HOUGHTON – In anticipation of its 150th anniversary in 2035, officials at Michigan Technological University have decided to change the university’s branding, and they began the process last week by debuting a new logo.

The logo is a silhouette of the bronze husky dog statue located between the library and the Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics building.

In the packed Opie Reading Room of the Van Pelt and Opie Library, Tech President Glenn Mroz talked about the process to update the university’s branding.

Mroz said many people around the country are aware of the university’s branding, and the new logo will help enhance the university’s image.

“We do have a very, very strong brand,” he said.

Mroz said a group of Tech faculty, staff, students and alumni began the process of changing the university’s branding image. They talked about the stories associated with Tech.

“It was a lot of articulating what Michigan Tech is about,” he said.

Mroz said the people working on the branding process decided the current stylized Husky wasn’t in keeping with the realities of the university.

As the new thinking about the Tech image branding moved forward, Mroz said, it was realized there are certain “stories” important to carry over.

“There are some things we know should never change about Michigan Tech,” he said. “As we go into the next 18 months, it’s going to be about the stories.”

Some of those stories include the sometimes brutal Keweenaw winters, Mroz said.

“It’s a place where people have to be pretty tenacious,” he said.

Mroz said over the next 18 months, changes will be made to the logo on Tech memorabilia, including clothing. Changes will also be made to signage around campus.

The group working on the branding changes realized the Husky statue was a logical choice for the logo. Since it was installed, people use it as a place to gather.

“It’s become a focal point,” he said. “People say, ‘Meet me at the dog.'”