The Artemis Generation

Two students testing the lunar rover in a thermal vacuum chamber.

Michigan Tech's Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab is making a name for itself in the aerospace industry with innovative ideas and engineering prowess. We shadowed the PSTDL team for a year to learn the secrets of their success.

The PSTDL is a group of space-obsessed graduate and undergraduate students who compete in a variety of NASA Centennial Challenges — a series of competitions offering financial prizes for devising technology that helps advance NASA's goal to support a sustained human presence on the moon. And, although the PSTDL's broomball record puts them squarely in the middle of the intramural pack, their record in aerospace engineering competitions is in a class of its own.

These self-described space nerds do one thing and do it well: They set ambitious goals for themselves — and they achieve every single one.

Read their story in our 2024 Michigan Tech Magazine.

Learn About the Online TechMBA and MEM Programs

Save the Date: On March 27 at 11:30 a.m., join Mari Buche from the College of Business (COB) and David Lawrence, vice president for Global Campus and continuing education, for a 45-minute Zoom interest session that spotlights two online 30-credit programs from the COB: the TechMBA and the Master of Engineering Management (MEM).

Register for the interest session.

Buche and Lawrence will discuss the details of these programs and compare them. Learn how these programs leverage your previous undergraduate degree and expertise. Discover which degree equips you with broad, foundational business skills and which degree helps you best bridge the worlds of business and engineering.

Admissions representatives will also be in attendance to discuss curriculum pathways and the application process.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Polar Plunge

Hello Students and Staff of Michigan Tech!

Every year, Sigma Phi Epsilon puts on a Polar Plunge philanthropy event to raise money for donation to a local organization. Our event will take place this Saturday (March 16) at 11 a.m. at Chutes and Ladders Park (Ray Kestner Waterfront Park) in Houghton.

We have once again chosen to donate money to Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE), which is an organization that helps the elderly throughout the Keweenaw and even across the Upper Peninsula as well. LBFE assists with medical appointments and equipment, combating loneliness and providing basic living essentials.

Please join us in achieving our goal of raising $3,000 for this organization. For every $25 donated, you have the option of nominating a brother of your choice to plunge! Community members and friends will also be able to jump themselves for just $5 on the day of the event.

Please visit the Polar Plunge 2024 page to find more information about the event and make a donation.

Thank you for your support and generosity toward helping the elders of the Keweenaw!

Sign Up Now for the Michigan Tech Rec Indoor Triathlon

You don't have to win, you just have to TRI! Michigan Tech Recreation is hosting an indoor triathlon for MTU students and SDC Access Pass Holders (minimum one-month) on April 3 at 7 p.m. at the SDC.

Unlike a traditional triathlon, which covers fixed distances of swimming, biking and running, indoor triathlons challenge competitors to race the greatest distance within a fixed time frame. Beginners and seasoned athletes are welcome to participate in the 10-minute swim, 15-minute bike and 10-minute run! Transition time is provided between events. Event capacity is limited.

Open to MTU students and SDC Access Pass Holders (minimum one-month) with a valid MTU student ID or SDC Access Pass. Must be 16 years of age or older to participate.

Event Details:

  • What: Michigan Tech Rec Indoor Triathlon
  • When: Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m.
  • Where: Student Development Complex
  • Registration: Open now! Closes Tuesday, March 26, at 11:59 p.m.
  • Cost: It's free! (But you must register to participate!)

Learn more and find the registration link on Michigan Tech Recreation's Indoor Triathlon page.

10th Annual Modern Languages Film Series

The Department of Humanities (HU) invites you to attend the 10th annual Modern Languages Film Series, starting next Thursday (March 21).

The theme for this year is “In pursuit of democracy” — a theme well-suited to various events taking place throughout the world and the American elections coming this November.

Three films will be shown in late March. All films have subtitles in English and will begin at 7 p.m. in Fisher 135. They are free and open to the public.

Dates and Films:

  • Thursday, March 21 — "Québexit"
    A 2020 film in French, Cree and English set in Québec in a hypothetical future in which Québec secedes from Canada. Watch the trailer on YouTube.

  • Wednesday, March 27 — "Argentina, 1985"
    A 2022 film in Spanish depicting the 1980s in Argentina as the country tries to establish democracy after a military dictatorship and a team of lawyers battle to bring justice to victims of the junta. Watch the trailer on YouTube.

  • Thursday, March 28 — "The Silent Revolution"
    A 2018 film in German based on the true story of a group of high school students in East Germany who demonstrate their sympathy with the victims of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Watch the trailer on YouTube.

Café Français Meets Tonight

Bonjour à tous et à toutes!

In this week's Café Français, tonight (March 14) from 5-6 p.m. in Walker 120C, we will watch and discuss "La nuit du 12" ("The Night of the Twelfth"), a 2022 film from director Dominik Moll. Moll's film has been praised for its depiction of gender and crime in contemporary France, and was the winner of seven awards at the most recent Nuit des Césars ceremony.

Tea will be served. I look forward to seeing many of you there! À demain donc.

Husky Curlers Win Bronze at Nationals

Members of the new student organization Huskies Curl at Michigan Tech made a strong showing at the USA Curling College National Championship in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, on March 8-10. They defeated Yale (14-0), Nebraska-Lincoln (12-3), RPI (13-2) and Toledo (12-1) to qualify for the semifinals, where they fell to a well-matched Princeton team (6-7).

In the battle for bronze medals, Michigan Tech emerged victorious over University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (8-2). The tournament concluded with Princeton taking home silver, and University of Wisconsin-Madison taking home gold.

Good curling all, and congratulations Huskies!

VPR Research Series: 'Safe & Inclusive Off-campus Research'

Save the Date: Join us virtually March 26 from noon to 1 p.m. at the next session of VPR Research Series: "Safe & Inclusive Off-campus Research," a panel focusing on developing safe and inclusive (SAI) off-campus research plans.

These plans are required when any MTU researcher develops a funding proposal that will include the collection of data, information and/or samples at an off-campus research site, including urban, rural and remote locations or other organizations' facilities. This one-hour panel will provide background information, examples of best practices and guidance from researchers with significant experience conducting off-campus research.

Join us via Zoom.

Any questions should be directed to rd-l@mtu.edu.

Telling Your Story Workshop: Registration Available

Your ability to pitch greatly improves when you explain your business venture in a compelling way. What need does your product or service fill? What impact will it have? Communicating your value proposition through the art of storytelling is an important part of connecting with your audience.

In the Telling Your Story workshop, Laura Kasson Fiss (PHC/HU), who teaches writing, literature and a course through Pavlis Honors College on telling your story, will walk pitch contestants through a process to help them identify key elements of their stories to pitch their innovations. We'll talk about ways to arrange narrative elements to create a story arc and how to mobilize techniques of storytelling in the service of your innovation.

Workshop Details:

  • What: Telling Your Story Workshop
  • When: Monday, March 18, from 4-5 p.m.
  • Where: Pavlis Honors College West Collaboration Space, M&M 722
  • Registration: Students, staff and faculty are invited to register by Sunday, March 17.

Atmospheric Sciences Grad Student Presentations

This week's Atmospheric Sciences graduate student presenters will be:

  • Hamed Fahandezh Sadi (Physics; advised by Raymond Shaw)
  • Shreya Joshi (Physics; advised by Claudio Mazzoleni)

This will be an in-person event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. on Monday (March 18) in Fisher 101.

Event details, including the students' presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar with Libia Hazra and Cassandra Reed-VanDam

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday (March 18) in GLRC 202.

Libia Hazra, Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering candidate, Michigan Tech, will present "Food Web Structures in Lake Superior Revealed by Stable Isotopes Help to Trace Bioaccumulation Pathways of PCBs."

Cassandra Reed-VanDam, M.S. in Applied Ecology student, Michigan Tech, will present "Restoration is repairing relationships: Bridging Indigenous and Western Sciences to Assess Wild Rice (Zizania palustris) Restoration Efforts in Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Homelands."

Read the abstracts on the University Events Calendar.

Job Posting

Job Posting for Thursday, March 14, 2024

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Laboratory Supervisor, Chemistry Department. Apply online.
Contact: Athar Ata

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 humanresources@mtu.edu.

In the News

John Lehman (URE) was quoted by UPword in a story exploring why enrollment increases at Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan University outpaced those of larger colleges downstate in the 2022-23 academic year.

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Simon Carn (GMES) was quoted by SciTechDaily in a story about the March 2 eruption of the La Cumbre volcano in the Galapagos Islands. The story included a March 7 aerial image showing continued active lava flow on Fernandina Island. The story was picked up from NASA Earth Observatory.

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Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci/GLRC) was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story exploring how an ongoing lack of winter ice cover could change the Great Lakes. The story was originally published by the Associated Press and has been picked up by over 400 U.S. news outlets. Vick-Majors was also interviewed in a WLUC TV6 segment about the impact low snow totals and ice cover have on ecosystems and agriculture.

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WLUC TV6 covered the Equal Pay Day awareness event held at the Husky Statue on Tuesday (March 12) by the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country and Michigan Tech co-sponsors.

Reminders

CS Faculty Candidate Presentation with Michael Walker

Department of Computer Science (CS) tenure-track faculty candidate Michael Walker will give a research presentation today (March 14) from 1-1:50 p.m. in Rekhi 214.

The title of Walker’s talk is “The Design of Virtual and Mixed Reality Interfaces for Human-Robot Interaction.” Following, a meeting with computer science students will take place from 2-3 p.m. in Rekhi 101.

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

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Tonight: Celebration of Indigenous Stories

The Van Pelt and Opie Library and American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society (AISES) are excited to announce a Celebration of Indigenous Stories in partnership with this year's Great Michigan Read program, featuring "Fire Keeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley.

Tonight (March 14) from 5-8 p.m. in the library, the celebration will center around an exhibit of art, author talks and a sharing of stories. Light refreshments and Indigenous food will be served.

Schedule:

  • 5-6 p.m. — Art exhibits, including beadwork, birch bark baskets and more will be on display.
  • 6-7 p.m. — Author talks with April Lindala and T. Marie Bertineau.
  • 7-8 p.m. — Open mic featuring poetry and stories from invited speakers. Open to students and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) members to join. Moderated by Anna Lindgren.

Select pieces are on exhibit in the library now through March 22.

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Today's C-Cubed Menu

Menu for Thursday (March 14):

  • Jerk Chicken Breast with Pineapple Salsa (AG, AD)
  • Coconut Ceviche (AG, AD, V)
  • Spanish Rice (AG, AD, V)
  • Garden Salad (VG)
  • Cuban Black Beans (AG, AD, VG)
  • Tortillas (Contain Gluten)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon. The luncheon is held each week on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C3, or C-Cubed, lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by Chef Luis Delgado and his culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea and cookies are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $15 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union office (MUB 101).

We will be incorporating new food icons moving forward. Please follow the guide listed below and you will see these included into our menus and used in dining facilities across campus.

AG = Avoiding Gluten
AD = Avoiding Dairy
VG = Vegan
V = Vegetarian

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Women Owning and Appreciating Woodlands Workshop

Looking for ways to enjoy and benefit from your local forests? Join the Women Owning and Appreciating Woodlands of Michigan and the Women in Natural Resource Club at Michigan Tech on March 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a day at the Ford Center to learn about wildlife, forest management and forest health.

Network with College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) faculty and local forest professionals and meet other women who love the outdoors! Children are welcome and activities will be available for them as well. Please bring your lunch if you would like. Refreshments will be provided.

The workshop is free, but registration by tomorrow (March 15) is required. To register, email Carly DeVet at fap.iron.baraga@macd.org.

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CFRES Seminar with Jason Keller

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. today (March 14) in Noblet G002 with speaker Jason Keller, Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Ecology, Claremont McKenna College.

The title of Keller's talk is "Microbial reduction of organic matter as a key control of methane production in northern peatland ecosystems."

From the abstract:
Northern peatlands are among the most important ecosystems in the global climate — storing massive amounts of carbon in their soils and emitting the potent greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere. Methane production in peatlands is regulated by complex interactions between microbial and plant communities, and unraveling this complexity remains a key challenge for understanding peatland-climate feedbacks in the face of ongoing global change. Much of my team’s research over the past decade has focused on the microbial reduction of organic matter, i.e., the use of organic terminal electron acceptors in microbial respiration in northern peatland soils. Our work adds to a growing consensus that this process can be an important pathway of anaerobic decomposition while suppressing methane production in these ecosystems. Ongoing projects are utilizing ‘peat peepers’ to explore how microbial organic matter reduction (and concomitant methane production) respond to global change and are beginning to leverage metabolomic approaches to investigate the organic compounds involved in this process.

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MSE Seminar with Alexandra Glover

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is hosting a seminar presented by Assistant Professor Alexandra Glover today (March 14) at 1 p.m. in M&M 610.

Glover's presentation is titled "Application of Advanced Characterization Methods to Metal Alloys."

From the abstract:
Recent technological advancements have enabled the development of new techniques for the microstructural and mechanical characterization of metallic alloys. Here, several advanced techniques will be presented in the context of previous and ongoing research programs. Topics will include in-situ and ex-situ neutron diffraction experiments, digital image correlation techniques for mechanical testing, and high-resolution microscopy using transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in conjunction with scanning transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM). Applications discussed will be the development of next-generation advanced high-strength alloys, the study of deformation-induced phase transformations, and the optimization of advanced manufacturing processes. As some of these characterization techniques will become available at Michigan Tech in the near future, this talk is intended to provide a primer on their use with the intention of spurring new research directions at Michigan Tech.

Glover is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Michigan Technological University. Previously, she was an R&D engineer in the Sigma Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she served as a technical lead for thermomechanical processing and metal component fabrication. She holds a Ph.D. from the Colorado School of Mines in metallurgical and materials engineering and a B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from Michigan Tech. Her research interests include the development of high-performance ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, workability assessments of metals and the characterization of microstructure-mechanical property relationships for multi-phase materials at a variety of length scales.

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Physics Colloquium: Grad Student Presentations

Department of Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:

  • Alyssa Horne (advised by Ranjit Pati)
  • Siddharth Karkhanis (advised by Issei Nakamura)
  • Aaron Wildenborg (advised by Jae Yong Suh)

This will be an in-person event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. today (March 14) in Fisher 139.

Event details, including the students' presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

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ME-EM Graduate Seminar Speaker: Adam Dempsey

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. today (March 14) in MEEM 112.

Adam Dempsey will present “Fuel Flexible Mixing-Controlled Combustion System for Heavy- Duty Engines Using Low Carbon Alternative Fuels.”

Dempsey is an assistant professor at Marquette University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Marquette, he was a senior research engineer at Caterpillar Inc. and a postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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BioSci Seminar Series Speakers: Maci Quintanilla and Mitch Kehne

Maci Quintanilla and Mitch Kehne will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series today (March 14) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202.

The first presentation is titled "Ecophysiological response of heterotrophic bacteria to ice-cover in temperate freshwaters."

From the abstract:
The fate of carbon in temperate freshwaters is largely dependent on the transformation and mineralization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) through microbially-mediated processes. More than half of the ~117 million lakes on Earth are subject to seasonal freezing, but microbial processes in seasonally frozen, temperate freshwaters have historically been studied primarily during summer. As atmospheric temperatures rise due to climate change, many seasonally frozen lakes are at risk of losing their ice-cover, imparting a clear need to understand microbial processes during ice-cover now and in a changing world. Here, we used samples from the Keweenaw Waterway that were collected weekly during ice-cover and monthly during ice-free periods in 2022 and 2023 for physiological assays and microbial community composition. Results of physiological assays revealed elevated leucine:thymidine ratios during ice-covered periods compared to ice-free periods, indicating that heterotrophic bacteria shifted more towards metabolic maintenance during ice-cover. We predicted that certain bacterial groups would be enriched during periods of ice-cover, but that the abundant groups identified by 16S rRNA genes differ from those identified by transcripts. Groups identified by transcripts are presumably active and could be associated with the observed physiological patterns.

The second presentation is titled "Assessing the Nutritional Quality and Fate of Saginaw Bay Dreissenid Mussel Veligers."

From the abstract:
The introduction and establishment of dreissenid mussels into the Laurentian Great Lakes in the 1980s has resulted in significant biological and ecological change in this system. Research on dreissenid mussel effects in the Great Lakes has primarily focused on the adult life stages, with less known about the larval veliger form. Veligers range in size from approximately 70 – 200 μm with abundances in Great Lakes waters reaching 10,000s ind/m 3 during peak spawning times. This size range and abundance suggest that dreissenid veligers could represent a potentially abundant food resource for predatory zooplankton, larval fish, and planktivorous fish species. However, little is currently known regarding the nutritional quality of veligers as a food resource or the extent to which veliger production is assimilated by higher trophic level consumers. This research proposes to investigate i) dreissenid veliger energy densities and fatty acid profiles as indicators of their nutritional quality and; ii) determine the fate of veliger carbon within zooplankton and bacterioplankton communities of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Preliminary results of 14 C labeling experiments demonstrate uptake of veliger derived organic carbon by zooplankton and bacterioplankton. Fatty acid profiles demonstrate veligers to have lower concentrations of polyunsaturated compounds including EPA, DHA, and ALA relative to bulk zooplankton. These results provide baseline information regarding veliger nutritional quality and fate of veliger production within the lower trophic levels of Lake Huron.

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Talk: 'Standing Up to Tyranny' with Yeonmi Park

The Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter at Michigan Tech will host Yeonmi Park for a free event in M&M U115 tonight (March 14) at 7 p.m.

Park is a human rights activist and TED speaker born in North Korea. She grew up in a society led by former Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il. At the age of 13, she and her family defected to China in search of a life free of tyranny. In her viral virtual talks, viewed online nearly 350 million times, she urges audiences to recognize and resist oppression around the world.

Park's memoir, "In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom," recounts the story of her defection and experiences with detention camps, political executions and human trafficking. Her speech on these topics has been viewed more than 320 million times.

Park is rapidly gaining recognition as a voice for oppressed people all over the world. Her speeches are known for their candor and personal touch and have garnered international attention. She made a lasting impression at the Oslo Freedom Forum and the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland, where she delivered powerful speeches about the North Korean regime.

BBC News highlighted Park's story in its 2014 "100 Women" annual series. Her most recent book, "While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America," was published Feb. 14, 2023.

This event is free and open to the public. It is hosted by YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise as part of the Preserving American Liberty & Freedom Lecture Series.

Today's Campus Events

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

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...

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PhD Defense: Komal Chillar

Chemistry Advisor: Shiyue Fang Chemical Synthesis of DNA Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/83562116218

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PhD Defense: Yue Kang

Mathematical Sciences Advisor: Yang Yang Discontinuous Galerkin methods for compressible misble displacements and applications in reservoir simulation Attend Virtually:...

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Application of Advanced Characterization Methods to Metal Alloys

Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Alexandra Glover Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Michigan Technological University Abstract Recent...

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Research Presentation: CS Faculty Candidate Michael Walker

Department of Computer Science tenure-track faculty candidate Michael Walker will give a research presentation on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 1-1:50 p.m. in Fisher 135. The...

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TIAA Webinar: Attention to Detail - Financial finishing touched for women

Register here: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4434247/52CDD70FC32FA546DBC833D8B24A96AD What does your financial future hold? Financial success can often complicate your life,...

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The Villages Alumni Social at Palmer Legends Country Club

Michigan Tech alumni and friends are invited to join Michele '79 and Jim '80 Bates, along with Scott '74 and Betty MacInnes, for a social gathering on Thursday, March 14,...

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Bake Sale

Bake sale fundraiser for Railroad Engineering and Activities Club. Cookies, Scotcharoos, Homemade Dots Candy Nougat!

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Fuel Flexible Mixing-Controlled Combustion System for Heavy- Duty Engines Using Low Carbon Alternative Fuels

ME-EM Graduate Seminar Speaker Series proudly presents Adam Dempsey, PhD Marquette University Abstract Due to its high-power density and low cost compared to competing...

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Physics Colloquium - Graduate Student Presentations (Horne / Karkhanis / Wildenborg)

Please join physics graduate students, Alyssa Horne, Siddharth Karkhanis, and Aaron Wildenborg for their in-person presentations on Thursday, March 14th at 4 PM - Fisher Hall...

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Pi Day Pie Social

Join AIChE for a pie palooza to celebrate Pi day!

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Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Learn to Swim Levels 1-5 - Spring 2024 Session 2

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 are being offered at the SDC Pool. Huskies Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17...

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Yeonmi Park at Michigan Tech

The Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Michigan Technological University will host Yeonmi Park for a free event in the Minerals and Materials Engineering Building, Room...

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Zoot Suit Pi-it Presented by Michigan Tech Music

Join the Huskies Pep Band for a night of loud and proud music! Just like pi, the band's love for MTU and the Keweenaw is never-ending. CONTENT GUIDANCE