May 29, 2026

Michigan Tech Professor Emeritus Bill Rose (GMES) was posthumously honored with the 2026 Goldich Medal at the 72nd annual meeting for the Institute on Lake Superior Geology (ILSG), held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, from May 20-23.

The Goldich Medal is awarded annually to a geoscientist who has made particularly noteworthy and meritorious contributions to the understanding of Lake Superior geology. Erika Vye (GLRC/GMES) prepared the award citation, which she delivered virtually at the annual meeting.

Rose, former chair of the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, made a tremendous impact on volcanic hazards research and education during his 41-year faculty career at Tech. After retiring, his research focus shifted to geoscience education and outreach, and he played a vital and formative role in shaping the vision for geoheritage in the United States. He passed away in July 2025.

A celebration of life will be held in June for Roger Held, a beloved Michigan Tech professor, director, artist and friend who passed away last August. He was a retired faculty member and former chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

The celebration will take place at the Marsin Nature Area & Retreat, 52864 Red Brick Rd. in Houghton, at 2 p.m. on June 6.

Please mark your calendars. Friends, colleagues and former students from the Michigan Tech community are invited to join us as we gather to honor the life of a man we truly cherish and miss every day.

Job Postings for Friday, May 29, 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, Financial Services and Operations. (​UAW posting dates are May 29 to June 5, 2026. External applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal ​UAW posting dates.)

Building Mechanic II – First Shift (full-time), Facilities Management. (​AFSCME posting dates are May 29 to June 5, 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.

Michigan Tech was well-represented at the 72nd annual meeting for the Institute on Lake Superior Geology (ILSG), held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, from May 20-23.

• Professor Emeritus Bill Rose (GMES) was posthumously honored with the 2026 Goldich Medal at this year's meeting. Erika Vye (GLRC/GMES) prepared and delivered (virtually) the citation for this prestigious award. 

• Research Professor Jim DeGraff (GMES/GLRC) presented an oral presentation titled “Digital Preservation and Enhanced Utility of Exploration Core Descriptions, Keweenaw Copper District, Michigan: Progress Toward a Map-based Web Portal”; co-authors include Lindsay Hiltunen (VPOL), Don Lafreniere (SS), Erika Vye, Ted Bornhorst (GMES), Bill Rose, Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson (GRF/GLRC) and Bob Cowling (VPOL).

• Geospatial Research Scientist Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson (GRF/GLRC) delivered an oral presentation titled "Interactive Geospatial Geoheritage: Efforts to Support Place-based Exploration and Digitally Preserve Keweenaw’s Geoheritage” with co-authors Jim DeGraff, Bill Rose and Erika Vye.

• Tech alum Abraham Stone '24 (B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory presented an oral presentation titled “Rocks and Roots: The Role of Geoheritage in Biodiversity Stewardship”; co-authors include Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson and Erika Vye (this work was funded by a 2025 Great Lakes Research Center Rapid Research Seedling grant). 

The ILSG is a nonprofit professional society that provides a forum for promoting better understanding of the geology of the Lake Superior region. The major activity of the institute is an annual meeting with geological field trips and technical presentations. Next year’s meeting will be held in Baraboo, Wisconsin, from May 2-5, 2027.

MLive quoted Zhanping You (CEGE/MTTI) in a story about Ann Arbor testing rubberized asphalt made with recycled tires on two city streets as part of a collaboration with Michigan Tech. The pilot project will evaluate whether the material can improve road durability while reducing maintenance costs, road noise and waste from scrap tires.

NASA mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the 2026 Lunabotics Challenge, where MTU earned third place in the Lunabotics Construction Award category and received an honorable mention for presentations and demonstrations.

Space.com quoted Simon Carn (GMES) in stories about a recent underwater volcanic eruption near Papua New Guinea that was captured by NASA satellites.

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Master's Defense: Alexis Gasco

Friday, May 29, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 102

Chemistry Advisor: Tarun Dam Isolation and Purification of a New Bioactive PlantGlycoside

American Red Cross Lifeguarding Course - May 27-31, 2026

Friday, May 29, 4–8 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), SDC Pool

Earn your American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification in this intensive training course located at the Michigan Tech SDC Pool. The certification includes Lifeguarding (Including Deep Water) with CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, First Aid Certification and all training materials. All participants must be 15 years of age or older by the first date of the course (documentation required). Required water skills include the ability to: Swim 150 yards (using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both, swimming on the back or side is not permitted, swim goggles are allowed), maintain a position on the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water with the legs, swim 50 yards (using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both). Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds.Starting in the water, swim 20 yards (face may be in or out of the water, swim goggles are not permitted).Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face at or near the surface.Exit the…