July 26, 2021

Today marks the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On this date in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law. This important civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life and ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

The ADA has expanded opportunities for individuals with disabilities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions and increasing full participation in community life. However, the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if everyone remains committed to continuing efforts to fully implement the ADA.

Celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act to recognize the progress that has been made, reaffirm the principles of equality and inclusion, and recommit to efforts for ADA compliance.

Snehamoy Chatterjee and Jeremy Shannon have been appointed to two endowed faculty fellow positions in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES).

Witte Family Endowed Faculty Fellow in Mining Engineering
Chatterjee, associate professor in GMES, has been appointed the new Witte Family Endowed Faculty Fellow in Mining Engineering, a position created to retain and attract highly qualified faculty who are at the top of their profession, inspire students to think beyond the classroom material, and integrate their research into the classroom.

Chatterjee was instrumental in developing GMES’s new interdisciplinary program in mining engineering and now teaches several key courses for this program. He continuously updates his courses to adopt new teaching and technological approaches and incorporates research in his instruction. He is always looking out for students’ best interests by seeking ways for them to participate in research and design projects in order to enhance their learning and professional development.

Carl G. Schwenk Faculty Fellow in Applied Geophysics
Shannon, principal lecturer and undergraduate student advisor in GMES, is the new Carl G. Schwenk Faculty Fellow in Applied Geophysics, a position established to provide students with practical knowledge and intuition that, when combined with exceptional instruction, promotes mobility for an impactful and rewarding career in the field of applied geophysics.

Shannon provides instruction for nearly all courses in the field of applied geophysics and lends his expertise to Senior Design courses and graduate students whose research involves field geophysics. He also maintains GMES’s field geophysics equipment, and has been successful in obtaining funding to purchase new equipment. (During one of Carl Schwenk’s previous visits, Jeremy showed him both our current equipment as well as past equipment that had been in storage, which truly impressed Carl.)

As an academic advisor for GMES’s undergraduate majors, Shannon creates individual plans in order to offer the best academic and professional pathway for that student.

The energy of campus elevates when we welcome our new students and their families to campus each year. This is the 14th year of the Move-In Volunteers initiative, and once again, we invite faculty, staff and current students to help welcome our new students to campus in August during Move-In.

You can help new students and their families by moving a couple of crates, giving directions or being a welcoming face. Volunteer shifts for faculty, staff and students are available on Friday (Aug. 20) and Saturday (Aug. 21).

Please register by Aug. 16 to volunteer. You will be asked when you would like to volunteer, whether you would like to be a Move-In helper or greeter, your contact information and your T-shirt size. Note that you may volunteer for more than one shift.

In keeping with the University's sustainability efforts, we will have a similar Welcome Crew shirt design as past Move-Ins, so you may wear a previous year’s shirt if you already have one. Additional information about your Move-In volunteer shift will be provided by email the week of Aug. 16.

If you have any questions, please contact the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success at success@mtu.edu or 906-487-3558.

Thank you in advance for supporting our new students!

Would you like to reserve the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) Conference Room 202 and adjoining lobby? The reservation can easily be made through the Memorial Union’s online room request form.

New to the request process is a standard setup viewable in the reservation system. Conference Room 202 will be set with classroom-style seating for 54 people and the adjoining 201 lobby with four tall tables. There is no charge to use the space using the standard setup. The room can be customized for your event with a setup/takedown fee of $150.

Please direct questions to the Memorial Union at 906-487-2543 or reservations-l@mtu.edu.

Ph.D. in Chemistry candidate Amna Ijaz (Chem) will hold her dissertation defense in person at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), Room 202, and virtually via Zoom, on Wednesday (July 28) at 1:30 p.m.

Ijaz's dissertation is titled "High-resolution molecular characterization of complex environmental mixtures: Aquatic dissolved organic matter and wildfire-influenced organic aerosol."

Erika Vye (GLRC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $1,200 other sponsored activities contract from Michigan State University.

The project is titled "Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants - MSU."

Erika Vye (GLRC) was quoted in an MLive article on Native American Heritage Fund grants awarded to 11 Michigan school districts and colleges.

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Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Program in aviation, offered in conjunction with the Civil Air Patrol, was the subject of a WJMN Local 3 feature.

Get Vaccinated, Continue Washing and Sanitizing Hands

While Michigan Tech is at Health and Safety Level One, face coverings and daily symptom monitoring are no longer required. However, those who wish to continue wearing a face covering are encouraged to do so.

The MTU Flex Task Force also encourages University community members to get their vaccinations and continue with handwashing and hand-sanitizing practices.

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New Traffic Pattern on US-41 Starting Wednesday

Editor's note: This traffic shift was initially planned for today (July 26), but was rescheduled by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Phase 3 of construction for the US-41 Road Project is scheduled to begin Wednesday (July 28), and changes to the traffic pattern will occur.

During Phase 3 of construction:

• US-41 will no longer have two-way traffic.
  • Northbound traffic will be rerouted onto Cliff Drive and around the back of campus.
  • Southbound traffic will be shifted onto the new pavement on the northbound side of the highway.
• Cliff Drive will remain open to two-way traffic.
• All entrances to campus will be open.
  • Vehicles leaving campus via the Hubbell Street entrance near the MUB will only be able to turn left.
  • MacInnes Drive and Cliff Drive entrances will operate normally.
• Northbound vehicles wishing to access parking lots along US-41 will need to use Cliff Drive and loop back with southbound traffic to the Hubbell or MacInnes entrances.

For updates and to view the interactive campus map, visit the US-41 Road Project web page.

Drivers and pedestrians are reminded to stay alert while in and around construction zones, follow all appropriate directions and be aware of changing traffic patterns.

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MS Defense: Darnishia Morris, CLS

M.S. in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors candidate Darnishia Morris (CLS) will be defending her thesis today (July 26) at 4:30 p.m. at the Harold Meese Center in Room 109. All are welcome to attend.

Morris's thesis is titled "Predictors of Academic Performance: The Roles of Self-Compassion, Mental Toughness, Grit, and Self-Reported Stressors on Physics Final Exam Performance."

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MS Defense: Ben Wiegand, ME-EM

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering candidate Ben Wiegand (ME-EM) will defend his thesis today (July 26) at noon in the R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), Room 1021. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Wiegand's thesis is titled "Commissioning and Testing of a New Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber."

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Help Create the 2021 Parade of Nations Scavenger Hunt

Does your organization want to help take the community on a Parade of Nations scavenger hunt? Do you want to spread the word about your country, your culture, your heritage, your traditions, your place in the community or other interesting information?

Help celebrate our multicultural heritage by signing up to be a “hide team” for the 2021 Parade of Nations. The registration form and guidelines for the clues can be found on the Parade of Nations website.  

Hide teams will create clues about a particular country, cultural heritage or local organization that will be hidden around the community. The deadline for hide teams to submit their clues and hiding places is Aug. 23.

On Sept. 7, the Parade of Nations Committee will notify the “hunt teams” that the scavenger hunt has begun and will give those teams the first clues. The clues will then be posted later in the day on the Parade of Nations website for anyone in the community who would like to participate.

The scavenger hunt will run through Sept. 17. Hunt teams must turn in answers by midnight that day. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the parade Sept. 18, but clues will be left up until Oct. 1 for those who still wish to complete the scavenger hunt.

Questions or comments about the Parade of Nations scavenger hunt can be emailed to paradeofnations@mtu.edu.

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WebFOCUS System Maintenance on Saturday

On Saturday (July 31) from 7-11 a.m., WebFOCUS will be unavailable due to production system maintenance.

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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Banner Production System Maintenance on Sunday

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday (Aug. 1) from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• Aspire
• Confluence
• Course Tools
• Cumulus
• Fischer/mylogin.mtu.edu
• Go.Data
• Housing Apartments Wait List
• mtu.edu/tips
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• Papercut Printing
• Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
• Pinnacle
• Sunapsis
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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

Golf Junior Lessons

Monday, July 26, 8 a.m. | Portage Lake Golf Course

Golf Junior Lessons

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New Husky Orientation

Monday, July 26, 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Lakeshore-comm-rm123

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Parent & Child Huskies Group Swim Lessons Summer Session 3

Monday, July 26, 9:00–9:40 a.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash this summer in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent & Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6 months to 3 years...

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Master's Defense: Benjamin Wiegand

Monday, July 26, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), 1021

Mechanical Engineering Advisor: Paulus Van Susante Commissioning and Testing of a New Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber Attend Virtually:...

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PhD Defense: Chenfu Huang

Monday, July 26, 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

Engineering - Environmental Advisor: Pengfei Xue Impacts of Cross-Scale Hydrodynamics on the Great Lakes Coastal System Attend Virtually:...

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Junior Huskies Summer Swim Session 3

Monday, July 26, 4:00 p.m.–4:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash this summer in Junior Huskies Swim Clinic! This program provides additional attention and competitive guidance to proficient swimmers ages 6-17 who are...

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Master's Defense: Seyedmostafa Rezaeitaleshmahalleh

Monday, July 26, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.

Applied Physics Advisor: Ramy El-Ganainy Radial Basis Function Method for Computational Photonics Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/89589861055

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Master's Defense: Darnishia Morris

Monday, July 26, 4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

Applied Cognitive Science & Human Factors Co-advisors: Susan Amato-Henderson and Lorelle Meadows Predictors of Academic Performance: The Roles of Self-Compassion, Mental...

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Adult Huskies Summer Swim Session 3

Monday, July 26, 5:00 p.m.–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Summer Swim provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness...

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UP & Moving Strength Training and High Intensity Interval Training ("HIIT")

Monday, July 26, 5:30 p.m.–6:15 p.m.

We are a group of Michigan Tech graduate students who are focused on improving the health of our community. We are contributing to the COVID-19 response by providing health...

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Music in Sacred Spaces: conScience

July 26, 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...

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PhD Proposal Defense, Chen Zhao, CSE

July 26, all day

Graduate student Chen Zhao will defend his dissertation proposal for the PhD in Computational Science and Engineering Monday, July 26, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. via online...