March 28, 2022

Michigan Tech is hosting the first Great Lakes Encounter Symposium from June 1 to June 4.

The symposium, facilitated by a small business entity of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), will feature policymakers, industry leaders, regional stakeholders and leading experts. It aims to challenge the status quo and facilitate dialogue in the areas of environment, energy, economy, climate and safety to critically address challenges with recommendation and solutions.

Early-bird registration for the hybrid event (some content virtual and full content in person) ends Thursday (March 31). For more information, visit the Great Lakes Encounter Symposium website.

Michigan Tech’s Department of Advancement and Alumni Engagement is sad to announce the passing of Darwin Moon ‘79, a member of Michigan Tech’s Alumni Board of Directors.

Moon was engaged in numerous ways with Michigan Tech, serving not only on the Alumni Board but also as a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) External Advisory Board. He and his wife, Margarita, also supported the research of Professor L. Brad King (ME-EM), the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Endowed Professor (Space Systems).

“Darwin was a very special Alumni Board member whose passion for Michigan Tech could not be contained. He has left his Husky paw print on our hearts, as well as on the University,” says Kristin Kolodge, president of the Alumni Board of Directors.

Moon earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech, and went on to earn master's degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and engineering, applied mechanics, from California State University at Northridge. He completed his doctorate in engineering mechanics at Clemson University.

He was a member of Michigan Tech’s Alumni Board, the Recognition & Recruitment Committee and the ME-EM External Advisory Board. 

Read Moon's full obituary on the Alumni News blog.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the time of year to complete your required annual employee training related to Title IX and sexual misconduct.

In early April, you will receive an email with the subject “Michigan Technological University has assigned you training.” This email will contain a link to access the training within Everfi, our training platform. Employees will be given ample time (60 days) to complete the training, which takes about one hour. Topics include responsibilities of Title IX personnel, bystander intervention strategies, appropriate responses to dating and domestic violence, confidentiality, supporting survivors, confidential resources, and referring survivors to our Title IX office.

This harassment and discrimination training joins safety training and IT security training as required campuswide training for all employees.

Be on the lookout for additional programming during April! For more information on Title IX, visit our website.

Personal office spaces are routinely inspected by Custodial and Maintenance staff to ensure building systems are functioning properly. Regular system checks include making sure that lighting, heat, water and similar infrastructure are in good condition.

During these inspections, Custodial and Maintenance staff will sweep and mop or vacuum the office floors. Surfaces within the office space such as desks, window sills and bookshelves are not cleaned or sanitized. In addition, curtains, blinds and similar fixtures are also left undisturbed. Cleaning of these surfaces and fixtures are the responsibility of the office occupant. The current cycle for office inspection and maintenance is approximately two weeks.

Office occupants are also responsible for the management of day-to-day wastes in these spaces. Each office space should have a trash and recycling receptacle. Accumulated wastes in offices should be transferred by the office occupant to a central waste collection area within their building at the end of each day. Centralized waste accumulation areas may be located on a different floor of the building. Designated waste consolidation areas in your building are listed online.

Office occupants can obtain trash bags from their department. It’s recommended that trash, specifically food waste, be managed on a daily basis to minimize the occurrence of pests like ants and mice. Paper, glass and plastic recyclable materials should be clean and free of contaminants for similar reasons.

Recyclable items may be commingled and placed in a single recycling receptacle. Please submit a Facilities work order if your office space does not have waste or recycling receptacles and one will be provided.

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for April 10 from 7-11 a.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

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.

Graduate Student Government (GSG) is pleased to announce that applications for the GSG summer softball league coordinator position are open now. Interested candidates can submit the application form by 11:59 p.m. on April 8.

The duties of the softball coordinator are listed in the GSG Bylaws section VII.C. Following the application period, GSG will invite all the candidates to meet with the E-board before making a final decision.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ranit at gsg-vp@mtu.edu. 

The Rozsa Presenting Series is bringing you a spring phenomenon: a traditional turkey dinner (gluten-free and vegan options available) as part of its dinner theatre production of Larissa Fasthorse's wickedly funny and thoughtful satire, "The Thanksgiving Play." Face coverings are recommended when you are not actively eating or drinking.

Shows are directed by Jaime Weeder and performed by Wolf's Head Theatre Company.

Each evening, dinner is served at 6:45 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Shows will be performed over two weekends on:

Thursday, March 31 | Friday, April 1 | Saturday, April 2 
Thursday, April 7 | Friday, April 8 | Saturday, April 9 

Tickets are reserved by table and must be purchased in advance. Prices include your dinner, ticket to the performance and after-show discussion.

Full Table (four tickets): $120
Half Table (two tickets): $60 for the general public / $20 for students with the Experience Tech Fee.

Get your tickets online or by phone at 906-487-2858. The Rozsa Box Office will also be open for ticket purchases an hour before the performance.

Michigan Tech is one of only 156 universities and colleges around the world to be honored by Exercise is Medicine for our efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus.

Michigan Tech’s UP and Moving program, housed in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP), played a large part in helping the University earn a silver designation from the Exercise is Medicine On Campus (EIM-OC) program. The University also increased awareness of the health benefits of physical activity through a series of public seminars and town hall presentations.

Of the 156 campuses recognized this year, 73 received gold, 60 silver and 23 bronze. All gold, silver and bronze universities and colleges will be officially recognized June 1 as part of the 2022 Exercise is Medicine World Congress, held in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting.

“Faculty and students in our department were instrumental in educating both University and community members about the necessity of activity during the worst of the pandemic," said Professor William Cooke, ACSM Fellow and KIP's acting chair. "The positive response we received from their outreach efforts was overwhelming.”

To read the full press release, please visit the KIP Newsblog.

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics candidate Shabnam Konica will defend their doctoral thesis at 9 a.m. tomorrow (March 29) in MEEM 208. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Konica's defense is titled "Oxidative Aging and Fracture Behavior of Polymers and Composites: Theory, Modeling and Experiments."

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering candidate Shreyas Suhas Gadekar will defend their master's thesis at 11 a.m. tomorrow (March 29). This will be a virtual defense. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Gadekar's thesis is titled "An Experimental Study Towards Underwater Propulsion System Using Structure Borne Traveling Waves."

Gadekar is advised by Vijaya Venkata Narasimha Sriram Malladi.

Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and support from dedicated library and writing center staff!

All workshops listed below will take place in the library’s East Reading Room from 4-5 p.m. Please register for sessions that interest you so we don’t order too much, or worse, too little pizza!

• Tuesday, March 29 — Video Creating & Editing
  We’ll provide basic info on creating and editing more professional and accessible videos. The second half of the workshop will be devoted to open work time and questions.
  
  
• Tuesday, April 5 — Explain Your Project to Anybody
  Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way so you’re ready to share at the Expo. Come prepared to answer a few questions about your design!
  
  
• Thursday, April 7 — Communicate with Images & Visualizations
  Co-hosted with the Writing Center! Discover a range of tools and resources that will ensure your images and data are readable and appealing. The second half of the workshop will be devoted to open work time and questions.
  
  
• Wednesday, April 13 — Explain Your Project to Anybody
  A skill so important we are holding the session twice! Come to one or both!

Find registration links at the Van Pelt and Opie Library website.

Jean-Francois Bisson of the University of Moncton will be presenting at this week's Physics Colloquium. Please join the virtual presentation at 4 p.m. Thursday (March 31) via Zoom.

Bisson's presentation is titled "Exceptional Points in the Polarization Space with Anisotropic Materials."

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 Bisson's research background on the University Events Calendar.

The next Biological Sciences Seminar will be presented by Kyle Costa (BioSci) from 3-4 p.m. Thursday (March 31) via Zoom.

Costa's presentation is titled "Formate metabolism in methanogenic archaea."

From the abstract:
Methanogenic archaea (methanogens) are responsible for producing most of the methane found on Earth and are essential for efficient remineralization of organic carbon in anoxic environments. Most methanogens are thought to specialize in the use of hydrogen as an electron donor for growth, but many are additionally capable of using formate. In natural and industrial settings, methanogens are often found growing with partner organisms in syntrophy (Gr. – eating together) where the partner organism provides hydrogen or formate for methanogenesis. However, it is unclear whether one substrate is preferred or if substrate preference can impact rates of methanogenesis. Here, I will discuss how we use genetic and biochemical techniques to understand formate metabolism in methanogens across scales, from enzyme to community levels.

Michigan Tech hockey's season came to an end in the NCAA West Region Semifinal as the No. 14 ranked Huskies fell 3-0 to No. 6 Minnesota Duluth Thursday (March 24) at the Budweiser Events Center.

The Huskies end their season with a record of 21-13-3 overall.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech women's tennis made a valiant comeback in singles, but the team doubles point went to Ferris State, enabling the Bulldogs to slide past the Huskies 4-3 at Ferris State Racquet and Fitness Club on Friday (March 25).

"Blood, sweat and tears were left out there today," said head coach Kristen Yep. "It came down to the doubles. We didn't quite hit the mark there and losing that point was a major factor. There were up and down moments in singles and I felt we fought so hard from beginning the end."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech men's tennis team suffered a 6-1 defeat against No. 31 Ferris State on Friday (March 25) at FSU Racquet and Fitness Center.

Andrew Freel earned a win in No. 5 singles, prevailing 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 12-10 after three tiebreakers — including a 10-point supertiebreaker — for the third set. The Huskies were swept in doubles and fell short at the top of the singles lineup, losing their fifth straight contest to start the year.

"Ferris State is a tough team and I thought we really tried our best to compete with them out there today," said head coach Kristin Yep. "We are continuing to learn more each match and I really see this team growing, which is very positive."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech track and field's Clayton Sayen has set a new school record in the 1,500 meters.

Both Sayen and Drew Kolodge qualified and competed in the Raleigh Relays from Thursday to Saturday (March 24-26) and both exceeded expectations with strong performances in distance events.

Thursday night, Sayen started in the 1,500 meters and set an NCAA provisional mark with a career-best time of 3:45.84 — which topped Jani Lane's 2014 school record (3:46.53) by about a second. Sayen won his heat and finished 32nd overall among over 200 runners from all NCAA Divisions. 

"Coming into the race I was feeling more confident than ever before which helped lead every step of the race," Sayen said. "I knew I had the capability to break our school record, so I pushed hard to make sure the race was fast enough. There's still more to come and I'm excited to get another opportunity and get back on the track."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Stephanie Carpenter (HU) has published a short story in Ecotone literary magazine.

The story, titled "Phase Five," is part of the magazine's Fall/Winter "Climate" issue.

A work of fiction, the story uses a family’s summer vacation in the Keweenaw to consider the complexities of personal accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victor Busov (CFRES) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that received a $649,847 research and development grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture - U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This three-year project is titled "Role of a RED NAC (RN) transcription factor in low nitrogen response in poplar."

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Daniel Trepal (SS/GLRC) is the PI on a project that has received a $49,805 research and development grant from Wayne State University.

The project is titled "The Hamtramck Historical Spatial Archaeology Project."

Donald LaFreniere (SS/GLRC) is the co-PI on this 18-month project.

Friends Book Sale Returns Thursday, Friday

The Friends of the Michigan Tech Library (FMTL) Book Sale is returning for 2022 on Thursday (March 31) and Friday (April 1) in the MUB Ballroom.

Thursday is the presale from 5–7 p.m., with free entry to all students and FMTL members ($20 memberships available at the door).

The sale opens to the general public Friday with free entry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closes with a $5 brown paper sack sale from 3-4 p.m.

Book prices are $2 for hardbacks and $1 for paperbacks — and all fiction is half price this year (we have lots!). There will also be some higher-priced rare and local items. Come indulge your passion for reading!

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VITA Returns to Michigan Tech College of Business

The College of Business is pleased to announce the return of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Accounting majors provide free income tax preparation assistance for students and members of the community who could not otherwise afford the services of a CPA tax professional. This service has been offered at Michigan Tech for over 20 years.

Assistance is being provided this year only by appointment via Google Calendar. Walk-in sessions are not available.

To schedule a 30-minute session, please visit the calendars listed below. Three appointments are available per hour. Please note: You may need to check all three calendars for an available spot on a desired date/time.

• Calendar VITA
• Calendar VITA-1
• Calendar VITA-2

Appointments are held in the Tidwell Center Conference Room, AOB G010D. You should bring your W-2s, Form 1099s, Form 1098Ts, etc., to your sessions. Also bring a copy of last year’s tax return, if possible.

International students should first complete the federal Form 1040 using the Glacier Tax Prep software provided by the University, and then bring the completed federal forms to their appointment for assistance with state tax return preparation.

Appointments are available now through April 14 in 30-minute slots, during the following times:

• Tuesdays — 3:30 to 5 p.m.
• Wednesdays — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursdays — noon to 2 p.m.

For more information contact Professor Joel Tuoriniemi (COB) at jctuorin@mtu.edu or 906-487-1877.

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Environmental Engineering Grad Seminar

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (March 28) in the Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 202.

Seth Moore, director of biology and environment for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, will present "Chemicals of emerging concern in waters, sediments, and subsistence fish used by the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

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13th Annual Feminists Reading Feminists

You're invited to the 13th annual Feminists Reading Feminists event hosted by the Department of Humanities' Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) graduate program. Help us pay homage to the contributions of diverse feminist scholars and activists who have inspired us and continue to shape our world.

The event will be held at noon today (March 28) via Zoom. If you would like to share a favorite passage from a text or a short media clip (around five minutes), please sign up through our Google form. We also welcome anyone interested in listening and engaging with those sharing. Inspired by Women’s History Month — all are welcome.

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MSE Seminar

The next Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Seminar will be presented at 10 a.m. tomorrow (March 29) in M&M 610 and via Zoom.

The seminar speaker will be Sriram Vijayan, research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Ohio State University.

Vijayan's presentation is titled "In situ TEM observations of thermally activated phenomena in materials under far from equilibrium conditions."

Read the abstract and more about Vijayan's research background on the University Events Calendar.

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

Chemicals of emerging concern in waters, sediments, and subsistence fish used by the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa

Monday, March 28, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Seth Moore, Director of Biology and Environment, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Bio: Seth Moore, PhD., has worked...

Youth Indoor Rock Climbing Spring 2022 Session 3

Monday, March 28, 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...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Monday, March 28, 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, March 28, 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...

The Wind Beneath My Wings/Sails/Turbines

Monday, March 28, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guest Fernando Ponta Richard and Elizabeth Henes Professor (Wind Energy), Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Michigan Technological...

Keweenaw Socialists @ MTU General Meeting

Monday, March 28, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | Online

Discussion of current club projects and planned socials as well as notable recent news over Zoom for COVID safety. Following the organized portion of the meeting there will be...

Joy Harjo

Monday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.

ROZSA PRESENTING SERIES Joy Harjo A Zoom Event ___ Joy Harjo, United States Poet Laureate, will read a selection of poems from her acclaimed book, An American Sunrise....

Cricket Tournament Spring 2022

Monday, March 28, 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,...