May 1, 2024

Though unseasonably warm weather forced Michigan Tech researchers to end their fieldwork early, excellent visibility and settled conditions aided them in completing the 65th annual Isle Royale Winter Study. Survey estimates indicated 30 wolves and 840 moose, with the majority of both populations concentrated on the east end of Isle Royale National Park.

The annual winter study is a major component of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose project. The longest-running predator-prey study in the world, the project is led by Sarah Hoy, John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson (CFRES). It has taken place every year since 1958 with the exception of 2021, when it was canceled due to COVID-19.

Key takeaways from the new winter study, released this week, include evidence of at least three wolf litters and four territorial packs. There was a significant drop in adult moose mortality rates attributed to starvation while death rates due to predation were up.

For more on the report, read the full story at Michigan Tech News.

Each May, we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, recognizing the rich mosaic of cultures, traditions and valuable contributions from these diverse communities across the United States.

This observance highlights the incredible diversity within this group, which traces its roots to over 50 countries and encompasses over 2,000 languages. Despite facing discrimination and injustice throughout history, these Americans have persevered and strengthened the U.S. through their resilience and achievements across all sectors.

This month, we uplift notable pioneers like astronaut Kalpana Chawla, educator Yi-fang Wu, and Queen Lili'uokalani, among others. Their stories inspire us to appreciate the multifaceted experiences woven into the American tapestry.

Read more about the history of the month, celebratory events and ways to learn about this vibrant heritage on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Newsblog.

We are saddened to announce the passing of John T. Patton, a longtime supporter and former professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE). He passed April 11 in El Paso, Texas, at the age of 85.

Patton served as a chemical engineering faculty member for nine years, starting in 1968. He played a definitive early role in the quality of design chemical engineering experiences at Michigan Tech. Within three years, his design students started receiving national recognition from AIChE. During his tenure at Michigan Tech, his students twice won the national AIChE Design Contest for undergraduates. He also initiated a viable graduate program and elevated the quality of the undergraduate curriculum, which then received full national accreditation.

“John Patton was the ‘father’ of our Senior Design program in chemical engineering, having taught it for many years at Michigan Tech starting in the early ’70s,” said Michael Mullins, chair of the department. “John then mentored the next two generations of process design professors in Bruce Barna, who was his Ph.D. student, and then Tony Rogers. John’s impact on the chemical engineering department was not only profound, but has lasted for generations — over 50 years!”

In 1977, Patton left Michigan Tech to become professor and department head of chemical engineering at New Mexico State University, a position he held until 1989. He retired as a professor emeritus in 1994.

Over the years, he remained a strong supporter of Michigan Tech. A major gift endowment from Patton has helped to sustain the Michigan Tech Presidential Scholars Award Program, supporting 84 chemical engineering student recipients to date. He was inducted into the Chemical Engineering Distinguished Academy, and in 2016 he received the Michigan Tech Honorary Alumni Award.

Patton is survived by his wife, Maureen; six children; 28 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Also surviving are six nieces and a nephew.

Read more about Patton in his full obituary and on the Chemical Engineering News blog.

George W. Robinson, emeritus professor and former curator of the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, passed away at his home in upstate New York on April 14.

Robinson was born in 1946. He earned his B.A. in Geology from S.U.N.Y. in Potsdam, New York, and his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1979. His professional experiences include teaching high school earth science, being a private mineral specimen dealer, and serving as curator of mineralogy at the Canadian Museum of Nature from 1974 to 1982. Robinson joined Michigan Tech in 1996 as professor of mineralogy and curator of the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, where he served with great passion and effect until his retirement in 2013.

Robinson published over 100 papers in both popular and professional journals and authored eight books. His books include “Minerals” (Simon & Schuster, 1994), which set the stage for later developing the new and unique Mineral Formation gallery in the relocated A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum. In 2004, he published the extensively updated and revised “Mineralogy of Michigan,” originally authored by E. W. Heinrich. He served for many years on the Board of Directors of The Mineralogical Record, and as a consulting editor and associate editor of the Canadian Mineralogist. Even into retirement, he continued writing, collecting and volunteering at St. Lawrence University.

Robinson’s contributions to the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum were innumerable and included improved interpretation and education, with a complete reorganization of all the displays while the museum still resided in the EERC. Still renowned is his update of the ever-popular gallery of fluorescent minerals to include computer-controlled lighting and educational animation explaining the phenomenon of fluorescence. His care of the collection not only included its strategic growth and conservation, but he also conducted continual research on the collection using electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques. Robinson, his wife and honorary curator Susan, and former executive director Ted Bornhorst were instrumental in orchestrating and carrying out the monumental task of successfully moving the museum from its 34-year home in the EERC to its current purpose-built home on Sharon Avenue, which opened in August 2011.

Among his many honors include the Charles A. Salotti Earth Science Education Award, awarded in 2001 in recognition of his ability and enthusiasm in sharing his love of mineralogy with students, collectors and the general public. He received the prestigious Carnegie Mineralogical Award in 2012, and the rare lead chromate mineral georgerobinsonite was named in his honor in 2009.

Robinson loved ragtime music and could play the piano by ear. He also greatly enjoyed birdwatching, collecting minerals all over the world, faceting gemstones and taking walks with Susan. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues, who universally remember him as supremely kind and always generous with his time and knowledge.

Navigating the world of career readiness can be daunting for both students and instructors, but you don’t have to navigate it alone! Career Services can help by talking to your students on a variety of career-related topics including resumes, networking, goal setting, professionalism or any other tailored topic. Presentations fit within class times, so it is easy to include us in your syllabus. If you know you will be traveling, schedule us to speak to your class instead!

We are now planning for fall and would love to work with you. Please use our Career Services Presentation Request Form to request a presentation today!

Financial Services and Operations (FSO) has posted the 2024 Fiscal Year-End Closing Schedule on our website. The schedule is located on the Controller's Office webpage under the "Closing Schedules" subheading.

The fiscal year-end closing schedule lists important deadlines and should be distributed to appropriate employees.

The Sponsored Programs Office is providing a reminder of the two-tier internal deadline structure. This structure includes all pre-proposals, proposals and letters of intent. The two-tier structure includes deadlines for all final internal, nontechnical and technical documents.

All final internal and nontechnical related sponsor documents are due to Sponsored Programs no later than 7 a.m. five business days before the sponsor deadline. If applicable, the application package must be completed in the appropriate submission system (Research.gov, Grants.gov Workspace, NIH ASSIST, etc.) except for the budget forms, which are to be completed by Sponsored Programs personnel.

Internal documents include the completed and approved Cayuse proposal form, budget approved by Sponsored Programs, budget justification and cost share approval document(s), if applicable.

Nontechnical document requirements vary by sponsor or funding opportunity and include items such as a biographical sketch or CV; current and pending support form; letters of support; cost proposal volume; data management plan; and facilities, equipment, and other resources documents, as well as any sponsor-specific required budget forms.

All final technical related documents are due to Sponsored Programs no later than 7 a.m. on the day of the sponsor deadline. Technical documents include items such as the project summary, project description, research strategy, technical volume, specific aims and references cited. The assigned analyst will assist in identifying the nontechnical and technical related documents needed for each proposal submission.

For proposals that include subawards, all required subrecipient documents are due to Sponsored Programs no later than 5 p.m. 10 business days before the sponsor deadline to allow time for a compliance review, correspondence with subrecipient personnel and incorporation into the proposal package.

Please contact Sponsored Programs at 906-487-2226 or spo-l@mtu.edu if you have any questions.

Mark your calendar! Registration for summer Huskies Aquatics programs opens May 15 at 8 a.m.

• Adult Huskies Swim Training (ages 18 years and older)
• Adult Huskies Swim Lessons (ages 18 years and older)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Parent & Child Aquatics (ages 6 months to 3 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Preschool Aquatics (ages 4-5 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Learn to Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17 years)
• Huskies Swim Training (ages 6-17 years)
• Huskies Diving Clinic (ages 6-17 years)

Questions? Contact Aquatics Manager Annie Bengry at ambengry@mtu.edu or 906-487-2995.

Are you interested in learning about two of MTU’s most popular online graduate degrees that leverage your STEM background while preparing you for rewarding careers and leadership roles in diverse technological fields?

If you are, please attend this 45-minute virtual interest session highlighting two online graduate programs from the College of Business: the TechMBA® and the Master of Engineering Management (MEM). Attendees are invited to join via Zoom — please register to receive the Zoom link.

Mari Buche, program director and associate dean from the College of Business, and David Lawrence, vice president for Global Campus and continuing education, will be introducing and comparing these innovative programs, which, in different ways, bridge the worlds of business and engineering.

Event Details:

• What: TechMBA and MEM Virtual Interest Session
• When: Wednesday, May 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EDT
• Where: Online via Zoom.
• Registration: Register to attend.

The Michigan Tech Global Campus team looks forward to seeing you there!

The Michigan Tech track and field squads are shifting into championship mode, traveling downstate to Allendale, Michigan, for the GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships being held today through Friday (May 1-3).

The Huskies will begin competition tomorrow (May 2), bringing a roster of 16 women and 24 men. Today, the opening day of the championships, will serve as a competition day for those competing in the heptathlon and decathlon.

Read the preview and find the livestream and live results.

Andrew Fiss (HU) is the author of a research article published in the journal The Mathematical Intelligencer.

The article, titled "The Half-Burned Collegiate Algebra: College Cultures and Chance Preservation," is about the presence of a half-burned mathematics textbook in the Hamilton College Archives. Freshmen attempted to burn the book in 1881, but sophomores took it from the flames and hid it in a time capsule. Inspired by the half-burned book, now archivally saved, the article reassesses the expected college cultures of math students through arguing for connections between the content of the textbook, the statements of a college president and the unsanctioned student actions.

The article is currently available online only through the Springer Nature Content Sharing Initiative.

The Associated Press mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the results of this year’s Isle Royale Winter Study — the longest-running predator-prey study in the world. The annual report for the 65th winter study was released this week by co-authors Sarah Hoy, Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich (all CFRES). The AP’s story was picked up by more than 100 news outlets. The report’s release was announced by Michigan Tech News.

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MTU President Rick Koubek and Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) were quoted by the Keweenaw Report in a story about Michigan Tech’s April 26 ribbon-cutting and open house event marking the opening of the H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex.

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The Keweenaw Report covered a ribbon-cutting marking the opening of Michigan Tech’s new Alumni Gateway Arch at the west entry to campus. Emily McDonald ’12 (B.S. Environmental Engineering), president of the University’s Alumni Board of Directors, was quoted in the story.

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The Keweenaw Report ran a story summarizing the results of the April 26 meeting of Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees.

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The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s story featuring Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear, a Hancock-based business founded by Huskies Austin Gongos '18 and Nathan Ackerman '18, was featured in a story collection celebrating Small Business Month. Chicken Tramper’s story was featured in the 2024 Michigan Tech Magazine.

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Business Wire mentioned Michigan Tech in a story naming Martha Sullivan ’80 (B.S. Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering) as interim president and CEO of Sensata Technologies, effective yesterday (April 30).

How to Request an Employment Accommodation Due to a Disability

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.

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Employee Parking Permit Rates Increasing for FY25

Beginning July 1, the cost of Michigan Tech parking permits will increase for fiscal year 2025 (FY25) as follows:

• Silver Parking Permits (Lot 24 only) will increase from $65 to $70. The Silver Parking Permit is not eligible for payroll deduction.

• Red Parking Permits will increase from $185 to $195. The current biweekly pre-tax payroll deduction is $7.71 and will increase to $8.13.

• Black Parking Permits will increase from $370 to $390. The current biweekly pre-tax payroll deduction is $15.42 and will increase to $16.25.

Payroll deductions occur twice per month, for a total of 24 payments. If you currently have payroll deductions, you will not need to do anything further.

Permits can also be purchased upfront beginning July 1 at the Transportation Services office in the Administration Building.

Please contact Transportation Services at parking@mtu.edu or 906-487-1441 if you have any questions.

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A Cup of Joe with the Safety Crew

Michigan Tech’s Safety Team — Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Research Integrity (RI) — invites all Huskies to share a cup of coffee and learn about the importance of campus health and safety at our meeting, A Cup of Joe with the Safety Crew, today (May 1) from 9-10 a.m. in the MUB Alumni Lounge.

The first of a recurring monthly series, this meeting of A Cup of Joe features information on the integration of Safety Skills training modules into Canvas. This exciting development will allow instructors to choose safety training topics a la carte and seamlessly incorporate them into their own classroom Canvas pages with just a few keyboard clicks.

In addition, there will be information regarding authorized Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification courses for as low as $25 for OSHA 10 and $90 for OSHA 30. All completed courses include U.S. Department of Labor-issued wallet cards and certificates. This program will be available for all Huskies.

And, more importantly, this will be an informal opportunity to talk with our campus safety professionals, ask the questions you have always wanted to ask and get the answers you need about Michigan Tech safety programs, legal compliance issues and additional resources.

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

Health Career Exposition Day

Wednesday, May 1, 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Michigan Tech Campus

Come learn about myriad careers available in health at Michigan's premier pre-health professions preparatory university. Learn about some of the health careers available to...

A Cup of Joe with the Safety Crew

Wednesday, May 1, 9–10 a.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Alumni Lounge

Michigan Tech’s Safety Team — Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Research Integrity (RI) — invites all Huskies to share a cup of coffee and learn about the importance...

GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships

May 1, all day

GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, at Grand Valley State - Allendale, Mich.