Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Today (May 19) is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion.

Did you know?

  • More than 1 billion people worldwide have some type of disability.
  • Many disabilities are not obvious. They include hearing, cognitive, motor and learning disabilities.
  • Assistive technology helps not only those with disabilities but many others as well.

The web has opened many doors for us all. Some of us remember a time before audiobooks, Alexa and even Google! We once had to go to libraries and bookstores to get information or books. Today, people all over the world can access information in a mere moment. But imagine for a minute that you aren't able to participate. What if you couldn't navigate a website, search for information, make a doctor appointment online or read online content? For some of us, not being able to accomplish these tasks would be inconvenient; but for many, they are essential tasks.

If you've ever used closed captions, an audiobook, talk to text or voice-controlled technology like Siri or Alexa, you've benefited from accessible technology. If you've ever asked Alexa to add tissues to your shopping list and she added "two shoes" instead, you've also experienced what it can be like to encounter a barrier. By making our websites accessible, we reduce the likelihood that we are creating barriers, and we benefit from having a larger and more diverse audience.

Want to gain a little insight? In the spirit of GAAD, give this keyboard-only game a try.

If you've discovered an accessibility barrier, please let us know. If you have questions or would like to join the Accessible Technology Working Group (ATWG), contact us at accessibility-l@mtu.edu.

Fiscal Year-End 2022 Closing Information

Financial Services and Operations has posted the 2022 Fiscal Year-End Closing Schedule on our website.

The schedule is located on the Controller's Office webpage under the Closing Schedules subheading.

The fiscal year-end closing schedule lists important deadlines and should be distributed to appropriate employees.

Brilynn Janckila Receives Research Fellowship

Second-year Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) student Brilynn Janckila has received the G. Rollie Adams Research Fellowship through The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. She will conduct research in residence at the museum this summer.

The G. Rollie Adams Research Fellowship is awarded to applicants including academic professionals, independent scholars, museum scholars and advanced graduate students at the master's and Ph.D. levels conducting scholarly research about play.

The fellowship grants access to the Strong Museum's wealth of resources on the history of play and playthings. Fellows receive a stipend of $500 per week, awarded for a maximum of three weeks.

Janckila's study investigates the physical evolution of dollhouses to understand the changing cultural and social expectations of domesticity and productivity for girls.

From the abstract:
Many girls' studies scholars argue that girls' culture happens within the home and emphasizes consumption practices, and dollhouses provide a ludic space for girls to roleplay domestic practices within their homes. By tracing how dollhouses have changed over time, this project will explore how dollhouses model older girlhood and womanhood to little girls, reinforcing cultural and social expectations of domesticity, productivity, and reproduction. This historical examination seeks to explain how dollhouses have changed according to the expectations of girlhood and womanhood, which emphasize productive and reproductive labor in and out of the home, as well as add to the limited research on dollhouses and girls' play.

Submission and Formatting 101: Master the Dissertation, Thesis and Report Process

Students who are completing a dissertation, thesis or report are invited to join the Graduate School to learn about the resources available to them to assist in scheduling their defense, formatting their documents and submitting their documents. In one afternoon, you can learn everything you need to be successful and complete your degree in a timely fashion!  Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. Attend the entire event, or stop in for the seminar that interests you.

  • When: Thursday, May 26, from 2-4 p.m. (see detailed schedule on our blog).
  • Who: Students completing a dissertation, thesis or report; faculty and staff who assist students with submission.
  • Where: Virtually via Zoom and in person in Admin 404 (occupancy limit for room is 35); register to attend online and receive participation instructions.
  • Registration: Please register to receive handouts via email or attend online. The seminar will be available online as well as on campus.

If you are unable to join us, the event will be taped and available online after the event. The previous semester’s seminars are always available online.

Information on submitting, formatting and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

Job Postings

Job Postings for Thursday, May 19, 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.

Assistant Director of Athletic Communication, Athletics. Apply online.

Health and Wellness Coordinator, Human Resources. Apply online.

Admissions Operations Specialist, Admissions. Apply online.

Admissions Manager, Admissions. Apply online.

Administrative Aide 7 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22143, Human Resources (UAW posting May 19 to May 25, 2022 — internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Administrative Aide 8 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22144, Career Services (UAW posting May 19 to May 25, 2022 — internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Custodian (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22145, Facilities (AFSCME posting May 19 to May 25, 2022 — internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME 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.

New Funding

Zhiying Shan (KIP/HRI) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $348,179 research and development grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The project is titled "Contribution of Orexin System to Hypertension."

Qinghui Chen (KIP/HRI) is a co-PI on this potential four-year project.

In the News

MLive, ClickOnDetroit and multiple regional news outlets mentioned Michigan Tech in a story on Money.com’s recent ranking of the best-value colleges in the U.S.

Leading Michigan in the rankings were the University of Michigan at No. 1, Michigan Tech at No. 61 and Michigan State University at No. 65.

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Yu Wang (MSE) was quoted in a Penn State News story about a new design strategy for creating ultrahigh-performing piezoelectric ceramics.

Wang's comments described how researchers from Penn State and Michigan Tech were able to get a "very high" piezoelectric response by aligning the ceramic material's grains along certain crystallographic axes.

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Janet Callahan (CoE) was mentioned in an American Ceramic Society announcement as a member of its 2022 Class of Fellows. 

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The Daily Mining Gazette, WLUC TV6 and ABC 10 mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about the Copper Country’s May 17 visit from a delegation from Finland.

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A 2018 Michigan Tech News story about research on meditation was mentioned by Longevity in a story about rock singer Pink’s struggle against panic attacks.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned in a CCHA news release about the league’s newest member, Augustana University.

Reminder

Sustainability Film Discussion: 'The Ants and the Grasshopper'

The film discussed this month for the 2022 Sustainability Film Series will be the recently released documentary "The Ants and the Grasshopper" (2021, 74 minutes).

"The Ants and the Grasshopper" asks probing questions: How do you change someone’s mind about the most important thing in the world? What do we owe each other in the face of an existential crisis like the climate emergency? That’s the one big question at the heart of the film, which explores how power and privilege shape climate justice and food justice from Africa to America — and how we might move forward together.

Register to receive the Zoom link to participate in the facilitated discussion from 7-8 p.m. tonight (May 19) and to receive the link to the film.

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.

Discussion Facilitators
Discussion facilitators will be interim department chair Sarah Green (Chem), and senior research engineer Robert Handler (ChE). 

Green is interested in all aspects of environmental chemistry from molecular analytical methods to global climate change, including the science policy interface. Green served as co-vice chair for the Scientific Advisory Panel on the Sixth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6), United Nations Environment Programme. She is the faculty mentor of Keweenaw Youth for Climate Action, an MTU student organization, and has also helped arrange MTU participation in United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings.

Handler is involved in a variety of research and educational efforts involving sustainability and resilience at Michigan Tech. He helps companies and research teams evaluate the environmental impacts of their new products and production systems, with a longstanding focus on alternative fuel and chemical production. He is the faculty advisor for the MTU Green Campus Enterprise.

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.

For more information, contact Joan Chadde at jchadde@mtu.edu or Robert Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.