October 25, 2021

On Sept. 24, 2021, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors concerning various safety protocols as outlined in President Biden’s Path Out of the Pandemic plan and Executive Order 14042.

Michigan Tech receives a portion of its research funding through federal contracts and therefore is subject to these new federal mandates. This means that as long as these federal requirements are in effect, Michigan Tech must comply. 

Ultimately, to comply with these requirements, all employees must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or receive a medical or religious exception with the University. The current federal mandate does not apply to students unless they are also University employees. This requirement will take effect on Jan. 10, 2022. 

The federal mandate also stipulates that federal contractors institute a face covering policy with guidelines based on transmission rates in the community. 

More information about these mandates is available on the MTU Flex website.

As we take steps to implement these new federal requirements, Michigan Tech is committed to providing the appropriate support and resources to our employees. The MTU Flex Task Force is available to help answer questions — contact mtuflex@mtu.edu with any you may have.

It is important that we adhere to these new requirements by Jan. 10, which coincides with the start of the spring semester. 

I would like to thank everyone on our campus for your remarkable commitment to the health and safety of our community during the pandemic. I also recognize and appreciate your flexibility and patience. The constantly changing nature of this situation continues to test our fortitude, but we have proven that no challenge is too formidable for our campus community to overcome.

Health and Safety Levels Update

Because Michigan Tech is seeing an increase in cases, both on campus and in the local community, we are returning to the Health and Safety Level protocols that were in place at the start of the fall semester.

Beginning today (Oct. 25) face coverings are required indoors on campus, with the exception of the SDC and Gates Tennis Center, where face coverings remain recommended for all. You are not required to wear a face covering when alone in an enclosed space. Please refer to our Health and Safety Levels for additional information.

Information on Federal Mandates

As discussed in President Koubek’s email on Friday (Oct. 22), Michigan Tech is a federal contractor and must comply with the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force's requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors. 

The requirements mandate that all employees of federal contractors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exception.

This mandate affects all University employees who work in the United States, even if they work remotely. It will apply to full-time, part-time and temporary employees. It will also include student employees. At this time, the mandate does not extend to students who are not employed by the University.

At Michigan Tech, the mandate will go into effect beginning Jan. 10, 2022, at the start of the spring semester. All employees need to be fully vaccinated or have an accommodation in place prior to Jan. 10. Human Resources will work with employees who have challenges with those requirements.

More detailed information regarding vaccination and exception requirements is available on the MTU Flex website.

Please send questions to mtuflex@mtu.edu.

The deadline for the enrollment period during which an employee may sign their Retirement Supplemental Voluntary Program (RSVP) election is Oct. 31 each year. For 2021 only, we will be extending that deadline for an additional two weeks. The new deadline will be Nov. 15, as noted in the updated policy.  

As announced in July, the University will gradually phase out the RSVP over the next four fiscal years (FY22-FY25). Details of the phase-out can be found on the Human Resources website.

Please do not hesitate to contact Benefit Services at benefits@mtu.edu or 906-487-2517 with any additional questions.

Applications will be sought in mid-November for King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowships, a program funded by the state of Michigan. The purpose of the KCP Future Faculty Fellowship program is to increase the pool of academically and economically disadvantaged candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in post-secondary education. Funding may begin in spring 2022, pending timely opening of the portal by the state.

Prospective applicants should complete the following steps before the portal reopens:

• Complete our intent to apply form — only people who register on the form will receive reminders to apply when the portal is opened.
• Review the eligibility criteria to ensure eligibility (see step one).
• Gather the materials needed for an application (see step two).
• Create an account on the MILogin for Citizens Portal (see step three).

Once the portal opens in mid-November, applicants will have approximately one to two weeks to submit their application (step four). The time to submit for spring funding will be short so we can complete the review process in time to award funding for spring 2022.

KCP fellowships provide students up to $20,000 (M.S. students) or $35,000 (Ph.D. students) to pursue their degrees. Funds may be used to support students, including faculty and staff, pursuing degrees at Michigan Tech. For Michigan Tech students, the Graduate School and nominating department must also contribute matching funds to help support the student.

Complete information about eligibility criteria and materials needed for an application is available on our web page. Please note that applications will be submitted through the MILogin for Citizens Portal. Questions about eligibility or the application procedure can be directed to Debra Charlesworth at ddc@mtu.edu. 

The Graduate Student Government is pleased to announce the official launch of the 60-day pilot program for the premium EDU membership of the cross-platform, cloud-based writing assistant application Grammarly.

Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff can use Grammarly EDU via grammarly.mtu.edu. Once you log in with your SSO credentials, you will be able to utilize the full features of the Grammarly EDU subscription till Dec. 24. Log in by entering your MTU email address on Grammarly's Member Login page. 

Based on your preference, you can use Grammarly on your browser, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Mac/Desktop or on your tablet. Overleaf users can use Overleaf textarea to convert LaTex into plain text to use with Grammarly.

We encourage you to use this service in your day-to-day life as much as possible and share your thoughts and feedback with us. As Grammarly will check your writing for punctuation, grammar and spelling errors, you can now focus more on its intellectual content.

Find more information on the premium features of Grammarly at GSG's Grammarly@EDU website. If you are an instructor, GTI or GTA, you can use this information in your class presentation to encourage students about our Grammarly initiative.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please feel free to reach out to Ranit Karmakar at gsg-vp@mtu.edu.

Please join us tomorrow (Oct. 26) 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: Nov. 9 and Dec. 7.

The "Glass Room: Misinformation Edition" exhibit is on display at the Van Pelt and Opie Library today (Oct. 25) through Nov. 21.

The exhibit explores how social media and the web have changed the way we read information and react to it. It exposes new types of influencers, the new and old tactics they use, and the role we as the users and consumers play in the way information flows and changes within that flow. It also examines the relationships between personal data, targeting and opinions, views and behaviors, and the business models behind them.

This exhibit is part of the Bad Information Project, which 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.

Michigan Technological University is excited to launch Innovators in Industry — a project connecting students with MTU alumni who are industry experts, leaders and influencers.

The initial three-part series kicks off tonight (Oct. 25) at 7 p.m. with a session titled “The Future of Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility."

Featured alumni for the session will be:

• Sean Kelley ‘86 of The Mannik & Smith Group Inc., an engineering and environmental sciences consulting firm.
• Mark Rakoski ‘95 of Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America Inc.
• Birgit Sorgenfrei ‘91, the Mustang electric lead at Ford Motor Company.

Janet Callahan, dean of the College of Engineering, will host the first session with Jeremy Bos '00 '12 (ECE) as co-moderator. The featured alumni will make short presentations with time for Q&A from the audience.

All sessions will begin at 7 p.m. on Zoom. All Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff are invited to join.

What are you doing for supper tonight (Oct. 25) at 6 p.m.? Grab a bite on Zoom with Janet Callahan, dean of the College of Engineering, and special guest Alan Turnquist, the new director of sustainability and resilience at Michigan Tech.

Sustainability and resilience are buzzwords that cut across individual choice, corporate culture and policy at all levels of government. But how do they impact higher education?

During tonight's session of Husky Bites, titled "Sustainability and Resilience at Michigan Tech—Where We Are and Where We Might Go," we’ll hear some fresh perspectives on what these issues mean for the future of higher education and how faculty, staff and students at Michigan Tech are integrating sustainability and resilience into our core goals.

Joining in will be Chelsea Schelly, associate professor of sociology, as well as Larry Hermanson, Michigan Tech’s director of energy management.

“I work side-by-side with Larry and Chelsea on the Tech Forward Initiative for Sustainability and Resilience,” says Turnquist. “We all come from different places and have different perspectives, but we share the same passion for working together for the future of Michigan Tech.”

Husky Bites is a free, interactive Zoom webinar. Everyone's welcome! Learn something new in just 20 minutes (or so) plus time after for Q&A. Get the full scoop and register at mtu.edu/huskybites.

Read the full blog post on the College of Engineering Blog.

Come check out a school bus converted into a tiny home by MTU alum Ryan Thompson — the tiny home on wheels will be parked in Lot 14 between Walker Lawn and the Hamar House/Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) today (Oct. 25) from 4-7 p.m.

Thompson received his degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in technical theatre and is now a full-time entrepreneur. His bus is 40 feet long with just over 225 square feet of living space. He designed it to be fully off-grid with solar power, 100 gallons of fresh water, a composting toilet and propane appliances.

Thompson started this project after he was laid off due to the pandemic. He wanted to cut down on living expenses and be able to travel the country. He ended up purchasing his bus back in December 2020 and is now documenting his entire bus conversion process on social media.

Find him online: @seekingdiscovery on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube; and @seeking_discovery on Instagram.

Congratulations and thank you to Husky Innovate’s Idea Pitch Competition contestants and winners! On Oct. 20, 20 students pitched their innovative ideas using a hybrid in-person and virtual platform to a panel of five judges and audience members. Students stepped out of their comfort zone to share their innovative ideas.

Special congratulations to our award winners:

Idea Pitch Awards

• First Prize — Nicholas Peterson with NOMAD ($200)
• Second Prize — Ella Faulk with Parkinson’s Symptom Monitoring App ($100)
• Third Prize — Nathan Vogler with Dorm Racks ($50)
• Honorable Mention — Mary Stevens with HuskyBox ($25)
• Honorable Mention — Isaac Swanson with Snowmobile Guiding Service ($25)
• Audience Favorite — Mary Stevens with HuskyBox ($25)
• Social Impact Award presented by Elham Asgari (CoB) — Ella Faulk with Parkinson’s Symptom Monitoring App ($100)

Husky Innovate extends a special thanks to those who gave their time and resources to make the evening a success:

• Our sponsors: Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business, and Elham Asgari (COB).
• Our judges: Elham Asgari and Josue Reynoso (COB); Jason Mack, vice president of business development (MTU alum); Dan Green, entrepreneur and principal at BlackFin Group (MTU alum); and Ph.D. student Laura Vidal (Graduate Student Government public relations chair and Husky Innovate intern).
• Our emcee: Computer network and system administration student Gary Tropp (Pavlis Honors College student, University Innovation Fellow and Husky Innovate pitch winner ‘18 ‘19).
• Our marketing team: Vienna Leonarduzzi (PHC); and Ph.D. student Laura Vidal Chiesa (Husky Innovate intern).

Thanks to all who attended! We look forward to next year’s event!

The Idea Pitch Competition is the first of three pitch events that Husky Innovate hosts each year. Our next pitch event is the Bob Mark Business Model Competition — a legacy event that celebrates entrepreneurship and is a tribute to late COB Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Contestants pitch the key components of their business models, including value proposition, customer segment and product market fit. Register for the competition now — or please feel free to reach out to Husky Innovate Program Manager Lisa Casper at lcasper@mtu.edu for more information.

Professor Erik Luijten, associate dean in the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, will give a talk on "Dielectric Manipulation of Soft Matter In and Out of Equilibrium" at the next Physics Colloquium.

Please join the presentation on Thursday (Oct. 28) at 4 p.m. in Fisher Hall, Room 139.

Read the abstract and Luijten's bio on the University Events Calendar.

Are you interested in taking your innovative idea, technology or processes commercial? Husky Innovate is hosting a fall 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 the 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, as well as 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 fall cohort will meet online via Zoom on the following dates:

• Nov. 8 — 4-7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 15 — 4-6 p.m.
• Nov. 29 — 4-6 p.m.
• Dec. 6 — 4-7:30 p.m.

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

Dan Trepal (GRF/SS), Don Lafreniere (SS/GLRC) and industrial heritage and archaeology M.S. student Tim Stone have published an open-access article titled "Mapping Historical Archaeology and Industrial Heritage: The Historical Spatial Data Infrastructure" in the Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology.

The article outlines how to model, visualize and analyze longitudinal physical and social environment data for historical and industrial archaeology through the use of a historical spatial data infrastructure (HSDI). The HSDI approach is especially well-adapted to archaeological research and has important applications to heritage management and public engagement.

The paper leans on data created by public contributors to the Keweenaw Time Traveler project.

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Adam Wellstead (SS) published a chapter titled "Dismantling and Drifting: Environmental Policy in an Era of Open Federalism" in the book "Open Federalism Revisited: Regional and Federal Dynamics in the Harper Era."

The book was edited by James Farney and Julie M. Simmons and published by the University of Toronto Press.

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.

Michigan Tech strongly recommends that all employees and students 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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Spring TRIP Form Now Available

The Spring 2022 Tuition Reduction Incentive Program (TRIP) form is now available on the Benefit website. Once completed, forms can be emailed to benefits@mtu.edu.

Spring TRIP forms are due by Dec. 1. The form can be accessed online.

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Sustainability Summer Program: Amtrak Tourism

Next May, Mark Rhodes and Kathryn Hannum (SS) will run the Study Away program "Amtrak Tourism: Trains, Cities, and Sustainability." As a pilot capstone program for Next-Gen Gen-Ed, Amtrak Tourism will allow students to explore questions of sustainability for 18 days across the western U.S.

The program will explore diverse landscapes, urban environments and tourism strategies from Glacier National Park to Sacramento, California. If the program reaches 17 students, the program fee (not including tuition) will only be $500 per student (thanks to financial support from the Department of Social Sciences and the College of Sciences and Arts).

With a capacity of 21 students and an application deadline of Nov. 5, students interested in participating are encouraged to reach out soon to Rhodes at marhodes@mtu.edu or Hannum at khannum@mtu.edu.

Students seeking more information can attend an information session Wednesday (Oct. 27) at 5:30 p.m. in the Academic Office Building (AOB), Room 209. Details about the program are also available on the Amtrak Tourism program web page (the application process is explained in the Registration sidebar).

As MTU increases its international scope and presence, including Study Abroad, equitable Study Away options such as Amtrak Tourism will be increasingly necessary as we merge such program offerings with general education.

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Society of Medical Lab Scientists Hosting Blood Drive

The Society of Medical Lab Scientists (SMLS) is hosting a blood drive Thursday (Oct. 28) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the campus library. All blood donated will stay in the Upper Peninsula.

Before donating, donors will complete a mini physical and donor history questionnaire inside the library, in Conference Room 103 on the first floor. The bloodmobile will be parked right outside of the library. 

Students, friends, family and community members are invited to participate — sign up to donate now. Walk-in donors are also welcome.

General information:

1. Donors must wait 8 weeks between donations.
2. Donors must be 17 years old.
3. Must be free of flu, colds, sore throat.
4. Must weigh at least 110 pounds.
5. Must have a picture ID.
6. 16-year-olds can donate with a signed consent form.

Please consider donating and help save a life!

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EPSSI Seminar

Adele Igel, assistant professor in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at the University of California, Davis, will present a virtual seminar today (Oct. 25) at 4 p.m. at the Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), Room U113.

Igel’s presentation is titled “Microphysics, Radiation, and Mixing in Shallow Clouds.”

This seminar is sponsored by the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI). Read the abstract at the University Events Calendar.

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Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (Oct. 25) in the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), Room 202.

Ana Dyreson, Ph.D., P.E. and assistant professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics at Michigan Tech, will present "Energy-water-climate interactions in changing power systems: multi-sector modeling approaches leveraging interdisciplinary teams."

All are welcome.

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

Hyperconnection: A New Series by Tiffany Lange

Monday, October 25, 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 Misinformation Edition Exhibition

Monday, October 25, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library

Glass Room: Misinformation Edition explores how social media and the web have changed the way we read information and react to it. It exposes new types of influencers, the new...

Cori Champagne: "Apparel for the Anthropocene"

Monday, October 25, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, Upper Atrium

Apparel for the Anthropocene is presented by the Institute for Policy, Ethics and Culture at Michigan Technological University from October 10-31 in the Upper Atrium of the...

Biocomputing and Digital Health Lecture Series: Traci Yu, BME

Monday, October 25, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | Rekhi Hall, 214

The IC's Joint Center for Biocomputing and Digital Health will present a Monday afternoon lecture series beginning October 25, 2021, with a talk from Traci Yu, Ph.D., who will...

Energy-water-climate interactions in changing power systems: multi-sector modeling approaches leveraging interdisciplinary teams

Monday, October 25, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Ana Dyreson, PhD, P.E. Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Tech Abstract: Electric power...

EPSSI Seminar: Adele Igel, University of California, Davis

Monday, October 25, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), U113

Microphysics, Radiation, and Mixing in Shallow Clouds An increase in aerosol concentration leads to a reduction in liquid in non-precipitating stratocumulus clouds. What...

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

Monday, October 25, 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...

Open Rock Climbing

Monday, October 25, 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...

Sustainability and Resilience at Michigan Tech: Where We Are and Where We Might Go

Monday, October 25, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guest Alan Turnquist Director of Sustainability and Resilience Office of Sustainability and Resilience Michigan Technological...

Innovators In Industry Zoom: The Future of Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility

Monday, October 25, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Michigan Technological University is excited to launch Innovators in Industry: a project connecting students with MTU alumni who are industry experts, leaders, and...