November 27, 2024

No phone. No roads. No problem. When Jack Schafer graduates from Michigan Technological University in December he knows exactly where he’s headed — back to Isle Royale to be part of the Tech-led 66-year-old study of wolves and moose.

Schafer, who majors in ecology and evolutionary biology, plans to spend seven weeks on the island as a member of the 2025 winter study team. He feels both fortunate and eager to be part of the expedition. “I’m getting a lot of island time — island time that not a lot of other people get to do. It’s a whole other aspect of the research,” he said.

Get Schafer’s insights and some breathtaking views of the fieldwork at Stories from Husky Nation.

Team Michigan Tech, led by Assistant Professor Shangyan Zou and Professor Wayne Weaver, has just been announced as a Concept Phase winner of the DOE Power at Sea Prize. Out of 86 submissions, 20 teams were selected, and each will be awarded $10,000. The team will compete in the Development Phase that concludes in summer 2025.

Project summary:
The mission of the research team is to develop a highly efficient Power Take-Off (PTO) unit customized for Powering the Blue Economy (PBE) Wave Energy Converters (WECs) by conducting design optimization and global control development via a combined numerical and experimental approach. A multidisciplinary team at Michigan Technological University (MTU) is proposed to support this research. MTU boasts capabilities spanning modeling, simulation, control, and experimental testing of offshore structures and power systems. The wave research laboratory at MTU has a wave tank and state-of-the-art devices (e.g., low-friction PTO, Qualisys motion tracking systems, wave gauges, load cells, etc.). This facility provides highly controlled conditions that enable us to validate complex mathematical models, design innovative PTO mechanisms and controls, and test the performance of varied systems or subsystems.

Thank you to all who participated in the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President for Administration interviews over the past five weeks. We appreciate your support.

As a reminder, the feedback surveys for the CFO candidates will close tonight, Nov. 27, at midnight. We encourage you to provide your feedback via the anonymous comment form provided on the candidate webpage. A Michigan Tech login is required to access the page.

The Board of Trustees will meet Dec. 13 from 9-11 a.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom B, and public attendance is welcome.

Members of the public are invited to make public comments to the board in accordance with Board of Trustees Bylaw 1.14. Those who wish to address items in the agenda, and who have filed their intent with the secretary of the board as required by Bylaw 1.14, will be limited to five minutes. Those addressing general topics are limited to three minutes.

If you wish to provide public comments to the Board of Trustees, please submit your intent to Sarah Schulte, secretary to the Board of Trustees, at shschult@mtu.edu. The deadline to submit your intent is next Friday, December 6th.

The November 2024 issue of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) newsletter is available on the MTTI website. The newsletter provides updates on current MTTI member activities and highlights research projects from two principal investigators. Current topics include:

• MTTI Welcomes Two New Members
• Abolmajid Erfani (CEGE) Awarded NCHRP Project
• MDOT Director Brad Wieferich to Visit Campus
• Mazi Erfani (CEGE) Appointed to Board
• Rail Program Conferences Attended
• RTP Scholarships Awarded
• MTTI Travel Grants Available
• Project Highlight: C-V2X Train Arrival and Departure Information Provision at Active and Passive Grade Crossings - Performance Assessment – PI: Kuilin Zhang (CEGE)
• Project Highlight: Project PROSPR: Upcycling Waste Plastic into Thermoplastic Elastomer – PI: Zhanping You (CEGE)

Michigan Tech Volleyball Head Coach Matt Jennings has stepped down from his position and will relocate to the Grand Rapids Area with his family. Jennings recently wrapped up his 13th season with the Huskies and ranks second in program history with 223 wins. His .587 winning percentage is the highest among the seven all-time Tech volleyball coaches. Jennings is also the chair of the NCAA Volleyball Championship Committee and will finish out the 2024 tournament in the role.

Jennings was named the Director of Volleyball Operations and an Assistant Coach with the Grand Rapids Rise on Tuesday. The Rise competes in the Pro Volleyball Federation, an eight-team league that is entering its second season of competition.

"Words cannot express how much Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw means to me and my family," Jennings said. "This place has shaped me in ways that I could never have imagined when I first got here. First and foremost I want to thank the players, who, through thick and thin, dedicated themselves to turning this program into what it is today. They should be proud of what we've accomplished together, nothing of which would have been possible without all that they gave to the team. Until you work alongside them on a daily basis, it's hard to grasp what it actually means to be a Husky student-athlete."

Read more volleyball news at Michigan Tech Athletics. 

Michelle Scherer (COE) and Jason Blough (MAE) were quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about Michigan Tech’s new Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering program, set to launch in fall 2025. The program will include 10 new courses and expanded lab space in the R.L. Smith Building. 

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Offshore Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about the first phase of the Power at Sea Prize. The Michigan tech team was among 20 winners awarded $10,000 for their innovative marine energy concepts aimed at powering ocean-based activities. The team will advance to the DEVELOP Phase, which includes the opportunity to compete for a share of a $1.5 million prize pool.

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The Daily Mining Gazette and WLUC TV6 covered Michigan Tech basketball junior guard Marcus Tomashek being named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week.   

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Power & Motion mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the record-breaking 26 university teams participating in the 2024-25 NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. The competition introduces students to hydraulic and pneumatic technologies while they design and race fluid power-based bicycles.

No Tech Today Tomorrow and Friday

There will be no Tech Today published tomorrow and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Graduate student thesis and dissertation defenses scheduled for Dec. 2-6 were announced today, Nov. 27, in "Defenses Next Week."

Tech Today will resume on Monday, Dec. 2. To be included in Monday's newsletter, items must be submitted by noon today using our Submit a Story form.

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MTTI Luncheon with MDOT Director Brad Wieferich — Open to All

The new director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Brad Wieferich, will be on campus on Dec. 12 for researcher visits and campus tours. In addition, the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will be hosting a luncheon with Wieferich, which is open to all those interested in transportation-related activities.

The luncheon will be held from 12-1:15 p.m. in GLRC 202. Wieferich will give a talk titled “MDOT Strategic Plan Updates” during the luncheon meeting. Please RSVP for the MTTI luncheon for a chance to meet the director and hear his thoughts — the RSVP deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The presentation will also be available via Zoom.

Join Wieferich's Presentation on Zoom.

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A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum Holiday Closure

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum and gift shop will be closed from Thursday, Nov. 28 through Saturday, Nov. 30 for the upcoming holiday.
The museum will reopen on Monday, Dec. 2, resuming normal business hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Have a wonderful break!

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

The Journey - Fall Student Art Showcase - Michigan Tech Art

Wednesday, November 27, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Join Art & Design class students as they showcase eclectic artworks created during the fall semester. CONTENT GUIDANCE

Master's Defense: Reed Downs

Wednesday, November 27, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 129

Physics Advisor: Kartik Keshava Iyer 2D Direct Numerical Simulation of Low-Prandtl Number Natural Convection Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/81200406099