December 13, 2022

The MTRAC (Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization) program is now accepting applications for the 2023 program cycle.

The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Applied Advanced Materials program at Michigan Tech provides resources to support materials-related projects with high commercial potential. This support includes research and development funding for prototype and late-stage translational activities, with consultation and mentoring from an Oversight Committee including industry and investment experts. The program defines materials-related projects broadly to include technologies related to: novel materials, novel applications of conventional materials, or equipment and processes that enable the application of either novel materials or conventional materials for novel purposes.

Full details can be found on the MTRAC website.

Contact Michael Morley, director of technology commercialization, at mcmorley@mtu.edu or 906-487-2228 to receive assistance and guidance on proposal preparation.

The full proposal submission deadline is March 31.

The Air Force and Army ROTC invite you to the Fall 2022 Commissioning Ceremony on Saturday (Dec. 17) at 7:30 a.m. at the Rozsa Center.

This semester we have three Air Force cadets and five Army cadets commissioning.

Those commissioning are from the following programs:

Civil Engineering | Environmental Engineering | Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering

We will also be streaming the ceremony if you prefer to watch it live on YouTube.

Jason Blough, interim chair and distinguished professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM), has been selected as the 2023 recipient of SAE International's Ralph K. Hillquist NVH Lifetime Achievement Award.

Established by the Noise & Vibration Conference Committee, this award recognizes those individuals who have shown a continued contribution to ground vehicle voise, vibration and harshness (NVH) over a period of 15 years or more.

According to the award notification, Blough has "been instrumental in shaping the sound package material industry over the last 30 years, alongside unmatched dedication and commitment to industry and SAE." He was nominated for the award by Darrell Robinette (ME-EM), associate professor.

Blough’s research includes dynamic measurement problems, developing new digital signal processing algorithms to understand NVH-type problems and ways to improve the NVH characteristics of virtually any machine. He routinely teaches many experimental NVH techniques in both classroom settings and industry short courses, and serves as the SAE Clean Snowmobile Team faculty advisor under Tech's Advanced Motorsports Enterprise.

Formal recognition of the award will occur during the 2023 SAE Noise & Vibration Conference, being held May 15-18.

Congratulations to Dr. Blough on this significant achievement.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Section at Michigan Tech congratulates our graduating seniors: Sophie Stewart and Audrey Levanen (mechanical engineering) and Kiira Hadden (biomedical engineering). We look forward to hearing from them as alumnae!

The section awarded two scholarships to active upper-division students. We are so proud of the accomplishments of Natalie Hodges (dual major: electrical and computer engineering) and Alli Hummel (civil engineering).

We will be awarding two scholarships in the spring to first- and second-year active members and will be posting the application information during the spring semester.

Back by popular demand, the "Facilitating Difficult Conversations: Let’s Talk About It" two-part workshop is being offered Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 from 9-11 a.m. Participants will attend both sessions, as the information builds a knowledge base moving through the workshops. This in-person workshop is open to all Michigan Tech faculty and staff.

The number of participants is somewhat limited, so please complete the RSVP form to save your spot. Once you are signed up, you will receive a calendar invitation, which will include the location.

For more information, feel free to contact our office at 906-487-3310 or eocompliance@mtu.edu.

Michigan Tech women's basketball topped Lake Superior State and nailed down No. 19 Ferris State at SDC Gymnasium over the weekend, notching their second and third straight wins.

The Huskies defeated the Lakers 76-63 Friday (Dec. 9). Sara Dax came alive in the third quarter and finished with 18 points to help Tech to victory. Ellie Mackay (15 points) and Isabella Lenz (14 points) also made it to double figures and Alex Rondorf collected 11 rebounds.

"I think our defense leads to more offense, so when we started getting stops in the third quarter, we could get up the court in transition and find open teammates more often," Dax said. "We just need to make sure on Sunday we play a full 40 minutes."

On Sunday (Dec. 11), the Huskies played sound defense to defeat Ferris State 67-52. MTU outscored the Bulldogs 20-8 in the third quarter and limited them to 24% overall shooting.

Lenz posted her first 20-point game of the season in the victory. Meanwhile, Dax found success in the paint and beyond the arc with 16 points and nine rebounds, and Rondorf contributed a season-high 15 rebounds along with six points. 

"I'm super proud of the way our girls came out and played inspired basketball," said head coach Sam Clayton. "We played great team defense right from the start and got stops against their top players. It was good to see Bella (Lenz) make some shots early. She hit a really critical three when Ferris was looking to make a run. She is confident and poised to shoot behind ball screens so that was nice to see."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Despite a slow start and a loss to Lake Superior State to start the weekend, Michigan Tech men's basketball rallied for a nail-biting one-point win over Ferris State.

The Huskies were unable to overcome a slow offensive start Friday (Dec. 9) and fell 73-63 to the Lakers in GLIAC play at SDC Gymnasium. Tech suffered their seventh straight defeat, despite scoring 47 points in the second half. 

"In the first half, we didn't take care of the things that were a focus coming in and that's taking care of the basketball and rebounding," said head coach Josh Buettner. "If we are able to keep it simple and do those things right, we will give ourselves a chance. The offense takes time to create chemistry and we are still learning. We attacked the press a lot better in the second half and made good passes, and that lead to more success."

Sunday (Dec. 11), the Huskies held on to defeat the Bulldogs 69-68 at SDC Gym. Marcus Tomashek made one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to seal the win. The Huskies shot 50% as a team to snap their losing streak and improve to 3-8 overall.

"That was an absolute war," quipped Buettner. "We knew after the last foul that we could get the last shot, so we held it for one. With how Marcus's mind works offensively, I knew he would get a makeable shot off. He got fouled and it was awesome to see him step up at the line and make one for us. It's a good win."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech Nordic ski team kicked off the season by earning the combined team CCSA win at the Salomon CXC Cup in Duluth, Minnesota, over the weekend. In total, the Huskies accrued three individual victories.

For the women, Anabel Needham won the women's freestyle sprint, clocking in at 3:22.47, over three seconds before the second-place finisher. Henriette Semb (3:26.86) finished fourth. 

It was Semb's turn for victory in the women's classic interval start on Sunday, clocking in at 20:46.7. Needham (20:58.5) was close behind in third, and Olivia Laven (21:16.7) and Sølverud Wangen (21:33.1) placed fifth and seventh, respectively.

For the men, Skylar Patten led from the start in the classic interval start, going through the first lap in 5:32.7 and winning in 17:08.5. Husky Wes Campbell was the runner-up in 17:38.5.

In addition, three of the top six finishers in the men's freestyle sprint were from Tech: Adam Witkowski placed third, with Félix Cottet-Puinel and Campbell placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Tuesday (Dec. 13)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Friday (Dec. 16)
• Hockey at Lake Superior State, 7:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Saturday (Dec. 17)
• Nordic Skiing hosts Pre-Nationals CCSA Invite/CXC Cup (Tech Trails),  10 a.m.
• Women's Basketball vs. Finlandia, 6 p.m. at SDC Gym on 920 AM and 107.3 FM WMPL
• Hockey at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ and TV6

Sunday (Dec. 18)
• Nordic Skiing hosts Pre-Nationals CCSA Invite/CXC Cup (Tech Trails), 9 a.m.

Monday (Dec. 19)
• Men's Basketball at Kentucky Wesleyan, 8 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ and TV6

Michigan Tech volleyball coach Matt Jennings has announced that seven student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the program.

The following recruits will continue their education and playing careers at Tech beginning in 2023-24:

• Middle blocker Tricia Kennedy of Trout Valley, Illinois
• Middle blocker Rachel Zurek of Highland Charter Township, Michigan
• Outside hitter Jacqueline Yancy of Howards Grove, Wisconsin
• Outside hitter Brynn Erickson of Ashland, Wisconsin
• Outside hitter Kate Loch of South Lyon, Michigan
• Setter Tess Hayes of Chicago, Illinois
• Libero Amelia Albers of Stoughton, Wisconsin

"Considering the size of this group and the talent we bring in at each position, we look at this class as transformational in nature," Jennings said. "Each one of these future Huskies is a hardworking and high-character student-athlete with exceptional academic background and strong volleyball training and experiences. As a whole, this class brings a winning mentality to our gym and makes us a better and deeper team across nearly all positions. They have the potential to make a lasting impact on our team throughout their time with us, starting this summer.

"I'm grateful for the trust they've put in me as their coach and in choosing Michigan Tech as their new home away from home. I am very excited for this group to be here with the rest of the team soon."

Read more about the incoming Huskies at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Dec. 13, 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 – Human Factors Psychology, Cognitive and Learning Sciences. Apply online.

Manager – Training and Curriculum Development, APSRC Mobile Lab, Advanced Power Systems Research Center. Apply online.

Assistant Football Coach, Athletics. Apply online.

Assistant Volleyball Coach, Athletics. 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.

Jared Anderson and Joel Neves (VPA) were quoted by WLUC TV6 in a preview story for concerts featuring the Michigan Tech Concert Choir and conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers on Friday (Dec. 9) and the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra on Saturday (Dec. 10).

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Government Technology and Michigan Business Network mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about a $2 million grant aimed at funding projects to expand Michigan's high-tech workforce and build talent pipelines for the state’s auto, mobility and tech sectors.

The grant will fund a pilot project involving Michigan Tech and Kettering University to “engage, track, guide and retain” Michigan high school students in FIRST Robotics, Square One Network and VEX programs.

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The Keweenaw Report covered the Keweenaw Community Foundation’s announcement of grant recipients, which include Michigan Tech’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Center for Educational Outreach’s Tech Tutors program.

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Chief Executive mentioned Michigan Tech in an editorial by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation titled “Collaboration Fuels Michigan’s Talent Pipeline.”

MTU’s partnership with Calumet Electronics “to bring hands-on experience to engineering students” was listed as an example of collaborations between private businesses and public universities that enrich the education of students and the quality of talent in Michigan’s workforce.

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Discovery Institute podcast Mind Matters listed Michigan Tech alum Hal Phillips ’75 (electrical engineering) as an additional resource for its Dec. 9 episode, titled “Can AI Be Issued Patents?” 

The podcast provided links to Phillips’ Alumni and Friends profile and a 2019 episode where he was a guest.

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Lansing’s The Game 730 WVFN-AM mentioned Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival in a list of Michigan winter festivals.

RSVP for Research Day 2023

Michigan Tech's annual Research Day will return to an in-person format on Jan. 5 in the MUB Ballrooms. The theme of Research Day 2023 is “Research Networking.” This daylong event is designed for all Michigan Tech researchers, including academic faculty at all career stages and from all disciplines, as well as other research-active colleagues (e.g., research faculty, research development staff, research scientists and engineers, and postdocs, among others). All content is new for 2023; thus, returning participants are encouraged.

Registration with coffee and snacks will begin at 8:30 a.m. Morning sessions will run from 9-11:45 a.m., with lunch and recognitions at noon. Afternoon sessions will begin at 1 p.m., and the day will conclude with a networking reception from 3:45-4:30 p.m.

The day's events will include:

• Time for introductions and networking with colleagues
• Interactive panel discussions featuring stories of successful interdisciplinary networking and collaboration successes, and discussion of successful research networking strategies
• A networking lunch with recognitions of research successes in 2022
• Interaction and networking with centers and institutes, as available
• Breakout sessions on topics such as:
  • Collaboration via Overleaf (LaTeX)
  • Government Relations: Networking on the Hill
  • Strategies for Success in Undergraduate Research Initiatives
  • Research Administration Strategies for Success
  • Broadening Your Funding Prospects Through Corporate & Foundation Relationships
  • Other related topics

Please RSVP for Research Day by Friday (Dec. 16) to ensure an accurate lunch count and room arrangements. Please note: You are encouraged to attend the full event, but if your schedule has a conflict with part of the day, please participate as you are able.

A reminder and final detailed agenda will be sent to attendees prior to the event.

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

Let's Taco-bout-it

Tuesday, December 13, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Memorial Union Building Commons Area

Come join us for delicious (and free) tacos*, good company, and great support! We would love for you to stop by and share a meal with other MTU students and our staff! You can...

NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, December 13, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Chemical Sciences Building 108

NCSA, the Networking and Computing Student Association serves to provide educational opportunities to students interested in all facets of computing. Come join our weekly...

Adult and Youth Huskies Tennis Lessons

December 13, all day | Gates Tennis Center

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...