March 12, 2025

The Leinweber Foundation has established a new $30,000 scholarship at Michigan Technological University. The Leinweber Software Scholars program will provide financial awards to students from rural Michigan counties who are majoring in computer science in Michigan Tech’s College of Computing.

Established in 2015 by software entrepreneur Larry D. Leinweber, the Leinweber Foundation is a Michigan-based family foundation focused on advancing research, education, and community initiatives.

“As a founder of a software business who came from humble beginnings, my father understands the transformative impact a scholarship can have for rural students pursuing tech careers, particularly in the state of Michigan,” said Ashley Leinweber, vice president of the foundation.

Read more about the Leinweber Software Scholars program at Alumni and Friends Stories.

P.A.W.S. (Peer Awareness for Well-being and Support) is a program at Michigan Tech that equips students with the knowledge and tools to effectively recognize the signs of a mental health crisis, give appropriate and supportive aid, and refer a peer who is struggling to professional mental health resources. The program seeks to involve students from multiple backgrounds and experiences who are natural, key peer supporters on campus and want to help bring a higher level of mental health awareness and advocacy to the Michigan Tech community.

Promoting student mental health and well-being is a whole-campus effort, and Michigan Tech students are crucial in helping to support student mental health on campus. Research shows that students who struggle with mental health often reach out to their peers first, while a smaller percentage reach out to their on-campus counseling center.

Over six weeks of training, P.A.W.S. gives students the skills to help peers who may be struggling or experiencing crisis or distress. Participants meet each week for one hour. The core purpose of P.A.W.S. is to increase the number of peer support leaders on campus who are trained to identify and confidently refer their peers to the appropriate professional mental health resources, and who embrace a holistic approach to well-being by expanding and enriching the network of support on campus.

Once students have completed the six-week training program, they are considered members of the P.A.W.S. network for the remainder of their time at Michigan Tech. Completing this program will open up future opportunities for participating in mental health and well-being advocacy on campus, getting involved in future continuing education or peer programs, and being a leader in promoting mental health resources on campus. With only six weeks of training, students will learn valuable skills that are useful even after their years at Michigan Tech.

Each week brings up a new topic for students to discuss with peers in their group:

• Session 1: What is Mental Health?: Acceptance and Avoidance
• Session 2: Core Supportive Skills
• Session 3: Depression and Anxiety
• Session 4: High-Risk Coping Strategies & Behaviors
• Session 5: Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
• Session 6: Helping Others Get Help

Faculty, staff and students who are passionate about mental health awareness on campus are invited to nominate a student for the P.A.W.S. fall 2025 cohort. Nominated students must have at least one year left in their academic program and will receive an email requesting a completed application form and their schedule availability. Nominations are accepted year-round, but please submit nominations for fall 2025 by April 11.

Limited spots are available. Nominees not accepted into this cohort will be waitlisted for the next semester.

To Learn More: Visit our information table in the Van Pelt and Opie Library from Monday, March 17, through March 28, check out our website, or email us at PAWS@mtu.edu.

Chem Stores will have limited hours on Friday, March 14.

Chem Store will be open from 1-4:30 p.m. on Friday. Stock orders will be filled in the afternoon.

Please plan accordingly to make your purchases ahead of time and have your orders picked up by 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, March 13.

Michigan Tech’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team will be hosting our next monthly Safety Round Table: a place for all Huskies to share a cup of coffee and learn about the importance of campus health and safety.

We invite you to join us today, March 12, from 9-10 a.m. in the MUB Ballroom.

Topic: Jeff Lewin will discuss incident reports, reported safety concerns and other safety issues addressed during the months of August 2024 through January 2025.

If you have a topic you want discussed, please email ehs-help@mtu.edu. We would be happy to present on a safety topic you are interested in.

Safety Training Compliance is vital for providing a safe Husky learning and working environment. This month, we want to hear from you and understand your safety compliance challenges and how to overcome those roadblocks with features within the Safety Skills system. A brief overview of Safety Skill compliance capabilities will be presented before opening the floor for questions and answers.

In addition, there will be an informal opportunity to talk with our campus safety professionals for other safety related questions and issues.

So come ask the questions you have always wanted to ask and get the answers you need about Michigan Tech safety programs, legal compliance issues and additional resources… and have a cup of Joe with the Safety Crew!

Financial Services and Operations (FSO) will periodically be sharing information regarding a specific topic to increase awareness and knowledge in an “FSO — Did You Know?” article. If there is an FSO topic that you’d like to learn more about, please email fso@mtu.edu.

Requesting a Cash Advance
Employee requests for cash advances are done by submitting a Request report in Concur. Once you have created a new request, you must add the cash advance to it. The cash advance is added by clicking on the "Add Cash Advance" option under "Request Details" and inputting the cash advance amount. This step must be completed prior to submitting the request in order to receive a cash advance.

Additional information regarding cash advances can be found on the FSO website. If you have questions regarding Concur, please email concur@mtu.edu.

The Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) invites everyone to join us at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 14, in the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building for a special video presentation featuring Professor Doug Tallamy, one of the leading voices in the natural landscaping movement.

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion including local experts in native plants:

• Sigrid Resh (CFRES), KISMA coordinator
• Marcia Goodrich, president of Keweenaw Wild Ones
• Anne Collins, district conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service
• Michelle Wietek-Stevens, owner of U.P. Native Plants

What You'll Get:

• Inspiring insights on how nature rebounds when we take action
• Practical steps to create habitat and support wildlife
• A live Q&A to answer your native planting questions
• Free handouts with the best native trees and plants for your area

This event is sponsored by the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) and Keweenaw Wild Ones. For more information, visit keweenaw.wildones.org.

The Huskies Pep Band will raise the decibels with their annual concert at the Rozsa, featuring their classic upbeat jams and entertaining skits.

From its humble beginnings in 1928 as the Michigan Tech ROTC Band under the baton of E. E. Melville, the Huskies Pep Band has grown to become one of the most recognized bands in all of college hockey. Led by Drew Kilpela, the Huskies Pep Band is open to any Michigan Tech student that likes it louder, faster and higher!

Support the Huskies Pep Band.

Concert Details:

• What: "99 Striped Balloons" Huskies Pep Band Concert
• When: Thursday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Available In Person and Streaming: Get Tickets or Join the Livestream.

Please join us for a reception and art opening in celebration of the new McArdle Lobby Mural from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 17, on the second floor of the Walker Arts and Humanities Center.

Department of Visual and Performing Arts students in the class Scenic Art & Illustration painted a 50-foot mural in the McArdle Theatre lobby. The mural is inspired by art history, from Edgar Degas to Frida Kahlo and Cy Twombly.

Student artists will be on-site to answer questions. There will be light refreshments available; everyone is welcome.

The Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter at Michigan Tech will host Ian Haworth for a speaking event next Thursday, March 20, in Fisher 139. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the event will start at 7 p.m.

Haworth is a conservative writer, speaker and podcast host. Originally from the United Kingdom, he moved to the United States after graduating from Oxford University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science. Before entering the world of political commentary, Haworth worked in Silicon Valley as a software engineer, spending almost four years working at Facebook. During this time, he served on Facebook's misinformation and fact-checking teams.

The event is free and open to the public. Following his speech, Haworth will participate in a Q&A discussion with members of the audience.

This event is sponsored by the Young Americas Foundation as part of the Preserving American Liberty & Freedom Lecture Series.

In its commitment to providing academic and professional development opportunities for its members and the MTU student community, the African Students Organization (ASO) at Michigan Tech invites you to the ASO Student Development Forum this spring.

The theme of the forum is "Engaging with the Dean of Students and Director of IPS." Refreshments will be provided.

Event Details:

• What: ASO Student Development Forum
• When: Monday, March 24, from 5-7 p.m.
• Where: Fisher 135
• Registration: Register for the Forum.

Participating in Design Expo? Join us for a series of workshops structured to help you ensure your project, poster and video are clear and engaging!

The first workshop is titled "Explain Your Project to Anyone." Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy to understand way. This will help you solidify content for your video and develop a short elevator pitch that you can share at your booth the day of Design Expo. Come prepared to talk about your design and answer a few questions about it!

Workshop Details:

• What: Design Expo Workshop: "Explain Your Project to Anyone"
• When: Thursday, March 13, from 2-3 p.m.
• Where: Library 244
• Registration: Register for the Workshop.

The third presentation of the MTU Artificial Intelligence Colloquium Series is set for today, March 12, at noon. The session will be held in EERC 216, with Kevin Li, Ph.D. student in electrical and mechanical engineering, as the featured speaker. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Li will present “Comparative Evaluation of 3D ROS SLAM under noisy conditions for USV navigation.”

From the abstract:
Accurate mapping is crucial for the safe operation of Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV), especially when relying on 3D LiDAR sensors, which are susceptible to noise from factors like water spray and turbulent surface conditions. This paper investigates the performance of two prominent 3D LiDAR mapping algorithms—HDL graph SLAM and Point LIO—when subjected to injected noise models that mimic real-world maritime disturbances. By introducing controlled noise into the sensor data, we evaluate how each algorithm maintains mapping accuracy under degraded conditions. Quantitative metrics such as Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and Intersection over Union (IoU) are utilized to assess and compare the robustness of the generated maps. The study will highlight the open-source ROS mapping algorithms strengths and limitations in noisy environments. These findings aim to inform the development of more robust mapping strategies, ultimately enhancing the reliability and safety of USV navigation in challenging maritime settings.

Save the Date: Following today's session, the remaining date of the Artificial Intelligence Colloquium Series for the spring semester is:

• Wednesday, March 26, at noon in EERC 216

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 2 p.m. tomorrow, March 13, in EERC 103.

Craig Hill will present "Are the Great Lakes part of our energy future? Opportunities and challenges for marine energy development in Lake Superior."

Hill is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Duluth Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department and is affiliated with the UMN Institute on the Environment and Large Lakes Observatory.

After receiving his B.A. in Geology from the University of St. Thomas, Hill acquired his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the University of Washington, working on research and development in marine renewable energy. With research interests toward the intersection between marine environments and engineered systems, his group focuses on identifying technologies to aid in the societal transition toward sustainable energy, smart environments and resilient coastal communities.

The next guest speaker in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series will present on Friday, March 14, at 3 p.m. in Chem Sci 104 and virtually via Zoom.

Join the BioMed Seminar on Zoom.

Joy Lincoln from the Medical College of Wisconsin will present "Mechanisms of Aortic Stenosis in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease."

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

Job Postings for Wednesday, March 12, 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.

Associate Director – Visitor Engagement, Admissions. Apply online.

System Administrator, Information Technology – Research Computing. Apply online.

Senior Office Assistant, Human Resources (UAW posting dates March 11 to March 17, 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.

Administrative Aide, Center for Educational Outreach (UAW posting dates March 11 to March 17, 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.

​Food Service Helper #25065 (second shift, nine months), Dining Services (AFSCME posting dates March 12 to March 18, 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.

Clinton Township’s Voice mentioned Michigan Tech’s Mind Trekkers in a story previewing the STEM Fest at St. Clair County Community College on Saturday, March 15. Mind Trekkers will present interactive experiences at the event, which features hands-on exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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The Daily Mining Gazette and Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech men’s basketball in stories about the team earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The No. 3 seed Huskies will face No. 6 seed Northern Michigan in the first round on Saturday, March 15, in Springfield, Illinois.

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The Daily Mining Gazette covered Michigan Tech hockey defenseman Chase Pietila signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pietila was drafted by the Penguins in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

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Medical Product Outsourcing Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the appointment of Steve Worthy ’11 (B.S. Business Administration) as chief business and financial officer of Cognito Therapeutics.

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Gresham Smith mentioned Michigan Tech in a press release about the appointment of Becky Higgins ‘11 (B.S. Civil Engineering) as a senior engineer in their Water & Environment market.

Seeking Nominations for Student Sustainability Leadership Awards

Are you inspired by a student who is advancing sustainability through their academic work or campus involvement? Nominate them for the Student Sustainability Leadership Awards!

This year's awards will recognize at least two outstanding students who have made significant contributions to sustainability initiatives through their coursework and campus engagement. Winners will be celebrated at a public event in early April. Please note that the 2025 awards will focus exclusively on student achievements and will no longer include a faculty and staff category.

Both self-nominations and nominations from faculty, staff or peers are welcome. Submit your nomination through our brief online form by Friday, March 14. Award recipients will be notified by next Thursday, March 20, with a public event to follow.

For reference, our 2024 award recipients were:

• Undergraduate: Claire Christen (environmental engineering)
• Graduate: Aritra Chakrabarty (Ph.D. in Environment and Energy Policy candidate)
• Staff: Robert Handler (ChE)
• Faculty: Chelsea Schelly (SS)

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2024 Flexible Spending Account Claims Deadline

Benefits Services would like to remind employees that the deadline to submit claims for their 2024 flexible spending account (FSA) is the end of the day on Friday, March 14.

Health care and dependent care claims during the 2024 calendar year are eligible if the date of service was any time from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024. Any money remaining in the FSA account after March 31 is forfeited per IRS regulations.

Dependent care claims require an invoice or receipt from the provider. All medical, dental and optical claims should be processed through your insurance plans before submitting them to your health care reimbursement account.

Attach the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or a claim summary from your insurance plan to the claim form when submitting a claim. For expenses not processed through insurance, submit the itemized receipt.

More information and the FSA claim form can be found online on the Human Resources Flex Spending Accounts page.

For questions, contact Benefits Services at hr-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-2517.

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ECE Accelerated MS Information Session

Join the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) today, March 12, from 4-5 p.m. in EERC 508 to learn about advanced degree options in electrical and computer engineering and the accelerated master's program.

Jin Choi, ECE chair and graduate program director, will discuss:

• ECE accelerated master's program
• Double-counting undergraduate credits
• Senior Rule — earn graduate credits prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree
• Applying to graduate school
• Online options

All ECE undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to attend. Pizza, soft drinks and cookies will be available!

Contact ecegradadvise@mtu.edu for more information.

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Registration Deadline Extended for Graduate Research Colloquium 2025

To give more students the chance to participate in the Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) 2025, the registration deadline has been extended by one week! The new registration deadline is Friday, March 14.

Grad students can register to present at GRC 2025.

Faculty and staff can register to be a judge.

Important Dates:

• March 14 — Registration closes
• March 14 — Abstracts, posters and slides 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 Benefits:
Cash prizes are awarded to the top three presenters in both categories ($300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third). The GSG will print all the posters for this year's GRC poster session.

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

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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AI Art Workshop

Join Evan Lucas today, March 12, in Rekhi 112 for the AI Art Workshop, part of the Art in Silico Event Series!

In this workshop, Lucas will provide an overview on the history of generative models, from GANS to DALL-E, followed by a chance to play around with generative AI models and discuss the ethics, challenges and perks of this technology in a group setting.

This workshop, as well as all other Art in Silico events, is free and open to the public! Please email townsend@mtu.edu with any questions about Art in Silico.

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This Week's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University brings back the C-Cubed Luncheon for the 24-25 school year, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

Menu for Thursday, March 13:

• Sweet and Sour Chicken (PR)
• Asian Vegetable Stir Fry (VG)
• Basmati Rice (VG) (AG)
• Marinated Tofu (VG) (AG)
• Asian Salad (VG)
• Vegetable Spring Roll (V)

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

Wednesday, March 12, 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...

Crafting Concept Papers (DC Trip Session Series)

Wednesday, March 12, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), A2

We'll use this time to focus on creating effective white papers and visual materials that will maximize impact during program officer meetings in DC. This session will cover...

Artificial Intelligence Colloquium

Wednesday, March 12, 12–1 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 216

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) and its Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) are excited to announce a new event series: The AI Colloquium Series. This...

Café Français - French Conversation Hour

Wednesday, March 12, 4–5 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120C

Parlez-vous français? Join us! French conversation hour will take place in Walker 120C (in the HDMZ) twice monthly on Wednesdays through March. Whether you are a complete...

SoundGirls General Meeting!

Wednesday, March 12, 5–6 p.m. | Walker 210

Join us in Walker 210 at 5pm every Wednesday for our general meeting!

Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, March 12, 5–6 p.m. | Fourth Floor of the MEEM

We meet on the fourth floor of the MEEM to discuss plans for the week and work on on going projects. All are welcome to attend.

How can I be Saved?

Wednesday, March 12, 6–7 p.m. | 1st Floor, Opie Van Pelt Library

A bible study geared towards the salvific work of Christ on the Cross

Modern Languages Film Series: We Might As Well Be Dead

Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 135

Modern Languages at Michigan Tech is proud to present our Spring 2025 Film Series! In We Might As Well Be Dead (Germany, 2022) Security officer Anna lives with her 16-year-old...