From the Alumni Association

Get involved! Serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors

The Michigan Tech Alumni Association is calling for nominations for exceptional individuals to serve on its Board of Directors.

As the policy-making body for the Michigan Tech Alumni Association, the Board of Directors establishes programs, sets priorities for the association, and works with the Alumni Relations team to engage alumni with the University.

The deadline for nominations is December 1. More information about the responsibilities and expectations of Alumni Association Board members and the nomination form can be found at www.mtu.edu/alumni/notables/board/ about or by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@mtu.edu or toll free at 877-688-2586.

Tour Malta next May

You are invited to join social sciences professor Mary Durfee on a tour of Malta May 7–14. In the mid-Mediterranean, Malta's small size (122 square miles) lets visitors explore its entire natural and cultural history. This English-speaking nation is home to World Heritage Sites, ancient Punic and Roman ruins, and fortifications of the Knights of St. John. The tour also includes visits to museums and gardens; harbor cruises; and opportunities for snorkeling, diving, and shopping.

The cost is $900 plus airfare and hotel accommodations of about $150 per day; some meals are included. To learn more, contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mtu.edu or 877-688-2586.

Honoring fallen vets on Tech's Memorial Wall: you can help

When the Memorial Union was built in 1952, a memorial was installed on the top floor as a tribute to the alumni who gave their lives in service to their country during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

A project is under way to add the names of alumni who died while serving in the armed forces during more-recent wars, including conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

We want to assure that all our fallen alumni are recognized, and you can help. If you know of a Michigan Tech alumnus or alumna who was killed in combat, please contact Alumni Relations at 877688-2586 or email alumni@mtu.edu.

Help us recognize outstanding alumni and friends

Know a great Michigan Tech alumna, alumnus, or friend of the University? Here's a chance to help get them the recognition they deserve.

The Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2014 Alumni Award:

  • Outstanding Young Alumni
  • Outstanding Service
  • Distinguished Alumni
  • Honorary Alumni
  • Humanitarian

These awards are presented each August at the Alumni Reunion.

Please consider nominating deserving individuals for the 2014 Alumni Association awards program.

Award descriptions and nomination forms are available at https://www.mtu.edu/alumni/recognition/awards/ or by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations, 877-688-2586 or alumni@mtu.edu. The nomination deadline is December 1.

Help the Alumni Association Board bring a husky to center campus

In support of its mission to celebrate Michigan Tech traditions and create connections, the Alumni Association Board of Directors is creating a new tradition with plans to place a husky statue in the center of campus.

This project will help create a campus landmark that will serve as a touchstone for generations of students and alumni.

For more information on the Husky Statue Project, please contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mtu.edu or call 877-688-2586.

2013 Snowfall Contest winners

This was quite the winter in the Copper Country. In fact, on May 8 a front page story in the Daily Mining Gazette described it as "persistent."

There was a trace of snow on the morning of September 12, but it wasn't until after the New Year that the majority of the season's accumulation fell. We received sixty-seven inches in January, and our best snow day was February 19. Twelve inches fell in that twenty-four-hour period, combining with high winds to cause Tech to close for a day and a half.

On the positive side, the Nordic ski trails were in excellent condition until the end of April, and Mont Ripley had its longest season ever.

The Alumni Association's third annual Snowfall Contest collected 560 entries ranging from a low of 75 inches to a high of 312 inches. The official snowfall total for the 2012–13 season was 225.75, according to the Keweenaw Research Center's weather station, near the Houghton County Memorial Airport.

There were four predictions of 225 inches, so we used the tiebreaking question of when the snow would stop falling (May 12) to choose the winner. Robert Ungeran '67 will receive a two-night stay in a campus guest room, plus a Michigan Tech Winter Survival Kit (Tech hoodie, gloves, hat, scarf, blanket, and snowbrush.)

Paul Marttila '95 was chosen at random from all entries to receive the consolation prize, a Michigan Tech Winter Survival Kit.

Thank you to all who entered. Stay tuned for the fourth annual Snowfall Contest for the 2013–14 season, which will kick off in November on www.mtu.edu/alumni.

Check out the snow memories of alumni and friends at www.mtu.edu/memories and post your own stories about winter at Tech.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 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 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, 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.