Professional Development Day

Professional Development Day is relaunching on campus this fall! Professional Development Day is a day of training sessions for faculty and staff to improve their skills and knowledge. The sessions will be led by Michigan Tech faculty and staff and provide development in a learning-centered peer-to-peer environment.

Professional Development Day will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 17th. Please visit our conference page on Digital Commons to view our conference sessions and to register for each session you wish to attend. You may choose to come all day or to attend a single session depending on your schedule and your interest.

2024 Keynote Speaker

Staff Council is pleased to welcome Eric Waara as our 2024 keynote speaker.

Eric Waara was born and raised in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Michigan. Since 2014, Eric has served as the City Manager of Houghton, bringing a wealth of experience from his previous work as an engineer and project manager at UP Engineers and Architects. During that time, he designed, secured funding for, and managed large-scale municipal infrastructure projects across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

In addition to his role as City Manager, Eric is the Chairman of the Michigan Tech Enterprise Center SmartZone Board, where he helps guide innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Eric lives in Houghton with his wife, Julie, and their dog. They are the proud parents of three daughters, with two Huskies and two Wildcats among them, and one Bulldog still studying at the University of Minnesota Duluth.