Senate Elections: Voter Information
This webpage is set up to help those voting in a Senate election get more information about Senate run elections and the candidates running for the given position(s). Recent election results will also be added to the bottom of the page.
Current Nominees for Active Elections:
Election for a Senate Representative on the Vice President for Research Search Committee:
Faculty
- Shiyue Fang: Professor, Chemistry
- Ezra Bar-Ziv: Professor, Mechanical Engineering—Engineering Mechanics: "Extensive experience in a variety of academic administrative positions, including founding a department, Charing a department, Assoc Dean, Center Director, Senate. I am very active in research and submitting proposals (every 4-5 weeks). Very deep understanding of the VPR office. Believe that VPR office should be improved. I'll do my best to select the right VPR."
- Rudy Luck: Associate Professor, Chemistry: "I served as a member of the Senate from 2007-2012. From 2008-2009, I was the Chair of the Senate elections committee and instrumental in bringing iClickers to the Senate for voting for non-balloted elections and quick surveys during Senate meetings. I was elected unopposed each year to be the President of the Senate from 2009-2012. During that period, MTU was going through a transition from the defeat of the faculty union a few years ago. Some faculty and staff were quite disillusioned over this defeat and the University Senate was one of the places where shared governance could take place, in effect restoring “normality” to the institution. During my stint in the Senate, I was intimately aware of the importance of the Vice President for Research as Dave Reed would make frequent visits to the Senate to make presentations about the financial and research status of the institution. His accomplishments in that capacity speak for themselves. Due to these presentations, I was able to appreciate the complexities of the university budget and financial circumstances. The research accomplishments of the university grew under Reed’s leadership. The next VP of research will have large shoes to fill, and Tech must exert great care in this selection. Based on that experience, I believe I would be able to contribute to this search."
- Fengjing Liu: Associate Professor, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Staff
- Elizabeth Miller: Director, Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory
(ACMAL), Materials Science and Engineering: "Bio: Elizabeth Miller currently serves as the Director of the Applied Chemical and
Morphological Analysis Laboratory (ACMAL), a prominent university shared facility.
As a dedicated staff member in the Materials Science and Engineering Department, Mrs.
Miller demonstrates her commitment to effective management and collaborative leadership.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-miller13/
Statement: My interest in serving on the VPR search committee is driven by a commitment to advancing our university's research agenda. Drawing from my experience in leading ACMAL, I understand the critical role that research leadership plays in fostering innovation and excellence. I look forward to contributing my insights and expertise to the committee's efforts in selecting a candidate who can make a meaningful impact on the university's strategic vision." - Kelsey Kocher: Sponsored Programs Analyst: "I have nearly five years of experience as a Sponsored Programs Analyst handling both the proposal and award documentation for Industry Sponsored Projects, Student Design/Enterprise Projects, and previous experience with Government Sponsored Projects. I am currently serving as the Chair of the Senate Research Committee for the second year."
- Erin Syth: Research Coordinator, Institute for Materials Processing and Research Coordinator, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences: "Erin is the research coordinator for the Institute of Materials Processing and the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences. Previously, she served for three years as the institute manager of the Institute for Policy, Ethic, and Culture, a part of the Policy, Ethics, and Culture Tech Forward Initiative. Prior to coming to Michigan Tech, she worked in the Thomson Lab in regenerative biology and with the Klein Group in ophthalmology research at the Morgridge Institute for Research and University Wisconsin-Madison, respectively. Ms. Syth has a varied background in academic and non-academic research and a strong interest in the advancement of transdisciplinary team-building and research collaboration. She is grateful to the research development community here at Tech for the support she has received over the past three years and would like to express that gratitude through service on the search committee for the vice president for research."
- Nate Yenor: Director of Technology Business Incubation: "Nate currently serves in the Vice President for Research Department within the Office of Innovation and Commercialization. Nate has worked at MTU for 5 years, and in that time has been listed as a PI or Co-PI on several grants received by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to further technology commercialization at Michigan Tech, the main objective of OIC and a significant goal of both the VPR and MTU as a whole. Nate brings to the committee an understanding of University technology commercialization as well as sponsored research processes and how the VPR relates to these critical functions of the University."