September 27, 2021

The Advanced Power Systems Research Center (APS LABS) partnered with Strange Development to test the REVolution engine, which uses a rotary exhaust valve (REV) to clean up what were previously some of the dirtiest engines on the market like drones and powersports vehicles.

The REVolution engine and product innovation by Strange Development and testing at APS LABS has been supported by a PlanetM Mobility Testing Grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Michigan Tech has three testing sites affiliated with the recently launched Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, where anyone can apply to receive grant funding for innovative projects that support sustainable, equitable or multimodal mobility outcomes. The challenges these testing sites address, like widespread vehicle electrification, are often complex.

“Unfortunately, we simply can’t electrify everything and save the world,” said Jeremy Worm (APSRC). “Sure, there are some mobility applications where electrification works really well and results in a reduced environmental impact, but that’s just not the case with all applications. Drones and range extender electric vehicles that use a combustion engine to supply power once the battery is depleted are just a couple examples.”

Read more about the REV on the Unscripted Research Blog.

Please join us tomorrow (Sept. 28) from 5-6 p.m. in the Walker Arts and Humanities Center (Walker), Room 120C, for an hour of laid-back Francophone setting with French natives and other Francophiles. All levels welcome.

Upcoming Café Français dates: Oct. 12, Oct. 26, Nov. 9, and Dec. 7.

Given the increase of mis/disinformation in digital and social media, faculty and graduate students are invited to join an interdisciplinary working group for this academic year that examines this area of research. We will read and discuss scholarship and research as they relate to fake news, social influencers and deep fakes. We will meet biweekly on Thursdays at 6 p.m. via Zoom, starting Oct. 7.

This working group is motivated by the yearlong project "Bad Info: Fake News, Manipulated Photographs, and Social Media Influencers" (principal investigators: Stefka Hristova and Sue Collins), which focuses on media/information literacy and the problem of mis/disinformation. The project includes three exhibits, four workshops, two panel discussions and a keynote address (accompanying the main exhibit, "Glass Room Misinformation," from Oct. 25 to Nov. 21) by Joan Donovan (Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society), Harvard University.

We will begin by reading work by Donovan.

If you are interested in joining, please email Stefka Hristova at shristov@mtu.edu or Sue Collins at scollins@mtu.edu by Friday (Oct. 1).

The Misinformation Working Group is made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by funding from the Department of Humanities at MTU.

The campus community is invited to hear Laura Connolly (COB), assistant professor of economics, present "Labor Mobility and the Affordable Care Act: Heterogeneous Impacts of the Preexisting Conditions Provision," as part of the College of Business' Brown Bag Research Seminar Series.

Connolly's presentation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 29) in the Academic Office Building (AOB), Room 101.

From the abstract:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) preexisting conditions provision ensures that insurance companies cannot deny coverage or charger higher premiums to individuals due to a prior health condition. We evaluate the impact of this provision on job mobility in the U.S. to determine whether the provision reduced job lock for individuals with chronic conditions. Our results highlight the heterogeneous impacts of the policy on different subgroups of the population. We find significant improvements in labor mobility among male household heads with prior health conditions, but no significant change in labor mobility among females. Declines in job lock are largest among families with children and household heads with relatively low levels of education. The results are consistent with the policy improving access to healthcare, and both mental and physical wellbeing, which ultimately increased labor market flexibility for some workers.

Husky Innovate and the Van Pelt and Opie Library are collaborating to offer a workshop on intellectual property (IP). This workshop will be held Oct. 6 in the Library, Room 244, from 5-7 p.m. and is open to the community with pre-registration.

We will cover key questions and topics around IP:

• How can you protect the IP incorporated within your innovation?
• What options do you have and what strategies can you apply?
• When should you consider IP protections?

We will also discuss IP fundamentals that include:

• Patents
• Trademarks
• Licensing
• Trade secrets/know-how
• How to initiate a prior art discovery with free library resources

Michigan Tech IP expert, licensed patent agent and Associate Vice President for Research Administration Jim Baker will lead us through compelling IP scenarios.

Librarian and Patent and Trademark Research Center (PTRC) representative Annelise Doll will explain patents, trademarks and resources available through Michigan Tech’s PTRC, which is part of the Patent and Trademark Office’s nationwide program of PTRCs.

Please register to participate.

Seven former Michigan Tech hockey players are at NHL training camps this week. The NHL regular season begins Oct. 12.

Former Huskies at NHL camps include:

• Pheonix Copley — Washington Capitals
• Tanner Kero — Dallas Stars
• Jujhar Khaira — Chicago Blackhawks
• Joel L'Esperance — Dallas Stars
• Jake Lucchini — Montreal Canadiens
• Mitch Reinke — Pittsburgh Penguins
• Matt Roy — Los Angeles Kings

Read more about their careers at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Posting for Monday, Sept. 27, 2021

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email mtujobs@mtu.edu.

For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted. 

Custodian (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #21166RP–#21171RP, Facilities (AFSCME posting Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, 2021 — internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the AFSCME posting dates). 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.

Face Coverings Required in Classrooms, Labs, Library

Michigan Tech remains at Health and Safety Level Two. Face coverings are required in certain locations — classrooms and laboratories during classes and lab courses, and in the library — and may also be required during instructors' office hours. In all other settings, face coverings are encouraged but not required. This applies to all students, employees, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

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. Please be aware that if you are exposed to COVID-19, quarantine guidelines vary depending on 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. 

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On-Demand COVID-19 Testing Available on Campus

Walk-in, on-demand COVID-19 testing is available to Michigan Tech students and employees during the fall 2021 semester.

Testing is located in the Datolite Room at the MUB on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. There is no cost to be tested, and no appointment is needed. 

Read more COVID-19 Testing Information on the MTU Flex website.

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AASHE Global Conference Sponsorships Available

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience is offering sponsorships to a limited number of students, faculty and staff for this year's Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The conference is 100% virtual, and will be held Oct. 12-14.

Registration includes access to all virtual sessions, including the ability to access all content on demand until Dec. 31. You will also be able to participate in networking sessions, visit the virtual exhibit hall, chat with your peers during the sessions and more.

Please fill out this brief form by Oct. 1 if you are interested in attending. You will receive a confirmation by Oct. 4 at the latest. Send your questions to sustainability@mtu.edu. 

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EPSSI Seminar

Heather Allen, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Ohio State University, will present a virtual seminar today (Sept. 27) at 4 p.m. via Zoom.

Allen’s presentation is titled "Hydration, Ions, Lipid Binding, and Inherent Electric Fields at the Air/Water Interface: Ocean and Aerosol Surfaces?"

This virtual seminar is sponsored by the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI).

Read the abstract at the University Events Calendar.

Register in advance for the Zoom seminar. Please register early!

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CEGE Grad Info Night

Do you have questions about graduate school? Join Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) faculty and graduate students, as well as the MTU Graduate School, for Grad Info Night tomorrow (Sept. 28) at 6 p.m. in the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), Room 202 — or virtually through Zoom (please register for Zoom in advance).

Learn about the reasons to consider graduate school, the accelerated and online M.S. programs, application process, financial aid and much more.

This event is sponsored by Chi Epsilon, CEGE, and the MTU Graduate School.

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Fifth Annual Homecoming Shirt Swap!

Huskies love to give back! Come help out the local and campus community at our fifth annual Homecoming Shirt Swap. This is a great way to reclaim our Husky community spirit!

By simply donating a gently used piece of clothing, winter gear or anything else on the suggested donation list, you can get a limited edition 2021 Homecoming shirt! (While supplies and sizes last. Only one shirt per person, please.)

The Homecoming Shirt Swap will take place at the MUB Circle today (Sept. 27) from 2 p.m. until Homecoming shirts are gone.

Donations will be given to the Husky FAN food pantry, Barbara Kettle Gundlach Center and Social Sciences Winter Clothing Drive.

Questions? Please reach out to Rochelle Spencer at raspence@mtu.edu.

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ACSHF Forum: Grad Students to Present

The next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) Forum will be held from 2-3 p.m. today (Sept. 27) in the Harold Meese Center (Meese), Room 109. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

There will be two speakers: Darnishia Morris and Isaac Flint, both ACSHF graduate students.

Morris will be presenting "Understanding Student Persistence Factors Through the Cognitive Appraisal Theory."

Flint will present "An Exploration of the Neurocognitive and Physiological Contributors to Motor Control During Obstacle Avoidance."

Read the abstracts at the University Events Calendar.

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Husky FAN Volunteers Wanted

The Husky Food Access Network (Husky FAN) is asking our fellow Huskies to help support daily operations for the food pantry. Having volunteers is a crucial part in tackling food insecurity across campus.

We are located in Fisher Hall, Room 135 (in the space formerly known as the Aftermath Cafe). Currently, we have distributed 205 pounds of food this fall with the help of four volunteers!

More volunteers will allow us to better serve our campus community and spread awareness about Husky FAN! If you are interested or have any questions about the food pantry, contact us at huskyfan@mtu.edu.

Volunteers are able to schedule their own hours to best suit their schedule.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Husky FAN — we are truly grateful and proud to serve our fellow Huskies!

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

Graduate Students to Present at ACSHF Forum

Monday, September 27, 2–3 a.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

The next ACSHF Forum will be on Monday, September 27 in room 109 of the Harold Meese Center. There will be two speakers: Darnishia Morris and Isaac Flint, both ACSHF Graduate...

Hyperconnection: A New Series by Tiffany Lange

Monday, September 27, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Gallery: A-Space

Tiffany Lange’s newest series “Hyperconnection”, examines overstimulation and anxiousness through abstraction. After a year of increased screen time during quarantine and...

The Spirit of the Hunt: Ecological Art Exhibit & Public Wolf Discussion

Monday, September 27, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, Atrium and G002

Art Exhibit: August 30-October 15 Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm Noblet Atrium, Michigan Tech College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Opening...

Emerging from the Pandemic Workshop

Monday, September 27, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

Are you worried about bursting your COVID-19 bubble and unsure of your 'new normal'? We get it - the pandemic has disrupted our daily lives and added a ton of stress! Learn...

Fate and Transport of Emerging Organic Contaminants in the Great Lakes Environment and the Identification of Biomarkers of Carcinogens Associated with Tobacco Exposure

Monday, September 27, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Joint Environmental Engineering Graduate and Chemistry Seminar Jiehong Guo, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Abstract: Emerging organic contaminants (such as...

Negotiation skills

Monday, September 27, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

Attend this presentation to learn how to negotiate job offers.

EPPSI Seminar: Heather C. Allen, The Ohio State University

Monday, September 27, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.

Hydration, Ions, Lipid Binding, and Inherent Electric Fields at the Air/Water Interface: Ocean and Aerosol Surfaces Our oceans are the largest generators of highly saline...

Strength Training and High Intensity Interval Training ("HIIT")

Monday, September 27, 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...

Lift Bridge—A Michigan Landmark

Monday, September 27, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guest Theresa Ahlborn Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Michigan Technological University Co-hosts Michael Prast...

Open Rock Climbing

Monday, September 27, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multipurpose Room Climbing Wall

All ages (we can allow all ages to climb as long as we have the proper fitting equipment). No need to sign up, just stop by the Climbing Wall between 6 and 8 pm Monday through...