From the snowy roads of Houghton to innovation hubs across the globe, Michigan Tech alum Peipei Zhao ’09 embodies Michigan Tech’s ethos of innovation, resilience, and fearless leadership where technology meets real-world impact.
Michigan Technological University’s annual Alumni Reunion is always special, but even more so this year as the College of Business prepares to honor two of our own. Robert J. Currey, a 1967 graduate in Business Administration, has been chosen to receive the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award. David Hartley, a 1971 Forestry graduate who served on the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council from 2013-24, is being honored with the 2025 Outstanding Service Award.
Students, faculty, staff, distinguished alumni, and industry advisors came together at the end of spring semester for the second annual College of Business Student Awards program. Highlights included the induction of students into the Michigan Tech Chapter of the international business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma and recognition of an outstanding student in each degree program, along with presenting the Outstanding Student in Business and Teacher of the Year awards. Here’s a look at the winners and what nominators had to say about their accomplishments:
Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society for AACSB-accredited schools. AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, is a professional organization founded in 1916 to provide accreditation to business schools that meet standards of excellence in education.
To see who qualified for the honor, joining the ranks of what honor society advisor Jonathan Leinonen described as “the best of the best,” access the full list of Beta Gamma Sigma inductees and members.
If anyone needs proof that Winter Carnival brings the Husky family together, they need look no further than the College of Business. Students had a career-forward chance to kick off their Carnival weekend with an alumni panel on Friday. And on Saturday, a pair of management information systems scholarship recipients and the donors who made it possible met up at the MTU Huskies hockey game.
The College of Business is saddened to announce that long-time College of Business faculty member Paul Aho passed away November 2 at age 71. Aho served as a lecturer in management information systems from 1987 until his retirement in 2006.
In 1978, Aho completed a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in information systems at Michigan Tech, then working in the accounting industry for several years. Later, he a earned a master’s degree in economics from DePaul University.
“Paul was a great inspiration to me as an undergraduate,” said Adam Mitteer ’03 ’17, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and a master’s in Data Science at Michigan Tech. “Taking his classes changed the course of how I looked at technology and really academia in general. It was a pleasure to get to know Paul through clubs, as a TA (teaching assistant) for his class, and taking many of his courses.”
Mitteer said Aho also served as a mentor to students through his connections to industry and University alumni, always helping students find the best path for pursuing fulfilling careers.