Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette. The Michigan Tech campus is seen in this Monday photo. Michigan Tech has more than 1,400 graduate students. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed this week Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week..

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed this week as Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week in Michigan. This week, recognition will be given to the students who provide value to their communities and universities though their studies and research. The designation is endorsed by the Michigan Association of State Universities.

Michigan has more than 75,000 graduate and professional students enrolled throughout all of its state universities as of the Fall 2024 semester. These students contribute to professional services through their research and employment.

Michigan Technological University’s graduate student enrollment this spring totals 1,383 students. Ove the past two years the university awarded 86 doctorate degreese. These numbers contributed to MTU earning an R1 classification this year. To earn the R1 classification, an institution must award a minimun of 70 Ph.Ds annually. Michigan Tech offers more than 70 graduate programs and their graduate students are nationally ranked in the top 20 for highest early-career salaries at $82,400.

Michigan Tech’s Graduate School newsletter said it wants to take a moment to express its sincere pride in each and every one of its graduate and professional students. “Their commitment to scholarship, tireless pursuit of knowledge through research, and dedication to mastering their chosen fields are truly commendable.”

Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Will Cantrell commented on the the range of students that come to Tech and their contributions. “Graduate students play a critical role in the life of the university,” Cantrell said. “They come to Tech from every corner of the state, across the country and around the world. Many pursue Master’s degrees, then go on to positions in industry, government and academia. Ph.D. students are the backbone of the research enterprise at Tech.”

One of the many graduate students who exemplifies this is Meiling Zhou, whose research focuses on developing novel statistical methods and creating efficient computational and bioinformatics tools to resolve problems in the biomedical research fields. She had received a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation to support her development of novel statistical methods for Type I Diabetes.

Another example of excellence amongst the graduate students is Ryne Rutherford, whose studies center on neglected species that indicate the health of ecosystems. Rutherford has peer-reviewed publications in herpetology, lichenology, botany, ornithology and entomology. He is finishing his doctoral dewgree researching the Granite Bedrock Glades, which is a microclimate with unique species that occur farther north of their usual range.

In her proclamation, Whitmer said, “many graduate and professional students move to Michigan for their education and stay after graduation, having families, starting companies, and building a more populous and prosperous Michigan.”