Alumni News

Alumni Reunion By the Numbers

	Total attendees at Reunion 2019
	Events available to alumni packed into three days during Reunion 2019 (plus 18 departmental open houses)
	From Florida to Washington and California to Connecticut, alumni traveled from 31 different states to attend Reunion 2019 (plus two other countries)
	Decades of class years represented by alumni at Reunion 2019 including two representatives from the class of 1949!

Alumni Reunion Photos

Alumni Kickoff — 185 Attendees

Tech Talks — 141 attendees

ME-EM Ranger Tour — 69 Attendees

Pasty Dinner — 185 Attendees

President’s Breakfast — 198 attendees

Husky Hustle 5K Run/Walk for Scholarships — 70 Attendees

Canoeing the Sturgeon River — 22 Attendees

Research Vessell Agassiz Boat Tour — 86 Attendees

Stuff a Husky!

Former physics professor and Michigan Tech alumnus, David Chimino, passed away on July 5, 2019. Professor Chimino graduated from Michigan Tech in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics and served as faculty in the Department of Physics for 42 years, teaching physics and astronomy.

During his tenure, Dave received the Distinguished Teaching Award and was appointed the rank of Presidential Professor for his outstanding teaching. As stated by former college dean and provost, Max Seel, “Dave’s endearing claim to fame was that he could draw perfect circles on the chalkboard in physics class. Everyone who went through his introductory physics lectures remembers.”

Sue Hill had an undergraduate class with him and said, “Dave was friends with his students. He always had time to talk to us.”

Professor Chimino built a private optical observatory in Atlantic Mine, named Amjoch after his parents. He was active in community outreach sharing his Cosmic Journey science lectures and after retiring as faculty, mentored Michigan Tech students pursuing their high school teaching certification in science and math. Dave will be remembered for his spirit of generosity and kindness.

What memories do you have of Professor Chimino?

From “Flowers are blooming here in Houghton” on Facebook

“I miss the long UP summer days! It stays light so late.” -Sarah W.

“The spring snow lol!” -Eric H.

“I attended Mich Tech from 76 to 82. What I remember about the area was a large block of woods cleared for the SDC in 79, and much of the woods East of the SDC having a lot of large mature Northern Red Oak. Only a few trails went through the woods. In 1980, much of the commentary on campus centered on what a white elephant the SDC was. ( It really didn’t start to be heavily used until late 1981. Most of us preferred to use the familiar, old gym – which is now an arts center ! )” -Gene B.

A tradition amongst Michigan Tech students is experiencing the beauty provided by the UP, and it’s lovely Keweenaw Peninsula.

Whether you’re a hiker, skier, mountain biker, or just like the beach, the Copper Country has an outdoor activity and location for you. Below are some of our favorites. Tell us yours in the comments below!

                                  Freda                                               Snowshoeing the Frozen Lakes                                                         

                                                                 Hungarian Falls

                            Local Scenes                                                          Isle Royale

              Mouth of the Gratiot River                                    Eagle Harbor

                         Lake Medora                                                   Douglas Houghton Falls

                        Brockway Mountain                                                   Prince’s Point

Visit the beautiful Copper Country in August and learn how to bring Innovation skill sets and mindsets to your organization by attending the inaugural Ignite Innovation workshop at Michigan Tech. By attending this experiential and highly interactive workshop you will

• Identify the ignitors and extinguishers of innovation
• Develop & practice the tools of innovation
• Examine your own story of innovation
• Apply the design thinking process to your team and envision how to grow and expand its innovation capabilities
• Leave with a plan to ignite innovation within your own team/organization

Please complete the registration form to indicate your interest in attending. Space is limited, so apply early. Cost to attend this 2-1/2 day workshop is $1500. Your workshop facilitators have been trained in the design thinking process developed by Stanford’s d.school and made famous by IDEO. Proceeds from the workshop will go to support student scholarships and travel.

Apply Now!

Depending on when you were on campus, your memories of the Tech Trails may be much different than what they are today. Michigan Tech’s 540+ acres of forest just up the hill from the main campus mall has seen many different uses and iterations over the years.

Currently, the Tech Trails are one of the nation’s top Nordic skiing facilities. It has hosted numerous U.S. Ski Association (USSA) Cross Country National Championships in addition to regional college races in both skiing and cross country running.

In its past, we’ve heard stories about the Trails being used for dirt bikes, snowmobiles, camping, ROTC exercises, and even hunting.

Mike Abbott has a long history at Michigan Tech and was part of the group that developed the Trails. “When I started working here, the Trails were just a path in the woods. We used an old box spring pulled by a one-lung snow machine to groom snow for skiing.”

Now, the facility boasts nearly 40 kilometers of groomed trails (7K of lighted ski trails for early morning or evening skiing in the winter). In the winter, uses include skiing, snowshoeing, snow (fat tire) biking, and skijoring (skiing while being pulled by a dog). Running, biking and dog walking are popular uses in the summer. The use of the Trails for mountain biking continues to grow with two flow trails and a pump track available along with the 40K of regular trail. Other portions of the Tech Trails acreage are used for paintball in addition to the Tech Outdoor Adventure Program’s high ropes course.

A big reason why the Tech Trails have evolved into an outdoor recreation wonderland is former president Glenn Mroz.

In 2001, Mroz and several others devised a plan to develop the trails as a way to secure funding for the Michigan Tech varsity Nordic skiing program. The vision for the project also included the creation of a facility that would be a differentiator for the University and attract outdoor-loving students.

Mroz, who was then dean of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, proposed that revenue could be generated from timber harvesting to support the team and upgrade the Trails. Since 2002, the facility has gone through numerous upgrades: enlarging the stadium area and widening trails to host races, building bridges and stopping erosion issues, adding buildings to house equipment and provide space for ski waxing, and installing signage throughout the trail system.

So how did you use the Tech Trails? Leave your comment below.

From  “Students Tap Into the Science of Brewing” on Facebook

“Brewing is the perfect blend of art, science, engineering and magic!” -Jeff R.

“I wish they had this when i was there! All good though, i am in the brewery industry now!” -Ted M.

On “Houghton will be hitting 70 degrees today!” on Facebook

“Driving out to the beach by breakers and just watching the waves and sun!” -Denise L.

“1970 laying out in swimsuits and using Co-Ed Hall as a wind breaker.” -Suzanne B.

“Summer… Heading out to Hancock Beach with friends and the Pig Roast at Al’s Halfway” Greg S.

“18 inches of snow, on MAY 01, 1984 (MAY 01); summer — both summers of 1987 and 1988, in graduate school” -Todd H.

“Between my Freshman and Sophomore years, I visited in mid July and camped at McLain. I remember reading a book on the beach by natural light until about 11:00 at night!” -Brady L.

“My best spring memory is the snow of every morning in Houghton every day i get up i see the mixture of winter and spring blue sky, birds sing everywhere and a thin layer of snow cover the land what wonderful morning” -Kaouther B.

“Spring Fling Party at Theta Tau…at the old house” -Greg S.

“Sailing on Goldilocks in the Onigaming Yacht Club” -Jim M.

“I spent 2 summer semesters at MTU and the weather was unbelievably beautiful. Actually had a heat wave come through and had 2 big box fans going in my room in West McNair.” -Thomas S.

“I was in school 1980-1984, remember the happiness of snowmelt and enjoying the sun and doing bud burst check for Forestry. The first summer I got there beautiful weather, temps and my first introduction to the grand and cold Lake Superior “ Diane W.

“I did my civil engineering summer survey work in 1961. Houghton County has the biggest baddest Mosquitos and Black Flies in all of North America. As I revisit campus I point out the WMPL radio tower across Portage Lake and tell any who will listen that I once determined the bearing from a pin on the hill behind campus across to the base of that tower.” -Bud P.

From “Pep Band Truck Memories” on Facebook

“New parent here. So this is the pep band truck?! My son is so excited to play. He marched and played in pep 4 years in high school and cannot wait to joint the fun. And he does play a mean trumpet! Have to say!” -Julie M.

“No truck in my day (95-00). But we did take a bus to Milwaukee to play at an Admiral’s hockey game and played at the downtown mall.” -Chris R.

“Teaching the crowd the ORGY Chant (Teamwork) during Halloween, dressed as an angel. I think it was my Junior year. 2001/2002.” -Ward R.      

“Was part of the band when we got the first overalls. Concertmaster with Don Keranen. Lots of cowbell at hockey games at the Dee!” -Paul G.

“I remember Jake and I creating the “Bull Sheet” in an empty math class room. We used the Daily Bull, blew it up, then put it on a transparency. We were going to hand write the lettering, but then I thought the bull looked so good, it deserved better. So, got on MS Word and found a decent font, typed it up, and put it on a transparency slide too. I can’t remember if it was 2001 or 2002. I used the picture of the Bull to put it on a paper plate and on a stick, so make a “bull stick”.. The Bull Stick didn’t quite have the staying power as the Bull Sheet. I would take it to basketball games, hold it up, and yell “stare at it for hidden meaning”..” -Ward R.  

 “ Truck? We didn’t need no stinking truck in the 80’s. We had all possible color of overalls. I was one of the first to wear the black and gold, but we had Red/Which, Red/yellow/ White. Got to go to the playoffs once, And I’m pretty sure my band was one of the reasons we were banned from NMU stadium :-)” -Mary S.

“I was one of the leadership staff members who proposed getting a truck of our own years ago. Just based on how often we used it, especially with more road trips, and how much motorpool was charging us. Nice that they finally made it happen! Shame it was only after I left. Haha” -Matt B.

“ We didn’t have any truck nor wore black and yellow overalls when I played in the band 65 to 68. We played in the balcony in Dee Stadium. Never played at GLI but did go to Duluth two years. All male band at that time.” -John D.

“ My very first parade with the pep band. I don’t remember a lot, but I do remember the BA!s playing tag, walking through Burger King, and a small group of us ended up behind some of the crowd watching yelling, “how bout that pep band!” To get them to cheer, then turn and laugh.

“Overall, I knew this was the perfect, crazy, funny, witty group for me. I already had a leaning towards being that kind of a sports fan, but the pep band really allowed me to spread my proverbial wings having fun, and adding a lot of commentary during games, that I do hope was mostly funny and witty. I still act that way now. It usually is a hit with the crowd around me. Especially when I was living in New Orleans. Now, that’s a town that understands fun.” -Ward R.

“We had to hand carry our stuff (1977 – 1982), up hill in both directions, day and night, and in the snow (only from October to June)…” -Ken S.

From “Houghton will be hitting 70” on Instagram

“Swimming at Bete Grise after a day of surveying summer camp”  -dogsma02gkk

“anything summer related our group did up there haha” -lol_epa_5.8

“Houghton Beach and surveying Mt Ripley during summer surveying” -mtuhusky4life

“Hitting the beach at Chutes and Ladders Park after spending the day locked in the lab.” -kittylatuszekart

“My wedding ❤️at the MUB Ballroom decorated with local summer wild flowers!” -mayramor24

From “Hey Huskies, Name these falls!” on Facebook

“Memories with Jessica D. t and Natalie there. One summer in undergrad we made a bucket list to visit as many falls in the UP as possible together… We had an awesome time exploring” – Jennifer J.

“I believe this is Sturgeon River Gorge. ?? If so, I took my Orientation team there at the end of O-week one year. Purely thanks to the two students who were lifeguards wading downriver from me, it is the only water jump I have ever made.” -Meghan M.

“ Canyon falls. You need to go to the 33 foot drop to jump in!!!! hopefully there’s still a rope hanging there to get back up” -John V.

“I was last there in November 2017. The spray was freezing on the rock walls. MTU 1977.” -Kenneth H.

From “Flowers are blooming here in Houghton!” on Facebook

“ I loved the spring but hated the black flies” -Denise E.

“The main thing I miss about Houghton in the Spring, is that it meant the end of the school year was in sight. And I’d go back to Detroit to make money in the summer. To come back in September and start it ALL OVER again…..” -Courtney F.

“I was beginning to wonder if UP was skipping spring and summer altogether this year” -Denise L.

“Spring…. I always liked that day.” -Andrew W.

“I miss the long UP summer days! It stays light so late” -Sarah W.

“Great lift Bridge. I remember blasting the new road entrances to the bridge on the Houghton side and the old concrete swing bridge structures circa 1961.” -Robert M.

“I miss the bitterly Nort cold winds, blowing horizontal snow, and the 30 or more below zero straight temperatures going for an 8 o’clock In the Hubble Hall…. shows my age. This was never da Tech dat down for enyting Ya but, ya den, er Ok just kidding. 🗜” -Dennis J.

From “The Ranger is out to Isle Royale” on Facebook

“I worked at the lodge the summer of 1975! Great hikes, cruising around the island and the Moose . After 42 years I am returning for a weekend long visit in a few weeks ! No snow I hope !” -Jan G.

“Went mid Sept 1984, for 4 days. Took the smaller boat from Copper Harbor, got seasick going to Rock Harbor. We about had the island to ourselves. Virtually no bugs. Beautiful. Great memories” -Steven B.

“I crewed on the Isle Royal Queen a couple times. Good times.” -Tony W.

“I enjoyed a fabulous week on the Island back in the summer of “77”.” -Kevin D.

“Hubby and I went there for our 25th wedding anniversary. Gorgeous weather, best memories.” -Chris P.

“We hgt took orange royal right after graduation, was awesome . Loved the loons in the morning!” -Dan

“Went there with the Mariner Senior Girl Scouts when I was a senior in high school in June 1961. Got sun poisoning while there. Who would have thought. Great memories.” -Irene W.

“I have taken so many to the Island. Flown out, Ranger out, maybe time for a kayak before I get to old!” -Jan B

“My introduction to the area was a Troop 13 Boy Scout Trip to Isle Royale in 1972 with Russ Ferguson and Mark Hawkins. A trip of a lifetime with lifelong friends. MTU Mechanical Engineering 1980.”  -Jeff S.

“Taking 45 min. to cook our pancakes one at a time on a 1 burner backpack stove, all of them peppered with black flies.” -Tom W.

On “When did you Become a Husky” blog post

“I became a Husky when the other 5 members in my carpool from L’Anse transferred or flunked out and I had to find a place to live in Houghton and became involved in lots of activities at Tech outside the classroom.” -Robert L

“So glad to see continued numbers of engineers graduating again this year. I am from the class of 1980 and I was hired several times during my career because I was a graduate of MTU.” -Linda H.

“I became a Husky on that late September Saturday in 1967 (classes started the last week of September in the good old days) when a fellow Fraser High grad and myself arrived for the first time. The Wads RA came to us and said “come on we’re all going to see a movie” – I knew it was the place for me.” -Greg S.

“I was in 5th or 6th grade when the family drove into town on US 41 from Chassell on a camping vacation. We passed the sign which said “Welcome to the Michigan College of Mines and Technology”. I thought that was SOOOooo cool, and determined then and there that I wanted to go there for college. And, so I did. I became a Husky during my first quarter by absorbing Huskyism from the older students I was surrounded by. I believe God gave me the unique skills I have to be an engineer, and I’ve had the privilege of honing those at MTU, and using them through my 43 years (and counting) career in the mining industry.” -David P.

“I became a Husky in 1971, a few minutes after entering Doc Berry’s CH101 lecture. Four years later, I shared an elevator in the ChemMet Building with Doc Berry. I was flabbergasted when he still knew my name!” -Dave C.

“I became a Husky when I was in 5th grade when I decided to become a forester. I graduated in 71 with a degree in forest management. I went on to complete a 38 year career with the US Forest Service as a reforestation specialist and timber sale officer, in N. California. What a great time I had at Tech with G. Hesteburg, Hammer, and Johnson to name a few.” -Fred K.

“I guess I became a Husky in 1961 when my family moved to the top of Center St. in Hancock. My dad got a job teaching business law at Tech and that was that. I ran off to the Navy after HS and found out what I didn’t want to do so I came back and went to Da Tech when I found out what I really WANTED to do. I joined the Vet’s Club and started running around with this girl after I ran into her on the ice rink… 45+ years later the rest is history.” -Jeff B.

“I became a Husky for a few reasons: I grew up in Calumet; my oldest brother was in the MTU Class of 1972; and, several of my friends went to MTU.” -Daniel K.

“I grew up in L’anse, and always felt an attraction to Tech. But my time as a Husky started when i received my acceptance letter to Tech in September of 1987. I was the first in my high school class accepted to not just any college, but clearly the best college! Since then, i have two degrees from Tech, and have lived and worked all over the country.” -Andrew L.

“I became a Husky back in the early 60’s helping my Dad survey around the library as the road M26/US41 was re-routed to where it is today. I was 6. Growing up a little north of Tech, I was able to follow and attend hockey games at the Dee and Winter Carnival. It was an obvious choice to attend MTU, being the best value for the money and close to home. Education at MTU has provided me with an exceptional career and one that I continue to love.” -Michael P.

“I became a Husky in 1962 when they had National Champion Hockey teams (with Tony Esposito) playing at Dee. I went to MTU because it was and still is the best engineering school in Michigan. I liked the small campus. School size was 2700, slightly larger than Muskegon High School, 2100 for three grades. I have MS in Transportation Engineering from MSU but the campus is huge. At MTU I learned to drink beer, eat pasties and crude persona. Tough school but I made it in 4 years, barely.” -Randall T.

“Oh, yes I became a Husky in September 1967, I was involved it seams in everything, except Hockey….” -Frank T.

On June 17, 2018, multiple rounds of heavy rain fell across the western Upper Peninsula.  Areas in and around Houghton were inundated with seven-plus inches of rain, causing one death, numerous injuries and millions of dollars in damages.

Then-governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster for Houghton County. Several homes were destroyed and hundreds were damaged. Sinkholes and washouts damaged more than 150 roads in the area.

While much of the county’s infrastructure has been returned to normal operation, there are still cleanup and repair projects ongoing.  

Below is a look at some of the photos from the immediate aftermath of the storm and what it looks like approximately one year later.

(Left is May 2019, right is June 2018)

Agate Street

Old Mill Hill Rd.

Cole’s Creek Rd.

Canal Road

Sharon Avenue

Bridge St. (Lake Linden)

(Recent photos taken by Alumni Engagement. Past photos credited to Melissa Lubinski, Christopher Edwards, and Houghton County Road Commission)

Snowfall Contest Winner

Every Husky has a story about snow, and every year our snowfall contests give people a chance to put their extensive knowledge of snow to the test. This year, Kailee K., a class of 2020 medical lab sciences major, took home the prize in the annual contest with her guess of 192.25 inches. The snowfall measured at the KRC is our standard for the contests; their measurement for 2018-19 was 192.38 inches.

To get in on our monthly and annual snow contests in 2019-20, check out our snow page next fall.

Snowfall Totals

According to FunInTheUP.com, the Houghton County snow record of 354.1 inches from the winter of 1978-79 has been surpassed. With 4.0 inches on April 30, the winter of 2018-19 made it to 357.2 inches. The new record was totaled by Steve Jurmu at Calumet (Tamarack location).

Late season snowfall—April 28, 29, and 30 and May 1, 8, 9, and 19—raised the total to 362.8 (we hope it’s a final total).

The top five snowfall amounts ever recorded in the Upper Peninsula according to FunIntheUP.com:
390.4” – 1978/79 – Keweenaw county (near Delaware)
384.0” – 1996/97 – Herman
367.4” – 1995/96 – Keweenaw county (near Delaware)
362.8” – 2018/19 – Tamarack location (near Calumet)
354.1” – 1978/79 – Houghton county airport

Snowfall measurement at Michigan Tech’s Keweenaw Research Center located next to Houghton County Airport for 2018-19 was 192.38 inches, although their website gives a disclaimer that their measurements aren’t accurate on days with wind because the snow gets blown off their board.

No matter how it was measured, 2018-19 was very snowy, especially February through May.

What are your snow memories? Comment below.

The spring 2019 student commencement speaker was Monica Brechting. Like many Michigan Tech students, Monica is not the first in her family to come to Tech. In fact, when she received her BS in Mechanical Engineering this spring, she became the twelfth member of her family with a degree from Michigan Tech. Monica gives a particularly insightful glimpse into what it means to come to Tech and to face the challenges and triumphs that make someone a Husky. Her speech can be found here, and there is a transcript below with highlights that may resonate with other Huskies. Please feel free to comment and tell us things that made you a Husky.

Thank you, President Koubek, it is a true honor to be able to speak to all of you today, my class, my friends, and my family.

What made you a Husky?
Did you become a Husky when you got your acceptance letter?
Perhaps a Husky was made by attending University Welcome,
or by not reading the assigned O-week book.
Did you become a Husky during your first meal in the dining hall—
Or during your first K-day, when you signed up for 15 student orgs and joined none of them?
Was it when you shook Dean Gorman’s hand?
The first time you experienced the Huskies Pep Band?

Oh! Perhaps you really belong the first time you have to wait over 5 minutes to sign into a campus computer,
or by complaining about global issues.
Maybe you became a Husky the first time you slept through class.
Was it the first time you ditched homework to play video games? You know, maybe we were all made into Huskies during that hour-long power outage in the dorms freshman year, when we all poked our heads out of our rooms to complain about our lost work.

Is it when you heard the British Dr. Paul Charlesworth say “al-u-min-ium” the first time?
The first time you realized you actually have to study if you want to do well here?
The first time you visited a professor’s office hours or asked for an extension?

Maybe a Husky was made when you saw your first snowfall on campus.
This is Houghton, so maybe you belong when you can say words like Pann-u-kakk-u and Sauna.
Or when you have your first pasty and realize they really do taste better with gravy instead of ketchup—a hill I am personally willing to die on.
Is it when you heard your first unironic Yooper ‘hey’ in the wild?
Or was it the Sisu that brought us together when the area was damaged by the Father’s Day flood?

The first time you climbed the hill to the SDC or St. Al’s… maybe a Husky was made when Father Ben or Father Dustin handed you a hotdog during Senior Walk.
Or the first time you fell on the ice coming down the McNair hill?
Going to Fall camp, snowshoeing…
Maybe it hit when you walked in the Parade of Nations,
or when you sat in on your first “American Sports 101” class
or during course registration—when you saw your classes fill up two days before your registration time.

Maybe a Husky was made during your first Winter Carnival,
when you came back for second semester and saw the first forms going up.
The first time you heard someone say “You’re a Husky after all!”
The first time you used #tenacity as a code word for alcoholism,
or playing your first broomball game.
Maybe it was the first time you were woken up by the snowplows – and being able to tell what type of plow it was because of the sound it made.

Are Huskies made during late nights in the library,
During your first all-nighter before an exam?
Or maybe it was moving off campus.
When you had your first serious thoughts of dropping out?
That mid-college crisis, and the first time you stopped to ask yourself, “Why am I even here??”
When you switched your major,
Or during that call to your mom, when you tell her you just really want to take a victory lap and stay for a fifth year.

Speaking of calls to your mother, I’d like to take a moment and say thank you from the bottom of my heart to my parents and siblings for supporting me and not disowning me for calling each one of you every single day. You’re the reason I can be here today.

Did you become a Husky during your first hockey game?
Or when you watched the football team win the Miner’s Cup from Northern for the first time, or the second time, or maybe the third time, or even the fourth time… You know, this was actually the ninth year in a row that they won the cup.

Did you become a Husky by turning 21, going to pitchers, stopping by the club for karaoke?
Or maybe shoveling your car out when you’re already running late for class?

Was it when Dean Gorman told you to wear a hat?
Your first snow day, your second snow day, your THIRD SNOW DAY?
Going snowboarding during those snow days.
Maybe you became a Husky when you made your first friend, or when you fell in love.
Or when you visited Breakers or Prince’s Point, or the northern lights, or the stargazing, or the bonfires.

Was it when you received the Order of the Engineer—when you realized that this is where your education brought you?
Maybe you are really becoming a Husky right here and right now—when you put on your cap and gown, sit in these chairs, and get your empty diploma cover.
Besides, what can be more quintessential “Husky” than graduating on NATIONAL STAR WARS DAY?

Maybe it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe it will be when you tell a coworker you went to MTU and they say “Oh yeah that’s the one that’s way up there.”
When you look around your office and realize half your team called in because there was a “Snowmageddon,” with a whole two inches of snow on the road.

Are average people forged into Huskies through all of these experiences we share? Or maybe we were just born “crazy smart.” Maybe the world has been calling for us to be Huskies since birth, just waiting for us to howl back.
Congratulations, Class of 2019, and May the Fourth be with you.

– Monica Brechting ’19

Please share anything that you think made you a Husky.