March 18, 2025

Late Michigan Tech alumnus Ronald Johnston Pearce (1929-2020) had a lifelong connection to the Soo Locks and the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, which began when he was just a child. Now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is honoring his legacy, expertise and impact on the region with the deployment of the R.J. Pearce, a tugboat being commissioned in Sault Ste. Marie this fall.

Pearce's acceptance into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1956 as a civil engineer began his 35-year career at the USACE’s St. Marys River Branch. He was appointed its chief in 1967. His career resulted in mastery of the area and its operations, and he was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Award in 2009 by the USACE.

The new vessel, TB Ronald J. Pearce, will be named in Pearce’s honor in recognition of his lifelong service and dedication. The tug — with a length of 75 feet, a 28-foot beam and 9.5-foot drafts when fully loaded — will be used primarily to support marine maintenance activities at the Soo Locks and St. Marys River.

The vessel will move crane barges around the locks facilities, supporting material and equipment deliveries for routine and emergency work. Additionally, the boat will move crane, excavator and material barges up and down the St. Marys River, supporting removal of strike hazards in the federal navigation channel — a critical function that ensures safe commercial navigation between our Lake Superior ports and the lower Great Lakes, as well as many overseas ports.

Pearce graduated from Michigan Tech in 1951, earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Read more on Alumni and Friends Stories.

The Michigan Tech College of Business joins friends and family in celebrating the life of two-time Michigan Tech School of Business and Economics (SBE) Dean Robert “Gene” Klippel, of Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Klippel died Feb. 20 at age 86.

Klippel is one of nine deans who served the SBE, which became the College of Business in 2019. He held the dean’s position from 1994-2001 and again from 2012-2015. According to Dean Johnson, current dean of the College, Klippel was the driving force behind its Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASB) accreditation.

“Gene was responsible for leading the effort that earned AASB accreditation the first time,” said Johnson.

Learn more about Klippel’s service and accomplishments and read his full obituary at the College of Business Newsblog.

The countdown to Michigan Tech’s Design Expo is on! Mark your calendars for April 15 and consider joining us as a volunteer to help make this exciting event a success.

Each year, Design Expo showcases the incredible talent and innovation of our undergraduate students, featuring more than 70 Enterprise, Senior Design and capstone projects from across all colleges. To ensure a smooth and engaging experience for all attendees, we need dedicated volunteers to assist with various event tasks.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Event setup and teardown (slots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Name tag and judge check-in
• Raffle drawings and coordination
• General event support

Volunteering is a great way to engage with students, network with industry professionals and contribute to this inspiring showcase of creativity and problem-solving. Whether you can help for an hour or the entire event, your support is invaluable!

• Sign Up as an Event Volunteer.
• Sign Up to Judge.

Thank you for helping us celebrate innovation and student achievement!

Event Details:

• What: Design Expo
• When: Tuesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Where: Van Pelt and Opie Library (first floor) and Memorial Union Building Ballroom
• Reception & Awards Ceremony: Following Design Expo, please join us from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 716 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, 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 716.

Please join us on Thursday, 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.

This evening of literature and music honoring Seigel's and Carpenter's new books will feature readings, book signing and music from special musical guests, Dead North and Willowby. Doors open at 7 p.m. Readings and music start at 7:30 p.m.

Seigel is the author of “In the Bone-Cracking Cold,” his latest poetry collection published this week by Wayne State University Press. The collection was described by bestselling author Roxane Gay as “part love song, part monument, part elegy, wholly unforgettable.”

Carpenter is the author of “Moral Treatment,” published on Feb. 25 by Central Michigan University Press. A work of literary historical fiction, the novel is the inaugural winner of the Summit Series prize. It is set in 1889 at a fictionalized version of the former Northern Michigan Asylum in Traverse City.

Robert Larson will present at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series. The seminar will be held in GLRC 202 and virtually via Zoom.

Join the BioSci Seminar on Zoom.

Larson’s presentation is titled “Cardiac Spinal Afferents Modulate Cardiovascular Function in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.”

From the abstract:
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:500 individuals in the general population. Sarcomere gene mutations result in the characteristic features of HCM include left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, myocyte disarray, interstitial fibrosis, diastolic dysfunction, and high risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Hypercontractile sarcomeres in the heart accompanied by metabolic dysfunction, energy depletion, and inflammation are considered causal mechanisms in HCM. We demonstrate that metabolic and inflammatory signals produced in HCM hearts are detected by cardiac sensory nerves, resulting in abnormal autonomic reflexes that contribute to acute cardiovascular instability, chronic and selective increases in sympathetic nerve activity to the heart and decreased parasympathetic nerve activity. We will discuss mechanisms contributing to the increased activity of excitatory cardiac spinal afferent nerves and the impact of chronic elevations in cardiac sympathetic tone on disease progression in a mouse model of HCM.

Larson is an assistant professor of human biology in Michigan Tech's Department of Biological Sciences.

Job Posting for Tuesday, March 18, 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.

Loan Administrator, Financial Aid Administration. 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.

Assistant Writing Center Director Claire Helakoski (HU) presented at the Midwest Writing Center Association conference, held last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Helakoski's presentation was titled "Help at Any Stage: Strategies For Last Minute Students, Students Who Need Faculty Support, and Students with Unique Documents."

Global Campus Introduces Third Thursday Series

Global Campus, home of Michigan Tech’s online programs, is holding Third Thursday virtual information sessions. These 45-minute online information sessions, held on the third Thursday of most months, will feature some of Michigan Tech’s online graduate programs — from the most popular to the new.

When you attend one of these sessions, you’ll learn about:

• Key reasons for earning this certificate and/or degree from Michigan Tech.
• Exciting trends in the discipline and/or field.
• Key details about the program's content, structure and delivery.
• Important information about deadlines and admissions requirements.

The series' first info session is set for Thursday, March 20, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. First on deck are the online Tech MBA® and/or the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) programs.

At this session, Mari Buche (COB) will discuss which degree equips you with foundational business skills and which interdisciplinary degree bridges business and engineering. Hosts will also highlight some of the advantages of earning an MBA, student success stories and possible career paths. Admissions advisors will also be on hand for questions.

Register for the Tech MBA® and/or MEM Zoom Session.

You can also learn more about Third Thursdays and register for this session and others on the event webpage.

The Global Campus Team looks forward to seeing you there.

*****

Microchips and Robotics Training Camp

Michigan Tech is excited to host the GenCyber program's fourth Microchips and Robotics Training Camp for high school and community college students on April 19-20.

Building on the success of the previous three camps, which received enthusiastic participation and numerous inquiries about future sessions, this hands-on learning experience offers a great opportunity to explore cutting-edge technologies. Participants will engage in microchip programming, industrial robotics and cybersecurity, gaining real-world skills while collaborating with peers.

All four Microchips and Robotics Training Camps cover the same content; therefore, previous participants should not register for the fourth camp.

The camp is completely free for all participants, and a travel allowance is available to support attendees ($200 for local participants and $1,200 for non-local participants). Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation. These camps are made possible through support from the National Science Foundation and are led by Michigan Tech faculty.

To apply, visit Michigan Tech's GenCyber Camps page. Spots are limited, so apply today!

Editor's Note: The following Ph.D. Defenses have been restored to Tech Today's weekly "Defenses Next Week" announcement published Friday, March 14.

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following dissertation, thesis and report defenses occurring tomorrow, March 19. Please consider attending to learn more about our students’ scholarship and celebrate their academic accomplishments. Check the University Events Calendar for last-minute updates to times, dates and locations.

PhD Defense: Kendall Belopavlovich

• Title: THE ANIMATED FRONTIER FLUCTUATIONS OF POWER ACROSS TIME AND SPACE IN FLOWS OF U.S. AND JAPANESE ANIMATED MEDIA

• Department: Humanities

• Advisor: Stefka Hristova

• Date: Wednesday 3/19/2025 at 2:00 PM

• Location: Rekhi Hall G005

• Attend Virtually

*****

PhD Defense: Miraj Bhakta Kayastha

• Title: GREAT LAKES AND ITS REGIONAL CLIMATE IN THE FUTURE

• Department: Civil and Environmental and Geospatial Engineering

• Advisor: Pengfei Xue

• Date: Wednesday 3/19/2025 at 3:00 PM

• Location: Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) 202

• Attend Virtually

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

Company Tour 3/18 - Enstrom Helicopter & Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Tuesday, March 18, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. | Enstrom Helicopter & Fincantieri Marinette Marine

The company tour on March 18th, 2025 is an all-day event and a verified absence will be provided to those who go. A maximum of 30 will be able to go, and commitment will be...

Isle Royale Art Exhibition - Michigan Tech Art

Tuesday, March 18, 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...

P&C Recruiting Lunch & Learn: Boost Your Workforce Readiness

Tuesday, March 18, 12–1 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building (Dow, Building 8), 610

P&C recruits technical professionals (from grads to executives) in the green energy and mining sectors. P&C is based in the America's - working with over 40 employers. ...

Staff Council Meeting

Tuesday, March 18, 12–1 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

Join us for the monthly Staff Council meeting! Staff Council exists to support Michigan Tech staff: full-time, part-time, nine-month, or ten-month; non-student, non-faculty....

Healthy Relationships Husky Hour

Tuesday, March 18, 4–5 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge

Join us for a powerful and interactive training about building healthy relationships in partnership with the One Love Foundation. Whether you're navigating romantic...

La Peña - Spanish Conversation Hour

Tuesday, March 18, 5–6 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120A

Join us for our next La Peña Spanish conversation hour! All levels of Spanish are welcome, and you don't need to be taking a Spanish class to participate. Stop by, chat and...

NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, March 18, 6–7 p.m. | Chem-Sci 102

A weekly meeting where we cover what's going on in the organization, often followed by a guest presenter, then discussion of what's going on in the world of tech.

Bible Study - John

Tuesday, March 18, 7:00–8:45 p.m. | His House Campus House

Join us as we continue to study the Gospel of John this semester! Who is Jesus? Who did he claim to be? If you are a seasoned Christian or just exploring your...

Serve The King Main Meeting

Tuesday, March 18, 7–9 p.m. | Wads G42W

Want to learn who Christ is? Why we sin? Why the world is in it's current state? Join us as we preach Christ crucified and risen, salvation to all who believe. Pizza...