August 22, 2022

Many faculty on campus collaborate with scientists and innovators from around the world every year. The J‐1 Exchange Visitor Program is designed to promote international educational and cultural exchange to develop mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. The program is administered by the Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation, in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

At Michigan Tech, International Program and Services (IPS) provides immigration support for the department and the scholar during their stay.

There are multiple categories of visiting scholars and each category has unique timeframes and immigration regulations. Before bringing a J-1 scholar to campus, the position must be approved by the Provost's Office. Scholars funded through Michigan Tech funding sources (grants, departmental budgets, etc) are processed as an employee through Human Resources. Scholars who are self-funded or funded through their home institution need to gain approval from the Vice President of Research Office.

There are three types of J-1 exchange visitors: students, scholars and professors. An exchange visitor must not be a candidate for a tenure-track position. The academic or “hosting” department will be the point of contact for J-1 scholars to provide assistance during their time at Michigan Tech.

To determine which category is best for your needs and to find out the requirements of the host department, please visit our J-1 Exchange Visitor Scholars website for more information.

Associate Professor Aurenice Oliveira (ECE) has been selected for the Class of 2022-23 of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) fellowship program.

ELATES is a national leadership development program designed to promote women in academic STEM fields, and faculty allies of all genders, into institutional leadership roles. Oliveira is also a recipient of the first ASEE ELATES fellow scholarship covering program costs and travel expenses. 

The ELATES Class of 2022-23 Fellows comprise a prestigious cohort of 30 faculty members from over 25 institutions of higher education across the U.S. and Canada. Fellows include experts in engineering, mathematics and science, all of whom have significant administrative experience on top of their scholarly accomplishments. Oliveira was nominated by Dean Janet Callahan (COE) and former interim Chair Glen Archer (ECE) for this intensive yearlong program, which includes personal and leadership development work as well as series of on-site work in the Philadelphia area.

Oliveira’s research interests focus on hybrid communications and networking, including connected and autonomous vehicles communications.  She is currently the IEEE chair for Northeastern Wisconsin Region 4 and recently served as the chair of the NSF ADVANCE Advocates and Allies Advisory Board (A3B) and as equity (DEIS) advisor for Michigan Tech faculty and chairs search teams. She is current the faculty advisor for two students’ organizations on campus: The Michigan Tech IEEE student chapter and Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Honor Society.

Oliveira will be also serving as a Michigan Tech Vice President for Research Faculty Fellow for the 2022-23 academic year in the areas of research development and research integrity.

“I am excited to participate in a program focused on training an amazing group of women to become leaders in academic STEM fields,” said Oliveira. “I would like to be able to bridge people and ideas as well as to tap into our strengths to create/encourage growth in my department and at Michigan Tech.”

Facilitated by leaders in the fields of STEM research and leadership development, the ELATES curriculum is focused on increasing Fellows’ personal and professional leadership effectiveness, from the ability to lead and manage change initiatives within institutions, to the use of strategic finance and resource management to enhance organizational missions. Pairing online instruction and discussion with intensive, in-person seminar sessions, the program encourages Fellows to apply what they’ve learned at their home institutions. Ultimately, it aims to create a network of exceptional faculty who bring broad organizational perspectives and deep personal capacity to the institutions and societies they serve.

Learn more online at ELATES at Drexel.

The Michigan Tech Student Leadership and Involvement Office, with support from Order of Omega, is hosting a two-day Red Cross Blood Drive in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students, faculty, staff and the community are all invited to donate.

Many people want to give back to the community but may not have a lot of time to volunteer. In only about an hour, volunteer blood donors can help save lives and feel instant gratification. All donors will receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last.

Appointments are preferred. To make an appointment, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org (use sponsor code HUSKIES) or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture candidate Alfred Owusu Ansah will present their doctoral defense at 1 p.m. Monday (Aug. 29). This will be a virtual only defense. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Owusu Ansah's defense is titled "Becoming Posthuman Literate Subjects: Coding Literacy among Missing People at Michigan Technological University."

From the abstract:
In response to calls for scholarship that affirms the epistemological value of the literacy practices of people whose practices have been systematically overlooked in theorizing literacy, this qualitative study examines how missing people (e.g., people of color, women, and the gender fluid) conceptualize coding as a species of writing. The study is grounded in the notion that we are in posthuman times, and that coding typifies literacy in the 21st century.

Zhanping You (CEGE/MTTI) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $50,000 research and development grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The project is titled "Recycling E-Waste Plastics for Asphalt Pavement Construction."

Dongdong Ge and Dongzhao Jin (CEGE/MTTI) are co-PIs on this potential 14-month project.

Andrew Storer (CFRES) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story on the opening of the Nara Family Maple Center in Bootjack, near Lake Linden. 

The building was donated to Michigan Tech by Ruth Nara and her family. Visitors will learn about local wildlife and natural resources, as well as how maple syrup is made using an evaporator and through older methods.

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Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) and Michigan Tech were mentioned by the Beaumont Enterprise in a story with essential facts about “ghost wolves” — red wolf/coyote hybrids — along the Gulf Coast of Texas.

A program to capture and collar coyotes and ghost wolves in Galveston, Texas, is partially funded by MTU.

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WLUC TV6 covered a memorial service for hotshot firefighter and Michigan Tech alumnus Collin Hagan ’19 (forest management) held at the Rozsa Center on Aug. 18.

Register Now for 2022-23 Diversity Literacy Workshops

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

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Parade of Nations Registration Now Open!

Since 1989, the Houghton and Hancock communities have been celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the Keweenaw. We are excited to continue that tradition on Sept. 17!

The Parade of Nations begins at 11 a.m. in Hancock, crosses the Portage Lift Bridge and ends at Dee Stadium. This amazing celebration of unity and culture is open to the entire community, and we hope you will consider participating!

Any person is invited to request a flag of any country that they wish to represent by completing the Flag Request Form. One flag and one sign will be provided per nation. Everyone is welcome to walk in the Parade of Nations with any of the represented countries.

Groups are invited to apply to enter a float, and our contest returns this year! Every registered float has the chance to win prize money ($300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place). All floats must be designed according to this year’s Parade of Nations theme: The World is One. A float can be a decorated vehicle; a vehicle pulling a decorated trailer; or another motorized or nonmotorized conveyance that serves as a platform for a decorated display, exhibit, and/or performance. Complete the Float Application to sign up!

Looking for a different way to support Parade of Nations? Volunteers are the driving force behind this event. They help with event setup, walk in the parade, serve as parade marshals and provide support at the multicultural festival. Explore the volunteer positions and shifts available, and sign up for the one that best fits your interests.

For more information, please visit the Parade of Nations website or contact the Parade of Nations committee at paradeofnations@mtu.edu.

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NSF I-Corps Program Registration Open

Are you interested in taking your idea, technology or process commercial? Entrepreneurially minded faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, alumni and local community teams are invited to attend the Great Lakes Region Hub National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Program offered through Husky Innovate at Michigan Tech.

Course Description
The NSF I-Corps lean startup program spans six weeks. Using the scientific process, customer discovery and the business model canvas, teams will work to validate key business hypotheses and develop a business model.

Course Benefits
Upon completion of the workshop and the customer discovery interviews (30), you or your team may be eligible for a mini grant of up to $1,000. Funds may be reimbursed for prototyping expenses and customer discovery.

Teams who complete the program may become eligible for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program and a $50,000 grant.

Participation in the workshop can lead to qualification for research and other funding from several granting agencies, including Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and various state and regional programs.

Past participants have reported that they saved time and money by better understanding potential applications of their technology, experienced improved engagement with teams and improved their ability to receive add-on funding.

Our fall cohort will meet online via Zoom on the following dates:

• Monday, Aug. 29 — 4-7 p.m.
• Monday, Sept. 12 — 4-6 p.m.
• Monday, Sept. 26 — 4-6 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 3 — 4-7 p.m.

To participate, please register online by Saturday (Aug. 27). After registration, a Zoom link will be sent via a Google Calendar invite.

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Dissertation Proposal: Isaac Wedig, KIP

Please join us for the dissertation proposal of Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology candidate Isaac Wedig today (Aug. 22) from 3-4 p.m.

Wedig's dissertation is titled "Physical Activity as Medicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond."

This proposal will take place in person in ATDC 101 and virtually via Zoom. Please contact the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) at kip@mtu.edu for the Zoom meeting details.

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CTL Technical Workshops Offered

The Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is offering several technical workshops tomorrow and Wednesday (Aug. 23 and 24) to help instructors prepare for their fall courses. Please register using the links below.

• Getting Started with iClicker Cloud
  iClicker Cloud helps instructors engage with their students in the classroom by asking polling questions that can promote discussion, identify areas of confusion and generate questions. Michigan Tech now has a campus site license for iClicker Cloud, so instructors can use this tool at no additional cost to their students. In this CTL technical workshop, we’ll review how to get started using iClicker Cloud in your classroom. We’ll review how to set up your instructor account, make custom course settings to meet your needs and integrate the course with your Canvas course.
  • Register for Tuesday, Aug. 23 — 2-3 p.m., Library 227 (CTL offices)
  • Register for Wednesday, Aug. 24 — 10-11 a.m., Library 227 (CTL offices)
    
    
• Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist: Ensuring Access for All
  In this CTL technical workshop, we’ll review some of the most common accessibility errors with Canvas course instructional materials. Learn how to use the Ally accessibility tool (available in all Canvas courses) to locate and remediate these errors and how to run a coursewide accessibility report to help you prioritize your efforts to improve your course materials and make them more accessible to all your students.
  • Register for Tuesday, Aug. 23 — 10-11 a.m., Library 242

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Labor Day Holiday Schedule for Timekeepers/Processors

To all timekeepers/processors: Due to the Labor Day Holiday on Sept. 5, deadlines for payroll forms will be as follows for the pay period of Aug. 21 through Sept. 3 (Biweekly 18). As a department timekeeper, it is your responsibility to share this information with all employees in your department.

*Please be sure that all web time approvers have a designated proxy set up.

• Status Forms Due to Human Resources: Thursday, Aug. 25, at 12 p.m.
• EPAF Submissions: Thursday, Aug. 25, at 12 p.m.
• Deduction Forms: Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 12 p.m.
• Electronic Time Submission: Friday, Sept. 2, at 12 p.m.
• Web Time Entry Approval: Friday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m.

For instructions on how to set up a Proxy, please visit the Web Time Entry Quick Reference Guide for Approvers.

Have a safe Labor Day!

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

Husky Innovate Office Hours

Monday, August 22, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, First Floor Exhibit Space

Husky Innovate will be hosting Office Hours at the Library during O-Week Have a question for Husky Innovate? Interested in entrepreneurship or innovation? Stop...

Welcome to Graduate School

Monday, August 22, 3 p.m.–5 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

All new graduate students are invited to attend and meet representatives from a variety of campus and local organizations. Let us share with you the resources that are...