October 26, 2021

Michigan Tech, to maintain compliance with federal and state regulations, conducts annual information security awareness training. This mandatory training program is designed to assist our employees in understanding the importance of information security and privacy and their role in keeping the University's sensitive information safe.

This training contains multiple modules and should take about 30 minutes to complete. The modules do not all need to be completed in one sitting, so this can be spread out over time. Each individual module must be completed in a single viewing. There is also a second course with optional modules that is not required but are made available as they may be pertinent to personal privacy and online security.

Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 27), employees will receive an enrollment email, after which they’ll have four weeks to complete the training program. A link in the email will direct them to the security training website.

The site will authenticate employees through Michigan Tech’s Secure Sign-On Site where they can sign in with their Michigan Tech ISO credentials and proceed with the training.

If you have any questions, we can help. Contact IT or call 7-1111.

To the Michigan Tech research community,

The supply chain issues you are seeing in retail and online stores are also affecting University Chemical Stores’ ability to source chemicals and laboratory supplies. Unfortunately, the pre-pandemic just-in-time purchasing we are used to is being challenged in these current times. Everything from manufacturing disruptions to shipping delays, plus transportation and warehousing worker shortages, are affecting us as well.

We appreciate your assistance by:

• Planning as far in advance as possible for placing orders.
• Recognizing that vendors are not necessarily keeping their online “in-stock” inventory up-to-date.
• Allowing time to find alternate vendor/manufacturer options when your first choice isn’t available.

Finally, we appreciate that your research is being affected by delays. While we will try to keep you updated on expected ship dates, please recognize that vendors don’t necessarily keep us informed of delays; in those cases, checking on the status of a shipment requires us to email or call the vendor. Please send us an email detailing the orders/products you need an update on, and we will get back to you.

Thank you for your understanding and patience,

Chem Stores staff

Join us Thursday (Oct. 28) from 7-8 p.m. for the COVID-19 Community Town Hall. Town Hall moderators Steven Elmer and Kelly Kamm (HRI/KIP) will be joined by several guests to discuss all things COVID-19.

Organized by the Health Research Institute at Michigan Tech, the 60-minute town hall broadcast can be heard live at 7 p.m. on local radio station 97.7 The Wolf (WOLV-FM) and viewed through a Zoom webinar and Facebook Live. The town hall can also be viewed on ABC 10 on Sunday (Oct. 31) at noon.

For more information, past broadcasts and webinar links, visit the COVID-19 Town Hall Series website.

Staff Council invites the campus community to submit nominations for the 2021 Making a Difference Awards. Nominations are now open and regular full-time and part-time staff are eligible. All faculty and staff are invited to submit a nomination of a deserving colleague or write a letter in support of a nomination.

The categories are:
• Above and Beyond
• Behind the Scenes
• Legacy Award
• Outstanding Leader
• Rookie Award
• Serving Others
• Unsung Hero

Award recipients will receive $500, after taxes. Past recipients are not eligible again until five years after their award year and are listed on the Staff Council webpage.

Please follow these steps:
1. Review and choose the award criteria.
2. Create your nomination letter.
3. Collect your letters of support (no more than three, one-page letters).
4. Complete the nomination form.

Please note that you will need to be prepared to upload your nomination letter and each letter of support as individual files in the nomination form before exiting it. Otherwise, it will be lost as the system will not automatically save it.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19.

Dining Services presents this week's C-Cubed Luncheon being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 28) in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge, Room 107. All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C3 lunch buffet menus are created by executive chef Eric Karvonen and prepared by Karvonen and his culinary team. This week’s luncheon has been created by Karvonen and Julia Semaan, who is doing her internship at Michigan Tech as part of her competency for her internship. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea, cookies and fruit are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $12 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union office, Room 101. You can submit C-Cubed feedback using this Google form. To join the C-Cubed Google group and receive weekly menus, email business-support@mtu.edu.

Menu for Thursday (October 28):

“Julia’s Creation”

Beef Kofta with Pita Bread (Gluten Free)
Red Rice (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Falafel (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Mediterranean Salad (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Sautéed Vegetables (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Tzatziki (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Tahini Sauce (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Adam M. Guss is the next presenter in the Biological Sciences Seminar Series.

The seminar will be held from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 28) via Zoom.

Guss's presentation is titled "Domestication of diverse non-model microbes for plastics upcycling and sustainable fuel and chemical production."

From the abstract:
Many non-model microbes have native phenotypic advantages over model organisms like E. coli and S. cerevisiae, such as the ability to catabolize polymeric biomass feedstocks, extreme tolerance to various stressors, or high flux through complex metabolic pathways. Unfortunately, these non-model microbes typically lack the genetic tools that would enable further modifications and metabolic engineering. Our pipeline for achieving transformation in diverse bacteria will be discussed, with a focus on libraries of genetic parts and rationally avoiding restriction-modification systems. This approach has enabled first-of-kind or increased efficiency of transformation in numerous phylogenetically diverse bacteria. Beyond development of initial transformation technologies, we have also developed high efficiency DNA integration tools using site-specific DNA recombinases. This system allows for rapid and stable insertion of DNA into the chromosome of the target host, enabling rapid screening of both genetic parts (e.g., promoters, terminators, reporter genes) and metabolic pathways. Because of the high efficiency, these recombinases can be multiplexed to enable combinatorial libraries to be constructed in vivo for pathway optimization. We apply these technologies to engineer bacteria to convert sustainable (lignocellulose) and waste (plastics) feedstocks into fuels and monomers for the next-generation of recyclable-by-design plastics. Finally, I will discuss how these tools are applicable to diverse areas of microbiology, including microbiome engineering and drug discovery.

Making a research poster for a conference or other event? This workshop covers basic tips and tricks for presenting your research and information in a visual format. We'll also look at resources and tools available at the library to help you design and print your poster. Join us at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday, Oct. 26) in the library, Room 244.

Register for the Poster Design Workshop.

The October KIP Seminar will take place Friday (Oct. 29) at 3 p.m.

Wouter Hoogkamer, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will present "How biomechanics helped to break the 2-hour marathon barrier".

The seminar will be delivered virtually. Please contact the KIP main office for the Zoom login information.

The next session of the CTL Instructional Award Series: Curriculum Development or Assessment is Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 3:45-4:45 p.m. in Dillman, Room 208. Please register for the session. 

Paul Sanders, Patrick S. Horvath Endowed Professor in Materials Science, will present "Advanced Tools for Undergrads: Using Material Design to Teach Materials."

From the abstract:
Many engineering students progress through the curriculum by learning the content of each course sequentially but not quite seeing the big picture. The Capstone Senior Design experience is a place where the big picture could come into focus, but often it does not. The field of view expands so fast that it can be overwhelming.

There needs to be a stepping stone between semester-size courses and real-world engineering. This reality led to the development of a design methods course that is greater than the sum of the parts. It uses graduate level and beyond tools to integrate many parts of the curriculum in a way that is comfortable and engaging. By simplifying the concepts and teaching the course as an example design project using advanced tools, the students begin to see how pressing engineering challenges can be solved by design methods outside the traditional box.

The format of this presentation will be a journey of personal discovery, or perhaps more honestly, how others who had the vision showed me how this was possible in an undergraduate setting. I'm standing not quite on the shoulders of giants, but rather on the shoulders of many competent educators and one expert who tricked me, and I refer to him as the "accidental mentor."

Todd Arney, Senior Lecturer in Applied Computing, will present "The Challenge of Making Complex Topics Accessible and Engaging to a Broad Audience."

From the abstract:
Sometimes, what starts as a simple question or task, turns into a lengthy and involved procedure or explanation that diverts us away from our original goals. For example, when someone asks a question like “Why isn’t my phone working?”, what they are actually asking is, “What is the simplest way to get my phone working?” In academia, so much time is spent on the nuances and intricacies of “why” we sometimes lose sight of the question “What is the easiest way to explain this?” — especially to an audience unfamiliar (or frankly uninterested) with the topic.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with faculty in the College of Engineering (Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering) and bring concepts from the College of Computing (Applied Computing) to one of their “Water Resources System Modeling and Design” classes. The task became: “How could I take complex topics like cybersecurity, cyberethics, virtualization, the Linux operating system and computer networking and distill them down to the bare essentials and make everything accessible (and engaging) to non-technology classes and students?” In this presentation, I’ll share what I did, why I did it and how it was received.

Public speaking and effective communication skills are paramount to success in the workplace. The GSG Professional Development committee is excited to announce an interactive seminar on public speaking hosted by Marina Choy and Veena Namboodri, communication instructors and Ph.D. candidates in the Rhetoric, Theory and Culture program at the Department of Humanities.

We will actively discuss speech anxiety management as well as tips for improving delivery, clarity, organization, audience engagement and more. Join us tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 27) in ME-EM, Room 111, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. There will also be a dedicated Q&A time; feel free to come with questions!

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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VPR Research Series: The NSF's Past, Present and Future

Join us as we present the next session of the VPR Research Series: a virtual presentation led by Federal Science Partners (Michigan Tech’s Washington, D.C., based policy advocates) and the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research Development. The Zoom session will be held Oct. 27 from noon to 1 p.m.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has traditionally been one of Michigan Tech’s top research sponsors and the agency to which we submit the most proposals each year. The NSF has also been in the news multiple times in the last year due to plans to potentially add a new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate and increase the NSF budget. In this session, we’ll learn more about the status of these plans, explore how we can sustain the institutional momentum with the NSF, and consider ways for Michigan Tech researchers to capitalize on the new opportunities coming out of the agency.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation for attendees to ask questions and engage with the presenters to dig deeper into specific topics of interest.

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Café Français

Please join us today (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.

Kartik Iyer (Physics/ME-EM) is the author of an article, titled "The area rule for circulation in three-dimensional turbulence," which was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the article, Iyer demonstrates that the Area Rule — which posits  that the circulation around any closed loop uniquely depends on its minimal area — holds to a good approximation but has shortcomings, namely that the minimal area alone is insufficient to quantify the circulation statistics.

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

Hyperconnection: A New Series by Tiffany Lange

Tuesday, October 26, 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

Tuesday, October 26, 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"

Tuesday, October 26, 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...

LinkedIn and Professional Networking

Tuesday, October 26, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Attend this presentation to learn how to use LinkedIn to facilitate your professional networking efforts.

Open Rock Climbing

Tuesday, October 26, 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...

Saint Paul, MN Michigan Tech Night

Tuesday, October 26, 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. | Minnesota Humanities Center

Huskies are coming to Saint Paul, MN! Join us to hear about Michigan Technological University through student stories and experiences at a Michigan Tech Night near you. You'll...

(Women's Volleyball) Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth

Tuesday, October 26, 7 p.m.–10 p.m.

Women's Volleyball: Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth, UP North Tournament

Info Session: Scientific and Technical Communication Major

Tuesday, October 26, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

Current and prospective students interesting in writing, media, and bridging the worlds or science and communication are invited to learn more about our undergraduate major in...