August 15, 2022

The Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education is pleased to announce that Nagesh Hatti has accepted the position of director of the Enterprise Program and chair of the Enterprise Governing Board. He begins his new role effective today (Aug. 15).

Hatti joins the Enterprise team with experience as a professor of practice in electrical and computer engineering and as the current advisor to ITOxygen. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the role from his years of experience in the corporate world. In the past, he has worked in multiple areas of supply chain management, technology and program management. He enjoys working on ideas that make a difference in the ways in which educational content is delivered and exploring innovative technology solutions for learning.

Hatti received his MBA from Texas Christian University, an M.S. in Software Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and his B.E. in Telecommunication Engineering from Bangalore University.

Jean Kampe, associate provost for undergraduate education, expressed her gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Rick Berkey, former director. “Thank you to Rick for his years of service to the Enterprise Program; we are grateful for all he has done for our students over the years,” said Kampe. “We look forward to watching the Enterprise Program continue to flourish with Nagesh at the helm, and we ask everyone to give him a warm welcome in his new role.”

“I am excited to take on the role of director of Enterprise, the signature multidisciplinary, multiyear, experiential learning program at Michigan Tech,” stated Hatti. “As an advisor of an Enterprise team for the past three years, I have seen firsthand the value it adds for our students. I look forward to working with our students, team advisors and industry partners for continued growth and success of the program.”

Since 1989, the Houghton and Hancock communities have been celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the Keweenaw. We are excited to continue that tradition on Sept. 17!

The Parade of Nations begins at 11 a.m. in Hancock, crosses the Portage Lift Bridge and ends at Dee Stadium. This amazing celebration of unity and culture is open to the entire community, and we hope you will consider participating!

Any person is invited to request a flag of any country that they wish to represent by completing the Flag Request Form. One flag and one sign will be provided per nation. Everyone is welcome to walk in the Parade of Nations with any of the represented countries.

Groups are invited to apply to enter a float, and our contest returns this year! Every registered float has the chance to win prize money ($300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place). All floats must be designed according to this year’s Parade of Nations theme: The World is One. A float can be a decorated vehicle; a vehicle pulling a decorated trailer; or another motorized or nonmotorized conveyance that serves as a platform for a decorated display, exhibit, and/or performance. Complete the Float Application to sign up!

Looking for a different way to support Parade of Nations? Volunteers are the driving force behind this event. They help with event setup, walk in the parade, serve as parade marshals and provide support at the multicultural festival. Explore the volunteer positions and shifts available, and sign up for the one that best fits your interests.

For more information, please visit the Parade of Nations website or contact the Parade of Nations committee at paradeofnations@mtu.edu.

This summer, Michigan Tech IT is upgrading the Microsoft Office suite installed on systems to Office 365. Computer lab systems are updated, and we’ll be working through the remaining computers on campus in preparation for the start of the fall semester.

Microsoft is moving forward from its legacy model of releasing named versions, such as Office 2014, 2016, etc. Office 365 is a unified installation that will automatically receive new features, security patches and updates on a regular basis. Students, faculty and staff who have Office installed on their personal devices are already familiar with Office 365. As a user, you will always have the most up-to-date and secure version of Office.

Faculty and staff can upgrade MTU-owned computers to Office 365 at any time. The installer is available for Windows from the Software Center or Company Portal and for Mac from Tech Apps. Students have been using Office 365 on their personal computers, available from the IT Software Distribution Center for faculty, staff and students. After installation, sign in with your MTU account name/password to verify our university license agreement. Instructions for signing in are in the IT Knowledge Base at Signing in to Office 365.

For single-user systems (staff and faculty computers), you will only need to sign in once to verify licensing.

For lab and classroom computers (including podium machines), once you sign in, it will remember your sign-in in all labs and classrooms across campus for 30 days. We recommend that instructors test their login and initially sign into Office 365 at a classroom podium before classes begin.

If you have questions or need assistance with upgrading, we can help. Contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.

Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) faculty will be unavailable Friday (Aug. 19) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a departmental retreat.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Single game tickets for Michigan Tech football this fall are on sale now at the Student Development Center Central Ticket Office or online at BuyHuskiesTickets.com. The Early Bird deadline for all sports ticket packages is today (Aug. 15).

Tech Athletics is excited to once again offer VIP two-pack ticket packages for the 2022 football season. Prices are $400 for a two-pack and $450 for a two-pack with VIP parking. 

The Huskies open the 2022 season Sept. 1, hosting University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 6 p.m.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

David Shonnard (ChE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $23,475 from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The project is titled "Supplement Funding to the REMADE SA Project for the MI Case Study."

Part 2 of an eight-part series authored by Karyn Fay (BioSci) and based on Michigan Tech's COVID-19 Testing Lab has been published by Critical Values, a journal of the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

The series is titled "Meeting the Needs of a Rural Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Ups and Downs of Starting a University Based Clinical Lab for COVID-19 Testing From Idea to Final Completion."

The series is based on meeting notes compiled throughout the process and written by Fay with input from Karl Meingast (VPR). The meeting notes were compiled by Fay during the many Zoom meetings the laboratory group had over a nearly two-year span of time.

Available now:
Part 1 | Part 2

Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) was quoted by KHOU 11, the Houston Chronicle and Chron in stories about the unique species of red wolf/coyote hybrids called ghost wolves found on Galveston Island, Texas.

Brzeski’s comments provided background information on the critically endangered red wolf and its decline. The ghost wolves’ genetic material could help save the species. 

The story was picked up by multiple regional news outlets.

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The Keweenaw Report covered Caryn Heldt’s (ChE) receipt of the University’s 2022 Faculty Distinguished Service Award.

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David Hale (IT) and Haley Goodreau (UMC) were quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about why hackers try to gain control of Facebook accounts and how you can protect yours.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned in a 9&10 News story about higher costs for student loans this fall.

Michigan Tech’s Responsibilities to Students with Disabilities

August has arrived and the start of the fall semester is just around the corner. We would like to remind the campus community about our obligation and commitment to providing equal access to all educational programs, activities and services for students with disabilities, per Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Access can be provided in several ways: by providing aids and services necessary for effective communication, like CART (communication access realtime translation) services and assistive listening devices; by modifying policies, practices and procedures, such as testing accommodations and access to campus facilities for service animals; and by providing architectural access to buildings, including residential facilities.

Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be designed to meet the specific needs of the individual. Student accommodations at Michigan Tech are provided through Student Disability Services. Employee accommodations are provided through the ADA Coordinator in Equal Opportunity Compliance.

Please visit the Education ADA Fact Sheet from the ADA National Network for more information.

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Sign Up for Virtual Workshop on Practical Problem Solving

The Office of Continuous Improvement is offering a virtual workshop, "Practical Problem Solving: Leveraging the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle (Virtual)," on Wednesday (Aug. 17) from 9 a.m. to noon.

Problem solving in a continuous improvement culture is highly participative, focusing on the problem, not the person, and involving the people who actually do the work.

To see the workshop description and register, complete the brief sign-up form or visit the Office of Continuous Improvement website. Once registered, we'll add you to a calendar event for the course.

This workshop will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. There will be a brief pre-work assignment before the workshop, and you'll receive a certificate after completing a post-work assignment.

This stand-alone workshop is part of the Lean Basics workshop series. It can be taken independently, or, if you complete all five workshops in the series, we’ll award you a Lean White Belt certificate! For more information, email improvement@mtu.edu.

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On-Campus Jobs Expo

Career Services is coordinating an On-Campus Jobs Expo that will be held Aug. 31 from 12-3 p.m. If you need assistance posting an on-campus position on Handshake, Career Services is here to help. If you wish to participate in the On-Campus Jobs Expo, please contact Amanda Hagerl, coordinator of Career Development and Programming, at aehagerl@mtu.edu.

On-campus jobs provide opportunities for Michigan Tech students. A part-time job offers income to students who need it and is an important co-curricular opportunity. As a co-curricular opportunity, on-campus work can lead to internships and co-ops, opening the door to full-time offers immediately after graduation. It can also help a student establish a strong foundation for research that leads to enhanced graduate school opportunities.

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PhD Defense: Mitchel Timm, ME-EM

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics candidate Mitchel Timm will present their doctoral defense at 9 a.m. today (Aug. 15). This will be a virtual only defense. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Timm's defense is titled "The Design and Analysis of Marangoni-Driven Robotic Surfers."

Timm is advised by Hassan Masoud.

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

PhD Defense: Mitchel Timm

Monday, August 15, 9–10 a.m.

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Hassan Masoud The Design and Analysis of Marangoni-Driven Robotic Surfers Attend Virtually:...