April 18, 2022

Through the leadership of the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC), with Michigan Tech and Ford, eight students from César Chávez Academy High School in Detroit completed an online section of CS1121 Introduction to Programming I in fall 2021. Dual-enrolled, the students earned academic credit from both Michigan Tech and the academy.

“I was delighted when we were asked to work with DHDC,” said Linda Ott, chair of Michigan Tech’s Department of Computer Science (CS). “It’s always rewarding to participate in outreach that provides high school students a chance to discover their passion for computing. It opens a world of opportunities for them. Students who are exposed to programming in high school are much more likely to pursue a degree in computer science or software engineering.”

The students met daily, attending live online lectures instructed by CS assistant professor Briana Bettin and live online lab sessions conducted by Michigan Tech students. The DHDC transported the students from the Academy to the DHDC, provided classroom space for the lectures and associated labs and offered many other forms of student support.

In the spring 2022 semester, three academy students continued to the next course in the sequence, CS1122 Introduction to Programming II, again dual-enrolled at Michigan Tech. All three have applied and been accepted to begin their undergraduate studies at Michigan Tech in fall 2022!

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

Keith Vertanen (CS) was named the inaugural Dave House Associate Professor of Computing on April 4 at the kickoff event for the Computing[MTU] Showcase. The endowed professorship recognizes Vertanen’s commitment to his research and to Michigan Tech students.

“I’m excited and honored to be the first Dave House Associate Professor of Computing,” said Vertanen. “The opportunity will further my group’s mission of advancing the future of computer interfaces, especially for users with diverse abilities.”

“Keith is one of the College of Computing’s leading researchers, both in terms of the quality of his work and research expenditures,” says Dennis Livesay, Dave House Dean of Computing. “His work expanding the opportunities for how humans interact with computers has garnered significant national exposure and funding from the NSF and Google.”

Dave House ’65 has been a steadfast supporter of Michigan Tech for decades. His influence, vision and support were key to the formation of the College. He funded the first-ever endowed deanship at Michigan Tech — the Dave House Dean of Computing — as well as multiple endowed professorships. Within the College of Computing, there are currently three professorships endowed by House. In addition to Livesay’s and Vertanen’s positions, Dan Fuhrmann, chair of the Department of Applied Computing, is the Dave House Professor of Computing.

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

Michigan Tech I-Corps teams who have met the program requirements are invited to apply for mini-grants up to $5,000 to develop their minimum viable product (MVP). Applications will be reviewed and funds awarded based on your proposal.

The deadline to apply is May 31. We will notify teams of their award by June 10. Teams must present their MVP at a showcase event on Aug. 19. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Casper at lcasper@mtu.edu.

Apply using our application form.

Parenting All Rainbow Kids (PARK) is meeting at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday (April 20) via Zoom. Everyone is welcome.

PARK is a faculty/staff-led group for the parents/guardians of LGBTQIA* youth. PARK aims to offer group members a confidential, supportive community where we can learn and grow as parents/guardians together. Community members are welcome.

During spring 2022, meetings will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

For questions, concerns or Zoom info, contact Michelle Jarvie-Eggart at mejarvie@mtu.edu or Amber Kemppainen at amber@mtu.edu.

This weekend, you are invited to the Rozsa for two Michigan Tech Music concerts:

• KSO 50th Anniversary Concert: Carmina Burana — Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
  Disobedient, rowdy and loads of fun, Carl Orff’s massive cantata, "Carmina Burana" — for large symphony orchestra, large chorus and soloists — is one of the most popular works of the 20th century. Over 175 Michigan Tech and local musicians, along with three professional soloists, will rock the Rozsa stage for an evening of unbridled ecstasy. With music set to 24 satirical poems from the 11th and 12th centuries, Orff’s very modern choral-orchestral masterpiece starts and ends with the wild refrain “O Fortuna,” popularized in numerous films and commercials.
  
  • Tickets are $19 for adults, $6 for youth and free for MTU students and a guest with the Experience Tech Fee.
    
    
• A Tale of Two Franklins by the Superior Wind Symphony and Campus Concert Band — Sunday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
  The Superior Wind Symphony and Campus Concert Band will present a concert inspired by the two most important Franklins in American history: Benjamin and Aretha.
  • Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for youth and free for MTU students and a guest with the Experience Tech Fee.

Tickets are available at online, by phone at 906-487-1906 or in person at the Central Ticket Office at the Student Development Complex. The Rozsa Box Office will be open for walk-up ticket purchases one hour before performances. Both concerts will be livestreamed for far-away Michigan Tech music lovers and alumni.

Please join Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) faculty, staff, emeriti and families in celebrating the retirement of William W. Predebon with drinks and hors d'oeuvres from 4-7 p.m. May 13 in the Rozsa Lobby.

Predebon has dedicated over 45 years of teaching, research and service to the ME-EM department — including 25 years in the role of department chair.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Jade Driscoll at jdriscol@mtu.edu or 906-487-2810. The RSVP deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday (April 21). Please be sure to include whether any guests will be accompanying you.

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) is pleased to announce the winners of the ICC Annual Achievement Awards. The annual awards recognize exceptional contributions to the mission of the ICC, dedication to research and support of colleagues and students, and were awarded during the Computing[MTU] Showcase. Nominations came from individuals and ICC Centers, and previous winners convened to decide awardees. This year, awards went to Xiaoyong (Brian) Yuan (AC/CS), Sidike Paheding (AC/CS) and Kelly Steelman (CLS).

Yuan, an assistant professor in applied computing and computer science, was awarded for achievements in research in heterogeneous architectures for collaborative machine learning. Yuan is a member of the Cybersecurity Center in the ICC.

Paheding, an assistant professor in applied computing and computer science, was recognized for achievements in research in out-of-this-world deep learning and cybersecurity. Paheding is a member of the Data Science Center in the ICC.

Steelman, department chair and associate professor in cognitive and learning sciences, and an affiliated associate professor in mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics and computer science, was recognized for achievements in collaborative, interdisciplinary research, and mentorship and support of junior faculty. Steelman is a member of the Center for Human-Centered Computing in the ICC.

Congratulations to our awardees — your work and dedication to computing at MTU is greatly appreciated!

Recordings and slides from Computing[MTU] Showcase workshops and sessions can be found on the ICC website.

A group of three undergraduate environmental engineering students from Built World Enterprise (BWE) — Francine Rosinski, Jake McDowell and Morgan Hallberg — competed in the 32nd annual Waste Management Education Research Consortium (WERC) Design Contest. For WERC, they had to prepare a written report, oral presentation, poster presentation and bench scale demonstration. At the competition, they placed first overall in their task for the bench scale demonstration, second overall in their task, and second for the flash talk presentation.

They focused their research experiment on value-added copper smelting slag use. They were asked to recover an economically valuable material from the copper slag and/or produce a useful product from copper smelting slag that makes use of its unique properties. In the theoretical business plan, the team extracted the high content of iron from the copper slag and used the remaining material to replace sand with copper slag in ceramic tiles. This, overall, increased the sustainability and strength of ceramic tiles.

Way to represent Michigan Technological University, BWE WERC team!

The Ecosystem Science Center (ESC) is proud to announce the best poster presentation winners from our 17th annual Student Research Forum. The forum was held April 22 and had over 30 participants, including graduate and undergraduate students, who conducted research-related to socio-ecological processes, patterns, interactions and connections in the environment. 

Graduate student award winners are:

• Grand Prize: Rob Tunison — "Tropical Wet Forest Root Respiration Responses to Experimental Warming and Hurricane Disturbance"
  (advised by Molly Cavaleri)
• Merit Award: Emma Shedd — "Acclimation of Quercus rubra Root Respiration Across a Midwest Latitudinal Gradient"
  (advised by Carsten Kuelheim, Andy Burton and Molly Cavaleri)
• Merit Award: Samuel L. Oliveiera — "Do Oil Palm Plantations Provide Quality Habitat for Migratory Birds? A Case Study from Mexico"
  (advised by David Flaspohler and Jared Wolfe)
• Merit Award: Melanie A. Ottino — "Fecal Metabarcoding for Winter Diet Analysis of White-Tailed Deer: Developing an Optimized Noninvasive Molecular Approach for Wildlife Research"
  (advised by Kristin Brzeski, Carsten Kuelheim and Chris Webster)

Undergraduate student award winners are:

• Grand Prize: Natalie M. Howard — "Variance Components and Phenotypic Plasticity of Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) in a Replicated Common Garden Experiment"
  (advised by Carsten Kuelheim and Molly Cavaleri)
• Merit Award: Abraham Stone — "Developing a Commercially-Viable Native Biocontrol Application for Invasive Buckthorn Management"
  (advised by Chris Webster, Sigrid Resh and Tara Bal)

The Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) would like to invite you to attend the seminar given by Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte from 10-11 a.m. on Friday (April 22).

Martinez-Duarte will give a seminar on "Dielectrophoresis for selective Bioparticle Manipulation in Sample Preparation and Nanomanufacturing" 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.

Martinez-Duarte is currently an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University (USA). At Clemson University he teaches manufacturing processes and their application, as well as fundamentals of micro/nanofabrication.

This program/lecture is partially funded/sponsored by the Visiting Professor Program, which is funded by a grant to the Office of the Provost from the state of Michigan’s King-Chávez-Parks Initiative.

Biologist, pollinator conservationist and award-winning author Heather Holm will be the featured speaker April 30 at the fifth annual Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium, co-sponsored by the Sustainability Demonstration House. Holm will be joined by two regional experts on Michigan’s native plants.

This free symposium will be hosted on Zoom from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information and to register, visit the Wild Ones Keweenaw Chapter website.

In her talk, “The Pollination of Native Plants,” Holm showcases the development of different flower types and the presentation of floral resources to pollinators. Exploring the types of insect pollinators, their foraging behavior and the floral features that attract pollinators, she will provide many examples of how native plants are pollinated and what pollinator is most effective and why.

Holm's expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Her first book, "Pollinators of Native Plants," was published in 2014. Her second book, "Bees," published in 2017, has won six book awards, including the 2018 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her latest book, "Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants," has won five book awards.

Also on the program is Carolyn Miller, botanist and plant recorder at Michigan State University, who will speak on “Michigan Native Plants: From their Habitat to My Home.” Her presentation includes a photographic tour of Michigan plants, from prairies, to bogs, to cedar swamps. Miller is the president of the Wildflower Association of Michigan.

Additionally, Michelle Wietek-Stephens of Marquette, owner of Designs by Nature—Upper Peninsula Native Plants, will present “A Watched Seed Never Sprouts: Adventures in Starting a Native Plant Nursery in the U.P.”

At noon Wednesday (April 20) in Admin 404, Tamar Z. Semerjian will give a collaborative talk on the evolution of transgender inclusivity in sporting spaces.

The talk is titled "Transgender Athletes in Sporting Spaces."

Semerjian is chair of the Department of Kinesiology at San Jose State University. She teaches courses in sport psychology, research methods, stress management and cultural studies of sport. Her research has included work with older adults, individuals with spinal cord injury and transgender athletes. She is primarily concerned with the exercise experiences of marginalized populations, with attention to issues of motivation and increase access and adherence to exercise. Her published work has appeared in Spinal Cord, The Sport Psychologist, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and Women’s Sport and Physical Activity Journal.

This talk is co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Department of Social Sciences, as well as the Office of the Provost from the state of Michigan King-Chávez-Parks Visiting Professors Program.

Faculty and staff are invited to an upcoming mental health first aid (MHFA) training opportunity. 

Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Friends, family members, peers or mentors may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.

Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, MHFA prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Participants will learn a five-step action plan to guide them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

This training follows a hybrid model, with two hours of pre-work (must be completed at least 48 hours in advance of in-person training) and about 6.5 hours of in-person training. The in-person portion of the training will take place May 4 and 5 from 8-11:30 a.m. each day. You must attend both portions of the course in their entirety to receive MHFA certification.

The cost per participant is $24 and covers all materials. Participants are responsible for the cost.

For more information and to sign up, use please see the sign-up form.

Please contact Sarah Dowd at sedowd@mtu.edu with any questions.

Join Melissa Dancy, a principal research associate at Western Michigan University, for a webinar titled "Distancing, Minimizing and (Willful) Ignorance: How White Men Maintain Inequity While Believing They Are Working for Change."

Dancy will share a discourse analysis of 26 progressive white male physicists talking about race and gender. Despite their proclaimed support for equity and frequent pride in their own equity-related activism, they engage in pervasive ways of thinking, speaking and acting that ultimately work to uphold white and male dominance. They consistently locate inequity outside their sphere of influence, minimize its existence and impact, and demonstrate little understanding of the experiences of minoritized people around them.

This webinar is Wednesday (April 20) from noon to 1 p.m. over Zoom. It is free, but requires registration.

Register for the webinar.

Michigan Tech track and field and their opponents were up against a stiff sustained breeze all afternoon at the St. Norbert Twilight Invitational on Thursday (April 14) at Donald J. Schneider Stadium. 

The Huskies dominated middle distance and the duo of Noah Koball and Ryan Beatley set a pair of personal records in shotput. Koball (14.23 meters) and Beatley (13.18 meters) took first and second place for MTU.

In the men's 1,500 meters, the Huskies slotted in each of the top six positions, including race winner Sam Lange (4:01.97). Following Lange was Nick Niemi, Tucker Ringhand, Logan Lukonic, Kenny Abraham and Drew Kolodge.

Jesse Jacobusse paced the women's 1,500 meters with a winning time of 4:53.30. Theresa Passe and Jenna Brewer took second and third, respectively.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech Nordic ski team recently handed out its annual team awards at its potluck banquet with the Nordic Race Organizing Committee at the coaches' home. 

The award recipients included:

• Anabel Needham and Skylar Patten were named the Most Outstanding Skiers with Needham earning the award for the second straight season. 
• Coach Tom Monahan Smith and his staff were named the Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year on the women's side.
• Nea Katajala and Henry Snider were named the Most Improved Skiers. 
• Olivia Laven and Colin Freed received the Scholastic Achievement Award. 
• The Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award went to Mary Lyon and graduate assistant coach Eric Houck.

Read more about the award winners, and read coach's comments about the skiers and the season, at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Posting for Monday, April 18, 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.

Director of Foundation Relations, Advancement. 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.

Soonkwan Hong (COB) was quoted by The Atlantic in an article titled "Naming Objects Is the Opposite of Thoughtless Consumption." Hong's comments explain that items we identify with our sense of self are more likely to be viewed as singular.

The story was picked up by USA News Hub.

Annual Steam Shutdown

Weather permitting, Michigan Tech's annual steam shutdown will take place during the week following Spring Commencement, from May 1 to May 6.

This outage is required to provide maintenance and service of the boilers and steam distribution system on campus. This planned maintenance improves the reliability of our system and reduces the likelihood of an unplanned failure during the winter heating season.

Please note: There will not be heat or hot water in the affected buildings during the steam shutdown. There will be no distilled water available from the steam-driven stills. Steam-driven autoclaves/sterilizers will not be operational.

The annual steam shutdown:

• Begins: Sunday, May 1, at noon.
• Ends: Friday, May 6, at noon.

Buildings affected are:
Administration Building
Annex
Academic Office Building (AOB)
Chemical Sciences
Central Heating Plant
Douglass Houghton Hall
Dillman
DOW
Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC)
Facilities
Fisher
Forestry
Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC)
Hillside Place
Library
McNair Hall
Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM)
Memorial Union Building (MUB)
Minerals and Materials Engineering (M&M)
Rekhi
ROTC
Rozsa
Student Development Complex (SDC)
Wadsworth Hall
Walker

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.

*****

MSE Seminar with Amy Clarke

Amy Clarke, the John Henry Moore Endowed Chair of Metallurgy at the George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, will present a Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Seminar at 10 a.m. today (April 18) in person in M&M 610 and virtually via Zoom.

Clarke's seminar is titled "Metallic Alloy Microstructure Control Under Additive Manufacturing Conditions."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

*****

MSE Seminar with Kester Clarke

Kester Clarke, associate professor in the George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, will present a Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Seminar at 1 p.m. today (April 18) in person in M&M 610 and virtually via Zoom.

Clarke's seminar is titled "Thermomechanical Processing for Metal Manufacturability and Performance."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

*****

ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS) will host applied cognitive science and human factors (ACSHF) Ph.D. students Tauseef Ibne Mamun and Brittany Nelson at the next ACSHF Forum.

Ibne Mamun's and Nelson's presentations will be held from 2-3 p.m. today (April 18) in Meese 109 and via Zoom.

Ibne Mamun will present “Connected Vehicle Field Study: Outcomes and Challenges.“

Nelson will present “Identifying Healthy Lifestyle Knowledge Gaps Among Medical and Non-medical Students.“

Read the abstracts on the Cognitive and Learning Sciences News blog.

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Reunion 2022 Preliminary Schedule Released

The Office of Alumni Engagement is looking forward to hosting a full weekend of activities in person to celebrate Alumni Reunion 2022 on Aug. 4-6. Featured classes include 1962, 1967, 1972 (50th), 1982, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2012. We will also be celebrating other honored groups’ anniversaries, including Men’s Ice Hockey 100th, MTU Mascot 50th and SYP 50th, to name a few.

Reunion Weekend 2022 will have something for everyone, including beloved traditions like the Pasty Dinner, Golden M celebrations, and the Alumni Award Ceremony. Additionally, there will be family-friendly and outdoor adventure options ranging from a bocce ball tournament, to a guided hike, to mountain biking and more.

Visit the Alumni Reunion website to view a preliminary schedule of activities. Registration to open later this spring.

*****

See Your Pets While You Study

Share your favorite pictures of your pets by the end of the day today (April 18) using our form.

We'll compile your submissions into a slideshow that will run on the library TVs during finals week!

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WiNR Club Annual Plant Sale

The Women in Natural Resources (WiNR) Club at Michigan Tech is having its annual plant sale next week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (April 20 and 21) in the upper level of the Noblet Atrium. We have garden starts, house plants, handmade macrame hangers, hand-painted pots, iron-on patches and stickers available.

Pre-orders may be placed through the Plant Sale website until noon tomorrow (April 19) and payment (cash, check or credit via Venmo) will be due at pickup during the plant sale hours. Any remaining items will also be available for sale Wednesday and Thursday. 

Thanks for supporting the Women in Natural Resources!

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

Teal Ribbons

Monday, April 18, 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...

Perpetual Motion Machine

Monday, April 18, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Gallery B

An exhibition of independent works by Michigan Tech Advanced Sculpture students Lily Kosaka, Frida Visser, Maisie Whitaker, Madi Wentela, Megan Cole, and Madalyn...

Metallic Alloy Microstructure Control under Additive Manufacturing Conditions

Monday, April 18, 10 a.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 610

Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Dr. Amy Clarke John Henry Moore Endowed Chair of Metallurgy George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering,...

Thermomechanical Processing for Metal Manufacturability and Performance

Monday, April 18, 1 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 610

Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Dr. Kester Clarke Associate Professor George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of...

ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

Monday, April 18, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host ACSHF PhD Students Tauseef Ibne Mamun and Brittany Nelson at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors...

Data Assimilation in The Great Lakes: Implementation of Local Ensemble Kalman Filter (LETKF) for Improving Lake Erie Surface Temperature Prediction 

Monday, April 18, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Ara Hakim, Environmental Engineering Ph.D. student, Graduate Research Assistant Bio: Ara Hakim is a graduate research assistant at...

Monthly General Meeting _ Spring 2022

Monday, April 18, 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, April 18, 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...

Keweenaw Socialists @ MTU General Meeting

Monday, April 18, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | Fisher 326

Discussion of current club projects and planned socials as well as notable recent news. Meeting will by hybrid in-person and on Zoom. Following the organized portion of the...

Michigan Tech Husky Parent Panel

Monday, April 18, 8 p.m.–9 p.m.

Parents of admitted Huskies come meet some parents of current Huskies! Hear about how their family made the decision to attend Michigan Tech, what challenges they overcame,...

Huskies Out of Hibernation Virtual 5k

April 18, all day

Sign up for the 5k before the end of March 30th on https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Houghton/HuskiesOutofHibernation. The registration fee is $20 and comes with a 5k t-shirt!...

Sense of Belonging Speakers Series

April 18, all day

Michigan Technological University’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion announces the launch of the Sense of Belonging Speakers Series with two virtual...