October 27, 2021

When it comes to 3D printing, why stop at plastic?

Direct metal printing (DMP) allows manufacturers to create fine parts from metal powders. Called additive manufacturing, the printers add metal bit by bit. Traditional manufacturing is all about subtracting — taking away metal to make a part. DMP is the inverse. Depending on what’s needed, Michigan Tech’s 3D Systems DMP 350 metal printer is capable of fabricating the smallest of screws or an entire engine block.

Read more on Unscripted, the University's research blog, at mtu.edu/unscripted.

“My story of involvement in IPC (the association connecting electronics industries) begins with Professor Christopher Middlebrook (ECE),” says undergraduate Paige Fiet. “In spring semester 2020, when I was enrolled in the professor’s printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing course, he forwarded me an email from IPC’s Education Foundation announcing that, for the first time, the Board of Directors was seeking a student to join the board and advocate on behalf of IPC student members.”

Learn more about Fiet’s work representing her peers at MTU and around the world in the latest Humans of Michigan Tech blog.

The second session in the kickoff series for Innovators in Industry will take place on Monday (Nov. 1) at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Titled "The Computing Revolution," the session will be hosted by the College of Computing. Featured alumni will make short presentations with time for Q&A from the audience.

Innovators in Industry aims to give students direct access to industry experts, leaders and influencers to help shape their paths. The following Michigan Tech alumni will participate in Monday's session:

• Christine Roberts, senior vice president and general manager, software and services solutions, at Poly.
• Austin J. Noronha, managing director, Sony Innovation Fund.
• Stuart Pann, senior vice president at Intel Corporation.
• Dianne Marsh, director of device and content security at Netflix.

Innovators in Industry had its inaugural session Oct. 25 with “The Future of Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility” hosted by the College of Engineering. The third and final session in the kickoff series will be Nov. 8 when the College of Business presents “Entrepreneurship: Startups & Venture Capital.”

Innovators in Industry virtual sessions are open to all Michigan Tech students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Join Monday's session via Zoom.

Join us as we present the next session of the VPR Research Series with a virtual presentation led by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Van Pelt and Opie Library and the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC). The session will be held Nov. 9 from noon to 1 p.m.

This session will provide an introduction to recent developments in research data management, which are being driven in part by the evolving requirements of many research sponsors, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others. The session will include an overview of Michigan Tech’s recently instituted policy on research data and practical resources available at Michigan Tech to assist with data management needs (e.g., online resources at the Van Pelt and Opie Library, the Data Management Plan tool and Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech). In addition, the panel will share practical tips and examples from data management planning on recent projects.

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.

The campus community is invited to hear Xin Li (COB), assistant professor of finance, present "Do Firms Set Pension Discount Rates Strategically?" as part of the College of Business Brown Bag Research Seminar Series, from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 3), in the Academic Office Building, Room 101.

From the abstract:
Corporations reduce the magnitude of their pension contributions through their choice of pension liability discount rates, and do so asymmetrically; firms are slow to drop the rates when corporate bond rates drop, but raise them rapidly when rates rise. This effect varies across firms due to heterogeneity in firm investment productivity and financing and pension funding constraints that deter corporate investments. We find setting higher discount rates helps to improve investments of underfunded firms, particularly for financially constrained firms vulnerable to lower rates.

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) is offering virtual retirement counseling sessions on the following days:

• Tuesday, Nov. 2
• Wednesday, Nov. 17
• Thursday, Nov. 18
• Wednesday, Dec. 1
• Thursday, Dec. 9
• Friday, Dec. 17

If you'd like to schedule an appointment with TIAA, call 800-732-8353 or book an appointment online.

The next Graduate Seminar Speaker will be Amartya Banerjee, who will present “Symmetry, deformations and the search for unprecedented materials from first principles” at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 28) via Zoom.

Banerjee is an assistant professor of material science and engineering at the University of California.

Attend virtually on Zoom.

An informational session for students interested in studying in Ireland or Cumbria (or both!) next summer will be held today (Oct. 27) at 5 p.m. in Fisher Hall, Room 133.

Details about the programs are also available on the Ireland Study Away page and the Cumbria Study Away page (the application process is explained in the Registration sidebar).

For more information, contact Libby Meyer at ecmeyer@mtu.edu or Carl Blair at cblair@mtu.edu. 

Julie Maldonado, associate director for the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) at the University of California-Santa Barbara, will present a virtual seminar on Monday (Nov. 1) at 4 p.m. via Zoom.

Maldonado’s presentation is titled "Climate disruption, community displacement and adaptation: Bending the challenges and opportunities towards justice." This virtual seminar is sponsored by the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) and the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE).

Read the abstract at the University Events Calendar.

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

Advanced Career Management (ACM) will offer an open “Office Hour” for mid-career faculty Nov. 1-5. The event will pair an associate-level faculty member with a full professor to discuss career-related topics. The theme of this event is “Upgrade Your Profile.” Participating faculty can raise any career-related topics but are encouraged to review CVs and discuss strategies for accomplishing high-value career goals.

Associate professors who are interested in participating should email advance-mtu@mtu.edu with their contact information. The ADVANCE office will suggest a one-hour meeting time based on calendar availabilities for the mentor and mentee. Both an in-person location and a Zoom link will be provided. Participating mentors include Will Cantrell (associate provost; dean of the Graduate School; professor, Physics), Shiyue Fang (professor, Chem), Adrienne Minnerick (professor, ChE) and Judith Perlinger (CEGE) — see the ADVANCE Newsblog for mentor biosketches.

The ACM program is an initiative of ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Michigan Tech senior goalkeeper Erika Gabriel has been named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Gabriel got the start in net for Michigan Tech's soccer team on Sunday (Oct. 24) versus Ferris State and had five saves on her way to her fourth shutout this season. The Huskies handed the Bulldogs their first GLIAC loss this season and snapped their 13-game unbeaten streak at one shy of a school record. 

Gabriel currently sits atop the leaderboard in several categories for GLIAC goalkeepers. She paces the conference in save percentage (.895), goals against (2) and goals-against average (0.29). 

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

No. 1 Ferris State pounced on the Huskies on the first play from scrimmage and carried momentum to a 38-10 win over Michigan Tech in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football Saturday (Oct. 23) at Kearly Stadium.

The Bulldogs stayed undefeated at 7-0 (4-0 GLIAC) while the Huskies fell to 4-3 (3-1 GLIAC).

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech soccer team fell 5-0 to the Lakers on Oct. 22. The No. 1 nationally ranked Lakers struck twice in the first half and three more times in the second half to secure the victory. 

"It was a tough loss today, but we do not have time to dwell on it as a team," coach Turk Ozturk said. "We have to be ready to bounce back on Sunday (Oct. 24). We have to be mentally tough and quickly be able to move on to the next one."

The Huskies did bounce back, nabbing a 1-0 victory over Ferris State on Sunday. MTU got a second-half goal from Grace Shaw, and held on to hand the No. 9 nationally ranked Bulldogs their first GLIAC loss of the season.

"It was a huge win," Ozturk said. "To grind it out like that and get a result against a Top 10 team in the country is huge. Our student-athletes are finally seeing the hard work and commitment pay off and that is important for us."

The Black and Gold improved to 7-4 in the GLIAC and 10-5 overall. 

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The No. 20-ranked Michigan Tech volleyball team swept Parkside Friday (Oct. 22) at De Simone Gymnasium, winning 25-14, 25-17, and 25-18. It was the Huskies' 11th straight win and the 15th victory of their last 16 matches.

"While it wasn't our cleanest performance, we were good enough to accomplish what we came here to do, and that was to win," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "Sweeping on the road is not easy in this league, and I'm glad we got it done here tonight."

Next, the Huskies swept Purdue Northwest Saturday (Oct. 23) for their third sweep in a row and 12th straight win. The Huskies defeated the Pride 25-15, 25-17, and 25-7 to improve to 17-4 overall and 9-1 in the GLIAC.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech men's cross country finished second, while women's cross country came in fourth Saturday (Oct. 23) at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Saginaw Valley State University.

Fighting through extremely soggy course conditions, Clayton Sayen cracked the top 10 for the fourth time this season with a fourth-place 8K time of 25:04.1 (5:02 pace). Sam Lange crossed 13th in 25:57.8, followed by teammates Luke Moore (21st - 26:31.7), Nick Niemi (23rd - 26:36.2) and Nick McKenzie (27th - 26:36.2). 

Michelle Bollini again led the Husky women with an 11th-place 6K time of 23:04.0. Sam Kurkowski came in 19th (23:31.7). Anabel Needham was 26th (23:51.7), followed by Chloe Strach (35th - 24:20.2) and Jenna Brewer (20:17.4).

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

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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Joy Harjo's "An American Sunrise" Book Discussion Tomorrow

The Van Pelt and Opie Library and Portage Lake District Library invite community members to participate in The NEA Big Read, a community reading project spanning the Upper Peninsula.

The project is spearheaded by Peter White Public Library in Marquette and features native author Joy Harjo’s "An American Sunrise." This collection of poems chronicles Harjo's journey of reconnecting with her ancestors and coming to terms with the removal history of her people from their homelands.

A discussion of the poetry collection will be hosted in the Community Room of the Portage Lake District Library from 5:30-6:30 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 28). The discussion will be led by T. Marie Bertineau, Native American author of "The Mason House: A Memoir" (a 2021 Michigan Notable Book), and U.P. Poet Laureate M. Bartley Seigle (HU).

Peter White Public Library will present a virtual reading with Joy Harjo Nov. 15 as a capstone to the project.

The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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Accessible Document Workshop

Are your documents born accessible? Not sure? Attend an accessible document workshop and find out.

If your job involves creating documents to share with colleagues or students, or to post online, you need to ensure they are usable by everyone. Unintended digital barriers in documents can prevent some people from accessing the information.

To learn more about document accessibility, the Accessible Technology Working Group (ATWG) will present a workshop to explain what digital accessibility is and why documents need to be accessible. We’ll cover the best practices for documents created in Microsoft Word and Google Docs, including the proper use of headings; providing text descriptions for important images; creating accessible lists, tables and links; and the effective use of color in your documents.

The one-hour workshop will be offered Tuesday (Nov. 2) at 2 p.m. and Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. in the Van Pelt and Opie Library, Room 242. Computers will be available for you to practice your new skills on a practice document, or you can bring your own document to check its accessibility status.

Register for the workshop using the links below. Contact Jeff Toorongian at jetooron@mtu.edu, or Amy Blake at alblake@mtu.edu with any questions.

• Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. — Register for Nov. 2 workshop.
• Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. — Register for Nov. 10 workshop.

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SRC-Squared: Michigan Tech as a Living Laboratory?

The Sustainable and Resilient Communities Social Network and Research Collaborative (SRC-Squared) invites you to join the next SRC-Squared event, on Monday (Nov. 1) at 11 a.m.

During this one-hour hybrid session (join in person or via Zoom), participants will have an opportunity to contribute ideas to a brainstorming session in response to the question: What would Michigan Tech look like as a living laboratory of sustainability and resilience?

This conversation is inspired by the current master planning process taking place on campus. Chelsea Schelly, lead of the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience, and Alan Turnquist, director of sustainability and resilience, will facilitate the discussion. Turnquist is participating in the master planning process, and ideas generated during this session will be integrated into conversations about the planning process and outcomes.

Michigan Tech has enormous potential to transform itself by integrating sustainability and resilience into every facet of the University. Developing a vision for Michigan Tech as a living laboratory of sustainability and resilience can allow students, staff and faculty to contribute mightily to a sustainable and resilient campus, local community, Great Lakes region and world. What would Michigan Tech look like as a living laboratory? How would we use space, resources and time differently? What could such a living laboratory do, and how can you contribute? Come join the discussion!

We look forward to seeing you Monday at 11 a.m. Join us in the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building (Dow), Room 875, or join via Zoom.

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'The Misinformation Edition' Exhibit Reception and Keynote Talk

Join us for the opening reception of "The Misinformation Edition" exhibit, on display now until Nov. 21 in the Van Pelt and Opie Library. 

The reception will be held tonight (Oct. 27) from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the library, and will feature a keynote talk by Joan Donovan on "The True Cost of Misinformation." Light refreshments will be served.

The talk will explore the ways in which social media companies are trying to patch the holes in a failing sociotechnical system, where the problems their products have created are now shouldered by journalists, universities and health professionals, just to name a few. It will further promote discussion about what can be done to restore moral and technical order in a time of pandemonium.

Donovan is the research director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and the director of the Technology and Social Change project (TaSC). She is a specialist in media manipulation, political movements, critical internet studies and online extremism. Her work explores how media manipulation is a means to control public conversation, derail democracy and disrupt society.

The talk will be broadcast at the Van Pelt and Opie Library and also hosted via Zoom.

This event 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 Michigan Tech.

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Grammarly@EDU Is Here 

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.

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Interactive Public Speaking Seminar

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 in 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 today (Oct. 27) in the R. L. Smith Building (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!

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Accepting Proposals: SYP Visiting Instructor Program

Summer Youth Programs (SYP) is currently accepting proposals for our Visiting Instructor Program and we would greatly appreciate your help spreading the word!

The Visiting Instructor Program invites educators to propose their own SYP course for next summer. Educators will enjoy benefits including a salary of $725, up to $350 of reimbursement for travel expenses, on-campus lodging and meal plan, and a student from their school or organization will also receive a scholarship to attend an SYP course! Educators will also have the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous Keweenaw Peninsula during their evenings.

This year's theme for courses is "Rising to Meet the Challenges of Tomorrow" and selected courses will educate students on a challenge or need we will encounter as a society in the next 10 years, the groundwork being laid today to address this challenge and areas for improvement or investigation, as well as careers related to the potential solution.

Additional information about the program can be found at the Summer Youth Programs website. Proposals are due Monday (Nov. 1).

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

Hyperconnection: A New Series by Tiffany Lange

Wednesday, October 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 Misinformation Edition Exhibition

Wednesday, October 27, 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"

Wednesday, October 27, 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...

Halloween Bake Sale

Wednesday, October 27, 12 p.m.–4 p.m. | Inside Library

No tricks, just treats! Delta Zeta will be having a Halloween themed bake sale on October 27th and 28th in the benefit of their national philanthropies for Speech and Hearing,...

UP & Moving Lunchtime High Noon Activity Break

Wednesday, October 27, 12:00 p.m.–12:20 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...

VPR Research Series: The National Science Foundation: Past, Present & Future

Wednesday, October 27, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Join us as we present the next session of the VPR Research Series with a virtual presentation led by Federal Science Partners (Michigan Tech’s Washington, DC based policy...

UP & Moving Lunchtime Noon-Thirty Activity Break

Wednesday, October 27, 12:30 p.m.–12:50 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...

LinkedIn and Professional Networking

Wednesday, October 27, 4 p.m.–5 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.

Study abroad info session: Ireland, England, and Greece

Wednesday, October 27, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 133

Attend this info session to learn how you can study abroad next summer with Michigan Tech faculty and students. This session will discuss faculty-led programs in Ireland,...

Keynote & Reception - “The True Costs of Misinformation,” Dr. Joan Donovan

Wednesday, October 27, 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library

Join us for the Opening Reception of The Misinformation Edition Exhibit. The reception will feature a keynote talk by Dr. Joan Donovan on "The True Cost of Misinformation."...

Open Rock Climbing

Wednesday, October 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...

Pumkin Carving Competition

Wednesday, October 27, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | Kappa Delta Psi

Carving pumpkins with the brothers of KD's *Bring your own pumpkin if possible*

TKE-Dodgeball

Wednesday, October 27, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. | SDC Multipurpose Courts

Join the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon for this awesome event. Stop by to learn more about how we can help you create lifelong relationships that enhance educational,...