January 7, 2025

Michigan Tech was one of 10 Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CDs) selected to receive the 2023 CAE-CD Community Outreach Award.

The award, which recognized cyber defense community outreach performed during the 2023 calendar year, is part of the CAE-CD Community Outreach Competition — an initiative “formed to showcase the CAEs who are doing above and beyond their call for duty by recognizing the outstanding outreach work performed.”

There were 42 entries for the 2023 competition, which encourages and promotes cybersecurity awareness and online safety practices among more than 400 institutions designated as CAE-CDs. Michigan Tech was ranked No. 8 among the 10 institutions selected to receive the award.

Michigan Tech was designated as a CAE-CD in 2023 by the National Security Agency. The designation is in effect through the 2027-28 academic year.

Please join us for the Michigan Tech Research Forum (MTRF) New Faculty Showcase on Jan. 21. Fourteen new faculty members from across the University will showcase their research with the goal of networking and identifying potential collaborators.

The event will be held in the Memorial Union Ballroom B. Networking and light refreshments will begin at 3:30 p.m., with presentations starting at 4 p.m. Networking will continue after the presentations.

Additional details can be found on the MTRF webpage.

The Office of the Provost presents the MTRF with support from the Vice President for Research Office. The forum showcases and celebrates the work of Michigan Tech researchers and aims to strengthen discussions in our community. All are welcome, including the general public.

The Vice President for Research Office announces the Fall 2024 Research Excellence Fund (REF) award recipients. Congratulations to each of the awardees.

The REF team also wishes to thank the individual REF reviewers and review panelists, as well as the deans and department chairs, for their time spent on this important internal research award process.

The principal investigators of the awarded projects include:

Research Seed Grants:

• Hongyu An (ECE/ICC)
• Kaiwu Huang (ChE)
• Kartik Iyer (Physics/MAE)
• Ben Kopek (GLRC)
• Robert Larson (BioSci/HRI)
• Jill Olin (BioSci)

The Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education is pleased to announce that Travis Wakeham (BioSci) will serve as the coordinator of academic advising for spring and summer 2025. This pilot position directly results from recommendations made by the 2023-2024 Academic Advising Working Group, which aimed to enhance equity and effectiveness in academic advising across Michigan Tech.

The coordinator of academic advising will play a vital role in supporting and improving the advising experience for both students and advisors. Key responsibilities include chairing the Advising Council and coordinating advising programs and professional development. This position will also support the implementation of training and resources tied to the Essential Education program and assist in developing advising tools such as CRM Advise.

Wakeham, an experienced advisor and co-chair of the Advising Council, brings a wealth of knowledge and commitment to this role. He has been instrumental in advancing initiatives that benefit both advisors and students and is eager to lead efforts that foster collaboration and innovation in academic advising.

“This pilot position marks a significant step forward in Michigan Tech’s commitment to providing equitable and effective academic advising,” said Marika Seigel, associate provost for undergraduate education. “Travis’ expertise and dedication make him an excellent choice to shape this new role and its impact on campus.”

Please join us in congratulating Travis on this appointment. If you are interested in learning more about this pilot program, feel free to contact apue@mtu.edu.

The Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) is accepting applications for the Sustainable & Resilient Communities Early Career/New Research Directions Award.

These awards are designed to complement start-up packages for early-career faculty or to support established researchers who are pursuing new ideas or topics around sustainability and resilience themes. Funds are provided by the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience. Award eligibility requires being an affiliate of CISR (open to anyone on campus) and contributing to the CISR research community through future external funding proposal submissions.

The spring 2025 application deadline is April 1, but rolling submissions and inquiries are encouraged.

Awards are targeted in the range of $3,000-$5,000. The timing and types of expenditures are flexible, but generally should occur before June 30 and support student hourly work, obtaining seed data, professional development, and/or pilot/proof-of-concept work, etc., with an emphasis on activities that can contribute to future research proposal development.

In your application, please include the following:

• A title indicating whether the submission is to be considered for an Early Career or New Directions award.
• A brief description of your proposed work and how it relates to sustainability and/or resilience. Please include a paragraph that describes how this award will propel future research productivity in sustainability and resilience research.
• A detailed budget and budget justification, including project start and end date, and details on what additional resources, if any, are being leveraged for the proposed project. These additional resources may include other sources of funding, other data or laboratory needs, etc.

Proposal narratives, budgets and budget justifications should be submitted as a single document via email to Chelsea Schelly at cschelly@mtu.edu. Potential submitters are encouraged to reach out with questions or to pitch ideas before developing a proposal.

CISR looks forward to receiving your inquiries and applications!

Applications for the 2025 Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization (MTRAC) grants opened on Jan. 1 and will close on March 31.

The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Applied Advanced Materials program at Michigan Tech provides funding and resources to support materials-related projects with high commercial potential. This support includes research and development funding for prototype and late-stage translational activities, with consultation and mentoring from an oversight committee including industry and investment experts.

Contact Julie Baker at juabaker@mtu.edu or 906-487-3458 to receive assistance and guidance on proposal preparation.

Proposal instructions can be found in the 2025 MTRAC Applied Advanced Materials Application Process PDF. Information about MTRAC is available on the University's MTRAC page.

Pre-proposals for Summer 2025 Copper Shores Community Health Foundation (CSCHF) Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due to the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m. on Jan. 21. Students who best meet the foundation’s criteria will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due on March 4. Instructions for the pre-proposal, full application and evaluation process are found online.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Must be a Ph.D. student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, and Ontonagon communities.
2. Must be two years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
3. Must not be a prior recipient of a Portage Health Foundation or CSCHF Graduate Assistantship.
4. Preference will be given to applicants with long-standing local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, or Ontonagon counties.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties. Nonresident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

• health research and technology development
• health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
• rural health care access, informatics and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

Save the Date: Career Services is hosting an on-campus jobs expo next Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the MUB. Students are encouraged to come check out the job opportunities available right here on campus. Many Michigan Tech departments will be represented.

If your department has not signed up and would like to attend, please contact Career Services at careerfair@mtu.edu.

The Diversity Literacy Online Workshop training (DLOW) continues to be offered during the spring semester and there is still room in all spring courses. Up-to-date DLOW training status is required to serve on faculty hiring and tenure and promotion committees.

The workshop dates can be found on the training website. Faculty should use the online registration form (scroll down to the bottom of the page) and please allow 24-48 hours for processing.

The workshop is organized as a three-week asynchronous online course in Canvas (with 2-3 hours of work per week) covering legal aspects of hiring and promotion processes, building literacy in recognizing unconscious bias, and cultivating diversity-centered practices. For those who have already taken the full three-week course, there are one-week refresher courses that engage with new research and current best practices with respect to hiring and retention of a diverse faculty. A refresher course is required once every four years to maintain a current status. Those with expired status are required to take the full course.

See the Diversity Literacy Training Status page for a list of current training status for all faculty (ISO sign on required).

DLOW training cannot be offered on demand, so we appreciate everyone's proactive attention to maintaining training status. The provost's office will not grant exceptions to serve on search committees or PTR committees for faculty who are not current on their DLOW training.

The DLOW course content and format continue to be managed by faculty members in collaboration with the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX, distinguishing it from other training courses at Michigan Tech. Course content and format are reviewed and revised annually to continuously adapt to the landscape of hiring, retention and sense of belonging initiatives and needs at Michigan Tech with support from the Office of the Provost.

If you have any questions about the Diversity Literacy Online Workshop and training, contact Sarah Fayen Scarlett, DLOW administrator, at sfscarle@mtu.edu.

Spring Career Fair will take place on Jan. 28 from 12-5 p.m., and Career Services is looking for volunteers from the Michigan Tech community to help make this event a success!

We have a variety of shifts, tasks and roles available, so there’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Your support is essential in creating a meaningful experience for our students and employers — and it plays a pivotal role in the future success of many Huskies.

If you’re able to assist, please visit the Spring Career Fair Volunteer Sign-Up Form to select a shift that works for you.

Thank you for your time, energy and commitment. We couldn’t do it without you!

The University Senate will convene Meeting 709 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 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 709.

The 15th annual Sustainability Film & Discussion Series begins next Thursday, Jan. 16, at Michigan Tech.

Series Details:

• When: Third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., from January to May
• Where: Fisher 135 or 138 (refreshments in lobby)
• Cost: Free to attend. $5 donations are greatly appreciated. You can make a donation online to support the film series.

Now in its 15th year, the Sustainability Film & Discussion Series continues to bring relevant, informative and thought-provoking films to Michigan Tech’s campus to spark discussion and reflection among faculty, students and staff at Michigan Tech, as well as the entire Keweenaw community. The series provides an opportunity for people of diverse ages, backgrounds and life experiences to engage in meaningful discussion facilitated by a local expert on a sustainability topic relevant to the film.

Films will be shown at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, January to May, in Fisher Hall on MTU's main campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. Each film will be followed by a discussion with refreshments. All films are free. A suggested $5 donation is appreciated and helps to support the continued offering of this film series.

Film Schedule:

• “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code” — Jan. 16, Fisher 135
  Looking through the lens of the 1995 Chicago heat wave, this documentary explores how race, poverty, and geography intersect to reveal the systemic inequities affecting poor and marginalized communities. Add “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code” to your Google Calendar.

• “Troubled Water” — Feb. 20, Fisher 138
  Lifelong friends Chris Yahanda and William Wright embark on a 425-mile paddleboard journey across Lake Michigan and the Grand River, exploring environmental threats to the Great Lakes and discovering the power of community in protecting the waters they love. Add “Troubled Water” to your Google Calendar.

• “Women of Carbon” — March 20, Fisher 135
  This film highlights innovative women redefining our relationship with carbon by repurposing living materials and driving decarbonization, while navigating challenges in male-dominated industries to restore, protect and preserve the planet. Add “Women of Carbon” to your Google Calendar.

• “Common Ground” — April 17, Fisher 135
  Dig into the regenerative agriculture movement and consider how working to heal our soils holds the power to mitigate climate change, restore ecosystems and build a more equitable food system, while hearing from diverse voices working together to create a sustainable future. Add “Common Ground” to your Google Calendar.

• “Water for Life” — May 15, Fisher 135
  Hear the powerful stories of Berta Cáceres, Francisco Pineda and Alberto Curamil — three Indigenous leaders who fought to protect their water resources from exploitation by governments and corporations, despite facing threats, corruption and violence, all while advocating for environmental justice and Indigenous rights. Add “Water for Life” to your Google Calendar.

The film series is coordinated by the Michigan Tech Office of Sustainability and Resilience. Film sponsors include the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Keweenaw Co-Op, Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, WUP MiSTEM Network, Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK), Keweenaw Land Trust, and Michigan Tech's Office of Sustainability and Resilience and Hardwood Mass Timber Institute.

Join us for our annual Bigfoot Glowshoe event, being held on the Michigan Tech Trails! The event will be a glowing good time — all are welcome and no snowshoeing experience is required. Pre-registration is required and includes beanies, glowsticks and more!

Event Details:

• What: Bigfoot Glowshoe 2025
• When: Thursday, Feb. 6, with 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. start times available
• Where: Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) Rental Center — Tech Trails Trailhead
• Registration: Register for Bigfoot Glowshoe 2025 (pre-registration is required)

Registration Cost:

• MTU Students: $5 (snowshoe rental included)
• General Public – Bringing Snowshoes: $5
• General Public – Renting Snowshoes: $10

For more information, visit our Bigfoot Glowshoe 2025 webpage at Michigan Tech Recreation.

Questions? Email the OAP Rental Center at oap@mtu.edu or call 906-487-2290 and leave a voicemail.

Husky Eats is excited to announce the opening of a new retail concept, Chaat House Indian Kitchen, located in the former Tu Taco space in the Memorial Union Building's ground level.

Chaat House will offer tasty Indian dishes with classic ingredients like tandoori chicken, palak paneer and tandoori tofu tikka, classic sauces like tikka masala, classic curry and vindaloo, and chaats (samosa, tikka and vegetable pakora). They will offer classic sides like tarka dal, makhani dal, alu chole, cucumber raita and naan bread, and lassi drinks (mango or strawberry black pepper).

Visit the Husky Eats website to see all menu items and their ingredients.

Additionally, we are now offering convenient kiosk ordering in the Memorial Union Building for both Brkfst & Co. and Chaat House, in addition to the Boost mobile app ordering option.

Join the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for these upcoming technical workshops. Contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu with any questions about the workshops, accommodation requests, or using iClicker Cloud or Panopto in your class this spring semester.

Getting Started with iClicker —
Thursday, Jan. 16, from 10-11 a.m. in Library 243

iClicker Cloud helps instructors engage with their students in the classroom by asking polling questions that can promote discussion, identify areas of confusion and generate questions. Michigan Tech has a campus site license for iClicker Cloud, so instructors can use this tool at no additional cost to their students.

In this workshop, we’ll review how to get started using iClicker Cloud in your classroom. We’ll review how to set up your instructor account, iClicker Groups, make custom course settings to meet your needs, and integrate the course with your Canvas course.

Register for the "Getting Started with iClicker" Workshop.

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Introduction to Panopto —
Thursday, Jan. 23, from 10-11 a.m. in Library 243

Are you looking for a way to incorporate video recordings to increase student engagement or provide course materials to be viewed in preparation for class? Perhaps you’re seeking a recording tool for lectures or meetings which can capture multiple video sources at the same time, and then easily edit and share them. Compatible with multiple operating systems and file formats, Panopto is a robust and straightforward tool to fit those needs and many more.

Register for the "Introduction to Panopto" Workshop.

Students who are completing a dissertation, thesis or report are invited to join the Graduate School to learn about the resources available to them to assist in scheduling their defense, formatting their documents, and submitting their documents. In one afternoon, you can learn everything you need to be successful and complete your degree in a timely fashion! Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. Attend the entire event, or stop in for the seminar that interests you.

• When: Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 2-4 p.m. (see a detailed schedule on our blog)
• Who: Students completing a dissertation, thesis or report; faculty and staff who assist students with submission.
• Where: Virtually via Zoom (please register to attend online and receive participation instructions) and in person in Admin 404 (room capacity is 40).
• Registration: Please register to receive handouts via email or attend online. The seminar will be available online as well as on campus.

If you are unable to join us, the event will be taped and available online after the event. The previous semester’s seminars are always available online.

Information on submitting, formatting and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

Michigan Tech Athletics and Marketplace Foods of Houghton (Tadych's) are hosting their annual Kids Day on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the SDC.

Marketplace Foods has purchased a total of 500 youth tickets for the Huskies' doubleheader basketball games at noon and 2 p.m. and the hockey game at 6:07 p.m. They will be giving away those tickets at the store on a first-come, first-served basis today, Jan. 7, starting at 4 p.m.

Note: For MTU hockey, vouchers for the free youth tickets will be given away at the store so fans can go to the SDC Central Ticket Office during the week and pick out their actual seat.

Kids Day youth tickets (3-18 years of age) are absolutely free to the public while supplies last. There will be a limit of five tickets per family.

Free Vollwerth's Hot Dogs

The Vollwerth-Baroni Company of Hancock is teaming up with Michigan Tech Athletics and Husky Eats concessions on Kids Day to give away a free hot dog to the first 100 youths at the basketball games, and 400 youths at the hockey game! Free Hot Dog coupons will be given to youths as they enter the games.

Michigan Tech Athletics would like to thank Marketplace Foods, Vollwerth's and Husky Eats, and asks that fans please use whatever tickets they receive at the giveaway.

Michigan Tech football punter Brenden Lach has been named to the Special Teams Second Team of the D2Football.com Elite 100 Team.

Lach is a triple All-America honoree, being named to the 2024 Don Hansen Division II All-American, 2024 D2CCA All-American, and an AFCA Second Team All-American. He was one of the top punters in Division II this season, ranking second in the country with his 45.5-yard punting average and earning First Team All-GLIAC honors.

Read more football news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech hockey's first-year forward Logan Morrell has been named the Hockey Commissioners' Association's Co-Men's National Rookie of the Month for December, sharing the honor with Vermont's Max Strand.

Morrell scored a CCHA-leading six goals and added one assist for seven points across six December games for the Huskies, producing a plus-6 rating. He had a three-game scoring streak in which he found the back of the net five times between Dec. 7 and 14, and totaled 14 shots on goal and two blocks for the month.

Morrell notched at least one point in 4-of-6 games, including two multipoint efforts at Bemidji State on Dec. 13-14. In the faceoff circle, he won 55-of-106 draws (51.9%).

Read more hockey news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team extended their win streak to seven games before it was snapped by Davenport in the Huskies' first loss this season to a GLIAC opponent.

MTU erased a nine-point deficit against Grand Valley State with under eight minutes to play to defeat the Lakers 59-58 on Jan. 2. First-year guard Ty Fernholz scored a career-high 18 points.

"It was a great win. Anytime you can go to Grand Valley and get a win — we never gave up. We went up five and felt like nothing went our way after that, then we got down eight," said Tech head coach Josh Buettner. "Everyone chipped in and it was a gritty win to kind of have our backs against the wall. Nate (Abel) and Ty were obviously unbelievable down the stretch."

Tech's win streak ended in a heartbreaking 73-71 overtime loss at Davenport on Jan. 4. Marcus Tomashek produced a game-high 37 points, reaching 30 points for the ninth time in his career.

"Our biggest bodies and best rebounders were all fouled out down the stretch," said Buettner. "It was frustrating, and with all that, there were several times we could've gone away and taken the loss, but we kept coming back and had chances down the stretch to put it away — but we didn't make our free throws."

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

A slow start led to defeat against Grand Valley State, but the Michigan Tech women's basketball team rallied in their next game, defeating Davenport.

The Huskies dropped their first contest of the New Year, falling at No. 1 Grand Valley State 93-52 on Jan. 2.

"We did get better looks in the second half and shots started to fall — we took better care of the ball, but then we started giving up more offensive rebounds," said head coach Sam Clayton. "Kloe (Zentkowski) and Ella (Mason) were a great spark for us off the bench and Dani (Nuest) did a really nice job taking care of the ball."

The Huskies rebounded from the loss, shooting 61.5% from the field in the fourth quarter and sinking two 3-pointers in the final two minutes to defeat Davenport 68-60 on Jan. 4.

"I saw a lot of things I needed to see — a late game where we stayed composed and executed some of our things offensively and came up with some big stops," said Clayton. "So many players made big plays on both sides of the ball. Janie (Tormanen) was a huge spark for us with her energy — Bella (Lenz) and Alyssa (Wypych) made big threes down the stretch. We needed to pull this one out just for our mindset, being in so many close games this season."

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

The Michigan Tech hockey team traveled to Greater Palm Springs, California, to compete in the Coachella Valley Cactus Cup on Jan. 3-4.

Tech fell 3-2 to No. 10 UMass Lowell in the semifinal of the Coachella Valley Cactus Cup on Jan. 3 at Acrisure Arena. The Huskies tied it in the third period, but the River Hawks scored the game-winner on the power play with 1:43 left.

"We had a difficult time establishing any sort of foundation, but we fought hard and got better in the third," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "UMass Lowell is a really good team, and we needed to compete harder. Goaltending was good and gave us a chance to win."

The Huskies wrapped up the tournament with a 4-3 overtime victory over Holy Cross in the consolation game on Jan. 4. Logan Morrell scored 33 seconds into overtime to give Tech the win.

"We got better as the game went on — like we've seen from our team the last few games, where our third period has been our best period," Shawhan said. "I'm happy for Ryan (Manzella) for getting the win between the pipes in his first start, and I'm happy for Blais (Richartz) for getting that goal. Holy Cross is a good hockey team, but we saw Logan and Stiven (Sardarian) step up again in a critical time."

Read more hockey news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday, Jan. 7
• Huskies Hockey Radio Show, 10 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Youth Hockey Ticket Giveaway for Saturday's Game, 4 p.m. at Marketplace Foods

Thursday, Jan. 9
• Women's Basketball at Northern Michigan, 5:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ, FloCollege & FOX-UP
• Men's Basketball at Northern Michigan, 7:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ, FloCollege & FOX-UP

Friday, Jan. 10
• Hockey vs. Lake Superior State, 7:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ & Midco Sports Plus

Saturday, Jan. 11
• Women's Basketball vs. Roosevelt, Noon at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloCollege
• Men's Basketball vs. Roosevelt, 2 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloCollege
• Hockey vs. Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ & Midco Sports Plus

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

​Office Assistant (nine months/ 20 hours/ second shift) #24354, Center for Teaching and Learning (UAW posting dates Jan. 7 to Jan. 13, 2025 — 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/ part-time/ four positions available), Facilities Management (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 7 to Jan. 13, 2025 — 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.

Custodian (12 months/ first shift/ full time), Facilities Management (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 7 to Jan. 13, 2025 — 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.

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.

Andrew Fiss (HU) is the author of an article in the journal Peitho.

The article is titled “Cooking with Scissors and Paste: Recoveries and Reconsiderations of Motta Sims's Composition Book at Spelman College.”

In 1916, Motta L. Sims took detailed notes on a cooking class at Spelman, and she used pasted text as well as cursive script, reflecting the practice of scrapbooking as writing. Sims' student book used such techniques to argue for cooking as scientific study, grounding her later career as home economics professor at various historically Black colleges and universities. Looking at Sims' archival record overall, Fiss concludes that her contributions may have been overlooked not only because of the legacy of home economics as a field but also because her papers appear in collections named for other people.

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Claire Helakoski (HU) is the author of multiple creative pieces that were recently published in online publications.

Her nonfiction essay titled “Back to Kansas” appeared in online literary and arts magazine OxMag.

Three of her poems appeared in literary arts journal Thirteen Bridges Review: “Ouroboros,” “I Depend On Things Like” and “Forest Hymn.”

In Texas, the Galveston Daily News mentioned Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) in a story about efforts to protect Galveston Island’s unique coyotes, which have genetic ties to the critically endangered North American red wolf. The story discussed how wildlife advocates are urging developers to incorporate wildlife corridors to protect the canids in the face of new development projects. Brzeski's work with the so-called “ghost wolves” was highlighted in the 2024 Michigan Tech Magazine.

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NASA’s Earth Observer mentioned Nancy French (MTRI) in a summary of the 2024 AEOIP workshop, where she co-facilitated a breakout session on prescribed fire planning and management. The workshop focused on utilizing Earth observation data to support natural resource management, including wildfire and fire management strategies.

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WLUC TV6 quoted Michigan Tech students Kyle Hildebrand (computer engineering) and Carter Steggerda (mechanical engineering technology) in a story about the “Robot in 3 Days” competition. Built in three days, the students' functional robot will tackle challenges similar to those faced by FIRST Robotics high school teams. Their project will help provide insights for high school teams working on robotics challenges.

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WLUC TV6 mentioned the Michigan Tech Mushing Club in coverage of the annual free dog sled rides for kids at Agassiz Park in Calumet on Jan. 4. The event, a preview for the CopperDog 150, featured rides made possible by Otter River Sled Dog Training Center and the mushing club.

Making a Difference Awards are Today

We hope everyone had an awesome holiday break! The Making a Difference Awards are today, Jan. 7, so come on out to support our amazing staff! A total of 30 nominations have been submitted for the 2024 Making a Difference Awards. There will be winners in each of the following categories:

• Behind the Scenes
• Legacy Award
• Outstanding Leader
• Rookie Award
• Serving Others
• Unsung Hero

A list of nominees is available on the Staff Council website. Everyone is invited to a reception honoring the nominees. The reception is scheduled from 2-3:30 p.m. today in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The recipients for each category will be announced at the reception.

As a reminder, union-represented employees are entitled to release time for professional development activities, including staff recognition programs deemed relevant by the University. Employees should work with their supervisors to ensure coverage during their absence. Supervisors may contact HR for guidance on eligibility and the process for granting this release time.

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

Robots in 3 Days - 2025

Tuesday, January 7, 12–12 p.m. | Tentatively the MakerSpace

Calling all FIRST Robotics Alumni and robot lovers: Robot in 3 Days is coming to you LIVE in Houghton, MI for the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition game: SUBMERGED. Join...

Making a Difference Awards

Tuesday, January 7, 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom

Employees nominate deserving staff members for one of the following categories: rookie award, serving others, outstanding leader, unsung hero, legacy award, innovation award,...

Skiing at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships

January 7, all day | Anchorage, Alaska

Skiing at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships Anchorage, Alaska

Vastness: Art, Sound, & Meditation

January 7, all day | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Vastness is an art exhibition and meditation lounge area installed at east end of the Van Pelt Opie reading room. Conceived by Anne Beffel, it...