HOUGHTON – “Michigan Tech continues to rise,” said Glenn Mroz, Michigan Technological University president Thursday. “(Students) are turning to the university in record numbers.”

The university’s Board of Trustees conferred 930 degrees at its meeting Thursday, bringing the 2015-16 school year total to 1,749 degrees, the largest number the school has ever conferred. The number outpaces the previous record of 1,709 set in 1983-84.

“This demonstrates clearly that Michigan Tech is meeting the challenge of fulfilling the needs of a knowledge-based economy,” said President Glenn Mroz. “Students recognize that a Tech degree prepares them to succeed, and they are turning to the University in record numbers for that kind of education.”

Students will finish their studies with exams Friday.

Tech Board of Trustees Chairman Terry Woychowski touted some students’ accomplishments.

A recent PhD recipient in Biological Sciences, Robert Larson earned a Portage Health Foundation Graduate Assistantship that helped him win the competitive Lundbeck Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the American Autonomic Society to do research with Mark Chapleau, a professor of internal medicine, molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa.

“Chapleau heads one of the world’s premier cardiovascular research centers,” Woychowski said.

Assistant Professor Feng Zhao and Associate Professor Jeremy Goldman, both in Biomedical Engineering, received $465,000 from the National Institutes of Health for a three-year project.

“They will apply advanced stem cell technology in lymphedema treatment, in hopes of significantly improving the quality of life for women suffering from the lifelong and sometimes life-threatening disease,” Woychowski said.

Great College Deals ranked Tech 12th in the nation for small colleges with environmentally minded students, Woychowski said.

“The environmentally-inclined will have many concentrations to choose from, one of which is a degree in environmental and energy policy,” the website says. “This specialized education is a combination of science, sustainability, social responsibility, and an overall understanding of how our human behavior impacts the planet. MTU is proudly affiliated with environmental organizations including Center for Water and Society, Great Lakes Research Center, International Society for Ecological Economics, and US Society for Ecological Economics.” For more information visit www.greatcollegedeals.net/rankings/deals-small-colleges-environmentally-minded/