December 8, 2025

Michigan Technological University will celebrate 2025 Midyear Commencement with a ceremony honoring more than 300 undergraduate students on Saturday, Dec. 13.

The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Varsity Gym in Michigan Tech's Student Development Complex. The SDC will open at 8:30 a.m. for ticketed guests, and free parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in Lot 22 adjacent to the SDC and Lot 24 near the football field. Tickets are required to attend the commencement ceremony. Guests are encouraged to check the campus map for accessible parking locations. Those unable to attend in person can watch the ceremony via livestream, with a recording available afterward.

This year's student commencement address will be delivered by graduating senior Quinn Riordan, an applied ecology and environmental science major from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Meet Riordan and get more commencement logistics at Michigan Tech News.

When Quinn Riordan shares her farewell message as the student speaker for Michigan Tech’s 2025 Midyear Commencement, she’ll also be continuing to prepare for her future.

“I’m pursuing a career in environmental education and research, which requires a lot of public speaking,” said Riordan. “What’s a better opportunity to get more practice than in front of my whole class?”

Riordan, who is earning her bachelor’s degree in applied ecology and environmental science, was honored to be selected as speaker. No spoiler alerts needed: She is saving the specifics of her address for the podium. Those unable to attend the ceremony can watch it during the commencement livestream beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Follow Riordan’s journey from nervous first-year student to graduating senior on the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Blog.

University Marketing and Communications (UMC) has updated the University’s Social Media Policy and Social Media Guidelines. These resources apply to all official Michigan Tech social media accounts managed by University faculty or staff.

The revised resources provide guidance on: 

• Account setup and administrator requirements
• Naming and branding standards 
• Content development, moderation and engagement practices
• Security and credential management

Action Required:
If your college, school, department, institute, center, auxiliary or University governing organization manages an official social media account, please complete the Social Media Account Request Form and align the account with the updated policy and guidelines by Jan. 9, 2026. 

This update does not apply to registered student organization (RSO) accounts or personal/professional accounts. 

For support or questions, please reach out to UMC’s social media team at social@mtu.edu — we’re here to help!

With recent changes in space on campus, faculty and staff are reminded that permanent location changes of tagged Michigan Tech property must be timely reported to the Property Office. A location change is considered permanent if the property will not return to its original on- or off-campus location (documented in Banner) within four weeks.

Please work with your department’s equipment coordinator to make sure location changes are reported. A list of equipment coordinators by department is available in the Property Procedures Manual.

All departments contribute to successful audits and our annual physical inventory provides the Office of Naval Research an assessment of the effectiveness of our property management system, including our location accuracy. Receiving positive audit opinions allows Michigan Tech to continue to receive federal funds for research and to meet government and sponsor requirements.

For questions, please contact the Property Office at property-l@mtu.edu.

Next time you visit the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum be sure to look for student contributions to the museum’s new Amuse digital interpretation app!

This semester, five teams of students in Sarah F. Scarlett's (SS) new Essential Education Experience course, Experiencing Museums, created one-minute videos for visitors to enjoy student voices in the gallery. Students drew from course field trips to museums in Milwaukee and the Keweenaw where they learned about public history, visitor engagement and community partnerships.

Thanks to John Jaszczak and Patty Corbin for partnering with the Department of Social Sciences and helping students develop meaningful stories about minerals. Check them out!

A total of 44 nominations were submitted for the 2025 Making a Difference Awards. There will be winners in each of the following categories:

• Behind the Scenes
• Innovation Award
• Legacy Award
• Outstanding Leader
• Rookie Award
• Serving Others
• Unsung Hero

A list of nominees can be found on the Staff Council website.

Everyone is invited to a reception honoring the nominees. The reception is scheduled from 2-3:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2026, in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The recipients for each award category will be announced at the reception.

As a reminder, union-represented employees are entitled to release time for professional development activities, including staff recognition programs deemed relevant by the University. Employees should work with their supervisors to ensure coverage during their absence. Supervisors may contact Human Resources for guidance on eligibility and the process for granting this release time.

The Chronicle of Higher Education quoted Jenny Apriesnig (COB) in a story examining how changes to federal research funding could affect local economies and the businesses connected to university research activity.

WCMU Public Media quoted Professor Emeritus Rolf Peterson (CFRES) in a story about new research showing how wolves on Isle Royale shift from hunting moose to beavers seasonally, and how that change may affect the island’s ecosystem.

All About Cookies featured Yu Cai (AC/CS/ICC) in a report on 2025 web hosting trends. Cai provided expert insight on cyber threats driven by artificial intelligence, the legal and privacy implications of hosting breaches, and how AI is reshaping the web hosting industry.

Crain’s Detroit Business named College of Business alum Dan Hagerman ’08 (B.S. Accounting) to its 40 Under 40 Class of 2025. Hagerman is a managing director and tax advisor at BDO who leads the firm’s work in specialized tax incentives and supports clients across multiple industries nationwide. He is widely known for his leadership, technical expertise and commitment to community impact. The recognition highlights his growing influence in tailored tax strategy and his leadership within the industry.

Lake Superior Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech in a roundup highlighting regional events, including an upcoming campus visit from author and MTU Trustee John U. Bacon, who will discuss his book “The Gales of November” at the MUB Ballroom on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

BVM Sports mentioned Michigan Tech Athletics in a story about the Huskies receiving the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence for the sixth straight year. Tech earned a 92% Academic Success Rate across its Division II programs, placing it among 43 institutions, and one of only two in the GLIAC, to receive the honor.

WLUC TV6 and WZMQ 19 News covered Michigan Tech hockey forward Stiven Sardarian being named CCHA Forward of the Month after totaling 13 points in November and leading the nation in assists.

WZMQ 19 News covered Michigan Tech football linebacker Chase Koch earning spot on the 2025 D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Second Team following a season with 105 total tackles and multiple GLIAC honors.

Nominations Closing Soon for 2026 MAGS Excellence in Teaching Awards

Nominations are open for a few more days for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Awards. Michigan Tech may nominate one student at the M.S. and Ph.D. level. Each graduate program may nominate one student at the M.S. and Ph.D. level. Nominations are due to the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Eligible students:

• Will have been enrolled at Michigan Tech during the 2025 calendar year and have a teaching appointment.
• Will have earned the Michigan Tech Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award.
• Will exemplify excellence in the teaching and learning mission of Michigan Tech.

See the Graduate School's application page for complete details on what is required for a nomination.

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Applications Invited for NSF-Backed Research Security Workshop at MTU

American universities face growing research security challenges as foreign intelligence agencies target cutting-edge research. To strengthen institutional strategies, Michigan Technological University — sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) — will host the 2026 Research on Research Security Workshop.

This event invites research security officers or equivalent personnel from recent R1 and rising R2 institutions to engage in a structured, participatory dialogue on university research security. The workshop will feature a group-level assessment (GLA) — a collaborative method for generating and prioritizing data to guide actionable outcomes.

Applications are due next Monday, Dec. 15.

• 25 sponsored participants will attend at no cost.
• Unsponsored participants may join for a $200 registration fee.

Learn more at the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems’ 2026 Research on Research Security Workshop site.

The planning committee welcomes and encourages those at MTU who have contacts to share this with external research security personnel.

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'Guiding Growth: A Workshop for Faculty Mentors'

Mentoring is an important role for any faculty member, but few faculty receive formal training for it. "Guiding Growth: A Workshop for Faculty Mentors" will help faculty develop skills for effectively mentoring graduate students, junior faculty and peers. The program will provide an opportunity for both new and senior faculty to work with a community of peers to enhance their ability to guide and support others as they navigate their academic career.

Topics will include developing mentoring agreements, communicating expectations, fostering independence, meeting the mentee’s individual needs and addressing mentoring challenges.

The “Guiding Growth” workshop will include four 90-minute sessions, to be held from 12:30-2 p.m. on Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17 and April 21. Participants will be asked to commit to all four sessions.

Please register for the workshop series by Dec. 19.

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'The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald' – John U. Bacon Book Talk and Signing Event

Join us for a talk and book signing by author John U. Bacon, featuring his New York Times Best Seller, “The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” He'll share insights and stories about the Great Lakes, the ship, the storm and, most importantly, the crew and their families. Books will be for sale on site by North Wind Books. 

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10 
Time: 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Location: MUB Ballroom B

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December Purchasing and PCard Deadlines

With the holidays fast approaching, the Purchasing Department would like to remind departments to submit all 2025 purchase requisitions no later than next Tuesday, Dec. 16. This will ensure adequate time for processing and approvals, and allow purchase orders to be issued to vendors before their holiday closures.

Please ensure that all non-travel PCard transactions are entered and allocated in your December PCard report, and that the report is submitted by the week of Dec. 15 to allow sufficient time for approvals.

If you have any questions, please contact pcard@mtu.edu or concur@mtu.edu.

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Fall Semester 2025 Grades Submission

Grades for Michigan Tech's fall semester 2025 (including Track B) are due by 8 a.m. next Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Any grades not turned in by the deadline will have an “M” (missing) grade assigned, which becomes the official course grade for the student. A grade change is required for each student when replacing the “M” grade and should be made online through the Faculty Grading Self Service card in Experience. All “M” grades should be replaced with final grades within 30 days of the end of the semester.

Electronic Grade Submission:
Electronic grade submission to Banner will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Begin by logging in to Experience and finding the Faculty Grading Self Service card.

• Instructors have two options for grades submission. Select either Faculty Self Service Grade Submission or Course Tools for the Canvas Grade Wizard.

• When submitting an “F” grade, the last date of the student's attendance is required. The date is a best estimate based on the last class attendance, last exam/quiz taken or homework assignment turned in.

• When submitting an “I” grade, the reason for giving the incomplete grade is required in addition to the requirements needed to change the “I” to a final grade. 

• Faculty will be prompted for the date/comments when entering these grades in Faculty Self Service and at the time grades are transferred to Banner if using Canvas.

Posting Grades:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the posting of grades using a student's name, Social Security number or any part thereof, or MTU ID number or any part thereof. Grades may be posted with an identifying number agreed to and known only by the student and faculty member.

Grade Submission Help:
For help with grade submission, your Canvas Course, or using the Canvas Learning Management System, contact eLearning in the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) during regular business hours (10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m., Monday-Friday). You can also submit an IT Support Ticket.

Resources and Contact Info:

• Web: CTL Instructional Resources for Canvas
• Email: elearning@mtu.edu
• Phone: 906-487-3000

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

New Huskies Orientation Paperwork Session

Monday, December 8, 8–10 a.m.

Keweenaw Socialists - General Meeting

Monday, December 8, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Fisher 101

KS at MTU weekly general meeting.