Month: May 2022

Changes Coming to Google Drive for MTU Alumni

Due to a policy shift by Google, changes are coming that will affect Michigan Tech Alumni. Starting January 1, 2023, Michigan Tech alumni will no longer have access to Google Drive and Google Photos. On that date, any files stored in Drive or Photos under an alumni @mtu.edu account will be marked for deletion.

Between now and January 1, 2023, there are several options for moving content, whether it’s by downloading or transferring to another Google account.

This does not affect @mtu.edu email addresses. Email accounts will continue to work as they do today.

If you have any questions about these changes or need assistance, we can help. Contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

Michigan Tech is ‘Michigan’s Flagship Technological University’

An Update from President Koubek

One of Michigan Tech’s special elements is our spirit of teamwork. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout, the Michigan Tech community sacrificed to uphold the values and mission of our institution. And on April 30, we celebrated together when over 1,200 students received their degrees. Congratulations to the Class of 2022! They join an esteemed group of alumni from around the world. 

President Rick Koubek
President Rick Koubek

Also, thanks to the hard work of our faculty and staff, Michigan Tech emerged from the pandemic in a positive position, enabling us to press forward with several new initiatives supporting the excellence that resides in this great University. I outlined these themes at a recent campuswide leadership meeting and am pleased to share them now more broadly with our alumni, donors, and friends. 

First, we continue to advance the Tech Forward areas identified by our faculty and staff in 2018-19.

Second, this fall we will begin a faculty hiring initiative with a goal of employing 400 tenure-track and nontenure-track faculty by 2035, provided enrollment grows as well.

Third, with the new campus master plan completed, we will invest in our campus footprint through renovations, student housing, academic space, and student space.

Fourth, we are working to establish a larger and more diverse student body from across the country, with a goal of 10,000 students by 2035. Progress is being made thanks to the work of our faculty and staff.

Fifth, we will continue to vigorously promote Michigan Tech’s excellence on the national level.

And finally, this fall we will initiate a University fundraising campaign to provide support for scholarships, professorships, facilities, academic programs, and athletics.  

As these plans become reality, the world will benefit from the innovations springing from our Tech Forward initiatives. Our campus will boast contemporary facilities, classrooms, and technologies to promote learning and research. Our students and faculty will benefit from donor support through scholarships, professorships, endowed chairs, and other forms of philanthropy. And finally, we will all be part of a growing, more diverse community of students, staff, and faculty.  

Thank you again for your support of Michigan’s flagship technological university. I am excited to move forward into a future focused on excellence and growth for our University.

Chernosky’s Legacy in Sustainable Practices Lives On Through Award/Scholarship

Former Michigan Tech professor and advisor Frank Chernosky ‘55 was an early advocate for sustainability principles. His leadership and mentorship of students during his tenure starting the 1960s until his untimely death in 1971 had a great impact on many. 

Frank Chernosky
Frank Chernosky ’55

In memory of Chernosky, Mike ‘69 and Karen Gregory established the Frank Chernosky Award in Climate Leadership in 2021.

“When I was a student in the 60’s, the concept of sustainability was championed by Frank Chernosky and Duane Thayer,” said Gregory. “That was before the EPA existed. What better way to remember Frank and help solve the planet’s climate issues than to support a scholarship in his name to assist students studying and researching ways to achieve sustainability.”

Marc Levier ‘71 ‘77 joins Gregory underscoring the impact Chernosky had on his life.

“Frank Chernosky was the professor I admired most. He was the person I looked to for guidance as a student and as a young man who was finding his way in life,” said LeVier. “A field trip to nearby Empire and Republic iron ore mines in my first class with Frank opened my eyes to the mining industry, and I was hooked.”

LeVier also recalled Chernosky as a practitioner of his craft, working in the summer months doing test work for mining companies or in the field working on assigned projects. “Frank brought his students current knowledge and problem-solving skills for real issues. His lectures kept you engaged and wanting more.”

Chernosky’s widow Fay is happy to see Frank’s connection to Michigan Tech continue. “Frank was all about his alma mater. He worked diligently to provide his students with the best education possible to succeed in their profession of metallurgical engineering specializing in mineral processing. His industrial experiences provided him the knowledge to convey the skills he knew they would need.”

The first award will be granted for the 2022-23 academic year. Clare Fidler has been named the first recipient. “I’m honored and thrilled to have been chosen for the Frank Chernosky Award in Climate Leadership,” she said. “I feel I could make a positive impact on the world by focusing on a career in sustainability. Addressing climate issues involves not only environmental questions, but a human, social, and economic ones as well. I feel passionate about tackling problems in all of those aspects of life in order to ensure a sustainable world and future.

Clare Fidler

“I’m thankful especially for the professional development opportunities that this award will help guide me through. I feel that learning from experts in a real-world setting will aid my understanding of current strategies in addressing climate issues and help me start applying those tactics in my own career much faster.”

Fidler will not only receive $6,400 in scholarship assistance for the upcoming year, but she’ll also receive a professional development and applied work fund of $1,600.

For more details on how to support this scholarship or students like Clare, contact Bryant Weathers.

Four Generation Michigan Tech Legacy Family

“Ryan told me when he was five years old he was going to Michigan Tech,” said Jim Cote ‘62, Ryan’s grandfather. He was right.

Jim ’62, Ryan ’22, and Rob ’85 Cote.

Ryan Cote walked across the stage at Michigan Tech’s Spring Commencement on Saturday (April 30) having earned a Bachelor of Science in Scientific and Technical Communication with a minor in cybersecurity. In doing so, he added to the family legacy and became a fourth-generation Tech graduate. 

“Michigan Tech’s a place I’ve always been interested in,” said Ryan. “I came up for Summer Youth Programs, and fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere.”

Jim ‘62 and Ryan ‘22 graduated 60 years apart. The other members of the four generation legacy are Ryan’s father, Rob Cote ‘85 (Scientific and Technical Communication) and his great-grandfather Robert DeGhetto ‘49 (Mechanical Engineering).

As for his future, Ryan has a job lined up with a small tech firm in lower Michigan, where he will do technical writing and cybersecurity work.


Tell us about your family legacy at Michigan Tech! Comment below.