February 21, 2019

A year ago, Bosch partnered with Michigan Tech's Mind Trekkers to spark creativity and imagination in K-12 students. The result? A unique program that addresses the STEM gap crisis.

Mind Trekkers, the flagship program of the Center for Pre-College Outreach, is made up of undergraduate and graduate students who travel across the country to deliver hands-on, high-energy demonstrations that teach K-12 students about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The goal: inspire kids to pursue a college education in STEM.

Mind Trekkers show kids how to make music with bananas and a computer. They keep inflated balloons intact on a bed of nails. They help students make ice cream out of liquid nitrogen — in 60 seconds. These are just a few of the dozens of often messy and always entertaining activities at their road shows.

Read the full story on mtu.edu/news.

Michigan Tech’s Delta Zeta Student Chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau was recently selected as the recipient of the 2019 Warner Chapter Award for Region 3.

The awards program is in honor of William Everett Warner, the founder of Epsilon Pi Tau. As an international leader, he gave a lifetime of service and inspiration to young men and women while expressing the ideals of the Honor Society through the medium of education in technology.

The awards program is a planned annual competition open to all members of Epsilon Pi Tau. Various program categories are designed to reach all members with awards totaling approximately $15,000 each year.

This year, the Delta Zeta Student Chapter was awarded for excellence in local chapter operation, including program activities, retention of membership, service projects, accuracy, promptness in business relations with the Regional Director and the International Office and in promoting and achieving the ideals of Epsilon Pi Tau.

Certificates and awards will be presented to award-winning student chapters of Epsilon Pi Tau from five regions at the ITEEA Conference on March 30 in Kansas City, Missouri.

 John Irwin (SoT) and Todd Arney (SoT), both Delta Zeta Chapter Trustees, will receive the $500 award on behalf of the Delta Zeta Student Chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau for Region 3.

The International Mother Language Day is be observed by the Bangladeshi Student Association at Michigan Tech. This year the theme of the day is "Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building and reconciliation."

There will be an exhibition from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. focusing on the background and history of the day in the Exhibit space of the Van Pelt Opie library. Bangladeshi Student Association at Michigan Tech invites you to attend the exhibition and show your support by writing your favorite proverb in your mother tongue on peace, harmony, conflict resolution or competence.

The Modern Language Program at Michigan Tech has organized its annual film series with a selection of three foreign films.

This spring, the movies are in French, German and Spanish. Join us for what promises to be stimulating event and make sure to keep an eye out for future dates.

If you have any questions about the Modern Language Film Series, email danyj@mtu.edu.

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Rozsa Center announce the spring gallery exhibition," Salon!" curated by gallery director and Michigan Tech associate professor of art, Lisa Gordillo (VPA).

"Salon!" features works of art and writing by more than 30 artists and writers. Gordillo presents an older arts tradition with a contemporary twist. She drew much of her inspiration for this show from Jewish Women’s Salons, which focused on inclusivity, diversity and contemporary dialogue. "Salon!" is intended to showcase current ideas in art and literature, spark conversation and to help us celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michigan Tech’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

An opening reception with live music will be held at 5 p.m. today (Feb. 21)  in the Rozsa gallery. It will include historical and contemporary live music, played by Michigan Tech students and arranged by Mike Christianson (VPA). Sam Palumbo, a fourth-year Sound Design student, is creating an audio scape for the gallery to compliment the exhibit after the opening reception. 

"Salon!" runs through April 20 in Michigan Tech’s A-Space Gallery in the Rozsa. Works of art will also pepper the Rozsa lobby creating sitting spaces and areas for conversation. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 8 p.m. Saturdays. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (KSO) will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 23) in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

Under the direction of Joel Neves (VPA), the KSO will perform two works, "Les nuits d’été" [Summer Nights], by Hector Berlioz and Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.”

Since its premiere in 1918, the seven movements of “The Planets” have been among the composer’s most renowned works. Each movement in the suite is dedicated to one of the planets in our solar system, with the mood of each being defined by the astrological archetypes of the corresponding celestial body.

Founded in 1970, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra is the Upper Peninsula’s oldest orchestra. The KSO is a college-community ensemble comprised of Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff, and community musicians.

Most of the musicians pursue something other than music as a career, with engineers, scientists, mathematicians, educators and retirees filling the roster.

Students occupy about 60 percent of the orchestra; none are music majors. The KSO presents 4-5 concerts per year—including choral-orchestral, opera, ballet, and pops—in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

The concert will also feature mezzo-soprano Lara Neves, and a “Chorus of Female Voices” comprised of members of the Michigan Tech choir ensembles.

Tickets are on sale now at a price of $19 for adults, $6 for youth and no charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech fee. Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, online, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex or at the Rozsa Box Office Saturday prior to the performance.

Note: The Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.

Michigan Tech's men's and women's basketball teams are on the road for the final time during the regular season for a pair of GLIAC games tonight (Feb. 21) and Saturday (Feb. 23). The teams are in Grand Rapids tonight taking on Davenport University The women will tip off at 5:30 pm. followed by the men at 7:30 p.m. tonight. On Saturday the teams will make the 30-minute trip to Allendale face Grand Valley State. The women play at 1 p.m. the men at 3 p.m.

The women's team grabbed two more victories this past week to extend their winning streak to eight games. Tech has also claimed wins in 11 of their last 12 contests while clinching a home game in the quarterfinal round of the upcoming Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament. The Huskies are 18-7 overall and 14-3 in the GLIAC sitting in a first-place tie with Northern Michigan in the GLIAC North Division. The Panthers are 5-19 overall and 3-14 in the Conference. 

The men's team split against two very good teams last week. Tech beat Lake Superior State last Thursday and fell to defending national champion Ferris State on Saturday.

The Huskies are 10-13, 6-11 in the GLIAC while No. 16 Davenport is 22-3 overall, 14-3 in conference play.

Both games can be heard locally on 93.5 FM with audio stream on pasty.net. 

 The next Faculty Candidate Research Seminar will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 22) in R.L. Smith (MEEM) 406. Ezequiel Medici (ME-EM) will present “Transport Phenomena in Science and Engineering.”

Medici is a research assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering‐Engineering Mechanics.

Biological Sciences Seminar  Cancelled

The next lecture in the Biological Sciences Seminar Series that was set for 3 p.m. today (Feb. 21) in M&M U113 has been cancelled. 

*****

Copper Country Math Circle

The College of Sciences and Arts Dean’s Office is partnering with the Copper Country Intermediate School District to launch the Copper Country Math Circle.

Students in grades 2-5 who are excited about mathematics are invited to attend. The first meeting is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in Room 243 of the Opie Library. Meetings will be held one Thursday evening per month thereafter. Read the previous Tech Today story.

*****

 HuskyFAN Food Drive at TAC

According to a spring 2018 Michigan Tech Food Insecurities Survey, about 25 percent of respondents said students don't get enough food. Michigan Tech IT and Student Health and Wellness are partnering for a food drive through tomorrow (Feb. 22)

Kari B. Henquinet (SS/PHC) published "American World Visions of Vulnerability: The Sacred, the Secular and Roots of Evangelical American Aid" in Research in Economic Anthropology.

*****

An interdisciplinary team led by Don Lafreniere (SS/GLRC) including Sarah Scarlett (SS), Dan Trepal (SS), Robert Pastel (CS), Ryan Williams (Geospatial Research Facility) and several students published "Public Participatory Historical GIS," in Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History.

The article establishes a set of best practices in academic-public collaboration to build historical big-data sets for studying how environments change through time. 

*****

Emily Prehoda (SS), Joshua Pearce (MSE) and Chelsea Schelly (SS) have a new paper titled "Policies to Overcome Barriers for Renewable Energy Distributed Generation: A Case Study of Utility Structure and Regulatory Regimes in Michigan" and was published in Energies. 

Charles Kerfoot (Bio Sci) was quoted in the article "Here's how your ideas could help save Lake Superior's Buffalo Reef," in Bridge.

*****

Former Michigan Tech hockey player Joel L'Esperance was the subject of the feature story "'Awesome' opportunity with Stars a dream come true for L'Esperance," in NHL.com.

*****

The Michigan Tech news story "Jobs Versus Death Toll: Calculating Corporate Death Penalties," has been picked up by several national media outlets including "Humanitarian News, Science Blog, EIN News and Democratic Underground.

*****

Michigan Tech was mentioned in "Universities Showcase their Autonomous Efforts at NAIAS, in Concentrate.