Weekly Download, August 23, 2022: New BS Students

Undergraduate Academic Advisors

A positive and productive advising relationship is a key component of your success at Michigan Tech. You and your academic advisor will develop your academic plan, and your advisor will help you follow and complete your plan to ensure your success at Michigan Tech. The undergraduate advisors are available Monday through Friday in Rekhi 221.

Computer Science Department
Denise Landsberg
Majors: Computer Science; Software Engineering

• 906-487-3643

• dllandsb@mtu.edu

• Rekhi 221
• Schedule a meeting with Denise
• Computer Science Advising Website

Applied Computing Department
Kay Oliver
Majors: Computer Systems and Network Administration; Cybersecurity; Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics

• 906-487-2524
• koliver@mtu.edu
• Rekhi 221
• Schedule a meeting with Kay
• Applied Computing Advising Website

New Student FAQs

• Should I meet with my academic advisor?  
  • Yes! Your advisor can show you how to confirm the required courses. They also provide academic and career support, and they can assist you with any questions or concerns.
• How do I know which classes to take?
  • Your degree audit is an excellent resource, and meet with your advisor.
• What if I am not sure about my major?  
  • Reach out to the Wahtera Center. They can help you explore majors.
• Can I change my major?
  • Yes, but talk to the academic advisor in that department first. Find more info here.
• Do I need a minor?
  • No, but you can add a minor if you are interested in other skills that don't relate to your major.  Typically, minors double count for other classes that you need, such as General Core and free electives.  You can add a minor anytime before your senior year.  You do not need to add a minor in your first semester.
• What is a degree audit?  Where do I find one?  Why does it matter?
  • Your degree audit is an interactive accounting of the courses you take towards your degree.  It can be found at MyMichiganTech > Current Students > Undergraduate Degree Audit.  Check this each semester to verify that you are making progress towards your degree, plan your upcoming classes, and reflect on your learning path. You can also use the 'what-if' scenarios to explore the courses required of other majors at Michigan Tech.  If you are not seeing a detailed list of courses for your degree, contact your academic advisor; they can help.

Campus Read: ROBOT101

Do robots have rights? Do they have souls? This year’s Michigan Tech Summer Reading Program aims to explore and discuss these questions.

The Summer Reading theme, “ROBOT101, Exploring the past, present, and future of ‘robot’ in imagination and practice,” marks the 101st anniversary of the first published use of the term “robot,” in the play “R.U.R.” by Karel Capek.

New students are encouraged to read the recommended book, “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro. The popular novel relates the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities. From her place in a store, Klara watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside, hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. The book is available in paperback and as an e-book.
Read more on the Computing news blog.

Parade of Nations

Since 1989, the Houghton and Hancock communities have been celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the Keweenaw with the Parade of Nations, which is Sept. 17 beginning at 11 am in Hancock. The celebration of unity and culture is open to the entire community. Following the parade, the Multicultural Festival begins at noon at Dee Stadium. For $5 to $8 you can enjoy a full meal or choose from international tidbits. This year’s theme is "The World is One." Everyone is welcome to walk in the Parade of Nations with any of the represented countries. Request a flag of any country here. Volunteer positions are available. Groups may apply to enter a float contest. Visit the Parade of Nations website here. 

Student Organizations

Getting involved in a club or organization is a great way to pursue your interests and make new friends. There are dozens of student clubs on campus. Here are a few Computing-focused groups.

• BASIC Saturdays - Help community members learn to use computers, tablets, and smartphones.
• Copper Country Coders - Teach coding to middle and high school students.
• Copper Country Robotics at Michigan Tech - Mentor youth who are learning about robotics.
• Enterprise - Students work in teams on real projects, with real clients, in an environment that's more like a business than a classroom. Enterprise teams work to invent products, provide services, and pioneer solutions. 
• Networking and Computing Student Association - Connect with others interested in systems, network security, and software engineering.
• Red Team - The MTU RedTeam competes in the National Cyber League (NCL); the RedTeam placed 6th of 576 teams in the spring 2022 National Cyber League team capture the flag (CTF) competition.
• Women in Computing Sciences - Promotes diversity, supports women and minorities in their study of computing, and arranges networking opportunities.

Enterprise Program

In the Enterprise program, students work in teams on real projects, with real clients, in an environment that's more like a business than a classroom. Enterprise teams work to invent products, provide services, and pioneer solutions. 

Husky Game Development - Who says you can’t work and play? Husky Game Development designs and develops games for business, education, and fun. Earn credit, gain experience, and build your resume, all while creating quality software that will attract and satisfy industry sponsors. Advised by CS faculty member Scott Kuhl. View projects.

Humane Interface Design Enterprise (HIDE) - HIDE students design, develop, and evaluate interfaces to make daily work more efficient and easier to manage. Advised by CS faculty member Robert Pastel. View projects.

IT Oxygen Enterprise - IT Oxygen provides Information Technology help for both student organizations and businesses. Members work on real projects for real companies that foster skills in development, problem-solving, and business. Advised by ECE faculty member Nagesh Hatti. View projects.

Computer Science Learning Community

Located in East McNair Hall, the Computer Science Learning Community (CSLC) brings together students, staff, and faculty who share a passion for computers and computer-related technology. Through various programs and activities, CSLC students get involved, make friends, and study and learn together in a supportive environment. The CSLC hosts several events that are open to the wider student body. Questions? Please contact Alexandra Marshall in Residential Life.

Computing Learning Center

The College of Computing Learning Center (CCLC), on the first floor of Rekhi Hall, Room 118, is staffed by upper-level undergraduate students and supported by Michigan Tech's College of Computing. The friendly CCLC coaches are available to help succeed in your computing courses. No appointments are necessary to use the Learning Center. The hours of operation and more details can be found here. Free. Open to all students taking computing classes.

Fall Career Fair

It's never too early to start networking with employers! Michigan Tech's Fall 2022 Career Fair will be fully in-person at the Student Development Complex on Wed., Sep. 21, from 2-7 pm.
Hundreds of employers from across the United States have already signed up to get to know our talented Huskies. Michigan Tech students have an average placement rate of 93% and are in the top 20 for the highest early career salary in the nation--we're Michigan's flagship technological university, and our alums enter more career-ready than just about anywhere else. Register now on Handshake, or send a note to careerfair@mtu.edu.

Computing/ECE Career Fair Mixer. The College of Computing and the Department of Electrical Engineering will host a Career Fair mixer on Tues., Sep. 20, from 4-5:30 pm in the Rozsa Center. Students majoring in EE, CpE, CS, SE, EET, CNSA, Mechatronics, Cybersecurity, Health Informatics, and Robotics Engineering are invited to attend. Major companies interested in hiring graduates from these majors will be in attendance to talk with you about careers with their organizations.

Find a Research Opportunity

College of Computing and Michigan Tech faculty and students are engaged in a wide range of research projects. Computing touches virtually everything, so your research options are limitless. The links below will help you identify the research opportunities of interest to you.

• Check Handshake
  • Handshake
• Check the Student Employment Webpages
  • Applied Computing Graduate Student Employment
  • Applied Computing Undergraduate Employment
  • Computer Science Graduate Employment
  • Computer Science Undergraduate Employment
• Check the Computing Student Blog
  • College of Computing Student Blog
• Graduate Assistantships
  • Graduate Assistantships (GRA/GTA) recipients perform research, teaching, or administrative services for the University as part of a student’s academic and professional training and development. All applicants to the Graduate School are automatically considered for graduate assistantship opportunities.

• Review Active Research Projects
  • Active College of Computing Projects
• Review Faculty Research Interests
  • Applied Computing Faculty
  • Computer Science Faculty
  • Graduate Faculty Locator
• Link to more tips here.

Events and Lectures

• Dean Dennis Livesay's open office hours are every Friday from 2-3 pm while classes are in session. Students who wish to chat are invited to "drop in" his office in Rekhi 223. Appointments are not needed Email Dr. Livesay at dlivesay@mtu.edu.
• Graduate Student Orientation: Computer Science, Data Science, and Cybersecurity, Aug. 23, 1:30-2:30 pm, Rekhi 214
• On-Campus Jobs Expo, August 31,12-3 pm, Memorial Union
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Workshop 1: Overview and Tips, Sep. 7, 2:30-4 pm.
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Workshop 2: Crafting your statements, Tue., Sep 13, 1-2:30 pm
• CC/ECE Career Fair Mixer, Sep. 20, 4-5:30 pm, Rozsa Center
• Faculty Lecture: Lan (Emily) Zhang and Jun Dai, Sep. 30, 3-4 pm, Rekhi 214 or via Zoom
• Computing[MTU] Showcase Poster Session, Oct. 10; submit posters by Sep. 30, 12 am 
• Applications accepted for NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Oct. 17-21
• ICC Distinguished Lecture: Zahra Motamed, McMaster University, Oct. 7, 3 pm, Zoom only
• Info Session: BS in Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering Technology, Oct. 19, 6:30 pm, EERC 103

College of Computing Digital Media

The College of Computing has a number of resources for news and information. You may want to bookmark these sites, blogs, and social media pages. Please like, follow, and share often!

WEBSITES

• College of Computing: mtu.edu/computing
• Department of Computer Science: mtu.edu/cs
• Department of Applied Computing: mtu.edu/applied-computing
• Institute of Computing and Cybersystems: mtu.edu/icc
• Data Science MS: mtu.edu/data-science
• Health Informatics MS: mtu.edu/health-informatics
• Mechatronics MS: mtu.edu/mechatronics

NEWS BLOGS

• College of Computing: blogs.mtu.edu/computing
  • News, events and lectures, announcements, faculty and student news and profiles, research
• Student Blog: blogs.mtu.edu/computing-advisor
  • Job opportunities, student events and opportunities, new courses, scholarship and fellowship announcements
• Institute of Computing and Cybersystems Blog: blogs.mtu.edu/icc
  • Research news, ICC member news, events and lectures. ICC member profiles

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichiganTechComputing/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtu_computing
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/michigan-tech-computing
• Instagram: instagram.com/mtu_computing/

Academic Calendar

• View the full Academic Calendar
• Monday, Aug 29: Instruction Begins
• Monday, Sep 05: Labor Day Recess
• Friday, Sep 09, 12 pm: K-day Recess
• Monday, Sep 12: Classes Resume
• Wednesday, Sep 21, 12 am: Career Fair
• Wednesday, Sep 21, 2 pm: Career Fair Recess
• Wednesday, Sep 21, 4 pm: Classes Resume
• Friday, Oct 07, 3 pm: Homecoming Recess
• Sunday, Oct 23, 12 pm: Spring/Summer Registration Begins    
• Sunday, Nov 13, 11:59 pm:     Spring/Summer Registration Ends
• Friday, Nov 18,10 pm: Thanksgiving Recess Begins
• Monday, Nov 28: Classes Resume
• Friday, Dec 09: Last Day of Regular Classes
• Monday, Dec 12: Final Exam Period
• Friday, Dec 16: Fall Semester Ends
• Saturday, Dec 17: Midyear Commencement