March 21, 2025

Michigan Technological University announces the appointment of Carlos Rodriguez as chief financial officer (CFO) and vice president for administration, effective May 1. In his role, Rodriguez will oversee the finance, administration, technology, institutional research and facilities of Michigan Tech.

His appointment concludes an exhaustive national search spearheaded by a campuswide search committee under the leadership of Vice President for Advancement Bill Roberts.

“I appreciate and thank the search committee for their efforts in identifying the next leader for Michigan Tech’s finance and administrative operations,” said Rick Koubek, president. “Carlos’ breadth and depth of knowledge coupled with his leadership experience and financial expertise will help Michigan Tech excel as an R1 institution. I look forward to working with him and the good work to come from his efforts.”

Rodriguez replaces Nick Stevens, who has served in the role since 2023. During his tenure, Stevens has increased the University’s composite financial index, or CFI; overseen the construction of East Hall, among several other capital projects; and spearheaded the University’s efforts to outsource its dining services operations.

“I wish to thank Nick for his leadership over the past two years,” said Koubek. “His work has been instrumental in securing the University’s long-term financial viability and growth.”

Rodriguez most recently served as associate vice president for finance and business services, commonwealth campuses, at Pennsylvania State University. There, he oversaw the budget planning and management for Penn State’s 19 undergraduate commonwealth campuses, Penn State Great Valley and the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. Prior to his role at Penn State, he served as budget director at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. With over 20 years of progressive leadership experience spanning higher education, federal government and the private sector, Rodriguez has developed deep expertise in strategic financial planning, fiduciary accountability, workforce development, operational efficiency and policy implementation.

“I am honored to join Michigan Technological University as its next chief financial officer and vice president for administration,” said Rodriguez. “Michigan Tech’s commitment to innovation, excellence and student success aligns with my passion for strategic financial stewardship and operational leadership. As an R1 institution, Michigan Tech plays a critical role in advancing cutting-edge research and technological innovation, and I look forward to ensuring the University maintains the financial and administrative foundation necessary to sustain and enhance this prestigious designation. Building on its strong financial position, I am excited to collaborate with faculty, staff and leadership to support sustainable growth and long-term excellence.”

Rodriguez, a retired U.S. Army engineering officer, holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and an MBA in Project Management from Grantham University.

Mark your calendars! Michigan Tech’s 24-hour giving challenge, Give Back to the Pack, returns at noon on April 8, bringing together alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families in philanthropic support of the University.

Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference. Our goal is to encourage participation from as many community members as possible.

Beyond making a gift to the area of your choosing, we invite you to participate in Give Back to the Pack by becoming an ambassador. As an ambassador, you will play a crucial role in raising awareness and creating shared momentum around the challenge. By leveraging your personal (or departmental) channels, especially through social media, you can help us reach a broader audience and inspire others to join us in giving back to Michigan Tech.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Make a Gift: You don’t have to wait until April 8! Your gift today will count toward our Give Back to the Pack matches, challenges and totals.

• Become an Ambassador: Sign up to become an ambassador and receive exclusive access to the Give Back to the Pack Ambassador Toolkit. Encourage your friends and family to support Tech by becoming ambassadors, too!

• Find Your Challenge: Participate in a challenge or match to maximize your impact. Match and challenge opportunities from some of our most generous donors are just starting to be posted to the site. Check back often to see what new match and challenge opportunities have been added!

We invite you to visit the Give Back to the Pack website to learn more, and look forward to celebrating the joy of giving with you on April 8-9!

For questions related to Give Back to the Pack, contact Sana Dicks at sdicks@mtu.edu.

The Research Development team is excited to be planning an event in Lansing to celebrate Michigan Tech’s growth and recent R1 classification. The June 24 event will provide Michigan Tech researchers, students and staff with the opportunity to demonstrate our amazing work face-to-face with state legislators, staffers and other key stakeholders at the Michigan State Capitol.

Event Details:

• What: Michigan Tech R1 Lansing Event
• When: Tuesday, June 24
• Where: Heritage Hall and Michigan State Capitol front lawn
• Who: Researchers, students, staff from Michigan Tech; state legislators and staffers; state agency staff; and key industry stakeholders.

Would you like to showcase your research or scholarly work at this event? Do you know a colleague whose work might represent Michigan Tech well at this event? If so, let us know using the Michigan Tech R1 Lansing Event Pitch Form. Please reply by April 4. We are working on event planning and will be contacting people to fill up the building and lawn spaces.

In the form, there are opportunities to indicate whether you have banners, tents and swag. You can also describe any other physical demonstrations that are effective for showing the state what we’re up to at Michigan Tech.

College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected William “Bill” Endres, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), as the featured instructor in this week’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Endres will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other spring showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

“Bill Endres and his team have built a remarkable capstone experience for our students. It is a model of quality and efficacy not only here at Tech, but across the nation,” said Scherer.

Endres’ role as director of the two-semester sequence — MAE Senior Capstone Design Program — is more like a head coach leading a team of assistant coaches, working together to support the student teams. But Endres said it’s ultimately the students’ hard work that delivers value to their customers. “It’s my colleagues on the advising team I lead who really make it work,” he said, “along with the shop staff and ‘supply chain’ that is the MAE curriculum, the ME Practice courses in particular.” Ultimately, his goal is to evolve the students’ mindset, which he defines as “how they think, not what they think.

Endres leads the program much like a business, working on 30-40 projects a year via 150-200 employees who turn over every eight months in two waves. Continuously improved processes and tools support this cycle, some of the best of them evolving from input and ideas of the advising team and shop staff. “We truly are a team,” he emphasized.

Comments from the program's sponsors and students demonstrate its success. For instance, decade-long sponsors from the Air Force Research Laboratory University Design Challenge commented on a seeming lag in progress by Tech teams in early project stages. “Now we get it… what seems like a slow start,” said the AFRL. “Your teams consistently understand the problem better than others.”

“So far, I’ve found the disciplined approach to project development to be excellent,” said a new sponsor. “Understanding the problem before jumping into solutions has stood out. I liked seeing the various documents which guide the process. We use similar methods. The students seemed surprised that what they are learning is also used in the ‘real’ world.”

And what have students said? One student mentioned, “It's professors like you, doing things like this, that make me want to send my kids here.” Another, shortly after graduation, said, “You run a tight ship... it’s the most beneficial experience I think I’ve had here... the program is really great.”

“It’s largely about messaging and culture,” said Endres, “one where everyone involved aims high toward greatness in all that we do… along with a good dose of grit.” The MAE Senior Capstone Design Program experience, for students, is indeed akin to alloying iron in the heat of a furnace.

Editor's Note: An error with the application form link in yesterday's announcement has been updated.

Are you interested in integrating climate change issues into your course offerings? Through a generous alumni gift, the Office of Sustainability and Resilience is accepting requests for funding to design and deliver curriculum that builds student competencies around climate change. Example activities could include creation of a new course, modification of an existing course, development of Canvas modules that support multiple courses, or other educational models. All disciplines are eligible. We encourage courses and content that integrate within the new Essential Education curriculum (e.g., E3 course or in support of a minor) or have multidisciplinary approaches.

The initial application through our Climate Change Curriculum Innovation Awards form is streamlined to encourage ideation. A member of the review committee will follow up with all applicants to discuss the work. The application deadline is rolling through the 2025 calendar year, but we will review all proposals in a timely manner this spring in anticipation of funding work in summer 2025.

The form asks you to address the following:

• A description of the proposed work that details subject matter, deliverable, and timeline.
• Learning outcomes and integration with Essential Education and existing coursework.
• A basic budget.

The total available budget for awards is $30,000. We anticipate offering 5-7 awards ranging from $3,000 to $6,000, with larger awards possible depending on course impact and reach. The type of allowable expenses is flexible and could include support for hourly student work, summer salary, materials/supplies, incentives for student participation, and professional development costs. Faculty, graduate students and staff are all eligible to apply; students must identify a faculty member to serve as principal investigator (PI).

These awards are part of a suite of activities made possible by a gift from a Michigan Tech alum to build student leadership competencies to address climate change. Additional funds will support student professional development and a foundational 1000- or 2000-level climate change course that is currently in development.

If you have any questions about a potential award proposal or if you are interested in learning more or being involved in supporting these broader efforts, please contact Lauren Furey, manager of sustainability programs and outreach, at lafurey@mtu.edu.

Michigan Tech's Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture (IPEC) is offering Faculty Seed Grants and Graduate Student Small Grants. The application deadline is April 11.

Application Forms:

• Graduate Student Small Grants: 
  IPEC Research Grant Application for Graduate Students

• Faculty Seed Grants: 
  IPEC Faculty Seed Research Grant Application

Adam Backer from Apple Inc. will present at a Tuesday Physics Colloquium at 11 a.m. on March 25 in Fisher 325.

Backer's presentation is titled "Pushing the limits of optical imaging and display."

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

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 24, in GLRC 202.

“Measurement and Modeling of Processes Controlling pH in the Laurentian Great Lakes” will be presented by:

• Noel Urban (CEGE), Michigan Tech
• Hayden Henderson (GLRC), Michigan Tech
• Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci), Michigan Tech
• Pengfei Xue (CEGE/GLRC), Michigan Tech
• Reagan Errera, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
• Elizabeth Minor, University of Minnesota-Duluth Large Lakes Observatory

Read the speakers' abstract and bio sketches at the University Events Calendar.

Job Posting for Friday, March 21, 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.

Administrative Aide, Sponsored Programs Office (UAW posting dates March 21 to March 26, 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.

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.

UPword mentioned Nate Yenor (OIC) in a story about his involvement in the AMMP Accelerator program, which helps scientists and innovators commercialize their technologies.

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The Institute for Printed Circuits mentioned Michigan Tech undergraduate Emily Daley (electrical engineering) in a story about her election as a new student board member for the IPC Board of Directors.

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UPword mentioned Michigan Tech’s mechatronics program as a consultant in the development of “Storytelling and Semiconductors,” an educational program debuting in fourth-grade classrooms across the western Upper Peninsula in fall 2025.

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The Madison Reporter and the University of Wisconsin-Madison mentioned MTU student org Huskies Curl at Michigan Tech as the second-place team at the 2025 USA Curling College National Championship. UW-Madison defeated the Huskies 5-3 in the championship match on March 9.

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UPword mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the revitalization of a historic building in downtown Houghton, which will provide housing and commercial space.

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Michigan Tech hockey senior forward Alex Nordstrom was interviewed by WLUC TV6 in a story about his career with the Huskies.

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Minnesota's Grand Forks Herald mentioned the Huskies Pep Band in a story about the final NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

MTU and KBOCC Powwow

Michigan Tech's Indigenous student organization, the Biskaabiiyaang Collective (formerly AISES at Michigan Tech), and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College are co-hosting a powwow.

Come join us at the Gates Tennis Center tomorrow, March 22. Everybody is welcome! The first Grand Entry dance is at noon, the Deadliest Uncles and Aunties competition is at 3 p.m., and the second Grand Entry is at 6 p.m.

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Perceptive Content Maintenance on Sunday

On Sunday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, Perceptive Content will be unavailable while we perform maintenance. Affected departments include:

• Advancement and Alumni Engagement
• Admissions
• Business Support Center
• Campus Store / University Images
• Facilities Management
• Financial Services and Operations
• Graduate School
• Human Resources
• International Programs and Services
• Michigan Tech IT
• Michigan Tech Research Institute
• Rozsa Center
• Registrar's Office
• Residential Living
• Sponsored Programs
• Summer Youth Programs
• University Marketing and Communications

If you use the Perceptive Content Client to upload documents, be sure to back up your existing profiles before next Friday, March 21. After the maintenance is complete, any issues with Perceptive Content may require copying the profiles back into place. For step-by-step instructions, refer to our Knowledge Base article "Backup and Restore Perceptive Content Capture Profiles."

If issues persist after you restore the files, or if you have questions about this maintenance, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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

Women's Tennis at Saginaw Valley State University

Friday, March 21, 12–3 a.m. | University Center, MI

Women's Tennis at Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI

Isle Royale Art Exhibition - Michigan Tech Art

Friday, March 21, 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...

Graduating and Still Looking

Friday, March 21, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building (Admin, Building 1), 220 Career Services

Are you graduating in April? Are you still looking for your first opportunity out of college? Join us Friday mornings for coffee and discuss possibilities and strategies for...

Master's Defense: Amaturrahman Medlock

Friday, March 21, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 226

Health Informatics Advisor: Ronghua Xu Utilizing Biometrics and Blockchain for Enhanced Security of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Data Sharing Attend Virtually:...

Master's Defense: Brooke Schwaderer

Friday, March 21, 12–1 p.m. | Academic Office Building (AOB), 201

Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Advisor: Sarah Scarlett From Conscientious French Canadian to Enterprising Amer ican: Making Memory and Measuring Social Mobility of Kew...

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Friday, March 21, 1:30–3:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Lobby

Are you interested in exploring what research undergraduate students have been participating in? Join us on March 21st for the 2025 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship...

Ladies Bible Study

Friday, March 21, 3–4 p.m. | 1st Floor, Opie Van Pelt Library

Want to learn about women of the Bible? The Do's and Don't of lady wisdom and the harlot? Join Rachel and Gabby as they teach through the ladies of the bible. This is a...

The Frontier of Medical Device Development: Exploring Innovations and Challenges in Tissue Regeneration

Friday, March 21, 3–4 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 104

Biomedical Engineering Research Seminar Karrer Alghazali New York Institute of Technology Abstract The development of medical devices for tissue regeneration presents both...

FIRST Robotics Competition Volunteering - Lake Superior State University, MI

Friday, March 21, 4:00–9:30 p.m. | Lake Superior State University

Are you a FIRST Robotics Alumni who wants to stay involved with FRC competitions? Copper Country Robotics at Michigan Tech is inviting people to volunteer with the...

K-FEST 2025

Friday, March 21, 6–11 p.m. | McArdle Theater

Keweenawesomefest is a celebration of local music and the community of the Keweenaw Peninsula located in Michigan’s snowy Upper Peninsula. Presented annually by Michigan...

Keweenawesomefest 2025

Friday, March 21, 6 p.m.–12 a.m. | McArdle Theatre

HOSTED BY WMTU 91.9 FM Houghton Come celebrate live music and local artists at Keweenawesomefest, the Keweenaw’s flagship live music event. Featuring 16 local bands across...

Game Night

Friday, March 21, 7–10 p.m. | His House Campus House

Looking for a fun way to unwind and connect with friends? Join us for Game Night! 🕹️ Whether board games, card games, video games, or even ping pong, there’s something...

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following dissertation, thesis and report defenses occurring next week. 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.