October 4, 2022

For more than 30 years, we have marked our observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) with purple ribbons, awareness campaigns and participation in local and national events. At Michigan Tech, purple ribbons around campus draw attention and awareness to the issues of domestic violence, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence and relationship abuse. Guest author Jessica Gwosch (Title IX) shares insights from longtime advocates, history, statistics and ways to find support In the newest post on the Diversity Newsblog.

Additionally, to bring awareness to gender-based violence, the Society of African American Men (SAAM), in partnership with Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE), invite the community to their annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event tomorrow (Oct. 5). Male-identifying folks can choose to participate while wearing high-heeled shoes. Registration opens at noon tomorrow in the Rozsa lobby.

How does the magic get done? Well, in so many settings, the magic happens when a great group of people step forward and say “I’ll help!”

For more than 25 years, the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library have put on book sales, sponsored readings and events, and financed special materials and hardware collections to benefit the Michigan Tech community. The group is led by a board of about 10 volunteers, and we’re looking to add a few members. Would you join us?

We meet monthly (currently on the first Wednesdays) and usually for less than an hour. We support the heart of the campus — the Van Pelt and Opie Library at Michigan Tech — through fundraising book sales and other projects. We interact with the professionals who run the library to make their great ideas come to life for our library.

If you’re interested in joining us or you have questions, please email our chair, Amy Hughes, at alhughes@mtu.edu or one of the other board members. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

Participating in the 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) can be a way for graduate students to develop important communication and research skills, and to participate in the building of research culture at Michigan Tech. Cash prizes are also available to the top competitors and the people's choice.

In addition, the winners of the local 3MT competition are given a chance to represent Michigan Tech at the next level of competition, and potentially even national and international 3MT competitions, which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity.

Michigan Tech's 2022 3MT competition will be held Oct. 13 at the MUB Ballroom. For more information on the competition, please see the 3MT page on the Graduate Student Government (GSG) website.

To present in this year's competition, please fill out and submit the 3MT 2022 Registration form.

3MT 2022 Cash Prizes:

• First Place — $300
• Second Place — $150
• People's Choice — $100

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES® is an annual event hosted by the Society of African American Men (SAAM) and Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE) to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and to raise awareness about gender-based violence.

The event will take place tomorrow (Oct. 5) from noon to 4 p.m. Registration will be held at the entrance of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at noon. All donations will go the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home.

Grace Schmitz, institute manager of the Health Research Institute (HRI), was recently selected by a committee of research administrator peers for the Society of Research Administrators International’s (SRAI's) Future of the Field recognition.

SRAI’s Future of the Field recognition program highlights up-and-coming research administrators who demonstrate leadership among their peers and institutions in innovative ways that advance the field.

Schmitz was selected from well over 100 nominations from around the globe. Applications were evaluated based on candidates’ career history, demonstration of exceptional professional growth and significant contributions made to the advancement of research administration.

Of note, honorees must be in the first 10 years of their research administration career. Schmitz earned this recognition after only two years in her current role.

“I’m excited that Grace has been recognized as a leader among her peers through this program,” said Caryn Heldt, HRI director and James and Lorna Mack Chair in Bioengineering and professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. “This recognition confirms what we see working with Grace each day. Her work, dedication, leadership and innovative ideas are an important part of HRI’s continued success. We’re glad that others see this as well and join in congratulating her on this recognition."

“The individuals recognized through Future of the Field are some of the best and brightest in our profession,” said Debra Schaller-Demers, president of SRAI. “These are the next-generation trailblazers who will drive research administration innovation in the years to come.”

Schmitz will be formally recognized as a Future of the Field honoree at SRAI’s Annual Meeting this November in Las Vegas.

From an applicant pool of 600 students, Rourke Sylvain, president of Michigan Tech’s chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), is among the 100 participants selected to compete in the 39th Annual Global Pitch Competition hosted by the University of Tampa.

Over the next month, Sylvain, who is a graduate student pursuing biomedical engineering, will create a four-phase online investor pitch deck — the problem, the solution, a business model and a video pitch.

Read the full story on the College of Business Newsblog.

The Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will recognize Loredana Valenzano-Slough (Chem) as the recipient of the CTL Instructional Award for Large Class Teaching on Oct. 13 at 3:45 p.m. in the Library East Reading Room. She was selected for the award after her nomination via the Deans’ Teaching Showcase during the spring 2022 semester.

Please plan to join us in recognizing Valenzano-Slough by registering for the event.

Valenzano-Slough’s presentation: "Physical Chemistry is Dead… Long Live Physical Chemistry!"

From the abstract:
As the name suggests, Physical Chemistry (PChem) is heavily dependent on physics, which is heavily dependent on math and problem-solving reasoning. In time, it became evident that students struggling the most in PChem were those lacking practice in math. To help the students, I started to spend some of the PChem class time in “math review sessions” to give them practical suggestions on how to approach and use the necessary mathematical tools (multivariable derivatives, power series, and integrals). I soon realized though, that this was not enough and that they needed more first-hand practice on the actual use of such tools and their applications toward solving PChem problems. For this reason, I designed a “Math for (applications) in PChem I” online 1-credit course which exposes students to those mathematical concepts used in PChem but concentrate on their actual applications and problem-solving techniques.

The Michigan Tech volleyball team picked up win number 10 on the season Friday (Sept. 30) with a 3-0 sweep at Lake Superior State, then suffered a loss in four sets against Ferris State on Saturday (Oct. 1).

The Huskies defeated the Lakers for the 24th straight time 25-14, 25-18 and 25-18 on Friday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium.

"We're pleased with the way we came in and played tonight," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "I thought we were fairly clean with our first ball touch and our passing continues to improve. Offensively, Makena (Wesol) and Morgan (Radtke) each had really nice performances again and Lina (Espejo-Ramirez) did a great job finding her hitters."

The Huskies fell 3-1 at Ferris State on Saturday, winning the first set 25-16 before the Bulldogs responded 25-13, 25-14 and 25-17.

"Credit to a very good Ferris team for playing a nice match," Jennings said. "They have a lot of weapons and when they get going, they can be tough to stop."

"I was impressed by the way we came out and started the match," added Jennings. "We played aggressive, passed and controlled the ball well, and took advantage of the mistakes they made. I certainly would have liked a better response from our side once Ferris cleaned up their game."

Read more volleyball news at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech soccer team played to a scoreless draw against offensive juggernaut No. 22 Northern Michigan inside the Superior Dome on Friday (Sept. 30).

The tie was goalkeeper Gracie VanLangevelde's fifth shutout of the season and the Wildcats' first time getting shut out this season. 

"Another fantastic result," said head coach Bulut Ozturk. "We're moving in the right direction and our women are getting better each and every training session. Gracie is becoming a gamer and she continues to keep us in the game."

"It is a collective effort defensively," Ozturk continued. "We are committed to defense and our women take pride in the clean sheet. We're a team who's still getting better and we're trying to prepare for the conference tournament as well."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech football was taken down by a strong Davenport second half, losing 52-38 on Saturday (Oct. 1) at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex (The Farm).

The Huskies started strongly, holding a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. However, they couldn't stop the Panthers' passing game once it got going. Davenport scored two touchdowns before halftime and four more in the second half, rushing for just one touchdown in the game.

"I was proud of our ability to take advantage in our first couple of possessions on the road," said head coach Steve Olson. "Unfortunately, it just didn't finish in our direction. We were converting third downs so well in the first half, which was great to see. But this is a Davenport team that brought in a lot of new players and a veteran quarterback who sees things on the field very fast and adjusts on the fly at a high level."

"On the other hand, there were some things defensively that I was disappointed in," said Olson. "Some of our tackling wasn't good, which led to big runs. We can't leave our feet and slide off tackles, so that is something that is going to be important for us to improve."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

No. 20 Michigan Tech hockey opened the 2022-23 season with a 5-2 win over Lake Superior State in exhibition action Saturday (Oct. 1) at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Four different Huskies scored, with Logan Ganie potting a pair of goals.

"I like the effort and compete level," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "I'm thankful to (LSSU head coach) Damon (Whitten) for bringing his team over and playing. They have a veteran group and this exhibition will be good for both teams to evaluate our lineups."

Read more and see game highlights at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Tuesday (Oct. 4)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Friday (Oct. 7)
• Volleyball vs. Saginaw Valley State, 5 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Soccer vs. Grand Valley State, 7 p.m. at Kearly Stadium
• Hockey at Ferris State, 7:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Saturday (Oct. 8)
• Cross Country at Lewis Crossover, 10:45 a.m.
• Football vs. Wayne State, 1 p.m. at Kearly Stadium on Mix 93 WKMJ
• Volleyball vs. Wayne State, 4 p.m. at SDC Gym
• Hockey at USNTDP, 7 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Sunday (Oct. 9)
• Soccer vs. Davenport, noon at Kearly Stadium

Melissa Baird (SS) is the author of a chapter published in "Landscapes as Heritage: International Critical Perspectives."

The chapter, titled "Waste Sits in Places: Post-Extractive Landscapes as Heritage," examines post-industrial landscapes as heritage. It draws attention to the most ubiquitous product of the post-extractive landscape: waste.

"Landscapes as Heritage" is edited by Giacomo Pettenati and provides a broad collection of current critical reflections on heritage-making processes involving landscapes, positioning itself at the intersection of landscape and heritage studies.

Cassy Tefft de Muñoz (CEO) was a guest on episode nine of the Higher Ed Demand Gen podcast, which focused on Gen Zoom and their recruitment challenges.

*****

Kenyon Hanson and Lindsey Heiden’s (VPA) new ceramics studio in Dollar Bay was mentioned in a Daily Mining Gazette story about art sales and shows happening in the Copper Country this fall. Hanson was quoted in the story.

*****

MKE Startup News ran a story on VibeTech, a company started by Michigan Tech alum Jeff Leismer, whose VibeSit machine helps astronauts combat the physical effects of space travel and immobile patients build muscle.

Leismer became interested in the subject when he was a biomedical engineering student at Michigan Tech.

*****

Michigan Information & Research Service Inc. mentioned Michigan Tech’s planned Center for Convergence and Innovation in a story about projects authorized by a Joint Capitol Outlay bill Sept. 28. The authorization allows the universities and colleges to proceed with the projects, with the state covering a portion of the planning costs.

*****

GineersNow mentioned Michigan Tech in a feature story on the Smiths and Youngs, a family containing four generations of engineers — all graduates of MTU. 

The family’s latest graduates were Kealy Smith ’15 (B.S., electrical and computer engineering) and Alyssa Smith ’14 ’15 (B.S., M.S., civil engineering).

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette ran a story on former Husky David Johnstone’s hockey career and struggle with mental health.

*****

CBS Sports mentioned Michigan Tech in a brief blurb announcing Husky hockey alum Colin Swoyer’s readiness for preseason play with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

*****

The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about plans for a new residential neighborhood near Marquette, citing a University study on the Upper Peninsula’s housing shortage.

Call for Presenters: Global and Community Engagement Conference

The Pavlis Honors College is looking for presenters for the 2022 Global and Community Engagement Conference (formally known as D80 Conference). Michigan Tech hosts this annual conference on campus every fall to give a platform to the voices of those serving communities both domestically and abroad.

This year's conference will feature keynote speaker Kurt Paterson. Paterson is responsible for organizing the first D80 conference at Michigan Tech back in 2007 while he was an adjunct associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. Paterson most recently served as a Jefferson Science Fellow and is currently the senior sustainability advisor at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Faculty, staff, students and local organizations are invited to participate in this event. We want to hear more about the work you are doing! This is a great opportunity to share your recent studies, projects or research with the community.

This year's theme is "Re-energizing Our Communities Through Service." Please consider submitting a 30-minute presentation proposal or passing this along to students or colleagues to highlight their work. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Memorial Union Ballroom, and lunch will be provided.

The conference is open to anyone interested in the development, design and discovery of people and communities!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Darnishia Morris.

*****

ROBOT101 Event: Alexander Weinstein and 'Saying Goodbye to Yang'

Tomorrow (Oct. 5) at noon in the Van Pelt and Opie Library, Alexander Weinstein of Siena Heights University will discuss his short story, “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” and how speculative fiction can help us make sense of our dystopian realities and the dangerous allure of robots and AI. Weinstein is a professor of creative writing and recipient of the Sustainable Arts Foundation Award.

Most ROBOT101 events are held both in person and via Zoom webinar. Find more information and register for the webinars at the ROBOT101 website.

ROBOT101 events are supported by:

Institute of Computing and Cybersystems | College of Computing | College of Sciences and Arts | College of Engineering | College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science | Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences | Department of Computer Science | Department of Engineering Fundamentals | Department of Humanities | Department of Social Sciences | Department of Visual and Performing Arts | 41 North Film Festival | Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture | Pavlis Honors College

*****

Presentation: 'The SARS2 Pandemic: Will Trust Return?'

Scott Atlas will be giving a presentation titled "The SARS2 Pandemic: Will Trust Return?” at 8 p.m. tonight (Oct. 4) in Fisher 135. The public is encouraged to attend.

Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow in health policy at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. He is also a senior scholar and founding fellow of Hillsdale College’s Academy for Science and Freedom, and co‐director and co‐founder of the Global Liberty Institute in Switzerland.

 Atlas investigates the impact of government and the private sector on access, quality and pricing in health care, global trends in health care innovation, and key economic and civil liberties issues related to technology and other health policies. He is a frequent policy advisor to policymakers and governments in the United States and other countries. He has served as senior advisor for health care to several candidates for president and members of the U.S. Congress. From July to December 2020, he served as a special advisor to the president and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Before his health policy appointment at Hoover Institution, he was professor and chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center for 14 years. His publications and interviews have appeared worldwide. He is the author of numerous books, including “A Plague Upon Our House: My Fight at the Trump White House to Stop COVID from Destroying America,” "In Excellent Health: Setting the Record Straight On America’s Health Care" and "Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six‐Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost." He is also the editor of "Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine," which has been translated into several languages and is in its fifth edition.

Atlas has received many awards and accolades from leading institutions and societies all over the world in recognition of his leadership in policy and medicine. He was awarded the 2021 Freedom Leadership Award, Hillsdale College’s highest honor, “in recognition of his dedication to individual freedom and the free society.” He also received the 2011 Alumni Achievement Award, the highest career achievement honor for a distinguished alumnus from the University of Illinois in Urbana‐Champaign.

In the private sector, Atlas is a frequent advisor to start‐up entrepreneurs and companies in life sciences and medical technology. He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

Turning Point USA at Michigan Tech, Young Americans for Freedom at Michigan Tech, and Huskies for America are hosting the event.

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

The Rozsa Galleries Present: Arabesque

Tuesday, October 4, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

THE ROZSA GALLERIES PRESENT ARABESQUE AN ART EXHIBITION OF THE WORKS OF CLEMENT YEH AND TOMAS CO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 THROUGH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 GALLERY HOURS: M-F 8...

*****

Speaking Up: How Department Leaders Can Change the Conversation in the Academic Workplace

Tuesday, October 4, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Have you ever asked yourself "Why didn't I say something?" when a friend or colleague said or did something that was biased or uncivil at work? You're not alone. Deciding...

*****

Blue Cross Blue Shield of MI Liaison Visit

Tuesday, October 4, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge A (107A)

*****

Search Smarter Not Harder

Tuesday, October 4, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

*****

Faculty, Staff, Graduate Student Portrait Session (by appointment)

Tuesday, October 4, 1 p.m.–3 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, G37 (UMC Studio)

Faculty, staff, and graduate students can have their complimentary professional portrait taken by University Marketing and Communications. An appointment is required and can...

*****

Guest Economics Lecture: The Great Recession and Housing Crisis of 2008

Tuesday, October 4, 2 p.m. | R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), 302

Dan Green, a FinTech leader with more than 35 years' experience in the mortgage industry, will give a lecture about the 2008 Great Recession and housing crisis. The campus...

*****

Study Hours @ the Library

Tuesday, October 4, 2 p.m.–5 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, Room 244

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion has teamed up with the Van Pelt and Opie Library every other Tuesday and Wednesday from 2-5 PM for Study Hours. Librarians will be...

*****

Flu Shot Clinics

Tuesday, October 4, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. | Rozsa

Come get your flu shot! Grab a friend and head over to one of the multiple clinics hosted on campus during the fall semester. There is no need to make an appointment as all...

*****

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Fall 2022 Session 1

Tuesday, October 4, 5:00 p.m.–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

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...

*****

Adult Huskies Swim Training Fall 2022 Session 1

Tuesday, October 4, 5:00 p.m.–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

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...

*****

Idea Pitch Competition

Tuesday, October 4, 5 p.m.–7 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Do you have an innovative idea that could disrupt the status quo and "business as usual"? Pitch your idea at the Idea Pitch Competition. Each contestant will have two minutes...

*****

Keweenaw Ultra Marathon Weekly Group Run

Tuesday, October 4, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Michigan Tech Trailhead (OAP building)

The club will get together every Tuesday 6pm at the Tech Trailhead for a group run. We will generally run for about 1 hour at a 9-12 min pace depending on who is there. This...

*****

NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, October 4, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Chemical Sciences Building 108

NCSA, the Networking and Computing Student Association serves to provide educational opportunities to students interested in all facets of computing. Come join our weekly...

*****

Game Theory Lecture with Dr. Tom Merz

Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 329

The Economics Club invites the campus community to attend this special Game Theory lecture by Dr. Tom Merz, professor of economics.

*****

General Meeting

Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Fisher Hall

During general meetings, we'll learn about the Assertion Evidence method of slide design, classroom management, and presentation delivery. We'll also have opportunities to...

*****

Leading Scholar Webcast

Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

Join us to learn more about Michigan Tech's premier scholarship program, the Leading Scholar Award!

*****

Robot 101 presents: After Yang film with Alexander Weinstein

Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m. |

ROBOT 101 PRESENTS AFTER YANG FILM WITH ALEXANDER WEINSTEIN Run time 96 minutes followed by Q&A Session General admission seating

*****

Robot101 - Film Screening of "After Yang"

Tuesday, October 4, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

As part of the Robot101 initiaitve this fall (robot101.mtu.edu), come see After Yang (2021, dir. Kogonada), a "metaphysical science fiction drama ... about a family's attempts...

*****

Scott W. Atlas, MD: The SARS2 Pandemic: Will Trust Return?

Tuesday, October 4, 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. | Fisher 135

Scott W. Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow in health policy at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. He is also Senior Scholar and Founding Fellow of Hillsdale...