March 6, 2025

Michigan Tech's website has been named a Modern Campus Top Higher Ed Website, a recognition honoring colleges that provide outstanding, user-friendly digital experiences.

“Through innovative design, accessibility, and mobile-friendly features, Michigan Tech continues to make it easier for students, faculty, and alumni to connect and find information online,” Modern Campus said in its announcement. Tech was among nine institutions selected for the honor by Modern Campus, which provides higher education content management system resources and other products that drive engagement and operations at more than 1,700 institutions.

The company called out Tech’s persona-based web navigation as a key feature of the MTU website, which organizes content based on different audiences — including prospective students, current students, faculty and alumni. “This approach helps visitors quickly find what they need, making the site more accessible and engaging,” said Modern Campus.

In particular, it identified MTU’s recruitment-focused Tomorrow Needs page and Essential Education page as particularly noteworthy within the overall University website. The Tomorrow Needs page “captivates prospective students and their families with dynamic visuals and interactive elements, effectively showcasing Michigan Tech’s forward-thinking academic opportunities. Meanwhile, the Essential Education page delivers clear curriculum overviews, student testimonials, and regularly updated content — made possible through cross-departmental collaboration.”

Tech's website was also praised for its focus on clear and intuitive design that “enhances the online experience for its community while setting a high standard for higher education websites.”

Michigan Tech’s website is administered by University Marketing and Communications’ Digital Strategy and Services team.

On behalf of Student Affairs and Transportation Services, we are deeply grateful for the incredible compassion and generosity the campus community expressed through our first parking citation forgiveness and food donation program, Can the Citation.

Your remarkable efforts made a profound impact on our community and the Michigan Tech Husky Food Access Network (HuskyFAN).

Through this initiative, we saw:

• Nearly 700 pounds of food donated to the HuskyFAN by 75 individuals
• $2,395 worth of parking citations forgiven for 100 individuals
• Donations made by individuals who did not have any citations

This program is more than just numbers. It represents a community that cares. Each forgiven citation and every pound of food donated represents support and real assistance for our Husky community.

We look forward to offering Can the Citation again to continue to foster a community of support, inspiration and care.

The annual steam shutdown for 2025 will take place during the week following Spring Commencement, from April 27 to May 2, weather permitting.

This outage is required to provide maintenance and service of the boilers and steam distribution system on campus. This planned maintenance improves the reliability of our system and reduces the likelihood of an unplanned failure during the winter heating season.

Please be advised: During the steam shutdown, affected buildings will experience a complete loss of heating and hot water. Distilled water will not be accessible from the steam-powered stills, and steam-driven autoclaves and sterilizers will be non-operational. Furthermore, Central Energy Plant campus emergency generators will be serviced simultaneously, resulting in a lack of emergency power.

Annual steam shutdown dates/times:

• Starts: Sunday, April 27, at noon
• Ends: Friday, May 2, at noon

Buildings affected:

• Administration Building
• ROTC Building
• Academic Office Building
• Annex Building
• Electrical Energy Resources Center
• Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building
• Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Walker Arts and Humanities Center
• Minerals and Materials Engineering Building
• Grover C. Dillman Hall
• Fisher Hall
• J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library
• U. J. Noblet Forestry Building
• H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex
• Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building
• R. L. Smith Building
• Student Development Complex
• Kanwal and Ann Rekhi Hall
• Douglass Houghton Hall
• Memorial Union Building
• Wadsworth Hall
• McNair Hall
• Central Energy Plant
• Facilities Management
• Hillside Place
• Great Lakes Research Center

If you have questions or concerns, contact Steve Store, energy plant manager, at 906-487-2706 (office), 906-390-6336 (cell) or scstore@mtu.edu.

Facilities Management has developed a five-year rotating plan to service the 12,470-volt switchgear and associated circuit breakers on Michigan Tech's campus. Our campus electrical distribution system depends on this equipment being in good working condition. This work requires a two-night power outage that affects the least number of buildings possible.

We understand that shutting off power can be inconvenient, but we believe that by taking a proactive approach, we reduce the chance of an unplanned failure at a time during the academic year that is even more inconvenient or disruptive.

Please note: In most cases, elevators, fume hoods, exhaust fans, ventilation equipment, normal lighting, plug-in appliances and plug-in equipment will not operate during the outage. Only items connected to the building emergency generator will have power during the outage. The building emergency generators and battery systems that supply power to emergency/egress lighting and special equipment should function as normal. If you are unsure if your equipment connects to the building emergency generator, please contact the Facilities Management building mechanic for your building.

Additionally, Michigan Tech IT will be turning off all network equipment in the affected buildings for these outages, starting at 5 p.m. You should plan to save any work, shut down your computer systems and exit the buildings before the outages.

Buildings affected by the power outages will have the power shut off during the scheduled outages. Some buildings with power will be without phone or internet service.

Annual power outage dates/times:

• Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. until May 1, at 6 a.m.
• Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. until Friday, May 2, at 6 a.m.

Buildings affected by power outages:

• Hillside Place
• Daniell Heights
• Douglass Houghton Hall
• Wadsworth Hall
• McNair Hall
• Great Lakes Research Center
• Central Heating Plant
• Facilities Management
• Electrical Energy Resources Center 
• Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building
• Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Walker Arts and Humanities Center
• East Hall

Buildings with power but no internet or phone:

• Honors House
• Sustainability Demonstration House
• Tech House
• Portage Lake Golf Course

If you have questions or concerns about this plan, please contact Bob Garnell as soon as possible at rjgarnel@mtu.edu or 906-487-2712.

If you have any questions about the Michigan Tech IT outage during these times, contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or 906-487-1111.

Please join us on March 20 at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock for An Evening of Literature and Music celebrating new books by novelist Stephanie Carpenter and poet M. Bartley Seigel, both creative writing faculty in the Department of Humanities.

Carpenter and Seigel will be joined by special musical guests Dead North and Willowby at the event. Studio Pizza will be slinging pies.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Readings and music start at 7:30 p.m.

The Department of Humanities (HU) department chair candidate visit originally scheduled for today and tomorrow, March 6 and 7, has been canceled.

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

The second candidate will present a department leadership seminar titled "Gather, Listen, Collaborate, and Act: Leadership in the Humanities" on Monday, March 10, from 11 a.m. to noon in GLRC 202 and via Zoom.

The candidate will also present a research and teaching presentation titled "Scandal, Technology, and Periodicals in the Victorian Period" on Tuesday, March 11, from noon to 1 p.m. in GLRC 202 and via Zoom.

Join the HU Department Chair Seminars on Zoom.

All members of the Michigan Tech community are welcome to attend.

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 10, in GLRC 202.

Greg Hoffmann, P.E., director of Stormwater Services at the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP), will present “Pervious, Impervious, or Both? Water Quality and Hydrology on Solar Farms.”

Read Hoffmann’s abstract at the University Events Calendar.

Mark Rhodes and Kathryn Hannum (both SS) and Zoē Ketola ’23 (M.S. Environmental and Energy Policy) are the authors of an article published in the international flagship journal for the field of geography: Annals of the American Association of Geographers.

The article is titled “Managing the Imagined Spatialities of Protected Sites: (Un)Bounding Industrial World Heritage via Mental Maps.”

Their work, drawing from three case studies in Wales, Cornwall and Spain, explores the complex spatial understandings of industrial World Heritage Sites by heritage managers. Part of a special issue on the geographies of National Parks and Protected Places, their article responds to growing calls for increased research on industrial heritage policy and the spatial aspects of industrial heritage sites. They find that the borders of industrial heritage sites, much like the Keweenaw National Historical Park, are often as equally unknown to site managers and stakeholders as they are to tourists and the broader community.

University President Rick Koubek was quoted by the Mining Journal, Michigan Business Network and WLUC TV6 in stories about Michigan Tech joining the state's University Research Corridor. Koubek discussed how the University’s membership in the URC enhances innovation, supports industry, and positions Michigan as a global leader in research and talent development.

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NASA’s Earth Observatory published a story written by Dana Redhuis (MTRI) about a recently held on-the-land camp in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The camp, organized by Northern Youth Leadership and other partners, focused on outdoor education, canoe skills, and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) workshops for youth participants.

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The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program. MTU received $70,000 to support the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area in Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw counties.

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NowKalamazoo mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the reintroduction of a centuries-old sugar production method by Chris Chosa ’15 (B.S. Anthropology) at the Kalamazoo Nature Center's Maple Sugar Festival. Chosa, a member of the Keweenaw Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, revived the technique after years of research and experiments and will demonstrate it at the festival.

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USA Today mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb balancing his coaching job and radio show during a challenging season. The article referenced Gottlieb's viral "Nobody U" comment ahead of UWGB's Dec. 18 loss to Michigan Tech.

CTL and Essential Education Lunch and Learn: 'Playing in PebblePad'

Join the Husky Folio program director on Tuesday, March 11, for an opportunity to practice using the powerful potential of PebblePad, Michigan Tech’s new ePortfolio platform under the Husky Folio initiative.

The Lunch and Learn is titled "Playing in PebblePad."

• When: Tuesday, March 11, from 12-1 p.m.
• Where: MUB Ballroom B
• Registration: Register to Attend the Lunch and Learn (registration is required).

This session is your chance to dive in and practice creating reflection templates and workbooks for your courses or even a personalized ePortfolio highlighting your unique experiences and accomplishments. Whether you’re experienced or just starting out on the platform, this is your chance to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas and explore how PebblePad can be used. Bring your enthusiasm and prepare to learn a new way to engage students.

Lunch will be provided.

For questions or to request accommodations, including dietary, please feel free to contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu or 906-487-3000.

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Physics Colloquium: Grad Student Presentations

The following Department of Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week’s Physics Colloquium:

• Kumar Neupane (advised by Yoke Khin Yap)
• Khoa Nguyen (advised by David Nitz)
• Raksha (advised by Yoke Khin Yap)

This will be an in-person event. The students will give their talks at 4 p.m. today, March 6, in Fisher 139.

Read the students' presentation titles and abstracts at the University Events Calendar.

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Final Call to Participate in Graduate Research Colloquium 2025

This is a final reminder for those who want to participate in the Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) 2025. The GRC is an excellent opportunity to showcase your research, enhance your presentation skills and engage with the University community.

The registration deadline for grad students who would like to present is Friday, March 7.

Grad Students: Register to Present at GRC 2025.

Faculty and Staff: Register to Be a Judge.

Important Dates:

• March 7 — Registration Closes
• March 14 — Posters and Abstracts Due
• March 25 — Oral Presentations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge
• March 25 — Poster Presentations from 5-8 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby
• March 26 — Annual GRC Awards Banquet from 5-8 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby

Participation:

• Awards: Compete for cash prizes — $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third (in both oral and poster categories).

• Eligibility: All graduate students are encouraged to participate, whether through oral presentations, poster presentations or both.

• Questions: For any questions, visit the GSG website or contact gsg-research@mtu.edu.

We look forward to your participation in making GRC 2025 a success.

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BioSci Seminar Series Speaker: Kelly Goedde-Mathews

Kelly Goedde-Mathews, Ph.D. candidate from University of California, Davis, will be joining the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) virtually in GLRC 202 today, March 6, from 3-4 p.m.

Join the BioSci Seminar on Zoom.

Goedde-Mathews’ presentation is titled “An experimental approach to studying the effects of impaired streamflow on stream habitats, food webs, and fish.”

From the abstract:
Valuable freshwater habitats are rapidly declining in response to climate change and anthropogenic flow alterations (Hauer et al. 1997, Moyle et al. 2017, van Rees et al 2021, Sayer et al. 2025). Habitat degradation has deleterious effects on species that live within these habitats. The focus of my dissertation research is on how flow alterations associated with water pumping and climate change affect stream organisms and their physical habitats, with a primary focus on juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a fish of cultural, economic, and ecological importance in California (Moyle et al. 2017). Using a series of replicated stream channels at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab, I conducted two experiments to measure the effects of impaired streamflow on juvenile Oncorhynchus mykiss, their habitats, and stream food webs. The first experiment was conducted in 2023 and tested the effects of repeated, short-term flow alterations, or those common with water pumping projects. The second experiment, conducted in 2024, tested the effects of projected alterations to streamflow patterns based on end-of-century climate conditions. Understanding how organisms and habitats respond to human-altered streamflow is the first step towards addressing and minimizing human impacts to ensure the continued existence of ecologically and culturally valuable species and their habitats.

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MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker: Ana Dyreson

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 2 p.m. today, March 6, in EERC 103.

Ana Dyreson will present "Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Northern Climates."

At Michigan Technological University, Dyreson serves as an associate director for research at the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR), assistant professor in MAE, and a leader of the resilience focus area at the Center for Climate-driven Hazard Adaptation, Resilience, and Mitigation (C-CHARM) in addressing climate resilience for the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Moreover, Dyreson participates as a collaborator with the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies in Calumet.

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MSE Seminar with Yiguang Ju

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is hosting a seminar presented by Professor Yiguang Ju, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, today, March 6, from 1-2 p.m. in M&M 610.

Ju's presentation is titled “Electrified Green Manufacturing of Chemicals and Materials by Non-Equilibrium Plasma.”

From the abstract:
With the rapid increase of renewable electricity and electrical transportation, in the next decades fossil fuel energy will be transitioned into “electron energy” for a net zero carbon emission energy world. Non-equilibrium electrical heating and plasma provides a promising solution to the challenges of large intermittency of renewable electricity and the lack of gigawatt scale of electricity storage systems by enabling new non-equilibrium reaction pathways via precisely controlled heating and quenching and excited states and active species for efficient and green chemical conversion and manufacturing. In this lecture, non-equilibrium chemical manufacturing for ammonia synthesis and plastic recycling using pulsed electrical heating will be presented. Then, non-equilibrium plasma will be introduced for electrified manufacturing in far non-equilibrium. A new theory of plasma thermal chemical instability and control of plasma properties and chemistry using ferroelectric electrode will be summarized. In situ diagnostics of non-equilibrium energy transfer in plasma discharge will be demonstrated. Finally, examples of plasma assisted manufacturing of ammonia, battery recycling, and new materials will be highlighted. Opportunities of electrified manufacturing of e-fuels, chemicals, and materials will be discussed.

Ju is the Robert Porter Patterson Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, an associated faculty member of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and the director of the DOE Energy Earthshot Research Center (EERC) for plasma assisted hydrogen production. Ju’s research interests include combustion, green fuels, plasma and electrified manufacturing.

Ju is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Combustion Institute. He has received many awards, such as the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the AIAA propellant and combustion award and the Alfred C. Egerton Gold Medal from the Combustion Institute. He is co-founder of HiTNano Inc., Princeton NuEnergy Inc., Polymer-X Inc. and USPlasma Inc. to develop innovative technologies for electrified and plasma-aided manufacturing for energy decarbonization.

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Today's Human Resources MUB Hours

There will not be a Human Resources representative at the Memorial Union Building today, March 6.

Employees wanting to pick up their Wellness Incentive can come to the Lakeshore Center (second floor).

New employees who need to turn in their I-9 documents may also come to the Lakeshore Center or schedule an appointment to meet an HR representative at the MUB office today by calling 906-487-2280 or emailing hr-help@mtu.edu.

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Today's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

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, March 6:

• Za’tar Roasted Chicken Breast (AG) (PR)
• Blackened Salmon (AG) (PR)
• Chickpea and Tomato Salad (V) (AG)
• Broccoli, Lemon, and Garlic Penne Pasta (V) (PR)
• Broccoli Rabe (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.

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

Isle Royale Art Exhibition - Michigan Tech Art

Thursday, March 6, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Enter into a world of artistic expression inspired by the wilderness of Isle Royale. The artworks showcased in this exhibition have all been...

Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Northern Climates

Thursday, March 6, 2–3 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 103

MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker Series proudly presents Ana Dyreson, PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering—MTU Abstract This talk discusses the design of solar...

Biological Sciences Seminar Series - An experimental approach to studying the effects of impaired streamflow on stream habitats, food webs, and fish

Thursday, March 6, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Kelly Goedde-Mathews, PhD Candidate University of California, Davis Abstract: Valuable freshwater habitats are rapidly declining in response to climate change and...

Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder Workshop

Thursday, March 6, 3–5 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom B1

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder, on Thursday, March 6, from 3-5:00 pm....

Physics Colloquium - Graduate Student Presentations (Neupane, Nguyen, Raksha)

Thursday, March 6, 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 139

Please join physics graduate students, Kumar Neupane, Khoa Nguyen, and Raksha for their presentations on Thursday, March 6th at 4 PM - Fisher Hall 139. Kumar Neupane...

General Meeting

Thursday, March 6, 6–7 p.m. | Fisher 130

Trivia night with the German Club!

Women in STEM (SWE)

Thursday, March 6, 7–8 p.m.

Join us to meet current members of Michigan Tech's Society of Women Engineers and other prospective Huskies.

TNT (Thursday Night Thing)

Thursday, March 6, 8–9 p.m. | Forestry G002

Come to our weekly large group meeting to hang out, have fun, and grow closer to God! These meetings include two worship sets, an activity, a talk given by one of our members,...

Skiing at NCAA Championship

March 6, all day | Hanover, N.H.

Skiing at NCAA Championship Hanover, N.H.