Alumni and Friends

Dr. Cairns graduated from Michigan Tech in 1955 with a double major in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. After receiving a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley he pursued an illustrious career at the research laboratories of General Electric, Argonne National Lab, General Motors, and, since 1978, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he is currently the Director of . . .

From "The Chemistry of Teaching: Modic ’84 Earns National Recognition," Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends Stories, May 2025 Like any successful chemical reaction, great teaching requires the right elements. For Amiee (Larchar) Modic ’84 (BS Chemistry), recipient of the 2025 James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching, those elements include authenticity, enthusiasm, and a spark of inspiration. . . .

Lina Tormen Taskovich ’52 studied chemistry and chemical engineering at Michigan Tech almost thirty years before Sally Heidtke, and she has some words of wisdom for women students too: "Study a field you like—you have to spend all your life working in it. And go for the top degree in the field of your choice. Also, do not go for the most lucrative job, but for the job you would love to do." When Taskovich . . .