March 4, 2022

Last Friday (Feb. 25), the Board of Trustees authorized proceeding with construction for the H-STEM project. Facilities Management and our construction manager, Granger, are working to finalize paperwork with the state and refine the schedule for the project. 

Over the next few months, contractors will be ordering materials and mobilizing for the construction start tentatively scheduled for May 2. Construction completion and occupancy is anticipated to be sometime in early 2024.

More information will be provided in a few weeks regarding the impact to the campus resulting from the construction and the final project schedule. This information will be announced in Tech Today and posted on the H-STEM project webpage.

Please note: There will not be any impact to campus before the spring 2022 semester ends.

We look forward to the positive change this will bring to our campus!

Michigan Tech's annual power outage will be conducted in two stages across three days: May 4, 5 and 6. Times and buildings affected are listed below.

Facilities Management has developed a five-year rotating plan to service the 12,470-volt switchgear and associated breakers on campus. Our campus electrical distribution system depends on this gear being in good working condition. 

This work requires a two-night power outage that affects the least number of buildings possible. Please note that in most cases, elevators, fume hoods, exhaust fans, ventilation equipment, normal lighting, plug-in appliances and plug-in equipment will not operate during the outage.

Only items connected to the building emergency generator will have power during the outage; the building emergency generators and battery systems that supply power to emergency/egress lighting and special equipment should function as normal.

If you are unsure if your equipment connects to the building emergency generator, please contact the Facilities Management building mechanic for your building.

Information Technology will be turning off all network equipment in the affected buildings for these outages starting at 5 p.m. You should plan to save any work, shut down your computer systems and exit the buildings before the outages. Additionally, some buildings with power will be without phone or internet service.

Only the buildings listed will have their power shut off during the scheduled outages.

There will be two power outages:

• Power Outage One — 
  • Begins: Wednesday, May 4, at 6 p.m.
  • Ends: Thursday, May 5, at 6 a.m.
    
    
• Power Outage Two —
  • Begins: Thursday, May 5, at 6 p.m.
  • Ends: Friday, May 6, at 6 a.m.

Buildings affected:
Academic Office Building
Alumni House
Annex
Center for Diversity and Inclusion (Hamar House)
Dillman
Fisher
Forestry
M&M
M&M - Undergrad
ME-EM
Rekhi
ROTC

Buildings with power but no phone or internet:
EMS/SLS Garage
Gates Tennis Center
Little Huskies
U.S. Forest Service Labs

You can find more details and updates on the Facilities Management website. If you have questions or concerns with this plan, contact Energy Management or Facilities Management at 7-2303.

The mineral museum and gift shop will be closed Tuesday (March 8). We will reopen Wednesday (March 9) during our regularly scheduled hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

We apologize for any inconvenience — and thank you for your understanding!

Beronda Montgomery, in “Academic Leadership: Gatekeeping or Groundskeeping?” encourages academic institutions to rethink the kind of leader hired to lead academic units. Rather than fostering gatekeeping, or the mentality that the leader is measuring individual traits and performance to appraise if someone is worthy of advancement or leadership, Montgomery suggests choosing leaders who promote “groundskeeping.”

In groundskeeping, leaders focus on systems-engaged framing of the academic landscape that supports the development of individuals toward cooperative goals. Groundskeeping leaders identify and remove barriers to success, including structural inequities, creating a more facilitatory, friendly and equitable environment. Groundskeeper leaders more effectively enable organizational innovation and change, while gatekeeping leaders tend to protect the organizational status quo.

Today’s feature was shared with us by A3B. If you have an article you think we should feature, please email it to advance-mtu@mtu.edu and we will consider adding it to the ADVANCE Weekly Roundup.

The ADVANCE Weekly Roundup is brought to you by ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. Past articles are available on the ADVANCE Newsblog.

To learn more about our featured topic, our mission, programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, contact us or visit our website.

Michigan Tech will celebrate World Water Day 2022 from March 17-22 with virtual events related to the United Nations theme: “Groundwater - Making the Invisible Visible.”

Groundwater is vital to life. Learn how climate change and pollution negatively impact our groundwater and about efforts to sustainably manage and reduce these threats.

World Water Day events and important dates include:

• Friday, March 4 — Research Competition Registrations Due
  A Three Minute Thesis (3M)–style student research competition open to all undergraduate and graduate students. Two categories: original student research and course-based research. Cash prizes!
  
  
• Thursday, March 17 — “Pumped Dry” Facilitated Discussion at 7 p.m.
  Led by John Gierke (GMES) as part of the Sustainability Film Series. Registration required.
  
  
• Monday, March 21 — Water-Focused Husky Bites Webinar at 6 p.m.
  Learn about Michigan Tech’s participation in the 26th United Nations COP26 event in Glasgow, Scotland, with Sarah Green (Chem), Jessica Daignault (CEGE) and Ayush Chutani.
  
  
• Tuesday, March 22 — THE MAIN EVENT 
  Tribal Water Day and World Water Day Activities
  The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and Michigan Tech present Tribal Water Day and World Water Day activities virtually via Zoom.
  • 2 p.m. — Tribal Water Day Presentations Begin
    Introduction by KBIC Tribal Council Member Doreen Blaker.
    • "Development of Locally Appropriate Water Quality Criteria for KBIC," by Cory McDonald (CEGE).
    • "Community Services (Beach and Groundwater)," by Dylan Friisvall, water quality technician at KBIC.
    • "Overview and Updates on the KBIC-Natural Resources Department (NRD) Fisheries Program," by Patrick LaPointe, KBIC-NRD field fisheries technician.
    • "KBIC Wetland Monitoring Program," by Erin Johnston, wildlife biologist/wildlife and habitat section lead for KBIC-NRD.
  • 4:15 p.m. — Research Competition Winners Announced
  • 4:30 p.m. — World Water Day Presentations Begin
    
    • "Making Groundwater Visible: Education and outreach programs for sustaining our drinking water resources," by Ruth Kline Robach, Institute of Water Research & Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University.
    • "Protecting our Groundwater from Emerging Contaminants: Exploring the past, present, and future," by Gavin Dehnert, emerging contaminants scientist, University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center, WI Sea Grant and Water Resources Institute.
      
      
• "Environmental Graphiti - The Art of Climate Change," by Alisa Singer
  Includes a self-guided walking tour during the spring semester and a Science Scavenger Hunt from March 14-25. Win a $100 Amazon gift card! Purchase a piece of Environmental Graphiti and fund student seed research grants.
  
  
• Outreach Events for Teachers
  Teachers in the Copper Country and Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD will receive (via email):
  
  • Groundwater Pictionary, a fun classroom activity they can use to engage their students in investigating groundwater and our essential need for access to clean, available freshwater.
  • World Water Day 2022 Fact Sheet — Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible.
  • Request a copy of the Great Lakes Watershed poster by contacting Joan Chadde at jchadde@mtu.edu.

Visit the GLRC's World Water Day webpage to learn more.

Samantha Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS), is this week’s Dean’s Teaching Showcase member.

Smith will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other showcase members and is also a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Dean David Hemmer selected Smith for her innovative course design that takes full advantage of the beautiful Keweenaw.

Smith’s new course, Nature Psychology, centers experiential learning and takes an innovative approach to helping students explore how our mental experience is connected to the natural environment. The course was selected for an IDEA Hub pilot project grant because of its innovative approach to making the subject meaningful to students and because it provides students with an interdisciplinary perspective on the subject matter by connecting them with faculty from a variety of disciplines that engage with the natural world.

Smith’s course features a significant service learning component. After a meeting with Jill Fisher, outreach coordinator from the Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT), the students have designed a pamphlet that will be placed at various KLT trailheads. The pamphlet will explain many of the ways that spending time in nature is good for mental health, physical health and cognitive performance — which should be a good way for them to share the things they are learning about in class. The class is also creating a family-oriented activity with the aim of getting more people out exploring and learning about the KLT and the land they protect.

The course culminates with a nature retreat in the Porcupine Mountains, allowing students to directly experience and reflect on concepts they’ve discussed throughout the semester. To prepare for this retreat, Smith completed an intensive five-day wilderness first responder course over the winter break.

Nature Psychology is not Smith’s first experience with experiential learning. In her Environmental Psychology class, she also takes students outside the classroom to observe psychological principles and practices at play in real-world settings. For example, she brings students on a walkability tour of Houghton and conducts a scavenger hunt at the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum to explore the design of educational environments. Student and peer evaluations of these courses have highlighted their excellent organization and pacing through a combination of demonstrations, discussions, individual and small-group activities, and lecture.

CLS Chair Kelly Steelman says: “Since joining the department in 2019, Dr. Smith has developed a reputation as a high-quality, innovative instructor at the introductory, upper-division and graduate level … and one that excites students enough that they seek out opportunities to provide glowing feedback. In fact, last semester, I had two different students from two different classes stop me on campus to rave about her courses.”

Hemmer includes similar praise in his nomination: “Hiring faculty is one of the best parts of my job. When newer faculty like Dr. Smith quickly make such a positive impact in (and out!) of the classroom, it is truly heartening.”

No. 15 Michigan Tech hosts Ferris State this weekend for a best-of-three CCHA Mason Cup Quarterfinal series.

The Huskies are the No. 2 seed and the Bulldogs are No. 7.

The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. tonight (March 4), 6:07 p.m. tomorrow (March 5), and if necessary, 5:07 p.m. Sunday (March 6) at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

In another high-octane offensive battle, No. 4 seed Michigan Tech women's basketball put away No. 5 seed Northwood 87-77 in the GLIAC quarterfinals Wednesday (March 2) at SDC Gymnasium.

It took overtime to draw separation, but late free throws by leading scorer Ellie Mackay helped push the Huskies over the edge. Mackay posted 23 points and shot 12-for-13 from the charity stripe. Sara Dax was an efficient 9-of-13 for 20 points and Sloane Zenner notched a career-high 19 points in the victory.

The Huskies will head to No. 2 nationally ranked Grand Valley State (No. 1 seed) tomorrow (March 5) for a 2 p.m. semifinal tipoff.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

No. 2 seed Michigan Tech men's basketball rallied to a 66-53 home win over No. 7 seed Wisconsin-Parkside in the GLIAC tournament quarterfinals Wednesday (March 2) at SDC Gymnasium.

The Huskies trailed 32-30 at halftime but went on a 13-2 run at the midway point of the second half to pull away from the Rangers. Owen White tallied 20 points and Trent Bell notched a double-double in the win.

As the highest remaining seed in the tournament, Tech earned the right to host the semifinals and championship games in Houghton this weekend. The Huskies will face No. 3 seed Northern Michigan in the semifinals tomorrow (March 5) at noon.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

MTU is at Health and Safety Level One

Michigan Tech is at Health and Safety Level One. At Level One, face coverings are not required to be worn on campus. However, they continue to be encouraged.

Michigan Tech also continues to strongly recommend 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. 

If you are exposed to COVID-19, follow guidance for quarantine and isolation from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

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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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Banner Production System Maintenance

Two production system maintenance windows will take place Saturday and Sunday (March 5 and 6).

During the first maintenance window, scheduled for Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., the following production services will be unavailable:

Banner
Banweb
MyMichiganTech
Aspire
Course Tools
Housing Apartments Wait List
OAP Rental System
Oracle Reports
Papercut Printing
Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
UC4/Appworx
Virtual Cashiering
WebFocus

During the second maintenance window, scheduled for Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., the following production services will be unavailable:

Banner
Banweb
MyMichiganTech
ASPIRE
Course Tools
Housing Apartments Wait List
OAP Rental System
Oracle Reports
UC4/Appworx
Virtual Cashiering
WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.

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PhD Defense: Chethan Reddy, ME-EM

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics candidate Chethan Reddy will present their doctoral defense at 9:30 a.m. today (March 4). This virtual defense will be held online only. Virtual attendance is invited via Zoom.

Reddy's thesis is titled "Model Predictive Control of Energy Systems for Heat and Power Applications."

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Student Ceramics Featured in Rozsa Lobby

The Rozsa Galleries are please to announce the opening of a Student Ceramic Showcase in the Rozsa Center Lobby. The featured works of art were created by students of Susie Kilpela (VPA).

Kilpela, who is retiring this year, organized the exhibit to showcase the diversity of work by her students. Over her time as an instructor at Michigan Tech, Kilpela's more than 900 students have completed more than 3,500 works of art. This collection highlights different techniques, forms and textures created during the past year.

Although the majority of Kilpela's students had no previous experience with clay, she is impressed by the incredible art they created, the amount of time they spent in the studio and their realization that they can be artistic. "I am proud of them!” she says.

The exhibit will be on display throughout the semester.

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Michigan Tech Offering USGBC LEED Green Associate Training

Students, faculty members and staff at Michigan Tech are invited to enroll in two workshops that will prepare you to take the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate exam.

LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework to design, construct and operate healthy, highly efficient, cost-saving green buildings.

The prep will be held on campus in two sessions led by a founding member of the USGBC — Michigan Tech alumnus Joe Azzarello '78. 

Azzarello will teach on campus in two five-hour sessions, from 12-5 p.m. March 20 and March 27 in Chem Sci 211. Those who cannot attend in person can attend via Zoom. Cost for materials and course is $80. Learn more and register online.

Azzarello has led LEED training workshops throughout the United States, Mexico, South America, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam. 

“Attendees will be well-trained in what to study for the exam to become accredited as a LEED Green Associate,” says Azzarello. “Then they must register, take and pass the LEED GA exam online at a later date in order to receive accreditation.”

There is no need for a college degree. “Literally anyone can take the course if they can read, memorize some information, and add and subtract,” he says.

The USGBC LEED Green Associate exam measures general knowledge of green building practices and how to support others working on LEED projects. “The exam is ideal for those new to green building. It’s an accreditation that can enhance your current endeavors, and also open doors to new career opportunities,” Azzarello explains. “LEED accreditation is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.”

Depending on interest, Azzarello may offer more LEED training to Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff. After attaining the LEED GA certificate, the next step is the LEED Accredited Professional exam for individuals who actively work on green building and LEED projects.

Azzarello earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1978 and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering in 1996 from Wayne State University. He is an adjunct instructor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and serves as advisor to Michigan Tech’s Alternative Energy Enterprise team.

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

PhD Defense: Chethan Ramakrishna Reddy

Friday, March 4, 9:30–10:30 a.m.

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Co-advisors: Wayne Weaver and Mahdi Shahbakhti Model Predictive Control of Energy Systems for Heat and Power Applications ...

ChE Chemical Reaction Lecture Presentation

Friday, March 4, 10 a.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 201

Chemical Engineering Seminar Dinesh Bhagavatula Instructor Candidate Professional Preparation Postdoctoral researcher University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Friday, March 4, 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...

Cricket Tournament Spring 2022

Friday, March 4, 10–12 a.m. | SDC Multipurpose Room

Cricket Club MTU in partnership with Indian Students Association (ISA) has organized Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament for boys. DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: Sunday January 30,...