April 16, 2025

The Vice President for Research is pleased to announce the 2025 Michigan Tech Research Award and Bhakta Rath Research Award awardees:

• Michigan Tech Research Awardee: John Vucetich, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

• Bhakta Rath Research Awardees: Miraj Bhakt Kayastha and advisor Pengfei Xue, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Thank you to the review committees, as well as those who nominated the nominees, for their time spent on this important internal award process.

For additional information on the two award opportunities, visit Michigan Tech Research Award and/or Bhakta Rath Research Award.

Join Chief Research Security Officer Matt Hellman and the Research Security team for an informational session titled “Export Controls and Foreign National Restrictions” from 12-1:30 p.m. on April 30.

Please note: This hybrid session is being offered both in person in the Memorial Union Building's Superior Room (MUB B001) and remotely via Zoom.

Join the Info Session on Zoom.

Please contact researchsecurity-l@mtu.edu with any questions.

Michigan Tech students brought the spark — literally and figuratively — to Northcentral Technical College’s two-day STEM Fest in Wausau, Wisconsin, on April 11-12, where MTU's Mind Trekkers presented hands-on science and engineering activities to nearly four thousand K-12 students from across Wisconsin.

More than 75 interactive exploration stations lit up the free public event with excitement, curiosity and just the right amount of liquid nitrogen. With food trucks on-site and experiments around every corner, the STEM Fest turned science into a full-sensory adventure for all ages, and families and community members joined in the fun.

“This is one of our largest and longest-running events,” said Cassy Tefft de Muñoz, executive director of Michigan Tech’s Center for Educational Outreach. “We love coming back to Wausau and seeing the community’s energy around STEM.”

These students, faculty and staff were presented awards last Friday, April 11, at the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Convocation held in the MUB Alumni Lounge.

Congratulations to all!

• Chair’s Award for Outstanding Chemical Engineering Senior:
  Recipient: Maia Newkirk

• Outstanding Sophomore and Outstanding New Student Awards:
  Sophomore Recipient: Daniel Reynolds
  New Student Recipient: Olivia Fedak

• Excellence in Communication Award:
  Recipient: Abigail Ruthenberg

• Professional Ethics Award:
  Recipient: Taylor Wenten

• Prevent Accidents With Safety (PAWS) Award:
  Recipients: Jacob Arseneau, Kevin Johnson, Emma Kelly and Margaret Roelant

• Dow Chemical Marriott W. Bredekamp Award:
  Recipients: Kyle Bresser, Donavan Mattson, Abigail Ruthenberg and Taylor Wenten

• Senior Design Team Awards:
  Finalist Teams:
  – Third Place: Daphne Javoroski, Dawson Gregory, Emily Leverance and Ryan Passeno
  – Runner-Up: Jack Lang, Emma Kelly, Alyssa Moskalczyn and Maia Newkirk
  – Winner: Katie Breault, Steven Merholz, Alayna Mills and Chazz Rohrer

• Davis W. Hubbard Outstanding Junior Award:
  Recipient: Ania Petrosky

• Leadership Awards:
  Recipients:
  – AIChE: Jeffrey Kennedy
  – CPM: Margaret Roelant
  – OXE: Margaret Roelant
  – SAB: Maia Newkirk
  – AEE: Joey Henry
  – Green Campus: Ray Buenzli

• Department Awards:
  ChE students voted on these categories to honor our outstanding department employees!
  – Teacher of the Year: Jon Herlevich, Jr.
  – Research Mentor of the Year: Yixin Liu
  – Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year: Joseph Curro
  – Undergraduate Grader of the Year: Jeffrey Kennedy
  – Staff Making a Difference: Brooke Forseth
  – Peer Mentor and Coach of the Year: Chazz Rohrer

The 2025 Sustainability Film Series, coordinated by Michigan Tech Office of Sustainability and Resilience, will present April’s film “Common Ground” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, April 17, in Fisher 135. The film is free and everyone is welcome to attend. The film will be followed by a facilitated discussion and refreshments.

Add “Common Ground” to your Google Calendar.

“Common Ground” digs into the regenerative agriculture movement and considers how working to heal our soils holds the power to mitigate climate change, restore ecosystems and build a more equitable food system, while hearing from diverse voices working together to create a sustainable future.

Film sponsors include the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Keweenaw Co-op, Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, WUP MiSTEM Network, Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK), Keweenaw Land Trust, and Michigan Tech's Office of Sustainability and Resilience and Hardwood Mass Timber Institute.

Series Details:

• What: 15th Annual Sustainability Film Series
• When: Third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., through May
• Where: Fisher 135 or 138 (refreshments in lobby)
• Cost: Free! $5 donations are greatly appreciated. You can make a donation online to support the Sustainable Film Series.

Upcoming Film:

“Water for Life” — May 15, Fisher 135
Hear the powerful stories of Berta Cáceres, Francisco Pineda and Alberto Curamil — three Indigenous leaders who fought to protect their water resources from exploitation by governments and corporations, despite facing threats, corruption and violence, all while advocating for environmental justice and Indigenous rights.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) is pleased to invite the University community to attend our Spring 2025 Senior Design Colloquium. From innovative designs to real-world problem-solving, these presentations highlight the hard work and creativity of our future engineers.

Join us as our students showcase their Senior Design projects next Friday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to noon in Dow 641. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Join the CEGE Senior Design Colloquium on Zoom.

Presentation Schedule:

• 8 a.m. — Houghton Area Youth Soccer: Soccer Field Complex Development
• 9:40 a.m. — KBIC: Fish Hatchery & Fish-Cleaning Station Expansion and Improvement
• 10:40 a.m. — MDOT: M-64 over Bingham Creek Culvert Replacement Project

See the event flyer at the CEGE Undergraduate Advising Blog.

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 2 p.m. tomorrow, April 17, in EERC 103.

Shelby Hutchens will present “Failing in many ways: On the path to understanding fracture in highly deformable solids.”

Hutchens is an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, starting her path in chemical engineering at Oklahoma State (B.S.) and Caltech (M.S. and Ph.D.), before evolving toward a current focus on mechanics of materials.

Awarded with an National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2017 and identified as an emerging investigator by Soft Matter in 2021, Hutchens is passionate about uncovering the fundamental physics underlying the mechanical performance of soft and bio-inspired materials and aims to contribute to the development of universal fracture criteria in soft solids.

Researchers in Michigan Tech's Vibrations, Intelligent Testing, Active Learning of Structures (VITALS) Group led by Vijaya V. N. Sriram Malladi (MAE) have published three new studies advancing the field of metastructures.

The first article, titled “Data-Driven Bandgap Identification Using FRF-Based Substructuring,” was published by Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing.

In this study, authors Hrishikesh Gosavi and Malladi propose a method for identifying wave propagation bandgaps in 1D flexural metastructures using frequency response function-based substructuring (FBS) and component mode synthesis (CMS). The study addresses challenges such as estimating rotational degrees of freedom and filtering out rigid-body modes by using curve-fitting and modal analysis techniques. These methods enable accurate reconstruction of dispersion relations and bandgap estimation from experimental data.

The second article, titled “Reinforcement Learning for Programmable Vibration Control,” was published by the Journal of Sound and Vibration.

Authored by Shantanu H. Chavan, Hrishikesh S. Gosavi, Sarvani S. Malladi and Vijaya V. N. Sriram Malladi, the article presents a bistable dynamic vibration reducer (DVR) metastructure tuned via reinforcement learning. Using finite element simulations and artificial neural networks, the study demonstrates real-time control of vibrational behavior. The result is an intelligent, programmable system that dynamically shifts its resonance frequency to improve vibration isolation in variable conditions.

The third article, titled “Bioinspired Spectrum Analyzer Using Mechanical Metastructures,” was published by Actuators.

In this article, Shantanu H. Chavan and Vijaya V. N. Sriram Malladi introduce a basilar membrane-inspired mechanical spectrum analyzer (MSA). Designed with multiple DVR types, this metastructure replicates the traveling-wave and energy dissipation characteristics of the inner ear, enabling frequency-selective wave propagation. The device physically encodes frequency content into spatially separated modes, demonstrating strong potential for wave filtering, sensing and acoustic energy harvesting.

These three articles, each addressing a different facet of wave propagation and vibration control, highlight the lab’s multidisciplinary approach spanning data-driven modeling, reinforcement learning and bioinspired design. Collectively, they reflect the lab's commitment to integrating structural dynamics, machine learning and bioinspiration to address real-world problems in vibroacoustics.

Barry D. Solomon (SS) was quoted by LongIsland.com in a story about New York being ranked as the third-greenest state in 2025 by WalletHub. Solomon emphasized the importance of strong renewable energy policies and environmental protections, noting the significant benefits of sustainable practices for both the economy and the environment.

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Jared Wolfe (CFRES) was mentioned by Living Bird Magazine in an article discussing his recently published study on tropical forest bird declines, which found that climate change, including increased temperatures and reduced rainfall, significantly affects bird survival rates in Brazil’s rainforests.

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Michigan Tech student Kira Shaffer was quoted by News 9 WAOW of Wausau, Wisconsin, in a story about Michigan Tech’s Mind Trekkers at the 2025 STEM Fest at Northcentral Technical College on April 11-12.

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The Daily Mining Gazette covered Michigan Tech track and field's Tucker Ringhand setting a new school record in the men’s 5,000-meter at the Platteville Invitational in Wisconsin on April 7, with a time of 14:23.21.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned by the Mining Journal, MLive, FloHockey and 235 national outlets in coverage of Western Michigan University hockey’s NCAA national title. Michigan Tech was noted as one of six Michigan-based programs to have won the title.

Customer Appreciation Sale at Campus Store, University Images

The Campus Store and University Images invite you to our annual Customer Appreciation Sale!

Today, April 16: Stop by in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at both store locations to save in-store. (Union members receive an extra 5% off in-store.)

Whether you're picking up a grad gift, a diploma frame or something just for you, don’t miss these savings.

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This Week's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University invites faculty, staff, and their guests to the C-Cubed Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107).

Menu for Thursday, April 17:

• Chicken Tikka Masala (AG) (PR)
• Potato, Garbanzo and Pea Coconut Curry (VG) (AG)
• Basmati Rice (VG) (AG)
• Garam Cauliflower and Chickpea (VG) (AG) (CF)
• Garlic Naan (V) (PR)
• Kachumber Salad (VG) (AG)

The 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 and tea are available free to all attendees. All vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items on the buffet are labeled for easy identification. Meals are for dine-in only, and personal containers and to-go meals are not permitted.

The buffet lunch is $15.50 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

You can submit C-Cubed feedback using C-Cubed Survey/Comments form. To join the C-Cubed Luncheon Email List and receive weekly menus, please complete the sign-up form.

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

Plant Sale

Wednesday, April 16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | U.J. Noblet Forestry building atrium

The Women in Natural Resources Club will be holding our annual plant sale on April 16th and 17th from 10am - 2pm in the U.J. Noblet Forestry building atrium. We will be...

Deans' Teaching Showcase

Wednesday, April 16, 12–1 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, Ballroom B

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for the following opportunity: Dean's Teaching Showcase Luncheon More details to come!

Let's Talk

Wednesday, April 16, 1–3 p.m. | Hamar House Basement

Let’s Talk allows students to have a brief conversation with an MTU counselor. This meeting is free, informal, & confidential for all students who'd like some additional...

Spring 2025: Boys' Basketball Little Huskies

Wednesday, April 16, 4–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Gym

Learning skills, working as a team, and having fun: that’s Michigan Tech’s Little Huskies boys’ basketball camp. It’s about the best introduction to basketball you can...

SoundGirls General Meeting!

Wednesday, April 16, 5–6 p.m. | Walker 210

Join us in Walker 210 at 5pm every Wednesday for our general meeting!

Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, April 16, 5–6 p.m. | Fourth Floor of the MEEM

We meet on the fourth floor of the MEEM to discuss plans for the week and work on on going projects. All are welcome to attend.

Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, April 16, 5–6 p.m. | Fourth Floor of the MEEM

We meet on the fourth floor of the MEEM to discuss plans for the week and work on on going projects. All are welcome to attend.

How can I be Saved?

Wednesday, April 16, 6–7 p.m. | 1st Floor, Opie Van Pelt Library

A bible study geared towards the salvific work of Christ on the Cross

Lets Talk

Wednesday, April 16, 6–8 p.m. | Wadsworth Hall 124W

Not sure if counseling is right for you? Try Let’s Talk! This informal and confidential service is a chance to chat with a Michigan Tech counselor about mental health...

Salt Lake City Alumni Social at Scion Cider

Wednesday, April 16, 7–9 p.m. | Scion Cider Bar

Michigan Tech alumni and friends are invited to join alumnus and cider expert, Matthew Ostrander '00, PE, Certified Pommelier on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, from 7-9 p.m. (Utah...