January 31, 2022

Now in its third year, the College of Computing is on an upward trajectory. Student enrollment is up appreciably and other key indicators confirm that the upward trend will continue. In a three-part series of articles, we take a close look at how we got here, what our college looks like today and what we’re working to accomplish as we look to the future. Here's the beginning of Part I: "How We Got Here: A Brief History."

"In 1973, computing at Michigan Tech was done on large mainframe computers weighing many hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. Students prepared their class programming assignments on noisy keypunch machines, turned in their decks at batch stations and waited eagerly for minutes or hours to get back the listing containing the results of their runs — from a machine with less computing power than the average smartphone today. Michigan Tech introduced the computer science bachelor’s program the same year, which was offered through the mathematics department, but CS and math majors had separate classifications and the units had separate budgets.

"The applied computing department traces its roots to the 1960s. The electrical engineering technology program was started in 1967, and in 1969, the Department of Applied Technology was established, which would become the School of Technology in 1975."

Part I continues on the College of Computing website. Read more about the history of computing at Michigan Tech!

Do you know a current student who'd be great at helping new incoming students adjust to new environments and achieve their goals?

The Husky Connect Mentorship Program is looking for Huskies willing to give new students the value of their experiences. Each mentor is assigned one or two first-year students to meet with during the summer before they begin their first fall semester. Husky Connect mentors receive compensation for the time they spend with their mentees.

Students can learn more about this peer-to-peer program and apply to be a Husky Connect mentor on our website. Applications close Feb. 18 at 5 p.m.

For more information, please contact Mayra Morgan at msmorgan@mtu.edu.

Payroll Deduction | Red Permits
For employees utilizing payroll deduction for parking and holding a red parking permit, our new non-expiring window clings will be available for distribution beginning Monday (Feb. 7). The online process to reserve your window cling is now available (only red payroll deduction permits will be available online).

Transportation Services sent an email last Thursday (Jan. 27) with instructions for using the Parking Portal to verify or update your vehicle information and when to return your old hang-tag and pick up your new window cling. Your current hang-tag permit will be valid until that time and your payroll deduction will continue.

We encourage employees to use payroll deduction, which allows us to issue non-expiring permits that can be used as long as payroll deduction remains in place. Employees who do not currently have payroll deduction and would like to begin deductions will need to complete a form available through Transportation Services.

The new window cling non-expiring permits will be barcoded for fair and consistent enforcement, allowing employees to easily check the license plates associated with their permit. It will be very important to update your license plate or vehicle information if it changes. Please remember that only one vehicle per permit is allowed on campus at a time.

Paid-in-Full Permits | Not Eligible for Payroll Deduction
For employees who paid in full for their permit or are not eligible for payroll deduction, new permits must be purchased at the Transportation Services office if your current expiration date is December 2021. You must return your expired permit when you purchase your new permit. Your payment will be prorated through the expiration date of June 25, 2022.

Silver Permits
General silver parking permits are valid in Lot 24 near the SDC. General permits are valid through the expiration date provided on your permit. To continue to be allowed to park in Lot 24, those who have permits expiring in December 2021 will need to purchase a new permit with an expiration date of June 25, 2022. You must return your expired permit and purchase your new permit at the Transportation Services office.

Guaranteed Lot Permits
Guaranteed Lot permits are not available online. Employees with guaranteed lot parking permits will be contacted individually with instructions on verifying their intention of continuing with a black guaranteed Lot 11 permit, which also includes access to all red faculty/staff lots. Anyone wishing to be added to the waiting list for a black guaranteed Lot 11 permit should contact parking@mtu.edu.

More Info
Information about parking and permits is available on the Transportation Services website. If you have any questions, please email parking@mtu.edu.

Get ready for a glowing good time — the Bigfoot Glowshoe is back this year!

Have you ever wanted to go snowshoeing at night on a glowing trail? Here’s your chance! The event is scheduled for Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. up at the Michigan Tech Trails.

Register to participate at buyhuskiestickets.com. Students, youth and the general public are all welcome to attend this event.

Questions? Email Whitney at wmborosk@mtu.edu.

Graduate Student Government (GSG) is pleased to announce this year’s Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC), being held March 29 and 30.

The GRC offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to showcase their research across the campuswide community and work on their presentation skills for upcoming conferences. Students can give oral presentations, present posters or do both.

Due to the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic restrictions, the event will be held in a pseudo-hybrid mode. Many conferences have been happening in the hybrid models due to the pandemic, so this is an excellent real-life opportunity to familiarize yourself with the format.

Poster presentations will be held in person and oral presentations will be held virtually. Judges from a similar field as the presenter will score all the presentations. They will provide valuable insight and feedback on how the students can improve their presentations.

Cash prizes are available for the top three presenters in both the oral and poster categories (first is $300, second is $200 and third is $100). Registration is open now and closes Feb. 28 at 11:59 p.m. Register today!

Poster presentations will take place from 5-8 p.m. March 29 in the MUB Ballroom. GSG will be covering the cost of printing posters this year. The oral presentations will be held virtually during both days of the colloquium; they should comprise 12 minutes of live talking (no prerecorded video presentations) followed by a Q&A session.

The GRC will be capped off with the annual GRC Awards Banquet on March 30 following the closing of the event. The banquet will also be held in hybrid mode and all participants and judges are invited to attend in person or virtually if they want. 

Full information can be found on our website. If you have any questions, please contact gsg-research@mtu.edu.

Two Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:

• Lucas Simonson (advised by Ramy El-Ganainy)
• Sam Groetsch (advised by Jacek Borysow)

This will be a hybrid event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 3) in Fisher 139. Please join in person or by Zoom.

Please register in advance to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Event details, along with the students' presentation titles and abstracts, can be found on the University Events Calendar. 

Please join us Friday (Feb. 4) from 3-4 p.m. through Zoom for a special student-led presentation.

Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) graduate students will be presenting their research to a virtual audience. Everyone is welcome to attend, and all attendees are encouraged to participate as the students field questions during their presentations.

Please visit the KIP Newsblog for more details about the seminar and for the Zoom meeting information.

Have you wondered how to make your research proposals look and feel more professional? Have you struggled with how to communicate complex data succinctly and effectively? Are you looking for ways to engage the public with your work quickly and in a user-friendly manner?

Join us on Zoom next Tuesday (Feb. 8) from 11 a.m. to noon for a virtual session examining the art and science of science visualization from a variety of perspectives and in a variety of applications (e.g., scientific research proposals, publications, outreach, teaching). Resources, ideas and partnerships will be explored to give you ideas for how to take your research communication to the next level.

We will welcome Jessica Brassard of the University of Michigan as a guest speaker in this VPR Research Series event.

Any questions can be directed to rd-l@mtu.edu.

Michigan Tech women's basketball lost a 91-81 shooting duel to Northwood University at SDC Gymnasium on Jan. 27.

Alex Rondorf scored 27 points and shot 10-for-12 for the Huskies, including 7-for-9 from 3-point range. Sara Dax was also effective inside with 23 points. But it wasn't enough to top the Timberwolves, who connected on 15 of 25 (60%) of their long-range attempts. The loss was the first time Tech surrendered 90 points this season.

"Northwood came with a lot of energy and a ton of confidence, shooting the ball really well," said head coach Sam Clayton. "We were not able to take that away. Some of it was in transition. Part of it was we were helping inside because we are a bit undersized so we are late on some rotations. I also think we have to give credit to Northwood for playing us well. I hope we get to play them again at some point."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Owen White posted 23 points as Michigan Tech men's basketball cruised to their second win this season over Northwood University 89-48 on Jan. 27 at SDC Gymnasium.

White shot 8-for-15 and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line and the Huskies held the Timberwolves to just 19 points in the opening half to effectively put a stranglehold on the game. Jalen Carter helped the Huskies limit NU's top scorer to 10 points. 

"I liked our focus and intensity level right out of the gate," White said. "We hit some shots early and made some good cuts and curls to the basket. Then on the defensive side of the ball, I felt Jalen did a really good job of shutting their guard, Jack Ammerman, down early on. I was really proud of his effort on the ball and that kind of started it for everyone else."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Posting for Monday, Jan. 31, 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. 

Manager – Dining Services, Dining Services. 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 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 make choices to protect themselves, such as getting vaccinated, wearing high-filtration face coverings, and practicing enhanced sanitation and physical distancing where possible — especially in light of the increased transmissibility of the COVID-19 omicron 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. 

The consent form is now online and can be completed anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of your visit.

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

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Call for Abstracts: 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Pavlis Honors College announces the 10th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, to take place March 25 in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts lobby. Save the date!

The symposium will highlight the cutting-edge research conducted on Michigan Tech’s campus by some of our best and brightest undergraduates. The students represent a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from across campus and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored. Visit the Undergraduate Research Symposium website for more information regarding abstract submission.

Abstract submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Monday (Feb. 7). Encourage your undergraduate student researchers to participate in this opportunity as a means to display their work and gain presentation experience. The symposium coincides with Tech's Preview Day and is a great way to share the exciting research projects going on across campus with high school students considering attending Michigan Tech. We encourage all faculty, staff and students to attend and support our excellent undergraduate researchers.

Questions can be directed to honors@mtu.edu.

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Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (Jan. 31) in the Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 202.

Joe Shannon, data scientist at NCX, will present "Interacting Effects of the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer and Climate Change on Forested Wetland Hydrology."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

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

Interacting Effects of the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer and Climate Change on Forested Wetland Hydrology

Monday, January 31, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Joe Shannon, PhD, Data Scientist, NCX Abstract: Wetlands around the globe are already being impacted by changing temperature and...

Resume Review with Corporate Recruiters

Monday, January 31, 3 p.m.–5 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Spring 2022 Session 1

Monday, January 31, 4:00 p.m.–4:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Climbing Wall

Is your child looking for a new challenge? Sign up now for the OAP Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Class and let them climb our wall! We try to meet each participant at their level...

(Women's Basketball) Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan

Monday, January 31, 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Women's Basketball: Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, Vandament Arena - Marquette, Mich.

Breweries Above and Below the Bridge

Monday, January 31, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guests Dick Gray, Cathy Smalley, and Shawn Smalley Dick Gray '82 Keweenaw Brewing Company Cathy '88 and Shawn Smalley '89 Big Buck...

Meet/Tour the Life Outreach Center

Monday, January 31, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Life Outreach Center

The Life Outreach Center (located at 300 Quincy St. in Hancock) is an organization which welcomes any parent (expecting, adopting, in need of financial help to support...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Monday, January 31, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Chem Sci. 211

Hi folks, This mail serves to notify us that we will be having our monthly general meeting on the last Wednesday of the month 6 - 7 PM at Chem Sci. 211 or via Zoom. Feel...

Open Rock Climbing

Monday, January 31, 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...

(Men's Basketball) Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan

Monday, January 31, 7:45 p.m.–10:45 p.m.

Men's Basketball: Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, Vandament Arena - Marquette, Mich.