth candidate will interview on Nov. 21 and 22, with their open forum scheduled for Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. in Ballroom B of the Memorial Union.

Candidate resumes, cover letters, interview dates and open forum information can be viewed at the Chief Financial Officer Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view candidate information.

The search committee encourages the campus community to interact with each candidate during the interviews and to provide feedback by completing the anonymous comment form provided on the candidate webpage. Feedback forms will be posted immediately following each candidate's visit and be available for 72 hours following the last candidate’s visit.

A paper funded by a 2023 Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Rapid Seedling Research Funding grant was selected as the Best Paper in the Power Systems and Smart Grid section of IEEE IECON 2024 — the Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, held Nov. 3-6 in Chicago, Illinois.

Congratulations to the paper’s authors: Ph.D. students Shipra Tiwari and Pedro A. de Alcântara (both electrical and computer engineering), master's students Rishin Patra (electrical and computer engineering) and Vitor G. Jordao (mechatronics), Flavio B. Costa (ECE/ICC), Trever Hassell (ECE), Wayne Weaver (MAE), Chee-Wooi Ten (ECE/ICC), Fernando Ponta (MAE) and Daniel Fuhrmann (AC/ICC).

The title of the paper is “From Theory to Practice: Validating a High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Experimental Setup for Traveling Wave Analysis.”

This paper presents an experimental investigation of traveling wave phenomena in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, aiming to advance the understanding and application of traveling wave-based fault detection and protection technologies. The findings will contribute to the development of more reliable and efficient protective devices for HVDC networks, ensuring stable power transmission.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 707 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, in Chem Sci 102.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend the University Senate meeting via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 707.

A Zoom recording of the Diverse Dialogues: Native American Heritage Month event is now available.

Access the Recording on Zoom (use passcode u.2Zq#zj).

The next Student Affairs CommUNITY Education Team event will be an Accessible Events Workshop on Dec. 3.

My project group for SS4700 Communities and Research is designing, creating and sharing a cookbook that highlights the culinary traditions, diverse cultures and shared experiences of Western Upper Peninsula communities. Our hope is that this cookbook will have different recipes signifying the variety of cultures and food within the Western U.P. community. Our student group is collaborating with Western U.P. Food Systems Collaborative (WUPFSC) to help make and share this free and publicly available online cookbook.

If you have any recipes that you'd like to submit, fill out the Western U.P. Culture Food Recipes sharing form.

If you have any questions, please email western.cookbook@gmail.com or our advisor, Angie Carter, at ancarter@mtu.edu.

Jared Wolfe, assistant professor of wildlife ecology in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences at MTU, will present as part of the BioSci Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, in person in GLRC 202 and virtually via Zoom.

Join the BioSci Seminar on Zoom.

Wolfe’s presentation is titled “Silent Bird Declines in Pristine Tropical Forests.”

From the abstract:
Recent studies from across Central and South America have revealed alarming declines in understory tropical bird populations within pristine forests, particularly among insectivores. These findings have spurred various hypotheses to explain the declines, from physiological stress and pesticide exposure to the impacts of climate change. In this presentation, Dr. Wolfe will discuss the collaborative effort to identify the demographic drivers behind these patterns. Specifically, Dr. Wolfe’s research team used extensive mark-recapture and climate datasets from the central Amazon to examine how increasingly severe dry seasons — driven by climate change — are impacting the survival of understory bird communities. Using a hierarchical Bayesian model with 27 years of capture-mark-recapture data, they found that even a modest rise in dry season temperatures could reduce survival rates by as much as 63% across the bird community. The team’s findings, in press at Science Advances, demonstrate that rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall significantly reduce annual survival rates, likely driving the observed long-term declines. Following life history theory, they found that longer-lived species are especially vulnerable to climate change, as they are particularly sensitive to environmental changes that affect adult survival. The team hypothesizes that these extreme conditions increase physiological stress and reduce food availability, fundamentally destabilizing habitats once considered resilient. These results underscore the urgent need for targeted conservation measures that address climate impacts, even in undisturbed rainforests. By identifying the drivers of climate vulnerability, this research aims to guide international conservation initiatives, such as the United Nations’ 30x30 framework, to identify and protect tropical forests likely to serve as climate refugia in the Anthropocene.

With expertise in avian ecology, Wolfe’s research explores how environmental change affects bird populations in both temperate and tropical forests. As co-founder of Biodiversity Initiative, his work to help build conservation capacity in Central Africa resulted in the establishment of a new national park in Equatorial Guinea. He also investigates the evolution of bird molts and plumages, an often-overlooked aspect of avian ecology.

Wolfe is currently focused on large-scale climatic experiments and integrating globally significant datasets to mechanistically understand how climate change threatens biodiversity in tropical regions.

Bowei Li, assistant professor at Texas Tech University, will present a virtual Civil Engineering Seminar at 11 a.m. tomorrow, Nov. 13.

Li will deliver the seminar through Zoom. A Zoom session will be set up in Dillman Hall 202.

Join the Civil Engineering Seminar on Zoom.

Li will present “Performance-Based Wind Design for Engineered Buildings: Why and How.”

From the abstract:
Traditional prescriptive wind design often leaves the performance of buildings uncertain, resulting in structures that either sustain unexpected damage, incurring significant loss, or are overly conservative in design. This highlights the need for a paradigm shift toward Performance-Based Wind Design (PBWD). In PBWD implementation, accurate and efficient performance evaluation under extreme wind events is essential. This presentation introduces efficient performance assessment frameworks for evaluating large-scale structural systems under wind hazards. Two key methodologies — a mechanics-based approach (Adaptive Fast Nonlinear Analysis, AFNA) and a data-driven approach (deep learning-based metamodeling) — have been developed to expedite the repeated nonlinear time history analyses required for response data collection. These approaches are integrated into reliability-based wind performance assessment frameworks, enabling comprehensive and efficient evaluations of large-scale engineering systems.

The No. 26 nationally ranked Michigan Tech men's cross country team turned in a third-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, scoring 141 points. The women's team placed 14th overall, scoring 363 points.

The men's performance earned the Huskies their final automatic qualifier and punched their ticket to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, hosted in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 23. The men's team has now made it to nationals three of the last four years.

Veteran Sam Lange and first-year Colman Lenci earned All-Region accolades, placing 12th and 23rd, respectively.

"We've felt all season that earning a coveted auto qualifying spot was possible for the men's team. The guys did an excellent job of running their own races today, moving through the field as the race progressed. I won't lie, I was a tiny bit nervous when we were 12th at the first split mat, but by the time we were at halfway, I knew we had something special cooking," said Tech head coach Robert Young. "Colman Lenci had a significant breakthrough today and was a key piece of the team's success. We are so excited — this could be just the beginning for him."

Read more cross country news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech women's basketball went 1-1 for their first weekend of the 2024-25 season at the D2 Midwest Region Tip-Off, held at the Justagame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

The Huskies fell to Lewis 68-57 in their season opener on Friday, Nov. 8. Senior guard Isabella Lenz tied her career high with 23 points in the game.

"I was really proud of the way we competed! We're going through an insane amount of adversity with our team right now, but we never backed down and kept making runs," said Tech head coach Sam Clayton. "Bella really stepped up and led us today on both sides of the ball. I also thought Kendall (Standfest) played really well and was aggressive for us offensively. If we can just shore up a few execution things, we'll be just fine. Great opportunity to learn from it and respond tomorrow."

Tech marked the first win of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9, handling Thomas More 73-59 backed by 54 points by the Huskies' starting five. In total, the Huskies saw four starters score in double figures, led by second-year guard Alyssa Wypych with a new career high of 21 points.

"I'm so proud of our team. Thomas More executes well, so it was a good win for us," said Clayton. "Alyssa had a huge game for us with her offensive efficiency. But I also think Dani (Nuest) did a great job taking care of the ball for us and attacking their pressure. Kendall controlled the boards for us and hit big shots. It was a great weekend for us to learn and get better."

Read more women's basketball news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech soccer team fell to Saginaw Valley State and held No. 19 Grand Valley State to a scoreless draw to conclude the regular season.

The Huskies were on the wrong side of a three-goal second half, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Cardinals on Thursday, Nov. 7.

"Another tough loss, especially when I felt we had some of the better chances to score. Their goalkeeper came up huge on multiple occasions and helped keep us out of the net. While we didn't get the win, there are still positives out of this game," Tech head coach Melissa Kuhar said. "I loved our response after we gave up the first goal. Proud of our group for adapting when we changed up formations a bit and their ability to still keep creating chances. We need a solid finish to the regular season Saturday and then we head into the postseason where anything is possible!"

The Huskies kept the Lakers off the scoreboard on Saturday, Nov. 9, ending the game tied at 0-0. 

"Super proud of our team today! Getting a result to close out the regular season is a huge momentum boost for us. I challenged the team to empty their tanks and give everything they had and they did just that. I couldn't ask for more," Kuhar said. "GVSU was fighting to win the conference, which resulted in them pushing numbers forward. Huge props to (goalkeeper) Bri (Barrows) and the backline for getting the clean sheet! Bri played out of her mind today and kept us in the game countless times! Again, so proud of this group and Tuesday starts a 'new' season."

Read more soccer news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team won their first two games of 2024-25, recording a perfect season-opening weekend at the D2 Midwest Region Tip-Off, held at the Justagame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

Tech saw a 23-point career high from forward Pete Calcaterra to claim the season-opening victory over Missouri-St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 8. Junior guard Marcus Tomashek joined the 1,000-point club for Michigan Tech during the game, as well.

"That was a very physical game and I'm proud of how hard we fought," Tech men's basketball coach Josh Buettner said. "We showed a collective togetherness and the bench really stepped up and gave us a huge lift. Now we need to recover and do it again tomorrow."

The Huskies wrapped up the weekend with an 88-84 victory over Maryville on Saturday, Nov. 9.

"I'm really happy to get out of the weekend with two wins," Buettner said. "We got ourselves in a hole in the first half and were able to come back and get it done. We competed hard all weekend, and I'm excited to get back to work next week before heading to Minnesota."

Read more men's basketball news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech hockey team improved to 4-0 in CCHA action with a road sweep of Ferris State.

The Huskies came back for a 3-2 victory on Friday, Nov. 8. The Bulldogs got on the board first, but the Huskies scored three straight and held on late.

"This is a hard place to play, and we weren't very comfortable in the first period. They played outstanding in the first and made it difficult for us to get out of our zone," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We got some opportunities on the power play and cashed in, and then the third period was by far our best."

Tech earned a second straight CCHA sweep with a 3-1 victory on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Huskies scored three first-period goals in 55 seconds and got 36 saves from goaltender Derek Mullahy.

"Derek had as good of a goaltending game as you can have. They beat him with one shot which was a deflection," Shawhan said. "Ferris played hard after they made the goalie change. It was tilted in their favor late in the second and all of the third. There wasn't a whole lot of structure to our game, and we did just enough to get by."

Read more hockey news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech volleyball team split their second-to-last weekend of regular season play.

The Huskies dropped the first set, but came back for a 3-1 victory at Davenport on Friday, Nov. 8. Tech won 22-25, 25-16, 25-13 and 25-15.

"I'm really happy with the way we played after set one," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "To see Abbi (Perkins) go off the way she did tonight was quite a reward. Our offense really looked impressive and our serving was really on point."

The Huskies fell 3-0 at No. 1 Ferris State on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Bulldogs won 25-19, 27-25 and 25-22 at Bulldog Arena.

"Credit to Ferris for being an exceptional team and playing very well tonight," Jennings said. "There's a reason they're undefeated."

"It's still frustrating to know we had opportunities to win in the second and third sets and didn't finish," he continued. "I thought many parts of our offense put us in a position to win late in sets, but again, credit to Ferris for closing it out."

Read more volleyball news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech football fell short against No. 5 Grand Valley State on Senior Day, held Saturday, Nov. 9, at Kearly Stadium.

Michigan Tech's defense came up big multiple times, holding the Lakers to just one completion on fourth down in five tries and getting three sacks on the GVSU quarterback. But the Huskies couldn't find the end zone, suffering their first shutout of the season.

GVSU entered the game averaging over 31 points per outing. The Lakers possessed the ball for 40:51, producing 477 yards in 88 plays.

"I thought our defense played incredible," said Tech head coach Dan Mettlach. "We held them to 20 points and made a couple of fourth down stops inside the 5-yard line. Defensively we played well enough to win today, we just didn't do enough offensively. I expect more from us offensively, regardless of who we're playing, and we just didn't get it done today. I don't think our guys backed down or looked like we didn't belong, we just didn't put it all together."

Read more football news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday, Nov. 12
• Soccer at Northern Michigan in GLIAC Tournament, 2 p.m. on FloCollege

Friday, Nov. 15
• Women's Basketball vs. Bemidji State, 5 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ and FloCollege
• Volleyball at Saginaw Valley State, 7 p.m. on FloCollege

Saturday, Nov. 16
• Football at Saginaw Valley State, 1 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ and FloCollege
• Men's Basketball at Winona State, 2 p.m.
• Women's Basketball vs. Minnesota Crookston, 3 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ and FloCollege
• Volleyball at Lake Superior State, 2 p.m. on FloCollege

Sunday, Nov. 17
• Men's Basketball at Concordia-St. Paul, 4 p.m.

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Paul van Susante (MAE) will attend and present at the fall meeting of the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium, being held tomorrow, Nov. 13, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) located 65 miles to the northwest.

The Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium seeks to identify lunar technology needs, deploy needed technology for lunar surface exploration and accelerate technology readiness. The consortium “provides a central resource for gathering information, analytical integration of lunar surface technology demonstration interfaces, and sharing of results.”

Van Susante will present a poster on Dirty TVAC for the Lunar Engineering Panel. He will also visit the NNSS, which was established in 1950 as a proving ground for nuclear materials and weapons. Today, the site “has evolved to include subcritical experiments and other Stockpile Stewardship programs designed to ensure the nation’s remaining nuclear weapons remain safe.”

The NNSS also contains the Nevada Space Proving Grounds (NSPG) — a mission-scale lunar/Martian testing facility capable of supporting equipment tests around large craters, low-sun-angle lunar lighting conditions and nighttime operations, and autonomous vehicle testing. Van Susante's research and work as founder of the Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab (PSTDL) aligns with the purpose of the NSPG.

Professor Emeritus Terry Reynolds (SS) was quoted by Arizona's El Dorado News-Times in a story about the upcoming celebration of the Parkers Chapel’s 100th graduating class.

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MTU students Andrew Feys and Abigail Leagjeld were quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about the Young Americans for Freedom student organization’s free speech event on Friday, Nov. 8. The group is also holding a military care package drive, with contributions open until Nov. 16.

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the Keweenaw Community Foundation’s (KCF) 30th anniversary. The story highlighted a partnership between KCF and MTU to connect students with volunteer opportunities at area nonprofits.

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MichAuto mentioned Michigan Tech as a key partner in a story about the expansion of the Lockwood STEM Center in Hemlock, Michigan. The expanded facility now includes labs for electronics, 3D printing and computing, offering students from five school districts hands-on opportunities to explore STEM and develop skills for Michigan’s tech and automotive industries.

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FloTrack mentioned Michigan Tech in its coverage of the 2024 NCAA Division II Midwest Region Cross Country Championship results. Michigan Tech’s men’s team placed third, earning an automatic qualification to the NCAA DII Cross Country National Championship on Nov. 23 in Sacramento, California.

Sign Up for Virtual Workshop on Countermeasures for Common Workplace Problems

The Office of Continuous Improvement is offering a virtual workshop, "Countermeasures: Solving Common Problems using Lean Methods and Tools Workshop," tomorrow, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Countermeasures are the actions we take during experiments to close the gap between what is currently happening and what we want to happen. We'll explore several Lean tools that are used as countermeasures for common workplace issues. These tools can assist you in your efforts to create the best possible experience for students, faculty, staff and other customers.

To see the workshop description and register, complete the brief Upcoming Michigan Tech Lean Courses form or visit the Continuous Improvement website. Once registered, we'll add you to a calendar event for the course.

This workshop will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. Miro is a virtual collaboration tool, similar to a virtual whiteboard. Learn more about how to use Miro at the Miro Academy Essentials course. The course is considered complete after attending the workshop and submitting a couple of brief activities to demonstrate application of concepts. A certification of completion will be awarded after meeting all requirements. There’s no cost to Michigan Tech employees.

This stand-alone workshop is part of the Lean Basics workshop series. It can be taken independently, or, if you complete all five workshops in the series, we’ll award you a Lean Yellow Belt certificate!

For more information, email improvement@mtu.edu.

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Tutoring Workshop for K-12 Students

We are excited to welcome you to a tutoring workshop hosted by Tech Tutors at Michigan Tech! This workshop is an opportunity for K-12 students from around the Copper Country to receive 1-on-1 tutoring in a supportive group environment. Tutoring is availble for most subjects, and students should make sure to bring any schoolwork or resources needed for tutoring if the work is specific. Snacks will also be provided!

The event is on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MTU's Fisher Hall in Room 126. Students may be dropped off or parents/guardians may hang out around campus for the duration of the workshop.

If interested, please register for the event with our workshop sign-up form!

Please contact techtutors@mtu.edu with any questions.

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Mark Your Calendar for the Annual Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition

Do you have an innovative, creative business or product idea? Husky Innovate invites students to participate in the annual Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition, which takes place on Nov. 20 from 5-7 p.m. in M&M U115.

Hosted by the College of Business and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the Idea Pitch Competition is a platform for students to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit by presenting innovative business or product ideas that address real-world problems and opportunities. Participants will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top ideas.

Register for the Fall 2024 Idea Pitch Competition.

Students can register for the competition through Sunday, Nov. 17, at 11:59 p.m. A mandatory pitch preparation session takes place on Friday, Nov. 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in M&M U113.

Find full details on the Husky Innovate website.

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

Women's Soccer vs GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals

Tuesday, November 12, 12–3 a.m.

Women's Soccer vs GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals

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Electron Microscopy Consultation Sessions

Tuesday, November 12, 1–3 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 607

As part of ACMAL actions to strengthen the electron microscopy user base at Tech, Dr. Erico Freitas is offering a few hours of free-of-charge consultations in November for the...

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PhD Defense: Josephine Amponsem

Tuesday, November 12, 2–4 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental and Energy Policy Advisor: Mark Rouleau EFFECTIVENESS, COHERENCE AND JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS OF CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES IN THE UNITED STATES

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Huskies Swim Training - Session 2

Tuesday, November 12, 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...

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WiP Colloquium - Dr. Elena Giusarma

Tuesday, November 12, 4–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall 138

join Women in Physics in welcoming Dr. Elena Giusarma for her talk "Unveiling the Universe with Machine Learning: A Cosmological Perspective" Event will be Nov. 12th,...

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Adult Huskies Swim Lessons - Session 2

Tuesday, November 12, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the fundamental...

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Adult Huskies Swim Training - Session 2

Tuesday, November 12, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness...

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Python Workshop

Tuesday, November 12, 5–6 p.m. | Rekhi 113

A free, in person, python workshop for beginners!

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Healthy Relationships - One Love

Tuesday, November 12, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Wads Hall

This is a 90-minute informational session about what Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships look like. Using material from the One Love Foundation. One Love Foundation is a...

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Bible Study - John

Tuesday, November 12, 7–9 p.m. | Campus House

Join us every Tuesday at 7:00pm for a Bible study of the Gospel of John! We investigate who Jesus is and ask questions of the text. Following our meeting we have a homecooked...

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College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Information Session

Tuesday, November 12, 7–8 p.m.

Join us to learn more about the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science! This event is a great opportunity for you to hear current students share more about the...

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Jewelry Making - Husky Hobbies

Tuesday, November 12, 7–9 p.m. | The Makerspace (MUB Basement)

Come learn to make beaded and knotted jewelry with Craft Club! All supplies and instructions included.

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Main Meeting!

Tuesday, November 12, 7–9 p.m. | WADS G42W

Main meeting for our organization where we listen to preaching, take communion and have fellowship

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Weekly Meeting

Tuesday, November 12, 7–9 p.m. | Guys' House

His House meets every Tuesday evening for worship, Bible study, fellowship and food! Join us at our campus house on Blanche Street! Hope to see you soon!