April 12, 2022

The Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion's upcoming Sense of Belonging Speakers Series offers opportunities for leaders, faculty, staff and students to discuss diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging (DEIS) goals and culturally responsive mentoring in higher education.

The series consists of two virtual panel discussions being held Thursday (April 14) and next Tuesday (April 19): the Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) Panel Discussion and the Impacts of Culturally Responsive Mentoring Panel Discussion.

“We consider these events to be worth taking time out of our busy schedules to give us access to the best practices and thought leaders in the field,” said Wayne Gersie, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. “To the degree we leverage the takeaways we learn and apply them to our processes and work environments, we will take another step in creating a sense of belonging for those we serve.” 

Read more about the series at Michigan Tech News.

Michigan Tech's Design Expo 2022 will be held in person next week, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at the Van Pelt and Opie Library.

Judges from the Michigan Tech campus community and local community are still needed for Design Expo. All professions, disciplines and backgrounds are welcome. Please visit Michigan Tech’s Design Expo Become a Judge page for more information and to register to judge by this Friday (April 15).

Design Expo highlights hands-on, discovery-based learning at Michigan Tech. More than 1,000 students in Enterprise and Senior Design teams showcase their work and compete for awards, allowing students to gain valuable experience and direct exposure to industry-relevant problems.

In-person judging at the library on the day of the event usually takes about an hour, depending on the number of volunteers, and a delicious box lunch will be provided, too.

Prior to the in-person event April 21, judges will also gain access to a digital gallery of student-created videos to preview prior to judging.

Questions? Feel free to contact Briana Tucker from Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program Office at bctucker@mtu.edu.

Design Expo 2022 is generously supported by sponsorship, with Thompson Surgical as executive partner and ITC Holdings as directing partner. Additional partners include Globalization Partners, Property Management Inc., Winning by Design, Plexus, Husky Innovate, Altec Inc. and OHM. These nine partners, along with more than 100 project and program supporters, make a strategic investment in our educational mission at Michigan Tech.

The 17th annual Ecosystem Science Center (ESC) Student Research Forum is being held from 3-5 p.m. today (April 12) in the Rozsa Center Lobby.

The forum is a poster session open to both graduate and undergraduate students conducting research related to socio-ecological processes, patterns, interactions and connections in the environment. 

Over 30 students will present their research at this year's forum, and the public is invited to attend.

Menu for Thursday (April 14):

• Seared Kielbasa
• Classic Pierogi (Vegetarian)
• Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
• Pan Roasted Turmeric & Cumin Carrots (Gluten Free, Vegan)
• Dill Cucumber Salad (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
• Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (Gluten Free, Vegan — has mixed greens, spinach, red peppers, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers)

Dining Services presents this week's C-Cubed Luncheon being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday (April 14) 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.

The film discussed this month for the 2022 Sustainability Film Series will be "OWN: Land. Home. Block."

The film is a three-part documentary addressing food insecurity and home ownership in North Memphis, Tennessee, and how a community has developed positive solutions to pressing urban problems. The film is free on YouTube, and there is no charge to participate in the discussion. A $5 suggested donation per film to support the film series is appreciated. Make your donation online.

Register to receive the Zoom link to participate in the facilitated discussion from 7-8 p.m. on April 21. 

Discussion Facilitators
The discussion will be led by Memphians Erin Burton Cole and Vivian Ekstrom, who have returned to their hometowns to work with the City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to create solutions.

Burton Cole is a writer, performer and filmmaker. She is the founder and artistic director of Art With A Heartbeat, a company helping people and organizations bring important messages on difficult topics to life. She has written or directed four short films, the "OWN" docuseries, the full-length play "Ricochet," and more than 20 short plays to introduce critical conversations led by activists and psychologists. Recently named "a local playwright you should know" by the Daily Memphian, Burton Cole works diligently to tell the stories that help people see themselves, desire change, and simultaneously transform communities.

Ekstrom is the chief sustainability officer for the City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency. She has over 10 years of experience as an urban and sustainability planner. She works on innovative solutions to tackle blight and disinvestment, and encourage quality, affordable housing and sustainable new development. In addition, Ekstrom managed the development of Memphis’ first climate action plan and contributed to land use planning and climate resilience projects.

Film Series
The Sustainability Film Series and Facilitated Discussions are cosponsored by MTU's Sustainability Demonstration House; Great Lakes Research Center; College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Department of Social Sciences Sustainability Sciences Program; Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering; and Students for Sustainability. Cosponsors outside MTU include the Friends of the Land of Keweenaw, Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Keweenaw Land Trust, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and Refill UP.

Questions? Contact film series coordinator Joan Chadde at jchadde@mtu.edu.

M.S. in Geological Engineering candidate Abi Raetz will present their master's defense at 8 a.m. tomorrow (April 13) in person in Dow 743 and virtually via Zoom.

Raetz's defense is titled "Simulating Groundwater Pollutant Transport for Remediation Design, Antrim County, Michigan."

From the abstract:
Located in Antrim County, Michigan between the coasts of Torch Lake and Lake Michigan is a hydrocarbon plume that has impacted surrounding residential wells. The plume is comprised of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) and primarily resides in the shallowest groundwater aquifer. The plume is suspected of having originated from an underground storage container that was removed in 1979. A conceptual model was developed for the site, comprising of a simplified hydrogeological model. 

Editor's note: As of April 14, this event has been canceled and is expected to be rescheduled for a later date.

The Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) would like to invite you to attend the seminar given by Ruben G. Carbonell from 10-11 a.m. Friday (April 15).

Carbonell will give a seminar on "Advances in Membranes and Monoliths for Biopharmaceutical Product Capture and Purification" in Chem Sci 201. The seminar can be attended in person in Chem Sci 201 or virtually via Zoom.

After the seminar, a recording will be available upon request.

Carbonell was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and now serves on the National Academies’ Board of Chemical Sciences and Technology. He is also a member of the National Academy of Inventors, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The Department of Engineering Fundamentals (EF) is conducting a faculty search. Please join us for the active and collaborative first-year engineering lesson by candidate Akua Oppong-Anane.

The lesson will be held at 10 a.m. Friday (April 15) in Dillman 208.

All are welcome to attend and participate.

The Department of Kinesiology and Integrated Physiology (KIP) invites you to the April seminar "Leveraging Technology to Promote Healthy Lifestyles after Cancer," presented by Lisa Cadmus-Bertram.

The virtual seminar will be held from 3-4 p.m. Friday (April 15) via Zoom.

Cadmus-Bertram is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed her Ph.D. in epidemiology and psychology at Yale University in 2007, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington in Seattle, and five years as a researcher at the University of California, San Diego. She joined the UW-Madison in 2014.

Her research focuses on physical activity measurement, the role of physical activity in chronic disease management and the development and evaluation of technology-supported physical activity promotion interventions. She co-leads the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, serves as the director of graduate studies for the Department of Kinesiology, and is an associate editor for the Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behavior. Her presentation will focus on how to leverage technology to promote physical activity among cancer survivors and at-risk populations.

Everyone is welcome. Students are strongly encouraged to attend this virtual event.

Please go to the KIP Newsblog for the Zoom meeting details.

The second candidate for the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) will give a presentation at 2 p.m. Thursday (April 14) in person in EERC 501 and virtually via Zoom.

The presentation will cover highlights of the candidate’s career, and their thoughts about the future of education and research in electrical and computer engineering. The event is open to the Michigan Tech community. 

Information on the candidate and the Zoom meeting link can be found in a Google Drive folder shared with all those with an @mtu.edu email address. You will need to log in to your Michigan Tech Google Drive to view the information.

A reception will be held for the candidate in EERC 515 following the presentation.

As you prepare for Design Expo and other end-of-semester presentations, it can help to practice talking about your work!

Join us in the library’s East Reading Room from 4-5 p.m. tomorrow (April 13) for this workshop, where we'll provide tips for talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way.

Come prepared to answer questions about your work. Pizza and cookies provided!

Please register to attend.

Michigan Tech hockey forward Brian Halonen has been named a CCM/AHCA All-American.

The honor was announced during Friday Night at the Frozen Four in Boston. Halonen was named to the West Second Team.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Road struggles continued for Michigan Tech women's tennis over the weekend. The Huskies fell 6-1 to Northwood University on Friday (April 8) and went winless against Wayne State on Saturday (April 9) in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Lauren Opalewski was the lone singles winner for Tech against the Timberwolves. Against the Warriors, late scratches from Tech's singles lineup and strong play by Wayne State led to the 7-0 loss.

MTU falls to 1-8, 1-4 GLIAC with four regular-season matches to play.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech men's tennis suffered their third and fourth shutout losses of the season over the weekend. The Huskies fell 7-0 to Northwood University on Friday (April 8) and were overpowered 7-0 by No. 11 ranked Wayne State on Saturday (April 9).

The losses extend Tech's losing streak this season to eight games. 

The Huskies (0-8, 0-4 GLIAC) will host Davenport on Friday (April 15) and Purdue Northwest on Saturday (April 16) at Gates Tennis Center.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Postings for Tuesday, April 12, 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.

Senior System Administrator, Information Technology. Apply online.

Administrative Aide 7 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #21232RPRP, Financial Services and Operations (UAW posting April 12 to April 18, 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.

The Tau Trot 5K, organized by Michigan Tech fraternity Phi Kappa Tau and sorority Alpha Sigma Tau, was the subject of a feature story published in the Daily Mining Gazette. 

Quoted in the story were students Lucas Pobanz, Tessa Mlinar, Madelyn Carey, Willy Houser, Noah Spence, Matt Sheeran and Jon Sturm, as well as Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Wallace Southerland III.

PhD Defense: Akhil Kurup, ECE

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering candidate Akhil Kurup will present their doctoral dissertation at 4 p.m. tomorrow (April 13) in Fisher 126 and via Zoom.

Kurup's dissertation is titled "Autonomous Perception in Unstructured Environments."

Kurup is advised by Jeremy Bos.

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Sustainability Awards and Update

Join us in recognizing the four recipients of the inaugural Michigan Tech Sustainability and Resilience Campus Leadership Awards. The informal program will provide a celebration of the award winners and their accomplishments, a brief update on sustainability work at Michigan Tech and some time to enjoy snacks and interact with your peers.

• When: Tuesday, April 19 — noon to 1 p.m.
• Where: Alumni Lounge in the MUB

Light snacks will be provided — feel free to bring your lunch.

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MTEC SmartZone Entrepreneurship Survey

Our friends at MTEC SmartZone help local entrepreneurs succeed, and they want to hear from the Michigan Tech community.

Please share your opinions about entrepreneurship in the Western Upper Peninsula by filling out the MTEC SmartZone's two-minute survey.

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ECE Chair Candidate Presentation

The first candidate for the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) will give a presentation at 2 p.m. today (April 12) in person in EERC 501 and virtually via Zoom.

The presentation will cover highlights of the candidate’s career and their thoughts about the future of education and research in electrical and computer engineering. The event is open to the Michigan Tech community. 

Information on the candidate and the Zoom meeting link can be found in a Google Drive folder shared with all those with an @mtu.edu email address. You will need to log in to your Michigan Tech Google Drive to view the information.

A reception will be held for the candidate in EERC 515 following the presentation.

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Café Français

Please join us at the last Café Français of this semester for an hour of laid-back Francophone setting with French natives and other Francophiles. All levels welcome.

Café Français meets from 5-6 p.m. tomorrow (April 12) in Walker 120C.

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Modern Languages Spring Celebration

Modern Languages in the Humanities Department is happy to invite you to a celebration of our graduating minors and the end of the semester.

French, German and Spanish students, as well as faculty and friends, are welcome to attend the celebration from 6-7 p.m. today (April 12) in GLRC 201.

Food will be provided, and there will be games and music.

• When: Tuesday, April 12 — 6-7 p.m. 
• Where: Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 201

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

Teal Ribbons

Tuesday, April 12, 12:00 a.m.–11:45 p.m. | Campus!

Have you seen teal ribbons? Help raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month by scanning the QR code and participating in SAVE and Title IX's Octopi project and get the...

Lunch & Learn: Managing Parental Chaos

Tuesday, April 12, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | TBD

Speakers: Jen Wall and Shannon Rinkinen

Master's Defense: Brian Rivers

Tuesday, April 12, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 875

Environmental Engineering Advisor: David Watkins Experimental Analysis and Computer Simulation of a Laboratory-Scale Intermittent Water Supply System Attend Virtually:...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Tuesday, April 12, 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

Tuesday, April 12, 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...

Open Log Rolling

Tuesday, April 12, 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...