By Rick Koubek, President
It’s always a delight to watch campus spring back into action as new students move in, faculty return, and classes resume. As I talk with our new students and meet with new faculty each year at this time, I am all the more cognizant of the excellence that this institution attracts and creates.
Over the past four years, Michigan Tech has pursued a path of excellence to become a premier national university positioned to lead the US in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Evidence suggests we are on the right track. The University has experienced unprecedented demand from prospective students, federal research agencies, employers, and the community at large.
In fall 2022, our incoming first-year student class is on track to be the second largest since 1984 and is on par for the most academically proficient on record (back to 1991) measured by high school GPA and SAT. And, thanks to the efforts of faculty researchers like Raymond Shaw, who received over $3.5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy, the University’s research expenditures hit a historic high. Accomplishments like this punctuate the need for growth.
The Vision 2035 Campus Plan, which was completed in early 2022, ensures that Michigan Tech remains equipped for the academic and research demands of tomorrow. In April, the University broke ground on our new H-STEM Complex, which will support integrated educational and research programs in health-related technological innovations. Future capital projects include the Center for Convergence and Innovation, renovations to our academic spaces, and new on-campus residential housing, along with others.
But, Michigan Tech’s reach extends beyond teaching and research in the Keweenaw. In fall 2021, we met demand from our community partners by opening a satellite office in Traverse City. These efforts complement Michigan Tech’s existing partnerships with Northwestern Michigan College and collaborations with Traverse City’s K-12 educational system, to better meet the economic development needs of the region.
This is on top of employers’ growing demand for Michigan Tech graduates. Job placement rates six months post-graduation average 94 percent. Payscale reports midcareer earnings of $120,900 annually for Michigan Tech graduates. And hiring managers say many of their brightest engineers are from MTU.
Our graduates go on to become the world’s leading CEOs and business leaders. In 2021-22, our supporters graciously donated a near all-time high of $47.01 million—6.87 percent more than last year’s impressive total of $43.98 million and the second-largest fundraising year in MTU history. Their vote of confidence in our programs, students, and research supports our move into an era of growth for Michigan Tech.
As a result, our community and state will enjoy innovations that make life better through our Tech Forward research. Our campus community will enjoy the modern conveniences of updated facilities, classrooms, and technologies. Our students and faculty will reap the benefits of donor support through scholarships, professorships, endowed chairs, and other forms of philanthropy. And finally, we will all be part of a more inclusive and diverse community by growing our student and teaching populations.
The state of Michigan, our region, and our country should demand nothing less.
Thank you for your continued support of Michigan Tech.
