The Office of Alumni Engagement is saddened to share that longtime Michigan Tech staff member, Dennis Walikainen, passed away on June 14 at age 68.
Walikainen served the University for more than three decades, telling Michigan Tech’s story as former editor of the TechAlum newsletter and voice behind the University’s news and publications. His love of language, sense of humor, and genuine care for people left a lasting mark on campus.
A proud member of the Houghton and Hancock communities, Walikainen earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Northern Michigan University and later his master’s in 1992 and PhD in Rhetoric and Technical Communication from Michigan Tech in 2009. He retired in 2015.
Below are a few snapshots from TechAlum over the years—a publication that, when it launched on May 9, 1994, was the first electronic alumni newsletter in the nation. With the help of Walikainen, among others, the newsletter evolved from a simple text email to a more engaging, photo-rich experience for alumni around the world.
We invite you to remember Walikainen by reading his full obituary.
