Commencement

Commencement Speaker: Jeffrey Littmann 

Jeffrey Littmann is a life trustee and audit and finance committee chair of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. For more than 25 years, he served as a member of the board and as the chief financial officer of Buffalo Bills Inc., operating within the NFL.

Littmann’s years of service to Michigan Tech stand as a testament to both his dedication to the University and his unwavering support of students and alumni. He has served as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 2019, with an appointment through 2026. He was elected and served two consecutive terms as Board of Trustees chair, and currently chairs the board’s audit and finance committee. He also serves on the Michigan Tech Fund Board of Directors and contributes his financial expertise to its investment committee. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s degree in taxation from Walsh College and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law. He also received an honorary doctorate in law from Walsh College and is an honorary alumnus of Michigan Tech, receiving the University’s 2025 Honorary Alumni Award.

From 1974 to 1982, Littmann held several financial management positions with Ziebart International, an international franchising organization having licensees in 34 countries, where he supported research, manufacturing, distribution, and sales. He worked as a tax professional at Big Eight CPA firm Arthur Anderson from 1982 to 1986, specializing in closely held business entities.

Littmann has made a tremendous impact on many organizations, serving in executive and board positions including:

• Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation — Life Trustee, Past Chair of the Board of Trustees, and current Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee
• Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trust — Trustee and Chairman of the Board
• Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Enterprises LLC — VP and CFO, 1986-2013; President, 2014-15
• Buffalo Bills Inc. — Member of the Board of Directors and CFO, 1986-2014
• National Football League — Member of the Executive Committee, Investment Committee, and Collective Bargaining Agreement Working Club Executive Committee
• Mackinac Center for Public Policy — Board Member (elected February 2026)
• Ralph Wilson Equity Fund — Member and CFO, 1999-2016
• Interstate Highway Construction Inc. — Member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer, 1986-2020
• Ardesta LLC — Member of the Board of Directors, 1999-2015
• Metapointe Partners LLC — Past Investment Committee Member
• Additionally, he has served multiple community positions at organizations like the St. John Health Foundation and System, the Grosse Pointe Club, and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Littmann and his wife Cynthia reside in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and have two daughters, Christine and Caitlin, and three grandchildren. The couple’s second home is a “camp” in the Upper Peninsula, solidifying Littmann’s status as a self-proclaimed “Yooper Want-To-Be.” He is an avid pilot and enjoys tennis, hunting, fishing, boating, and other outdoor pursuits.

Undergraduate Student Speaker: Caelan Mead-O’Brien

Caelan Mead-O’Brien is a graduate of Okemos High School in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. His passion for the outdoors drew him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, adding minors in Spanish and sustainability science and society.

Mead-O’Brien said made his decision to attend Michigan Tech just before midnight on Decision Day during his senior year of high school.

For the last two years, he’s worked as an intern with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), gaining hands-on experience in water treatment and distribution, permitting, and water system inspections.

"Although I initially hesitated to commit to a school eight hours away from home, that decision quickly proved to be the right one as Michigan Tech became a second home for me."

He also feels fortunate to have been part of many welcoming communities throughout his time at Tech. He has served three years as a resident assistant and has been involved with St. Albert the Great University Parish, as well as student organizations including Keweenaw Youth for Climate Action and triathlon-focused Tri-Hards at MTU, among others.

In his free time, Mead-O’Brien enjoys running marathons, playing guitar and piano, walking dogs at the humane society, and chasing sunrises and the northern lights.

After graduation, he looks forward to returning to Michigan Tech to pursue an accelerated master’s degree in civil engineering, with a focus on water resources engineering.

Graduate Student Speaker: Houssein Yassin

Houssein Yassin is receiving his PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Tech’s Spring Commencement. His journey to the commencement stage has taken him across continents and reflects the resilience, determination, and sense of purpose that define the Husky Spirit.

Yassin was born and raised in The Gambia, West Africa, where he spent his first 14 years before moving to Lebanon and later continuing his academic journey in the United States. He came to the US as a Fulbright Scholar and chose Michigan Technological University as his first-choice institution, believing Tech was the place where he could grow, be challenged, and build a meaningful future.

At Michigan Tech, Yassin earned his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and served as a research assistant in the Michigan Tech Wave Lab, where he worked on dynamics and control for wave energy conversion systems. He also served as a LEAP Leader in Engineering Fundamentals, helping first-year engineering students adjust to the demands of college and engineering life.

After earning his master’s degree, Yassin continued contributing to Michigan Tech as a research engineer in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). He pursued a second master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan before returning to Tech to continue his doctoral studies in mechanical engineering. 

Yassin’s work has centered on controls, learning, and nonlinear dynamical systems, with research focused on data-driven modeling and advanced control design for complex engineering applications. Alongside his research, he has helped support the growth of aerospace opportunities within the MAE department, contributing to the development of the new aerospace curriculum and helping create opportunities for the students who will come after him.

For Yassin, Michigan Tech is more than a university—it is the place where he saw snow and the northern lights for the first time, found lifelong friendships, discovered a deep sense of belonging, and was shaped by mentors who changed the direction of his life. It became a home.

Yassin’s story reflects not only academic achievement, but also perseverance, gratitude, and the belief that education can transform a life. As he reaches this milestone, he carries forward the values that have defined his journey at Michigan Tech: hard work, humility, service, and the desire to create opportunities for others.