Launching new programs and curricula. Winning state awards. Welcoming talented new students and helping graduates land great jobs. Get a glimpse of campus happenings and student and faculty accomplishments in this edition of 1400 Townsend.
Michigan Tech Sees Record-High Placement Rate, Incoming Student GPA
Michigan Tech's fall 2025 incoming class reflected not only the continued demand for a Michigan Tech degree, but also record academic quality. The University welcomed 1,601 first-year and transfer students for the fall semester—a 6 percent increase from 2024—continuing the University's steady growth in enrollment. What's more, these newest Huskies earned an average high school GPA of 3.86—the highest in University history.
These numbers are a testament to the caliber of students choosing Michigan Tech. In a survey of Class of 2024 graduates, 94.6 percent reported successful career outcomes within six months of graduation—an all-time high for the University that speaks volumes to the preparation Huskies receive to lead in today's high-demand fields.
Cody Kangas, executive director of Michigan Tech's Career Services, said the record-high placement rate shows both how exceptional Michigan Tech students are and how much employers value the quality of a Michigan Tech degree.
"The Career Services office engages with students on day one of their journey here at Michigan Tech, and we prioritize meaningful employer partnerships," said Kangas. "We couldn't do what we do without support from our incredible faculty and alumni, who consistently come back to campus in large numbers to help the next generation of Huskies prepare for jobs."
Over 700 companies, organizations, and agencies hired members of the Class of 2024, including Apple, Boston Scientific, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, and Dow.
Essential Education for the Modern Era
Last fall, Michigan Tech introduced Essential Education, a forward-thinking, student-centered core curriculum that replaces the University's previous general education requirements. Built around four learning goals and 12 Essential Abilities, Essential Ed equips Huskies with the critical skills tomorrow's workplaces demand.
"This year's incoming class will be the first to participate in our new Essential Education program, an innovative general education curriculum that builds a 21st century skill set crucial for our students to become leaders who can respond to the increasingly frequent technological changes impacting our economy and society," said Rick Koubek, Michigan Tech president.
Essential Education gives students ownership of their learning through high-impact experiences, including first-year seminars, interdisciplinary coursework, and an ePortfolio that highlights their accomplishments as Huskies. The program offers flexible learning pathways—including the option to earn an interdisciplinary minor with no additional time or cost—ensuring that every student can tailor their education to their personal and professional goals.
The Essential Abilities are based on the undergraduate student learning goals Think Critically, Communicate, Adapt, and Contribute/Transform, which are emphasized in both coursework and hands-on experiences. These abilities equip Tech graduates with the critical skills needed in all sectors of a technologically integrated world. As a result, both Huskies and their future employers will see a better return on investment and improved transitions into the workplace.
Essential Education's ePortfolio helps Huskies tell the story of their learning, encouraging students to reflect on, understand, and articulate their academic work both in and out of the classroom. This high-impact practice empowers students to showcase their Essential Abilities and demonstrate how they've grown in their years at Tech. Through meaningful storytelling, the ePortfolio connects Huskies to opportunities that fit their career goals and interests, and encourages them to become lifelong learners.
By blending core learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with disciplines in social sciences, humanities, and the arts, Essential Education prepares Michigan Tech graduates to think deeply, work broadly, and lead with confidence in a world where technology and society are increasingly intertwined.
By the Numbers
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University Archives Image Database Wins State History Award
The Michigan Tech Archives' Copper Country Historical Images Database received a 2025 State History Award in the Historical Society of Michigan's Websites category. The award recognized the database for its fine work in preserving and promoting Michigan history.
The prestigious award was presented in September at the Michigan History Conference, held in Alpena, Michigan. The conference is hosted annually by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state's official historical society and oldest cultural organization. The State History Awards are the Society's highest recognition presented annually to "individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion of state and local history."
The Copper Country Historical Images Database is a collaboration between the Michigan Tech Archives and the Van Pelt and Opie Library's Digital Scholarship initiative.
According to David Holden, the library's manager of tech and innovation, the database has evolved onto the open-source Drupal platform and integrates interactive map-based discovery tools with engaging metadata, moderated community-based comments, and commerce features that allow controlled access to the high-resolution imagery. It now offers more than 13,000 historical images of the Upper Peninsula in a much more accessible format for researchers.
The award committee praised the "exhaustive and highly technical efforts" from both the Michigan Tech Archives and the Van Pelt and Opie Library in creating the database. "The website brings invaluable information about Michigan's copper mining past to historians, students, archivists and the general public," the award announcement said. "Rare and fragile resources, once only accessible by a trip to the Michigan Tech Archives, are now searchable for all."
"Being recognized with a State History Award showcases the amazing assets we have at the Archives, and also gives credit to the challenging behind-the-scenes work we do," said University Archivist Lindsay Hiltunen. "It is truly a team effort! By refreshing our digital repository and creating innovative ways to display our collections through the new discovery tools, we are able to engage with new audiences and offer more robust services to existing patrons."
MTU Partners with METAL, Launches Summer Metal Casting Experience
This summer, visiting high school students cast an eye on potential careers in metalworking during Metal Casting: Forge Your Future—a brand-new experience offered through Michigan Tech's popular Summer Youth Programs. The week-long summer exploration introduced students to the science and art of metal casting and forging.
The course was developed by Tech's Department of Materials Science and Engineering in partnership with METAL— the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning national program led by the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation.
"When I was a student, I didn't know that materials science or metallurgy was a career I could go into until I did a camp here at Michigan Tech," said Isabella Jaszczak, academic and lab coordinator in the MSE department and one of Forge Your Future's organizers. "Having the opportunity for students to figure out if this is something they enjoy—and that if they do, it's a good career—is really important."
As METAL's newest hub operator, Michigan Tech and the MSE department developed Forge Your Future specifically for high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The program's first participants worked directly with Tech researchers in Michigan Tech's metal foundry.
Tech's foundry is one of the few fully operational metal foundries in the nation found on a college campus. The facility, MSE's departmental expertise, and the University's partnership with METAL created the perfect setup for getting pre-college students excited about metal casting and forging.
As part of its national effort to support future metal workers, METAL's partnership with Michigan Tech supports Metal Casting: Forge Your Future student tuition, program fees, accommodations, and transportation. During the experience, students worked through the entire metal casting process—and also fabricated unique items to take home, including an aluminum scratch block, bronze coin, and cast-iron campfire pan.
"From making molds to making patterns, we tried to show them the whole process," said Peter Jaszczak, MSE lab associate and foundry staff. "We ran simulations, doing some computer-aided design work, and then we made the patterns, which were turned into the final casting."
Students began with open-faced molds, then advanced to a more precise technique in investment casting. But before diving into full-on metal casting, the students started with something a little sweeter: chocolate.
"We teach them how to make molds out of brown sugar and then they cast chocolate," said Peter Jaszczak. "It's a lot lower stakes and fun, and the students learn the basics of making molds."
Jaclyn Johnson Named Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year
In April, Teaching Professor Jaclyn Johnson received the 2025 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award. A teaching professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Johnson was one of three recipients of the award, which is presented annually by the Michigan Association of State Universities.
The honor recognizes outstanding contributions and dedication by the faculty from Michigan's 15 public universities to the education of undergraduate students.
"Johnson's dedication is not simply to teaching, but to inspiring those she teaches, and this is the hallmark of an educator that is dedicated to fostering growth—educationally, professionally, and personally," said Andrew Storer, Michigan Tech's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Her drive to inspire and foster growth across all aspects of her many and varied educational activities makes her ideally suited for this prestigious award."
Johnson '08 '11 received her master's degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech. She has 10 years of teaching experience at Tech, and previously served as lecturer and research engineer in the MAE department. Her research interests include diesel spray and combustion, spark ignition characterization, and thermophysical property modeling, with specialties in optical and laser based diagnostics, image processing methodologies, and diesel spray characterization and analysis.
Johnson has taught 20 unique courses over her 10 years as an educator at Tech, developing and implementing courses across the MAE curriculum. Her depth of knowledge and curricular insight make her a leader in accessible learning activities and hands-on intellectual inquiry.
She also serves as faculty advisor for the Michigan Tech Engineering Ambassadors program and Society of Women Engineers student organization.
Mechatronics Program Earns ARM Endorsement
Michigan Tech's mechatronics program earned endorsement from the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute last fall. In passing the ARM Institute's rigorous assessment process, the University proved that Huskies learn the skills needed for a manufacturing career working with robotics.
"Our mechatronics students don't just learn concepts in the classroom—they apply them directly in state-of-the-art labs, industry-sponsored projects, and real-world settings during co-op or internship opportunities," said Aleksandr Sergeyev, professor of applied computing and director of Michigan Tech's graduate program in mechatronics.
"The ARM Institute's endorsement is a national seal of approval for our program, because they only recognize programs that meet the highest standards of education and workforce development," said Sergeyev. "For Michigan Tech students and employers alike, it's a powerful signal that our graduates are prepared to step into the future of advanced manufacturing."
The ARM Institute is the nation's leading collaborative in robotics and workforce innovation, working at the confluence of industry, government, and academia. Structured as a public-private partnership, the ARM Institute and its 450-plus member organizations catalyze robotic technologies, AI, and workforce solutions to strengthen the US industrial base and secure national manufacturing resiliency.
The institute is sponsored by the US Department of Defense, and its diverse membership base includes start-ups, research universities, community colleges, manufacturers of all sizes, government agencies, workforce development organizations, and more.
"The ARM Institute leads the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation's greatest challenges and to develop and produce the world's most desired products. In addition to supporting workforce development, the ARM Institute also supports cutting-edge research in robotics," said Vinh Nguyen, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and director of Michigan Tech's Center for Artificial Intelligence. "This endorsement acknowledges the world-class research in mechatronics at Michigan Tech and its integration with its renowned curriculum."
College of Business Hosts First Business Career Fair
In October, a month after the University's renowned Career Fair, the College of Business hosted its first exclusive career event for Huskies majoring in business disciplines.
"We're excited to offer this opportunity to employers looking for top talent," said Dean Johnson, the College's dean. "As the only business college in Michigan embedded in a public technological research university, our STEM-infused programs are unique and our students are both tech- and business-savvy."
Held in collaboration with Michigan Tech Career Services, the fair focused on undergraduate and graduate students from all of the College's degree programs, including accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and the Tech MBA®. Interview spaces were provided the next day for companies ready to hire Huskies for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions. A total of 16 employers attended the event, along with more than 150 students.
"This inaugural event was a clear win for students and industry alike," said Johnson. "One employer pulled me aside to say they were blown away by the talent and readiness of our Huskies. We're eager to continue growing this fair and strengthening relationships across the region."
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
