June 7, 2022

Molly Cavaleri is the recipient of Michigan Technological University’s 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Associate Professor/Professor category.

“The students want to do well and hand in the best product they can when they sense that you respect them as people,” Cavaleri says. “We can support our students best when we prioritize their well-being above rubrics and deadlines.”

Read more about her approach to teaching at Michigan Tech News.

Briana Bettin is the recipient of Michigan Technological University’s 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice/Assistant Professor category.

“I care deeply, I’m very passionate and I have no qualms about acting like (for lack of a better descriptor) a ham sandwich,” says Bettin. “I don’t know how those things come together as a style, but they’ve always been quintessentially me, and it seems that students respond to them.”

Read more about her approach to teaching at Michigan Tech News.

A proposal submitted by Zhanping You (CEGE) earlier this year has been selected by NextCycle Michigan as one of the projects in the NextCycle Michigan ROADS Innovation Challenge Track.

You and his team will work on a project titled "The Marketing Development and Implementation of Recycled Glass for Asphalt Pavements."

You's team is comprised of Michigan Technological University teams with the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority (MCSWMA) and Dickinson County Road Commission. The collaborators will plan a construction section of recycled glass asphalt pavement in Dickinson County.

Please join Advancement and Alumni Engagement in wishing Lorrie Graff all the best of fun and relaxation in her impending retirement, starting June 30. She is looking forward to spending more time with her daughter and two granddaughters downstate.

A retirement social will be held for Graff from 8-9:30 a.m., Thursday (June 9) in the Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC) Ford Conference Room. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

For the past 25 years, Graff has provided exemplary service to Michigan Tech in a variety of roles, most recently within Advancement Services. Her knowledge, experience and willingness to be of service to colleagues and our donors will be greatly missed.

Registration for our summer aquatics programs is still open! Each of the aquatic programs below will begin its first session June 20, and registration will close for the first session June 16 at 11:59 p.m.

• Huskies Summer Swim provides additional attention and competitive guidance to proficient swimmers ages 6-17 looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness levels.
  
  
• Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the fundamental four strokes.
  
  
• Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness levels in a group setting.

Satya Sivaraman, a health communications advisor with ReAct, a global network of universities and organizations that seeks to initiate public and policy action on antibiotic resistance, will be presenting "Dancing with the Bacteria" at an upcoming Physics Colloquium.

Please join the in-person presentation at 11 a.m. Thursday (June 9) in Fisher Hall 101.

Read Sivaraman's abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar. 

Diversity Literacy training for the 2022-2023 academic year is open for registration.

The Diversity Literacy Online Workshop (DLOW) is part of Michigan Tech's ongoing commitment to faculty diversity in building a supportive campus climate. Successful completion of the DLOW is required to serve on faculty hiring and tenure promotion committees. The full workshop is organized as a three-week asynchronous online course in Canvas (with two to three hours of work per week) building literacy in recognizing unconscious bias, and culminates with a one-week seminar on the legal aspects of diversity-centered hiring practices.

For those who have already taken the full three-week diversity literacy course, a one-week refresher course is required every four years. See the Diversity Training Status page for more information and a list of current training status for all faculty.

The workshop dates are listed below and can also be found on the training website, as well as an online registration form. Please note that legal aspects training will immediately follow the diversity literacy training, and faculty will be registered for them both at the same time.

We suggest that individuals register early for fall workshop dates if they are serving on faculty search or promotion and tenure committees in the coming year. If your certification is expiring but you don't need it for immediate service, we would appreciate if you register for a spring workshop instead, as the fall enrollments can get high.

If you have any questions about the DLOW and training, contact workshop administrator Amy Marcarelli at ammarcar@mtu.edu.

Full course and refresher dates for academic year 2022-23:

Diversity Literacy Fall Refresher 1:
Sept. 12-16 — Diversity Literacy Refresher Workshop
Sept. 19-23 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Diversity Literacy Fall Full Course:
Oct. 3-21 — Diversity Literacy Full Course
Oct. 24-28 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Diversity Literacy Fall Refresher 2:
Nov. 7-11 — Diversity Literacy Refresher Workshop
Nov. 14-18 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Diversity Literacy Spring Refresher 1:
Jan. 16-20 — Diversity Literacy Refresher Workshop
Jan. 23-27 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Diversity Literacy Spring Full Course:
Feb. 6-24 — Diversity Literacy Full Course
Feb. 27-March 3 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Diversity Literacy Spring Refresher 2:
March 20-24 — Diversity Literacy Refresher Workshop
March 27-31 — Legal Aspects of Hiring — online course

Kyle Schwiebert (Math) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $5,000 other-student fellowship grant from the University of Michigan - Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

The project is titled "LES-C Turbulence Models and their Applications to Aerodynamic Phenomena."

Alexander Labovsky (Math) is a co-PI on this project.

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Paul Sanders (MSE/IMP) is the PI on a project that has received a $500,000 research and development contract from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration.

The project is titled "Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for Weld Enhanced Cast Steel Coupler Knuckles."

Pasi Lautala (CEGE/IMP) is a co-PI on this potential 21-month project.

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Paul van Susante (ME-EM/MARC) is the PI on a project that has received a $5,000 other-sponsored activities grant from the University of Michigan - Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

The project is titled "Lunabotics Competition Robot."

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Xinyu Ye (CEGE/GLRC) is the PI on a project that has received a $5,000 research and development grant from the University of Michigan - Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

The project is titled "Estimating the effects of potential climate and land-use changes on hydrologic processes of Maumee River Watershed using a three-way Coupled Atmosphere-Lake-Land Modeling."

Together with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), researchers at Michigan Tech have written a "Guidance for Research Partnerships" PDF available on the KBIC's Natural Resources Department website.

Approved by Tribal Council in April 2021, co-authors Emily Shaw (CEGE), Val Gagnon (CFRES) and Evelyn Ravindran, director of the KBIC Natural Resources Department, recently published a manuscript in the Journal of Great Lakes Research that describes their process of building a research partnership.

Titled "Seasons of Research with/by/as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community," the manuscript reflects on a history of extractive research and colonization and reimagines a future of mutually beneficial research that works toward shared goals.

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech’s Blue Key Honor Society in a story about a joint meeting of Houghton's city council, planning commission and downtown development authority. 

Blue Key was contacted by the city manager about hosting Winter Carnival events at the new Mattila Square.

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WLUC TV6 and WJMN Local 3 covered the fire at the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house just west of Michigan Tech’s campus. No one was injured in the fire.

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Northern Express picked up a story about the Michigan Tech College of Business’ TechMBA being offered in a new hybrid format for students in the Grand Traverse area.

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The Keweenaw Report mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about National Weather Service storm spotter training being offered today (June 7) at MTU’s Advanced Technology Development Complex.

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The Alpena News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a research project using autonomous underwater robots to search for shipwrecks in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. MTU researchers are collaborating with two other universities on the project.

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MLive mentioned Michigan Tech in a feature story on a new boat tour business operating in the Keweenaw Waterway. Jason Swain (GLRC) was quoted.

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

Plant-A-Palooza

Tuesday, June 7, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Walker Lawn

Bring a friend (or two!) and join us for our sixth annual Plant-A-Palooza!! You can plant a succulent and take it home. Tuesday, June 7 at 1 PM on Walker Lawn. We will be...

Women's League Begins

Tuesday, June 7, 5:30 p.m. | Portage Lake Golf Course

Women's League Begins *Some events and times may change