Computing[MTU] Showcase Poster Session Winners Announced

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) is pleased to announce the winners of the Computing[MTU] Showcase Poster Session of Oct. 10. Congratulations and thanks to all the graduate and undergraduate students who presented their research posters!

Please visit the showcase's Research Poster Session page to view the poster abstracts and photos from the event.

The undergraduate winners are:

  • First Place: Dominika Bobik — “An Educational Modeling Software Tool That Teaches Computational Thinking Skills”
  • Second Place: Niccolo Jeanetta-Wark — “Performance Measurement of Trajectory Tracking Controllers for Wheeled Mobile Robots”
  • Third Place: Kristoffer Larsen — “A machine learning-based method for cardiac resynchronization therapy decision support”

The graduate winners are:

  • First Place: Shashank Pathrudkar — “Interpretable machine learning model for the deformation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes”
  • Second Place: Nicholas Hamilton — “Enhancing Visualization and Explainability of Computer Vision Models with Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME)"
  • Third Place (Tie): Zonghan Lyu — “Automated Image Segmentation for Computational Analysis of Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms”
  • Third Place (Tie): Tauseef Mamun — “When to be Aware of your Self-Driving Vehicle: Use of Social Media Posts to Understand Problems and Misconceptions about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Mode”

Entrants receiving honorable mentions are:

  • Dharmendra Pant — “DFT-aided Machine Learning-based discovery of Magnetism in Fe-based Bimetallic Chalcogenides”
  • Chen Zhao — “Lung segmentation and automatic detection of COVID-19 using radiomic features from chest CT images”
  • Abel A. Reyes-Angulo — “GAF-NAU: Gramian Angular Field encoded Neighborhood Attention U-Net for Pixel-Wise Hyperspectral Image Classification”
  • Suresh Pokharel — “Improving Protein Succinylation Sites Prediction Using Embeddings from Protein Language Model”

Read more on the ICC Blog.

Guy Meadows Appointed to Environmental Permit Review Commission

Senior Research Scientist Guy Meadows (GLRC) has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the state's Environmental Permit Review Commission (EPRC).

The Office of the Governor announced the appointment in a press release Oct. 18. Meadows was appointed for a term which commenced Oct. 18 and expires Aug. 28, 2026.

As the release states, the EPRC was created to advise the director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on disputes related to permits and permit applications. The EPRC may advise the EGLE director on any permit or operating license issued by EGLE under the Natural Resources Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended (NREPA), or the rules promulgated under NREPA.

3MT Competition: Registration Open

3MT (Three Minute Thesis) has had a time change!

The event will now take place Nov. 3. Preliminaries will start at noon, and Finals will start at 7 p.m.

Participating in the 3MT can be a way for you to develop important communication and research skills, and to participate in the building of research culture at Michigan Tech. Cash prizes are also available to the top competitors and the people's choice.

In addition, the winners of the local 3MT competition are given a chance to represent Michigan Tech at the next level of competition, and potentially even national and international 3MT competitions, which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity.

Michigan Tech's 2022 3MT competition will be held Nov. 3 at the MUB Ballroom. For more information on the competition, please see the 3MT page on the Graduate Student Government (GSG) website.

To present in this year's competition, please fill out and submit the 3MT 2022 Registration form.

3MT 2022 Cash Prizes:

  • First Place — $300
  • Second Place — $150
  • People's Choice — $100

ADVANCE Weekly Roundup: Achieving Fairness in Promotions to Full Professor

Research on bias in academia has focused more on tenure and less on promotion to full professor, but this week’s feature article from the Chronicle of Higher Education is an exception, describing a study of 2,000 promotion-to-full cases across 10 universities.

The study found several potential sources of bias that tend to affect women and minorities more than their colleagues, including bias against interdisciplinary research and service and the undervaluing of mentoring work. These contribute to lower rates of promotion to full for women and minorities. Recommendations for promotion and tenure committees include creating a diverse committee, training members about bias and creating a more structured evaluation process. Recommendations for candidates for promotion include asking for specific written explanations when a promotion packet is not advanced to the next level of review; third-party comparisons to prior packets to address evolving standards; and collecting alternative metrics to demonstrate one’s contribution and impact on projects.

We urge all involved to learn about research into the academic promotion process in order to decrease bias in ingrained practices and policies here at Michigan Tech and to enable the career progress of all of our faculty.

Today’s feature was shared with us by Adrienne Minerick and the ADVANCE PI Team. If you have an article you think we should feature, please email it to advance-mtu@mtu.edu and we will consider adding it to the ADVANCE Weekly Roundup.

The ADVANCE Weekly Roundup is brought to you by ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. Past articles are available on the ADVANCE Newsblog.

To learn more about our featured topic, our mission, programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, contact us or visit our website.

La Pena Spanish Conversation Hour

Join us tomorrow (Oct. 25) for la Peña, the Spanish Conversation Hour. Come unwind and meet new people while you refresh your Spanish! Everybody is welcome. We will meet from 5-6 p.m. in the HDMZ (Humanities Digital Media Zone), Walker 120A.

Other la Peña dates this semester: Oct. 25, Nov. 8, Nov. 29

English Corner Provides English Conversation Practice

English Corner, hosted by Graduate Language Assessment and Support (GLAS) in the Admin Building, offers an opportunity for international students to practice English conversation skills. Students can join their peers and GLAS coaches for a cup of tea and chat in a relaxed environment.

Students are welcome to attend for the full hour or visit for just a few minutes.

  • Fall 2022 dates/times: Fridays from 1-1:50 p.m. (excluding University breaks)
  • Location: GLAS, Admin 405A

Questions can be directed to GLAS Program Director Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

Fall 2022 HuskiesFit Group Fitness Class Schedule

Commit to be HuskiesFit this fall with the HuskiesFit Ultimate Punch Card and gain a variety of group fitness classes to choose from! The fall class schedule began Oct. 20!

The HuskiesFit Ultimate Punch Card is good for one year from the date of purchase, comes in eight- or 16-punch options, and allows you to attend a great selection of classes that are open to anyone 16 years of age or older. Class day passes are also available for $10.

We're excited to announce that SDC access holders (minimum one month) may now attend HuskiesFit group fitness classes for free as a new benefit of membership! Just present your access ID for entry to class.

HuskiesFit rowing classes begin next week as well! Sign up today for Get Your Erg On! Join members of the MTU Rowing Club as they guide you through basic rowing techniques, or sign up for The Erginator and hone your rowing skills! Both Get Your Erg On! and The Erginator are session-based classes and are not included in the HuskiesFit Ultimate Punch Card (and are not free for SDC access holders).

Visit HuskiesFit Programs for more information. Commit to be HuskiesFit today!

Employee Financial Health Webinars by TIAA

Michigan Tech employees are invited to join the Benefits Office for these free, online, live financial health webinars offered through Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) this November:

  • Inside Money: Managing Income and Debt — Nov. 8 at 3 p.m.
    Discover how to help make your money work harder by using your cash flow more effectively, developing good saving habits and better managing debt.
    Register now.

  • The Power of Savings — Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.
    Whether you’re the kind of person who lives and spends in the now or plans for what’s ahead, there are always ways to save smarter. You’ll learn a number of strategies for better managing your money, so you have the knowledge and confidence to pay your bills, save for a rainy day and achieve any larger financial goals you’ve set for yourself.
    Register now.

  • Financial Housekeeping for Now and Later — Nov. 10 at noon
    Get insights into your current financial situation and learn some practical steps you can take to help position yourself for future success.
    Register now.

  • Money at Work 2: Sharpening Investment Skills — Nov. 10 at 3 p.m.
    Feel more secure in your savings strategy by verifying you’re on the right track. And if you’re off track, know what adjustments you need to make. Learn how to plan your investments and hold on to as much of your nest egg as possible.
    Register now.

  • Lifetime Income: Marketproof your Retirement — Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.
    You diversify your investment portfolio before retirement to help offset risk. A similar strategy can help see you through retirement. Learn how creating a diversified income plan — one that uses a combination of income sources and includes annuity income that’s guaranteed for life — can help reduce the risks you may face in retirement and ensure you have income that never runs out.
    Register now.

These webinars count toward Option 2 in your Husky Health Checklist. Follow Michigan Tech Wellness on Facebook for upcoming health and wellness initiatives supported by the Benefits Office, which may count toward your 2022 Husky Health Checklist.

All webinars are recorded and available for viewing 90 days after the live event. Visit TIAA.org/webinars to register or watch past presentations on demand.

Future webinars scheduled for December will be announced later in Tech Today.

Spanish-Speaking Webinars
Starting in 2022, TIAA is offering financial education webinars in Spanish. The webinars can be accessed at TIAA.org/RecursosEducativos.

The Rozsa This Week

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company — 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28
Presented by the Rozsa

Witness the astonishing power, exceptional talent and spectacular versatility of the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. ABT Studio Company programs feature a dynamic blend of classical favorites alongside contemporary and newly commissioned works.

Join us in advance of the performance for the Artist Reception of Arabesque from 5-7 p.m.

Get Your Tickets:

  • Faculty, staff and general public: Get tickets online, or visit or call the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Box Office will also be open for one hour before the show.
  • Students: Bring your HuskyCard to get free Student Rush tickets for you and a friend, or email rozsa@mtu.edu to skip the line and reserve your tickets at least one business day in advance.

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Arabesque Artist Reception — 5-7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28
Rozsa Galleries A-Space | Hosted by the Rozsa Galleries

Join local artist and Michigan Tech Chemical Engineering professor emeritus Tomas Co and Clement Yeh for the Arabesque artist reception on Friday (Oct. 28), from 5-7 p.m., in advance of the Rozsa's presentation of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company

What to expect:
Enjoy refreshments. Meet the artists in a relaxed environment. See spectacular art. Learn about how Co and Yeh go from inspiration to the final pieces that you see. 

Learn more.

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show — 11 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29
Presented by the Rozsa

Let's do the time warp again! Audience participation and costumed debauchery are strictly encouraged for the annual screening of our favorite cult classic.

Pre-Film Party! 
Join us at 10 p.m. for a pre-film screening party sponsored by the Keweenaw Young Professionals.

Get Your Tickets:

  • Faculty, staff and general public: Get tickets online, or visit or call the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Box Office will also be open for one hour before the show.
  • Students: Get tickets online, or bring your HuskyCard to get free Student Rush tickets for you and a friend.

SRC-Squared Panel Discussion: Michigan Tech as a Living Lab

Join the Sustainable and Resilient Communities Social Network and Research Collaborative (SRC-Squared) on Nov. 10 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. to discuss how we can use our campus as a teaching tool and lab for a more sustainable future.

Attendance is invited in person in Dow 875 or virtually via Zoom.

Michigan Tech has a rich history of experiential learning and applied research. Transitioning our campus and community to a more sustainable model will afford opportunities to build off that tradition, converting our campus into a living laboratory for sustainability and linking our operational management with our teaching and research missions.

This discussion will highlight some of the ways in which faculty are using campus/community as a place for applied learning, and explore opportunities for future growth and expansion of the concept.

Panelists for this meeting include Richelle Winkler (SS), Brian Barkdoll (CEGE) and Rod Chimner (CFRES).

The discussion will be moderated by Alan Turnquist, director of sustainability and resilience.

The Sustainable and Resilient Communities Social Network and Research Collaborative (SRC-Squared) is hosted by the Tech Forward Initiative for Sustainability and Resilience.

ADVANCE Advocates and Allies Workshop

Have you noticed that different people have vastly different experiences in classes, meetings, informal and formal events and other interactions on campus? Ever noticed that this is dependent upon visually identifiable identities (gender, skin color, etc.). Would you like to learn more about becoming an ally in the moment and to help intentionally craft the culture at Michigan Tech to position every single individual for success (not just those who fit the "historically typical" mold)?

You are invited to attend one of two sessions (held concurrently) of a workshop that explores the impact of gender and race on faculty members’ experiences of the University campus climate. Through small group discussions, a review of the existing research and large group discussions, these sessions will seek to shift the dialogue from individual problems and solutions experienced by underrepresented faculty to seeking to acknowledge and identify institutional challenges and solutions related to gender and racial inequity in higher education.

If you'd simply like to learn more about these issues in a collegial environment, please attend. If you would like to learn strategies to be an ally, attend and bring a friend!

This workshop will be led by Michigan Tech's own Advocate Team members (cisgender-men-only session) and by ADVANCE's PI team/Advocates and Allies Advisory Board members (women and other genders session). Details on Advocates and Allies are available on the ADVANCE webpage.

Lunch will be served at this workshop, so please RSVP in advance.

Details:

  • What: ADVANCE Advocates and Allies Workshop
  • When: Friday, Nov. 4, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
  • Where: Noblet 143
  • Who: All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

This workshop is being sponsored by the Advocates Team, the Advocates and Allies Advisory Board (A3B) and the ADVANCE Initiative at Michigan Tech.

ADVANCE at Michigan Tech is an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. To learn more about our mission and programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, email us at advance-mtu@mtu.edu, visit our website or stop by our office in Library 102B.

Webinar: 'A Husky Heads South for Traffic Engineering'

Since graduating from MTU in 2009, Alex Hainen, associate professor at the University of Alabama, has been involved with traffic engineering and traffic signals with many departments of transportation across the country. He started his faculty work at the University of Alabama in 2014 and started his research by deploying the Federal Highway Administration’s ATSPM platform for the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Growing from the original 85 intersections to now nearly 500 intersections, Hainen is involved with collecting data and working with engineers to study new ways to optimize traffic signal operations. Through these endeavors, he has also been engaged with every traffic signal manufacturer and nearly every traffic detection manufacturer. The next phase of this work focuses on trajectory control and leveraging basic safety message (BSM) data in modern traffic signal controllers. This talk will highlight many of these projects.

All of this was started by Professors Emeriti Bill Sproule and Bernie Alkire, and Associate Professor Kris Mattila (CEGE) encouraging and guiding Hainen to pursue graduate work and research.

Hainen is extremely thankful to be able to share some of this work with MTU colleagues at a webinar Thursday (Oct. 27) at noon. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Job Postings

Job Postings for Monday, Oct. 24, 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.

Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. Apply online.

Assistant Research Engineer – IT Support, Michigan Tech Research Institute. Apply online.

Climate Adaptation Specialist, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. Apply online.

Research Associate, Chemistry. Apply online.

Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering. 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.

In the News

Design World Online mentioned Michigan Tech in a Q&A with alum Dana Myers ’07 (B.S., mechanical engineering), who is currently a global product manager specializing in building product portfolio strategies.

Reminders

Research Networking Opportunity for Faculty and Staff

One of the practical impacts of the pandemic has been a reduced number of networking opportunities for researchers and scholars across our campus community. To help to continue to address that need, the offices of the Provost and Vice President for Research are planning two in-person research networking sessions during this academic year, one in October and one in March.

The first session is planned for Wednesday (Oct. 26) from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building, Ballroom A.

The main focus of these sessions will be to provide an opportunity for the development of research networks; however, we are encouraging faculty and staff from a wide range of backgrounds to attend the sessions in order to build their networks of collaborators for the development of research and scholarly activities.

The sessions will feature two-minute “Tech Talks” from faculty who began their appointments at Michigan Tech during the last two years, followed by informal networking and time for connecting with new and existing colleagues from across campus. If your schedule allows, please plan to attend both sessions in order to meet and help welcome new colleagues.

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Talk: 'A Roadmap for Climate Action at Michigan Tech'

From 4-5 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 26) in Dillman 320, Director of Sustainability and Resilience Alan Turnquist will present a talk titled "A Roadmap for Climate Action at Michigan Tech."

Turnquist will talk about the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents for higher education and share a roadmap for climate action at Michigan Tech. There will be plenty of time for discussion.

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Last Day to Register for 'Prototype Your Innovation' Workshop

How do you communicate an innovative idea with stakeholders? The more you can demonstrate how your innovation works, the better your understanding of the solution and the more informative feedback will be.

Join Husky Innovate for an interactive workshop to learn how to prototype your innovation and test it for customer feedback. Prototyping can range from simple to complex. This workshop focuses on building a mockup of your idea, so that you may present it and gather feedback. This feedback will inform your next design iteration and help you to tailor your solution to your end-users' needs. 

The workshop is Wednesday (Oct. 26) from 4-6 p.m. in the Alley Makerspace. Register to participate by the end of today (Oct. 24).

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CTL Instructional Award: Kristin Brzeski

The Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will recognize Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) as co-recipient of the CTL Instructional Award for Innovative or Out of Class Teaching on Thursday (Oct. 27) at 3:45 p.m. (rescheduled from earlier this month). Brzeski was selected for the award after being nominated via the Deans’ Teaching Showcase during the spring 2022 semester.

Please plan to join us in recognizing Brzeski by registering for the event.

Brzeski’s presentation: "Integrating regional natural resource partners into lab and field based learning."

From the abstract:
Dr. Kristin Brzeski will share her experiences developing and funding a field and wet-lab based component in her wildlife courses. In this presentation, Dr. Brzeski will emphasize how she integrates partnerships with the MI Department of Natural Resources (DNR) into her instruction, where students generate data that is presented directly to DNR biologists. Through this process, students get hands-on field and lab based training while actively participating in the process of translating research for applied management. Students also get tips and advice for advancing their careers with land-management organizations such as the DNR.

*****

Lunch and Learn: Managing Depression

Please join Northstar EAP tomorrow (Oct. 25) from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the MUB Superior Room, B001.

Northstar EAP presents on managing depression in partnership with their team of licensed counselors, as well as their nurse practitioner partner. They will offer curated tips, tactics and content to give you methods to both mitigate symptoms, recognize issues and build resilience against depression and other mental health disorders for yourself and loved ones. Discussion topics will include various treatment options and resources that should be accessed, along with healthy habits and practices you can apply immediately.

A wellness basket valued over $250 will be raffled off to one lucky employee who attends. Please email benefits@mtu.edu to reserve your seat today!

This Lunch and Learn counts toward Option 2 in your Husky Health Checklist.

Follow Michigan Tech Wellness on Facebook for upcoming health and wellness initiatives supported by the Benefits Office, which may count toward your 2022 Husky Health Checklist.

*****

ICC Distinguished Lecture: Joydeep Mitra, Michigan State University

As part of its Distinguished Lecturer Series, the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) will present an on-campus and virtual talk by Joydeep Mitra, Michigan State University, today (Oct. 24) at 3 p.m. in MEEM 403.

Mitra directs the power system program at Michigan State. He teaches power systems courses, conducts research on energy assurance and supervises graduate students engaged in this research. He is an MSU Foundation Endowed Chair.

Virtual attendees can access the lecture via Zoom

Read more on the ICC blog

*****

Haunted Haus

Sigma Pi and Theta Chi Epsilon's 35th Annual Haunted Haus is scheduled to scare the Houghton area Friday and Saturday (Oct. 28 and 29) from 7 p.m to midnight. It will be held at the Sigma Pi Fraternity House at 1206 College Ave., Houghton.

Tickets go on sale for $7 in Fisher Hall and the Van Pelt and Opie Library from today to Friday (Oct. 24 to 28) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or for $10 at the door.

Raffle tickets will be sold at the door of the Haunted Haus for $1 per ticket or six tickets for $5. Enter for a chance to win gift cards and other prizes! All proceeds will go to the Dial Help and Pigs-N-Heat foundations.

*****

Donate to the Husky FAN Food Pantry!

As midterms wrap up, now is a great time to lend a hand and fight food insecurity in the Michigan Tech community! The Husky Food Access Network (FAN) Pantry is in need of donations. All shelf-stable nonperishable food and hygiene items are gladly accepted.

Donations can be made anytime by dropping items off outside the pantry (in the alcove near Fisher 135). Please email Madeline English at mrenglis@mtu.edu with any questions!

The pantry is in particular need of:

  • Canned soup
  • Canned meats and fish — chicken, tuna, etc.
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned beans
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Instant mashed potatoes
  • Pasta and pasta sauce
  • Rice
  • Milk alternatives (shelf-stable items only)
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Personal care items — toothbrushes, soap, shaving cream, etc.

Today's Campus Events

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

The Rozsa Galleries Present: Arabesque

THE ROZSA GALLERIES PRESENT ARABESQUE AN ART EXHIBITION OF THE WORKS OF CLEMENT YEH AND TOMAS CO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 THROUGH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 GALLERY HOURS: M-F 8...

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ICC Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Joydeep Mitra, Michigan State University

As part of its Distinguished Lecturer Series, the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems will present an on-campus and virtual talk by Dr. Joydeep Mitra, Michigan State...

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Reactivity of bromine radical with dissolved organic matter: Implication on bromate formation during ozonation

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Sungeun Lim, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Current affiliation: Department of Civil and...

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Monday Study Sessions!

Get together with your peers to work on professional, personal and academic activities with help from undergrad and grad physics buddies! When: Every Monday evening from 5:30...

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SAE Aero Design Weekly Meeting

SAE Aero Design aims to offer valuable experience to Michigan Tech students of all majors interested in an extracurricular engineering & design opportunity. Come join our...

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The Michigan Tech Band Experience—Wonderful Ruckus to Symphonic Thrills

Husky Bites presents Special Guest Michael Christianson Associate Professor, Visual and Performing Arts Director of Bands Michigan Technological University Co-host Huskies...

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Adult and Youth Huskies Tennis Lessons

Youth Tennis Lessons: After school and weekend Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons are back this fall! Join by age group and level for some fun on the tennis courts! October 24...