March 8, 2024

Student Affairs is thrilled to announce the recent promotions of Rob Bishop, Anna McClatchy and Laura Putwen to assistant deans! Each will serve a particular role related to assisting students on their paths toward success at Michigan Tech.

Rob Bishop, assistant dean for academic conduct, will manage the reinstatement process for students who have been previously suspended and handle academic-related approval processes within the Dean of Students Office.

Anna McClatchy, assistant dean for student success, will chair the Academic Intervention Team and the Commencement Committee, and facilitate the academic appeal process at the end of each semester.

Laura Putwen, assistant dean for community conduct, will chair the Early Intervention Team as well as the newly formed campuswide committee — yet to be named — to assist students in protests and demonstrations. Putwen will also assist with crisis management practices.

All three will retain their current director duties and will be responsible for coordination, planning and delivery of professional development to Student Affairs staff. They will also assist with assessment of programs and services within our division.

College of Sciences and Arts Dean Ravindra Pandey has selected Lorri Reilly, from the Department of Chemistry, for this spring’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase. Reilly will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with other spring showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Reilly is an integral member of the instructional team providing lab experiences for students in first-year chemistry. Department of Chemistry Chair Athar Ata called Reilly “the anchor of first-year chemistry labs,” noting that she has “worked tirelessly to ensure they continue running smoothly. Her efforts have been instrumental in maintaining an engaging and effective learning environment. Lorri's enthusiasm and approachability have made her well-liked among students, many of whom regularly visit her in her office.”

Reilly’s responsibilities include preparing graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) for success in laboratory instruction by demonstrating labs and asking GTAs to carry out these labs in her presence to ensure that all GTAs feel confident with the curriculum and in their ability to guide undergraduate students. Additionally, she monitors the labs to verify that safety regulations for chemical handling are followed by the first-year students. This helps the Department of Chemistry ensure that students receive proper lab training in skills they will need in higher-level STEM courses. Since 1991, Reilly has trained over 30,000 students and several teaching assistants in first-year chemistry.

Reilly has also contributed significantly to curriculum development within the chemistry department. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Reilly worked with the chemistry department to adapt and develop instructional approaches that ensured that students still received essential lab training. She was also integrally involved in a departmentwide project to revamp the curriculum for first-year chemistry labs.

“Providing meaningful hands-on laboratory experiences from the very beginning of a student’s academic experience is part of what makes Michigan Tech a leader in STEM education,” noted Maria Bergstrom, associate dean for undergraduate education. “The College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to recognize the significant instructional work of Lorri Reilly, and others like her, who help develop and deliver our laboratory-based curriculum. In recognizing Ms. Reilly’s contributions, we draw attention to the ways that impactful instruction is the result of a collaborative effort that benefits all students.”

Don't miss the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra's Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (March 9) at the Calumet Theatre, presented by the Calumet Theatre and Michigan Tech Music.

Romanian guest conductor Cristian Lupeş leads the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra in an evening of transcendent Tchaikovsky at the Calumet Theatre. The evening features Tchaikovsky's turbulent "The Tempest" (Symphonic Fantasy after Shakespeare) and his final work, Symphony No. 6, “The Pathétique” — premiered nine days before his death.

View the full digital program in advance. 

Ticket Information:
General Public: Advance Pay As You’re Able tickets are available today (March 8) and can be purchased in person at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by calling 906-487-1906. After today’s box office hours, full-fee tickets through the Calumet Theatre Box Office will be available in advance or at the door.

Students: Reserve your tickets (included with your Experience Tech fee) in advance online and bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets for Student Rush.

Concert Details:

• What: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 performed by the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra
• When: Saturday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Calumet Theatre
• Tickets: Rozsa Box Office or Calumet Theatre Box Office

Joel Neves (VPA) will lead the Superior Wind Symphony in The American Dream concert this Sunday (March 10) at 7:30 p.m. in McArdle Theatre, presented by Michigan Tech Music.

The concert celebrates the finest American wind band composers, from John Philip Sousa to Frank Ticheli. Expect delightful and surprising instrumental cameos in this dynamic concert, including an organ, water-filled crystal glasses, Louisville Sluggers and an ethereal voice raining down from the overhead catwalk.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for this event are Pay As You’re Able, with a full fee of $15, and are available in advance online, in person at the Rozsa Box Office on Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or at the door.

View the digital program and see if you know any of the performers! 

Concert Details:

• What: The American Dream performed by the Superior Wind Symphony
• When: Sunday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: McArdle Theatre, Walker Arts and Humanities Center
• Tickets: Pay As You’re Able ($15 full ticket fee). Student Rush is included with Experience Tech fee. Reserve your tickets.

Step into the world of gaming with the Triangle Brothers as we embark on an epic ExtraLife Gaming Marathon! Mark your calendars for an unforgettable adventure from 6 p.m. tonight (March 8) to 10 a.m. tomorrow (March 9).

Dive into a diverse array of games and thrilling challenges awaiting you. Your support means everything to us, and we're proud to announce that all proceeds will be directed to Hurley Children's Hospital. Join us in this exciting journey and make a difference while enjoying the spirit of gaming. Your presence and support can light up lives. See you there!

View the event poster and game schedule.

Visit us on Twitch!

Earn your American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification from April 18-21 at the Michigan Tech SDC Pool! This four-day blended-learning intensive training course includes Lifeguard/First Aid/CPR/AED certifications 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 300 yards continuously, tread water for two minutes and complete a timed event in which participants retrieve a 10-pound brick from a depth of 7-10 feet and swim 20 yards with the object.

Online training prerequisites must be completed by the first day of classroom instruction. The instructor will contact class participants with online course information and directions. Class size is limited.

Course Details:

• Class Dates/Times:
  • Thursday, April 18, from 5-6 p.m.
  • Friday, April 19, from 4-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 20, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 21, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cost: $200 per participant
• Registration: Opens March 15 at 8 a.m. and closes April 5 at 11:59 p.m.

For more information, visit Michigan Tech Recreation's ARC Lifeguard Certification page.

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) assistant professor candidate Wencheng Jin will give a presentation Monday (March 11) at noon in Dow 610. All are welcome to attend. Virtual attendance is invited via Zoom.

The presentation is titled "The Role of Computational Geomechanics in Energy Transition."

From the abstract:
The global energy landscape is undergoing a significant shift, presenting challenges and opportunities for mining engineers. This transition relies heavily on increasing renewable energy generation and mineral extraction. Geothermal energy extraction, in-situ mining, and bioenergy production offer promising solutions to these challenges, but they require innovative approaches rooted in geomechanics. In this presentation, a numerical scheme will be introduced, combining a nonlocal diffused damage model at the meso-scale with a cohesive zone discrete model at the macro-scale. This scheme, utilizing the Extended Finite Element Method, aims to predict the multi-scale propagation of hydraulic fractures and proppant transport in transversely isotropic porous media relevant for geothermal energy and mineral extraction. Additionally, advancements in machine learning-assisted handling equipment design for bioenergy will be discussed, including the adaptation of soil mechanics constitutive laws for unconventional granular biomass materials, the development of novel Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code to manage flow disruptions, and the utilization of deep neural networks for data augmentation and surrogate model optimization. The presentation will be concluded with research visions.

Wencheng Jin is a computational scientist at the Energy and Environmental Science & Technology Directorate of Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Before joining INL, he earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering (specializing in geotechnical engineering) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his bachelor's and master’s degrees in engineering mechanics from Sichuan University. Funded by several offices across the U.S. Department of Energy (e.g., Geothermal Technologies Office, ARPA-E), his research focuses on constitutive modeling of particulate and solid materials, computational multiphysics coupling, multiscale fracture propagation and AI in geosystems. His research has been applied in granular material handling, energy geotechnics and subsurface digitalization. He received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award in 2018 from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, Selected Future Leader in 2022 from the American Rock Mechanics Association and the Early Career Achievement Award in 2023 from the Energy and Environmental Science & Technology Directorate at INL.

Save the Date: The Graduate School and Provost’s Office will host a faculty workshop, “Mentoring Graduate Students,” on March 20 from 3-4:30 p.m. in MUB Alumni Lounge B.

The workshop will focus on best practices for mentoring graduate students. We will discuss the upcoming National Science Foundation requirement that all proposal submissions include a graduate student mentoring plan; a new advising and mentoring agreement developed by the Graduate School will frame the discussion. All faculty who work with graduate students are invited to attend. Faculty are free to attend all or part of the event as their schedule allows.

To help us with planning, please complete our Mentoring Graduate Students Workshop RSVP form to let us know that you will attend.

The Michigan Tech Nordic ski team are competing on the big stage at the NCAA Skiing Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The national championship competitions began yesterday (March 7) and continue today and tomorrow (March 8-9).

This is the fifth consecutive season that Tech has sent a complete Nordic ski team to nationals. The Huskies raced the 7.5km Skate Interval Start yesterday and will compete in the 20km Classic Mass Start tomorrow.

"We are so looking forward to the NCAA championships," head coach Tom Monahan Smith said. "We've had the perfect preparation here in Steamboat, with great training and acclimatization. We have a truly outstanding team of student-athletes representing Michigan Tech at NCAAs, all with incredible championship experience and competitive momentum, and we are ready to give it our best."

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech hockey hosts Bowling Green this weekend for a best-of-three CCHA Mason Cup Quarterfinal series. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. today (March 8), 6:07 p.m. tomorrow (March 9) and, if necessary, 5:07 p.m. Sunday (March 10).

The Huskies are the No. 3 seed and the Falcons are No. 6. Tech went 3-1 against the Falcons in the regular season, with the lone loss in overtime. MTU outscored BGSU 14-5 in the season series.

Listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net. Both games will be livestreamed on FloHockey (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech women's basketball season came to an end on Wednesday (March 6) as the Huskies fell 51-49 to Parkside in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinal at the SDC Gym.

Tech finished 15-12 overall and fourth in the GLIAC at 11-7.

"We defended really well, holding Parkside to 51," Tech coach Sam Clayton said. "We just didn't do the other part, where we had to finish shots at the rim. We had a ton of fight, but had some miscues late that ended up being the difference in the game."

"I think we ended up having a great year," Clayton added. "The record didn't always reflect that, but we ended up fourth in the conference, and I wouldn't want anybody else in that locker room. It was a tough day for our six seniors, but they've made a huge impact for this program on and off the floor."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

For the second time in five days, the Michigan Tech men's basketball team couldn't outlast Grand Valley State. The Huskies fell 79-76 to the Lakers in the GLIAC Quarterfinals at the GVSU Fieldhouse on Wednesday (March 6) to close out their 2023-24 season.

"We had a lot of fight, and I think they left it all out there effort-wise, which is all you can ask for in your last game," Tech basketball coach Josh Buettner said. "We fought till the end, and I thought we went toe-to-toe with them. We just couldn't get that stop in crunchtime, like we couldn't back in Houghton on Saturday. Rob (Tyler Robarge) did a heck of a job on Marius (Grazulis) — that was huge, and I was happy for him as a senior to get in and really contribute."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's and women's tennis teams went on their annual spring break trip to Florida last week, competing against five different opponents on the trip.

The men's team earned a 4-3 victory over NCAA Division I St. Bonaventure on Feb. 27. Tech took the doubles point with a 7-6 win by Leon Sell and Jack Lin and a 6-1 victory by Nikolai Prosjanykov and Vitor Jordao. In singles, Jordao won in the No. 1 position while Eli Pinnoo and Ian Pinnoo won in the fifth and sixth spots.

On the women's side, Chiara Heinz swept her opponent 6-0, 6-0 in No. 6 singles on Feb. 27 at Lynn. She also won her singles match 3-6, 7-6, 1-0 in the trip finale on March 1 against Charleston at No. 4 singles.

Emily Cojocura won her No. 2 singles match 6-3, 7-6 at Florida Southern on Feb. 29. Heinz and Caoimhe McDonnell were victorious in No. 3 doubles that day also.

"Spring break is a week where we try to play outdoor matches against other Division II teams that are outside of our region," said head coach Kristin D'Agostini-Yep. "With our spring break being earlier than normal this year, we ended up with a schedule of matches against mostly schools from the Sunshine State Conference, which historically has been an incredibly tough conference."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

A recent research article authored by a Department of Chemistry team was showcased on the back cover of Chemical Science, the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The team is led by Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova and includes Ph.D. students Anandhu Krisnan (first author) and Fathima Hameed Cherilakkudy; Ph.D. graduate Sodiq Waheed ’23, currently a researcher at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Ph.D. graduate Ann Varghese ’23, currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration, in Jefferson, Arkansas.

Professor Christopher J. Schofield from the University of Oxford, U.K., was a collaborator on the study.

The research illuminates the origin of the atypical catalytic strategy employed by the human non-heme Fe(II)/2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase AspH, which is a target for anticancer therapy.

This research was funded by NIH grant 2R15GM132873-02.

We would like to thank Sarah Atkinson (RD) for her assistance with image preparation.

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David Labyak and John Irwin (both MMET) are co-authors of an article published in the Fall/Winter 2023 issue of the Technology Interface International Journal.

The article is titled "Industry 4.0 Integration into a Manufacturing Engineering Graduate Certificate and MS Degree."

Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci/GLRC) was quoted by the Associated Press in a story exploring how an ongoing lack of winter ice cover could change the Great Lakes. The story mentioned a project launched by Vick-Majors to gather winter-specific lake samples for comparison to summer data, with researchers around the Great Lakes participating in sampling this month. The story was picked up by more than 300 news outlets nationwide, including the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle and Seattle Times.

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Jonathan Robins and Steve Walton (both SS) were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story about History Day, held Wednesday (March 6) at MTU sponsored by the Michigan Tech Archives and Department of Social Sciences. The event challenged local high schoolers to explore history and prepare exhibits based on this year’s theme, “Turning Points in History.”

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Undergrad Raquel Carlson (biomedical engineering) was quoted by the Mining Journal in a story about the opening of Velodrome Coffee in the Van Pelt and Opie Library on Monday (March 4). The story was picked up from the Daily Mining Gazette.

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Michigan Tech hockey’s Alex Nordstrom (marketing) was mentioned by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story reviewing hockey players with Copper Country connections who are making names for themselves on the collegiate, juniors and professional stages. Former Huskies Tanner Kero and Trenton Bliss were also mentioned in the story.

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The Times Herald of St. Clair County, Michigan, mentioned the Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers in a story previewing St. Clair Community College’s STEM Fest this Saturday (March 9). The story was picked up by Yahoo! News.

MTTI Luncheon with MDOT Research Program Visitors

Michael Townley, engineer of research at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), will be on campus for site visits and a luncheon next Friday (March 15). Townley will be joined by Dean Kartiz, MDOT project program manager, and Heidi Spangler, MDOT innovation engineer.

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will be holding a luncheon for the visitors from 12-1:30 p.m. in Alumni Lounge B (MUB 107B) of the Memorial Union. MTTI Director Pasi Lautala will offer a brief overview of MTTI’s transportation research capabilities and Townley will discuss the MDOT Research Program and upcoming opportunities.

This is a perfect opportunity to meet with the MDOT research personnel and hear how you can get involved in MDOT supported research, as MDOT has released the dates of their Research Program Development Meetings for May 6-10. All meetings are virtual via Microsoft Teams this year, and we encourage everyone interested to consider participating in selected sessions. During each of the 20 to 30 program development meetings, MDOT staff will present an approved research idea for the 2025-2027 Research Program. 

These meetings, a vital step in further developing the research ideas, provide an opportunity for University partners, MDOT staff and transportation stakeholders with common research interests to identify research gaps and opportunities, collaborate and discuss research that addresses the department’s strategic priorities.

All are welcome to attend the luncheon. RSVP is required by the end of today (March 8).

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CS Faculty Candidate Presentation with Wen Li

Department of Computer Science (CS) tenure-track faculty candidate Wen Li will give a research presentation today (March 8) from 3-4 p.m. in Rekhi 214.

The title of Li’s talk is “Run-Time Analysis and Security of Multi-Language Systems.” A social hour will follow in Rekhi 218. Snacks and beverages will be served.

Read Li's bio and talk abstract on the Computing News Blog.

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

Simple Machines: Poetry, Letterpress, and the Art of the Little Magazine Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Friday, March 8, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries

Simple Machines is a two-edition, international, letterpress poetry magazine founded and edited by Michigan Tech’s M. Bartley Seigel, funded through a Research Excellence...

Graduating and Still Looking? Walk In for Coffee and a Chat

Friday, March 8, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Are you graduating soon and need help finding a job? Come in for a coffee and chat with one of our career advisors. We can help tailor your search, review your resume, bounce...

Research Presentation: CS Faculty Candidate Wen Li

Friday, March 8, 3–4 p.m. | Rekhi Hall, 214

Department of Computer Science tenure-track faculty candidate Wen Li will give a research presentation on Friday, March 8, 2024, from 3-4 p.m. in Rekhi 214. The title of Li’s...

Red Wings Hockey Pregame + Game in Tempe, AZ with Alumni and Friends

Friday, March 8, 4:30 p.m.

Join fellow Huskies on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Tempe, AZ, as alumni and friends come together for a pregame social and then to fill the rink for the Red Wings vs Coyotes...

(Men's Ice Hockey) TBD vs. Michigan Tech

March 8, all day | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena

Men's Ice Hockey: TBD vs. Michigan Tech, CCHA First Round

(Men's Tennis) Michigan Tech at Maryville (Mo.)

March 8, all day

Men's Tennis: Michigan Tech at Maryville (Mo.)

(Women's Tennis) Michigan Tech at Maryville (Mo.)

March 8, all day

Women's Tennis: Michigan Tech at Maryville (Mo.)

NCAA Skiing Championships (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)

March 8, all day

NCAA Skiing Championships (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)

Registration Deadline - Design Expo

March 8, all day

DESIGN EXPO 2024: SIGN UP NOW Design Expo highlights hands-on, discovery-based learning at Michigan Tech. During the event, which is hosted by the Enterprise Program and the...