Update to COVID-19 Vaccine Protocol

As COVID-19 vaccines become more available, the MTU Flex Task Force looks to update the Michigan Tech Community on the status of vaccine distribution. New updates to our Health and Safety Levels protocol will go into effect tomorrow (March 5), including guidance for vaccinated persons.

How is vaccine distribution being prioritized?

Prioritization is set by the State of Michigan and includes these priority groups:

  • 1A — Health care workers and long-term care residents and employees.
  • 1B — Those age 75+; prioritized frontline responders; pre-K-12 school and child care staff; corrections staff; agriculture and food processing workers; other essential frontline workers.
  • 1C — Persons age 65-74; those age 18-64 with COVID-19 risk factors/pre-existing conditions; and all remaining essential workers.
  • 2 — Everyone else.

The State of Michigan has determined that those 65 and older may receive the vaccine at this time. Of the 1C group, only ages 65-74 are currently being vaccinated, with vaccination running concurrently with the top of the 1B group. The governor is also expanding eligibility to individuals over 50 with health risks or those who care for someone with health risks effective March 8. On March 20, eligibility will be extended to all those 50 and over.

What is the timeline for vaccinations?

The State is hoping to move to the remainder of the 1B group and those in 1C with preexisting conditions on or around May 1. It is also planning to be able to offer the vaccine to the remainder of 1C this summer, with Phase 2 hopefully beginning in late summer. 

Will the University be vaccinating employees?

Information regarding vaccine clinics will be provided to supervisors as their employees become eligible and the vaccine is available. However, employees do not need to wait for a vaccine clinic on our campus — they may obtain the vaccine elsewhere. Information on how to obtain the vaccine is available from several sources. Additional information is available at Copper Country Strong

In addition, veterans may be able to obtain a vaccine through the VA and tribal members may be eligible to receive vaccine through their tribal health program. Providers tell us that additional slots are opening up all the time, so if you are 65+ and have not yet been vaccinated, you should be able to get in soon.

Remember, Michigan Tech is not requiring employees or students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no need to report your vaccination to the University if you receive it at a location other than a Michigan Tech vaccine clinic. We want to make the vaccine widely available to all of our students, faculty and staff as soon as possible, and we will continue to make this a priority as long as the need remains.

What should I do after I have been vaccinated?

Beginning tomorrow (March 5), MTU employees and students who have received all recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior should follow these protocols:  

  • Continue to complete the Daily Symptom Tracking Form prior to coming to campus.
  • Continue to wear a face covering on campus and follow other campuswide health and safety protocols and guidelines.
  • If you come into close contact with a person known or suspected to have COVID-19, and you do not have symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine or report your contact, and you may come to campus, unless advised otherwise by your health care provider or the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department.
  • At any time, if you experience symptoms of COVID-19, you need to remain away from campus until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and any other symptoms are improving. 

All questions should be directed to mtuflex@mtu.edu.

Christopher Sanders Named Multicultural Student Success Coordinator in CDI

Christopher Sanders has been named multicultural student success coordinator in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Sanders earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Communication/athletic coaching and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Central Michigan University. 

Sanders brings to CDI considerable experience working with underrepresented students and students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. While at CMU, Sanders served as a graduate assistant in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity, working with the Pathways to Academic Success Program.

Prior to coming to Michigan Tech, Sanders worked for Distinctive Schools, a charter school in Detroit, serving as community care lead in the Plymouth Educational Center.

In his new position, Sanders will develop and administer CDI programs and oversee efforts that contribute to the retention and success of students from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds.

Additionally, he will manage the MiCUP Scholars summer STEM research program, which includes recruiting of community college participants, supervising the student coordinator and overseeing documentation of the program.

In the position, Sanders will also advise Black and Indigenous students, students of color and LGBTQIA+ student populations. Sanders is expected to begin his new position Monday (March 8).

OERs at Michigan Tech

Did you know OERs are in use at Michigan Tech? Both adopted and self-created OERs are used in several courses covering subjects like physics, composition and engineering fundamentals.

Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech is home to OERs created at Michigan Tech, including Bryophyte Ecology, Printing 3D Models for Chemistry, and The Encyclopedia of North American Drosophilids, Volumes 1 and 2.

These works have been downloaded globally 105,500 times in the past year, demonstrating both local and international demand. The authors of The Encyclopedia of North American Drosophilids and Scholarly Communications and Repositories Librarian, Annelise Doll will discuss their OER journey at 4 p.m. today (March 4) via Zoom. Register to join us!

TIAA & Fidelity Virtual Retirement Counseling Sessions Available

TIAA is offering virtual retirement counseling sessions on the following days:

  • Friday, March 12
  • Friday March 19

If you'd like to schedule an appointment with TIAA, call 800-732-8353 or book an appointment online.

Fidelity is offering virtual retirement counseling sessions on the following days:

  • Tuesday, March 16
  • Thursday, March 25

To schedule an appointment with Fidelity call 800-642-7131 or book an appointment online.

Sustainable and Resilience Communities Social Network and Research Collaborative March Event

You’re invited! Please join us for the next Sustainable and Resilient Communities Social Network and Research Collaborative (SRC-Squared) event at 1 p.m. Thursday March 18. This month’s SRC-Squared event will focus on opportunities to connect sustainability and resilience research with campus activities as well as student groups, organizations, and enterprises. We will hear from two members of the MTU facilities staff leadership, Larry Hermanson (Director of Energy Management and co-interim Director of Facilities Administration & Planning) and Dan Liebau (Facilities Site Engineer), along with representatives from seven student entities (groups, organizations, and enterprises). Each will provide a short introduction so that most of our session can be focused on active dialogue around questions, ideas, and potential opportunities for connecting research with campus facilities and student activities.

Zoom meeting information below. If you have any questions or you'd like to be added to this Calendar event for SRC-Squared, please contact Chelsea Schelly.

Topic: SRC-SQUARED Time: Mar 18, 2021 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (US and Canada)

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/81748755098

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799

Meeting ID: 817 4875 5098

International numbers available: https://michigantech.zoom.us/u/kdYERCDOZb

Or an H.323/SIP room system:

H.323:

  • 162.255.37.11 (US West)
  • 162.255.36.11 (US East)
  • 115.114.131.7 (India Mumbai)
  • 115.114.115.7 (India Hyderabad)
  • 213.19.144.110 (Amsterdam Netherlands)
  • 213.244.140.110 (Germany)
  • 103.122.166.55 (Australia Sydney)
  • 103.122.167.55 (Australia Melbourne)
  • 64.211.144.160 (Brazil)
  • 69.174.57.160 (Canada Toronto)
  • 65.39.152.160 (Canada Vancouver)

Biological Sciences Seminar Today

The next Biological Sciences Seminar Spring 2021 takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. today (March 4) via Zoom.

Qing-Hui Chen (KIP/BioSci/BioMed) will present "The Neural Mechanisms of Sympathetic Activation and Cardiovascular Diseases."

Abstract: Elevated sympathetic outflow is an important contributor to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Evidence indicates that dysfunction within the central nervous system contributes to the elevated sympathetic outflow in these cardiovascular diseases. Despite this knowledge, little is known concerning the central mechanisms responsible for the hyper-sympathetic outflow among these diseases.

We have recently demonstrated that small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels play an important role in limiting excitability in autonomic PVN neurons and sympathetic outflow and that a reduced SK current among these PVN neurons enhances their excitability in these neurons and sympathetic outflow in SSH. Understanding the cellular/molecular mechanisms of down-regulation of SK channels is an important step in developing novel approaches to decrease sympathetic outflow in SSH, which would be beneficial to the prevention and treatment of salt retention-related cardiovascular diseases including SSH and CHF.

Engineering Fundamentals - Chair Candidate Seminar

By Amy Monte, Engineering Fundamentals and Search Committee

The Department of Engineering Fundamentals is conducting an internal search for a new department chair. The final interview candidate is Chee-Wooi Ten. The search committee invites the campus community to join us for Chee-Wooi Ten’s seminar at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Friday, March 5) via Zoom.

Seminar Topic: The candidate’s vision and five-year plan for improving the Department of Engineering Fundamentals' First-Year Engineering Program and Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree.

Zoom links and recordings of Ten’s seminar and the feedback survey (due March 9) will be located on the EF Chair Candidate site.

The seminars, recordings, and surveys are limited to users with an MTU ISO login.

Biomedical Engineering Seminar

The next Biomedical Engineering Seminar takes place at 10 a.m. Wednesday (March 10) via Zoom (passcode 342631).

Paul (Seung Yup) Lee will present "Light-based Sensors for Monitoring Localized Tissue Health."

Lee is an associate research scientist at The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University.

Abstract: Cancer and cardiovascular disease are the top leading causes of death worldwide. Early detection plays a pivotal role for improved outcomes. Organ-specific microvascular monitoring holds great promise to catch early alterations in tissue morphology, physiology and metabolic status. Unfortunately, in vivo real-time monitoring of these microvascular metrics is often challenging due to the lack of affordable and non-invasive medical devices.

Non-invasive, label-free, light-based sensing technologies offer a possible cost-effective solution to this urgent clinical need. In this talk, Lee will discuss two specific examples of how light-based sensing can aid in clinical diagnostics:

  1.  Pancreatic cancer detection
  2. Stroke screening in pediatric sickle cell disease

Tech Women's Basketball Takes on Davenport in GLIAC Quarterfinals Today

Michigan Tech women's basketball (17-1, 17-1) earned the No. 1 seed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament and will play No. 8 seed Davenport (6-13, 5-13) in the quarterfinals at noon today (March 4) at Dworkin Center in Westville, Indiana. The game will be broadcast by the conference on jedtv.com and can be listened to on 93.5 FM and pasty.net

Davenport defeated Northern Michigan 61-45 in the first round of the tournament Tuesday to earn the right to play the Huskies. Michigan Tech was ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division II this week by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and is on a 15-game win streak, just three victories short of the program record.

The Huskies defeated Davenport in a pair of games at home 80-58 Feb. 12, followed by 83-61 Feb. 13.

 NEWS AND NOTES:

  • The NCAA Division II women's basketball selection show is scheduled for Sunday, March 7 at 10:00 p.m. via NCAA web stream.
  • GLIAC Tournament Information can be found HERE.
  • GLIAC Fan Policy and Format can be found HERE.

Men's Basketball in GLIAC Quarterfinals

Michigan Tech men's basketball (12-6) earned the No. 3 seed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tournament and will play No. 6 seed Purdue Northwest (8-8) at 9:45 p.m. today (March 4) at PNW Fitness and Recreation Center in Hammond, Indiana.

The game will be broadcast by the conference on jedtv.com and can be listened to on 93.5 FM and pasty.net

If the Huskies win, they play again at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow (March 5) in the semifinals. The GLIAC Men's Championship is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday (March 7).

Last season, Michigan Tech defeated Northwood to win the conference tournament. The NCAA Midwest Regional tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19 health concerns.

Bliss and Pietila are Hoby Baker Candidates

Trenton Bliss and Blake Pietila of the Michigan Tech hockey team are candidates for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey's top player. Initial fan voting is open on the Hobey Baker website.

Bliss is a junior from Appleton, Wisconsin, and is a candidate for the second year in a row. He has a team-high 24 points this season with 11 goals and 13 assists. Bliss went on a seven-game point streak from February 2-16 where he tallied four goals and four assists. The Huskies are 7-3 when he scores and 10-1 when he notches an assist.

Pietila is a sophomore from Howell, Michigan. He has started 18 games in his second season and leads the WCHA with a .939 save percentage to rank fourth nationally and is also fourth in the country with a 1.65 goals-against average. His 14 wins rank fifth nationally and his three shutouts rank seventh.

Pietila is also a finalist for the 2021 Mike Richter Award and was named the HCA National Goaltender of the Month for December.

Phase two of fan balloting will come from the list of Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists beginning March 18 and closing March 28. The fans' vote accounts for a full one percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award recipient.

Key Hobey Baker dates for include:

  • Top Ten list of finalists:  March 17
  • Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists:  April 1
  • Hobey Baker Award announcement:  April 9

Job Postings

Job Postings for Thursday, March 4, 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. 

Budget Coordinator/Office Manager, Physics.  Apply online

Administrative Aide 8, Career Services. UAW internal and external posting, 3/4/21 - 3/10/21. External applications will only be reviewed after internal applications. 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.

New Funding

Yu Cai (CC/ICC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $957,943 other sponsored activities grant from the National Science Foundation. The project is entitled, "CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service Program at Michigan Tech."

Jean Mayo (CS/ICC), Todd Arney (CC/ICC), Bo Chen (CS/ICC) and Chee-Wooi Ten (ECE/ICC) are Co-PI's on this potential five-year project.

Reminders

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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Physics Colloquium Today

The next Physics Colloquium will take place at 4 p.m. today (March 4). Department of Physics PhD candidates, Elise Rosky [co-advisors: Will Cantrell and Raymond Shaw] and Sambhawana Sharma [co-advisors: Yoke Khin Yap and Dongyan Zhang], will present their research progress..

Titles and abstracts of the presentations can be viewed here. Please join via Zoom.

If you haven't registered for the weekly Physics Colloquium series in the past, please register in advance for this event.

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ME-EM Graduate Seminar Speaker Today

The next virtual Graduate Seminar Speaker will be held at 4 p.m. today, (March 4) via Zoom. Patrick Musgrave will present “Bio-inspired propulsion using traveling waves: The development and implementation of Structure-Borne Traveling Waves.” Musgrave is a research scientist within the Naval Center for Space Technology at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC.

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Webinar on Visa Issues and CPT/OPT Today

Most international students plan their OPT when they get closer to graduation. Some graduate international students are aware of how OPT/ CPT works, while many have questions about it.

The Graduate Student Government decided to create a platform for international students to discuss their Visa issues and OPT/CPT issues with IPS and Career services. A webinar will be hosted at 4 p.m. today (March 4) via Zoom. Machel Borsum from IPS and Beth Williams from Career Services will lead the discussion and answer your questions.  Attendance is not limited, but please register.

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Upcoming Downtime for mylogin.mtu.edu Sunday

From 7 a.m. to noon on Sunday (Mar. 7), mylogin.mtu.edu will be unavailable due to a system update.

During this time, password resets will be unavailable. If you have any questions, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.

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Mid-Career Mentoring

Mid-career mentoring is important for career advancement. Associate level faculty are invited to an open “social hour” with volunteer senior faculty mentors to talk about career issues and opportunities.

The Advanced Career Management (ACM) Mentoring Support Guides will be facilitating Zoom breakout room discussions from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16.

This event is open to all mid-career faculty; you do not have to have participated in the ACM groups to attend this event. Topics for discussion include leveraging opportunities; making the most of sabbaticals; applying for fellowships or grants; research with undergraduate and graduate students; commercializing your research; and managing stress and work/life demands.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own topics to the discussion as well. The ACM Mentoring Guides are professors Will Cantrell, Rupali Datta, Shiyue Fang, Hugh Gorman, Judith Perlinger, and Raymond Shaw.

Registration is required. Email pjsotiri@mtu.edu for the Zoom meeting ID. ACM is one of three initiatives managed by ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, an NSF-funded project dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion. See the ADVANCE ACM webpage for more information.

Today's Campus Events

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

DENALI: Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness

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...

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UP and Moving - Circuit Workout

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...

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Master's Defense: Alexis Pascaris

Environmental & Energy Policy Advisor: Chelsea Schelly The Social Dimensions of a Technological Innovation: Agrivoltaics in the U.S. Attend Virtually:...

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Bio. Sci. Seminar - Dr. Chen

Here is the link to see the recorded seminar of Dr. Chen. Link:...

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Master's Defense: Stephania Vaglica

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Andrew Barnard Carbon Nanotube Thermo phones as Duct Noise Cancelling Speakers: A Look at New Technology with Old Theories Attend...

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Bio-inspired Propulsion Using Traveling Waves

The Development and Implementation of Structure-Borne Traveling Waves ME-EM Virtual Graduate Seminar Speaker Series proudly presents Patrick Musgrave, PhD U.S. Naval...

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Bonfire Hangouts

Starting to feel that 'cabin fever' set in (maybe since last March even...)? Get outside and warm up with us!

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Free the Fruit Flies! An Open Education Journey

Michigan Technological University's Van Pelt and Opie Library invites you to celebrate Open Education Week. Join us for a lively and informative discussion with the authors...

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Physics Colloquium - Graduate Student Presentations

Thursday, March 4 @ 4pm – Zoom Elise Rosky [Co-Advisors: Will Cantrell, Raymond Shaw] will present: Simulations of Homogeneous Ice Nucleation Under Negative...

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Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons Spring Session 2

Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons are now being offered all spring. The second session is 6 weeks, February 23 - April 3. Options for participating 1 or 2 days a week. Our...

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Husky Hobbies - Crochet Basics

You won't want to miss this super fun session with Makala, as she teaches you the basics of crochet. Crochet tools and materials are often-times easy to find and are usually...

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OAP Evening Snowshoe Hikes

Just because the sun sets early doesn’t mean you can’t get out and play! Sign up now for the OAP Evening Snowshoe Hikes and experience winter in the dark! Clear skies or...

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Residence Life

Trying to fill out your housing form and not sure what options are best for you? Want to know what it is like living on campus? Our housing department is here to help answer...

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DENALI: Music and Art Inspired by Wilderness

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...