April 2, 2024

Consumers Energy — Michigan's second-largest public utility — has established itself as a state- and nationwide leader in the transition to sustainable, cleaner, more reliable energy. Five Michigan Tech grads are helping lead the company's charge.

"We used to operate 12 coal plants," says Garrick Rochow '96, Consumers Energy's president and CEO. "Now only three are left, and they'll retire in two years. That's a 60% carbon reduction, which puts us in line with the Paris Accord 1.5-degree scenario."

"Our role is to show the country how to make this transformation to clean energy. We can do it for the betterment of all our stakeholders," says Norm Kapala ’96, vice president of generation operations. "We're going to implement the right systems and make the best decisions at the time for what's best for our co-workers, our communities, our planet and our state."

Read more about Consumers Energy's bold vision for the future — guided by Rochow, Kapala, LeeRoy Wells Jr. '02, Chris Fultz '01 '07 and Tim Sparks '90 — in our 2024 Michigan Tech Magazine.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Songer Research Award for Human Health. Matthew Songer ’79 (B.S. Biological Sciences) and Laura Songer ’80 (B.S. Biological Sciences) have generously donated funds to the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) for the past seven years to support a research project competition, the Songer Research Award for Human Health, for undergraduate and graduate students.

Students may propose an innovative medically oriented research project in any area of human health. The best projects will demonstrate the potential to have a broad impact on improving human life. This research will be pursued in consultation with faculty members within the CSA. Awarded in spring 2024, the Songers’ gift will support one award for undergraduate research ($4,000) and a second award for graduate research ($6,000). Matching funds from the College will allow two additional awards. The research should be conducted over summer 2024 and/or the following academic year.

The application deadline is 4 p.m. on April 29. Applications may be emailed to CSA Dean Ravindra Pandey at pandey@mtu.edu. To learn more about eligibility, requirements for the award and other important details, visit the Pre-Health Professions Blogs.

Do you have an interest in business? Looking to enhance your STEM skills and develop frameworks that integrate business and technology? MTU’s College of Business (COB) will be hosting an informational session covering the minor programs offered by the College next Wednesday (April 10) from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The info session will be hosted in AOB 101.

The info session will explore a range of diverse minor programs. Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Innovation, which combines the development of managerial and entrepreneurial competencies with product development in emerging industries, and FinTech (short for Financial Technology), which combines technical skills in programming with financial decision-making and technology, are just two minors that will be defined at the upcoming session. Other minors include Business, Business IT Solutions, Construction Management, Economics, Global Business and Business of Forestry.

Majors outside the COB are encouraged to attend and discover the intersection of STEM and business, learn about the advantages of taking classes within the COB and get to know minor program faculty who prioritize individual students' success. Pizza and drinks will be provided!

Interested? Sign up for more info!

If you are an employee with a disability, you may qualify for a reasonable accommodation to perform your job. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or change to a task, the environment or a procedure to enable an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a position.

Please visit our Access and Disability page for information on accommodations and the link to the request form. Once the request is received, the ADA coordinator and employee will begin the interactive process to determine a reasonable accommodation.

If you are a supervisor with an employee who mentions having difficulties performing their job because of a disability, please contact the ADA coordinator at adacoordinator@mtu.edu and refer the employee to the Access and Disability page for more information.

If you are a student, please contact Student Disability Services at sds@mtu.edu for information about student accommodations.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 700 at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (April 3) in Dow 642.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 700.

On May 10, the Michigan Tech mobile app will no longer be available to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

Ellucian is transitioning their mobile app platform to "End of Life" status this summer. If the Michigan Tech mobile app is currently downloaded on your device, it will function but will no longer be supported or updated. Mobile app menu items will slowly phase out until the app is fully decommissioned in June.

For questions or concerns regarding the mobile app, contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday (April 8) in GLRC 202.

Kaitlin Reinl, research director, Lake Superior Reserve, will present "St. Louis Estuary Research."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) tenure-track faculty candidate Sai Sandeep Chitta will give a research presentation Thursday (April 4) from 10-11 a.m. in Dow 875.

The title of Chitta's talk is "Advancements in Geotechnical Engineering: From Multiscale Mechanics to Bioinspired Solutions."

From the abstract:
Addressing intricate geotechnical engineering challenges requires a multifaceted approach incorporating state-of-the-art multiscale mechanics with bioinspired solutions to build sustainable and resilient infrastructure. To that end, I will describe how my research interests address complex geotechnical challenges at various scales, ranging from particle-scale to field-scale. First, I will introduce a novel inter-particle loading device that aids in grain-scale material characterization, thus improving numerical modeling. Secondly, I will showcase a synergistic approach to numerical modeling which combines the discrete element method (DEM) with sophisticated image analysis techniques. By leveraging these tools, we can streamline mining operations, leading to heightened efficiency and minimized environmental footprint. Finally, I will highlight the emerging field of bio-geotechnics, which harnesses nature-inspired solutions to overcome engineering challenges. Examples include an excavator tooth modeled after a woodpecker beak and biocementation to reduce dune erosion. Harnessing the evolutionary wisdom of our natural world can help us develop resilient infrastructure solutions while minimizing the impacts of development.

Chitta is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas. Previously, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University. Chitta received M.Tech and Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology (Guwahati) and City University of Hong Kong, respectively.

Roger J. Guillory II, assistant professor at the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University, and the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Cardiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar.

The seminar will be held in person from 3-4 p.m. Friday (April 5) in Chem Sci 101.

Guillory’s presentation is titled "Biodegradable Metals for Temporary Stenting: Addressing Key Obstacles and Future Outlook.”

From the abstract:
This talk will cover relevant topics surrounding the use of bioabsorbable metals for vascular stenting. Vascular stenting is a demanding application of bioabsorbable metals, and deeper understanding of metal material / stent performance in pre-clinical models and how they relate to current clinical performance would increase the rate of device translation to the clinic. A significant gap in knowledge exists regarding how absorbable metals interact with the inflammatory response. Work done by our research group will be shown which demonstrates how in vitro and in vivo preclinical models can be used to offer insight into the local inflammatory reaction and its participation in tissue metal clearance. Emphasis will be placed on understanding exogenous metal additions and their inflammatory clearance from tissue using semi-quantitative inductively coupled plasma time of flight mass spectrometry imaging (LA-ICP-TOF-MS). Critical clinical issues, such as the lack of radiopacity will be addressed and new strategies to mitigate them will be presented. This talk will also cover new potential applications which span congenital heart defects in pediatric cases.

Guillory received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2019 and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University with research interests that included cellular and molecular interactions of bioactive materials, bioabsorbable metals, advanced biomaterials characterization techniques and developing biomaterials for vascular medical devices. He returned to Michigan Tech in 2020 as an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Beginning in August 2023, Guillory was appointed an assistant professor in the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin's Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Guillory was recently awarded an R15 grant from the National Institutes of Health, where his team will determine the contribution of macrophage-laden, inflamed vascular tissue on the biocorrosion progression of state-of-the-art magnesium alloys. Guillory’s current work is focused on developing next-generation bioabsorbable metal materials, with an emphasis on their use in cardiovascular applications. Working in collaboration with researchers at the Herma Heart Institute in the Pediatric Cardiology Section of the Department of Pediatrics and Children's Research Institute, he seeks to apply these advanced engineering materials to help solve the complex issues surrounding the permanent nature of current surgical implants used to treat congenital cardiovascular disease.

Michigan Tech hockey's 2023-24 season came to an end Friday (March 29) as the No. 20-ranked Huskies fell 6-1 to No. 1 Boston College in the NCAA regional semifinal in Providence, Rhode Island.

With the Huskies behind 1-0 in the first period, Max Koskipirtti scored Tech's lone goal on a shorthanded breakaway, sniping past the glove of the Eagles' goaltender to tie the game. But the Eagles netted another goal in the second period, then broke the game open with four more goals in the third.

"I'm extremely proud of our group. There's some heartbreak in our locker room," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We play for more than just the people in our locker room. We have a huge community behind us and generations of fans who travel to see us play."

"Congratulations to BC," he added. "They are a tremendous team. You can see that if you lose your focus a little, it doesn't take them much to pounce on you."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech men's and women's tennis teams competed at Lake Superior State on Saturday (March 30), falling to the Lakers 4-3 in the women's match and 5-2 in the men's contest.

On the women's side, the Huskies clinched the doubles point with wins from Emily Cojocaru and Caoimhe McDonnell at No. 1 and Emily Rose and Chiara Heinz at No. 3. In singles, Rose and Marina Fernandez came away with victories at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively.

The men also won their doubles point, with Jack Lin and Leon Sell earning a win at No. 1 and Eli Pinnoo and Landon Coates winning at No. 2. Sell went undefeated on the day, winning his No. 1 singles match as well.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech Athletics is selling officially licensed team gear for Michigan Tech volleyball through a new online BSN Team Store. Fans may choose from T-shirts, hats, a zip-up, a jacket and a pair of pants.

The online store is open now. Items will be available for purchase through April 15. Show off your Husky volleyball pride by shopping at the online team store today!

Job Posting for Tuesday, April 2, 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.

Coordinator, College of Engineering. Apply online.
Contact: Danielle Davis

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.

Raymond Shaw (Physics) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $35,591 research and development contract from the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The project is titled "Brookhaven National Laboratory Joint Appointment."

This is a potential two-year project.

College Hockey News quoted Joe Shawhan (ATH) and Michigan Tech hockey forward Kyle Kukkonen in a story about the lasting impression left by the Huskies' seniors following their season-ending 6-1 loss to Boston College last Friday (March 29) in the NCAA regional semifinal. MTU hockey was mentioned by almost 80 news outlets across the U.S. following the game, including the Detroit Free Press, Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Daily Mining Gazette and WLUC TV6.

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Michigan Tech students and fraternity members Steve Prudhomme of Lambda Chi Alpha and Spencer Phillips of Triangle were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story about Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly’s Easter dinner and the Easter egg hunt on Quincy Green on Saturday (March 30) in Hancock. Prudhomme and Phillips were two of the Husky volunteers at the events.

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MTU student Josh Dafoe was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story covering the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library’s annual spring book sale at the Memorial Union Building last Thursday and Friday (March 28-29). Friends board member Steve Walton (SS) was mentioned in the story as well.

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The Huskies Pep Band was confirmed as a local hockey tradition in ABC 10's preview story about Northern Lights Hockey night on Saturday (April 6) at 7 p.m. at Dee Stadium. The game will feature the Michigan Upper Peninsula Veterans Hockey Club and the Minnesota Warriors facing off in support of Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw and Copper Country Junior Hockey.

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North Dakota’s Grand Forks Herald mentioned Michigan Tech in a story announcing Ethan Norstog ’17 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) as the new factory engineer at American Crystal Sugar Company’s factory in Moorhead, Minnesota.

PHC Invites Applications for Fall 2024 Soyring Foundation Scholarship

The Soyring Foundation Scholarship is available exclusively for Pavlis Honors College (PHC) students through a generous gift from an alumnus of Michigan Tech with a passion for education and innovation.

The $1,000 scholarship is available to students expressing research and innovation interests in any of the three areas: water quality management, renewable energy, or solutions to prevent and cure cancer.

If you are interested in applying, please fill out the brief Soyring Scholarship Application form. A short essay is required and it can be uploaded as a Word document or PDF file. The application submission deadline is midnight on Monday (April 8).

We encourage all eligible students to apply and also kindly request your assistance in sharing this information with peers who may excel in these areas.

For more information about Pavlis Honors College and to stay updated on future opportunities, visit our website.

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La Peña Spanish Conversation Hour

Join us today (April 2) for the last Peña of the semester!

Come unwind and meet new people at the Spanish Conversation Hour, all while you refresh your Spanish! We'll play board games and chat.

Everybody is welcome. We will meet from 5-6 p.m. in the HDMZ (Humanities Digital Media Zone), Walker 120A.

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Art in Silico Keynote with Chantal Rodier

The 2024 Art in Silico computational art event series will feature an exciting collaboration with the University of Ottawa, including a keynote address and virtual panel discussion tomorrow (April 3).

Keynote Address
The keynote address will be given by Chantal Rodier, STEAM project coordinator and artist in residence at the University of Ottawa, at 5 p.m. in GLRC 202.

Rodier’s keynote, titled “Generative AI breaking artistic and programming barriers,” will discuss the role of generative artificial intelligence in computational art, with commentary on how this revolutionary and rapidly evolving technology will allow more individuals to participate in art and coding than ever before. She will also give a brief synopsis of her research and background.

Student Panel Discussion
Earlier in the day, select Michigan Tech students who submitted their work to the Art in Silico exhibition will be part of a virtual panel discussion with four University of Ottawa students who also prepared submissions. The panel members will discuss each work, covering the inspiration and process, as well as converse on computational art as a whole. The event will take place on Zoom from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

More information, including Zoom links and Google Calendar invites, can be found on the Art in Silico website.

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MTTI Hosting ARPA-E Seminar

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will be hosting a public seminar on Monday (April 8). Our featured speaker, Robert Ledoux, program director for the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), will be on campus to address investigators interested in ARPA-E research. All are invited to attend the seminar from 11:15 a.m. to noon in MUB Ballroom B3.

The seminar is titled "Modeling the intermodal freight system to ensure a low-carbon resilient future.”

The goal of ARPA-E is to advance high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are developing entirely new ways to generate, store and use energy. MTTI has had multiple research projects awarded by ARPA.

Ledoux's areas of interest include the intersection of nuclear physics and non-proliferation, energy production and transportation.

The seminar is open to all.

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Discussion: Understanding Neurodiversity

Join the Student Affairs DEIS Team today (April 2) from 1:30-3 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A for a discussion about neurodiversity.

Christy Oslund, coordinator of Student Disability Services, will discuss the science and history of neurodiversity and guide the audience through some tabletop scenarios focused on supporting neurodiverse students.

Everyone is welcome! Snacks will be provided.

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Join Us for Give Back to the Pack: Coming Next Week!

Mark your calendars! Michigan Tech’s 24-hour giving challenge, Give Back to the Pack, returns at noon next Wednesday (April 10), bringing together alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families in philanthropic support of the University.

Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference. Our goal is to encourage participation from as many community members as possible.

Beyond making a gift to the area of your choosing, another way to participate in Give Back to the Pack is by becoming an ambassador. As an ambassador, you will play a crucial role in raising awareness and driving traffic to the site. By leveraging your personal channels, especially through social media, you can help us reach a broader audience and inspire others to join us in giving back to Michigan Tech.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Make a Gift: Your gift today will count toward our giving challenge total.
• Become an Ambassador: Encourage your friends and family to support Tech by becoming a Give Back to the Pack ambassador.
• Find your Challenge: Participate in a challenge or match to maximize your impact.

We invite you to visit the Give Back to the Pack website to learn more, and look forward to celebrating the joy of giving with you next Wednesday and Thursday (April 10-11)!

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

PhD Defense: Darnishia Morris

Tuesday, April 2, 10–11 a.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom A2

Applied Cognitive Science & Human Factors Co-advisors: Kelly Steelman and Lorelle Meadows Understanding Subtle Gender Bias Recognition Among Witnesses in a STEM...

Family Fun Day at Marsin

Tuesday, April 2, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Marsin Nature Retreat

Looking for some fun outdoor activities to do with your kiddos while they're on spring break? Join Keweenaw Land Trust for a fun family event organized by students in Michigan...

Talk About it Tuesday: Money Talks - Strategies for Saving

Tuesday, April 2, 12:00–12:45 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Meet Brent Peterson, MTU alum, former professional hockey player and financial advisor with Edward Jones. He will share strategies and explain concepts to make it easier for...

PhD Defense: Kyle Schwiebert

Tuesday, April 2, 1–2 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 106

Mathematical Sciences Advisor: Alexander Labovsky LES-C Turbulence models and Fluid Flow Modeling: Analysis and Application to Incompressible Turbulence and Fluid-Fluid...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Spring 2024 Session 2

Tuesday, April 2, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the...

Adult Huskies Swim Training Spring 2024 Session 2

Tuesday, April 2, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness...

La Peña: Spanish Conversation Hour

Tuesday, April 2, 5–6 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, HDMZ 120A

Please join us today for la Peña. Come unwind, meet new people, and play board games all while you refresh your Spanish! It's a great opportunity to practice and improve your...