MTU One of Four State Universities to Receive $18.5M in Federal Funding to Expand Infectious Disease Research

A researcher tests samples for COVID-19

Michigan Tech will receive $4.3 million to help the state of Michigan expand sequencing for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that MTU is one of four Michigan universities receiving $18.5 million in federal funds over the next two years to collect and analyze genomic data to address emerging infectious disease threats and enhance the state’s ability to respond to those threats.

With Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, Tech will use the funding to increase sequencing capacity in the state — starting with SARS-CoV-2 and then expanding to other infectious disease threats with potential for broad community spread.

Michigan Tech's research team includes co-principal investigators Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI), Dukka KC (CC) and Hairong Wei (CFRES), and senior researchers Kristin Brzeski (CFRES), Guy Hembroff (CC), Kelly Kamm (KIP), Stephen Techtmann (BioSci) and Kui Zhang (Math).

Read more at mtu.edu/news.

Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition Dates Announced

Graduate and undergraduate students across campus disciplines are invited to pitch their business model in four minutes to a panel of judges in the annual Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition.

This year's competition will take place Jan. 27 from 5-7 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A and will be streamed virtually on Zoom. Students must register for the competition by Jan. 21. 

All faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to attend the competition. A pre-event social mixer will be held for attendees and contestants starting at 4 p.m.

Want to watch on Zoom?
Virtual attendees must register in advance.

Business Model Boot Camp
The Business Model Boot Camp will be held Jan. 19 to help contestants prepare their business models. All contestants are encouraged to attend. To participate, contestants must register for the boot camp by Jan. 18. 

About the Competition
A follow-up to our Idea Pitch Competition, the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition assesses the potential of an idea through the product-market fit of a team’s value proposition with its proposed customer segment(s). The competition is a great way to come together as a campus and community to support our students and their innovations. Prizes will be awarded to the most scalable and actionable business model pitches.

This event is a tribute to the late Bob Mark, professor of practice within the College of Business. Mark started the Elevator Pitch Competition at Michigan Tech. The Bob Mark Pitch Business Model Competition recognizes his entrepreneurial spirit and its continuation at Michigan Tech. The 2022 Bob Mark Business Model Competition is being hosted by Husky Innovate, the Pavlis Honors College and the College of Business.

About Husky Innovate
Husky Innovate is Michigan Tech’s resource hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We host free workshops, competitions, NSF I-Corps lean startup training, innovation talks, internships and mentorship, and we co-host the Silicon Valley Experience with the College of Business.

Volunteer Opportunities at the Rozsa

Join the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts as a member of the volunteer usher team!

Volunteer opportunities are available for all January shows:

What do volunteer ushers do?
This season is full of exceptional, innovative, fun performances. Volunteer ushers play a critical role in creating a welcoming environment as our community reconnects for vibrant live arts experiences. You could fill one of several positions: greeter, ticket scanner, program helper or seating guide, or be a floating usher who fills in where they are needed.

Do I do this alone or with other people?
Each show will have a house manager and 2-12 volunteer ushers, depending on the size of the event, so you will never be alone! You are always welcome to put together a group — friends, family or people from an organization — and enjoy the shared experience of bringing a production to life.

What experience or training do I need?
You don’t. All the training you need will take place the day of the show, before guests arrive.

What is the time commitment for a show?
You will arrive 90 minutes before the show, monitor the audience while you enjoy the show for free and then stay to help with some light cleanup for 30 minutes or less after the show.

Visit the Rozsa Volunteer page, sign up to usher using our online form, or email Samantha Hoover at shoover@mtu.edu to learn more and get involved.

Virtual Talk: Project Implicit

ADVANCE at Michigan Tech will be hosting a virtual session on implicit bias (defined below) presented by Sylvia Perry, associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University from Project Implicit, on Jan. 26 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The objectives of the education session are to raise awareness of our biases; to explore how researchers measure and understand identity-based biases; and to provide actionable steps that we can take to prevent and mitigate the impact of biases.

We invite you to join us for this important discussion about how hidden biases we carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes and stereotypes may be influencing our decisions and leading to unintended consequences.

Implicit bias is an automatic reaction we have toward other people. These attitudes and stereotypes can negatively impact our understanding, actions and decision-making. The idea that we can hold prejudices we don’t want or consciously believe was quite radical when it was first introduced, and the fact that people may discriminate unintentionally
continues to have implications for understanding disparities in so many aspects of society, including but not limited to health care, policing and education, as well as organizational practices like hiring and promotion.

Please register to attend.

After you register, if you would like a free copy of "Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People," written by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald, please email ADVANCE at advance-mtu@mtu.edu and let us know if you want a physical copy or an e-book.

Please disregard the QR code on the postcards and use the link in this announcement.

Physics Colloquium

Nadir Jeevanjee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory will be presenting at this week's physics colloquium. Please join the virtual presentation Thursday (Jan. 13) at 4 p.m. via Zoom.

Jeevanjee's presentation is titled "Simpson's Law and the Water Vapor Feedback."

Register in advance for this event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Read the abstract and find out more about Jeevanjee's research background on the University Events Calendar.

Ellie Mackay Leads Women's Basketball to Victory

Ellie Mackay constructed a career-high 36 points to help Michigan Tech women's basketball to victory over Wisconsin-Parkside 93-76 on Jan. 6 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball game at SDC Gymnasium.

Mackay's total was just one point shy of the Huskies' single-game point record (37) and she shot 14-for-21 from the field with six rebounds. The Huskies broke a three-game slide and moved to 9-4 overall, 4-1 in the GLIAC.

It was the best offensive outing of the season so far for the Huskies. The squad shot 50.7% (36-for-71), including 37.5% (9-for-24) from beyond the arc. Alex Rondorf marked a strong effort on both ends of the floor with 18 points (8-for-14), seven rebounds and three assists. Sara Dax also pitched in 12 points (5-for-7) and five boards.

"It was awesome to get back on the floor after break and grow from the mistakes we made last month in Missouri," said head coach Sam Clayton. "Offensively, we looked completely different with our movement. We were cutting, screening and taking high percentage shots. We got it into the post as well and even our guards were catching it and facing up; making good decisions. There is still room for improvement defensively but we did some things well and overall, I was happy with how we played."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Men's Basketball Wins Defensive Match Over Rangers

Michigan Tech men's basketball won a tightly contested game over Wisconsin-Parkside 59-53 on Jan. 6 at SDC Gymnasium in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

The Huskies held the Rangers to just one basket over the final two minutes, 38 seconds, while balancing their scoring from eight different players.

"I thought we really guarded them well in the second half," said head coach Josh Buettner. "Carter (Johnston) and Owen (White) were spectacular defensively all night. They were trying to go at Owen inside and he held his own and then Carter made Trey Croft work for everything. It was a great effort against an exceptional player. Credit to Parkside for guarding us well, too. It was just a defensive battle where every basket had to be earned on both sides." 

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Posting

Job Posting for Monday, Jan. 10, 2022

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. 

Assistant Football Coach, Athletics. 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.

Reminders

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 spring 2022 semester.

Testing is available every week in the Rozsa Center basement Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no cost to be tested, and no appointment is needed. 

More COVID-19 Testing Information for the Michigan Tech community is available on the MTU Flex website.

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Last Day to Submit Your Husky Health Checklists

Today (Jan. 10) is the last day to submit your Husky Health Checklists with the activities you completed between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, to earn up to $450 to use toward health-related expenses. Payouts will become available to employees in February.

Check out the Husky Health website or follow us on Facebook at Michigan Tech Wellness for more information about Husky Health, Lunch and Learns, wellness tips and fitness programs that count toward the Husky Health incentive. Find out more about Husky Health and other wellness benefits online.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@mtu.edu or call 906-487-2517.

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Give to the Campus Cultural Events Fund

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) is seeking departments to contribute to the Campus Cultural Events Fund. The fund, administered through a collaborative committee, was instituted in 2018 in an effort to support cultural events and programs hosted by student organizations.

The fund's purpose is to increase the campus community's knowledge and appreciation of diversity and/or inclusion by providing financial support for student-driven events and activities.

If you would like to contribute to the fund, please use the Michigan Tech Giving form for the Cultural Events Fund.

Giving to the fund ensures that the activities and events it supports continue now and into the future. Once on Michigan Tech's Giving form, please designate your gift to "The Cultural Events Fund" in the space provided. Please direct questions to culturalevents@mtu.edu.

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ICC Sponsored Lecture

The Michigan Tech Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) is sponsoring a lecture by Benjamin C. Lok of the University of Florida, to be presented Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. in Kanwal and Ann Rekhi Hall (Rekhi), Room 214. The lecture can also be attended virtually via Zoom

Lok is a professor and director of the Virtual Experiences Research Group (VERG) at the University of Florida. His main research areas are human-centered computing and graphics and visualization. His interests include virtual environments (virtual humans, interaction, rendering, avatars and real-world applications) and human-computer interaction (interacting with digital characters, virtual worlds and 3D interfaces).

Read more on the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems Blog.

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PhD Defense: Madhur Jagtap, ECE

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering candidate Madhur Jagtap (ECE) will defend their doctoral dissertation tomorrow (Jan. 11) at 3 p.m. in the Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), Room 501. Attendance is also invited via Zoom.

The title of Jagtap's dissertation is "Impacts of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) on Power System."

Jagtap is advised by Bruce Mork.

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MS Defense: Pranav Nair, ECE

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering candidate Pranav Nair (ECE) will hold their master's defense tomorrow (Jan. 11) at 9 a.m. in the R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), Room 111.

The title of Nair's defense is "Hardware In the Loop Implementation and Simulations of a Wave Energy Converter using Typhoon HIL and Speedgoat."

Nair is advised by Wayne Weaver and Glen Archer.

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ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

The first spring 2022 Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) Forum will be held from 2-3 p.m. today (Jan. 10) in the Harold Meese Center (Meese), Room 109, and virtually via Zoom.

There will be two speakers: Lisa Casper and Betsy Lehman, both ACSHF graduate students.

Casper will be presenting "Perspective shifting in design: Evidence of innovation in makerspaces."

Lehman will present "Taking It Easy: Ease of Generating Alternative Explanations As A Mediator Of Counterfactual Reasoning In Ambiguous Social Judgments."

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First ME-EM Chair Candidate Presentations

The Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) would like to invite you to attend the seminars to be given by the first department chair candidate, Mark Barkey.

Barkey is currently the department head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Alabama.

Today (Jan. 10) at 10 a.m., Barkey will give a seminar titled "Buckling of Thin-Walled Cones Subjected to External Pressure" in the R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), Room 406.

Tomorrow (Jan. 11), Barkey will give a seminar on "Administrative Philosophy and Goals" in MEEM Room 406 at 11 a.m.

The seminars will be given live. Instructions and access to the recordings will be made made available at a later date.

Today's Campus Events

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ACSHF Forum: Casper and Lehman

The first Spring 2022 Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) Forum will be held from 2-3 p.m. on Monday (January 10) in the Harold Meese Center (Meese), Room 109,...

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Middle School Volleyball Development League

A four-week developmental program for middle school girls in grades 7 & 8 to learn and improve their skills in preparation for the upcoming interscholastic season. This...

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Open Rock Climbing

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...