
Laura Baril
- Administrative Aide 7, Employment Services
- labaril@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2280
- Lakeshore Center
Links of Interest
Specialties
- Customer service and administrative support to Employment Services.

Catherine Burns
- Manager, Staff Employment
- cahorsch@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2280
- Lakeshore Center
Specialties
- Serves as the department representative for areas regarding staff hiring needs, conflict resolution, performance management, and providing guidance on policies and procedures.
- Provides PageUp tracking system support
- Union Contract Administrator / Chief Negotiator

"It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver."
—Mahatma Gandhi
—Mahatma Gandhi
Joanne Chalgren
- Manager of Benefits
- jrchalgr@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2517
- Lakeshore Center
Specialties
- Wellness
- Husky Health
- Student Insurance
- New Employee Orientation

Megan Goke
- Human Resources Generalist
- megoke@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2280
- Lakeshore Center

James Harden
- Manager, HR Information Systems
- jjharden@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2480
- Lakeshore Center

Lori Hardyniec
- Administrative Aide 7, Employment Services
- lehardyn@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2282
- Lakeshore Center

Samantha Hayrynen
- Manager of Payroll
- hayrynen@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2130
- Lakeshore Center
Renee Hiller, SPHR
- Director of Human Resources
- rlhiller@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2800
- Lakeshore Center
Links of Interest
Specialties
- Directs and consults on all Human Resource matters
- Serves as the departmental representative for President’s Office to collaborate for hiring needs, departmental reorganizations and providing guidance on policies and procedures.
- Manages and directs the Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC)
- Promotes and implements University Human Resources strategy
- HR policy development
About Renee
- While not a native of the Keweenaw, Renee has grown to love the area and the small town community that Houghton has to offer. Renee came to Michigan Tech in 2008 to fill a role in the benefits area at Michigan Tech but has come to grow in her current role as Director of Human Resources. Renee fully enjoys helping and supporting the campus community and the relationships HR has built over the years. When not at Michigan Tech, Renee enjoys watching her three boys in hockey, band and cross country as well as exploring the beauty of the Keweenaw.

Madeline Mercado Voelker
- Immigration and Visa Services Specialist
- mmercado@mtu.edu
- 906-487-3681
- Lakeshore Center
Specialties
- Coordinate immigration services and related employment processes.
- Oversee and process faculty and staff employment based immigration petitions (H-1B, I-140 (EB-2), I-485 faculty special handling permanent residency and TN visas)
- Provide hiring departments with information about immigration and employment regulations affecting foreign nations; file relevant immigration petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as appropriate
- Act as liaison between the University, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of State (DOS), and Department of Labor (DOL) with respect to foreign nationals
- Liaison to immigration counsel retained for immigration support
- Fluent in Spanish

Renee Ozanich
- Manager, Academic Employment
- rozanich@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2509
- Lakeshore Center
Links of Interest
Specialties
- Facilitates hiring for faculty and postdoctoral employees in academic departments
- Academic departmental assistance with faculty and postdoctoral re-appointments
- Assisting academic departments and Provost’s Office on Promotion and Tenure process and all other faculty reviews
- Guidance with academic policies and procedures
- Provides PageUp tracking system support
- Oversight of immigration services
- Lean Facilitator

Michelle Reed
- Administrative Aide 8, HR Information Systems
- mmreed1@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2280
- Lakeshore Center


Emily T'Niemi
- Executive Assistant to Human Resources
- ektniemi@mtu.edu
- 906-487-2800
- Lakeshore Center
Specialties
- Customer service and administrative support to Human Resources
- Human Resources website maintenance