Alumni News

Author: Jordan Shawhan

Memories at Mont Ripley

Published
By

Do you remember your first trip up (or down) Mont Ripley?

There is a hint of snow in the air, offering hope that Mont Ripley will soon be open. This vintage image from winter 1958 features Michigan Tech ski coach Fred Lonsdorf and his daughter Lynn on the slopes. A familiar face on the ski hill in the mid 20th century, Lonsdorf was respected by all who came to learn from him. His best advice: “Get out and practice!”

Did you ever take a ski lesson from Fred? Share your favorite Mont Ripley memories with us in the comments!

About the Archives

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections houses a wide variety of print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the history and culture the Copper Country and Michigan Technological University. If you would like to research in the archives, appointments are available from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be requested by calling (906) 487-2505 or by filling out the request form on the archives website. If you have any questions regarding archives services, collections, or remote research help, please reach out to (906) 487-2505 or e-mail us at copper@mtu.edu. The Michigan Tech Archives can also be found on Facebook (Michigan Tech Archives), Instagram (@michigantecharchives), and X (@mtuarchives).

5 Comments Continue Reading →

Remember the Rocket Range?

Published
By

Have you ever seen a rocket launch from the tip of the Keweenaw? Or hiked out to the site where it all happened?

Tucked away at the northernmost point of the Keweenaw Peninsula—accessible for those with the inclination to get out there—lies a memorial plaque where NASA rockets once soared into the sky. The Keweenaw Rocket Range, part of project WEBROC, was active through the 1960s until it was decommissioned in 1971 and the land was transferred to Michigan Tech.

But it wasn’t all high-powered launches, research, and data collection. Life at the rocket range and the Michigan Tech Keweenaw Field Station had its everyday moments too. This photo from the Michigan Tech Archives captures a chilly November day in 1965, with Lenard Williams and Mike Brian taking a brief pause to warm up a cup of coffee before getting back to their research. The image is one of several connected to the Keweenaw Rocket Range and project WEBROC.

Do you remember ever seeing a launch? Have you made the trek to the site? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments!

A chilly November day in 1965 shows two men warming up a spell of coffee outside their Michigan Tech work truck before going back to work.
Lenard Williams and Mike Brian, in November 1965, warming up a spell of coffee outside their Michigan Tech work truck before getting back to their research.

About the Archives

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections houses a wide variety of print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the history and culture the Copper Country and Michigan Technological University. If you would like to research in the archives, appointments are available from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be requested by calling (906) 487-2505 or by filling out the request form on the archives website. If you have any questions regarding archives services, collections, or remote research help, please reach out to (906) 487-2505 or e-mail us at copper@mtu.edu. The Michigan Tech Archives can also be found on Facebook (Michigan Tech Archives), Instagram (@michigantecharchives), and X (@mtuarchives).

5 Comments Continue Reading →

The Art of Scheduling Classes

Published
By

Fall midterms are over, and the academic calendar marches on toward finals week. Yet, we can’t forget to look ahead—because spring enrollment waits for no one!

This flashback image to October 1994 from the University Archives shows students in the enrollment area preparing for the next trimester. The battle in the scheduling arena took many forms, and rumors of line trades, bribes, and class swaps still echo in the Archives. Who else remembers the thrill (and chaos) of class scheduling week?

Share your favorite scheduling story in the comments—and let us know which class was worth all the effort to get into!

A photo from October 1994 showing students standing in line waiting to schedule classes for the upcoming semester

About the Archives

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections houses a wide variety of print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the history and culture the Copper Country and Michigan Technological University. If you would like to research in the archives, appointments are available from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be requested by calling (906) 487-2505 or by filling out the request form on the archives website. If you have any questions regarding archives services, collections, or remote research help, please reach out to (906) 487-2505 or e-mail us at copper@mtu.edu. The Michigan Tech Archives can also be found on Facebook (Michigan Tech Archives), Instagram (@michigantecharchives), and X (@mtuarchives).

Continue Reading →

A Message from President Koubek

Published
By
Michigan Technological University President Richard J. Koubek
Rick Koubek, President

Campus is buzzing with energy as students come back for the start of the fall semester. Move-In was a huge success with the highly anticipated opening of East Hall. Wadsworth Dining Hall also has a fresh look. Staff from Student Support and Mentorship recently moved into the newly renovated Alumni House, and several updated classroom spaces will come online in the next few weeks.

This year’s entering class is one of the largest in the last 40 years and the first to participate in Tech’s new Essential Education program, an innovative core education curriculum. The program builds a 21st century skill set crucial for our students to become leaders who can respond to the increasingly frequent technological changes impacting our economy and society.

In planning campus initiatives for the coming year, we will continue to focus on the shaping of Tech Forward 2.0. And, as part of our continued efforts to align institutional priorities with transformative community impact, Wayne Gersie will lead Michigan Tech’s application for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.

Michigan Tech is in a position of strength because of the past and present work of our faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends. I have the utmost confidence in our future, knowing that we are supported by the strong network of MTU’s alumni and friends. Thank you for helping to make Michigan Tech such a special place.

Sincerely,

Rick Koubek
President

Continue Reading →

5 Years Later: Things I Learned at Michigan Tech

Published
By

The fall semester has arrived and campus is buzzing with the start of a new school year. It’s the perfect time to revisit and celebrate the fifth anniversary of one of our all-time favorite posts, Things I Learned at Michigan Tech.

Because some things you really have to experience to understand, Things I Learned at Michigan Tech is an inspired collection of Tech wisdom, laugh-out-loud memories, and heartfelt comments from Huskies around the world.

Take a moment to dive back in, enjoy the memories, and join us as we kick off a new semester by sharing your own nuggets of Tech wisdom in the comments.

What’s one thing YOU learned at Michigan Tech that’s stuck with you?

Reminiscent of campus today, this photo from the 1970s era featuring the EERC Tree remains undated. Can you help the Michigan Tech Archives identify which year the photo was taken?
Photo courtesy of the Archives’ MTU Campus Scenes Vertical Photo File.

About the Archives

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections houses a wide variety of print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the history and culture the Copper Country and Michigan Technological University. If you would like to research in the archives, appointments are available from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be requested by calling (906) 487-2505 or by filling out the request form on the archives website. If you have any questions regarding archives services, collections, or remote research help, please reach out to (906) 487-2505 or e-mail us at copper@mtu.edu. The Michigan Tech Archives can also be found on Facebook (Michigan Tech Archives), Instagram (@michigantecharchives), and X (@mtuarchives).

Continue Reading →

Travel Tales: Campus Bound for the Fall Semester

Published
By

Huskies, start your engines!

Reunion is behind us, and fall is almost here, so students will be heading to campus for the first time or returning to Houghton in full force over the next few weeks. Many students rely on the open road to get back to campus, but travel to the University for fall classes takes many forms—from prop planes to fast cars and motorcycles to the good old bus line.

When you were returning to fall classes, how did you arrive in style for day one of the semester or trimester? Let us know in the comments!

Unidentified man shows off Ford automobile.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University Archives’ Reeder Photograph Collection.

About the Archives

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections houses a wide variety of print, graphic and manuscript resources related to the history and culture the Copper Country and Michigan Technological University. If you would like to research in the archives, appointments are available from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Appointments may be requested by calling (906) 487-2505 or by filling out the request form on the archives website. If you have any questions regarding archives services, collections, or remote research help, please reach out to (906) 487-2505 or e-mail us at copper@mtu.edu. The Michigan Tech Archives can also be found on Facebook (Michigan Tech Archives), Instagram (@michigantecharchives), and X (@mtuarchives).

Continue Reading →

Alumni Reunion 2025: Honored Class Year Slideshow

Published
By

Last weekend, Michigan Tech celebrated Alumni Reunion 2025, bringing together graduates from a variety of decades, including our honored class years: 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2015. The following photos were displayed in a slideshow at various events throughout the weekend. We invite you to explore the slideshow below and relive the special moments that have shaped our Michigan Tech community.

2 Comments Continue Reading →

Retired TechAlum Newsletter Editor Dennis Walikainen​ Passes Away

Published
By
Dennis Walikainen
Photo credit: www.memorialchapel.net

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.

TechAlum Newsletter 2006
TechAlum Newsletter 2007
TechAlum Newsletter 2008
TechAlum Newsletter 2013
TechAlum Newsletter 2014
Screenshot of TechAlum eNewsletter from 2018.
1 Comment Continue Reading →

In Memoriam

Published
By

January 1 – June 30, 2025

Class Year Full Name Degrees Year of Death
1947 John T. McCall BS Civil Engineering 2024
1948 Gerald L. Boerma BS Electrical Engineering 2006
1949 William E. Balmer BS Forestry 2022
1949 Raymond R. Barber BS Chemical Engineering 2018
1949 Dwight E. Bishop BS Engineering Physics 2022
1949 Horace W. Blakeney BS Electrical Engineering 1994
1949 William J. Clark BS Electrical Engineering 2022
1950 George C. Christopher BS Metallurgical Engineering 2014
1950 George J. Clay BS Mechanical Engineering 2020
1950 Margareta J. (Kinnon) Jackson BS General Science 2025
1950 Norman F. Pratt BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1951 Jack G. Bachand BS Metallurgical Engineering 2013
1952 Abraham Baron BS Electrical Engineering 2006
1952 Warren E. Carlson BS Civil Engineering 1992
1952 Robert N. Thomas BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1953 Donald L. Holley BS Civil Engineering 2025
1953 Robert J. Penberthy BS Forestry 2025
1954 Charles A. Robertson BS Electrical Engineering 2024
1955 Richard C. Beard MS Geological Engineering, BS Geological Engineering 2024
1955 Ralph D. Bockstahler BS Mechanical Engineering 2021
1955 Robert J. Goad BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1955 Wesley W. Piippo BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1955 Marion R. Scudder BS Civil Engineering 2022
1955 Reuben J. Sironen MS Chemistry, BS Chemistry 2023
1955 Eugene A. Suppelsa BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering 2023
1956 Barbara J. (Martin) Abrams BS General Science 2021
1956 Donald D. Johannesen BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1956 David B. Rom BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1957 James A. Fegan BS Geology 2025
1957 Robert E. McKenzie BS Mechanical Engineering 2020
1957 Kenneth G. Riddle BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1957 Frederick J. Uhlig BS Business Engineering Admin, BS Mechanical Engineering 2023
1958 Richard H. Beck BS Geophysical Engineeing 2025
1958 James C. DeRubeis BS Mechanical Engineering 2021
1958 Harold L. Godlevske BS Forestry 2025
1958 Robert Kandarian BS Engineering Physics 2025
1958 Donald E. LaCosse BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1958 Milton J. Rogers BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1958 Barry G. Rought BS Civil Engineering 2024
1959 James C. Gerdeen BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1959 Lawrence J. Mahalak BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1959 Roy T. Mattson MS Engineering Mechanics, BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1959 Thomas J. Seavoy BS Electrical Engineering 2022
1959 Harold J. Seppala BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1959 Jay J. Williams BS Mining Engineering 2025
1960 Charles D. Buell BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1960 Ronald E. Crane BS Civil Engineering 2025
1960 Kenneth L. Graesser BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1960 Richard G. Green BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1960 Alex R. Hermann BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1960 Clifford H. Hill BS Civil Engineering 2021
1960 James R. Hooper BS Civil Engineering 2021
1960 Marvin L. Kitchen BS Civil Engineering 2022
1960 Frederick Matthis BS Mechanical Engineering 2023
1960 Frederick R. Pfeiffer BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1960 William J. Rodda BS Electrical Engineering 2023
1960 Edward H. Rowley BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1960 Allen L. Schoolcraft BS Civil Engineering 2024
1960 Joseph S. Wasielewski BS Electrical Engineering 2024
1960 Gerry N. Wixson BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1961 Marvin A. Genshaw BS Chemistry 2025
1961 William A. Haglund BS Civil Engineering 2024
1961 Franklyn K. Haseley BS Civil Engineering 2025
1961 Gerald J. Hill BS Civil Engineering 2024
1961 William H. Lewis MS Chemical Engineering, BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1961 John D. Opie BS Chemical Engineering 2019
1961 William J. Riutta BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1961 Paul E. Williams BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1962 Allen D. Ackerman BS Metallurgical Engineering, MS Metallurgical Engineering, PHD Metallurgical Engineering 2022
1962 Margaret A. (Mogren) Caserta BS Medical Technology 2024
1962 Arthur W. Heikkinen BS Civil Engineering 2025
1962 Erich Kothe BS Mechanical Engineering 2021
1962 Thomas R. Lowe BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1962 Paul N. Prokopchuk BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1962 Thomas G. Tallon BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1962 Ronald R. Wood BS Civil Engineering 2025
1963 Nicholas C. Carter MS Geological Engineering 2025
1963 Patrick E. Casey BS Business Administration 2023
1963 James C. Crowder BS Chemical Engineering 2023
1963 Anthony J. Ghidorzi BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1963 Dennis H. Jensen BS Metallurgical Engineering 2025
1963 Robert H. Nelson BS Metallurgical Engineering 2022
1963 Reidar Tryggestad BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1963 Ronald S. Warren BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1964 George A. Hage BS Business Administration 2019
1964 Jon D. Mathieu BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1964 John A. Nicolson BS Forestry 2021
1965 Tony J. Vander Heide BS Forestry 2022
1966 Michael T. Boho BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1966 John J. Elenich BS Business Administration 2024
1966 Richard H. Green BS Mechanical Engineering 2020
1966 Walter J. LaSovage BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1966 Clayton M. Mathews BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1966 Joseph D. Rhodea BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1967 William G. Hesterberg BS Metallurgical Engineering 2025
1968 David R. Jalkanen BS Mathematics, MS Mathematics 2024
1968 Daniel B. Mitchell BS Civil Engineering 2025
1968 Harish N. Patel MS Chemical Engineering 2025
1968 Brian J. Rodden BS Forestry 2024
1968 Virgil P. Sabin BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1968 Stephen M. Stewart BS Applied Physics 2024
1968 Douglas R. Williams BS Business Administration 2025
1969 James T. McEachen BS Business Administration 2025
1969 John C. Shirriff BS Electrical Engineering 2023
1970 Joel E. Andersen MS Biological Sciences 2025
1970 Lawrence E. Groff BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1970 James E. Hanttula BS Geology 2025
1970 Paul H. Marshall BS Civil Engineering 2025
1970 Timothy J. McClellan MS Civil Engineering, BS Civil Engineering 2014
1970 Elwood A. Narhi BS Biological Sciences 2025
1970 Sami A. Sayegh BA Liberal Arts 2025
1970 James C. Wiester BS Chemical Engineering 2024
1970 David E. Williams BS Metallurgical Engineering 2005
1971 Charles M. Dietzel BS Metallurgical Engineering 2024
1971 Paul Michaels BS Applied Geophysics 2025
1971 Dana M. Smith BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1972 Robert F. Donovan BS Mechanical Engineering 2024
1972 Edward P. Dzarnowski BS Civil Engineering 2025
1972 David D. Fales BS Biological Sciences 2025
1972 Richard A. Kunz BS Business Administration 2024
1972 Keith G. LaFleur BS Physics, MS Physics 2023
1972 Robert P. Mayer BS Chemistry 2023
1972 Thomas M. Soltysiak BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1973 James E. Hartmann BS Civil Engineering 2025
1973 Larry A. Hulst AAS Civil Engineering Technology 2025
1973 Robert P. Klenner BS Chemical Engineering, MS Chemical Engineering 2025
1973 Joseph J. Krebs AAS Electrical Eng Tech (AAS) 2015
1973 Randall C. Kriscunas BS Civil Engineering 2014
1973 Ronald J. Velat BS Business Administration 2025
1974 Robert W. Aho BS Biological Sciences 2025
1974 William J. Cooper BS Civil Engineering 2025
1974 Donna M. House BS Medical Technology 2024
1974 David A. Palmer AAS Civil Engineering Technology 2025
1974 Bruce J. Trusock BS Biological Sciences 2025
1975 Joanne (Thomas) Dennis AAS Nursing Technology 2025
1975 Gretchen (Westphal) Justusson BS Medical Technology 2023
1975 Glen D. Saari BS Business Administration 2022
1976 Paul S. Casarez BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1976 Mary B. (Dupras) Eiermann BS Social Sciences 2024
1977 John P. Ignaczak AAS Forest Technology 2022
1977 James E. Oikarinen BS Forestry 2025
1977 Mark A. Waldron BS Electrical Engineering 2025
1978 Duane J. Prais BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1979 John C. Maki BS Chemical Engineering, BS Geology, MS Geology 2025
1979 Edward G. Valines BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1980 Glenna G. Cox BS Computer Science 2025
1980 Thomas J. Grebinski BS Chemistry 2025
1980 Charles S. Knobloch BS Applied Geophysics 2023
1980 Barbara J. Robbins AAS Nursing Technology 2025
1980 Timothy R. Roth AAS Forest Technology 2018
1981 Elizabeth Y. Jacobson BS Mathematics, BS Chemistry 2025
1981 John T. Lukowski BS Electrical Engineering, MS Electrical Engineering 2025
1981 Mitchell A. Raymond BS Civil Engineering 2025
1985 Robert H. Burgin BS Business Administration 2025
1985 Marcia K. (Kearney) Kearney BS Applied Geophysics, GRCERT  2025
1985 Royal F. Kessick BS Chemistry  
1986 Christine C. (Burgess) Patrick BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1987 Johndan Johnson-Eilola BS Scientific & Tech Comm (BS), MS Rhetoric & Tech Communication, PHD Rhetoric & Tech Communication 2023
1988 Craig W. Fogus BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1990 Denise L. Toner BS Biological Sciences 2025
1992 Dennis K. Walikainen MS Rhetoric & Tech Communication, PHD Rhetoric & Tech Communication 2025
1993 James R. DeVlaminck BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1993 Daniel C. Gilmer BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
1994 Lawrence S. McNally BS Civil Engineering 2025
1994 Ronald S. Steube BS Metallurgical Engineering, MS Metallurgical Engineering 2025
1995 Jason B. Willis AAS Mechanical Design Eng Tech 2024
1996 David S. Buckley PHD Forest Science 2025
1996 Shane S. Ladwein BS Chemical Engineering 2025
1998 Michael J. Mangiapane BS Mechanical Engineering 2025
2000 David K. Hayes MS Industrial Archaeology 2025
2000 Jeffrey P. Wood BS Civil Engineering 2025
2002 Ian O. Gagnon BS Forestry 2025
2003 Andrew P. Schomaker BS Chemical Engineering 2025
2004 Neil R. Pekrul BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Business Administration 2024
2008 Donald T. Shankin BS Computer Engineering 2025
2014 Keegan J. Larkin BS Computer Engineering, BS Electrical Engineering 2024
2022 Connor J. Dopke BS Finance 2025
2024 Elisabeth A. Salter BS Computer Engineering, BS Electrical Engineering 2025
2024 Matthew D. Sisson MS Materials Science and Engrg 2025

In Memoriam for January 1 – December 31, 2024

Continue Reading →