January 14, 2026

Mark Your Calendar: Michigan Tech’s 24-hour giving challenge, Give Back to the Pack, will return for 2026 starting at noon on April 7.

Hosted by Advancement and Alumni Engagement, Give Back to the Pack is an opportunity for every Husky — alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students — to celebrate their Husky Spirit by making a gift to the area of their choosing at Michigan Tech.

Mark your calendars for April 7-8. More details will be shared by our director of annual giving, Sana Dicks, in the coming weeks about how the campus community can get involved. Feel free to reach out to Sana at sdicks@mtu.edu with any questions in the meantime.

The Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education recently assumed oversight of Michigan Tech’s Study Away and Abroad Experiences. As part of this transition, we are updating the development and approval workflow for Michigan Tech-led (also known as faculty-led) study abroad programs to better support our instructors and ensure timely program promotion.

Pre-Proposals — Due Feb. 6, 2026
If you are considering leading a program (new or recurring) during spring 2027 or summer 2027, meet with your chair or dean (for colleges without departments) to discuss the program, and if approved, complete the short Study Away Pre-Proposal Form.

Completed pre-proposals must be submitted by the end of Week 5 (Feb. 6). Following review by Risk Management and the Deans Council, faculty will be notified of their next steps by Feb. 16. 

Full Proposals — Due Aug. 1, 2026
This updated timeline allows faculty ample time to develop and finalize full proposals throughout spring and summer. If you are leading a program in Track B of summer 2026, plan to submit your summer 2027 proposal by Aug. 1. Recognizing that your current course may inform changes to the next, you will have a follow-up window until Nov. 15 to submit final revisions.

Final Approval and Recruitment
Reviews will be finalized by Sept. 1, 2026. This ensures that approved programs are ready to be advertised at the Fall Study Away Fair in mid-September, maximizing visibility for student enrollment.

What is the Early Intervention Team?
Michigan Tech’s Early Intervention Team, also known as EIT, is charged with reviewing and screening potential at-risk students and critical situations. The Early Intervention Team utilizes an evidence-based risk rubric to identify early indicators of potential risks and harms to self and others, and the team appropriately intervenes with strategies and outreach efforts.

Who are Students of Concern?
Some examples of students of concern include, but are not limited to, students who:

• show extreme change in behavior (from their typical baseline),
• are dealing with the death of a family member or friend,
• are alleged to have engaged in significant violations of the Student Code of Community Conduct or serious criminal behavior,
• are victims of a crime, or
• show cause or concern indicating potential harm to self or others.

How Do I Make a Report?
Anyone can report a student of concern to the Early Intervention Team in the following ways:

• Submit a concern online by using the Report a Concern page. 
• Email eit@mtu.edu 
• Call the Dean of Students Office at 906-487-2212
• Contact any EIT member (member list can be found below)
• Report anonymously through the TIP Line
• Call 911 or Public Safety for concerns of immediate threats

What Happens When I Make a Report?
The Early Intervention Team, made up of professional staff from across campus, examines and evaluates the reported concern using an evidence-based risk rubric from the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA). Professional staff will engage with the student, following NABITA's recommended intervention guidelines. Students are often referred to services at Michigan Tech and within the community. Students who are in danger of harming themselves or others are quickly evaluated. After the initial evaluation, the team will discreetly monitor the student’s progress in multiple areas. Individuals who report a student of concern may be contacted for additional information; however, due to confidentiality, EIT may be limited in the type of information that can be relayed back to the original reporter.

Who is on the Team?

• Laura Putwen, assistant dean of community conduct (chair)
• Abbi Halkola, executive director, Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX
• Alexandra Putwen, director, Residence Education
• Anna McClatchy, assistant dean of student success; director, Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success
• Brian Cadwell, director and chief of police, Public Safety and Police Services
• Crystal McLeod, director, Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being
• Christian Montesinos, director, International Programs and Services
• Kellie Raffaelli, associate vice president for student affairs; dean of students
• Laura Bulleit, vice president for student affairs 
• Tiffany Jaeger, manager of student outreach and retention

To learn how to identify students of concern, when it is appropriate to report, and more, you can request a presentation for your department or staff by emailing the Early Intervention Team at lcputwen@mtu.edu.

Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) and the Order of Omega are excited to announce our Spring 2026 Blood Drive! The blood drive will take place on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. You can donate between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom.

Donating blood is a simple way to make a real impact — every donation can help save lives. The American Red Cross strongly encourages all donors to schedule an appointment in advance through their website to ensure a smooth experience.

To thank participants for giving back, all donors will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice through the American Red Cross.

In addition, donors who sign up in advance will have the opportunity to receive a newly designed, limited-edition Red Cross x Metallica T-shirt and guitar pick. Participants will also be entered for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind ESP Guitars Snakebyte guitar, featuring an exclusive Red Cross x Metallica design and autographed by all Metallica band members.

For more information, visit the Student Leadership and Involvement Blood Drives webpage.

We hope to see you there and appreciate your support in giving back to the community!

Please join the Department of Applied Computing (AC) next Thursday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. in Rekhi G005 for a research presentation by tenure-track faculty candidate Yu Nong.

The title of Nong’s presentation is “Understanding and Tackling the Data Needs for Software Vulnerability Analysis.”

From the abstract:
The increasing complexity of modern software has made automated vulnerability analysis an indispensable part of security. However, the effectiveness of these automated techniques, from deep learning models to modern large language models, is critically bottlenecked by a scarcity of high-quality, realistic data. Realizing the full potential of AI in software security requires addressing core challenges: generating vast and diverse training datasets, guiding large models to perform complex security reasoning, and validating the correctness of automated fixes. The talk will focus on how their research addresses these challenges by (1) developing realistic vulnerability data generation techniques to train robust vulnerability detection, localization, and repair models, and (2) introducing novel, semantics-guided prompting strategies that steer LLMs toward accurate vulnerability analysis and repair. By integrating insights from program analysis and machine learning, we provide comprehensive, end-to-end approaches to solving the critical data needs across the software vulnerability lifecycle, enabling the development of more secure and resilient systems.

Nong is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, advised by Haipeng Cai. His research interests lie at the intersection of software engineering and security, with a focus on enhancing software vulnerability analysis through data-driven approaches, leveraging machine/deep learning and large language models. His work addresses the critical data scarcity challenge in security by developing techniques for realistic vulnerability data generation and automated, semantics-guided patching. Nong’s research has been published in top-tier venues including USENIX Security, ICSE, FSE and TSE. He also received a Best Research Assistant Award in 2024.

The next guest speaker in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series will present on Friday, Jan. 16, at 3 p.m. in Chem Sci 102.

Bapi Pahar from Michigan Tech’s Health Research Institute (HRI) will present “Recent Developments in the Pathogenesis of Nipah Viral Diseases.”

Read Pahar’s abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar.

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 2 p.m tomorrow, Jan. 15, in EERC 103.

Kazuya Tajiri will present “Policies and Procedures of the MAE Graduate Program.”

This talk will focus on the policies and procedures of the MAE graduate program, including the courses, credits, requirements and steps for each degree. Further, the procedures and forms to handle issues such as course restrictions, prerequisites, reduced course load and CPT/OPT will be covered.

Amy Marcarelli, professor of biological sciences and director of the Ecosystem Science Center at Michigan Technological University, will present tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. in GLRC 202 as part of the Departments of Kinesiology and Integrated Physiology (KIP) and Biological Sciences Seminar Series.

Marcarelli’s presentation is titled “Energy Generation by Dissolved Organic Matter Fueled Microbial Communities (EG-DOM).”

From the abstract:
The Energy Generation by Dissolved Organic Matter Fueled Microbial Communities (EG-DOM) project, led by Michigan Tech, is developing a microbially powered system for electricity generation underwater that captures, concentrates and converts marine organic matter (OM) into electricity. The EG-DOM device will concentrate OM (dissolved OM, phytoplankton, and suspended organic particles <1 mm) using a novel granular activated carbon (GAC) approach to passively concentrate OM to supply an enriched microbial community in an MFC, which will convert the OM into electricity. A critical project component is the identification of areas of the coastal ocean where DOM concentrations and biodegradability are sufficiently high and environmental conditions are favorable for electricity generation. EG-DOM will identify these locations using remote sensing data to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of proxies for DOM quantity and composition and key environmental conditions.

Associate Teaching Professor Stephen Morse (MAE) is attending an ASTM EO6.52 working group meeting in Dallas, Texas, today, Jan. 14. The meeting brings together engineers, researchers and industry professionals to discuss standards for building materials, particularly glass in architectural applications, under ASTM Committee E06. Participants will review and discuss active and proposed standards, revisions to test methods and the development of new practices, focusing on testing procedures, performance criteria and safety considerations.

This subcommittee oversees eight active standards and plans to propose three new ones, including topics related to laminated glass thickness, the architectural and structural use of glass and the determination of load resistance for vacuum insulating glass.

For the past 12 years, Morse has served as the technical advisor on the ASTM subcommittee responsible for maintaining and updating the national window glass standard, ASTM E1300. His attendance at this meeting supports the ongoing collaboration with standards that ensure organizations will align with industry expectations and technical requirements.

MLive quoted Michigan Tech alum Grace Moeggenborg ’25 (B.S. Applied Ecology and Environmental Science) as well as Tara Bal and Sarah Hoy (both CFRES) in a story about Moeggenborg’s research exploring whether balsam fir oil could offer an environmentally friendly way to combat winter ticks impacting Michigan’s moose population. The research was the subject of a story on MTU’s Unscripted Research Blog.

My UP Now, the Keweenaw Report, K-Bear 102 WHKB-FM and the Daily Mining Gazette quoted Michigan Tech student David Reeves (computer science) in coverage of Michigan Tech’s Copper Country Robotics team taking part in the Robot in 3 Days challenge, a 72-hour effort to design, build and test a functional robot while sharing the process with local and regional FIRST Robotics teams.

My UP Now highlighted Michigan Tech student-athletes in two stories recognizing weekly conference honors. Men’s basketball guard Marcus Tomashek was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, while hockey forward Max Koskipirtti earned CCHA Forward of the Week honors.

Pumps & Systems mentioned Michigan Tech in a story announcing the promotion of William Mammen ’94 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) to vice president of engineering at Dynamatic LLC.

Nominations Open for Summer 2026 Fellowships from The DeVlieg Foundation

Due to the generous support of The DeVlieg Foundation, the Graduate School is happy to accept nominations for 2026 summer fellowships.

Each department, college or interdisciplinary Ph.D. program may nominate one eligible student. The recipient will receive a $11,000 stipend for summer 2026 plus tuition support for three research credits. The DeVlieg funds ($10,000) will be used to cover the cost of tuition and a partial stipend. The graduate program, department or principal investigator (PI) must commit to supplementing these funds to ensure a total stipend of $11,000.

Eligible students will meet all of the following criteria:

1. Must be conducting research in engineering; projects at the intersection of engineering, wildlife and/or biology are particularly encouraged.
2. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
3. Must be enrolled in a doctoral program.
4. Must be a doctoral candidate, or eligible for candidacy at the time of application.
5. Must be nominated by the student's graduate program. Each department, college or interdisciplinary Ph.D. program may nominate one eligible student.
6. Must not be supported by another funding mechanism while supported by The DeVlieg Foundation (part-time job, fellowship, GTA, GRA, etc.).

Nominations are due no later than 4 p.m. next Wednesday, Jan. 21, to the Graduate School. Graduate programs will upload their nominee's application as a single PDF file.

Please see our webpage for details on the application procedure and materials needed. Each program may determine its own internal selection procedure.

Please contact the Graduate School with any questions.

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Card Services Upgrade Tomorrow

A Card Services production system maintenance window is scheduled for tomorrow, Jan. 15, from 1-3 p.m. During this time, CS Gold access readers, meal readers and access to some Keywatcher Kiosk rooms will work in their offline mode. After the maintenance is complete, transactions will be uploaded back into CS Gold.

The following services will be affected:

• cardservices.mtu.edu website
• Mobile Readers
• Vending Readers
• Dining Point of Sale Systems
• Husky Print (color printing only)

If you have any questions or concerns about this maintenance window, we can help. Email IT or call 906-487-1111.

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Lot 8 Closures – Leading Scholar Program Visits in January

As we enter the time of year for the Leading Scholar Program, Michigan Tech is excited to welcome finalists for this prestigious scholarship opportunity. This program recognizes outstanding high school seniors, both Michigan residents and nonresidents, who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and scholarly achievements both in and outside the classroom.

As we prepare to welcome these outstanding students and their families, we want to ensure a smooth and positive experience for everyone, including providing appropriate parking accommodations.

Please be advised that Lot 8 will have multiple closures during the month of January to support these visits. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation as we manage these temporary closures to accommodate the needs of the Leading Scholar Program participants.

Lot 8 Closure Dates
Leading Scholar finalists will be visiting campus on the following dates in January:

• Fridays — Jan. 16, 23 and 30
• Mondays — Jan. 19 and 26
• Tuesday, Jan. 20

Alternative Parking Lots
During these closures, Faculty/Staff permit holders may park in the following locations:

• Lot 10W — across Cliff Drive from East Hall
• Lots 12, 13, 14 — in front of the MUB, Fisher Hall and Hamar House
• Lots 15E and 15W — in front of Wadsworth Hall
• Lot 16 — in front of McNair Hall
• Lot 31 — along Phoenix Drive (please utilize the M&M elevator to the building’s sixth floor)

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding parking arrangements, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to an exciting and successful visit for our Leading Scholar finalists.

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This Week's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

Join Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University for the C-Cubed Luncheon, being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

Menu for Thursday, Jan. 15:

• Chicken Tikka Masala (AG) (PR)
• Potato, Garbanzo and Pea Coconut Curry (VG) (AG)
• Basmati Rice (VG) (AG)
• Garam Cauliflower and Chickpea (VG) (AG) (CF)
• Garlic Naan (V) (PR)
• Kachumber Salad (VG) (AG)

The C-Cubed lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by the catering culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea and desserts are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $16 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union office (MUB 101). Meals are dine-in only and personal containers/tupperware or to-go meals are not permitted.

Submit C-Cubed Feedback • Sign Up to Receive Weekly Menus

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

CTL Workshop: Introduction to Panopto

Wednesday, January 14, 10–11 a.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, 243

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning (Technical Workshops) for the following opportunity: Are you looking for a way to incorporate video recordings to increase student engagement or provide course materials to be viewed in preparation for class? Perhaps you’re seeking a tool to capture lectures or meetings where multiple video sources can be captured at the same time which can be easily edited and shared? Compatible with multiple operating systems and file formats, Panopto is a robust and straight-forward tool to fit those needs and many more. Join the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning for an Introduction to Panopto workshop on January 14, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Van Pelt and Opie Library Room 243. Registration is required. Contact the CTL at elearning@mtu.edu with any accommodation requests and questions about this workshop or using Panopto in your class this Spring semester.

On Campus Job Expo

Wednesday, January 14, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB, Building 34), Alumni Lounge

Find out what jobs are available on campus and meet the people who are hiring. Current Areas Signed Up Center for Educational Outreach A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum Math Learning Center Husky Eats Watera Center for Student Success Student Support & Mentorship Outdoor Adventure Program Writing Center Undergraduate Research College of Forest Resources And Environmental Science Office of Innovation and Commercialization Career Services

Huskies Swim Training - Session 1

Wednesday, January 14, 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!

Understanding Hiring Patterns

Wednesday, January 14, 4–5 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building (Admin, Building 1), 220 Career Services

Learn about key hiring patterns and recruiting seasons so you can strategically time your job search.

BSA - General Body Meeting

Wednesday, January 14, 5–6 p.m. | Fisher 230

General Body Meeting for the Black Students Association.

Little Huskies Volleyball Club

Wednesday, January 14, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Gym, Multipurpose Room

The Little Huskies Volleyball Club is open to boys and girls entering grades K - 4 as of Fall 2025. Focus on fun while you learn to play volleyball! Our Little Huskies Volleyball Club is the perfect way to explore the basics of an active and energetic sport. Once you get into the game, you'll be spiking like a champ. Post-game clinics, game admission, and team pen pals are all part of the fun! Participants can wear their club shirts to Women's Volleyball home matches for free admission! What to Expect Meet and Greet + Big Husky Pen Pals Home Match "Total Experience" Free admission (wear your club T-shirt!) - Reminder - parents must pay to attend.Special cheering section - Look for the "Little Huskies Club" banner.Days/Times October 9 - directly following the NMU match, Meet and Greet, play with the Big Huskies for up to 30 minutes (match at 6 pm EST)January 14, 15, 16 - 5:00-6:00 pm - Skills Sessions with the Big HuskiesCheck-In: Wednesday, January 14, 4:30-5:00 pmPick-Up/Drop-Off: main doors of SDC

Managing Risk: Greek Events

Wednesday, January 14, 5–6 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom A

Join Student Leadership and Involvement, Academic and Community Conduct, IFC, and Panhel to review risk management. This training is for Greek Risk Management Chairs and Presidents to review policies for hosting events with additional risk. Reach out with questions and concerns about the event -- greeklife@mtu.edu Michigan Tech is an EOE that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Mocktails and Mingle with Delta Zeta

Wednesday, January 14, 5–6 p.m. | Delta Zeta Sorority House

Join the sisters of Delta Zeta for mocktails! Rides leave at 4:55 from the Wads lobby. Contact Lili at (651) 600-5423 with any questions. Meet the sisters and hear about what sorority life is all about!

SoundGirls General Meeting

Wednesday, January 14, 5–6 p.m. | Walker 210

Join SoundGirls for our weekly general meeting! We will talk about music, the audio industry, and fun events around campus.

SMLS Bi-Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, January 14, 6–7 p.m. | Fisher 231

Welcome to the Society of Medical Laboratory Scientists! We host meetings every other week to discuss topics within the major, career development opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and do MLS themed crafts. We are open to all majors, and welcome anyone with an interest in MLS.