Sign Up for Family Fun at Michigan Tech's Alumni Reunion

From alumni basketball to Family Engineering, Michigan Technological University’s 2012 Alumni Reunion, set for Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 2-4, is full of fun activities for all ages. The public is welcome to take in one of the faculty Tech Talks, tour the Great Lakes Research Center or find out what all the fuss is about Mind Trekkers. And, for the first time, Alumni Reunion features a special gathering of the “Women of Tech.”

These events are open to the public, and many are free. If preregistration or tickets are required, you can sign up by going to Alumni Reunion and clicking on "Online registration." Or, you can register and buy tickets by calling 906-487-2400 or going to at the Alumni Reunion Registration Area, which will open in the Memorial Union on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Attendance to some events is limited, so consider registering early. For a full schedule of events, go to Alumni Reunion.

Thursday, Aug. 1

The two Tech Talks in room 139 of Fisher Hall give everyone a chance to learn about some of the University’s most engaging research. At 10 a.m., biological sciences professor and lake sturgeon expert Nancy Auer will present “Below the Surface: Researching Great Lakes Fisheries.” Patrick Martin, professor and chair of social sciences, will present “Industrial Archaeology and Historical Mining Around the World,” on Michigan Tech excavations at mining sites in Norway, Japan, Death Valley, Alaska and the Keweenaw.

Dedication ceremonies for the Great Lakes Research Center will be held at 2 p.m., followed by guided tours. Please register for planning purposes.

The ever-popular Pasty Picnic begins at 4 p.m. on the Campus Green between the Electrical Energy Resources Center and the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building. Traditional and vegetarian pasties are available, along with pickled eggs, side dishes and desserts, plus beverages provided by the Keweenaw Brewing Company. The cost is $16, $7 for children ages 6-12, free for children 5 and under.

Friday, Aug. 3

At 10 a.m., all kids are invited to “Children’s Laboratory Exploration: Investigating the Lake Superior Food Chain Using a Lake Trout Stomach!” Professor Marty Auer and Joan Chadde, director of the Center for Science, Math and Environmental Education, will lead this workshop that involves dissecting trout innards. Parents and grandparents are also welcome to come to the University Waterfront, near the Great Lakes Research Center. The workshop is free, but please register in advance so organizers have enough supplies for everyone.

Starting at 1:30 p.m., many University departments are holding open houses and hosting tours of their facilities. Don’t miss the tours at the Great Lakes Research Center, which run from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tours of campus start at 2 p.m. in the Admissions Office, on the ground floor of the Administration Building. For more information, stop by the Registration Area.

Some kids don’t even know what engineering is, let alone how fun it can be. “Family Engineering Is for Everyone” aims to change that. Elementary school children, their parents and grandparents are invited to take part in these hands-on activities that show how engineering solves all kinds of real problems. The workshop runs from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the waterfront near the Great Lakes Research Center. It’s free, but you will need a ticket.

Saturday, Aug. 4

The Par-Tee Time Golf Outing kicks off at 10 a.m. at Portage Lake Golf Course. Everyone is invited to participate in this friendly competition. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three teams and course game winners, and a hole-in-one earns $10,000. The cost is $280 for a four-person team, $160 for students, and includes golf, cart, lunch and two beverage tickets. To register, call Mark Maroste at 906-487-2641. The event is sponsored by the School of Business and Economics and the MBA Association.

Also at 10 a.m., Mind Trekkers will showcase the wonder and excitement of science for kids of all ages on the lawn near the Alumni House. The show lasts until noon. Please register for planning purposes.

Tours of the Great Lakes Research Center will be held on the half hour from 1:30 to 3 p.m., but advance registration is requested, as space is limited.

Everyone is welcome to come and cheer on the men’s basketball alumni teams at their Alumni Reunion game, set for 5:30 p.m. in the Student Development Complex.

Reunion culminates at 6:30 p.m. with the Women of Tech Celebration in the J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library. All women are welcome to come and reconnect with alumnae, Tech wives, faculty, staff and current female students. A cash bar will be available. Tickets are $15 and include appetizers.

For more information, visit Alumni Reunion or contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mtu.edu or 906-487-2400.

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.