August 9, 2021

In addition to providing vitamin D, helping flowers grow and creating the perfect excuse to head to the beach, sunlight also helps break down chemicals in streams, lakes and rivers.

Daisuke Minakata (CEGE) has developed a comprehensive reactive activity model that shows how singlet oxygen’s reaction mechanisms perform against a diverse group of contaminants and computes their half-life in a natural aquatic environment.

“We tested 100 different organic, structurally diverse compounds,” Minakata said. “If we know the reactivity between singlet oxygen and contaminants, we can say how long it will take to degrade one specific structure of a contaminant down to half the concentration.”

Minakata’s collaborators are graduate students Benjamin Barrios, Benjamin Mohrhardt and Paul Doskey, professor in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. Their research is published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Read the full story on mtu.edu/news.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration (CFO/SVPA) is excited to announce Alan Turnquist as Michigan Tech’s new director of sustainability and resilience.

A key foundation of the University’s ability to prepare 21st century learners is our ability to cultivate sustainability leadership and innovation across campus. The need for a collaborative leader to pull together the many valuable campus sustainability efforts has been a topic of discussion institution-wide for the past few years.

Reporting to the CFO/SVPA, Turnquist will provide leadership on all aspects of campus sustainability by enhancing ongoing sustainability efforts in academics, research and campus operations to propel Michigan Tech’s sustainability commitments forward. 

Turnquist comes to the unit after serving the past two years as the coordinator of orientation programs for the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies in 2001 and Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics in 2007. He received his Juris Doctor in 2007 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to arriving at Michigan Tech, Turnquist held several positions of increasing responsibility related to sustainability at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Turnquist brings a deep passion for sustainability to his new role. In his short tenure at Michigan Tech, he has risen as a leader in student success and as an active member of the Tech Forward Sustainability and Resilience initiative. Turnquist will start in this new position on Sept. 13.

Summer hours will end on Sunday (Aug. 15). Beginning Monday (Aug. 16), the University will return to regular office hours.

The regular hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All offices must be staffed during those hours.

Adult Huskies Aquatics Program registration for fall 2021 opens Aug. 9. Two programs will be offered.

Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness levels in a group setting. Each session is programmed with a warm-up and variations of a workout for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced swimmer. Participants will be provided coaching and guidance to meet their individual swimming goals!

Session 1: Sept. 14-Oct. 7 (registration closes Sept. 10)
Session 2: Oct. 12-Nov. 4 (registration closes Oct. 8)
Session 3: Nov. 9-Dec. 9 (registration closes Nov. 5; no class Nov. 23 and 25)

Class meets Tuesday/Thursday, 5:30-6:20 p.m. at the SDC Pool.

Cost per session: $100 — discount available for SDC members!

For more information, visit Adult Huskies Swim Training.

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the fundamental four strokes.

Session 1: Sept. 14-Oct. 7 (registration closes Sept. 10)
Session 2: Oct. 12-Nov. 4 (registration closes Oct. 8)
Session 3: Nov. 9-Dec. 9 (registration closes Nov. 5; no class Nov. 23 and 25)

Class meets Tuesday/Thursday, 5:30-6:20 p.m., at the SDC Pool.

Cost per session: $100 — discount available for SDC members!

For more information, visit Adult Huskies Swim Lessons.

Come make a splash this fall with Huskies Youth Aquatics Programs at the SDC Pool!

Registration opens Aug. 9! Open to ages 6 months to 17 years. Discounts are available for SDC members!

Session 1: Sept. 18-Oct. 23 (registration closes Sept. 11, 11:59 p.m.)
Session 2: Oct. 30-Dec. 11 (registration closes Oct. 23, 11:59 p.m.; no class Nov. 27)

Parent & Child Aquatics (ages 6 months to 3 years): Familiarizes children with the water and teaches swimming readiness skills. Provides safety information for parents and teaches techniques parents can use to help orient their children to the water. Session cost: $60.

Preschool Aquatics (ages 4-5 years): Designed to orient young preschoolers to the aquatic environment and help them gain basic aquatic skills. In addition, participants start learning how to be safe around water. Session cost: $60.

Parent & Child Aquatics and Preschool Aquatics meets Saturdays, 8:30-9:10 a.m. A parent is required to be in the water with each child.

Huskies Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17 years) are based on skill, from beginners to those refining strokes learned in previous levels. Class options are Saturdays, 9:30-10:10 a.m. OR 10:30-11:10 a.m. Session cost: $60.

Huskies Swim Clinic (ages 6-17 years) provides additional attention and competitive guidance to proficient swimmers who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness levels. Participants must be able to swim unassisted for at least 25 yards, tread water for at least one minute, and have swimming knowledge and ability equivalent to Level 6 of the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program or higher. Class meets Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Session cost: $75.

A parent or legal guardian is required to sign waiver of liability and concussion awareness forms for all youth classes. Space will be provided for personal items on the pool deck. Class size is limited.

Visit Huskies Youth Aquatics for more information.

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.

*****

PhD Defense: Joshua Chase, HU

Doctoral candidate Joshua Chase (HU) will present his Ph.D. defense at 2 p.m. today (Aug. 9). This will be an online defense. Virtual attendance is invited via Zoom.

Chase's defense is titled “‘Not to Sound like a Conspiracy Theorist, but…’: A Rhetorical-Cultural Analysis of the Conspiracy Theory Pejorative.”

From the abstract:
In the wake of recent high-profile events — from public health crises like COVID-19 to highly contentious elections in the United States — conspiracy theories are once again at the center of public debate. Through rhetorical-cultural analysis, this dissertation examines the “conspiracy theorist” pejorative as it circulates through public discussions about politics, science and technology, and entertainment.

In both the popular and scholarly media, much of the debate about conspiracy theories focuses on how to define, identify and ultimately eliminate conspiracy theories, or on determining cognitive and social factors that contribute to conspiracy belief. Less attention is paid to the ways in which terms like “conspiracy theory,” “conspiracy theorist,” or, alternatively, terms like “debunker,” “skeptic,” are used rhetorically. This project seeks a better understanding of how such terms establish and maintain boundaries between outlandish ideas and legitimated knowledge.

*****

New H-STEM Enterprise Team

A new Enterprise team will be launched for the fall 2021 semester. The H-STEM Enterprise will provide students with project-based experiences that ultimately aim to improve human health.

The team is seeking undergraduate and graduate students from a broad range of backgrounds (e.g., biology, biomedical engineering, exercise science/kinesiology, mechanical engineering, computer science, psychology and human factors) to tackle clinically oriented problems in health care and pioneer solutions.

For more information about the H-STEM Enterprise, contact Steven Elmer (KIP) at sjelmer@mtu.edu and/or attend the last information session, which will be held virtually on Zoom tomorrow (Aug. 10) at 6 p.m.

*****

Move-In Volunteers Sought

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!

*****

Remote Computer Lab Access Ends on Friday

On Friday (Aug. 13), at the conclusion of Summer Track B, IT will be reverting remote access computer labs to in-person only in preparation for in-person classes this fall.

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

*****

Summer Reading Facilitators Still Needed!

Faculty and staff are still needed to facilitate student group discussions for Michigan Tech’s Reading as Inquiry project. This year, first-year students will be reading "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline.

A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune — and control of the OASIS itself. Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he’s beset by rivals who’ll kill to take this prize. The race is on — and the only way to survive is to win.

The Reading as Inquiry program is also heading in a new direction. This fall, in lieu of the author speaking, we will be hosting a faculty panel addressing themes from the book that align with furthering the conversation about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Tech Forward initiatives. Additionally, the small group discussions will serve not only as book discussions, but also as a means of preparing first-year students to participate in the panel discussion.

Facilitators will lead a small group discussion of approximately 25 first-year students with assistance from upper-level students during Orientation Week. A facilitator information session will be held in August and the student group discussions are scheduled for Aug. 25 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The faculty panel will follow the book discussions from 1-2:30 p.m. on Aug. 25.

If you are interested in serving as a facilitator, register online. Facilitators will receive a free copy of the book.

Contact success@mtu.edu with any questions.

*****

Banner Production System Maintenance on Sunday

A production system maintenance window will be taking place on Sunday (Aug. 15) from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

Banner
Banweb
MyMichiganTech
ASPIRE
Course Tools
Housing Apartments Wait List
OAP Rental System
Oracle Reports
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.

Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs were the subject of a WLUC-TV6 feature story.

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

New Husky Orientation

Monday, August 9, 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Lakeshore-comm-rm123

PhD Defense: Joshua Chase

Monday, August 9, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

Rhetoric, Theory and Culture Advisor: Abraham Romney “Not to Sound like a Conspiracy Theorist, but…”: A Rhetorical-Cultural Analysis of the Conspiracy Theory Pejorative ...

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

Monday, August 9, 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...