December 16, 2025

Michigan Tech’s mechatronics program prepares students to work at the intersection of mechanical systems, electronics, robotics and computing while fostering a strong sense of community and support. From early lab experiences wiring circuits and programming industrial robots to collaborative Enterprise projects and industry engagement, students apply theory to real-world challenges from the start.

“At MTU, Mechatronics is more than just a degree, it’s a community where we turn ideas into real-world applications,” said Paniz Hazaveh, associate teaching professor of applied computing and program director for Tech’s mechatronics bachelor’s degree. “We’re a family of curious and creative minds.”

With strong industry connections, rising enrollment and an endorsement from the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, the program continues to equip graduates for careers in manufacturing, automation and beyond.

Read how Huskies are building systems that connect machines, people and purpose on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

Applications for the 2026 Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization (MTRAC) grants are open until March 31.

The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Applied Advanced Materials program at Michigan Tech provides funding and resources to support materials-related projects with high commercial potential. This support includes research and development funding for prototype and late-stage translational activities, with consultation and mentoring from an Oversight Committee including industry and investment experts.

Contact Julie Baker at juabaker@mtu.edu or 906-487-3458 to receive assistance and guidance on proposal preparation.

More Information:

• Full application details can be found in the Proposal Instructions PDF.
• Information on MTRAC is available on Michigan Tech’s MTRAC website.

Michigan Tech Researchers:

In order to include any external collaborators (subrecipients, vendors or consultants) in your proposal, you must complete an Intent to Submit at least 15 business days ahead of the sponsor’s deadline.

This 15-day internal deadline ensures that the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award team has enough time to coordinate with your external collaborators.

Remember, Pre-Award has the same goals as you! We want to work with you to create high-quality proposals that secure the funding they deserve.

For more information, refer to our Internal Deadlines webpage.

Career Services is hosting our Spring 2026 On-Campus Jobs Expo on Jan. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the MUB.

Students are encouraged to come check out the job opportunities available right here on campus. Many Michigan Tech departments will be represented. This is a great way to connect with students early and fill your open positions quickly. Get access to top student talent right at the start of the semester by reserving your table now!

If your department has not signed up and would like to attend, please contact Career Services at careerfair@mtu.edu.

The College of Engineering Dean's Office will be closed for the holidays starting Monday, Dec. 22 and will reopen on Jan. 2.

The Michigan Tech community is ready to transform this "day off" into a powerful "day on" — a genuine commitment to service, reflection and meaningful action. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy calls us to a higher standard of citizenship and humanity, and these scheduled events provide a powerful path for every student to answer that call and contribute to his vision of “unity through service."

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, don't just take the day off. Show up. Serve. Reflect. Act. Honor King's legacy by engaging with the events and making a meaningful difference right here in Houghton.

MLK Day 2026 Events:

• MLK Day of Service — We kick off Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. with a Day of Service at multiple volunteer locations where the hands-on efforts of Michigan Tech students and community members can make a tangible difference in the local community. By volunteering, you are actively participating in the work of social uplift that King championed. Give your time, apply your talents and live the spirit of service.

• Volunteer Reading — Michigan Tech students will also read to local schoolchildren, spreading King's history and legacy to young minds in our community.

• Interfaith Service — Our Interfaith Service starts at 4:15 p.m. in the Van Pelt and Opie Library's East Reading Room, offering a space for quiet introspection that draws on King's spiritual foundation and his call for unity across all faiths.

• Peace March — The campus and community are invited to participate in a peace march, beginning with a gathering at the Husky Statue at 5 p.m. The procession will travel to the Alumni House and return. Walking together, we will publicly reaffirm Michigan Tech’s dedication to King's enduring principles of justice and nonviolence, making a powerful, visible statement about our commitment to an equitable future.

• Shared Meal/Panel Discussion — The day concludes with a shared meal and a panel discussion featuring alumni Jemel Thompson, Jailynn Johnson and Austin McFarlane, offering a chance to connect, reflect and hear their stories of resilience. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom. Gather with fellow students, faculty and staff to share stories from your service, discuss the meaning of King's legacy, and strengthen the bonds of the Michigan Tech community.

Join Michigan Tech students and community members on Jan. 19, starting at 10 a.m., to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through hands-on service.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, don't just take the day off. Show up. Serve. Reflect. Act. Honor King's legacy by engaging with the events and making a meaningful difference right here in Houghton.

Find more information on GivePulse.

Event Details:

• What: MLK Day of Service
• When: Monday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m.
• Where: Multiple locations, including the Copper Country Humane Society, Letters Against Isolation, the Bluffs Senior Living Facility and the Community Alliance for Progressive Education (CAPE).

WLUC TV6, WNMU-FM, My UP Now, WZMQ 19 News and the Daily Mining Gazette covered Michigan Tech’s announcement of the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness. The center’s construction will be funded by a $55 million gift from MTU alum Chang Park ’73. University President Rick Koubek, Laura Bulleit (SA) and Board of Trustees chair Jon Jipping were quoted in the stories.

Andrew Barnard (VPR) was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story recapping Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Dec. 12. Barnard spoke to the board about the state of research funding at Tech during fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

The Daily Mining Gazette quoted MTU President Rick Koubek and student commencement speaker Quinn Riordan ’25 (B.S. Applied Ecology and Environmental Science) in a story covering Michigan Tech’s 2025 Midyear Commencement. Both K-Bear 102 WHKB-FM and the Keweenaw Report ran stories previewing the ceremony, which was held Saturday, Dec. 13, at the SDC.

Nissan quoted MTU senior Ashley Baird (computer science) in a news release about the new Personalized Sound app, which allows drivers to customize their listening experience through an in-vehicle hearing test. Baird helped write code for the app during an internship at Nissan Technical Center North America near Detroit.

Animals Around the Globe mentioned Michigan Tech’s long-running research on Isle Royale in a blog post highlighting bald eagle conservation success stories. MTU researchers were credited for “providing valuable insights into genetic diversity and population dynamics” of isolated eagle populations.

Crain’s Detroit Business mentioned Michigan Tech in a story discussing strategies for a potential overhaul of Michigan’s public universities. In a review of enrollment gains and losses across the state’s 15 public universities, MTU was listed as one of three institutions with an increase in students over the past decade.

Call for Applications: Faculty Fellow Program

Applications are being solicited for the Faculty Fellow Program, sponsored by the Vice President for Research Office (VPR). 

The program:

1. Expands familiarity with VPR operations among the staff and faculty.
2. Develops leadership capacity among the staff and faculty.
3. Improves VPR operations through staff and faculty input.

Please note that the Faculty Fellow Program does not support staff and faculty in developing their own research grant proposals, promoting the goals of a particular center or carrying out a project focused on a single department or college.

For the 2026-27 academic year, there are four possible appointment areas:

• Faculty Fellow, Sponsored Programs (e.g., pre- and post-award processing and administration). To discuss a project in this area, contact Kelly Kallio at kmkallio@mtu.edu.

• Faculty Fellow, Research Integrity (e.g., helping the Research Integrity Office develop their offerings to researchers across campus in the areas of HRPP, ARPP, laboratory safety, Responsible Conduct of Research, Research Misconduct, Research Security, shared facilities, centers and institutes). To discuss a project in this area, contact Brent Burns at bburns@mtu.edu.

• Faculty Fellow, Research Development (e.g., helping the Research Development Office develop their offerings to researchers across campus in areas such as strengthening proposal development support, enhancing research collaboration, and learning about and engaging with research sponsors). To discuss a project in this area, contact Pete Larsen at palarsen@mtu.edu.

• Faculty Fellow, Commercialization (e.g., translational research, technology de-risking, proprietary projection strategy, management talent recruitment, value proposition development, customer discovery). To discuss a project in this area, contact Mike Morley at mcmorley@mtu.edu.

Prospective applicants must contact the staff member listed in the area in which they would like to work by mid-January before the application deadline in February. Once the applicant has developed a mutually beneficial project focus with that staff member, a link to the application will be shared with them.

Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 12 and must be submitted per the guidelines. For additional information, visit the Faculty Fellow Program page.

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UPS/FedEx Package Delivery Over Winter Break

MTU Central Receiving will be closed during the 2025-26 winter break for UPS and FedEx deliveries. We are unable to accept packages for departments that are closed during this time. We recommend contacting the shipper to adjust the delivery date for when your office reopens.

Central Receiving Winter Break Closure Dates:

• Wednesday, Dec. 24, to Sunday, Jan. 4 — Closed

We will return to regular operating hours on Jan. 5, 2026.

We would like to remind the campus community that personal packages should be specifically addressed to go directly to your department if you choose to have them shipped to campus. You can help keep our response time for delivering University packages consistent during this high-volume season and year-round by having personal packages delivered directly to your department (or your home).

To ensure timely delivery of packages directly to your department by the shipper, please ensure that you clearly provide the following information when placing an order:

• Your Complete Name
• Building Name
• Room Number
• 1400 Townsend Drive
• Houghton, MI 49931

Please contact Central Receiving at centralreceiving-l@mtu.edu should you have any questions or need assistance with special receiving or shipping needs.

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Christmas Holiday Payroll Schedule and Timecard Deadlines

In observance of the Christmas holidays next week on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, please review the adjusted payroll processing timeline for Bi-Weekly Pay Period 26 (BW26), ending on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.

These changes are necessary to ensure timely processing surrounding the holiday closure. Michigan Tech's BW26 payday will be Dec. 26, 2025.

Key Reminders:

• Hourly employees must estimate hours for all work through the end of Week 2.
• Supervisors/approvers must:
  • Approve timecards promptly.
  • Ensure proxy approvals are in place if you will be unavailable during the holiday period.

Deadlines:

• Electronic Timecard Submission and Approvals are due Thursday, Dec. 18, by midnight
• Manual Timesheets and Off-Cycle Pay Requests are due Friday, Dec. 19, by noon

Off-Cycle Pay Requests and Reallocations Processing Schedule:

• The Manual Timesheet and Reallocation submission deadline has passed for the Off-Cycle and Reallocation batch processed for the Dec. 19 payday. (The deadline was Dec. 15 at 4 p.m.)

• There will not be an Off-Cycle or Reallocation batch during the week of Dec. 29, 2025, due to the Seasonal Days for the New Year’s holidays.

• Regular payroll schedules will resume when the University reopens on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, with BW01 payroll processing.

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Facilities Management Closure for Annual Departmental Winter Retreat

Today, Dec. 16, the Facilities Management office will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for our annual departmental winter retreat.

For any facilities emergencies during this time, please call 906-487-0001. Otherwise, we will respond to all messages upon returning to the office in the afternoon.

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Financial Services and Operations Office Closure

Financial Services and Operations, including the Cashier's Office/Student Billing Office and the Payroll Office, will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today, Dec. 16, for a departmental meeting.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

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Tech Today Holiday Break

Tech Today's annual holiday break will begin on Monday, Dec. 22. Our last newsletter of 2025 will publish on Friday, Dec. 19, and we will resume publication for 2026 on Jan. 5.

Please take note of the submission deadlines for this Friday's Tech Today and for our Jan. 5 newsletter. Send in your announcements through our Submit a Tech Today Post form.

Tech Today Deadlines:

• Friday, Dec. 19 — Submissions due Thursday, Dec. 18, by noon
• Monday, Jan. 5 — Submissions due Friday, Dec. 19, by noon

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

Reading Group on Early Christian Thought: St. Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions

Tuesday, December 16, 12–1 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, Petersen Library (318)

Join us on Tuesdays at noon for the Fall 2025 reading group on early christian though! What? St. Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions Where? 3rd Floor of Walker, Peterson Library (120C on 9/16 during Peterson renovations) When? Tuesdays at Noon starting Sep 9, 2025 Who? You! No prior knowledge of Augustine, theology, ethics, or Christianity required– this reading group is open to all! This reading group is hosted by Dr. T rish Grosse Brewer (tgbrewer@mtu.edu, Humanities). Dr. Brewer’s educational background is in philosophy and religion and her research focuses on the thought of Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s Confessions is considered to be the first autobiography. In it, a middle aged Bishop gives an account of his birth to his conversion to Christianity and the death of his mother. The book concludes with an exploration of the first three books of Genesis. W e will determine our reading pace together in the first meeting. We will use the Chadwick translation.

Staff Council Meeting

Tuesday, December 16, 12–1 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, 216

Come join Staff Council for our monthly meeting! Staff Council is a service organization within the University whose charge is: to assist the University in recognizing outstanding performance and ongoing dedicated service by staff membersto maximize the use of talents and resources of the staff to support educational programs and to develop and strengthen skills and professionalism among the staffto provide events and opportunities that enhance the working environment of Michigan TechEach meeting consists of a notable guest speaker to share updates from around campus, updates about upcoming Staff Council programs and events, and opportunities to chat amongst a community of fellow staff members. Membership on Staff Council is voluntary, open, and available to any eligible staff member. Staff Council exists to support Michigan Tech staff: full-time, part-time, nine-month, or ten-month; non-student, non-faculty.

Sold Out: Michigan Tech College Night at the Red Wings

Tuesday, December 16, 7 p.m. | Little Caesars Arena

Join fellow Huskies for Michigan Tech College Night at the Red Wings on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, for a classic matchup of the Detroit Red Wings against the New York Islanders. Each package includes a ticket to the game, a limited-edition co-branded Michigan Tech x Red Wings Centennial sweatshirt, and a $5 donation to the Detroit Alumni Annual Scholarship. The game begins at 7 p.m. and will be played at the Little Caesars Arena located at 2645 Woodward Ave in Detroit, MI 48201. Click here to purchase your game tickets today! Parking: For more parking information, click here. Ticket Delivery: To access your tickets, download the Detroit Red Wings app using the email with which you purchased the tickets. Under “Tickets”, follow to “My Tickets” and you will see them in your account to save to your mobile wallet. Item Vouchers: These will be loaded onto your Red Wings Ticket App 24 hours prior to the game Group Tickets: Groups of 10 or more purchasing together can save on fees and ensure their seats are together by contacting Grace Antonelli at Grace.antonelli@olyent.com or (313) 471-3150.