February 5, 2021

For the fourth time in the last five years, Phi Kappa Tau is the overall winner of the month-long snow statue competition in Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival. This year’s theme is “Our Favorite Cartoons for Snowy Afternoons.” Phi Kappa Tau’s statue, “Futurama,” is located outside the fraternity’s house in Hancock. The statue also won the men’s division.

There were three divisions in the month-long competition — men, women and co-ed. Prizes were awarded to the top three statues in each division. The top three scores among all the statues were placed in the overall month-long category.

Second place in the overall category went to Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Tau Gamma for “Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse.” The fraternity/sorority team also took first place in the co-ed division. Third place overall was awarded to Tau Kappa Epsilon for “Looney Toons.”

Phi Kappa Tau and Tau Kappa Epsilon placed one-two respectively in the men’s division. Third place was Delta Sigma Phi for “Pokemon.” Lambda Chi Alpha finished in fourth followed by Army ROTC.

Read the full story on mtu.edu/news

With winter weather upon us, this is a reminder that now is a good time for departments to discuss procedures for communication regarding weather-related absences.

During times when weather conditions deteriorate, each person within the University community must exercise personal judgment about their ability to get to or from campus. Interruptions in work due to weather are no different from other events that cause us to leave work early or arrive late.

The first thing employees should do is contact their supervisor directly and explain the situation. Hourly employees may use vacation or comp time to make up for the hours missed due to bad weather. Exempt employees would be expected to fulfill their regular job responsibilities.

For questions or concerns, employees should contact Renee Hiller, Director of Human Resources, or call 7-2280.

During spring 2017, academic deans were asked to begin recognizing instructors making contributions in these areas as part of the Deans’ Teaching Showcase, effectively nominating them for instructional awards.

CTL and Provost’s office members along with previous awardees then select one individual in each category from a pool composed of the Showcase and those nominated to the Academy of Teaching Excellence.

The 2020-2021 CTL instructional Award for Innovative or Out of Class Teaching is being presented to two instructors, Libby Meyer and Leo Ureel. The presentations "Beyond Carrots and Sticks: Mastery Based Grading and Narrative Assessment" by Meyer and "Three course innovations to support communication" by Ureel will be presented at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18.

To register for this event and receive the Zoom link to the presentation, register here.

New College of Computing Dean Dennis Livesay will hold virtual open office hours from 3 to 4 p.m. every Friday beginning today (Feb. 5).

All faculty, staff, and students who wish to chat with Dean Livesay are invited to "stop in" to this weekly Zoom meeting. Appointments are not needed. 

Join the meeting here.

Since 1972, Summer Youth Programs (SYP) at Michigan Tech has offered students in grades 6-11 a variety of hands-on explorations in engineering, science, technology, computer science, business, design, and the humanities.

From college and career discovery to academic immersion, SYP is a fantastic mini college experience that packs a ton of learning, experimenting, and fun into each day.

Around 50 programs are offered, along with several scholarship opportunities, and run weekly from June 20-Aug. 7. In addition, if any Michigan Tech staff or faculty have children in college (other universities welcome) that are interested in learning more about our summer staffing opportunities on campus please visit the employment page of our website.

Timothy Havens (CC), has been appointed the first Conference Publication Editor of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE CIS). Havens will serve as the editor-in-chief for all publications of IEEE CIS conferences, including the flagship conferences IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE), IEEE Congress Evolutionary Computation (IEEE CEC), IEEE World Congress Computational Intelligence (WCCI), and IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI).

Read the blog post. 

Looking for something new to stay active? Sign up now for OAP Open Log Rolling and test your skills on the log. Instruction and materials provided. We will be in the water between four and nine-feet deep, with lifeguards on duty during the event.

We try to meet each participant at their level and encourage them to challenge themselves. Most new rollers can pick up the basics in a one-hour session, though many come back each week to practice.

The focus will be on balance, foot movement and core strength — the more you do it the better you will get.

Open to ages five and up. No experience necessary. Must be able to swim at least 10 yards unassisted. The first session is 8 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 9) at the SDC pool so come dressed in a swimsuit and bring a towel.

Sessions run from 8 to 10 p.m.Tuesdays on the following dates:

• February 9, 16, 23,
• March 2, 16, 23, 30,
• April 13, 20, 27

Free to Michigan Tech Students, SDC Members — $5, General Public — $10. Pre-registration required. Visit Open Log Rolling for more information or to register.

Is your child literally climbing the walls this winter? Sign up today for the OAP Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Class and let them climb our wall. There are wo sessions left to choose from this spring with two class options each session: Feb. 15-25 and March 15-25. Monday-Thursday, 4 - 4:50 p.m. or 5 - 5:50 p.m.

Ages five and up. The cost is $75/participant per session (includes equipment). Class size is limited and based on social distancing. Registration for Session 2 closes on Friday, FEB. 12.

For more information or to register, visit Youth Indoor Rock Climbing.

What is white privilege? In some ways, it’s easier to understand what it’s not rather than what it is. It’s not an outright denial that white people have never struggled nor does it assume that everything a white person has accomplished is unearned.

Rather, white privilege refers to an ingrained knowledge, often invisible to those who have always had it, that’s distinct from abilities, efforts, or income. That knowledge (or familiarity) allows some to navigate a situation with ease, while those without that prior knowledge struggle.

Today’s edition of the ADVANCE Weekly Roundup comes from tolerance.org and unpacks this “double whammy” term that often inspires pushback. It acknowledges that “white privilege exists because of historic, enduring racism and biases,” explores the history of the term, and offers suggestions for what to do once white privilege has been recognized. This article brings to the forefront a critical concept for furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion.

If you have an article you think we should feature, please email it to advance-mtu@mtu.edu and we will consider adding it to the ADVANCE Weekly Roundup.

The ADVANCE Weekly Roundup is brought to you by ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, which is an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These articles are available on the ADVANCE Newsblog (https://blogs.mtu.edu/advance/).

To learn more about this week’s topic, our mission, programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, contact us at or visit our website.

Michigan Tech Hockey continues its seven-game road trip for a pair of non-conference games at Alabama-Huntsville tonight and tomorrow (Feb. 5/6). The puck drops at 8:07 p.m. tonight and 6:07 p.m. tomorrow.

 Tech swept UAH last month in Houghton to begin WCHA play with 4-0 and 2-1 victories. The Huskies began the week with a  6-4 win at Ferris State. They'll complete the series Tuesday (Feb. 9).

All games are broadcast on local radio on 93.5 FM, and live streamed on Mix93 WKMJ and Pasty.net.

Job Posting for Friday, February 5, 2021  

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available in Human Resources. For more information regarding staff positions, call 487-2280 or email mtujobs@mtu.edu.  

For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Building Mechanic II (12 months/ 40 hours/ 2nd Shift), Athletics and Recreation Operations. AFSCME posting 2/5/2021 - 2/11/2021. External applicants will not be reviewed until after all internal applicants. Apply online. 

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment, or for an interview, at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or mtujobs@mtu.edu.

Written by Sarah Green, Chemistry Department Chair

I am delighted to put forward a star chemistry instructor, Senior Lecturer Andrew Galerneau, for the Dean’s Teaching Showcase. Andrew is consistently (actually always) in the top 10% of instructors identified by the Provost.

Andrew typically teaches large courses in difficult subjects like first year chemistry (second semester) and organic chemistry. These courses have enrollments of 150-250 students each term. In addition, he teaches a professional development course for chemistry majors (CH1130). Finally, he supervises the organic chemistry lab, where he teaches graduate teaching assistants how to teach (though that doesn’t appear as official teaching) as well as designing and organizing the lab activities.

Andrew’s student evaluations for these large classes are always higher than 4.5 (7 dimensions); for organic chemistry, they have exceeded 4.7 for three years in a row, including Covid-impacted fall 2020. Andrew employs the Mazur method (Peer Instruction) to increase his teaching effectiveness. He has been a leader in applying “gamification” techniques to his organic chemistry course, including extensive interactive Canvas activities. Students really like the good-natured (often anonymized) competition in CH2410.

Andrew is a regular participant in webinars on teaching and teaching technology, both on campus through the CTL and beyond. In the past year, he has joined at least 10 such sessions. Beyond just attending, Andrew actively tries out new methods to challenge and engage students. Andrew’s self-reflective comments show that he is constantly evaluating what works, what doesn’t, and what could be improved. The chemistry department, and Michigan Tech, are lucky to have such an innovative and dedicated instructor.

College of Sciences and Arts dean David Hemmer clearly affirms this selection. In his words, "Having outstanding instructors like Andrew in large, often required, classes is critical for student success and retention at Tech. Thinking back to my own experience taking organic chemistry, I find it simply incredible that Andrew can earn such stellar evaluations in such a difficult class!”

Galerneau will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other showcase members, and is also a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series (to be determined this summer) recognizing introductory or large-class teaching, innovative or outside the classroom teaching methods, or work in curriculum and assessment.

Fill Out the COVID-19 Symptom Tracking Form Before Coming to Campus

If you are working on campus while the University is at Health Safety Level Three, remember that no one is permitted to come to campus with symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

Employees are required to monitor their symptoms daily before coming to campus. The Daily Symptom Tracking Form is a short form that will help you determine if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

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SURF Applications Due February 12

Applications for 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor.

SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000.

For more information and access to the application materials and instructions, visit the SURF webpage or contact Paige Hackney.

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Printing System Unavailable During Maintenance

On Sunday (Feb. 7), between 6 a.m. and noon, Michigan Tech IT will perform necessary system maintenance on the campus Papercut printing system.

Printing will be unavailable during that time, and HuskyPrint stations will not be able to queue up print jobs. Please contact Michigan Tech IT if you encounter printing issues after this maintenance.

We can help. If you have any questions, contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.

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Winter Carnival Comedian Steve-O Tonight

To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.

DENALI: Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness

Friday, February 5, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Gallery A-Space

Friday, Jan. 22 - Saturday, April 17. Art and music inspired by Alaska's wild places. This gallery exhibit features new musical compositions and works created in response to...

UP and Moving - Yoga

Friday, February 5, 9:00–9:45 a.m.

Michigan Tech students in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology are offering an "UP and Moving" initiative for campus and community members. UP and Moving...

Creating Career Confidence

Friday, February 5, 10–11 a.m.

Wishing you had a little more confidence for your job search, interviews, future work relationships and more? This workshop will focus on building confidence, self-care during...

Tug-o-War

Friday, February 5, 10 a.m. | Recreational Sports Fields (Softball, Baseball)

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome. Teams of eight (8) will compete at the SDC...

Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

Friday, February 5, 12:30 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome. Skiing Teams with a maximum of five participants...

Human Dog Sled Race

Friday, February 5, 1 p.m. | Recreational Sports Fields (Softball, Baseball)

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome. Race to the finish line in this 100 yard snowy...

PhD Defense: Timothy Wagner

Friday, February 5, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

Mathematical Sciences Advisor: Fabrizio Zanello Integer Partitions Under Certain Finiteness Conditions Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/81950053513

Chat & Chill Group

Friday, February 5, 3 p.m.–5 p.m.

We used to be the board game group. Then COVID... Now, we just chat and chill, and someday, we hope to meet in person again. For now, the goal is to relax, meet new friends,...

Snowboarding

Friday, February 5, 3 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. This event will be conducted in the style of border cross where competitors race down a course to the finish...

Ice Mass

Friday, February 5, 5:30 p.m. | St. Albert the Great Ice Chapel on the Lawn

Join us for mass during Winter Carnival. There will be chili served after each service.

Steve-O Q&A

Friday, February 5, 9 p.m.–10 p.m. | Online

Come celebrate Winter Carnival with us and Steve-O! Blue Key and Late Night Programming are hosting a virtual Q&A session with the man, the myth, the legend.. Steve-O! Join us...

DENALI: Music and Art Inspired by Wilderness

February 5, all day

What do you get when you set nine composers loose in Denali National Park? You get nine great pieces of music! Give this music to artists as inspiration and you get eighteen...

Winter Carnival

February 5, all day | Michigan Tech Campus

Organized by Blue Key National Honor Society since 1934, Winter Carnival started in 1922 and has grown to become one of the largest annual winter festivals in the nation....