Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...
in
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Uppe ...
, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
.
Michigan Tech is one of the eight
research universities
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational know ...
in the
State of Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and is
classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". There are 12 research areas including Space Sciences, Electronics, Ecosystems, Energy, Health, Ocean Sciences, and Robotics. There are 18 research centers on and off campus including the
Michigan Tech Research Institute
The Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) is a research center of Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 ...
. The university is governed by an eight-member board of trustees whose members are appointed by the
governor of Michigan
The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...
and confirmed by the
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...
.
The university comprises five colleges and schools: the College of Engineering, the College of Computing, the College of Sciences and Arts, the College of Business, and the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. They offer more than 140 degree programs to nearly 7,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking
Portage Lake. The campus consists of 36 buildings, the first of which was built in 1908.
Michigan Tech's athletic teams are nicknamed the
Huskies
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
and compete primarily in the
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level.
...
(GLIAC). The men's
hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
team competes in
Division I as a member of the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the curre ...
(CCHA), and
has won three national championships. The women's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team was
national runners-up in 2011.
History
Michigan Tech was founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School. After much agitation by
Jay Abel Hubbell
Jay Abel Hubbell (September 15, 1829 – October 13, 1900) was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan, who served as a Republican Party of the United States, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Hubbell was bor ...
, the state legislature established the school to train mining engineers. Hubbell donated land for the school's first buildings.
The school started with four faculty members and twenty-three students. It was housed in the
Houghton Fire Hall
The Houghton Fire Hall, officially called the Continental Fire Company Building, is a former fire station at the corner of Huron St. and Montezuma Ave. in Houghton, Michigan. Built in 1883, it was the original home of the Michigan Mining School. ...
from 1886 through 1889.
MTU's first president was
Marshman E. Wadsworth (1887–1898).
Enrollment grew to such a point that its name no longer reflected its purpose. The name was then changed to the Michigan College of Mines in 1897.
This name lasted through World War I until 1925, but by this time the school had begun offering a wider variety of degrees and once again decided to change its name to the Michigan College of Mining and Technology in 1927.
[
Fred W. McNair (1899–1924) was the college's second president. By 1931, enrollment had reached nearly 600. Over the next few years, due to the Great Depression, money was scarce, causing department heads and even the president of the university, ]William O. Hotchkiss
William Otis Hotchkiss (September 17, 1878 – June 20, 1954) was the third president of Michigan Technological University and the tenth president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Biography
He was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 17 ...
, to take pay cuts.
Under President Grover C. Dillman (1935–1956), the school underwent many notable changes, including the construction of the Memorial Union Building, the purchasing of an ice rink and a golf course as well as the procurement of the village of Alberta, Michigan.
In 1956, J. Robert Van Pelt became the new president of the university. He restarted many PhD programs and created a focus on research. This included the school's first analog computation class in 1956–57.
In 1964, one of the final years of his presidency, the school changed from a college to a university, changing its name a final time to Michigan Technological University. The change from the Michigan College of Mining and Technology was necessary for two reasons, according to Van Pelt. First, the college had expanded too greatly and the current name was no longer an accurate title. Also, including "mining" in the name of the college was misleading. The name "Michigan Technological University" was chosen in order to retain the nickname "Michigan Tech" that had already been in use since 1927. Along with its new name, the school also gained new constitutional status in 1964. This gave responsibility for control of the university to its Board of Control rather than the state legislature.
Although engineering still accounts for some 63 percent of all enrollment as of fall 2019, the university now offers 125 undergraduate degree programs and 75 graduate degree programs.
Women at Michigan Tech
Women began to attend classes at Michigan Technological University, then the Michigan College of Mines, around 1890. The early female students were mostly daughters of professors or wealthy businessmen of the Houghton, Hancock area. They were allowed to take classes and were given special student status, which meant that they could be enrolled in courses but were not able to receive a degree.
The first woman to receive a degree from MCM was Margaret R Holley, who was born in Lake Linden and received a liberal arts degree at a different university outside of the Upper Peninsula. She then moved back to Houghton to work on a chemistry degree, which she received in 1933 and two years later received a master's degree in chemistry from this school.
The first woman faculty member of the Michigan College of Mines came in 1927, her name was Ella Wood and was hired as an assistant professor for the Humanities department. She was made an associate professor by 1928, a full professor by 1935 and the head of geography and languages by 1937. Professor Wood was accepted into the university five years before women were allowed to pursue degrees. She also worked in the library and taught meteorology to assist with pilot training sessions to students during WWII.[Nordberg,E.2004] Her presence encouraged many young ladies to apply for special student status and take classes at the school and ultimately allowed women to receive degrees at this school. As co-ed enrollment increased, she promoted women involvement on campus and co-educational programs. She also became the academic advisor to all female students and thoroughly enjoyed the role of "mother" that she was able to play here to all of her students. Dr. Wood also held the title "Dean of Women", making her the first woman to receive the title Dean at the university.
Margaret Holley Chapman was the first woman to complete a degree program from Michigan College of Mining and Technology, which would become Michigan Technological University in 1964. She earned a Bachelor of Science in General Science in 1933, and another in chemistry the following year. Margaret went on to become a candidate for a master's degree in General Science. Not only was she the first female to receive a degree from Michigan Tech, she was also the first female trustee and requested that a scholarship be established to help other female students to finance their education. The Margaret H. Chapman Endowed Scholarship is still active to this day.
The first female to graduate with a degree in Chemical Engineering was Alice Runge in 1942. Following shortly behind was the first female to graduate with High Honors in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, Lilian (Heikkinen) Beck, in 1947. She was also the first female from Michigan Tech to be inducted into the Alpha Sigma Mu honorary fraternity of the International Metallurgical Society. One year later, Marian Ione (Smith) Scott was the first female to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Michigan Technological University recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of graduation for Patricia Anthony, the first woman to graduate from the ECE Department in 1967. Patricia went to Michigan Technological University in 1963 after graduating from high school in Grandville, Michigan. While attending MTU, she was the Vice President of the Lambda Beta sorority, a DJ at the Wadsworth Hall radio station, and was a member of the U.S. Army ROTC auxiliary, the Silver Stars. She graduated in 1967 from Michigan Tech with the degree Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Following her graduation, Patricia took a position with IBM, where she spent the majority of her career. She became well known within IBM as a skilled systems engineer working in data communications. Throughout her professional career, she found time for community service activities such as Junior Achievement, United Way, and the Girl Scouts.
Women in athletics
The first woman varsity athlete was Nada J. Fenton, who was a member of the rifle team during the 1950s. She was a graduate of Houghton High school and entered MTU in 1952. Nada holds the record of being the first woman to ever fire on a varsity rifle team in the world.
Today Michigan Tech has seven women's varsity sports including basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, cross country, Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the Ski binding, binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe ...
, tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
, track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
, and soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
.
Today
As of the fall semester in 2021, the total enrollment at Michigan Technological University is 6,977. Of those students, 2,054 of them were females (an all-time high); which means female students make up about 29% of the enrollment at Michigan Tech.
Campus
The main Michigan Tech campus is mainly situated on US-41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
in Houghton. It is the safest campus in Michigan, and the third safest in the United States, according to ''Reader's Digest''. The main part of campus can be traversed in about 10 minutes. The Lakeshore Center in downtown Houghton houses the offices of Human Relations, Vice President for Research, and other departments.
Faculty are involved in several distance education
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
programs with clients including General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
.
The Portage Lake Golf Course opened for play in April 1902. In 1945, the members could no longer support the needs of the course and sold it to Michigan Tech for one dollar. Since then, many improvements have been made such as the addition of another nine holes in 1969. In 1984, the new clubhouse was constructed. In 1996, a sprinkler system was installed to modernize the course and keep it playable. The Portage Lake Golf Course is located two miles (3 km) southeast of campus. With 18 holes on 160 acres, it offers two nines of distinctly different flavors and challenges.
Mont Ripley
Mont Ripley is a ski hill located in Franklin Township, Houghton County, Michigan, Franklin Township, Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The site is just outside the cities of Hancock, Michigan, Hancock and ...
is the oldest ski area in Michigan (established in the 1900s) in the snowiest city in the Midwest. It is also university-owned, so Michigan Tech students ski or snowboard for free. Mont Ripley has twenty-two trails, a terrain park, a tubing park, sits on 112 acres, and has a scenic overlook of the Keweenaw Waterway. It is about two miles from campus; the hill is viewable from most campus buildings. In 2019, Michigan Tech's Mont Ripley earned the university a No. 13 rating on College Census' 25 Best Colleges for Skiing and Snowboarding list.
Michigan Tech Trails In 2001, Michigan Tech implemented a plan to develop the trails as a way to secure funding for the Michigan Tech Varsity Nordic skiing program and to create facility to attract outdoor-loving students. The Michigan Tech College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science proposed that revenue could be generated from timber harvesting to support the team and upgrade the trails. The university's cross country ski trail system is located near the Student Development Complex in th
Michigan Tech Recreational Forest
It includes 33 km of groomed cross country ski trails (both classic and skate sections) and 11.7 km of groomed snowshoe trails. 7.5 km of the trail is lighted. The Tech Trails are nationally recognized for the quality or skiing, consistency of grooming and variety of terrain. The trail system, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, hosted the US Junior National Championships, and U.S. Senior National championships, along with regional races. It is the selected site to host the host 2023 US Cross Country Ski Championships. With Houghton's average snowfall of 218 inches, the season usually opens in early December and continues into April. Students ski free; community members can purchase a pass.
Ford Center Ford Motor Company donated the Ford Center to Michigan Tech in the 1950s. It is a historical village that once owned and operated as a sawmill by Henry Ford located 40 miles south of Michigan Tech’s main campus in Alberta, Michigan. Since 1954, the Ford Center has been an outdoor and environmental education center utilized by Michigan Tech students enrolled in forestry, ecology, wildlife ecology, and natural resource management. Referred to as "Fall Camp" by the students, this center boasts 4906 acres of forest and wetlands where the students attend outdoor classes. The center also contains several buildings that the students use for their dormitory, recreation and indoor classes. The Ford Motor Company gave Michigan Tech a grant in 1996 to turn the sawmill into a museum. The museum is open to the public as well as the center itself for holding conferences and reunions.
Academics
Undergraduate admissions
Undergraduate admission to Michigan Tech is considered "selective" by ''U.S. News & World Report''. For the Class of 2025 (enrolling Fall 2021), Michigan Tech received 8,041 applications and accepted 6,895 (85.7%), with 1,479 enrolling. The middle 50% range of SAT scores for enrolling freshmen was 1138-1320. The middle 50% ACT composite score range was 25-31. The average overall ACT scores for incoming students is 27.2 in fall 2017, compared to 21.2 nationally.
Michigan Technological University is a college-sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Program and sponsored 4 Merit Scholarship awards in 2020. In the 2020–2021 academic year, 5 freshman students were National Merit Scholars.
Divisions
Michigan Tech offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, natural
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...
and physical science
Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences".
Definition
Physi ...
s, computing, business and economics, technology, environmental studies, arts, humanities, and social sciences. Home to the first college of computing in the state of Michigan, the university is divided into five colleges: Business; Computing; Engineering; Forest Resources and Environmental Science; and Sciences and Arts.
*The College of Engineering. A total of 17 undergraduate degrees are offered by the college, ranging from the original mining engineering degree to robotics engineering, added in 2019. The undergraduate degree programs, together with masters and doctoral degrees are offered across the college's nine departments: biomedical engineering; civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering; chemical engineering; electrical and computer engineering; geological and mining engineering and sciences; manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology; materials science and engineering; and mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics.
*The College of Computing was established in 2019. It offers undergraduate degrees in computer science, software engineering, computer network & system administration, cybersecurity, electrical engineering technology. Graduate degrees are offered in computer science, mechatronics, health informatics, and cybersecurity.
*The College of Sciences and Arts has majors in fields including bio-informatics, biological sciences, biochemistry, cheminformatics
Cheminformatics (also known as chemoinformatics) refers to use of physical chemistry theory with computer and information science techniques—so called "''in silico''" techniques—in application to a range of descriptive and prescriptive problem ...
, chemistry, computer science, kinesiology and integrative physiology, mathematics, pharmaceutical chemistry, physics, psychology, and social sciences. The college is also home to the visual and performing arts, Air Force ROTC, and Army ROTC programs.
*The College of Business is accredited by AACSB
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...
. Students can receive a Bachelor of Science degree in seven areas, including accounting, economics, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and operations and systems management. The undergraduate program includes a unique Business Development Experience, where students gain real-life business experience in a mentored environment. Students also have the opportunity to join several business student organizations, including the Applied Portfolio Management Program where they invest $1 million in the stock market each year.
*The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science maintains greenhouses, labs, and the Ford Forest and Ford Center in nearby Alberta, and celebrated its 75th year in 2011.
Michigan Tech's Enterprise Program provides students with real-world design, engineering, and entrepreneurial experiences. Enterprises develop engineering skills by allowing students to work in businesslike environments on real-world projects while completing their education. Enterprises include Open Source Technologies, Nanotechnology Innovations, Hybrid Transportation, Aerospace, Blue Marble Security, Husky Game Development, Boardsports Technologies, and Wireless Communications Enterprises.
Rankings
Research
Michigan Tech ranked 172nd of 600 US colleges and universities in research and development expenditures in 2007. Research expenditures exceeded $50 million in 2017.
The university has 17 research centers and institutes and 273,000 square feet of research space and labs.
Student life
Students attending Michigan Technological University have a wide range of activities to participate in, whether or not they are living in the residence halls
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
, of which there are four. In addition to the various small interest groups which form throughout the year, students participate in Greek Life, Student Organizations, Senior Design, and the Enterprise Program; many organize and attend campus traditions, such as K-Day, the Parade of Nations, Design Expo, Career Fair, and Winter Carnival (which also attracts alumni from across the country); furthermore, there are motivational drives to raise student activity levels and involvement in the school community, typically for those without membership in a student organization.
Student body
Many students are from the state of Michigan; 21% are from out of state and 9% are international. The first to second year retention rate for first-time students is 84.5%, and the six-year graduation rate is 72.2%, reflecting the large number of students who engage in internships and coops during their undergraduate career. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. In the fall of 2021, the university enrolled its largest freshman class since 1982.
The student body consists of more than 7,000 graduate and undergraduate students (Fall 2017)[ and more than 470 academic faculty (Fall 2017).][ Michigan Tech students are primarily from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. The student body is approximately 75.4% European-American/Non-Hispanic, 14.2% International, 1.6% Hispanic, 1.5% percent African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 1.0% Multiracial, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and the remaining 4.5% was not supplied.][
]
Student organizations
Michigan Tech currently recognizes more than two hundred student organizations, including:
* ''The Daily Bull'', satirical daily entertainment press newspaper; often prints current campus and world news in some form or other
* Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,0 ...
, Epsilon Lambda chapter, national co-ed service fraternity
* ''Mushing Club at Michigan Tech'', The first university mushing (dog sledding) club in the US. Founded in 2018 by student mushers, Adam Schmidt and Claire Hendricks.
* Mu Beta Psi
Mu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity () is a service and music fraternity with chapters and colonies at universities throughout the eastern United States.
Although an ''honorary'' fraternity, Mu Beta Psi views itself as primarily a ...
, Zeta chapter, national honorary musical fraternity
* The Alpha (first) chapter of Alpha Sigma Mu
Alpha Sigma Mu () is a scholastic honor society recognizing academic achievement among students in the fields of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering.
The society was founded at Michigan Technological University in January, 1932. After expandin ...
, nationwide metallurgical and materials engineering honors fraternity
* Blue Key, an affiliate of the National Blue Key honor society, which organizes the annual Winter Carnival
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures de ...
* The pride of Pastyland, the cream of the Keweenaw, the second best feeling in the world, the Huskies Pep Band.
* Turkish Students Association at MTU, a cultural, non-political, non-religious and non-profit organization; aims to promote and preserve Turkish culture and heritage on MTU campus and in the community
*Religious organizations: there are many religious groups on campus including Lutheran Collegians, Intervarsity, Cru, St. Albert the Great University Parish, and His House Christian Fellowship.
* The ''Michigan Tech Lode'', award-winning weekly student newspaper, serving campus since 1921.
* Undergraduate Student Government
* WMTU-FM, student-run radio station
* Film Board, screens theatrical features at a low cost to students and other members of the Michigan Tech community
* Society of Women Engineers, promotes and supports female diversity in STEM fields; for over six decades, SWE has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry; MTU's section of SWE held the 2014 Region H Conference Feb 14- 16, 2014
* Engineers Without Borders, an affiliate of EWB-USA; works on international engineering projects in developing communities
* Omega Chi Epsilon
Omega Chi Epsilon (or , sometimes simplified to OXE) is an American honor society for chemical engineering students.
History
The first chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon was formed at the University of Illinois in 1931 by a group of chemical enginee ...
, the Chemical Engineering Honor Society; a member of the National Omega Chi Epsilon
* Mind Trekkers, promotes K-12 STEM education through a traveling STEM festival with fun and educational activities targeted at middle school students
Greek life
Michigan Tech is currently host to twelve fraternities
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in ...
, including three international and three local fraternities. Additionally, there are seven sororities
Fraternities and sororities are Club (organization), social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an Undergraduate education, undergraduate student, but conti ...
on campus, including three local sororities.
Athletics
As the school mascot is the husky
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
(specifically, Blizzard T. Husky), the school's sports teams are known as the Huskies. Michigan Tech competes primarily in the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
's Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level.
...
(GLIAC), while the men's hockey team competes in Division I as a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the curre ...
(CCHA). The men's hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
team has won three national championships and the women's basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team were national runners-up in the 2010–11 season.
Michigan Tech owns a downhill skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
/snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
hill, Mont Ripley
Mont Ripley is a ski hill located in Franklin Township, Houghton County, Michigan, Franklin Township, Houghton County, Michigan, Houghton County, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The site is just outside the cities of Hancock, Michigan, Hancock and ...
, just across Portage Lake from campus, and maintains extensive cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
trails (used for mountain biking in summer).
School songs
Michigan Tech has both an official fight song and an official Alma Mater. At most sporting events, however, both the " Engineer's Song" and " In Heaven There Is No Beer" are played by the Huskies Pep Band, and many students consider these to be the unofficial school songs. The "Blue Skirt Waltz" is played at home ice hockey games and is called the "Copper Country Anthem." During the song, the fans join arms and swing back and forth to the music.
Huskies Pep Band
The Huskies Pep Band is the university's scramble band
A scramble band - also known as a scatter band - is a particular type of field-performing marching band with distinct characteristics that set it apart from other common forms of marching bands; most notably, scramble bands do not normally march. ...
. The Huskies Pep Band performs at all home football, basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey games, as well as parades and other local events. The band is often recognized as one of the best bands in NCAA Division 1 hockey because of their sheer power and energy, and their firm roots in tradition. The band was formed in the fall of 1928 as the Michigan Tech ROTC Band, under the baton of E. E. Melville.
They are known for performing traditional songs such as " In Heaven There Is No Beer" and " The Engineers" along with a variety of selections in popular music. Some cheers and songs have been around since the 1930s and '40s, such as the "Blue Skirt Waltz" in which the pep band (along with the audience) would link arms and sway back and forth. This tradition began during Winter Carnival in 1948 after Frankie Yankovic had recently performed there and has been since dubbed "The Copper Country Anthem". Some of the antics of the band are considered Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
-esque, often performing songs from the sketches themselves and shouting the phrase "Run away!" when they exit from the performance. The band also incorporates other non-traditional ensemble instruments, including electric bass guitar, bagpipes, kazoos, cowbells, accordions, an electric viola, a toaster, an oven, and at one point a large inflatable lobster.
Traditions
*K-Day (Keweenaw Day) is the first Friday of the fall term. It's a university-sponsored, half-day holiday hosted by Greek Life. Activities include a student organizations fair, games, swimming, and music. Originally K-Day was held at Fort Wilkins at Copper Harbor.
From 1976 to 2017 this fair was held at Mclain State Park. This halted after severe weather damage in June 2018. "K-Day" has been held at Chassell Centennial Park in Chassell, MI since with the exception of 2020 because of COVID precautions.[
*Homecoming has happened on campus each fall since 1929. The event is marked by a football game and a cardboard boat race.
*Parade of Nations and multicultural festival began in 1990 as a way to acknowledge and celebrate the cultures and countries of Keweenaw residents and visitors, many of whom were Michigan Tech international students. The event occurs in September.
* Winter Carnival is where students compete in a variety of artistic and athletic events. The highlight of Winter Carnival is a snow statue competition in which students construct snow and ice sculptures consistent with an annual theme. Winter Carnival began in 1922.
* Spring Fling is always the Friday of Week 13 of the Spring Semester. Students end the academic year and welcome warmer weather by engaging in activities. Various student organizations participate in this event providing food and entertainment for a campus community eager to relax and have fun before the serious business of final exams begins.
*Summer Youth Programs (SYP) have been held on campus since 1972: Women in Engineering (WIE), Engineering Scholars Program (ESP), and National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI), among many other programs, introduce middle and high school students to college opportunities.
*Film and Music Festivals at Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts occur throughout the year. The Rozsa is a main venue for the '']Pine Mountain Music Festival
The Pine Mountain Music Festival (often abbreviated PMMF) is a music festival held in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan each summer. The festival's schedule varies each year, typically including at least one major opera, a night of scenes fr ...
''; ''The Red Jacket Jamboree'', an old-time radio variety show; and the ''41 N Film Festival''.
Records
* Michigan Tech holds two world records, the largest snowball (21' 3" circumference) and largest snowball fight (3,745), which they accomplished in 2006, as verified by ''Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' officials. They originally held three world records, the third of which was the most people making snow angels simultaneously in a single venue (3,784). This record was taken from the city of Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...
, but about a year later, Bismarck took the record back with 8,962 snow angels. In 2018, students and community members set out to break the world record for most snowmen in one hour. Guinness is still tallying the results.
Notable people
Faculty
As of 2021, Michigan Tech has 455 faculty. Some notable faculty include: Elias C. Aifantis, Stephen Bowen, Margaret Burnett, Samantha Frojenstein, Kathy Halvorsen, Lyon Bradley King, Nancy Langston, Joshua Pearce
Joshua M. Pearce is an academic engineer at Western University and Michigan Tech known for his work on protocrystallinity, photovoltaic technology, open-source-appropriate technology, and open-source hardware including RepRap 3D printers.
Dr. ...
, Joseph Rallo, Donald Shell
Donald L. Shell (March 1, 1924 – November 2, 2015) was an American computer scientist who designed the Shellsort sorting algorithm. He acquired his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati in 1959, and published the Shellsort algo ...
, Martha E. Sloan, and Svitlana Winnikow.
Alumni
There are over 68,000 Michigan Tech alumni living in all 50 states and over 100 countries. Some notable alumni include:
* Joe Berger, former NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
player
*Herb Boxer
Herb Boxer (born June 4, 1947) is an American retired ice hockey winger. Boxer was the first U.S.-born player drafted to the NHL, when he was drafted in the second round (17th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1968 NHL draft.
Profession ...
, first U.S.-born player drafted to the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
*Melvin Calvin
Melvin Ellis Calvin (April 8, 1912 – January 8, 1997) was an American biochemist known for discovering the Calvin cycle along with Andrew Benson and James Bassham, for which he was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He spent most of hi ...
, Nobel laureate and discoverer of the Calvin Cycle
The Calvin cycle, light-independent reactions, bio synthetic phase, dark reactions, or photosynthetic carbon reduction (PCR) cycle of photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen-carrier compounds into ...
* Chris Conner, NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
player
*Jill Dickman
Jill Dickman is an American businesswoman and politician. She serves as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly and represented Assembly District 31.
Early life
Jill Dickman was born in Hancock, Michigan. Jill's grandparents emigrated from Rus ...
, Republican member of the Nevada Assembly
The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada, the upper house being the Nevada Senate. The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year ...
.
* David Edwards, biomedical engineering professor at Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, writer
*Tony Esposito
Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito (April 23, 1943 – August 10, 2021) was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 15 of those for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of t ...
, NHL Hall of Famer
*Charles Gates Sr., businessman; founder of Gates Corporation
Gates Industrial Corporation plc, based in Denver, Colorado, is a manufacturer of power transmission belts and fluid power products, which are used in diverse industrial and automotive applications. The company employs over 14,000 and has sales ...
*Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay (born October 15, 1974) is an American writer, professor, editor, and social commentator. Gay is the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling essay collection ''Bad Feminist'' (2014), as well as the short story collection ''Ayiti ...
, writer, professor, editor, blogger, and commentator
*Hallquist, John O., founder of Livermore Software Technology Corporation and original developer of LS-DYNA
LS-DYNA is an advanced general-purpose multiphysics simulation software package developed by the former Livermore Software Technology Corporation (LSTC), which was acquired by Ansys in 2019. While the package continues to contain more and more p ...
* Hammack, William S, chemical engineer and engineering educator
* David Hill, former Chief Engineer for the Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...
*David House, Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
GM of Microcomputer Components Div for 13 years. Coined the phrase "Intel Inside"
* Ives, Greg, NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
crew chief
* Jenekhe, Samson, chemical engineer, chemist, and educator
*Jujhar Khaira
Jujhar Khaira (born August 13, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the Edmonton Oilers.
Playing career
Khaira was drafted b ...
, Punjabi professional hockey player
* Martin Lagina, engineer and reality TV Personality
*Bob Lurtsema
Robert Ross Lurtsema (born March 29, 1942) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. He played in two Super Bowls with the Vikings.
Born in Gra ...
, former NFL player
*Randy McKay
Hugh Randall McKay (born January 25, 1967) is a Canadian former professional hockey player. Playing the right wing position, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1988 to 2003 with the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Star ...
, former NHL player, two-time Stanley Cup winner
*David O'Donahue
David O'Donahue is the Deputy Adjutant General-Civil Support of the Wisconsin National Guard with the rank of Brigadier General.
Career
O'Donahue received his commission through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 1987. Commands he has held w ...
, Wisconsin National Guard
The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin under the control of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The Wisconsin Natio ...
general
* Joseph P. Overton, conceiver of the Overton window
The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse.
Background
The term is named after American policy analyst Joseph Overton, who stat ...
*Baijayant Panda
Baijayant "Jay" Panda () is an Indian politician. He is the national vice president and spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was a Member of Parliament in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha from Kendrapara. He was also a Member of Par ...
, Member of lower house of Indian Parliament
*Davis Payne
Davis Payne (born September 24, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, and is the former head coach of the St. Louis Blues. He was an assistant coach with the Los ...
, former head coach of the St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
*Mel Pearson
Melvin K. Pearson (born February 8, 1959) is a former college ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team. Pearson played for Michigan Tech from 1977 to 1981, then served as an assistant coach for ...
, college ice hockey coach
*Sarah Rajala
Sarah Ann Rajala is a retired American electrical engineer and engineering educator, the former dean of engineering at both Mississippi State University and Iowa State University, a past president of the American Society for Engineering Educatio ...
, electrical engineer and engineering educator
*Bhakta B. Rath
Bhakta B. Rath is an Indian American material physicist and head of the Materials Science and Component Technology of the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United Sta ...
, material physicist and Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
recipient
*Kanwal Rekhi
Kanwal Singh Rekhi (born August 29, 1945) ( Punjabi : ਕੰਵਲ ਰੇਖੀ) is an Indian-American businessperson. He was the first Indian-American founder and CEO to take a venture-backed company public on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
C ...
, businessman and entrepreneurship promoter in Silicon Valley
*Damian Rhodes
Damian Rhodes (born May 28, 1969) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Rhodes played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Atlanta Thrashers over eleven National Hockey League (NHL) seasons. He became the first p ...
, former NHL player
*Ron Rolston
Ronald Rolston (born October 14, 1966) is an American ice hockey coach who is currently Associate Head Coach at Providence College. He was previously the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.
He has served as head coach ...
, ice hockey coach; head coach of the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
(2012-2013)
*Jarkko Ruutu Jarkko is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:
* Jarkko Ahola (born 1977), Finnish performing artist, composer and singer
* Jarkko Ala-Huikku (born 1980), Finnish Greco-Roman wrestler
* Jarkko Hattunen (born 1987), Finnish ice ...
, former NHL player
*Donald G. Saari
Donald Gene Saari (born March 1940) is an American mathematician, a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Economics and former director of the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.
His resear ...
, game theorist
Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interactions among rational agents. Myerson, Roger B. (1991). ''Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict,'' Harvard University Press, p.&nbs1 Chapter-preview links, ppvii–xi It has appli ...
*Alexander King Sample
Alexander King Sample (born November 7, 1960) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon since 2013. Sample previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Marque ...
, 12th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette
The Diocese of Marquette ( la, Diœcesis Marquettensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church, encompassing all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The diocese is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical pr ...
; 11th Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon (''Archidioecesis Portlandensis in Oregonia'') is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon, from the s ...
* Leonard C. Ward, former Chief of the Army Division (National Guard Bureau)
*John Scott John Scott may refer to:
Academics
* John Scott (1639–1695), English clergyman and devotional writer
* John Witherspoon Scott (1800–1892), American minister, college president, and father of First Lady Caroline Harrison
* John Work Scott (180 ...
, former NHL player; 2016 NHL All-Star Captain and MVP
*Donald Shell
Donald L. Shell (March 1, 1924 – November 2, 2015) was an American computer scientist who designed the Shellsort sorting algorithm. He acquired his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati in 1959, and published the Shellsort algo ...
, author of the Shell sort
Shellsort, also known as Shell sort or Shell's method, is an in-place comparison sort. It can be seen as either a generalization of sorting by exchange ( bubble sort) or sorting by insertion (insertion sort). The method starts by sorting pairs of ...
* Matthew Songer, founder and chief executive officer of Pioneer Surgical Technology
*Andy Sutton
Andrew Cameron Sutton (born March 10, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Atlanta Thrashers, New ...
, former NHL player
*Marek W. Urban
Marek W. Urban is an American professor, polymer and materials scientist who works in the field of polymers, polymer spectroscopy, polymeric coatings and films, stimuli-responsive materials, and self-healing polymers.
He studied at Marquette Univ ...
, American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
Fellow; Recipient of Numerous Awards
*John Vartan John Vartan (February 8, 1945 – December 15, 2004) was an American entrepreneur and a noted educational philanthropist in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area where he lived.
Business career
Vartan grew up in the Armenian village of Anjar in Leba ...
, businessman, developer, banker, restaurateur and philanthropist
*Dave Walter
David Lee Russell Walter (born December 9, 1964) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Michigan Tech Huskies
Michigan Techn ...
, former NFL player
See also
* List of colleges and universities in Michigan
There are ninety-three colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Michigan that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These institutions include eight research universities, five doctoral/professi ...
References
External links
*
Michigan Tech Athletics website
{{Authority control
Schools in Houghton County, Michigan
Engineering universities and colleges in Michigan
Technological universities in the United States
Public universities and colleges in Michigan
Forestry education
Schools of mines in the United States
Houghton, Michigan
Science and technology in Michigan
Education in Houghton County, Michigan
Educational institutions established in 1885
1885 establishments in Michigan
Buildings and structures in Houghton County, Michigan