April 11, 2025

Michigan Tech’s 25th annual Design Expo takes place this Tuesday, April 15. The highlight of the day is the Student Showcase, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Van Pelt and Opie Library and the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public, with over a thousand students presenting more than 100 real-world, hands-on projects — spanning everything from biomedical devices and satellite systems to sustainable energy solutions and mobility-assist technologies.

Design Expo highlights student achievements in Enterprise, Senior Design and first-year engineering, and features more than 80 judges from industry, academia and alumni networks. In addition to exploring all the outstanding research, attendees can cast their votes in the Audience Choice Awards, open throughout the day. Everyone is welcome!

Following the showcase, a reception begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby with food, entertainment and door prizes. The Awards Ceremony follows at 3:30 p.m., honoring the innovation and dedication of Michigan Tech’s student teams and their advisors.

Can’t attend in person? Join us virtually:

• 10 a.m. — Join the Kickoff Ceremony on Zoom
• 3:30 p.m. — Join the Awards Ceremony on Zoom

Full event details, sponsor information and links to team videos are available at the Design Expo 2025 website.

For her student-centric approach to teaching, College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected Hoda Hatoum, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, as the final instructor in this year’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

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

Hatoum’s courses go beyond traditional lectures. She incorporates interactive and real-world applications that encourage students to think critically while applying their learning in meaningful ways. Her teaching strategies rely on hands-on activities that make abstract concepts more tangible and understandable, and help students’ understanding and the retention of the material.

A good example is in Hatoum’s biomechanics courses, when students engage in interactive case studies where they “play cardiologist.” In the activity, they apply fundamental fluid dynamics principles to assess a patient’s echocardiographic findings, make a diagnosis and simulate clinical decision-making. Another example is when she brings springs, rubber bands, syringes filled with viscous fluids, and slime into her classroom in order to make the concepts of constitutive modeling — a topic many students struggle to understand — less abstract and more understandable.

Recognizing that students benefit from a variety of learning approaches, Hatoum uses flipped-classroom techniques for mathematically intensive sections. By allowing students to review foundational material she shares before class, she maximizes in-class time for a quick recap, active problem-solving, and discussion. She has also integrated generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into her teaching, encouraging students to critically evaluate AI-generated responses as they develop digital literacy skills.

Hatoum is particularly committed to fostering inclusiveness in engineering education. She ensures that her courses highlight the diversity of physiological and anatomical considerations in medical device design, for example. Students explore how traditional engineering solutions, such as scaling down a medical device, may not be universally effective, particularly for pediatric and female patients.

Student feedback underscores Hatoum’s impact on their learning experiences. Referencing a class session based on case studies, one student noted, “We thought the lecture was informative and interesting while also helping us learn. Dr. Hatoum did a great job!” Another student praised her active learning strategies: “Study sessions are awesome, and the note sheet before exams encourages reflection and is super helpful. Dr. Hatoum is a great teacher who really cares about her students. Keep up the good work!”

In addition to her innovative classroom methods, Hatoum has been a mentor for several undergraduate student researchers. She has guided students in research projects that have resulted in multiple conference presentations, publications, internship opportunities based on the research performed, and external and institutional fellowship and scholarship awards. Many of her mentees have gone on to pursue graduate studies or industry roles. They credit Hatoum with helping them develop strong profiles and problem-solving skills.

“I really appreciate Hoda’s use of multiple strategies to engage students,” said Scherer. “It allows her to reach all her students, helping them to develop into independent thinkers who will make meaningful contributions to society.”

This is the sixth entry in an eight-part series celebrating the Enterprise Program's inaugural Enterprise Distinguished Service Awards.

Our sixth award profile highlights the contributions of Robert Pastel.

Pastel, an associate professor of computer science and an affiliated professor in psychology and human factors, has served as an Enterprise advisor since 2006. First, he helped initiate the founding of the Husky Game Development Enterprise with a small group of Enterprise students who wanted to develop video games. He then shifted gears in 2011 to advise the Humane Interface Design Enterprise (HIDE), which focuses on the design, development and evaluation of mobile apps.

Read more on the Enterprise Blog.

About the Awards
Created in celebration of the Enterprise Program's 25 years at Michigan Tech, the Enterprise Distinguished Service Awards recognize the dedication and exceptional contributions of advisors and champions who have played pivotal roles in shaping the program’s success.

The inaugural recipients are Brett Hamlin (EF), Glen Archer (ECE), Rick Berkey (MTGC), Jason Blough (MAE), Brad King (MAE), Robert Pastel (CS/PsyHF), Tony Rogers (ChE) and Christopher “Kit” Cischke (ECE).

Each of the award winners has more than 15 years of service within Enterprise, dedicating their time and expertise to guide teams, ensure student success and advance the program’s discovery-based learning mission, as well as foster industry collaborations and strengthen the bridge between academia and industry.

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI), in collaboration with other centers and institutes, will be hosting Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Director Brad Wieferich for a campus visit on May 6. This will be Wieferich’s first visit to campus, and our goal is to provide a broad overview of MTU’s strengths in transportation and mobility.

In addition to a campus tour and lab visits, MTTI will be holding a Transportation & Mobility Luncheon. The event will include not only a presentation by Wieferich, but also an opportunity for Michigan Tech to highlight transportation and mobility related research in a poster session.

Tentative Schedule:

• Poster Session — 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m
• Lunch with Presentations — 12:15-12:45 p.m.

MTTI invites all faculty and students who have relevant research to join us for both the poster session and lunch. Those interested in presenting a poster and/or participating in the luncheon, please RSVP using the following links:

• RSVP for Poster Session (with/without lunch) 
• RSVP for Lunch Only

Students from Michigan Tech's College of Business earned the top two team scores in the inaugural The College Project Competition (TCPC), which held its final presentations on Monday, April 7. The competition's four gate deliverables were scored by project management professionals (PMPs) and five executive judges.

First Place Team: UPLIFT (378 points)
Team members:
– John Zwicky (engineering management)
– Lydia Derks (engineering management)
– Hunter Bilgreen (engineering management)
– Patrick Moeller (engineering management/mechanical engineering technology)
– Skyler Spitzley (supply chain and operations management)
– Sophia Goulette (management)

Second Place Team: Historic MixUP (366 points)
Team members:
– Nathan Hebebrand (engineering management)
– Dalin Adler (engineering management)
– Nathan Cima (engineering management)
– Sean Dewey (supply chain and operations management/marketing)
– John Cook (supply chain and operations management)
– Hayden Baker (engineering management)

More information on the competition can be found at the College of Business Newsblog.

Students, faculty and staff will be presented awards today, April 11, at the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Convocation, held in the MUB Alumni Lounge starting at 2 p.m.

Student award recipients will be announced for the following:

• Chair’s Award for Outstanding Chemical Engineering Senior
  This award recognizes a graduating ChE senior for their academic achievement, experiential learning activities and community engagement. This award consists of a certificate and monetary award in the amount of $1,000.

• Outstanding Sophomore and Outstanding New Student Awards
  These awards recognize an outstanding second-year student and an outstanding new student in chemical engineering who have demonstrated exemplary academic performance in coursework and exhibited excellence in related academic enrichment activities such as research, internship/co-op work experience and the Enterprise Program.

• Excellence in Communication Award
  This award acknowledges the critical role that effective communication plays in successful leadership and recognizes a graduating ChE senior for their effective use of communication of the highest standard.

• Professional Ethics Award
  This award recognizes a student who has exhibited exemplary ethics and admirable professional conduct during Plant Design and Unit Operations experiences and throughout their academic career at Michigan Tech.

• Prevent Accidents With Safety (PAWS) Award
  The PAWS Undergraduate Lab Safety Program is a comprehensive safety program requiring training, constant vigilance and incident reporting and documentation systems — all with an eye toward critical review and continuous improvement. The PAWS program provides a framework to develop the necessary safety culture within the student community.

• Dow Chemical Marriott W. Bredekamp Award
  This award recognizes outstanding technical skills in the laboratory, outstanding teamwork and professionalism, effective oral and written communication and strong adherence to process safety practices as recognized by your peers and supported by the faculty of the department. This award is in memory of Marriott W. Bredekamp.

• Senior Design Team Awards
  John Patton, as chair and faculty member, initiated much of today's design course content in ChE. He brought his experiences at Exxon to the classroom to provide students with a systematic way to design and analyze a new, large-scale capital project. This award recognizes the student team in CM4861 that created the best plant design and recommendation for Fictitious Chemical Company.

• Davis W. Hubbard Outstanding Rising Senior Award
  The eligible candidate for this award has completed all their junior-level core chemical engineering courses. Selection is based on GPA for coursework done at Michigan Tech, research engagement and internship/co-op work experience. The award consists of a certificate and monetary award in the amount of $1,000.

• Department Awards
  Additionally, ChE students will vote on these categories to honor our outstanding department employees and awards will be presented for:
  – Teacher of the Year
  – Research Mentor of the Year
  – Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
  – Undergraduate Grader of the Year
  – Staff Making a Difference
  – Peer Mentor and Coach of the Year

Michigan Technological University's Board of Trustees will meet on April 25 from 9-11 a.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom B, and public attendance is welcome.

Members of the public are invited to make public comments to the board in accordance with Board of Trustees Bylaw 1.14. Those who wish to address items in the agenda, and who have filed their intent with the secretary of the board as required by Bylaw 1.14, will be limited to five minutes. Those addressing general topics are limited to three minutes.

If you wish to provide public comments to the Board of Trustees, please submit your intent to Sarah Schulte, secretary to the Board of Trustees, at shschult@mtu.edu. The deadline to submit your intent is next Friday, April 18.

The Michigan Tech Art Series invites you to join student artists in the Rozsa Art Galleries from 5-7 p.m. today, April 11, for an artist reception for “Odyssey” — our spring student art showcase featuring art created by Huskies throughout the semester.

“Odyssey” is an artistic journey into the heart of ART2170 Fiber Arts students' studio art practice. Featuring various techniques like crochet, felting, stitching, embroidery and mixed media, the exhibit takes viewers on a journey through the eyes of participating students.

“It is truly a pleasure to introduce students to the world of fiber arts and craft that I’m personally so passionate about,” said Terri Frew, gallery director. “In a world where discussions of generative AI and the arts are becoming commonplace, there is still room for the techniques developed by our ancient ancestors to produce art that is current and profound.”

The artist reception and “Odyssey” exhibit are free to attend. Come see spectacular art, enjoy refreshments, meet the student artists in a relaxed environment and hear them speak about their vision and inspiration.

“Odyssey” will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Tuesday, April 15.

Content Guidance: Student art may explore mature themes.

Job Postings for Friday, April 11, 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 (12 months, 30 hours per week), ​Information Technology. Apply online.

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.

Graduate students and research scientists in the research group of Yoke Khin Yap (Physics) and StabiLux Biosciences, a Michigan-based health tech business founded by Yap, are the authors of an invited review article on hexagonal boron nitride nanomaterials published in APL Materials.

The review, titled "Boron nitride nanosheets, quantum dots, and dots: Synthesis, properties, and biomedical applications," was described by the journal's editors as "one of the journal's best." It was selected for promotion and is currently highlighted as a featured article on the journal's homepage.

APL Materials is a publication of AIP Publishing, a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics. The journal's focus and coverage highlight "research at the forefront of the field, with particular emphasis given to high quality and timely research."

Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) was quoted by the Galveston County Daily News and My UP Now in stories about her work on red wolf conservation. Brzeski contributed to the discovery of “ghost” red wolf DNA in coyotes along the Gulf Coast. That discovery helped pave the way for Neka Kayda, a cloned “ghost wolf” created through gene-editing science whose DNA is around 70% red wolf. Brzeski's research was also mentioned by Grand Rapids’ 104.9 WNWZ-AM and Mix 95.7 WLHT-FM.

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The Daily Mining Gazette quoted Nich Radcliffe and mentioned Joel Neves (both VPA) in a preview of Michigan Tech Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at the Rozsa Center. Radcliffe, director of the production, discussed the challenges of staging the Tony Award-winning musical, and Neves was named as the show’s musical director.

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My UP Now mentioned Michigan Tech’s College of Business and Center for Educational Outreach in a story about Houghton High School’s 2nd Annual Financial Reality Fair. The event allowed high schoolers to simulate adult budgeting and financial decision-making with support from volunteers, including MTU students.

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The Keweenaw Report picked up the Parade of Nations’ announcement of its 2025 logo contest and essay scholarship opportunity. The logo contest offers a $300 award, and the essay scholarship provides a $1,000 tuition award for high school seniors planning to become first-year Huskies this fall. The deadline for both is June 15.

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned the Huskies Pep Band in a preview of Northern Lights Hockey night tomorrow, April 12, at 7 p.m. at Dee Stadium. The story highlights the Pep Band’s contribution to the lively atmosphere.

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MLive mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings for graduate engineering schools.

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NuclearNewswire mentioned Michigan Tech alum Mike Lee ’90 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) in a story about the Palisades nuclear plant’s potential restart in 2025.

Sponsored Programs Pre-Award Cayuse Updates

As another step in Michigan Tech's growth as an R1 institution, Sponsored Programs Pre-Award now requires a proposal Application Abstract in Cayuse. This abstract will be used internally for review, approval and reporting, and to foster collaboration across Michigan Tech's research community.

Simply use the abstract or proposal summary from your submission — there is no need to create a separate one. Remember to avoid including proprietary or sensitive institutional or sponsor information.

Additionally, the Export Control tab has been renamed Research Security. The questions have been updated and a new question on controlled unclassified information has been added at the end. We will handle CUI data on a case-by-case basis.

Thank you to our research community for embracing these changes as we work to continuously improve!

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Banner Maintenance on Sunday

A Banner production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• apps.mtu.edu
• Banner
• Banner Self Service
• Experience
• MyMichiganTech
• ASPIRE
• Course Tools
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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Fischer Maintenance on Sunday

On Sunday, April 13, from 8 a.m. to noon, Michigan Tech IT will be performing quarterly maintenance on the Fischer mylogin system, which requires a full shutdown and restart.

During this maintenance, password resets and mylogin.mtu.edu will be unavailable.

If you have any questions, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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Marketing Strategy Students Seeking Input with Tiny Home Interest Survey

Hello Huskies!

Michigan Tech students in the Marketing Strategy class are conducting a survey to understand consumer preferences for tiny homes. This initiative aims to assist a local construction company in better serving the community.

Your insights are invaluable to this project. As a token of appreciation, participants will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift card to La Catrina. Please take a few moments to complete the survey. 

Complete the Tiny Home Interest Survey.

The survey will remain open until Monday, April 14. Thank you for your time and consideration!

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Chemistry Seminar with Justine Nakintu

Justine Nakintu, lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology and research associate in the Department of Earth, Environment and Geographical Sciences, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar. The seminar will be held in person at 3 p.m. today, April 11, in Chem Sci 101.

Nakintu's presentation is titled “Expanding the utilization potential of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus).”

From the abstract:
A jackfruit plant thrives in tropical/subtropical environments and bears the largest tree borne-fruit in the world weighing up to 50 kg. Consumption of jackfruit has multiple benefits including improving digestion, strengthening bones, delaying wrinkle development, improving blood circulation, and boosting immunity. Several studies have reported its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous and anti-diabetic properties among others attributed to its nutrient and phytochemical richness. However, the jackfruit’s edible portion (pulps) accounts for only 15-20% of the fruit weight and the remaining 80-85% (seed, rind, rags, and rachis) are discarded as waste. The fruit also has a very short shelf life of a maximum of five days and its bulkiness makes transportation particularly for export almost impossible. In this project, we are exploring the nutrient and phytochemical composition of jackfruit including the non-edible parts to inform their utilization. We are also developing long shelf-life value added products including wine, biscuits and plant milk to extend the utilization period as well as make the transportation easier for access to a wider community.

Nakintu completed her Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology in 2021. She is a lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology and a research associate in the Department of Earth, Environment and Geographical Sciences, collaborating with the Department of Chemistry, Northern Michigan University. She is the principal investigator of the project “Jackfruit agroclimatic suitability and value addition: implications for crop diversification and food security in Uganda” funded by the American Association of University Women.

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TRIP Forms for Fall 2025 Semester

Benefits Services and Financial Aid strongly encourage students to submit their TRIP (Tuition Reduction Incentive Program) application forms for fall 2025 by April 25 to ensure timely processing. Students should turn these forms in as soon as they have them completed, and no later than July 1.

A TRIP application form can be obtained from the Additional Benefits page. The form is to be signed by the eligible employee/retiree and student. One application form is to be completed for each semester.

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Math Colloquium with David Hemmer

Today, April 11, the Department of Mathematical Sciences (Math) is pleased to welcome our own David Hemmer for a colloquium at 1 p.m. in Fisher 327B.

Hemmer will present "Some New Identities in the Character Tables of Symmetric Groups."

From the abstract:
We will give an introduction to representation theory, in particular for finite symmetric groups. We also introduce the closely related area of symmetric polynomials. The irreducible characters of the symmetric group $\Sigma_n$ are labelled by partitions $\lambda \vdash n$. For a partition $\lambda$ of $n$, Tewadros recently defined an unusual set, called $Ev(\lambda)$, of partitions of $2n$, and gave some conjectural identities in the character table of symmetric groups related to this set. We prove part of this conjecture. This leads to some fascinating combinatorics related to Motzkin paths, Riordan numbers and standard Young tableaux.

This is joint work with Karlee Westrem and Armin Straub.

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

Men's Tennis at Davenport University

Friday, April 11, 12–3 a.m. | Grand Rapids, MI

Men's Tennis at Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI

Track & Field at Platteville Invitational

Friday, April 11, 12–3 a.m. | Platteville, Wis.

Track & Field at Platteville Invitational Platteville, Wis.

Women's Tennis at Davenport University

Friday, April 11, 12–3 a.m. | Grand Rapids, MI

Women's Tennis at Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI

Odyssey - Spring Student Art Showcase - Michigan Tech Art

Friday, April 11, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Art Galleries

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT The Odyssey is an artistic journey into the heart of one class' studio art practice- Fiber Arts 2170- as they present artworks made during the...

Graduating and Still Looking

Friday, April 11, 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: Satya Sai Kumar Pilli

Friday, April 11, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 208

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Vinh Nguyen TRANSIENT THERMAL FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION FOR PROCESS MODELING IN WIRE ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Attend Virtually:...

RTC Brown Bag: Vamp & Godmother? Contradictions of Theda Bara and Gendered War Work

Friday, April 11, 12–1 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, Petersen Library (318)

Join us this Friday for the final RTC Brown Bag of the semester, "Vamp & Godmother? Contradictions of Theda Bara and Gendered War Work" presented by Sue Collins. The talk...

Spring Fling: Wild West

Friday, April 11, 12–4 p.m. | Michigan Technological University (various locations)

Join us this Friday, April 11th across campus for Spring Fling 2025: Wild West style! There will be food trucks, a mechanical bull, line dancing, and fun activities to get you...

Master's Defense: Nick Petersen

Friday, April 11, 1–2 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 908

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Darrell Robinette Development and Verification of Testing Platform for Torque Vectoring Controller Attend Virtually:...

Cookies & Coloring

Friday, April 11, 2–4 p.m. | Hamar House Basement

Take a break and unwind at Cookies and Coloring! Enjoy tasty treats while you relax with some coloring—it’s a perfect way to de-stress and recharge.

Ladies Bible Study

Friday, April 11, 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...

Master's Defense: Faith Gaertner

Friday, April 11, 3–4 p.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Paulus van Susante Test Stand Development: An Analysis of Excavation Force

Walking is really hard, so let's just do this instead: Navigating a course between the Scylla of abstraction and the Charybdis of embodiment

Friday, April 11, 3–4 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 104

Biomedical Engineering Research Seminar Joshua Schultz University of Tulsa Abstract Walking on two legs is one of the defining features that distinguishes humans as a...

Odyssey - Artist Reception - Michigan Tech Art

Friday, April 11, 5–7 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Art Galleries

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Join student artists in the Rozsa Art Galleries from 5-7 p.m. for an artist reception for an exhibition of art created throughout the semester....

31st Annual Student Leadership Awards

Friday, April 11, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building Ballroom

We would be honored to have you join us in celebrating the many achievements of those nominated for the 31st Student Leadership Awards by joining us for the event on Friday,...

Game Night

Friday, April 11, 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...

Sweeney Todd - Michigan Tech Theatre and the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra

Friday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

MICHIGAN TECH THEATRE SERIES EVENT Attend the dark, witty and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th century London. This tasty,...

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.