January 6, 2026

Michigan Tech researchers are using applied computing, machine learning and digital archaeology to transform fragile, century-old maps of underground mines into detailed 3D models.

The interdisciplinary team, spanning the College of Computing and the Department of Social Sciences, has developed a semiautomated workflow that cleans, aligns and reconstructs historic survey sheets, revealing new opportunities for energy storage, groundwater modeling, heritage preservation and safer mine reuse.

The project’s potential applications stretch far beyond the iron and copper ranges of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Read the full story on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

Do you need to complete the Faculty Hiring and Review Workshop? There is still time to register for spring workshops.

Faculty serving on faculty search committees and tenure and promotion committees (TPRs) are required to complete a course called the Faculty Hiring and Review Workshop. The workshop covers high-impact practices for attracting the best candidates, required steps for search committees, legal aspects of hiring, and approaches for successfully promoting and retaining faculty. The workshop is managed by fellow faculty members in collaboration with Academic Affairs, Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX, and the Office of Community Engagement at Michigan Tech.

Use the Schedule and Registration page to choose the best course for you and then use the registration form to indicate your preferred workshop. You will receive an enrollment confirmation email from Human Resources. Please allow at least 48 hours for confirmation!

Use the Workshop Status page to check faculty completion and expiration status (ISO login required).

Please plan your completion of the Faculty Hiring and Review Workshop and refresher courses in advance. These courses have enrollment caps and cannot be provided on demand. The provost will not make exceptions. New faculty are encouraged to enroll in the full workshop in the spring semester of their first year. Faculty enrolling in a refresher course to maintain their status must complete the refresher before their status expires.

If you have any questions, please contact workshop coordinator Sarah F. Scarlett at sfscarle@mtu.edu or 906-487-2110.

Career Services invites all Michigan Tech departments and units to participate in the Spring 2026 On‑Campus Jobs Expo on Jan. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge of the MUB.

The On-Campus Jobs Expo is a great opportunity to meet motivated students before the semester gets busy, build a pipeline of future applicants and raise visibility for your unit’s work.

Even if you’re not actively hiring now, attending the expo helps you connect with top talent ahead of anticipated openings. Students are eager to learn about the wide range of opportunities across campus, from roles available now to positions that may open in the months ahead. Sharing job descriptions, typical hiring timelines and the kinds of skills you look for helps students prepare and make informed connections early.

To reserve a table or confirm your participation, please contact Career Services at careerfair@mtu.edu.

Benefits Services would like to remind Michigan Tech employees enrolled in health insurance coverage that pharmacy benefits have transitioned from Express Scripts (ESI) to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) effective Jan. 1.

The information outlined below will ensure you have seamless access to your prescription coverage.

Your New BCBSM Member ID Card:

• New BCBSM ID cards were mailed to enrolled employees starting Dec. 26, 2025.
  • Single Card: Your new card contains both your BCBSM health insurance and prescription drug member information.
  • Member ID: Your BCBSM Member ID number remains the same as your existing health coverage ID.
  • Virtual Card Access: For immediate access to a virtual ID card with the pharmacy details, please log in to your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan online account (see registration steps below).

Temporary Pharmacy Billing Information:

• If you have not yet received your new card, you can present your existing BCBSM health insurance card at the pharmacy, along with the following billing information:
  • BIN: 610011
  • RXGRP: BCBSMAN

Registering Your BCBSM Online Account:

• If you have not yet created an online account with BCBSM, we strongly encourage you to do so for easy access to virtual cards, claims and mail-order services. You may register using one of the following three options:
  1. Web: Go to bcbsm.com/register and select "Register Now."
  2. Mobile App: Download the BCBSM app from the App Store® or Google PlayTM, tap the MICHIGAN app, and then select "Register."
  3. Text: Text REGISTER to 222764 to begin the process.
     
     
• If you need technical assistance with registration, please call the BCBSM Web Support Help Line at 1-888-417-3479.

Refilling Mail Order Prescriptions:

• All existing mail-order prescriptions that were previously handled by Express Scripts and have remaining refills have been automatically transferred to Optum Home Delivery Pharmacy.
  
  
• To obtain a refill in 2026, please use one of the following methods:
  • Online: Visit bcbsm.com, log in to your secure member account, then click My Coverage> Prescription> Order online.
  • Mobile App: Log in to the BCBSM mobile app and tap My Coverage > Prescription > Mail Order.
  • Phone (Optum): Call Optum Home Delivery directly at 1-855-811-2223 (TTY 711). They can contact your doctor to obtain new three-month supply prescriptions if necessary.

Questions and Support:

• Questions about your benefit options or coverage details should be directed to MTU Benefits Services at hr-help@mtu.edu or 906-487-2517.

Research Development is hosting a virtual informational session next week to share details and answer questions about our spring 2026 research trip to Washington, D.C.

Michigan Tech’s DC Trip connects faculty and research staff with federal funding agencies, program officers and collaboration opportunities in Washington, D.C.

Join the Research Development team on Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. for this Info + Q&A Session to learn about the spring 2026 trip structure, timeline, cost-share support and how to prepare for a successful visit.

This trip is open to all researchers, so please bring your questions!

Join the Info Session on Zoom.

Key Details:

• Trip Dates: Week of May 4 (core dates TBD)
• Application Deadline: Feb. 26
• Application Form
• Full Timeline

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has released a Request for Proposals for its University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program. Five UTCs will be funded for the 2026-2030 cycle, and Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due Jan. 19.

Read the USDOT Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Michigan Tech may lead only one UTC proposal, but may participate as a partner on any number of proposals led by other institutions. If you are interested in partnering on a UTC proposal where another university will serve as the lead, please reach out to your collaborators soon to gauge interest ahead of the LOI deadline.

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) is currently developing two UTC proposal concepts for which Michigan Tech would serve as the lead institution. If you are planning to submit a UTC proposal with MTU as the lead, please inform Pam Hannon at prhannon@mtu.edu or 906-370-4644 as soon as possible so we can avoid submitting competing proposals with overlapping themes.

If you are interested in joining one of the MTTI-led UTC teams, please contact Hannon, who will connect you with the appropriate PIs to discuss alignment of ideas.

Additionally, if you plan to partner with another university that will lead a UTC proposal, please let Hannon know — she is happy to assist with proposal preparation and coordination.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

The Van Pelt and Opie Library and Campus Store invite you to support textbook affordability! Leverage Course Reserve, a service that allows instructors to share print materials with students. Instructors may complete a Course Reserve Request and share a copy of the materials with the library. The library will add the item to the Course Reserve Collection so that any student may check it out for a limited amount of time. 

Don’t have a copy to share? Student research consultants (SRCs) and librarians are eager to help anyone who’d like assistance with this task. Stop by the Ask Us! station on the first floor of the library or email library@mtu.edu for more information. 

All materials currently placed on Course Reserve can be found in a special collection on the library’s website. An additional list can be searched by course code on our Spring 2026 Course Materials webpage.

Please note: The library is unable to purchase new copies of every book assigned in Michigan Tech classes. We rely on collaborations with instructors to make the Course Reserve system a valuable resource for our students! If you would like to collaborate with the library to acquire course materials, please fill out the Recommend a Purchase form.

Some Michigan Tech instructors use LaTeX, a high-quality typesetting system, to create instructional materials — especially in STEM-focused disciplines. However, generating accessible, properly tagged PDF files from LaTeX has historically been difficult and time-consuming.

To support this work, the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has developed a new LaTeX template in Overleaf that can help streamline the accessibility process and reduce the need for extensive customization. The template includes the required packages, commands and metadata to produce tagged PDFs that include the core accessibility elements supported in other document formats (headings, lists, links, images, tables, color use, etc.).

Key features include:

• Built-in heading hierarchy (H1 for title, H2/H3 for sections and subsections)
• Automatically tagged ordered and unordered lists with support for nested lists
• Clearly differentiated and accessible hyperlink styling
• Support for image alt text
• Accessible table structure with tagged header columns and/or rows
• Options for providing accessible math expressions via images or a custom \mathalt command
• Pre-set metadata fields for author, title, language definition and initial file view
• A curated color palette that meets required contrast ratios

If you have questions or are interested in using the LaTeX template as you prepare your instructional materials, please contact CTL instructional developer William Crowell at wmcrowel@mtu.edu.

Professional editing services are available to all members of the Michigan Tech community through the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

• Any academic document (proposals, reports, journal articles, dissertations, etc.)
• Editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, flow and readability
• All editing is conducted via email and with quick turnaround

Editing services are provided by highly qualified English language instructors with expertise in grammar, writing and language instruction. Rates are $31 per hour. Email ekastamo@mtu.edu to get an estimate and free sample edit.

Visit our Editing Services webpage for more information.

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the mileage rates for 2026. As of Jan. 1, the standard mileage rate for business travel is 72.5 cents per mile. The mileage rate for moving purposes is 20.5 cents per mile.

Need a break from all the white snow? Come visit the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum to enjoy all the beautiful colors of the earth! We have reopened for normal business hours, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Admission is waived for Michigan Tech students, staff and faculty.

The Michigan Tech community is ready to transform this "day off" into a powerful "day on" — a genuine commitment to service, reflection and meaningful action. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy calls us to a higher standard of citizenship and humanity, and these scheduled events provide a powerful path for every student to answer that call and contribute to his vision of “unity through service."

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, don't just take the day off. Show up. Serve. Reflect. Act. Honor King's legacy by engaging with the events and making a meaningful difference right here in Houghton.

MLK Day 2026 Events:

• MLK Day of Service — We kick off Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. with a Day of Service at multiple volunteer locations where the hands-on efforts of Michigan Tech students and community members can make a tangible difference in the local community. By volunteering, you are actively participating in the work of social uplift that King championed. Give your time, apply your talents and live the spirit of service.

• Volunteer Reading — Michigan Tech students will also read to local schoolchildren, spreading King's history and legacy to young minds in our community.

• Interfaith Service — Our Interfaith Service starts at 4:15 p.m. in the Van Pelt and Opie Library's East Reading Room, offering a space for quiet introspection that draws on King's spiritual foundation and his call for unity across all faiths.

• Peace March — The campus and community are invited to participate in a peace march, beginning with a gathering at the Husky Statue at 5 p.m. The procession will travel to the Alumni House and return. Walking together, we will publicly reaffirm Michigan Tech’s dedication to King's enduring principles of justice and nonviolence, making a powerful, visible statement about our commitment to an equitable future.

• Shared Meal/Panel Discussion — The day concludes with a shared meal and a panel discussion featuring alumni Jemel Thompson, Jailynn Johnson and Austin McFarlane, offering a chance to connect, reflect and hear their stories of resilience. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom. Gather with fellow students, faculty and staff to share stories from your service, discuss the meaning of King's legacy, and strengthen the bonds of the Michigan Tech community.

Join Michigan Tech students and community members on Jan. 19, starting at 10 a.m., to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through hands-on service.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, don't just take the day off. Show up. Serve. Reflect. Act. Honor King's legacy by engaging with the events and making a meaningful difference right here in Houghton.

Find more information on GivePulse.

Event Details:

• What: MLK Day of Service
• When: Monday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m.
• Where: Multiple locations, including the Copper Country Humane Society, Letters Against Isolation, the Bluffs Senior Living Facility and the Community Alliance for Progressive Education (CAPE).

Department of Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:

• Ogetay Kayali (advised by Robert Nemiroff)
• Khoa Nguyen (advised by David Nitz)

This will be an in-person event. The students will give their talks at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, in Fisher 139.

Event details, including the students’ presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

Job Posting for Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

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.

Administrative Aide, Admissions. (​UAW posting dates are Jan. 6 to Jan. 12, 2026. External applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal ​UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal ​UAW 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 Duluth News Tribune, Ashland Daily Press and Urban Milwaukee referenced a Michigan Tech study in a story about proposed federal legislation affecting gray wolf protections.

Laura Bulleit (SA) was a guest on the Copper Country Today radio program’s Dec. 21 episode, titled “New MTU Wellness Center.” She discussed plans for the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness at Michigan Tech.

WLUC TV6 mentioned the Mushing Club at Michigan Tech in a story about CopperDog’s annual free kids’ dogsled rides in Calumet, where the club helped provide rides alongside Otter River Kennels.

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Phys.org, optics.org and Gizmodo mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about new lidar research, citing cloud chamber experiments conducted in the University’s Pi Cloud Chamber.

Today’s Family Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech alum Jack Crancer ’98 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) in coverage of LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners’ 2025 corporate update, highlighting his appointment as vice president of finance.

New Free Electric Vehicle Charging for MTU Parking Pass Holders

Michigan Tech has completed installation of four Level II electric vehicle chargers in Parking Lot 5, between the Rozsa Center and East Hall. The four charging spaces are reserved for actively charging vehicles and are available at no cost to anyone with a valid MTU or visitor parking pass.

The chargers in Lot 5 are equipped with NACS (Tesla) plugs. Drivers with non-NACS vehicles will need to provide their own compatible adapter.

No additional app or registration is required — simply plug in and charge.

This project is a collaboration between Facilities Management, Transportation Services and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience. Please direct any questions to sustainability@mtu.edu.

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New for Spring 2026: Grading Systems Faculty Learning Community

Are you looking for strategies to make grades meaningful and motivating? Are you interested in trying an alternative grading system or tinkering with your grading methods for individual assignments? Do you want to share the grading systems and methods that are working for you? Please join the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning's (CTL's) Spring 2026 Faculty Learning Community focused on grading systems and methods.

During four monthly sessions, we will share and discuss challenges we’ve faced with the grading systems and methods we’ve tried, how we’ve addressed these challenges, and unresolved challenges that we continue to face.

Sessions will be held in Library 243 at 11 a.m. on:

• Tuesday, Jan. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 10
• Tuesday, March 10
• Tuesday, April 14

Register for the Spring 2026 Faculty Learning Community.

For accommodations, please contact Catharine Gruver at cgruver@mtu.edu or 906-487-3026.

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CTL Accessible Tech Challenge Kick-Off Lunch and Learn

Next week, the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is hosting a CTL Accessible Tech Challenge Kick-Off Lunch and Learn on Jan. 15 from noon to 1 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A.

Join the CTL’s accessibility team as we launch our spring 2026 Accessible Tech Challenge — a supportive and friendly competition designed to help instructors improve the accessibility and usability of their course materials.

This kickoff luncheon will:

• Introduce the challenge structure
• Outline the accessibility target for participants
• Share strategies to help you make steady progress throughout the semester
• Demonstrate how to use Canvas tools to locate outdated or unused content
• Review the Ally accessibility report to help you identify, prioritize and address accessibility issues efficiently

To support continued momentum, we’ll be hosting biweekly working sessions throughout the semester, each focused on a specific accessibility topic, such as headings, image descriptions, tables, color contrast, and links and lists. These sessions will offer hands-on help so you can work directly on your own course materials with guidance from the CTL team.

All instructors who reach the challenge’s accessibility target will receive a nice prize as a thank-you for helping ensure students can access course materials in ways that work for them.

Whether you’re just getting started or refining existing content, the Accessible Tech Challenge provides community, accountability and practical tools to help you make meaningful progress.

Event Details:

• What: CTL Accessible Tech Challenge Kick-Off Lunch and Learn
• When: Thursday, Jan. 15, from noon to 1 p.m.
• Where: MUB Ballroom A
• Register: Register for the CTL Accessible Tech Challenge Kick-Off Lunch and Learn
• Accommodations: Accommodation requests can be made on the registration screen, by emailing ctl@mtu.edu or by calling 906-487-3000.

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SYP Student Staff Applications Now Open for Summer 2026

The Center for Educational Outreach is excited to announce that counselor applications are now open for the 2026 season of Summer Youth Programs (SYP).

Each summer, SYP welcomes more than a thousand middle and high school students to campus for an unforgettable experience filled with hands-on learning, discovery and adventure. We’re looking for college students from Michigan Tech and beyond who are excited to help create a fun, welcoming, and meaningful environment for the thinkers, doers and problem-solvers of tomorrow.

A wide range of counselor and program support positions are available, including roles focused on youth engagement, residence life, evening programming, transportation and daily operations. Student staff members begin paid training in early June, and programs will run through July 18.

If you know a college student seeking an impactful summer opportunity who enjoys working with youth and wants to be part of a positive, energetic campus community this summer, please encourage them to view our website to learn more and apply through our hiring portal.

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

Skiing at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships

Tuesday, January 6, 12 a.m. | Lake Placid, NY

Skiing at U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships Lake Placid, NY

You're One Smart Cookie - Welcome Back!

Tuesday, January 6, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library (Building 17), Gallery

Career Services is starting a new semester by giving away something sweet! Stop by, grab a cookie and see what's coming this semester.

Making a Difference Awards

Tuesday, January 6, 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom

Employees nominate deserving staff members for one of the following categories: rookie award, serving others, outstanding leader, unsung hero, legacy award, innovation award, and behind the scenes. Nominations run October through November with a reception in January each year.

Huskies Swim Training - Session 1

Tuesday, January 6, 4–5 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Huskies Swim Training is a program that provides additional attention and competitive guidance to advanced swimmers looking to focus on stroke technique and efficiency. Sessions will be designed to improve swimming through stroke drills and swimming sets focused on endurance, speed, and race strategy. Coaches will provide feedback and stroke correction in a group environment with an emphasis on promoting a love for competitive swimming and lifelong skills such as discipline, dedication, and teamwork. Come be part of the pack! Competitve swimming opportunities are now availabe to current Huskies Swim Training participants!

Copper Country Robotics General Meeting

Tuesday, January 6, 6–7 p.m. | Fisher 328

Join us for the first Copper Country Robotics meeting of the semester! We will be located in Fisher 328 on Tuesday, Jan. 6th at 6 PM. Come join us to find out about FRC mentoring and volunteering this semester in the Upper Peninsula.

RSO Budget Hearing Info Sessions

Tuesday, January 6, 7:30–9:00 p.m. | M&M U115

The RSO Budget Hearing Info Sessions are the first week of the Spring semester on: - Tuesday, January 6th - Thursday, January 8th - Friday, January 9th All organizations are required to send at least one representative / officer to one info session to be eligible to participate in Budget Hearings. Multiple officers or representatives are permitted, but you must send someone to one of the information sessions. The content of the information sessions will remain the same. After organizations participate, they will receive an information packet with the presentation content and details about submitting their budget and inventory before Budget Hearings begin.