April 22, 2025

Mary Christine Stevens ’25, undergraduate student speaker for Michigan Tech’s spring Class of 2025, sampled much of what Tech has to offer during her time as a student — a philosophy she happily passes on to current and future students. As Stevens looks back on the time spent earning her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in French, she recalls advice from her father when she first started her college journey.

“He told me to try everything,” Stevens said. “College is the last time in life you’ll have this much freedom and these few responsibilities.”

Though it may be impossible to try everything at MTU between the first time a student steps foot on campus and the day they put on their cap and gown, Stevens certainly came close. Her adventurous tenacity led her to become a volunteer, tutor, author, podcaster and so much more during her time at Michigan Tech.

Read about Stevens’ journey and her advice for future Huskies at the College of Sciences and Arts Newsblog.

The Pilgrim River Community Forest in Houghton serves as a community space for hiking, birdwatching, hunting and fishing throughout all seasons. It's also home to Michigan Technological University forestry, wildlife, and ecology students’ capstone senior projects. Groups of four to six students are assigned forest sections ranging from one to 200 acres. They have full liberty to create a final report about their findings and recommendations toward maintaining and sustaining the health of a treasured community resource.

One such group included Allyson McQuiston, Aidan Sheppard and Spencer Aud. Sheppard and Aud, both forestry majors, graduated in December 2024. McQuiston, an applied ecology and environmental science major, graduates this month.

“We all enjoyed getting to apply the knowledge we have learned over the years here at Michigan Tech, especially since it could benefit the surrounding community. It was fun to make this project our own, designing our data collection and management plans,” said McQuiston. “This work is important because the forest is ever-changing. Without proper management it will stop serving the needs of the wildlife present and the people of the area.”

Dig into the details of this community-centered project at the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science blog.

Michigan Technological University has released a new policy and procedures outlining the guidelines and responsibilities for the use of University Purchasing Cards (PCards). The policy and procedures are now available on the University Policy website.

This update emphasizes enhanced compliance, reduced liability and mitigated risk in University purchasing. The new procedures provide more defined guidelines to ensure responsible card usage and adherence to regulations. A new 1-2-3 Strike Policy is in place to handle PCard violations.

All cardholders are urged to review the updated documents:

• 2.20 University Purchasing Card
• 2.20.1 University Purchasing Card Procedures

Questions may be directed to the Purchasing Department at 906-487-2510 or pcard@mtu.edu.

Mark Rhodes (SS) is this year’s recipient of the American Philosophical Society's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743, the American Philosophical Society is the oldest academic organization in the United States. This year's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities theme of “Making A Nation” is described as “a year-long exploration of independence and nation-making, culminating in the 250th anniversary of the ratification of the US Declaration of Independence.”

Rhodes’ fellowship is supported by APS Franklin Research Grants and funds a five-month fellowship during the 2025-26 academic year, hosted in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. His research will focus on tracing the political and historical shifts in Scotland as they appear across the publications of National Museums Scotland.

Rhodes’ work on national museums in Scotland will lay the foundation for future work exploring how the Smithsonian and other national museums in the United States have and continue to navigate complex nationalisms through their published works.

The Graduate School is pleased to congratulate two outstanding Michigan Tech graduate students, Lexi Tater and Aritra Chakrabarty, for the recent, well-deserved recognition of their scholarship by the World Social Science Association.

The high quality of Tater’s and Chakrabarty's research was recognized with the WSSA's prestigious Best Graduate Paper awards at the organization's 67th Annual World Social Science Conference. The award acknowledges the thoroughness of each student's research and its capacity to develop insightful and compelling analysis in these vital areas. Tater received the Best Graduate Paper award and Chakrabarty received the Runner Up to the Best Graduate Student Paper award.

Tater presented her research, titled “Climate Planning and Energy Sovereignty Among Michigan’s Tribal Nations.” The exceptional quality and impact of her work in the Sustainable Communities master's program highlight a dedication to rigorous research and an ability to produce insightful and compelling analysis that makes a meaningful contribution to the understanding of climate planning and energy sovereignty among Michigan’s tribal nations.

Chakrabarty's compelling article, "Gender Equity through Renewable Energy Transition: Case Study of a Community Solar Program, India," was honored for its significant contributions to the field and thoughtful examination of the crucial intersection between renewable energy transitions and gender equity within the context of an Indian community solar program.

The Graduate School is delighted to acknowledge the success of both Lexi and Aritra, and commends their dedication to valuable scholarly research. These awards highlight the impactful work being undertaken by graduate students at Michigan Technological University, supported by our dedicated faculty and staff.

On April 14, Michigan Tech's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) hosted the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) Spring 2025 Order of the Engineer induction. Brett Staton, executive director of the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan and M.S. in Civil Engineering graduate, was the guest speaker of the evening.

The new Order of the Engineer inductees include Paige McKean, Isaac Miller, Aidan Earll, Evan Cronk, Justin Micillo, Michele I. Reinke, Reagan May, Evan Pohl, Lily Youngdahl, Suraiya Siddiqi, Samuel Pendell, Max V. Ingram, Sydney Peterson, Samuel Knipers, Taylor Fanning, Zachary Whitton, Emily Grace Schmidt, Anna Kavanaugh, Drew Schlaff, Emma Elliot, Clara Taylor, Cassie Burch, Rebecca Cuthbertson, Olivia Bekkala, Maximilian G. Dvorak, Logan Laughrey, Arika Booms, Parker Lyden, Allyson Walcott, Brailee Klipa, John Decator, Paige Wilde, Lauren Stern, Nathaneal Maas, Shelby Rohwetter, Elsa Meyer, Makenna Dawson, Kathryn Kreiger, Jacob J. Dezelski, Kayla Roffers, Clare Baker, Hunter Finnila, Katherine Eddy, Carli Warren, Amber Shaw, Jack Moon, Daniel Branagan, Mariana Rosas Arenas, Owen Green and Maxwell Hazen.

Thank you to CEGE faculty members Brian Barkdoll, Kris Mattila, Audra Morse, Mohammad Sadeghi and Andrew Swartz for supporting the event. A special thanks to the Order of the Engineer chair, Andrew Thompson, for organizing and delivering the event.

The Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being will be closed today, April 22, for our annual staff retreat.

Please direct any mental health emergencies to Public Safety at 906-487-2216.

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.

Reminder for Travel Expense Aging and Reporting
FSO has the following reminders on the allowability of various travel expenses, specifically expense aging.

• Travel reimbursement expenses (including repayment of cash advances and business meals) submitted more than 60 days after the event/last day of business travel will be considered taxable income to the employee, as the reimbursement would fall outside of the conditions of an accountable plan (per IRS regulations). Amounts reimbursed under a non-accountable plan are included in the employee’s gross income on form W-2 and are subject to withholding as supplemental wages. Applicable taxes will be withheld from a future paycheck.

• Out-of-pocket travel reimbursement expenses (including business meals) submitted more than 120 days after the event/last day of business travel are unallowable and are not reimbursable.

If you have questions about the travel changes, contact FSO at 906-487-2373 or travel@mtu.edu. For additional information, please visit FSO's University Travel page.

FSO appreciates your assistance and would like to thank you for adhering to our institutional policies and guidelines.

The annual steam shutdown for 2025 will take place next week, following Spring Commencement, from Sunday, April 27, to the following Friday, 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.

The first power outage will begin next Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. and end next Thursday, May 1, at 6 a.m. The second power outage will last from next Thursday at 6 p.m. until next Friday, May 2, at 6 a.m.

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 next Wednesday 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.

Join the Great Lakes Research Center for “Rocks & Roots: A Celebration of Biodiversity and Geoheritage on the Keweenaw’s Bedrock Shorelines,” with botanist Abraham Stone.

Stone will present the talk next Wednesday, April 30, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Calumet Public Library Community Room.

Stone spent the summer of 2024 surveying the Keweenaw Peninsula bedrock shorelines in search of rare Arctic flora, striking geological formations and unusual lakeshore ecosystems as part of a “Rocks and Roots” research initiative.

In this talk, he will highlight how his explorations yielded interesting connections between the plants, the rocks and the lake itself — all while showing you some of the hidden secrets that make the Keweenaw special!

The event is open to all and is hosted by the Friends of the Calumet Public Library.

This project is the result of a partnership between the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) at Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw Community Forest Company, with additional support from Michigan Sea Grant and the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture (IPEC) at Michigan Tech.

Job Postings for Tuesday, April 22, 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.

Assistant Teaching Professor – Nursing, Biological Sciences. Apply online.

Assistant Teaching Professor – Nursing (part-time), Biological Sciences. 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.

John Jaszczak, director and John and Phyllis Seaman Endowed Curator of the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, presented an invited talk to the Michigan Mineralogical Society on April 14 at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The talk, titled "Copper Country Minerals: A Collector's Paradise in Michigan's Upper Peninsula," summarized some of the history of the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum; highlights of its collections, programs and new exhibits; and some of the Keweenaw's mineral-collector-related activities scheduled in August 2025.

Jaszczak also installed a new display of Michigan silver at the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor, featuring some of the museum's prized crystallized silver specimens.

*****

Assistant Professor Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci) traveled to Lanzhou, China, as an invited speaker for the Workshop for Microbial Geochemical Cycling in the Trans-Himalyan and Polar Regions hosted by the Center for the Pan-third Pole Environment at Lanzhou University.

Vick-Majors' presented on the ecology of Antarctic subglacial lakes. She also traveled with the group to the Qiyi Glacier, located in the Qilian Mountains on the edge of the Gobi Desert.

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned master’s student Tabasum Hamdard (data science), undergraduate Mary Christine Stevens (English), and alum Deedra Irwin '15 (B.S. Exercise Science) in a story about Michigan Tech’s Spring Commencement. Irwin will deliver the commencement address at two MTU commencement ceremonies, happening Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26. More details are available at Michigan Tech News.

*****

Distinguished Professor Emerita Nancy Langston (SS) was mentioned by Wisconsin’s Superior Telegram in a story about her upcoming presentation on "Sustaining Lake Superior" at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

*****

WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech's Triangle fraternity and APO fraternity in a story about the City of Hancock’s third annual Easter egg hunt. The fraternities, along with city volunteers, helped organize the event, which featured thousands of hidden plastic eggs filled with prizes.

*****

Grand Rapids’ Mix 95.7 WLHT-FM mentioned Michigan Tech in a story discussing whether it is “America’s most overlooked Tech school.”

*****

Board of Trustees member John U. Bacon discussed the Detroit Pistons’ regular season and playoff chances on the April 18 episode of Michigan Public’s “Morning Edition.”

Share What You Know, Inspire Who’s Next

Michigan Tech’s Center for Educational Outreach is home to Upward Bound, a federally funded college access program that supports local high school students who are low-income and/or the first in their family to pursue college. Each summer, we host a five-week live-in Summer Program right here on campus for about 25 students in grades 9-12.

We’re currently looking for guest instructors and facilitators to lead engaging, hands-on sessions — think short workshops, activities or guest lectures. Sessions can range from one to three hours long, and you can join us once or weekly, depending on your schedule.

If you’re passionate about your field and excited to help students explore new ideas and careers, we’d love to have you be part of their journey.

Interested? Fill out our Guest Instructor/Facilitator Interest Form.

Let’s spark curiosity and build opportunity — together.

*****

Essential Education: Final Workshops of 2024-25 Academic Year

Thanks to all who have attended the Essential Education Workshops No. 1 and No. 2 during the spring 2025 semester. The Essential Education Implementation Leadership Team's goal is for these workshops to prepare those teaching Essential Ed courses for the full launch of the program in fall 2025, outlining the simple elements that will be integrated into your courses.

We recognize that some faculty and instructors may have found the workshop dates and times inconvenient. For those who were not able to attend one or both sessions, we have added additional sessions next Tuesday, April 29.

• Workshop No. 1
  Tuesday, April 29, from 10-11 a.m.
  MUB Alumni Lounge A and B
  This workshop will provide a brief overview of Essential Ed, walk you through how to complete the Essential Ed Course Planning Tool and connect courses to the Essential Ed framework, and help you align your course with the Essential Abilities.

• Workshop No. 2
  Tuesday, April 29, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
  MUB Alumni Lounge A and B
  In this workshop, you will learn about Husky Folio and walk through the process of students uploading an assignment and reflection to Husky Folio. It also covers continuous improvement for Essential Abilities, and how to complete instructor Essential Ability reporting.

If you are interested in one or both of these workshops, please fill out the Essential Education April 29 Workshop sign-up form.

Again, we thank all the instructors who have attended the workshops so far. We greatly appreciate your questions and feedback, allowing us to address the needs of the many course curriculums across campus that Essential Education elements will be integrated into.

Please send any questions you may have regarding Essential Education Workshops to essential-ed-l@mtu.edu.

*****

CEGE Spring 2025 Senior Design Colloquium

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) is pleased to invite the University community to attend our Spring 2025 Senior Design Colloquium. From innovative designs to real-world problem-solving, these presentations highlight the hard work and creativity of our future engineers.

Join us as our students showcase their Senior Design projects on Friday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to noon in Dow 641. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Join the CEGE Senior Design Colloquium on Zoom.

Presentation Schedule:

• 8 a.m. — Houghton Area Youth Soccer: Soccer Field Complex Development
• 9:40 a.m. — KBIC: Fish Hatchery & Fish-Cleaning Station Expansion and Improvement
• 10:40 a.m. — MDOT: M-64 over Bingham Creek Culvert Replacement Project

See the event flyer at the CEGE Undergraduate Advising Blog.

*****

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 Friday, 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.

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

Master's Defense: Sophia Brylinski

Tuesday, April 22, 1–2 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 610

Materials Science and Engineering Advisor: Paul Sanders THERMIONIC EMISSION COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN OF RARE-EARTH HEXABORIDE CATHODES IN AN OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT Attend...

NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, April 22, 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.

Serve The King Main Meeting

Tuesday, April 22, 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...