Category: Alumni News

West Michigan Event Report: Summer 2024

Alumni and friends in the West Michigan area have been enjoying a variety of events, including the annual Spring Dinner, baseball games, and sending off new Huskies to Houghton! If you’d like to follow along with what is happening in the West Michigan area, check out the West Michigan Alumni Facebook Page.

Spring Dinner — May 2024

Michigan Tech alumni and friends in the West Michigan area attended the annual Spring Dinner, held this year at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada. The keynote speaker for the evening was Audra Morse, chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. Serving as interim dean of the College of Engineering at the time, Morse spoke on various topics, including recent changes taking place on campus and numerous ongoing research projects. Tech alumnus Kevin Grzelak ’89, who helped to host the event, served as emcee. Michigan Tech Alumni Board of Directors Vice President Emma Zawisza ’12 ’16 awarded three door prizes, courtesy of the Office of Alumni Engagement.

Whitecaps Baseball Game + BBQ — June 2024

Michigan Tech alumni and friends gathered at LMCU Ballpark for a barbecue before a Saturday night baseball game between the West Michigan Whitecaps and Dayton Dragons. Alumni event host John Gutierrez ’94 was joined by over thirty guests, who enjoyed a delicious buffet and had the opportunity to win MTU-branded door prizes. The Whitecaps scored eight unanswered runs as the offense came alive in an 8–4 comeback victory over the Dragons in front of 7,023 fans on Star Wars Night Saturday.

New Student Send-Off — August 2024

West Michigan alumni helped send off first-year students to Houghton with an event at Millennium Park in Walker. Regional Admissions Manager Tom Hampton was assisted by colleague Jennifer Todd in organizing the gathering, which drew nearly 200 attendees, including 70 incoming students and their family members. Kona Ice served gourmet shaved ice and Schmohz Brewery provided root beer.

There were several alumni and existing students present to share their stories with new students. Each of the new students had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share something about their field of interest, and what they are looking forward to at Michigan Tech. Following introductions, the students gathered for a group photo that marked the beginning of their exciting adventures at the University.

Welcome to Michigan Tech, Class of 2028!

A Message from President Koubek

Rick Koubuek
Rick Koubek, President

Greetings!

It’s always a delight to be on campus when students return for fall classes. This year’s entering class averages a 3.83 GPA and an SAT score of 1234. This is one of the largest, most diverse incoming student classes to Michigan Tech. Notably, for the second time in school history, women make up nearly 30 percent of the student body.

Speaking of extraordinary students, I’d like to congratulate our hockey team for winning the Great Lakes Invitational and the Mason Cup and going on to compete in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. That is a feat no other team in the conference and only five other teams nationally accomplished.

But, the winning does not stop there. Undergraduate student Marielle Raasio received the university President’s Award for Leadership this past spring, and MTU professor Charles Wallace won the 2024 Michigan Association of State Universities Distinguished Professor of the Year award.

On the academic side, our faculty have been working on a revision of our general education curriculum. The retention rate for returning students is on track to exceed 88 percent, which is a new record and highlights our intense focus on student success. We also welcomed 30 new faculty members and three new deans.

Andrew Barnard returned to Michigan Tech in July as our new vice president for research. We are excited to congratulate our Michigan Tech researchers for once again beating last year’s records. Preliminary numbers indicate over $110 million in research expenditures and a double-digit increase in research awards over 2023’s impressive number.

The annual ratings blitz season is upon us. I am proud to share the Princeton Review named MTU as the No. 2 on the list of Best Schools for Internships, No. 9 for Best Career Placement, and No. 18 for Best Schools for Financial Aid. In the Best Value Colleges category, solely based on return on investment, or ROI, Michigan Tech was ranked No. 33. These are remarkable statistics for a university of our size.

Finally, thank you to our donors. In fiscal year 2024, Michigan Tech friends and alumni contributed $48.5 million, beating our annual fundraising goal by 13 percent. And, we’ve increased our endowment by 50 percent in the past five years. This support from our alumni and donors is simply incredible and reflects a shared dedication to our students, faculty, and staff.

It’s a great time to be a Husky. I hope you can join us at one of the many alumni events planned this fall.

Sincerely,

Rick Koubek
President

Umbargers Consistent in Giving Back to Tech

Alison (Springer-Wilson) ’11 and Adam ’09 Umbarger have more than a dozen consecutive years of giving back to support Michigan Tech. We recently caught up with Alison to find out where that passion for their alma mater comes from.

Alison ’11 and Adam ’09 Umbarger

What was your Michigan Tech experience like?
I loved my experience at Michigan Tech. The school was small enough to know my professors, but large enough to offer a lot of interesting classes. I took Spanish and German as well as all the Chemical Engineering classes. I also ran Cross Country and Track and Field and had a great time competing for Michigan Tech and running on the Tech Trails. Adam and I were both involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where we met.

How did Michigan Tech help you in your life/career?
While I can’t say I use calculus or thermodynamics in my career, I feel like the skills learned in my Michigan Tech classes have served me well in my engineering career. Communicating effectively, presenting well, and knowing how to make good engineering decisions based on the information available to you are all things that I learned at Michigan Tech and have honed after I left Tech. I will also say that living in Appleton, Wisconsin, there are a lot of Michigan Tech grads in the area. When I meet someone else who graduated from Michigan Tech, it’s an easy conversation starter since every alumni I have talked to enjoyed their time at Michigan Tech.

Why do you give back to Michigan Tech?
Michigan Tech gave us so many good experiences and we think others should have the chance to get a degree from Michigan Tech.

What areas of campus do you give to and why?
We usually give to the Annual Fund so the money can be used where it is most needed.

Why is it important to you to be consistent in giving every year?
We are happy to give back to an institution was important to us in so many ways. Giving to Michigan Tech is a line-item in our budget every year, and I make sure I fill out the company match as well.

What are your current employers/job titles?
I am an engineering team leader at a Kimberly Clark pilot facility. Adam is a campus staffer for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Where do you live, and how often have you made it back to campus?
We live in Appleton, Wisconsin. We take our young kids back to the Michigan Tech area usually twice a year–once in the summer to eat thimbleberries and go hiking and once in the winter for cross country skiing. I have been back to recruit several years and Adam occasionally returns to the area for bike race or to speak at the MTU InterVarsity chapter.

A Message from President Koubek

Rick Koubuek
Rick Koubek, President

In late April, we celebrated 1,064 students who earned their degrees from Michigan Tech.

We also celebrated the opening of the new H-STEM Engineering and Health Sciences Complex and the Alumni Gateway pedestrian path. I am particularly grateful to our donors, Mike Trewhella and his family, along with the Harjus, for supporting our vision to create an inviting and welcoming entryway to campus. The Alumni Gateway is a representation of what we’ve always been—a welcoming environment for all who come to campus. This is in addition to the generous donation from Longyear-Able Medical Devices to name the lobby and student commons area in the H-STEM Complex.

As we wrap up these projects, we will soon turn our attention to renovating the McNair dining hall, classrooms in the EERC, and the Daniell Heights apartments. These projects will join ongoing construction already happening around campus—including East Hall, our new residence hall. As our campus grows, so does our community. In July, we will welcome three new deans to campus. We will also welcome our next vice president for research, as Dave Reed is retiring from Michigan Tech after 42 years of service. Dave has been an integral part of Michigan Tech’s success over the years and was instrumental in helping the University attain R1 status.

In this spirit, I’d like to also recognize a few of Michigan Tech’s faculty and students on their recent accomplishments, like MASU’s Distinguished Professor of the Year, Dr. Charles Wallace, and undergraduate student Marielle Raasio, who received the President’s Award for Leadership this spring. As one nominator put it, Marielle has created a community whose well-being and internal confidence encourages the desire to work, study, and build relationships. Finally, kudos to our hockey team for winning the Great Lakes Invitational and the Mason Cup conference championship, and participating in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year—their 16th all-time appearance.

These examples are just a few of the many ways our alumni, faculty, staff, and students reflect the incredible community we call Michigan Tech. As always, thank you for representing Michigan Tech in your communities with such great pride and enthusiasm. I look forward to visiting with you at MTU’s annual Alumni Reunion or perhaps at another one of the many alumni gatherings planned in the future.

Sincerely,

Rick Koubek
President

Gift to Blue Key Provides Solid Footing to Future of Winter Carnival Tradition

Pulicks with members of Blue Key.
Pictured (l-r): Aracely Hernandez-Ramos, Skylar Spitzley, Michael Pulick, Elizabeth Pulick, Joe Dlugos, and Sara Goheen.

When you think of Michigan Technological University, there is one tradition that stands out amongst the rest: Winter Carnival. Its reputation is second only to the University’s outstanding academic reputation and job placement rate.

Winter Carnival is organized and run by Michigan Tech’s premier student leadership organization, Blue Key National Honor Society. Blue Key’s mission at Tech is “to organize and coordinate Winter Carnival in a fair and equitable manner to serve the surrounding community.” The organization strives for excellence in academics, development of leadership, and service to the community. Student volunteers in Tech’s Blue Key chapter put their leadership acumen on display every year as they successfully plan, fundraise, organize, and execute the University’s most time honored tradition.

While the lack of snow certainly made this year’s edition historic, Blue Key and Michigan Tech had another milestone reason to celebrate Winter Carnival 2024. Blue Key recently received a generous gift from Elizabeth (Schumacher) Pulick ’88 and Michael Pulick ’86. The former Blue Key members know how important the student experience is to Michigan Tech Huskies. They wanted to make a gift to Michigan Tech that supported all students and the community by endowing Winter Carnival. The funds Blue Key will receive from the endowment will go directly to supporting the annual costs of putting on a major community event plus a scholarship for the Blue Key president.

“Blue Key was special for me,” said Elizabeth. “It allowed me to be a leader and hone those skills working with people.”

Michael added, “Blue Key put me into situations like managing a budget and meeting with community leaders and the media. It was pressure that I hadn’t felt before. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun.”

“This was a genuine surprise and absolutely wonderful,” said Joe Dlugos, a senior environmental engineering student and current president of Blue Key. “This gift will not only help Blue Key, but everyone who enjoys Winter Carnival.”

“We will be able to provide students with scaffolding, shovels, and lighting for snow statues,” said Dlugos. “We have plans to add fire pits for people to stay warm during the all-nighter. The possibilities are endless, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the Pulicks for their support.”

The Pulicks credit their experience in Blue Key and as Michigan Tech students for amplifying their personal growth. “We always talk to others about how special Tech is,” said Michael. “We want Winter Carnival to go on forever, and hope this gift takes some of the pressure off of students in Blue Key.”

Elizabeth echoed the sentiments. “We are really passionate about the student experience and wanted to pay back what we received. We’re excited to help Blue Key make Winter Carnival better for the whole community.”

Annually, Winter Carnival occurs the second weekend in February with events including snow statues, broomball, stage revue, royalty competition, human dog sled races, and Michigan Tech hockey. The event not only brings students, alumni, and the community together, but it also has a considerable economic impact on the Keweenaw.

Laura Bulleit, vice president for student affairs, underscored the significance of Blue Key and Winter Carnival. “The impact of Winter Carnival isn’t limited to just a fun weekend for our students. It’s so much more than that. It is a major draw for alumni, families, and tourists, and has an enormous impact on our local economy. Very few student organizations have the opportunity to plan and execute something as large as Winter Carnival. To know that it’s our students, and not faculty and staff, who are behind all of this really highlights the capability and excellence of our Michigan Tech students.”

Blue Key has put on Winter Carnival for 90 years. The Pulicks’ gift helps ensure that Blue Key has the resources to continue the tradition into the future.

“This endowment will preserve one of Tech’s most well-known traditions in perpetuity,” said Bill Roberts, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. “I’m so glad the Pulicks have led the way with this gift that will ensure Winter Carnival for generations to come.”

Michigan Tech’s endowment is a collection of funds which were given by donors to provide support to Michigan Tech in perpetuity. When an endowment gift is received, it is placed in a long-term investment fund. The investment returns generated from that principal are used on a continual basis while the principal is preserved for the future. The endowment provides the University with future financial stability.

Others may join the Pulicks to further support the Blue Key endowment with a one-time or annual gift. Those interested can contact the Office of Gift Planning at 906-487-3325.

Impact of Philanthropy: Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow

Jeana Collins ’16 ’18 is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow. Her position is made possible by a gift from Gary Sparrow ’70 and impacts many students she teaches and leads in the Unit Operations Lab. Below is a Q&A with Collins.

Jeana Collins ’16 ’18

What are your responsibilities?
My responsibilities in the Chemical Engineering Department are teaching and service. This year, I am teaching the senior capstone laboratory sequence (Unit and Plant Operations), Computer-Aided Problem Solving (a chemical-engineering elective class), a new elective on programming in DeltaV (the distributed control system that we use in the UO lab; DeltaV is widely used in industry), and Material and Energy Balances (summer class). I also serve on and chair multiple committees within the department, as well as advise the Dance Team and AIChE student organizations.

Tell us about your background and how you came to teach at Michigan Tech.
I received my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2012 and came to Michigan Tech for graduate school. I completed my M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech. During my graduate studies, I was also a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) for a variety of classes. I really enjoyed being a GTA, and found that I wanted to pursue a career in academics, focused on teaching instead of research. I joined the department as faculty in 2016.

Why is your position important?
Instructional track faculty are important because of our focus on undergraduate education. Because we are focused on teaching, we have higher teaching loads and can reduce the amount of teaching needed from research faculty. We can also take on classes that require more time than traditional classes. For example, the senior capstone lab requires 16+ hours a week in the lab with the students.

What does holding an endowed position mean to you?
I am honored to be the first Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow. I feel that an instructional track endowed position really shows how much the Department and University care about undergraduate education. This position will provide more opportunities for me to go to workshops/training and conferences to continuously improve our program and share knowledge. For example, over the summer, I completed a week-long training on DeltaV at the Emerson Training Center in Round Rock, Texas. That training expanded my knowledge of DeltaV. I am using that to create a new elective course that I am offering for the first time this spring. The course will be focused on the DeltaV software. All of the chemical engineering students operate equipment with DeltaV in the capstone lab sequence, but this new elective will delve more into process and process control engineers’ roles with DeltaV in industry. With the endowed position, I will be able to continue expanding my knowledge and improving my classes, both core and elective.

Gary Sparrow ’70 (center) presents a check to now-retired Department of Chemical Engineering Chair Pradeep Agrawal (left) and Bryant Weathers ’10, Director for Charitable Gift Planning.

What takes place in the Unit Ops lab?
The Unit Operations Lab provides a hands-on education for students. Students first enter the lab in lower-level classes to look at real equipment and potentially see equipment relevant to their coursework operating (for example, the CM 3240 students come in to learn about distillation on the glass distillation unit so that they can see what is happening inside of a distillation column while they are learning about distillation in class). The first class that they operate equipment is during their junior year during their process control course. In process control, the students apply what they have been learning in lecture in the lab. In the UO lab, they complete step tests and tuning on a controller for the heat transfer experiment, are introduced to DeltaV (our distributed control system) on the flow measurement experiment, and tune a cascade control loop on the three-story distillation column. In their senior year, the students run multiple (at least four) of the unit operation experiments, as well as both of the pilot plants, applying concepts from all previous chemical engineering classes. For the pilot plant operations, multiple groups work together to operate the equipment. They get to experience shift changes, radio communication between the control room and floor, manual and automated operations, troubleshooting, and more. Safety is a huge part of the UO lab. A safety inspection, including asking other students safety questions, is completed every run day, each group has a safety check every run day before operating equipment, students prepare safety moments for each other, and we have a reporting system PAWS (prevent accidents with safety). PAWS is a comprehensive safety program that requires training, constant vigilance, and incident reporting and documentation, all with an eye toward critical review and continuous improvement.

How does the Unit Ops lab impact students and their futures?
The UO lab provides students with valuable hands-on experience that translates to their careers. They gain experience operating equipment, troubleshooting, communicating via radio, DeltaV, and safety culture, as well as experimental design and statistics. We also coordinate with industry representatives to teach the students about how the equipment relates to their industry. The students are able to draw upon their experiences in the UO lab when talking to recruiters (during career fair / during interviews).

Any specific stories of unique research or successes from the lab?
There is no research in the UO lab; it is only a teaching lab. When giving tours and discussing the lab with industry representatives/recruiters, they have been impressed with the experiences that the students are getting and the equipment that they are running.


What students have to say about the Unit Operations Lab:

To me, the Unit Operations lab offers the invaluable experience to put what we learn in the classroom into the perspective of an industrial environment, while still having the opportunity to make mistakes and grow from them. Being able to work on the floor and as a console operator not only helps us to cement our understanding of the technical aspects of our future positions, but to also foster an appreciation for the daily tasks and positions that make up a successful plant. 

Ana White

As a senior chemical engineering student with 15 months of hands-on experience in chemical manufacturing facilities, my time at the UO Lab at MTU has provided me with a unique opportunity. It allows me to operate industry-relevant equipment within a classroom environment. This experience is incredibly valuable as it bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. In the UO Lab, students have the freedom to ask questions and learn from their mistakes, making it an essential resource for those who lack industry experience. Ultimately, the UO Lab plays a crucial role in enhancing students’ practical understanding before they graduate.

Tom Morrison

The UO lab at Tech has provided me with experiences that have reinforced the theory and knowledge that we as students spend so much time developing throughout the entire chemical engineering curriculum. Those experiences create the industrial feel and give our students a head start over our peers as we enter into the industrial world.

Allison Swanson

Wickstroms Fund Scholarships in Their Father’s Memory

For some families, the impact of Michigan Tech can be felt generations later. That is the case with the Walter Wickstrom ’37 family.

Three of Walter’s children, Betty Wickstrom Kendrick, Jean Wickstrom Liles, and Phil Wickstrom—none of whom are Michigan Tech alumni or live anywhere close to Michigan Tech—all fund scholarships in memory of their father and to support Tech, which they credit with setting up their family for success.

Photo of Carly Lindquist, Betty Wickstrom Kendrick, Phil Wickstrom, Jean Wickstrom Liles, and John Myaard.
The Wickstroms hosted two of their scholarship recipients for lunch at their family summer home in Christmas, Michigan. Pictured (l-r): Carly Lindquist, Betty Wickstrom Kendrick, Phil Wickstrom, Jean Wickstrom Liles, and John Myaard.

“I feel strongly that Michigan Tech prepared Daddy and, in turn, helped us become successful,” said Jean. “So supporting Tech is payback for what it did for us.”

Walter Wickstrom Sr. earned a mining engineering degree from Michigan Tech in 1937 (then called the Michigan College of Mining and Technology). The family moved to Alabama in 1947  where he spent a large portion of his career employed by the Tennessee Coal & Iron (TCI) Division of US Steel. He was captain of TCI’s mechanical mining team and later mine captain of the Jefferson County, Alabama-based Ishkooda mines.

“Michigan Tech helped him succeed and be ready to not only work in the mine but to advance into management,” said Phil.

Betty added, “My father went to school during the Depression. I put a scholarship in his name because I want to brighten the day for current students.”

In 2021, Betty created the Walter William Wickstrom Memorial Annual Scholarship to support junior or senior mining engineering students from northern Michigan. 

That same year, Jean and Phil established the Walter William Wickstrom, Sr. ’37 and Katherine Nelson Wickstrom Endowed Scholarship in memory of their parents. The scholarship goes to engineering students in the Upper Peninsula with preference given to those from Alger County, where the Wickstroms have a family summer home on Lake Superior named Camp Walter that was built by Phil. Walter Wickstrom bought the property back in the 1940s.

The three Wickstroms hosted two of their scholarship recipients at Camp Walter in late August. John Myaard is a senior mining engineering student from Hudsonville, Michigan who received Betty’s annual scholarship. Carly Lindquist, a senior chemical engineering major from Munising, Michigan, received Jean and Phil’s endowed scholarship.

“Receiving a scholarship provides a very real and immediate impact,” said Myaard. “I was excited when I first heard about it. It was right after I had spent my entire summer doing a field course for geology, so I wasn’t able to work that summer. I was very excited and grateful when I found out about the scholarship.”

“It’s awesome that we get to meet the donors,” Lindquist added. “It’s not just an amount taken off my tuition bill, which is really important, but it’s also much more personal and meaningful. I’ll always remember this meeting and what they’ve done for me.”

The chance to meet the students was also meaningful to the Wickstroms.

“We receive letters from each of the scholarship recipients and learn a little bit about them, but it’s a highlight to meet them in person and get to know them and their situations better,” said Jean.

“I save all the thank you letters I receive,” said Betty. “I’m very impressed by all the students I hear from. It is a real pleasure meeting John and Carly in person and hearing directly how the scholarships have helped them.”

While the three donors all cited the tax benefits of their philanthropy, their main motivation was the ability to help others.

“It really makes you feel good that you’ve helped somebody,” Phil said. “Meeting these students in person really drives that home.”

West Michigan Event Report: Summer 2023

Alumni and friends in the West Michigan area have been enjoying a variety of events, from the annual Spring Dinner to baseball games, and sending off new Huskies to Houghton! If you’d like to follow along with what is happening in the West Michigan area, check out the West Michigan Alumni Facebook Page.

Spring Dinner — April 2023

Michigan Tech alumni in the West Michigan area attended the annual Spring Dinner at the Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada. The evening featured two distinguished keynote speakers: K&A Founder Mark Kieser ’88 and Mike Foster ’11 ’20, who is working for K&A on the Mona Lake cleanup project. K&A is an environmental science-engineering firm focusing on water resources. The two gave an engaging presentation on the Mona Lake cleanup and shared how they are taking it “From ick to awe”. Emily Rounavaara, assistant director of Alumni Engagement, awarded door prizes based on trivia questions that included tuition and room and board costs in 1974 and the year when Dave Cox ’76 attended Michigan Tech. Jim Mitchell ’65 also contributed to the evening by sharing a history of Tech coaches, providing a fascinating glimpse into the University’s past.

Whitecaps Baseball Game + BBQ — June 2023

Michigan Tech alumni gathered at LMCU Ballpark for a barbeque before the Saturday night game between the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Great Lakes Loons. Thirty people enjoyed a great buffet and had the opportunity to win MTU-branded door prizes, courtesy of the Michigan Tech Office of Alumni Engagement. The West Michigan Whitecaps compiled 14 hits while the pitching staff dominated for a much-needed win and 10-0 shutout of the Great Lakes Loons in front of 7,902 fans—a season high in attendance.

New Student Send-Off — August 2023

West Michigan alumni helped send off first-year students to Houghton at Millennium Park. Kona Ice served gourmet shaved ice and Schmohz Brewery provided root beer. Tom Hampton, regional admissions manager, organized the event that drew 46 incoming students and their family members. There were several alumni and existing students present to share their stories with new students. Each of the new students had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share something about their field of interest, and what they are looking forward to at Michigan Tech. Following introductions, the students came together for a group photo that marked the beginning of their exciting adventures at the University.

Welcome to Michigan Tech, Class of 2027!

A Message from President Koubek

Last week heralded a new beginning for nearly 1600 students starting their academic journey at Michigan Tech. Here are a few facts about this year’s entering class:

  • Applications for undergraduate and graduate education were both at all time highs with over 22,000 undergraduate applications and over 33,000 graduate applications.
  • Michigan Tech enrolled a freshmen class on par with the last two years, making these last three classes the largest since the early 1980s.
  • Female enrollment continues to grow, positioned to be the largest number of women in Michigan Tech’s history. This also holds true for domestic ethnicity/racially underrepresented students.
  • New undergraduate students come from 35 states with the largest out of state class Michigan Tech has ever seen. Illinois is now our second largest out of state population after Wisconsin. This is followed by Minnesota and Texas.
  • Academic credentials of this class are aligned with the last two years making these three classes the most academically talented in institutional history (as measured by GPA).

It’s no surprise that our excellent academic programs are driving unprecedented interest from our students at a rate outpacing national trends. This is certainly boosted by the latest Wall Street Journal rankings, which named Michigan Tech 16th overall among U.S. public universities on the WSJ’s list of Best U.S. Colleges 2024.

As our student population grows, so does our campus infrastructure. The H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex is nearing completion. Renovated space will be used as classrooms and learning labs. The addition will house high-tech, flexible laboratory spaces, teaching labs, offices, and common areas that will meet current industry standards for safe operation and the training of students.

And, soon we will break ground on a new 512 bed residential building located on the east side of campus. This is in addition to several renovation projects underway including classroom and teaching lab renovations, new gym equipment in the Student Development Center, and elevator replacements. We are also delighted to announce the addition of Alumni Way, thanks to the generosity of one of our donors.

Our corporate partners have also embraced this growth, proven by the unprecedented 391 companies that are registered to participate in Michigan Tech’s career fair later this month, and another 18 companies on the waiting list.

As companies look to make excellent hires at Michigan Tech, I have the honor of working with two excellent individual student leaders worthy of an introduction. Mason Krause serves as the 2023-24 undergraduate student body president and Karlee Westrem was elected to serve as the graduate student body president. I met them both and am excited to support their efforts this year.

I am delighted to work with them and the many other faculty, staff, alumni and donors who share the same passion for Michigan Tech. It’s through our shared commitment that we are able to achieve such remarkable results. Thank you for your support of our fine institution.

Sincerely,

Rick Koubek
President

Pete Kero ’94 Helped Turn Old Iron Range Mining Lands into a Bike Park

Pete Kero
Pete Kero

Pete Kero is one of the first handful of Michigan Tech graduates in environmental engineering, earning his degree in 1994. He has spent 29 years doing environmental engineering consulting in the Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota. Kero was the visionary behind the award-winning Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Minnesota which repurposed iron mining landscapes into recreational acreage. 

Recently, he wrote his first book titled Minescapes: Reclaiming Minnesota’s Mined Lands, which was released by the Minnesota Historical Society Press in May 2023.

Following is a Q&A with Kero on his ties to Michigan Tech and book.

Where are you from and how did you decide to come to Tech?
I grew up in Negaunee, and the short road to Michigan Tech was a well-beaten path for my family. My dad was a mechanical engineering graduate. My brother-in-law earned a civil engineering degree. My sister is a chemical engineering grad. I also have uncles who went to Tech.

What did you study?
I was part of Tech’s second-ever environmental engineering class in 1994. We were housed largely in civil engineering (now known as the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering). The department has grown and grown since I was there. It was a great choice for me.

Were there any memorable professors or academic stories?
Alex Mayer was the advisor for my environmental engineering design team. He was so patient with us as a rag-tag group of students. He took us to Las Cruces, New Mexico for a competition. I remember dodging tornadoes on the drive down. It was a really memorable capstone experience, and I appreciated that opportunity.

Talk about activities outside class while you were at Michigan Tech.
I loved skiing on the Nordic trails and mountain biking, even though there were no formal trails at the time. We’d bike the back roads and skid roads of the Keweenaw. One great memory is that my roommate and I had a competition to see how many Mondays in a row we could keep swimming in Lake Superior once the school year started. We made it to the middle of November. The last week we did it, there were people wearing snowmobile suits fishing on the shore.

How has your career progressed?
I’ve spent 29 years in environmental consulting, working for public projects, mining, and manufacturing. I got my start working in the U.P. at Sundberg Carlson and Associates. I moved to Minnesota and worked for various companies before joining Barr Engineering. What I like about consulting is there’s a different challenge every day. I see unique problems that don’t already have a stock solution.

How did Michigan Tech prepare you for your career?
Tech was a great school to prepare you for the real world—both the ups and downs. Tech was pretty hard, but work can be pretty hard. Tech taught me how to push through challenges and how to work with people and systems.

Have you been involved with Tech as an alumnus?
I make it back to campus from time to time and stay in touch with several professors, some of whom are former colleagues at Barr. I always follow with interest what’s going on at Tech. As I was writing this book one of the post-doctoral students from Tech contributed to my understanding of early tailings management on the Mesabi Range.

What advice would you give to current Tech students?
Slow down and enjoy your time. I blasted through college in four years, but a little breathing room gives you some time to sink your teeth into more things. It helps you be able to approach and understand the materials much better.

What spurred you to write the book?
I was personally involved as a volunteer and professional in this vast mine-disturbed territory in northeast Minnesota. It’s around 140,000 acres that have been flipped like a pancake to provide the iron ore that has built this country. Our goal was to see if there was anything we could do to attract people to this area. I volunteered to help create the Redhead Mountain Bike Park. We had to overcome so many roadblocks, including changing state law and changing perceptions about why people would be attracted to these old mined landscapes. So from my time volunteering working on the project, I had lots of notes. I wanted to set the story straight on how the bike park came to be. In order to properly tell the story, you have to go back in time. It’s really a history book. It tells the story of not only the bike park, but five generations of mine reclamation and repurposing in the area, told in a nonfiction narrative. 

What was the timeline and process for completing the book?
The book took four years. It started with a phone call to the Minnesota Historical Society Press. I expected to have them tell me no, but they encouraged me to propose the book and were fantastic to work with. Shannon Pennefeather helped me shape it, and many other people reviewed and edited the book. It was a journey that wasn’t easy, but it was gratifying.

What do you hope people take away from reading the book?
I hope they take away that there can be a full circular life to mine lands. The land can go through the creation of mine, active mining, and reclamation. It can be made valuable again through techniques that we used. Mining is a divisive topic, but just about everybody is in favor of mineland reclamation. It can be unifying and shine a spotlight on environmental operators and pioneers for this work.