February 2, 2022

Michigan Technological University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and recently completed its 10-year comprehensive evaluation. We are proud to announce that the HLC has reaffirmed Michigan Tech’s accreditation, with no requirement for interim monitoring or reporting.

This exciting news about our reaffirmation follows the review of our assurance argument and evidence file, created to demonstrate how our campus meets the HLC’s criteria for accreditation, along with an October 2021 campus visit by a Peer Corps review team.

Michigan Tech has also been approved to continue on the Open Pathway, one of two options for maintaining accreditation, for the next accreditation cycle. As part of this 10-year cycle, we will demonstrate a dedication to quality and improvement through submission of an assurance filing in year four (2025), engagement in a quality initiative project of our choosing during years five through nine, and another comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation of accreditation in the academic year 2031-32.

We are proud of our accredited status and sincerely thank everyone across campus involved in the preparation of our assurance filing, those who engaged with the HLC peer review team and those who helped make the team’s visit a success. This campuswide effort was vital to our positive evaluation.

Michigan Tech has been continuously accredited since 1928, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the HLC as we commence our next 10-year accreditation cycle.

Michigan Tech’s Ride the Waves program, coordinated by the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, will receive a $40,000 two-year grant from General Motors to conduct Great Lakes education aboard the research vessel Agassiz.

The Center has received funding from GM for the program since 2016 with the assistance of Marty Auer, professor emeritus in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering.

The purpose of the funding is to put rural and underserved youth "on the water" to learn about STEM careers related to the Great Lakes, inland waters, environmental stewardship and sustainability. This will be accomplished through scientific excursions aboard MTU’s research vessel Agassiz paired with laboratory investigations led by Michigan Tech scientists and graduate students.

Since 2016, Ride the Waves with GM has served nearly 3,000 participants, delivering a variety of programs. Attention to inclusion and diversity has been a high priority, and the program has provided opportunities for Keweenaw Bay Indian Community youth and Michigan Tech’s Women in Engineering Program and Muslim Students Association, along with students from Detroit and Flint high schools, to learn how scientists assess the health of the Great Lakes.

For more information, contact Joan Chadde, director of the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, at jchadde@mtu.edu or visit the Great Lakes Research Center website.

Enter the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Jersey Raffle to win a Michigan Tech hockey jersey signed by mechanical engineering graduate John Scott '10 or a Michigan Tech football jersey signed by mechanical engineering graduate Joe Berger '04.

Tickets are $50 each and proceeds will go to the ME-EM department.

Buy your raffle tickets now. Winners will be drawn during Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival hockey game Feb. 12. You need not be present to win (the ME-EM department will notify you).

Be sure to purchase tickets before noon on Feb. 11 for your chance to win!

Published under state of Michigan raffle license # X05892.

The Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH) is hosting a Youth Dialogue on the National Climate Assessment. University and high school students are invited to provide input to this major U.S. government climate report Feb. 15 from 7-9 p.m. ET.

The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) will report on how climate change affects people and places in the United States. Attendees will have the chance to hear from authors of the assessment and discuss together how the report can learn from and reflect the concerns of young people in the U.S.

Michigan Tech is a YEAH participating institution. Find more information and a registration link at YEAH-net.org.

As a way to celebrate Black History Month, ADVANCE is highlighting a different person every day who has made contributions to STEM in the past and present. This week we are featuring the following:

Marie M. Daly: The first Black woman to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry in the U.S. She discovered the relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease.

Warren Washington: A distinguished climate scientist and former chair of the National Science Board. He developed one of the first atmospheric computer models of Earth's climate.

Katherine Johnson: A school teacher who joined NACA (today's NASA) as a "human computer." Her calculations helped sync Apollo's Lunar Landing Module with the Command and Service Module. She was featured in the film "Hidden Figures."

Percy Julian: A pioneering chemist whose synthesis of a chemical called physostigmine, which was used to treat glaucoma, is "one of the top 25 greatest achievements in the history of American chemistry."

Lyda Newman: An inventor who patented a new type of hairbrush specifically for African American hair. It was also the first hairbrush that used synthetic bristles. Her invention made it cheaper and quicker to manufacture hairbrushes. She was the third Black woman to ever receive a patent.

Vivien Thomas: A researcher who was paid as a janitor while doing amazing doctoral research. He developed a surgery that would successfully help save the lives of infants born with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Congratulations and thank you to Husky Innovate’s Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition contestants and winners! On Jan. 27, 16 students across different disciplines pitched their business models. Contestants pitched key components of their business models, including the value proposition and customer segment.

A highlight of Tech's Innovation Week, this legacy event celebrates entrepreneurship and is a tribute to the late College of Business (COB) Professor of Practice Bob Mark. There were three categories of prizes: business model, social impact, and breakout innovation. The business model category looked at how well the solution addresses the customers’ needs, the path to revenue and the overall presentation. The social impact category examined the significance of the social problem and how well the solution addressed it. The breakout innovation award considered the solution’s novelty, ease of implementation and time to implementation.

Congrats to all the contestants who took a big step forward with their entrepreneurship goals when they pitched their business models.

Special congratulations to our award winners!

Business Model Category
Presented by College of Business with thanks to sponsors Rick and Jo Berquist, and Dan and Jane Green for sponsoring the Audience Favorite award.

• First Prize — Akhil Kurup with SENSE ($2,000)
• Second Prize — Maggie Zimmermann with Famealia ($1,000)
• Third Prize — Jakob Christiansen with ProBoard ($500)
• Honorable Mention — Nick Peterson with NOMAD trackPAK ($250)
• Audience Favorite — Maggie Zimmermann with Famealia ($250)

Social Impact Award Category
Sponsored and presented by CoB Gate Professor Elham Asgari, with a $1,000 matching contribution from Arick Davis and Jake Northey, Creative Mines.

• Winner — Bayle Golden with STEMPOWER ($2,000)

Breakout Innovation Award
Presented by Patrick Visser, chief commercial officer of MTEC SmartZone, and sponsored by MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

• Winner — Akhil Kurup with SENSE ($1,000)

Husky Innovate extends a special thanks to those who provided their time and resources to make the competition a success:

Our sponsors: Dean Johnson, Elham Asgari, Rick and Jo Berquist, Dan and Jane Green, Arick Davis and Jake Northey, MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Our judges: Jim Baker, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Eric Roberts, David Shull, Elham Asgari, Dan Green and Arick Davis.

Our emcee: Gary Tropp.

Our marketing team: Vienna Leonarduzzi and Laura Vidal Chiesa.

Our production team: Stefan Hurthibise and the IT team; SLS’s James Langsford, Elijah Nation, Luke Schloemp and the rest of the team; UMC's Alok Shelar; and Dining and Catering Services.

A special thank you to the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement for inviting all Bob Mark pitch contestants to the Presidential Skybox at the Michigan Tech hockey game.

Thanks to all who attended! We look forward to next year’s event!

If you are interested in additional opportunities, check out our Husky Innovate Events page. Please feel free to reach out to huskyinnovate@mtu.edu for more information.

The next session in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar Speaker Series will be held at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 3) in MEEM 112.

Steven Ma will present "Open-pit Mining and Drilling Technologies.”

Prior to joining Michigan Tech in 2018, Ma had been working in the industry for 28 years. He first held an engineering manager position at Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions.

Many of the invasive exotic plants wreaking havoc in nature got their start in our gardens, and even today are still available for purchase in nurseries. 

In a virtual lecture at 6 p.m. next Wednesday (Feb. 9), Sigrid Resh (CFRES), coordinator of the Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA), will point out some of the troublemakers and suggest native alternatives that will add beauty to your garden and sustain wildlife.

Resh's presentation is titled "Don't Plant That, Plant This: A Guide to Choosing Better Garden Plants and Avoiding Troublemakers." 

Details are available on the University Events Calendar.

Please register to attend. 

Michigan Tech women's basketball swept the season series against Northern Michigan with a 68-49 win Jan. 31 at Berry Events Center.

The Huskies held the Wildcats to 18 points in the first half, then dominated the third quarter to improve to 7-3 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, 12-6 overall. 

Isabella Lenz was especially effective midrange, leading Tech with 13 points (season high) and going 6-for-8 from the field with three steals, three assists and one block. Daisy Ansel also contributed 11 points off the bench. Ellie Mackay (12 points) and Katelyn Meister (10 points) also made it to double figures.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Timely shooting and final-minute guile helped the Michigan Tech men's basketball team edge Northern Michigan 64-62 on Jan. 31 at Berry Events Center.

The lead changed hands 12 times, but the Huskies prevailed to take a 2-0 regular season sweep over the Wildcats. 

"Winning on the road is always a challenge, especially against your rival, so it's a great win," said head coach Josh Buettner. "Some guys stepped up and made some big shots. We would have liked to make more free throws to salt it away late, but we got the win and I was proud of how our guys competed."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Jobs Postings for Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email mtujobs@mtu.edu.

For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted. 

Lecturer – Applied Forestry, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. Apply online.

Food Service Helper (nine months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22027, Dining Services (AFSCME posting Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, 2022 — internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

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 mtujobs@mtu.edu.

A $40,000 grant awarded to Michigan Tech's Ride the Waves program by General Motors was the subject of a story by WLUC TV6.

Face Coverings Required Indoors on Campus

While Michigan Tech is at Health and Safety Level Two, face coverings must be worn indoors. This applies to all students, employees and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. 

Michigan Tech strongly recommends that all employees and students make choices to protect themselves, such as getting vaccinated, wearing high-filtration face coverings, and practicing enhanced sanitation and physical distancing where possible — especially in light of the increased transmissibility of the COVID-19 omicron variant. 

Please be aware that if you are exposed to COVID-19, quarantine guidelines vary depending on vaccination status. 

In Level Two, students and employees are not required to monitor their symptoms daily prior to coming to campus. But, individuals should be mindful of their own symptoms. A useful monitoring tool is available from the CDC.

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On-Demand COVID-19 Testing Available on Campus

Walk-in, on-demand COVID-19 testing is available to Michigan Tech students and employees during the spring 2022 semester.

Testing is available every week in the Rozsa Center basement Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no cost to be tested, and no appointment is needed. 

The consent form is now online and can be completed anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of your visit.

More COVID-19 Testing Information for the Michigan Tech community is available on the MTU Flex website.

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

Building Resilience

Wednesday, February 2, 10–11 a.m.

When faced with difficulty and challenges in life how do you cope, adapt, and bounce back? This workshop focuses on the concept of resilience and how to build these skills and...

Let's Talk About it: Facilitating Difficult Conversations for Graduate Students

Wednesday, February 2, 1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | Please register to receive the location

Are you a graduate student interested in developing skills that will assist you in facilitating difficult conversations? Please join us for Level 1 of a Facilitating Difficult...

Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Spring 2022 Session 1

Wednesday, February 2, 4:00 p.m.–4:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Climbing Wall

Is your child looking for a new challenge? Sign up now for the OAP Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Class and let them climb our wall! We try to meet each participant at their level...

Using Handshake to Prepare for Career Fair and Job Hunting Virtual Session on Zoom

Wednesday, February 2, 5:00 p.m.–5:50 p.m.

https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/82348524989

Middle School Volleyball Development League

Wednesday, February 2, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multipurpose Room

A four-week developmental program for middle school girls in grades 7 & 8 to learn and improve their skills in preparation for the upcoming interscholastic season. This...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Wednesday, February 2, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Chem Sci. 211

Hi folks, This mail serves to notify us that we will be having our monthly general meeting on the last Wednesday of the month 6 - 7 PM at Chem Sci. 211 or via Zoom. Feel...

Open Rock Climbing

Wednesday, February 2, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multipurpose Room Climbing Wall

All ages (we can allow all ages to climb as long as we have the proper fitting equipment). No need to sign up, just stop by the Climbing Wall between 6 and 8 pm Monday through...

USG Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, February 2, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge - 107 B&C

This meeting includes weekly updates from all representatives, liaison positions, and committees. Official business carried out by USG is conducted throughout old and new...

Which Residence Hall Should I Choose?

Wednesday, February 2, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

Not sure which residence hall to choose? Learn about what makes each of our residence halls unique. You can get a sneak peek of our residence halls here.