January 20, 2025

On Friday, Jan. 24, Michigan Technological University will formally award the Board of Trustees Silver Medal to late alumnus Tony Esposito ’67.

The Board of Trustees Silver Medal is given to those whose personal and professional achievements set an outstanding example for Michigan Tech graduates. University President Rick Koubek will present the award to members of Esposito’s family during a pregame ceremony at the Michigan Tech hockey game versus Northern Michigan University.

“While ‘Tony O’ ranks as one of the most accomplished graduates in Michigan Tech’s long, rich history, and one of the greatest hockey players the game has ever seen, what impressed the committee was his dedication to his coursework and how he used what he learned at Tech throughout his career,” said Michigan Tech Trustee John U. Bacon.

Read more about Esposito’s achievements and how he put his business degree to use in the NHL at Michigan Tech News.

Jaylyn Boone ’18 (B.S. Finance) returned to Michigan Tech last year as the keynote speaker at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Banquet — but he almost didn't make it.

Read about the trials endured by Boone and his family in their blizzard-stricken trek back to Tech in the College of Business’ 2024 Impact Magazine.

Proposals are being solicited for the Research Excellence Fund (REF) program, an internal award of the Vice President for Research Office.

The Notice of Intent to Submit a Proposal form must be completed, and proposals must be started and routed for approval in the Sponsored Projects module in Cayuse, by the internal deadline of Feb. 27. Final proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. on March 6, and must be uploaded electronically in Cayuse. This due date will be strictly enforced based on the time stamp marked in the Cayuse system. Early submission is encouraged.

Please note that the program has changed in a number of ways in recent years. Be sure to download the current checklist and review the current guidance carefully. Recent changes implemented include submission via Cayuse, a limit of one REF Research Seed award per principal investigator during their eligibility period, expansion of Scholarship and Creativity Grant eligibility to include teaching faculty, and the addition of an optional presubmission review for compliance with REF guidelines.

For additional information and full instructions, see the Research Excellence Fund webpage. Questions can be directed to REF-l@mtu.edu.

We are excited to announce new Essential Education online support resources for faculty, students, and advisors:

• The Registrar's Office website has added a section on Essential Education. Advisors, students and faculty looking for more information about the Essential Ed program and its components can go here for more information. The site includes a program overview, program requirements, up-to-date course lists, transfer credit information, FAQs and more.

• Faculty looking for resources to plan courses can find helpful links provided at the top of the Assessment website's Undergraduate Goals and Rubrics page. Here you will find an updated list of Essential Ed courses with course-list designations, the course-list requirements and the Essential Abilities rubric.

If you have questions or need more information, contact essential-ed-l@mtu.edu.

As Michigan Tech's National Institutes of Health (NIH) award portfolio continues to grow, the University will eventually become ineligible to receive NIH R15 grants. To prepare for this transition, the Health Research Institute (HRI) will be hosting a panel addressing Michigan Tech's move from being an NIH R15-eligible institution to one focused on NIH R01 grants.

Membership in the institute is not required to attend. The panel will be held in MUB Alumni Lounge A on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please email hgschmit@mtu.edu.

We hope to see you there!

Spring Career Fair will take place next Tuesday, 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!

If you know an inventor in grades 3-12, encourage them to register for InventCon 2025, happening at Michigan Tech in conjunction with Superior MakerFest 2025 on March 15. It is a great opportunity for them to learn about and grow their engineering design skills.

InventCon is the regional hub for Invention Convention Michigan, a state-level competition for inventors, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers that inspires students to become the next generation of innovators. Projects can be completed individually or in groups of 2-3 students. Only one registration form is needed per project.

Please use the InventCon 2025 Project Registration form to sign up.

The deadline to register a project is Feb. 28. However, the earlier that projects are registered, the greater chance we have of offering more opportunities to promote local inventions to the state-level competition happening in early May.

Official information and updates can be found at the InventCon @ Superior MakerFest 2025 website.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please reach out to Emily Geiger at egeiger@copperisd.org or 906-482-4250 (ext. 188) or Tom Oliver at teoliver@mtu.edu or 906-487-2412.

The Health Research Institute is hosting an informal coffee hour in the second floor atrium of the H-STEM Complex on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m. This is a great opportunity to socialize and meet new colleagues. We hope to see you there!

Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University invites faculty, staff, and their guests to the C-Cubed Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107).

Menu for Thursday, Jan. 23:

• Char Siu Pork Loin (AG)
• Thai Basil Tofu (VG) (PR)
• Asian Vegetable Stir Fry (VG)
• Vegetable Spring Roll
• Asian Salad (VG)
• Basmati Rice (VG) (AG)

The 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 and tea are available free to all attendees. All vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items on the buffet are labeled for easy identification. Meals are for dine-in only, and personal containers and to-go meals are not permitted.

The buffet lunch is $15.50 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

You can submit C-Cubed feedback using C-Cubed Survey/Comments form. To join the C-Cubed Luncheon Email List and receive weekly menus, please complete the sign-up form.

The Department of Social Sciences (SS) is pleased to be hosting candidates for on-campus interviews for the position of department chair.

The first of five candidates, Christoph Stefes, professor, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, and currently a visiting professor at Michigan Tech, will present a department leadership seminar tomorrow, Jan. 21, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in GLRC 202.

Stefes will also present a research seminar on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 12-12:45 p.m. in AOB 201. The research seminar is titled “A Research Journey: From the South Caucasus to Europe to the United States.”

All members of the Michigan Tech community are welcome to attend. Both presentations are also available on Zoom.

Join the SS Department Chair Seminar on Zoom.

Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) tenure-track faculty candidate Eric Petersen will give a research seminar today, Jan. 20, at 8:30 a.m. in Chem Sci 102 in person only.

The title of Petersen’s talk is “Bioluminescent sensors for recording and controlling cellular activity.”

The talk will cover two areas of ongoing research in Petersen’s lab that are focused on developing bioluminescence based sensors and using the light produced by these sensors to activate light sensitive optogenetic proteins.

Read Petersen’s abstract at the University Events Calendar.

The Office of Continuous Improvement is offering a virtual workshop, "Understanding the Impact: Collecting and Visualizing Metrics to Support Improvement," on Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Discover how to visually tell the story of the impact of your improvement efforts using some simple methods for collecting and reporting data. 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 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.

Chelsea Monty-Bromer will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Seminar Series on Friday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. in person in GLRC 202 or virtually via Zoom.

Join the ChE Seminar on Zoom.

Monty-Bromer will present "Wearable Fabric Sensors for Sweat Biomarkers."

Read Monty-Bromer’s abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar.

Monty-Bromer an associate professor at Cleveland State University and is being hosted by Yixin Liu (ChE).

Diane Oyen from the Los Alamos National Laboratory will present at this week's Physics Colloquium. Oyen's presentation is titled "AI Foundation Models for Science."

The seminar will be presented at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, in Fisher 139. The coffee hour will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Fisher Hall Lobby.

Read Oyen's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

Job Postings for Monday, Jan. 20, 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.

Food Service Helper (nine months/ full time/ first shift), Residential Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

Cook (nine months/ full time/ first shift – two positions), Residential Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

Cook (nine months/ full time/ second shift), Residential Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

Cook’s Helper (nine months/ full time/ first shift), Residential Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

Cook’s Helper (nine months/ full time/ second shift), Residential Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

Food Service Helper (nine months/ full time/ first shift – four positions), Retail Dining (AFSCME posting dates Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 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.

The Daily Mining Gazette ran a tribute to Dr. Bruce Trusock ’74, who passed away last week. Trusock, a Board of Trustees Silver Medal recipient, served as Michigan Tech’s team physician for more than 35 years. He played offensive center for Michigan Tech football from 1970-73 and was inducted into the University’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

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Yardbarker mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about former Husky Brian Halonen being called up by the New Jersey Devils for their Jan. 16 game with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Call for Applications: Faculty Fellow Program

Applications are being solicited for the Faculty Fellow Program, sponsored by the Vice President for Research Office (VPR).

The program:

1. Expands familiarity with VPR operations among the staff and faculty.
2. Develops leadership capacity among the staff and faculty.
3. Improves VPR operations through staff and faculty input.

Please note that the Faculty Fellow program does not support staff and faculty in developing their own research grant proposals, promoting the goals of a particular center, or carrying out a project focused on a single department or college.

For the 2025-26 academic year, there are four possible appointment areas:

• Faculty Fellow, Sponsored Programs (e.g., pre- and post-award processing and administration)
• Faculty Fellow, Research Integrity (e.g., helping the Research Integrity Office develop their offerings to researchers across campus in the areas of HRPP, ARPP, laboratory safety, Responsible Conduct of Research, Research Misconduct, shared facilities, centers and institutes)
• Faculty Fellow, Research Development (e.g., helping the Research Development Office develop their offerings to researchers across campus in areas such as strengthening proposal development support, enhancing research collaboration, learning about and engaging with research sponsors)
• Faculty Fellow, Commercialization (e.g., translational research, technology de-risking, proprietary projection strategy, management talent recruitment, value proposition development, customer discovery)

Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 13 and must be submitted electronically per the guidelines. For additional information, visit the Faculty Fellow Program page.

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VPR Organizational Structure Adapts to Michigan Tech’s Growing Research Enterprise

Michigan Tech’s increasing research expenditures require us to have a growing and adaptive research enterprise. The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) is implementing organizational changes to enhance research support across campus, anticipating continued growth of expenditures and awards. Effective Jan. 5, the reorganization will strategically align key areas of research support.

“These organizational enhancements reflect Michigan Tech’s growing research enterprise and our commitment to providing support to our research community,” said Andrew Barnard, vice president for research. “The changes will help us better serve our faculty, staff and students.”

The reorganization includes leadership appointments and structural changes:

• Jim Baker will assume the role of senior associate vice president for research, innovation. He will serve as the permanent deputy VPR.
• Peter Larsen will move into an associate vice president role to lead Research Development.
• Kathleen Halvorsen will continue to oversee Research Integrity and Facilities as associate vice president.
• Kelly Kallio has been promoted to senior assistant vice president for research, sponsored programs.

In a significant addition to the research office, Matt Hellman has joined Michigan Tech as the University's first chief research security officer, strengthening our commitment to research security and compliance. Additional staff hired within the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award group are expected to be announced later this month.

The Sponsored Operations Office (SOO) will integrate with Research Administration to create closer functional alignment with Sponsored Programs, streamlining services for researchers.

These changes position Michigan Tech to continue our trajectory of research growth. The new organizational structure will strengthen support for the University's research enterprise while maintaining our commitment to service, strategy, safety, security and research integrity.

View the VPR staff listing anytime on our Research Staff page.

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New Faculty Presenting at Michigan Tech Research Forum

Please join us for the Michigan Tech Research Forum (MTRF) New Faculty Showcase tomorrow, 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.

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Contact IT for Help with Office Moves

Are you moving to a new office or campus location? Michigan Tech IT wants to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance of your move date and we will arrange to transfer your phone and computer, ensuring they are connected properly in your new space.

For questions about office and equipment moves, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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Health Savings Account Transfer Reminder

Benefits Services would like to remind Michigan Tech employees that if they would like to transfer their health savings account (HSA) balance currently at Health Equity to their new HSA account at WEX, they will need to submit the HSA Transfer Form to Health Equity.

For the first 90 days of 2025, WEX will provide an individual $25 credit equal to Health Equity's account closure fee for each employee who transfers their balance from Health Equity, as long as the employee has a positive balance of at least $500 at the time of transfer.

The transfer form can be faxed to 801-846-2929 or mailed to the following address:

Health Equity Attn Operations
P.O. Box 14374
Lexington, KY 40512

The form can also be submitted through Health Equity's online portal:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Click "Support" in the menu bar, and select "Health Savings Account" in the pop-up.
3. From the support options, click "Fill out a Form."
4. On the Forms page, use the "Upload a secure form or document" option to submit the transfer form PDF.

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Safe Place Ally Training: Spots Still Available

The Student Affairs CommUNITY Education Team invites faculty and staff of our community to register for Safe Place Ally Training, being held next Monday, Jan. 27, and next Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 1-3 p.m. each day (attendance on both days is required for the training).

There are 10 more spots available!

Safe Place is about fostering an environment of inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals on our campus and in the surrounding community through:

• Educating individuals on LGBTQIA+ issues relating to gender and sexuality and how one can intervene when they witness discrimination.

• Creating visibility of people who can provide resources to LGBTQIA+ community members.

• Establishing brave spaces that challenge oppression.

To register, please complete the Safe Place Training Sign Up form.

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

Bioluminescent sensors for recording and controlling cellular activity

Monday, January 20, 8:30–9:30 a.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 102

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Candidate Seminar Eric Petersen, PhD Central Michigan University Abstract This seminar will cover two areas of ongoing research in Dr....

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Monday, January 20, 10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building, Ballroom

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan 20, '25For 36 years, Michigan Tech has honored and celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a man who refused to sit idly...