Welcome to the Laker E-ffect, the monthly newsletter from the LSSU Office of Alumni Relations. Please note: Due to length, this email may be clipped by your email provider. To ensure you’re viewing the full content, scroll to the bottom and click “[Message clipped] View entire message.” Thank you for staying connected with LSSU!

Laker Hockey Challenge:

Celebrating 60 Years (1966–2026)

From the first puck drop in 1966 to the present day, Laker Hockey has been a source of

immense pride for the entire LSSU community. For those who packed the Pullar back in

the day, experienced the thrill of five national championships, and still feel the rush

when the horn sounds with every Laker goal, we celebrate 60 years of Laker Hockey and

the student-athletes who proudly wore the anchor.

After the unprecedented 2025, $1.5 million annual anonymous donation supporting

Laker Hockey, and in celebration of the 60-year anniversary, Lake Superior State

University is excited to announce the launch of the Laker Hockey Challenge. Our goal is

to raise $1.5M before December 31, 2026. To date, over $1.2 million has been

committed by donors including legendary coach Jeff Jackson, Ian Ward ’76, Steve

Davies ’77, Doug Laprade ’88, Terry Hossack ’88, Bob Ciotti ’81, Gary Machacek ’77, Bud

Denker ‘80, and the McClellan Family.

“This campaign is about giving our student-athletes the resources they need to grow,

compete, and represent Laker Hockey with pride,” Jeff Jackson emphasized. “The

generosity shown so far speaks volumes about the strength of this community.”

“As we approach the 60th anniversary of Laker Hockey, this challenge match gives us a

chance to honor our legacy while investing in our future. In light of the

transformational, anonymous and ongoing $1.5M annual gift to Laker Hockey, there’s

no better time to rally around the program and help drive it forward,” said Tory Lindley,

LSSU Athletic Director.

All who love Laker Hockey are invited to take part in strengthening its future and

advancing this historic program. All cash, pledges and estate gifts made before

December 31, 2026 for Division I, Men’s Laker Hockey will count toward our goal. To

maximize your gift, pledges can be made over five years. Keep an eye out for more

information on events this year as we celebrate 60 years of Laker Hockey.

For more information, contact Sr. Director of Advancement Andrew Rubinstein at

arubinstein@lssu.edu or (906) 635-6219. You can click here to learn how you can

give to the campaign.

Interested in leaving LSSU in your estate? Click here to check out our estate

planning page.

Maggie Davis Receives Amy Ignatowski Memorial Award

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the 2025–2026 Amy Ignatowski Memorial Award was presented to Margaret “Maggie” Davis at a reception held at the Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education. This award honors the memory of Amy Ignatowski, a former Lake Superior State University (LSSU) student and U.S. Coast Guard member who tragically lost her life in 2008 while serving in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The ceremony was attended by Amy’s parents, Paul and Robin Ignatowski, as well as representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and LSSU. Since its establishment in 2009, the award has supported active-duty Coast Guard members, reservists, and their dependents stationed at Sector Sault in pursuing higher education.

Andrew Rubinstein, LSSU Senior Director of Advancement, welcomed attendees and introduced LSSU President Dr. David Travis, who highlighted the partnership between the LSSU and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The Amy Ignatowski Memorial Award highlights Lake Superior State University’s commitment to Coast Guard members and their families,” said Dr. Travis. “It is an honor to recognize Maggie and support her educational journey while honoring the sacrifices made by Coast Guard families.”

Maggie Davis, U.S. Coast Guard Command Administrative Assistant, expressed her gratitude for the award.

“It wasn’t long ago I truly believed college was a ship that had sailed for me,” said Davis. “It was always a goal of mine to finish what I started years ago. But like most moms, we tend to make sure everyone around us has what they need before ourselves. The idea of college was just that for me. If it wasn’t for so many people in this room today reminding me how capable I am, and that the right time is always right now to start pursuing your goals, I’m not sure I would be standing here as the proud recipient of this scholarship. Thank you to those of you who have encouraged me to go for it and reminded me there is no time like the present.”

Sector Commander Captain James Bendle thanked the Ignatowski family for their longstanding support of the Coast Guard and recognized Maggie for her professionalism and essential contributions to daily operations at the sector.

Chippewa County Sheriff's Department Donates

Patrol Vehicle to LSSU MCOLES Program

LSSU MCOLES alumni Undersheriff Ryan Hering ’11 and Captain Justin Fruchey ’11, along with LSSU Professor and MCOLES Director Herbert Henderson ’94, announced the donation of a 2019 Dodge Charger patrol vehicle to the MCOLES program. The vehicle, retired from the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, will support advanced training for future law enforcement officers enrolled in the LSSU MCOLES licensing program. This is the second vehicle the Sheriff Department has donated to the program since 2014.

School of Education Achieves Reaccreditation and Launches Innovative Transfer Program with BMCC

The School of Education was officially re-accredited this month by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for all currently offered programs. Congratulations to all faculty who contributed to this accomplishment and special thanks to Dr. Jennifer Fager, Associate Dean, for her leadership throughout the reaccreditation process.

In addition, the School of Education, represented by Professor Becky Davis and Dr. Fager, recently partnered with Bay Mills Community College to develop a 3+1 transfer program in Early Childhood Education (BK grade band). This innovative program allows students to complete most of their coursework at BMCC and finish their final year at LSSU to earn Michigan teaching certification. Students can then reverse-transfer credits to complete their degree at BMCC, giving them a licensure pathway that was previously unavailable. This collaboration creates a mutually beneficial opportunity, expanding access to educator certification for BMCC students.

CFRE Hosts Annual Atlantic Salmon Egg Collection Event

The Center for Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE) Fish Hatchery hosted 20 students, along with an additional 10 CTE students, during its annual Atlantic salmon egg collection events. Egg collection week spanned four days, was filled with smiles, and resulted in the collection of 460,000 fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs for the hatchery. LSSU students who participated in egg collection could actively see the impact they have on fishery resources.

Volunteers asked questions, practiced technical hatchery skills, and are the source of Michigan's Atlantic Salmon program. LSSU will keep approximately 60,000 fertilized salmon eggs, while Platte River and Harrietta State Fish Hatcheries will split and the remaining 400,000. This project is a highlight for students each year and would not be possible without the continued partnership and shared space with Cloverland Electric Cooperative and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

LSSU's School of Chemistry, Environmental, and Geosciences Completes Articulation Agreements

LSSU's School of Chemistry, Environmental, and Geosciences recently completed articulation agreements with two Northern Michigan colleges to make the transfer process easier for students as they transition from a 2-year to a 4-year university at LSSU. Agreements were made with Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba in the fields Biochemistry, Environmental Science, and Geology, and with North Central Michigan College in Petoskey in the fields of Biochemistry, Cannabis Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Geology.

CAMPUS/COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

LSSU Hosts FIRST LEGO Competition

LSSU's School of Engineering and Technology hosted the regional FIRST LEGO League competition in November 2025. Three teams of students grade 3-5 displayed their skills to 90 guests and 27 volunteers. LSSU Provost, Dr. Kimberly Muller was the guest speaker for the opening ceremonies.

LSSU Fisheries & Wildlife Club Hosts Annual Whitefish Dinner

LSSU's Fisheries & Wildlife Club hosted their annual whitefish dinner fundraiser in November 2025. The event drew 125 attendees — nearly doubling last year's attendance — and raised approximately $7,600 — again more than doubling what was raised at last year's fundraiser. The club will use these funds to support students attending professional conferences.

NRES 101 Students Teach Young Minds About Fall Animal Activity

The Dr. Constance Baker Great Lakes Discovery Center was open two Saturdays in November 2025, hosting nearly 40 visitors for special events. On November 1st, students from Dr. Jill Witt's NRES 101 class led story & craft sessions focused on fall animal activity and salmon life cycles for local children. On the 15th, visitors participated in activities modeling brood stock collection, egg take, enumeration, and picking with Orbeez.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Former Laker Captain Lukas Kaelble Named

To Germany's 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey Team

Former Laker captain Lukas Kaelble '21, has earned a selection to Team Germany for the 2026 Winter Olympics. A WCHA champion, leader, and defensive anchor at LSSU, Kaelble continues the proud tradition of Laker Hockey on the international stage.

Read more, click here.

Former Laker Captain Louis Boudon Named

To France's 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey Team

Former Lake Superior State captain Louis Boudon '23, has been named to Team France’s Men’s Ice Hockey roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. We’re proud to see Louis represent his nation on hockey’s biggest stage.

Read more, click here.

Superior Ice Showdown:

Lakers Take the Ice in Sault, Ontario

The 2026 Superior Ice Showdown took place on Friday, January 23, 2026, at the GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. A lively pre-game alumni social drew more than 100 attendees who enjoyed reminiscing with fellow Lakers. The event marked a special return for the Lakers, their first game in Sault, Ontario, since 2020. Between periods, several Laker hockey alumni from the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario area were honored for their contributions to the program. They included Dennis Bolton '74, Jeff Cochrane '03, Julio Francella '75, Danny Galarneau '97, Robert McMillan '75, Thomas Mitchell '67, Larry Pozzebon '73 and Jack Theriault '70.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Professor Adam St. John is Recognized by American College Theatre Festival Region 3

The American College Theatre Festival (Region 3) took place January 6–10 in Madison, Wisconsin. During the festival, our own Professor Adam St. John was recognized with the Faculty Service Award for Michigan, honoring his outstanding dedication to theatre education and service.

Professor St. John spent the week in Madison with LSSU students Aimee Spring, Nathan Prehoda, and Mason Roznowski, representing the Laker spirit in the regional theatre scene.

We are proud of Professor St. John’s continued commitment to his craft, his students, and the broader theatre community. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

CAMPUS NEWS

College of the Great Lakes, Ecology, and Education

Kelsie Kemerling, Jordyn Reed, and Kevin Fischer, seniors in the School of Natural Resources accompanied Dr. Jill Witt, and the University of Michigan Biological Station to participate in a 36-year biannual 3-day small mammal trapping census to assess the impacts of climate change on small mammal populations in northern Michigan. Students collected data on deer mice including age, sex, reproductive condition, health, and changes in habitat following the Spring 2025 ice storm.

College of Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics

Two student teams from LSSU’s College of Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics — Dylan Bollone, Chris Burie, Ben Davis, Parker Ellinger, Michael Featherstone, and Bradley Wigger — participated in the Association for Computing Machinery’s International Collegiate Programming Contest at Michigan Technological University on November 8. The highest-placing LSSU team, consisting of Bollone, Burie, and Davis, finished 26th out of 86 teams in the North Central Region. The region included teams from universities such as the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Iowa.

College of the Great Lakes, Ecology, and Education

Last semester, Dr. Jill Witt’s Forestry class had the opportunity to learn about the U.S. Forest Service’s process of forest management on a trip to an active logging operation in the Hiawatha National Forest. Stephen Bates '15, USFS Timber Sales Administrator and LSSU Alumnus, talked students through the process of timber sales and contract administration.

School of Education

Several education professors and students presented their work at conferences in Michigan:

•Dr. Toni Stith and honor students Brianna Petersen & Delaney Stec presented their session "Cultivating Local Connections Online: Place-Based Learning for Asynchronous Elementary Science" at the Place-Based Learning Conference in Ypsilanti.

•Dr. Yong Zeng and three Teacher Education students presented at the Place-Based Conference at Eastern Michigan University. Their work, a place-based interdisciplinary unit designed based on elementary classrooms in Sault Ste. Marie, garnered the attention of multiple elementary teachers and research groups from across Michigan. The unit is being developed as an undergraduate research project centered on place-based curricula for small towns and rural areas.

•Dr. Seth McCall presented a paper at the Place-Based Education Conference on place-based education in blended learning contexts (hybrid, online, hyflex, etc.). He argued that blended learning is not the opposite of place-based education. When approached intentionally, blended learning can open new avenues for students to engage with place, community, and partnership — especially when they are geographically dispersed.

The event provided an opportunity for students, faculty, and community members to engage with Ojibwe history and contemporary experiences, fostering learning, reflection, and dialogue across the campus and surrounding community. The program was organized by the LSSU Native American Center, which supports educational events highlighting Indigenous culture and perspectives.

Laker Athletics Announces Chelsea Cooke-Tripp

As Head Volleyball Coach

Lake Superior State University proudly announces the hiring of Chelsea Cooke-Tripp as Head Volleyball Coach. A native of Norton Shores, Michigan, Cooke-Tripp comes to Sault Ste. Marie after three successful seasons as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado.

Read more here.

LSSU Women's Basketball Players Dominate in

Win Against Saginaw Valley

LSSU's women's basketball team shot an impressive 51.1% in the January 22 game against the Saginaw Valley Cardinals, including seven three-pointers. Several players led the way with points in double digits: Grace Bradford scored 22 points, making all her free throws; Dara Capaldi had 14 points, including a pair of triples; Seyyane Matthew and Chloe Watson each contributed 12 points; and Clare Conzelmann added 11 points. Teamwork truly made the dream work as the Lakers pulled ahead in the fourth quarter for a 79-73 win.

Read more on the win here.

Laker Hockey Goalie Rorke Applebee Earns Shutout & Named to Mike Richter Award Watch List

Sophomore goaltender Rorke Applebee earned a shutout in a successful game against Bowling Green on January 17. Applebee blocked 35 shots in his second career clean sheet, accomplishing the feat during the same week he was named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List. Named for the famous Wisconsin goaltender who spent his entire NHL career with the New York Rangers and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008, the award recognizes the top goalie in college hockey. The award has been presented annually since 2014.

LSSU Men's Basketball Player Karter Richards Leads the Way to Victory Against Saginaw Valley

For the 11th time this season, Karter Richards shot 50% or better from the field for Lake Superior State in the January 22 game against Saginaw Valley State. The redshirt freshman doesn’t just score — he does so with efficiency. Richards scored 16 points for the Lakers, giving his team the lead in the fourth quarter with a layup. Lake Superior State closed out the game with a three-pointer by Omar Suleiman and strong free-throw shooting as a team.

Read more here.

Lakers Claim Three Wins at Jack Skoog Invitational

Lake Superior State returned from winter break with several strong performances at the Jack Skoog Invitational at Central Michigan University on January 17. The Lakers claimed three event wins at the track and field meet. Junior Trey Nieman won the men’s weight throw with a distance of 14.62 meters, beating the second-place finisher by nearly a full meter. LSSU’s 4x400-meter relay team edged past Alma’s relay team in the final tenths of a second to win the 1,600-meter relay final. Shane Izzard, Collin Featherstone, Eli Hills, and anchor Elijah Sprague finished in 3:39.11, just 0.16 seconds ahead of their opponents. Freshman Max Ward rounded out the Laker wins with a time of 8.66 seconds in the men’s 60-meter hurdles.

Read more here.

LSSU Athletics Mourns Loss of Basketball Alumna Mackenzie Paul

The Lake Superior State University Athletics Department mourns the passing of Mackenzie (Kalchik) Paul, who bravely battled Acute Myeloid Leukemia. A Class of 2022 graduate, she played four seasons for the Laker Women's Basketball team after competing for the Sault Area High School Blue Devils. Mackenzie was diagnosed with AML in August 2023 while in medical school at Michigan State University. While she went into remission after treatment, her cancer returned in the summer of 2024. Alongside her husband, Brandon, she began chronicling her fight through social media platforms. Mackenzie passed away January 22, 2026.

Read more about Mackenzie and her time as a Laker athlete here.

LSSU Basketball Alumni Reunion

We are looking forward to seeing everyone Saturday, February 21st, at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium for the annual Laker Basketball Alumni Reunion Weekend! This year, we are proud to honor the 50th anniversary of the ’75–’76 men’s GLIAC regular-season championship and the 30th anniversary of the ’95–’96 men’s GLIAC Tournament Championship.

Men’s and women’s basketball alumni, please register by Monday, February 9, and receive two free tickets to the basketball games on Thursday evening (2/19) and Saturday afternoon (2/21).

For more information and to register, please visit our website by clicking here.

2026 Golden Graduate Reunion

Golden Graduates are invited to participate in Lake Superior State University’s 2026 Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The Golden Graduate Society honors alumni who graduated or last attended LSSU 50 or more years ago (1976 or earlier).

Golden Graduates are also invited to attend a special brunch on Friday, May 1, at 10:30 am at the Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education.

Golden Grads, please RSVP by Friday, February 13, 2026. For more information and to RSVP click here.

Lake State Day at the Tigers

Save the Date!

Plan to join us for Lake State Day at the Tigers on Saturday, July 25, at Comerica Park. The Detroit Tigers will take on the Kansas City Royals in what is always a popular event filled with baseball, Laker pride, and great company.

More details coming soon, including ticket link and a pre-game social registration!

LSSU Now Accepting Applications

for 2026 Online MBA Cohort

Lake Superior State University (LSSU) is now accepting applications for its 2026 online Master of Business Administration (MBA) cohort. The program offers professionals an opportunity to advance their careers and provides substantial returns on investment for employers.

Offering flexibility through asynchronous course delivery, LSSU’s MBA allows students to focus on one course at a time. This flexibility lets students integrate education into their schedules without compromising their professional or personal responsibilities.

The program equips students with strategic leadership skills and comprehensive business acumen, preparing them for high-demand roles in industries like consulting, technology, and finance. MBA graduates often experience significant salary increases and accelerated career progression, making the program a valuable investment.

The program’s curriculum emphasizes practical experience and real-world application, ensuring graduates are well-prepared to tackle complex business challenges. Emphasizing a holistic approach, LSSU provides comprehensive, individualized support throughout, ensuring a personalized experience beyond the virtual classroom. The collaborative environment encourages engagement with peers through group projects, simulations, and discussions.

Prospective students are encouraged to apply early to secure a spot in the 2026 cohort. The application deadline is July 15, 2026.

For more information on the MBA program at LSSU, visit our webpage here!

Update Us & Stay in the Loop

Stay connected with LSSU by updating your mailing and email address so you don’t miss important news and events. Share your life milestones — career changes, weddings, births, military service, and more — for the next Laker Log Class Notes. And don’t forget to subscribe to alumni emails to get the latest updates, including highlights from events like Great Lake State Weekend!

To stay in touch, click here.

Drive Your Support for LSSU!

An official LSSU affinity license plate is an easy way to support Lake State year-round. Offered through the Michigan Secretary of State’s specialty fundraising plate program, the plate supports the LSSU Alumni Association with $25 from each new plate and $10 from every renewal. These funds help sustain alumni programs and signature events, including Great Lake State Weekend!

Photo of the Month

Photo of the Month: This month’s featured photo captures the LSSU Pep Band in their Laker Hockey jerseys at the January 23 Superior Ice Showdown. The Lakers faced the St. Thomas Tommies in a regular CCHA matchup at GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Led by LSSU Music Director Casey Snyder, the Pep Band performed throughout the game.