Welcome to the Laker E-ffect, the monthly newsletter from the LSSU Office of Alumni Relations. Please note: Due to size limitations, this newsletter has been clipped. To view the full version, scroll to the bottom and click the link that says: [Message clipped]. View entire message. Thank you!

Save-the-Date for GLSW 2025!

The LSSU Alumni Association is excited to announce Great Lake State Weekend, happening on October 24-25, 2025! Mark your calendars now for a weekend packed with excitement, including Laker hockey games vs. Bowling Green, the Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame ceremony, a Tailgate Party, and much more. Stay tuned for more details – we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

LSSU Receives Funding From

U.S. Coast Guard For Oil Spill Project

The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise, located in Sault Ste. Marie, announced its project funding for Fiscal Year 2025, which includes a project with Lake Superior State University. The Coast Guard is planning a total of nine projects with different universities, businesses, and organizations. Each project is different, but all of them contribute to the Coast Guard's goal of protecting an area as unique as the Great Lakes.

U.S. Coast Guard Commander Christopher Pace said, "The Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise is dedicated to enhancing oil spill preparedness, response, and research in the Great Lakes," and that "these projects represent a significant step forward in addressing the unique environmental and logistical challenges of oil spill preparedness and response in the Great Lakes."

Projects:

High-frequency electromagnetic interference for oil detection in freshwater ice conditions - An experimental study exploring advanced electromagnetic interference technologies for oil spill detection in icy freshwater conditions.

-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center

Additive manufacturing of drum-skimmer surface geometries, optimized for the Great Lakes region, leveraging 3D printing to enhance the efficiency of oil skimmers tailored to the region’s needs.

-Deep Analytics, LLC

Preparing for non-conventional product incidents in the Great Lakes – Hosting a specialized workshop to prepare for unconventional spill scenarios in the region.

-NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

Characterizing the properties and fate of synthetic fluids under varying environmental conditions & investigating the environmental impact of synthetic fluids from wind energy systems.

-U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Physicochemical changes of oil during weathering processes in freshwater wetland mesocosms - A study of oil weathering to improve understanding of its long-term effects in freshwater wetlands.

-Lake Superior State University

Generating toxicology data to improve freshwater oil spill effect models under different environmental conditions - Providing new data to enhance predictive models of oil spill toxicity in freshwater environments.

-Huntsman Marine Science Centre

Biological responses to oil spills using omics to assess kinetic exposures in streams - Utilizing cutting-edge molecular biology techniques to evaluate ecological impacts of oil spills.

-International Institute for Sustainable Development

Identifying the year-round magnitude, frequency, and extent of flow reversals in Great Lakes' river-to-lake transitions & mapping flow dynamics to predict and mitigate the spread of oil during spill events.

-U.S. Geological Survey

Uncrewed detection of submerged oil using UV fluorometry – Phase 2: Developing uncrewed systems for enhanced underwater oil detection.

-Michigan Tech Research Institute – Ann Arbor

Progress of all nine projects can be followed at the GLCOE page here.

Bay/LSSU Business Students at Regional Center in Escanaba Qualify for National Leadership Conference

Business Professionals of America (BPA) club members at LSSU's Bay College Regional Center in Escanaba stole the show at the BPA Collegiate State Leadership Conference at Davenport University on February 8th. All eight students placed in the top three of their respective events. The students pictured above from left to right, are: Isaac Carlson, Hunter Robinson, Jake Poquette, Griffin Johnson, Madlyn Wilson, Sarah Meyers, Marcy Dugree, and Gabriel Belanger, as well as BPA State Director Maurice Henderson on the right. All eight students will continue to the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL, from May 7th-11th.

The BPA club president, Griffin Johnson, was a national champion in 2024. He expressed great pride in the team's victory at the State level, as well as excitement toward the upcoming National Conference. "The 2025 SLC was a phenomenal experience for both me and the rest of our team," Johnson stated. "Traveling with our largest team since COVID-19 in 2022 and witnessing everyone being called up onto the stage to receive an award for their events was truly my favorite part. I know just how hard they all worked for the opportunity to compete at the National Leadership Conference, and I couldn’t be prouder of them for their efforts. Seeing everyone get that chance filled me with immense pride and joy."

Last year, several club members placed at the National Leadership Conference which consisted of a record breaking 6,500+ contestants at the high school and collegiate levels.

The Superior Give-A-Thon is officially underway, and our student team is making calls to engage with alumni and friends! This is an opportunity for all of us to unite in support of Lake Superior State University and help advance our mission.

Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 for vital initiatives such as the Fund for LSSU, or you can direct your contribution to the designation of our choice. The Superior Give-A-Thon runs from February 17 through May 3, 2025.

Our Student Call Team is made up of enthusiastic students from all over the state, country, and even the globe, with a diverse range of majors. They’re excited to connect with alumni and friends and share their LSSU pride. Keep an eye out for a call from them soon!

For more information on the Superior Give-A-Thon or to make a donation, click here.

CAMPUS NEWS

College of the Great Lakes Ecology and Education

On January 31st, Dr. Steven Naganashe Perry delivered an insightful lecture in Conservation Biology (NRES 287), highlighting the profound value of biodiversity through the lens of ethnobotany and the powerful integration of Indigenous Science with Western Science.

Dr. Perry is an Anishnaabe elder with a 38-year career in education and curriculum development throughout the state of Michigan. Students left the class inspired, having explored local plants with medicinal and practical uses, which they meticulously labeled with Indigenous names, common names, and Latin scientific names. This exercise beautifully showcased the harmonious blending of diverse knowledge systems.

The following day, Dr. Perry took the learning experience a step further by guiding the students in crafting birch bark medallions. As they engaged in this hands-on activity, he passionately discussed the art of harvesting birch and the importance of utilizing natural materials—such as birch and sinew—for practical and cultural purposes. This immersive approach deepened the students’ appreciation for nature and its invaluable resources.

REGIONAL CENTERS

Escanaba/Iron Mountain Regional Center - Bay College

LSSU's Bay College Region Center has announced the seven students who earned their bachelor's degrees from LSSU through the Regional Center program. LSSU's several Regional Centers offer baccalaureate degree programs for students to complete outside the Sault Ste. Marie area.

This year's Escanaba/Iron Mountain graduates are:

Marcus Johnson - Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Management - Iron Mountain

Megan Murray - Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Management - Iron Mountain

Allison Deiter - Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education - Bark River

Spencer Jordan - Bachelor of Science in General Studies - Escanaba

Brooke Landis - Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education Pre-K-6th - Rapid River

Makenna Nelson - Bachelor of Arts in English Language Literature: Secondary Teaching - Escanaba

Katie Fuson - Bachelor of Science in Mathematics: Secondary Teaching - Escanaba

For more information regarding the LSSU Regional Centers, visit the Regional Centers website.

ALUMNI IN THE SPOTLIGHT

LSSU Alum Lindsey Pajot Named 2024 Jack Flasch Award Winner

Congratulations to Lindsey Pajot '18, Mechanical Engineering alum and Project Manager at JR Automation, on receiving the 2024 Jack Flasch Award!

The JR Automation Detroit Division created this award to honor Jack Flasch, an incredible mentor and innovator who passed away in 2008. This award celebrates those who embody Mentorship, Loyalty, Dedication, and Quality.

Lindsey has been with JR Automation for 6 years and is not afraid to ask questions or get more information from the customer early to ensure that her team knows what is expected. Because of her hard work and dedication JR Automation has a bright future with her leading the way!

Laker Basketball Alumni Reunion Weekend Recap

What an incredible time we had at this year’s Laker Basketball Alumni Reunion Weekend on Saturday, February 22nd! Held at Cooper Gym, the event was a celebration of Laker basketball as the men’s and women’s teams faced off against Purdue Northwest.

We honored two significant team milestones during halftime of the games:

20th Anniversary of the 2004-05 Women's GLIAC Regular Season Championship
10th Anniversary of the 2014-15 Men's GLIAC Regular Season Championship

It was a true privilege to recognize these teams for their achievements, and we couldn’t be more grateful to all the alumni, teammates, coaches, and fans who were in attendance!

The festivities didn’t stop at the game. After the final buzzer, the fun continued at our post-game gathering at Moloney’s, where everyone had the chance to reconnect and enjoy some time together. A special thank you to Pingatore Cleaners for sponsoring the gathering. Click here for more photos from the weekend.

We can’t wait for next year’s reunion and are already looking forward to another great celebration of Laker basketball and the amazing alumni who make our community so special!

Until next year—Go Lakers!

LAKER ATHLETICS

16 Laker Hockey Athletes Earn

2024-25 CCHA Academic Honors

Sixteen (16) Lakers were named to the 2024-25 CCHA All-Academic Team. Of the 16, 10 received CCHA Scholar-Athlete recognition for their performance off the ice. These Lakers met or exceeded the standards set by the CCHA, including maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0, or in case of the Scholar-Athlete recognition recipients, a GPA of at least 3.5. First-year student athletes are ineligible for recognition and thus not included even if they meet the other requirements.

CCHA All-Academic Student Athletes:

Carter Batchelder, So. - Business

John Herrington, So. - Business

Connor Milburn, Jr. - Electrical Engineering

Reagan Milburn, So. - Business

Sasha Teleguine, Jr. - Finance

Joshua Wildauer, Sr. - Political Science

CCHA All-Academic & Scholar-Athlete Students:

Jack Blanchett, So. - Criminal Justice

Evan Bushy, So. - Business Management

Jacob Conrad, R-Fr. - Business

Cole Craft, Sr. - Accounting

Easton Hesse, Sr. - Business Administration

Grant Hindman, Sr. - Business

Blake Humphrey, Jr. - Finance & Economics

Branden Piku, So. - Business Entrepreneurship

Grant Riley, R-So. - Business Administration

Nate Schweitzer, Sr. - Finance & Economics

To read more, click here.

Laker Men's Tennis Sweeps Pair of Road Wins

The LSSU men's tennis team stepped up their season record to 3-0 with two wins at Northwood and Hillsdale February 8th & 9th. Junior Jordi Fraile Raton and senior Raul Velasco Garcia picked up wins in singles play against Northwood, while junior & freshman duo Maxence Hamon and Haitam Aboufirassi claimed a 6-4 doubles win, and sophomore Driss Sedrati took to the court with Fraile to score time doubles tiebreaker point.

During singles play at Hillsdale, Velasco and sophomore Driss Sedrati picked up wins before junior Stefan Andrei secured the match for LSSU. Hillsdale stole the first doubles match, but LSSU made a comeback and secured the win. Duo Andrei and Velasco scored a win before Hamon and Aboufassi won a 7-3 tiebreaker for LSSU.

To read more, click here.

Laker Men's Basketball Deny the Pride on Senior Day

The Lake Superior State men's basketball team (23-5, 14-4 GLIAC) secured a 72-64 victory over Purdue Northwest (6-21, 3-15 GLIAC) on Saturday, February 22nd. After trailing 23-20 at halftime, the Lakers started the second half with a 15-3 run. Despite a late challenge from the Pride, clutch three-pointers from Hunter Soper and Adam Harakow helped LSSU hold on for the win. Soper led with 16 points, while Kingsley Perkins and Harakow each scored 15. Perkins also recorded his 1,000th career point. Devin Womack added 11 points in the win.

To read more, click here.

Hunter Soper Earns 6th GLIAC Player of the Week Award

Laker Men's Basketball player Hunter Soper was named the GLIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week for the sixth time of the season on February 24th. His selection follows impressive gameplay from the Lakers' games against Wisconsin-Parkside. On the 20th he secured 11 rebounds and helped the Lakers pull ahead in the second half of the game. Several days later during the Senior Day game, he managed two steals that swung the momentum of the game in favor of the Lakers following a difficult first half.

To read more, click here.