February 1, 2022

As a campus community member, you may already be familiar with the interactive Campus Map launched in 2019. Even if you are, we’d like to encourage you to visit the map again to explore its helpful features and the wide variety of information it can display. For instance, did you know that you can search to find the locations of lactation spaces or all-gender restrooms? The locations of accessible restrooms, doors and parking spaces are also listed.

We welcome feedback! Suggest an Update to locations or keywords, or share other ideas for improving the map and its features. 

The suggestion form can also be accessed directly from the map — just click the Suggest an Update button near the top right corner.

Faculty and graduate students are invited to submit their ideas for workshops/tutorials or presentations for the Computing[MTU] Showcase, which will be held April 4-6. Virtual options are available.

The Computing[MTU] Showcase will highlight data science and computing at MTU — past, present and future — and demonstrate how diverse fields use computing.

All departments are encouraged to submit ideas. Applications can be found at the Computing[MTU] Showcase page.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 669 at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 2) in the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building (Dow), Room 642. 

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place. 

View the agenda to Meeting 669.

Menu for Thursday (Feb. 3): 

Chicago Beef Bar

• Sliced French Rolls
• Steak Fries (Vegetarian)
• Sliced Beef Au Jus (Gluten Free)
• Giardiniera
• Sport Peppers
• Italian Marinated Tofu with Pickled Vegetables (Vegan)
• Antipasto Salad (Vegetarian)

Dining Services presents this week's C-Cubed Luncheon being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 3) in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C-Cubed lunch buffet menus are created by executive chef Eric Karvonen and prepared by Karvonen and his culinary team. 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, MUB 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.

Individuals and groups are invited to join the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts as volunteer ushers for upcoming events! Be a part of the arts on campus and immerse yourself in music, theater and film with opportunities between now and spring break:

• An Evening of One Acts — Feb. 17-19 and Feb. 24-26
• Centurious — Feb. 18
• Movies in Your Jammies — Feb. 20 (volunteers are invited to wear their pajamas for this event, too!)
• Celebration of Concertos — Feb. 26
• Danú St. Patrick’s Day Celebration — March 1

See more volunteer opportunities on the Rozsa's Calendar of Events.

What do volunteer ushers do?
This season is full of exceptional, innovative and 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?
You will never be alone! Each show will have a house manager and 2-12 volunteer ushers, depending on the size of the event. 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 need any. 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 volunteer using our online form, or email Samantha Hoover at shoover@mtu.edu to learn more and get involved.

The Spanish conversation hour La Peña meets today (Feb. 1)! You are cordially invited to join us from 5-6 p.m. in the Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ), Walker 120A. 

We will chat and play board games in Spanish. All levels of Spanish speakers are welcome. Please pass the information along, and bring someone as well!

Next Peña dates: Feb. 15, March 1, March 15, March 29.

For any questions regarding La Peña conversation hours, please contact Leyre Alegre at lalegref@mtu.edu.

Michael Sacks of the University of Texas will present a lecture Monday (Feb. 7) at noon in Rekhi G005. The lecture can also be attended virtually via Zoom.

Sacks is a world authority on cardiovascular modeling and simulation, particularly on developing patient-specific, simulation-based approaches for the understanding and treatment of heart and heart valve diseases.

At the University of Texas, he is a professor of biomedical engineering; the W. A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Endowment in Simulation-Based Engineering and Sciences Endowed Chair No. 1; and the director of the Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation. His research area is computational medicine.

The lecture is sponsored by the Michigan Tech Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC). Read more on the ICC Blog. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) require personnel biographical sketches to be submitted in a very specific format. In addition, the format and specific instructions have changed for both agencies in the last two years. One way to ensure your biosketch is always in compliance when you submit a proposal to these agencies is to use their approved system, SciENcv.

Join us on Zoom Feb. 24 from noon to 1 p.m. to learn how you can create and maintain your biographical sketch and current and pending support documents so they will be readily available when needed for a proposal submission. Once you get the initial setup done, you'll be able to easily generate biosketches and current and pending documents that are always current with the rules of the agency.

This session will include basic instruction in the system, information on how to link data sources for publication entry, tips and tricks, and time for individual Q&A.

Any questions should be addressed to rd-l@mtu.edu.

The Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) would like to invite you to attend the seminar given by assistant professor candidate Whitney Blocher McTigue from 10-11 a.m. on Monday (Feb. 7).

Blocher McTigue will give a seminar on "Toward Biomolecule Stabilization and Understanding Depolymerization" in Chem Sci 201. The seminar can be attended in person with limited capacity or remotely via Zoom. After the seminar, a recording will be available upon request.

Blocher McTigue is currently a postdoctoral researcher under Professor Charles Sing in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University.

Julia Burton is the next speaker in the Biological Sciences Seminar Series and will present virtually from 3-4 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 3) via Zoom.

Burton's presentation is titled "Modeling and managing forest ecosystems through the lens of plant functional traits."

From the abstract:
Trait-based models of ecological communities can provide for a mechanistic and generalizable understanding of linkages among species composition, underlying environmental gradients, and ecosystem services. Here I will provide an overview of recent and ongoing research in my lab that focuses on developing trait-based models of forest vegetation to project changes in species composition and ecosystem services due to climate change. Recent work has focused primarily on interspecific trait correlations and intraspecific variability. Ongoing work at the community level focuses on the role of disturbance and silvicultural management in sustaining ecosystem services including climate change mitigation, Indigenous cultural ecosystem services and early-seral wildlife habitat.

The No. 18 Michigan Tech hockey team won its third and fourth straight games, beginning 2022 with a sweep of Bemidji State at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

The Huskies took down the Beavers 5-2 on Jan. 28. Four Huskies notched at least two points, and Blake Pietila stopped 32 shots.

"I'm very proud of our players," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We shook the cobwebs off early and competed and battled hard. We got contributions from everybody who played."

On Jan. 29, a big third period lifted Tech past Bemidji. The Huskies scored three goals in the third to break a 2-2 tie.

"I feel that was our best all-around performance of the year," Shawhan said. "These are huge conference points which could lead to an exciting February for us."

The Huskies get right back to action tonight (Feb. 1) against Northern Michigan at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech Nordic ski teams combined for a team title at the CCSA MTU Invite and GLD CXC Cup at the Tech Trails on Jan. 29 and 30.

The women's team won both days and the men won the skate and placed second in the classic.

"That was one heck of a weekend of racing from our student-athletes," Tech coach Tom Monahan Smith said. "We won the combined team title for the first time in years, and did so in commanding fashion with both the men's and women's team winning the race day on Saturday, and the women sweeping the podium today going 1-2-3!"

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Tuesday (Feb. 1)
• Hockey vs. Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ and FOX-UP

Thursday (Feb. 3)
• Women's Basketball at Purdue Northwest, 6 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Men's Basketball at Purdue Northwest, 8 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Friday (Feb. 4)
• Hockey at St. Thomas, 8:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Saturday (Feb. 5)
• Women's Basketball at Parkside, 2 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Men's Basketball at Parkside, 4 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Hockey at St. Thomas, 8:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Jobs Postings for Tuesday, Feb. 1, 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. 

Research Assistant Professor – Health Sciences, Biological Sciences. Apply online.

Research Associate – Mechanical Technician, Advanced Power Systems Research Center. Apply online.

Research Engineer – Electrical Systems Specialist, Advanced Power Systems Research Center. Apply online.

Research Engineer – Training Specialist, Advanced Power Systems Research Center. Apply online.

Research Engineer, Advanced Power Systems Research Center. Apply online.

Office Assistant 6, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (UAW posting Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, 2022 — internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). 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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SURF Applications Due Feb. 11

Applications for 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor.

SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000.

For more information and access to the application materials and instructions, visit the SURF web page or contact Rob Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

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Sign Up for Virtual Lean Workshops

The Office of Continuous Improvement is offering the following virtual Lean workshops to Michigan Tech employees:

• Introduction to Lean — Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to noon
  Learn basic Lean concepts and methods you might encounter on the job.
  
  
• Finding the Source of the Problem: Root Cause Analysis and Decision Making Tools — March 30, 9 a.m. to noon
  Practice several fun tools for exploring the how, what and why of the gap between how things are and how you want them to be, brainstorming possible causes and using decision-making tools to select the most likely root cause to pursue.
  
  
• Countermeasures: Solving Common Problems using Lean Methods and Tools — May 4, 9 a.m. to noon
  Explore several Lean methods and tools that are used as countermeasures for common workplace problems.

See workshop descriptions and register to participate by completing our brief Upcoming Michigan Tech Lean Courses form. Once registered, we'll add you to a calendar event for the course. This workshop will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. There will be a brief pre-work assignment before the workshop, and you'll receive a certificate after completing a post-work assignment.

These three workshops are part of the Lean Basics five-workshop series. If you complete all five workshops in the series, we’ll award you a Lean White Belt certificate! For more information, email improvement@mtu.edu.

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Chemistry Olympiad 2022

Upper Peninsula high school science teachers and parents/guardians: We would like to invite your students and children to compete at the 2022 Chemistry Olympiad (online).

Chemistry Olympiad 2022 is an online chemistry competition open to all high school students from any U.P. school or home school. It will be held March 14 from 6:30-8:20 p.m. ET.

Participation is free! Sign up on the Google form by Feb. 28.

All participants will receive a participation gift and be entered in a drawing for prizes. Participation certificates will be available on request.

Top scorers will receive a medal and a prize, and will also have the opportunity to participate in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (also online).

The U.P. Chemistry Olympiad is hosted by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Michigan Technological University. Please contact coordinator Momoko Tajiri at mtajiri@mtu.edu with any questions!

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Let's Talk About it: Facilitating Difficult Conversations for Graduate Students

Are you a graduate student interested in developing skills that will assist you in facilitating difficult conversations? Please join us tomorrow (Feb. 2) from 1-2:30 p.m. for Level 1 of a Facilitating Difficult Conversations workshop.

This in-person workshop is open to all graduate students. The workshop will provide foundational information and practice for handling uncomfortable work and/or peer situations in a respectful and professional manner. ​Level 2 of Facilitating Difficult Conversations will be held on a future date.

The number of participants is limited to facilitate discussion and promote physical distancing, so please complete the registration form to save your spot. You will receive an email reminder before the event which will confirm the location. 

For more information, contact Debra Charlesworth  in the Graduate School at ddc@mtu.edu.

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

2/1 CareerFEST

Tuesday, February 1, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

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Plexus Info Session

Tuesday, February 1, 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 621

Come connect with our Plexus recruiters and learn about what we do and how YOU can become a part of it! We are looking for entry-level engineers and interns in the following...

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Plexus Info Session

Tuesday, February 1, 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 621 - Plexus Lab

Plexus is hiring entry-level engineers and interns in the following areas: ' Hardware Engineer ' Software Engineer ' Mechanical Engineer ' Functional Test Engineer ' Product...

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Resume Review with Corporate Recruiters

Tuesday, February 1, 3 p.m.–5 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

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Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Spring 2022 Session 1

Tuesday, February 1, 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...

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Outdoor Activities Rush

Tuesday, February 1, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority House

Come meet the sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon and participate in some fun snow activities like sledding, snowman making, and a snowball fight! Winter clothes can be provided if...

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GSG General Body Meeting

Tuesday, February 1, 5:15 p.m.–7:15 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building

Bi-weekly meetings of the general body of Michigan Tech's Graduate Student Government. These will be conducted in Hybrid mode from Admin 404 and via Zoom until further notice....

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GSG General Body Meeting

Tuesday, February 1, 5:15 p.m.–7:15 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building

Bi-weekly meetings of the general body of Michigan Tech's Graduate Student Government. These will be conducted in Hybrid mode from Admin 404 and via Zoom until further notice....

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Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Spring 2022 Session 1

Tuesday, February 1, 5:30 p.m.–6:20 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the...

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Adult Huskies Swim Training Spring 2022 Session 1

Tuesday, February 1, 5:30 p.m.–6:20 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness...

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Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Tuesday, February 1, 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...

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Open Rock Climbing

Tuesday, February 1, 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...

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What if I don't know what I want to major in?

Tuesday, February 1, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

Not sure what you want to major in? Thinking you may end up switching majors? Then this session is for you! Explore our 125+ majors here.

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Open Log Rolling

Tuesday, February 1, 8:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Looking for something new for you or your child to stay active? Sign up now for the OAP Open Log Rolling and test your skills on the log! We try to meet each participant at...

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Ice Bowling

Tuesday, February 1, 9:00–12:30 a.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC)

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Teams consisting of no more than ten members will compete in this version of bowling on ice. One team member...

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Lambda Chi Alpha RUSH event: ULTIMATE FRISBEE at the SDC

Tuesday, February 1, 10 p.m.–11 p.m. | Student Development Complex Multipurpose Area

Come play ultimate frisbee with the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha at the Student Development Complex! Bring a friend or your roommate and come battle it out!