Michigan Technological University
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Michigan Technological University is a public university with its main campus in Houghton, Michigan, with a building in Hancock. It also maintains the Ford Forestry Center and Research Forest, located in Alberta, Michigan; the Portage Lake Golf Course in Portage Township and the Mt. Ripley Ski Hill in Ripley, Michigan. Michigan Tech was founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School as a response to the booming copper mines on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the 1800's. The school was established by the state of Michigan to train mining engineers to better operate the local copper mines. The first classes were held by 4 faculty members and 23 students on the second floor of the Houghton Fire Hall.
In 1897, the name changed to the Michigan College of Mines. To reflect the variety of programs available beside mining, the school's name was changed to Michigan Technological University in 1964.
Michigan Tech has a reputation as a top school in engineering and sciences, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in a range of fields with a technological emphasis. Engineering departments include Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Environmental, Material, Chemical, and Biomedical. The College of Sciences and Arts departments are Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Education, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts. Michigan Tech is a recognized leader in Forestry Science, and has recently expanded its School of Business. The program in Technical Writing and Communication is one of the best in the country.
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The annual Parade of Nations in the fall highlights the range of cultures represented on campus through a parade, food, and performances by a multitude of groups.
In February Michigan Tech hosts the annual Winter Carnival. Students compete in a variety of artistic and atheletic events. The highlight of Winter Carnival is the statue competition. Students build sculptures out of snow and ice to match the annual theme, many of them in a single evening. Those built over the month long lead-up to Winter Carnival can reach a height of several stories.
In the summer Michigan Tech hosts Summer Youth Program (SYP), Women in Engineering (WIE), American Indian Workshop (AIW), and Orchestra Fellowship Programs (OFP) to introduce high school students to college opportunities.
One frequent topic of conversation at Michigan Tech is "The Ratio," that is, the fact that the ratio of male to female students is 3:1 (75% male). [1] (http://www.admin.mtu.edu/em/erlstat) Michigan Tech is making efforts to achieve a more balanced gender ratio, including the recent introduction of new Philosophy and Fine Arts majors. The university has also been concerned with recruiting a more diverse student body, as Michigan Tech is a large distance from the nearest population centers. In addition, recent financial troubles (along with many other Michigan universities) have caused some difficulties for Michigan Tech.
Distinguished alumni
- David House, Former Vice President of Intel
External links
- Michigan Technological University (http://www.mtu.edu)
- MTU Youth Programs (http://youthprograms.mtu.edu/)
- Winter Carnival Homepage (http://www.mtu.edu/carnival/)