May 5, 2021

As we transition to the summer, the associate vice president for research development group would like to remind our research community that Michigan Tech remains at Campus Health and Safety Level Three. We anticipate shifting to Level Two at any point and will be back in touch with you when and if that happens. Additional information about the current campus Health and Safety Level and campuswide guidelines for each level can be found on the MTU Flex site. 

Researchers who will be engaging in activities this summer are reminded to review the pandemic research guidance available on the Michigan Tech Research COVID-19 web page. There, you will find a helpful matrix outlining resources, links to guidance and acceptable activities at each Health and Safety Level.

Also available is a detailed checklist that provides guidance for most situations (e.g., cleaning protocols, travel considerations, lab capacities, guidelines for research with human or animal subjects) that researchers may encounter.

Should the University change its campus Health and Safety Level during the summer, these guidance documents will be updated and disseminated widely to the research community.

Any questions can be directed to Research Integrity (RI) at researchintegrity@mtu.edu or Research Integrity staff.

Michigan Tech's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is now officially the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering.

The name change reflects the inclusion of two degrees in the department: the Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Engineering (formerly Surveying Engineering) and the Master of Science in Integrated Geospatial Technology. Additionally, the department welcomed faculty primarily associated with those degrees — Jeffery Hollingsworth, Joseph Foster and Eugene Levin — two years ago when the programs moved from the School of Technology to the department.

Department Chair Audra Morse said the name change is significant. "The undergraduate and graduate geospatial programs and associated faculty bring together the essential knowledge and skills needed by our graduates to design and create the world we live in," said Morse. "The inclusion of 'geospatial' in the department name is a symbol of the integrated relationship that will benefit our students' education and the research we conduct now and in the future."

Morse said the name change process was initiated by faculty members and included student, staff and alumni stakeholders.

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a study exploring how people may interact with future augmented reality (AR) interfaces.

During the study, you will record videos of yourself tapping on a printed keyboard. The study takes approximately one hour, and you will be paid $15 for your time. You will complete the study at your home.

To participate, you must meet the following requirements:
You must have access to an Android mobile phone.
You must have access to a printer.
You must be a fluent speaker of English.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
You must live in the United States.

If you would like to take part, please contact Reza Habibi at rhabibi@mtu.edu.

Michigan Tech's A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum is among the highest-rated specialty museums in the state according to Tripadvisor.

The list, titled "The Highest-rated specialty museums in Michigan, according to Tripadvisor," was compiled by Stacker. According to Stacker, specialty museums are particularly focused, diving deep into highly specific subject matters. 

A total of 30 museums made the list, with the mineral museum coming in at No. 14. Detroit's Motown Museum was No. 1 on the list.

Join in these upcoming seed starting and plant events with partners of the Western UP Food Systems Collaborative!

May 12, 4-6 p.m. — Seed Starting Party at Porvoo Park in Hancock
Join the Portage Lake Seed Library in starting seeds for your home garden. Participants will receive free seed starting kits. Free event, open to all.

May 15, 1-3 p.m. — Garden Sign Making & Compost Share at Ray Kestner Park in Houghton
Join the Growing from the Heart community food growing and sharing program as we make Growing from the Heart signs for home gardens, learn to break down pallets for sign making, and connect to share the abundance of local foods with one another this summer. Sign-making supplies will be provided. Extra old scrap wood for signs, a crowbar and a hammer/nails are helpful but not required. Bring containers to take home compost donated by the Sustainability Demonstration House. Free event, open to all.

May 29, 1-4 p.m. — Plant Sale at Pewabic St. Community Garden in Houghton
Fundraiser selling indoor and outdoor plants to benefit the programs of Pewabic St. Community Garden, located at  204 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton. 

May 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Garden Market at Calumet Art Center in Calumet
Art sale and plant sharing/swap at the center, located at 57055 5th St., Calumet. Social distancing and masks will be required at all events. 

Thanks to Pewabic St. Community Garden, Calumet Art Center, Portage Lake Seed Library, Growing from the Heart and Portage Health Foundation for their collaboration in planning these events. Special thanks to the MTU students enrolled in SS 3090 Undergraduate Program for Exploration and Research in Social Sciences (UPERSS) course for their leadership and contributions to these events.

Michigan Tech is a partner of the Western UP Food Systems Collaborative, a grassroots community effort working to create a supportive, interconnected and equitable food system across our region through service and stewardship for the well-being of our earth, air and water, and all living beings.

For more info, visit wupfoodsystems.com.

The Graduate School proudly announces the recipients of the Doctoral Finishing Fellowships and The DeVlieg Foundation Award for the summer 2021 semester.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship Award recipients:
Sri Ram Kumar Valluri
Sandip Aryal
Daniel J. Byrne  
Joshua Chase
Rajput Oudumbar
Nathan D. Spike
Dominic M. Uhelski

The DeVlieg Foundation 2021 Summer Research Award in Biology/Wildlife recipient:
Michelle C. Kelly

Congratulations to all nominees and recipients. Read more information on the awardees who provided bios on the Graduate School Newsblog.

The Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (CoE) and the College of Computing inducted two Michigan Tech students into Michigan Tech's Delta Zeta Chapter of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society on April 23.

Epsilon Pi Tau is the international honor society for professions in technology, recognizing students and technology professionals for academic excellence. This spring, a virtual induction ceremony was held between Michigan Tech (Delta Zeta Chapter) and the University of Southern Maine (Beta Xi Chapter).

Delta Zeta Chapter's Spring 2021 Epsilon Pi Tau initiates:
Joseph Horne (CNSA)
Thomas Power (MMET)

For more information, contact Delta Zeta Chapter trustee John Irwin (MMET) at jlirwin@mtu.edu or co-trustee Todd Arney (CoC) at toarney@mtu.edu, or visit Epsilon Pi Tau's website.

The Health Research Institute is pleased to announce the Spring 2021 Portage Health Foundation Research Excellence Fund (PHF-REF) awards.

We would like to thank the reviewers, deans, department chairs and applicants for their efforts on this internal award process.

PHF-REF Research Seed Grant (PHF-REF-RS) recipients:
Xiaochu Ding (Chem)
Trisha Sain (ME-EM)  
Hyeun Joong Yoon (BioMed) 

PHF-REF Mid-Career Grant (PHF-REF-MC) recipient:
Xiaoqing Tang (BioSci)

More information about REF awards and the application process can be found on the Research Excellence Fund page.

Are you interested in taking your innovative idea, technology or processes commercial? Husky Innovate is hosting a Summer 2021 Innovation Corps (I-Corps) National Science Foundation (NSF) workshop series designed to help participants advance their research ideas toward additional funding or outside adoption.

Entrepreneurially minded graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community teams are invited to join the I-Corps Michigan Tech Site Program’s Lean Startup fall cohort. The site program is structured around lean startup teaching methods and principles used by NSF's national I-Corps program, which fosters entrepreneurship based in technology commercialization.

Michigan Tech and affiliate institution teams who complete the five-week workshop and customer discovery process are eligible for a $2,500 mini grant for continued customer discovery and prototyping supplies, and continued participation in the I-Corps program, which includes $50,000 in funding and additional training.

Participation in the workshop can lead to qualification for research and other funding from several granting agencies, including the NSF I-Corps and SBIR/STTR/PFI programs and various state and regional programs.

Past participants have reported that they saved time and money by better understanding potential applications of their technology, experienced improved engagement with teams and improved their ability to receive add-on funding.

Our summer cohort will meet online via Zoom on the following dates:
• Aug. 23, 4-8 p.m.
• Aug. 30, 4-6 p.m.
• Sept. 13, 4-6 p.m.
• Sept. 20, 4-8 p.m.

To participate, please register online. After registration is complete, a Zoom link will be sent via a Google Calendar invite.

Sarah Dowd was recently named the senior woman administrator (SWA) for the Michigan Tech Huskies. She will continue her role as the director of student-athlete wellness and clinical counselor, a position she has held since July 2019. 

With the appointment, Dowd becomes the second-highest-ranking female in the Michigan Tech athletic department, behind Director of Athletics Suzanne Sanregret.

"I'm excited to continue to support our student-athletes within this additional role," Dowd said. "I'm incredibly thankful to Suzanne for entrusting me to take on these added responsibilities. I look forward to working with the rest of our administrative team towards opportunities for growth and continued success within our department."

The SWA position was created in 1981 by the NCAA to promote meaningful representation of women in the leadership and management of college sports.

Read more on the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Fill Out the COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring 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 for symptoms daily before coming to campus using the Daily Symptom Monitoring Form.

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

Titleist Demo Day

Wednesday, May 5, 3 p.m.–7 p.m. | Portage Lake Golf Course

Titleist Demo Day

Adult Huskies Group Tennis Lessons Spring Session 3

Wednesday, May 5, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Gates Tennis Center

Adult Huskies Tennis Lessons are now being offered for ages 17 and up who are looking to learn more about the game of tennis! Each class will include technique and games to...

Art in a Panorama

May 5, all day

Year end virtual art show by students in FA 2300 Art + Design, taught by Terri Frew. Student Artists include, Bethany Hellman, Michelle Kline, Danelle Leinonen, Kylie Mogen,...

Music in Sacred Spaces: conScience

May 5, all day

conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jared Anderson, present a series of three recorded mini-concerts in historic sacred spaces in the Copper...

Superior Wind Symphony: Reparations

May 5, all day

The Superior Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Michael Christianson, use the unique setting of the 2020-21 academic year to explore the music of Black composers in a...