August 24, 2021

Starting Monday (Aug. 30), Michigan Tech will offer free, walk-in COVID-19 testing on campus for students and employees during the fall 2021 semester.

Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the Datolite Room at the MUB. 

No appointments are needed for walk-in testing, and tests are available to any student or employee, whether they have COVID-19 symptoms or not.

If you would like to be tested, come to the Datolite Room during testing hours and ask for a test. Your results should be available in approximately 24 hours, and will be emailed to you.

If you have a question about COVID-19 testing at Michigan Tech, check the MTU Flex Testing web page for up-to-date information and answers to frequently asked questions, or email mtuflex@mtu.edu. 

We’re excited to share a new look and product enhancement in Digital Measures at Michigan Tech.

Watermark, the company that owns Digital Measures, has made some key changes to the look and feel of the instrument. The first thing you will notice is a change to the interface and brand naming. The instrument is now Watermark Faculty Success. However, here at Michigan Tech, we will maintain the Digital Measures terminology with a local branding of Digital Measures at Michigan Tech. These changes are reflected in the interface refresh.

In addition to the recently announced CV Imports, there is a new product update focused on making things easier for you: Dynamic Summary Screens. You’ll be able to more quickly see which activities you’ve already captured and more easily review things for completeness and accuracy. We know you are busy, so the goal here is to save you time by making data management easier.

When you log into the system next and go to any of your activity screens, you’ll see some new options that give you more control over the view. A new spreadsheet-style layout makes it easier and faster to review your records to see what’s there, avoid redundant work and verify the completeness of your information. Sorting, filtering and search options help you pinpoint specific records that need additional information, so you can close gaps more quickly. The ability to change which columns display and save those preferences from session to session gives you the power to focus on the elements that matter most for what you’re doing at that moment.

This quick video gives a sense of how easy these tools are to use. 

It’s important to have your accomplishments and activities in Digital Measures for a number of reasons. Here at Michigan Tech, we use Digital Measures for promotion, tenure and reviews, as well as accreditation and unit metrics. Sharing your accomplishments and activities is key to both your and the University’s success.

If you have questions or would like assistance getting started with CV Imports, please email dm-admin@mtu.edu.

Join us Thursday (Aug. 26) from 7-8 p.m. for the COVID-19 Community Town Hall. The topic will be “COVID-19 Update: Dealing with the Delta Variant.”

Organized by the Health Research Institute at Michigan Tech, the 60-minute town hall broadcast can be heard live at 7 p.m. on radio stations 97.7 The Wolf (WOLV-FM) and 99.1 (WIKB-FM) and viewed through a Zoom webinar and Facebook Live. The town hall can also be viewed on ABC 10 Sunday (Aug. 29) at 12 p.m. 

Town Hall moderators Steven Elmer and Kelly Kamm (KIP/HRI) will discuss a range of pandemic-related issues. For more information, past broadcasts and webinar links, visit the COVID-19 Town Hall Series website.

Tech students, new and returning, come join the Arctic Warrior Cadets for a free BBQ on the ROTC lawn (next to the clock tower) on Wednesday (Aug. 25) from 2:30-5 p.m.

Compete in a variety of lawn games to earn giveaways and chat with the Arctic Warriors to learn more about leadership opportunities, scholarships and physical conditioning.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.

Currently, there is a critical need for blood donors. Please join us in the MUB Ballroom and donate blood at the following times:

• Wednesday, Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our new location this year allows for social distancing while donating. We ask that everyone wear a face covering and reserve your appointment slot online ahead of time. Please bring a photo ID with you.

For more information, visit the American Red Cross website or email Rochelle Spencer at raspence@mtu.edu. 

M.S. candidate Hazen Keinath (BioSci) will present his M.S. defense at 10 a.m. today (Aug. 24). This will be an online defense. Virtual attendance is invited via Zoom.

Keinath's defense is titled "Identification of Candidate GRF and miR396 Regulator Genes in Poplars Involved in Response to Abiotic Stresses."

From the abstract:
Every year, acres of crop plants are lost to unsuitable conditions brought on by abiotic stressors. To combat this loss, researchers around the world aim to understand the molecular mechanisms required for tolerance to such conditions. In this search, many plants have been shown to utilize conserved regulatory gene families such as growth regulating factors (GRFs) and microRNA-396 (miR396). Typically, GRFs and miR396 form a regulatory balance, with GRFs promoting cell growth, expansion, and development, while miR396 targeting GRF transcripts for degradation. Shifts in this dynamic have been linked to stress responses and tolerance mechanisms in a variety of plants, though they have not yet been characterized in tree species.

Here, we aimed to utilize Populus trichocarpa (poplar), a common bioenergy tree and model organism, to identify key characteristics and candidate regulatory elements of the poplar GRF-miR396 stress responses in cold, heat, drought, and salt stress conditions. 

A three-part series on Michigan Tech’s move-in weekend was published by the Daily Mining Gazette. The stories included a report on the University’s efforts to ensure a safe and efficient move-in process in the midst of ongoing road construction, a feature story on students moving into the residence halls, and an interview with Dean of Students Wallace Southerland III.

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A presentation by MTU researchers to City of Negaunee residents on a feasibility study to repurpose the Mather B Mine was covered by WLUC TV6 and ABC 10. WLUC TV6 also ran a story prior to the presentation. The feasibility study focused on the possibility of turning the mine into an underground pump-hydraulic energy storage facility. Tim Scarlett (SS) and Roman Sidortsov (SS) were interviewed.

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The winning bid submitted by Michigan Tech alumni for a former U.S. Air Force radar station in Eagle Harbor Township, known as Mount Horace Greeley, was covered by the Associated Press. The group intends to turn the site, which operated as a radar station during the Cold War, into a tourist destination.

Face Coverings Required Indoors on Campus

While Michigan Tech is at Health and Safety Level Two, face coverings must be worn indoors. This applies to all students, employees, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

In Level Two, students and employees are not required to monitor their symptoms daily prior to coming to campus. But, individuals should be mindful of their own symptoms. A useful monitoring tool is available from the CDC. 

Michigan Tech strongly recommends that all employees and students receive the COVID-19 vaccine and continue with handwashing and hand-sanitizing practices, especially in light of the virulence of the COVID-19 delta variant.

During all Health and Safety Levels, no one with COVID-19 symptoms is allowed on campus. 

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New Student Orientation

Tuesday, August 24, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

New Student Orientation will run from Noon on Sunday 8/22 until 5 p.m. on Wednesday 8/25. Daily Schedules vary.

Master's Defense: Hazen Keinath

Tuesday, August 24, 10–11 a.m.

Biological Sciences Co-advisors: Chandrashekhar Joshi and Guiliang Tang Identification of Candidate GRF and miR396 Regulator Genes in Poplars Involved in Response to Abiotic...

Library Orientation for Graduate Students

Tuesday, August 24, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

The Van Pelt and Opie library is here to help you succeed! At this event, librarians will share tips and tricks for getting the most out of the library's electronic and...

Department Lunch

Tuesday, August 24, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 139

All math faculty and graduate students are invited to lunch to meet the new students.