Recap the happenings from Alumni Reunion 2025. Learn more about last year’s alumni award winners and the newest members of Michigan Tech’s Presidential Council of Alumnae. Browse the online Reunion Photo Gallery. And, mark your calendars for Alumni Reunion 2026 — all in our 2026 Michigan Tech Magazine.
Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to raise awareness about digital accessibility.
Digital accessibility ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can effectively access and interact with websites, documents, videos, software and online learning environments. When accessibility is overlooked, digital barriers can prevent users from fully participating in learning, communication and workplace activities.
How Users Experience Digital Content
Individuals with varying visual abilities may use screen readers, screen magnifiers or braille displays to navigate digital content. Missing alternative text, inaccessible documents or poor color contrast can make information difficult or impossible to access.
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing often rely on captions, transcripts or visual indicators. Videos without captions or audio-only materials without transcripts can limit access to information.
Individuals with diverse motor abilities may navigate using keyboards, voice commands or assistive technologies instead of a mouse. Websites and software that require precise mouse movements or lack keyboard navigation can create barriers.
Individuals with diverse cognitive or learning styles benefit from clear organization, simple language and consistent navigation. Complex layouts or cluttered content can make information harder to process and understand.
How You Can Help
Faculty, staff and students can play an important role in creating an inclusive digital environment. Small improvements can make a significant difference.
If you’ve encountered an information and communication technology barrier at Michigan Tech, please let us know by using our Digital Barrier Reporting form.
The Graduate School will be closed in the afternoon today, May 21, for professional development. Please email gradschool@mtu.edu or come see us tomorrow, May 22, for assistance.
We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you soon.
The 2026 Sustainability Film Series, coordinated by Michigan Tech’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, will present May’s film “The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery” at 7 p.m. tonight, May 21, in Fisher 138.
Narrated by J.K. Simmons, “The Fish Thief” explores the mystery behind how and why the most prized fish nearly disappeared from the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth — the Great Lakes — and how a dedicated team of scientists, policymakers and conservationists worked together to solve the mystery (runtime 91 minutes).
Add “The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery” to Your Google Calendar.
The Sustainability Film Series offers thought-provoking films and engaging conversation around environmental and sustainability topics. Films are screened on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in Fisher 138. Refreshments are provided, and each film is followed by a facilitated discussion. The series is open to the public, and all films are free to attend. “The Fish Thief” is the final film of the 2026 Sustainability Film Series.
Michigan Tech’s Security and Privacy Lab is hosting a beginner-oriented smart-car hackathon study on June 30. We have a remotely controlled car interfacing with an artificial intelligence and we’re looking for high school students to help break it!
No prior cybersecurity experience is needed. All participants will take part in a two-hour training session prior to the event. If you’d like to participate in a research study and have some fun, you can visit the hackathon website or email Caleb Rother at crother@mtu.edu.
Find Out More: We interviewed Caleb on the upcoming hackathon! Read the Hackathon Q&A on the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems Blog.
Job Posting for Thursday, May 21, 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.
Custodian – First Shift (12 months), Facilities Management. (AFSCME posting dates are May 21 to May 28, 2026. 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.
PR Newswire and 89 national outlets mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about new technology and workforce development projects announced through the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, including a biopharmaceutical manufacturing research project led by MTU.
The University of Michigan’s University Record mentioned Michigan Tech as one of several universities participating in a statewide workshop focused on geologic hydrogen research, policy, and energy development opportunities in Michigan.
When In Your State mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about visiting Isle Royale National Park, highlighting the University’s long-running predator-prey study of wolves and moose and other ongoing wildlife research on the island.
Congratulations and thank you to all of the amazing staff members who have reached a five-year anniversary this fiscal year! Your service and commitment to Michigan Tech are admirable, and we are grateful to work alongside you.
Staff members who have reached a milestone anniversary will be honored at the annual University Staff Service Awards luncheon on June 2 at noon in the MUB Ballroom. President Rick Koubek and Staff Council Chair Laurie Stark will present service awards to more than 100 individuals this year! Recent staff retirees will also be recognized.
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. This year, a catered meal featuring blackened salmon with lemon and parsley; za'tar roast chicken breast; penne with broccoli, lemon and garlic; broccoli rabe with red chili flakes and roasted garlic; chickpea and tomato salad; and assorted desserts and beverages will be provided. This event is free to all honorees who RSVP in advance. If you would like to attend the event as a guest or in support of an honoree, you may purchase a ticket online. Tickets are $10.50 and must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, May 22.
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 release time.
Thank you to the Office of the President for continuing to support and fund the University Staff Service Awards luncheon and awards!
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Nominations are now open for the 2026 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Please submit nominations to the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m. next Thursday, May 28, following our online instructions.
This year, nominations are being accepted from dissertations in the fields of:
Michigan Tech may nominate one student in each field. Ph.D. students who have completed all of their degree requirements between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, are eligible. The fields of competition for 2027 will be Biological/Life Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts (including History).
A nomination packet must be submitted by the department chair or college dean to our CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Nomination form no later than 4 p.m. next Thursday, May 28.
Contact Debra Charlesworth at gradschool@mtu.edu if you have any questions about the competition.
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Michigan Tech is hosting chief research security officers from new R1 and rising R2 institutions at the 2026 Research on Research Security (RORS) Workshop this week, from May 19-21.
Implementing a participatory group level assessment methodology, the workshop invites stakeholders to identify critical issues, prioritize action planning and build a professional network to advance academic research security.
This workshop is funded by the National Science Foundation RoRS program (Award No. 2537398) and conducted by principal investigator Michelle Jarvie-Eggart (EF/CEGE/PsyHF) and co-PIs Gregory Odegard (MAE/MSE), Wayne W. Weaver (ECE/MAE), Leo C. Ureel (CS/PsyHF) and Matthew R. Hellman (VPR), with support from MTU Institute of Computing and Cybersystems staff member James Townsend.
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In observance of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 25, the deadline for this week’s payroll, Bi-Weekly Pay Period 11 (BW11), will be adjusted.
Please review the updated deadline below and plan accordingly.
Key Reminders:
Actions/Deadlines:
Thank you for your cooperation in meeting this deadline. We wish you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day!
For instructions on setting up a proxy, please visit Payroll Services’ Electronic Time Entry webpage.
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Tech Today will not publish on Monday, May 25, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
Submissions for publication in Tech Today on Tuesday, May 26, are due by noon tomorrow, May 22.
To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.
Graduate school can be challenging, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Third Space is a weekly graduate student support group designed to break down departmental silos and connect students with their peers from across the university. Whether you are a first-year Master’s student or a PhD Finishing Fellow, you’ll find a community that understands the unique experience of earning an advanced degree from Michigan Tech. What to Expect Comfortable setting, snacks, and connection. This is a low-pressure, discussion-based setting that addresses the collective group's needs through peer-to-peer support. The Details Who: Open to all Michigan Tech graduate students What: Peer-focused discussions on topics like work/life balance, burnout, and imposter syndrome. When: Meet weekly on Thursdays at 10:00 am, unless otherwise noted. Where. Admin 313 (CSMHW Relaxation Room) Stop by whenever your schedule allows. Regular attendance increases maximum benefit, but no long-term commitment or registration is required. Just show up as you are.
*****The Sustainability Film Series, coordinated by the Michigan Tech Office of Sustainability and Resilience, offers thought-provoking films and engaging conversation around environmental and sustainability topics. May’s film ‘The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery’ explores the mystery behind how and why the fish most prized by people nearly disappeared from the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth: the Great Lakes. ‘The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery' will be shown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 in Fisher Hall 138. Refreshments will be provided, and each film will be followed by a facilitated discussion. The Sustainability Film Series is free and everyone is welcome to attend. A suggested $5 donation is appreciated and helps to support the continued offering of this film series
*****PRESENTED BY VIST KEWEENAW The Michigan Sustainable Tourism Summit is a regional forum dedicated to thoughtful, responsible destination development. Hosted in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, a place shaped by natural beauty, industry, and resilience, the Summit brings together those shaping the future of tourism and community life. Over four days, participants will explore practical strategies, shared challenges, and real-world examples of how economic vitality and environmental care can coexist. This is about progress that feels rooted, intentional, and true to place. Key Summit Themes: Enhancing our industry’s commitment to responsible outdoor recreationPreserving northern Michigan’s dark skiesSupporting the underpinning ecological and outdoor recreation infrastructure the visitor industry and our local communities rely uponLeveraging tourism as a force to support authentic cultural and heritage preservationTools for community-centric tourism Things to know By registering to this Summit, registrants agree to sharing their full registration information with the Summit host, Visit Keweenaw. DATE | Wednesday - Saturday, May 20 - 23, 2026 TIME | Full summit schedule available…
