November 14, 2025

As noted in the October Tech Today article and the Essential Education Newsblog's Oct. 15 blog post, faculty support Michigan Tech’s Essential Ed continuous improvement process by completing Planning Tools at the start of each semester and EA Reporting at the end, following a three-year cycle.

Why It Matters
By reflecting on how their courses support the Essential Abilities (EAs), instructors create more intentional course designs that foster learning and skill development. Submitted EA Reports undergo peer review to provide instructors with feedback and to identify trends that strengthen the overall program.

Planning Tool Updates
Thank you to all who are contributing to the rollout of Essential Education courses this year!

Feedback from faculty Planning Tool submissions helped the Essential Education Course List Teams and Steering Committee enhance processes and resources. Instructors teaching spring 2026 courses will see several updates incorporated into the new Planning Tools.

Instructor EA Reporting – Soft Launch
In academic year 2025-26, instructor EA Reporting is in a soft launch phase that includes three Essential Ed course lists: Foundations and lower-level math and science courses. For these fall 2025 courses, instructors received emailed instructions on Oct. 25 to upload a completed EA Report (using the Word template) and two student work samples using the Submit Your EA Report form (Google form). The Instructor EA Reporting Guide (in Canvas Hub) offers step-by-step instructions and frequently asked questions.

Insights from this phase will inform process improvements and resource development for the full launch in academic year 2026-27, which will begin the complete three-year reporting cycle.

Important Dates and Support

• Fall 2025 Instructor EA Reports due Jan 16 (courses involved in soft launch)
• Spring 2026 Planning Tools due Jan 5 (all Essential Ed courses)
• Spring 2026 Instructor EA Reports due April 29 (courses involved in soft launch)

Refer to the Essential Ed Newsblog for dates applicable to summer courses.

Contact your unit liaisons for assistance or email essentialed@mtu.edu for reporting and Husky Folio support.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the Essential Education program.

As the Great Lakes region reflects on 50 years since the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the Michigan Tech Archives would like to invite you to an evening of history and commemoration for the ship, the crew and all who were impacted by this tragic event.

All are welcome to join historian Frederick Stonehouse at Michigan Tech tomorrow, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. for “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” a presentation of decades-long shipwreck research accompanied by vivid storytelling.

The presentation will take place in the Memorial Union Ballroom and is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Although registration was previously open for this event, walk-in guests are welcome and encouraged!

This event is sponsored by The Library Network with programming support provided by the MTU Archives, Portage Lake District Library and Superiorland Library Cooperative.

Michigan Tech’s Biskaabiiyaang Collective registered student organization, together with the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan and the Canterbury House, will be showing the “Sugarcane” documentary film on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A1.

Accompanying the screening will be the “Walking Together: Finding Common Ground” exhibit. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Bob Hazen and Tom Biron to talk about their boarding school experiences. Refreshments will be provided.

We welcome you to join us for Native American Heritage Month. Please email us at aises@mtu.edu with any questions or to request the event flyer.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering's next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, in GLRC 202. Attendance is also invited virtually via Zoom.

Join the Seminar on Zoom (use password 856499).

Steven Emerman, owner, Malach Consulting, will present "Implementing Low-Carbon Materials and Practices in Asphalt Paving Projects."

Read Emerman's abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar.

Yuzhi Chen of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will give a talk as part of the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) Fall 2025 Seminar Series on Monday, Nov. 17.

This event will be held in the Great Lakes Research Center. Refreshments and a social will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the GLRC Lobby on the first floor, with the lecture to follow at 4 p.m. in GLRC 202.

The title of the talk is "Aqueous Processing of Isoprene Epoxydiols (IEPOX): From Aerosol Particles to Cloud Droplets."

Read Chen's abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar.

Please join Michigan Tech’s McNair Scholars Program on Dec. 3 from 12-2 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A as Wayne Gersie, vice president for community engagement, discusses pathways to navigating the often-complex landscape of funding for graduate school.

This workshop is strongly recommended for undergraduate students considering attending graduate school. It is sponsored by the McNair Scholars Program and we kindly ask that you please register in advance.

Light refreshments will be served.

The original announcement for the Department of Psychology and Human Factors' faculty candidate forum with Kimberly Williams, Ph.D., included incorrect times for the forum. The forum is being held from 3-4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, in the M&M Third Floor Coworking Space.

Job Posting for Friday, Nov. 14, 2025

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Food Service Helper – First Shift (12 months), Dining Services. (​AFSCME posting dates are Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, 2025. External applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal ​AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal ​AFSCME posting dates.)

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment or for an interview at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or humanresources@mtu.edu.

The Daily Mining Gazette quoted Nich Radcliffe (VPA) and MTU students Paige Harsevoort (environmental engineering) and Sebastian Dash (mechatronics) in a story about Michigan Tech Theatre’s upcoming production of “Men on Boats,” which opens Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the McArdle Theatre.

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech faculty Sue Collins, Patricia Sotirin and Stefka Hristova (all HU) and Steven Walton (SS) in coverage of the Carnegie Museum’s new exhibit “World War I and the Copper Country Home Front 1917-1918,” which was funded in part by Michigan Tech’s Department of Humanities.

The Keweenaw Report quoted Audra Morse (AA/CEGE) in a story about Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering partnering with the Lenawee Intermediate School District to offer new dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students. The partnership was highlighted by Michigan Tech News on Nov. 3.

The Lansing State Journal, Grand Rapids’ WGRD 97.9 and 19 regional outlets mentioned Michigan Tech’s long-running Isle Royale wolf-moose project in coverage of opportunities for volunteers to join 2026 Moose Watch expeditions.

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned the Michigan Tech Archives in a story about a presentation at MTU by Great Lakes historian Frederick Stonehouse commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. The talk is planned tomorrow, Nov. 15, in the MUB Ballroom.

Share the Joy of Your Pet: Become a Pet Partners Handler!

Looking for a meaningful way to make a difference with your furry (or fluffy!) friend? SuperiorLand Pet Partners is offering a Handler Class next Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Michigan Tech.

This fun six-hour class is the first step to becoming a nationally registered Pet Partners therapy animal team, helping to spread comfort and joy at MTU events, local hospitals, schools and more.

The training is offered in partnership with Michigan Tech’s Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being and Van Pelt and Opie Library as part of ongoing efforts to promote connection and reduce stress on campus.

Share the healing power of the human-animal bond and make a real impact in our community!

To learn more or register, contact Patty Cornish, R.N., MSN, a certified Pet Partners Handler Class instructor, at 906-485-5815.

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Thanksgiving Holiday Payroll Schedule & Timecard Deadlines

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the University will be closed Nov. 27 and Nov. 28. Payroll deadlines for the bi-weekly pay period ending Nov. 22, 2025 (BW24) will be adjusted.

To ensure timely processing, please review the updated deadlines below and plan accordingly.

Key Reminders:

• Hourly employees must estimate hours for any time worked through the end of Week 2.
• Supervisors and approvers: Please review and approve time promptly and ensure proxy approvals are in place if you are unavailable during the holiday period.
• No off-cycle payroll for Nov. 21 payday due to the updated schedule.

Off-Cycle Pay Requests & Processing Schedule

• Requests submitted before the deadline will be processed and paid on Friday, Nov. 28.
• Requests submitted after the deadline will be processed and paid on Friday, Dec. 5.

Deadlines:

• Electronic Timecard Submission & Approvals — due Thursday, Nov. 20, at midnight
• Manual Timesheets & Off-Cycle Pay Requests — due Friday, Nov. 21, at noon
• BW 24 Payday — Friday, Nov. 28

Thank you for your cooperation in meeting these deadlines. We wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please refer to the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers.

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SHPE Hosting Noche de Baile

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), a registered student organization at Michigan Tech, invites you to join us for "Noche de Baile," tomorrow, Nov. 15, from 6-10 p.m. in the DHH Ballroom.

This free cultural event is a fun way for students to relax, meet new people and learn about Latino culture. There will be music, food, games, prizes, karaoke, glow in the dark face painting and plenty of dancing!

Check us out on Involvement Link for more details.

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Chemistry Seminar with Caleb Stetson

Caleb Stetson, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Michigan Technological University, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar. The seminar will be held in person at 3 p.m. today, Nov. 14, in Chem Sci 101.

Stetson's presentation is titled "From Raw Materials to Modern End Products: Department of Energy Research Spanning Resource Extraction to Emerging Material Development."

From the abstract: 
The U.S. Department of Energy supports research across the country through academia, the National Laboratory complex, and private-sector industry. This research portfolio bridges the full range of research and development for technologies and resources essential for U.S. domestic energy independence. In recent years, domestic material manufacturing and development has faced unique supply chain challenges. There are three general approaches to alleviate supply pressure and foster advanced material production domestically: i) supply intensification, bringing domestic primary resources into production, ii) technological substitution, whereby new materials are developed to supplant existing materials with critical material requirements, and iii) secondary resource circularity, ensuring that domestic critical material products in use are recovered and reused. Domestic extraction of lithium-ion battery (LIB) metals is limited, despite significant private- and public-sector interest in mining investment; however, supply intensification is not the only path to domestic lithium-ion battery production. Technological substitution, in the form of lithium iron phosphate (LFP, LiFePO4) cathodes, facilitates the deployment of abundant domestic iron and phosphate resources in battery supply chains by supplanting critical material-rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC, LiNixMnyCozO2) cathode materials. Compared to LIBs, rare earth elements (REEs) are similarly essential in advanced materials for civilian and military applications. While the U.S. has significant REE resources, there is only a single operating mine, with most of the mined resource exported for processing. REEs are challenging to separate from one another, and only a few elements of the lanthanide series are used in the fabrication of permanent magnets. This seminar will focus on lithium-ion batteries and REE-based permanent magnets, initially on their resources and supply chains, moving into extractive metallurgy R&D to improve resource extraction, then touching on emerging material development and characterization of these materials. Lastly, opportunities to work with and within the National Laboratories will be discussed.

Stetson joined MTU’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering as an assistant professor in August 2025. Previously, he was at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), completing a postdoctoral fellowship and working as a research scientist in the Mineral and Molecular Separations & Analysis Department. Stetson completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science at the Colorado School of Mines. His prior research experience includes characterization of next-generation electrodes at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and process optimization for electrowinning of copper cathode for Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold. He holds a M.Sc. in Nanotechnology from Tampere University of Technology in Finland and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Stetson’s research interests include mineral processing and hydrometallurgical separations of critical/strategic minerals and LIB electrode and electrolyte materials. He has coauthored 29 peer-reviewed publications and six patents.

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MSE Seminar with James Chapman

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is hosting a seminar presented by James Chapman of the Materials Informatics Lab at Boston University today, Nov. 14, from 3-4 p.m. in M&M 610.

Chapman will present “Decoding atomic-scale structure-property relationships using graph-based machine learning.”

From the abstract:
Materials behavior begins and ends at the atomic scale, making the understanding of how atomic systems behave of vital importance. Computational techniques such as molecular dynamics and density functional theory have become instrumental in quantifying how the properties of atomic-level materials systems propagate to larger length and time scales and dictate observed materials behavior. However, understanding the exact reasons for this behavior is often non-trivial, as the geometric and chemical complexity of these atomic systems creates a near limitless number of configurations that drive the underlying materials properties. Therefore, explicitly mapping which structural and chemical features of a material are more important than others is critical to understanding why materials behave the way they do. In this talk I will discuss how graph neural networks can be used to learn properties such as the enthalpy of mixing for multi principal component alloy phase decompositions in an interpretable manner. This will be followed by an extensive discussion of how global and local atomic information can be captured and propagated between the scales to provide intuitive characterization of atomistic structures in complex and dynamic environments. I will also discuss the future of these techniques and how they can solve some of the most pressing challenges in materials science.

Chapman is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and is the principal investigator for the Materials Informatics Lab at Boston University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020 and completed his postdoctoral work at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in 2022. His research expertise is on the fusion of data science/machine learning with atomistic/mesoscale simulations to better understand how materials properties change under extreme conditions. His current work emphasizes graph-based approaches to alleviate the small data and interpretability challenges of inverse design problems with a focus on materials synthesis and catalyst design. He has served as a co-organizer for several symposia for the Materials Research Society and is active in communities in both MRS, TMS and APS.

To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.

Men's Basketball vs Missouri-St. Louis

Friday, November 14, 12–3 a.m. | Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Men's Basketball vs Missouri-St. Louis Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Women's Basketball vs Lewis

Friday, November 14, 12–3 a.m. | Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Women's Basketball vs Lewis Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Women's Soccer at GLIAC Tournament

Friday, November 14, 12–3 a.m.

Women's Soccer at GLIAC Tournament

PhD Defense: Peterson Nguyen

Friday, November 14, 8–9 a.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Kazuya Tajiri STUDY OF TWO-PHASE VOID FRACTION IN A RECTANGULAR CHANNEL USING CAPACITANCE SENSOR Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/82470803133?jst=3

Careers In Mathematics Seminar

Friday, November 14, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 133

From Graph Theory to Remote Sensing and Beyond -- How Mathematics Uniquely prepares you for Applied Research Careers November 13, 2025 1:00 PM Fisher Hall - 133 Proudly presents, Dr. Janiszewski started her math journey at Michigan Tech where she fell in love with Graph Theory, Combinatorics, and Discrete Math. After grad school, with the job market for newly minted PhDs looking bleak at that moment in time, she took her first job outside of academia. It was here that her first boss gave her the mantra that has defined her career when he said: "I hired you for how you think, not what you know." Along the way, Dr. Janiszewski has transformed from a Pure Mathematician to an Applied Researcher and eventually to Executive Director of the Michigan Tech Research Institute where she manages a team of more than 100 research staff. This talk will highlight some of the non-academic career paths available to Mathematics graduates in applied research as well as give a bit of insight into Dr. Janiszewski's current research portfolio and how Graph Theory still applies.

Cookies & Coloring

Friday, November 14, 2 p.m.–4 p.m. | Alumni House

Do you like free cookies? Come and get some at Cookies and Coloring! Stop by the Alumni House basement on Friday, November 14th between 2-4pm for some free cookies and coloring! Enjoy tasty treats while you relax with some coloring—it’s a perfect way to de-stress and recharge.

Leveraging AI in pulmonary hypertension: From mechanistic insights to improved diagnosis

Friday, November 14, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 102

Biomedical Engineering Research Seminar Reza Avazmohammadi, Ph.D. Texas A&M University Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming cardiovascular care by enabling non-invasive and multiscale assessments of cardiac remodeling and function. Traditional indices for assessing cardiac function, such as ejection fraction and pressure-volume measurements, provide only a global evaluation, often failing to detect impairments at the regional level before they become fully evident and potentially irreversible at the organ level. In this talk, I will discuss new directions that can address these limitations by integrating AI with cardiac imaging, finite element modeling, and physics-informed methods to characterize cardiac biomechanical remodeling and function in vivo. I will focus on the application of AI-assisted modeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH is characterized by an elevation in the mean pulmonary arterial pressure. It affects ~1% of the world's population and could lead to right ventricular failure. First, I will discuss our multiscale biomechanical studies of the right ventricle and pulmonary artery in preclinical models of PH, establishing the significance of fiber- and tissue-level biomechanical alterations in the outcome of PH. Next, building on these studies, I will demonstrate how physics-informed neural network modeling enables a technology that can quantify these high-fidelity alterations in vivo. Together, these AI-powered platforms establish a foundation for non-invasive, interpretable clinical tools that can capture global and regional cardiac biomechanics indices. This integrative approach holds promise for advancing diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment monitoring in cardiac diseases such as pulmonary hypertension. Bio Dr. Reza Avazmohammadi (Avaz) is an assistant professor and the director of the Computational Cardiovascular Bioengineering Laboratory in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Dr. Avaz earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (2014) in the area of constitutive modeling of soft materials, and his postdoctoral research training focused on cardiac biomechanics. Dr. Avaz’s primary research interest is to integrate medical imaging with cardiac biomechanics and in-silico modeling to advance our understanding of the biomechanical basis of cardiac remodeling in structural heart diseases. Building on this understanding, his lab aims to develop image-based, AI-assisted technologies that improve non-invasive diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics for these diseases. Dr. Avaz was the recipient of Career Development Awards from the NIH and the American Heart Association. His work is currently funded by the NSF, NIH, and American Heart Association.

Women's Volleyball vs Saginaw Valley State

Friday, November 14, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. | Houghton, MI

Women's Volleyball vs Saginaw Valley State Houghton, MI

BMES x H-STEM Enterprise Workshop: From Schematic to PCB

Friday, November 14, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | HSTEM 248

Biomedical engineers often work with electronics to create tools that sense, measure, and interact with the human body. This workshop introduces students to the fundamentals of circuit design through a real-world example: a custom controller for lab instrumentation. In this two-part series, participants will: Session 1 (Nov 14): Learn how to design a schematic from scratch, using best practices and validation techniques to ensure accuracy. Session 2 (Nov 17): Get hands-on with PCB layout tools to turn your schematic into a physical design. While we won’t fabricate the boards this semester, you’ll leave with a complete layout ready for future prototyping. What is a PCB? A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is the physical platform that connects and supports electronic components. It’s essential in biomedical devices—from pacemakers to lab sensors—and knowing how to design one empowers engineers to prototype, troubleshoot, and innovate. Who should attend? This free workshop is open to all students interested in biomedical instrumentation, electronics, or hands-on design. No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a laptop if you have one!

Comedian Ryan Kelly

Friday, November 14, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for Performing Arts

You may know him online as youthpastorryan, internet personality and comedian Ryan Kelly is coming to MTU! He was spiderman at disneyland and has a master's degree in homeland security, what more could you want from a comedian? Join us at the Rozsa, students get in FREE through student rush. Community tickets can be found here!

Men's Ice Hockey vs Bemidji State

Friday, November 14, 7:07 p.m.–10:07 p.m. | Houghton, MI

Men's Ice Hockey vs Bemidji State Houghton, MI