October 19, 2022

Oct, 19, 2022 is the International Day of Action (IDoA) against Contract Cheating. Michigan Tech's Academic Integrity Policy defines contract cheating as:

"The outsourcing of student work to third parties (Lancaster and Clarke, 2016, p.39). Third parties may include but are not limited to family and friends; academic custom writing sites; legitimate learning sites (e.g., file sharing, discussion, and micro-tutoring sites); legitimate non-learning sites (e.g., freelancing sites and online audio sites); paid exam takers; and pre-written essay banks (Ellis, Zucker, and Randall, 2018, p.2). Most online help sites have honor codes and/or copyright policies. Students should ask their professors whether or not they (students) are authorized to use online help sites. Students should only upload content to these websites that they have made or are otherwise authorized to post."

The goals for the IDoA are:

1. To increase awareness in students, teachers at all levels of education, managers and administrators in universities, colleges and schools about the threat that contract cheating poses to educational standards globally
2. To increase student engagement in helping to plan the IDoA, participate in social media outreach (social media campaign) and suggest/coordinate student activities for the IDoA
3. To increase interaction and activity around the world through interactive virtual presentations and activities throughout the IDoA
4. To increase the number and participation of international educational organizations to the IDoA.
5. To create/revise a media kit that can be tailored by leaders (public relations/media staff) in educational organizations that will promote awareness of IDoA and contract cheating to the general public
6. To encourage and promote faculty, staff, leaders, and students in educational organizations to decrease the risk of contract cheating in their organizations

For strategies to prevent contract cheating and promote academic integrity in learning environments please feel free to contact the Office of Academic and Community Conduct.

Yesterday, we introduced the Digital Commons dashboard, which provides statistics about how users are interacting with content on the repository. The platform’s capabilities don’t stop there. Thanks to an integration with PlumX metrics, we can view information about how readers are interacting with repository content across the web.

For example, PlumX shows us that Roxane Gay’s dissertation, “Subverting the subject position: toward a new discourse about students as writers and engineering students as technical communicators,” is mentioned in her Wikipedia article and has been shared on Facebook and Twitter 36 times. Tweets reveal that fans are delighted by her choice of topic. 

Graduate student scholars at Michigan Tech can rest assured that it’s not just New York Times bestsellers whose works on Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech are shared throughout the internet. For example, Brendan Pelto’s master’s thesis, “Black-Americans in Michigan’s Copper Mining Narrative,” is listed under the “Further Reading” section in the Wikipedia article, Copper Mining in Michigan.

Matthew Howard’s master’s thesis, “Multi-software modeling technique for field distribution propagation through an optical vertical interconnect assembly,” has been mentioned on Facebook 527 times. “Impact of E20 Fuel on High-Performance, Two-Stroke Engine,” a master’s report by Jon Gregory Loesche, was cited in a 2021 technical report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Please join us this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the East Reading Room of the Library for a brief presentation, light refreshments and lively discussion on all things Open Access.

Menu for Thursday (Oct. 20):

• Chicken Tandoori (Gluten-Friendly)
• Yellow Lentil Dal (Gluten-Friendly, Vegan)
• Zucchini Panchmael (Gluten-Friendly, Vegan)
• Saffron Rice (Gluten-Friendly, Vegan)
• Garlic Naan (Vegan)

Dining Services presents this week's C3 Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C3 lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by executive chef Michael Landini and his culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea, cookies and fruit are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $12 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101). You can submit C3 feedback using our Google form. To join the C3 Google group and receive weekly menus, email business-support@mtu.edu.

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections is proud to present our Travel Grant Speaker Series for fall 2022. On behalf of the Travel Grant Program, generously funded by the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library, we cordially invite the Michigan Tech community and the general public to our upcoming presentations on Zoom.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m., Brian Forist will share his research, “The Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the Copper Country.” The Keweenaw County Historical Society School at the Gay Museum has a set of floor looms built for and used by women employed by the WPA to weave rag rugs to sell in a craft shop along U.S. 41 near Ahmeek. Viewing these looms in 2021 inspired Forist’s research on Gay Industries and other New Deal era programs employing women in the Keweenaw. He will be sharing what he learned during his visit to the Michigan Tech Archives in June 2022 and new directions for research.

Forist is on the Parks, Recreation and the Outdoors faculty at Indiana University and has worked as a national park ranger and environmental educator in natural and cultural history settings. His interest in the New Deal began when he worked in the Youth Conservation Corps in Hiawatha National Forest, living at a camp built by men in the Civilian Conservation Corps.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., Camden Burd will be sharing his research on meaningful placemaking in the Copper Country entitled, “Post-extractive Futures: Re-Imagining Copper Mining Country in the Mid-Twentieth Century.” In the years after the Second World War, the economy in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula underwent massive changes. Mines closed, unemployment rose and deindustrialization began to define Michigan’s Copper Country.

In the wake of these economic changes, boosters, politicians and local residents began to reimagine the future of the region. Some saw the area as a tourist destination. Others sought to preserve the floundering extractive industries by any means necessary. Yet others saw the region as a prime location for Cold War infrastructure building. In his presentation, Burd will explore the motivations that fueled these proposals in order to grapple with ideas of place and placemaking during a period of dramatic change.

Burd is an assistant professor of history at Eastern Illinois University. His work on environmental history has appeared in multiple venues, including the Michigan Historical Review, IA: The Journal for the Society of Industrial Archaeology, and a recently published collection, The Conservative Heartland: A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest.

Please join us on Zoom for these free and open events!

Link to Oct. 26 Brian Forist event   
Link to Nov. 16 Camden Burd event  

If you have any questions about our Travel Grant Program Speaker Series or other Archives programs and services, please contact University Archivist Lindsay Hiltunen at lehalkol@mtu.edu or copper@mtu.edu. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

As part of its Distinguished Lecturer Series, the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) will present an on-campus and virtual talk by Dr. Joydeep Mitra, Michigan State University, on Oct. 24, 2022, at 3 p.m., in ME-EM 403.

Mitra directs the Power System program at Michigan State. He teaches power systems courses, conducts research on energy assurance and supervises graduate students engaged in this research. He is an MSU Foundation Endowed Chair.

Virtual attendees can access the lecture via Zoom. 

Read more on the ICC blog. 

Food Ingredients First picked up VICE’s story on the work of Stephen Techtmann (BioSci) and colleagues to recycle waste plastics into edible protein powder using bacteria.

The research was the subject of a story in Michigan Tech’s 2022 Research Magazine.

*****

The Anderson Valley Advertiser ran a feature story on the purchase by alumnus Stathi Pappas ‘02 (M.S., industrial archaeology) of the Finnish Hall in Fort Bragg, California. The article reports that Pappas, who formerly restored an old steam locomotive, intends to live in the structure and do extensive renovations in hopes of someday offering for hall use again. 

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about MTU volleyball’s Carissa Beyer being named to the Midwest Regional Crossover All-Tournament Team.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette also picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about MTU hockey’s Blake Pietila being named CCHA Goaltender of the Week. 

*****

WLHT-FM Grand Rapids reported on WalletHub’s recent university rankings. Michigan Tech was highlighted as the number two university in Michigan and noted as a place where students “get a lot of bang for your buck.” 

*****

Grand Rapids Magazine quoted Ben Wickstrom ‘98 (B.S., civil engineering) in a story about Ada Construction company, which celebrated 60 years in business this week. Wickstrom was named President of Ada in 2011. 

*****

Radio Results Network ran a story about the growth of mechatronics offerings in the Upper Peninsula, thanks to the efforts of a number of regional partners. Michigan Tech’s self-powered, expandable, 53-foot mobile laboratory was noted as a key asset to the project that will provide outreach and training at strategic locations across the U.P.

*****

NBA.com shared a story announcing Adam Wexler ‘06 (computer network and system administration) as the new Director of Information Technology for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Zhen Liu (CEGE/MTTI) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $250,000 research and development contract from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The project is entitled, "Seasonal Weight Restriction Decision Making based on Understanding and Monitoring of Frost Susceptibility of Pavement Structures." This is a potential three-year project.

WIBIT Wednesdays at the SDC Pool

MTU students and SDC Access Pass holders (minimum one-month): Come make a splash with our new inflatable pool obstacle course called the WIBIT!

At WIBIT events being held this fall, you can test your individual skills on the course or challenge your friend to a race across the obstacles. The course is set up in the deep water and requires users to be able to pass our swim test. (Please see the WIBIT rules and swim test requirements at our website.)

The WIBIT has many different pieces and each event will have a featured combination. Potential featured pieces include:

• The Step — This piece allows users to climb up onto the course.
• The Base — Users must make their way across a horizontal surface. Be careful how fast you move, as it can get slippery!
• The Cliff — Users must navigate either side of a slope using the handles and their balancing skills.
• V-Connect — Users must use limited footing space to navigate across the horizontal structure.
• The Bridge — Users must navigate up and over an arched structure without falling through.
• The Slope — Users must climb up a six-foot wall that leads to a slide into the pool water below!

Featured Combinations:

• Wednesday, Sept. 28 — Step/Base/Cliff/Slope
• Wednesday, Oct. 26 — Step/V-Connect/Cliff/Slope
• Wednesday, Nov. 30 — Step/Bridge/Cliff/Slope

Times:

• 5-7 p.m. — Current SDC Access Pass holders (minimum one-month)
• 7:30-9:30 p.m. — Current MTU students

Come visit us at the pool to try out your skills!

*****

Sign Up for Virtual Lean Workshops

The Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) is offering the following virtual Lean workshops to Michigan Tech employees. These tools can assist you in your efforts to create the best possible experience for students, faculty, staff and other customers.

• Finding the Source of the Problem: Root Cause Analysis and Decision Making Tools Workshop
  • Wednesday, Oct. 26 — 9 a.m. to 12 noon
  • Use several fun tools for exploring the how, what and why of the gap between how things are and how you want them to be, brainstorming possible causes and using decision-making tools to select the most likely root cause to pursue.
• Processes, Flow, and Waste: Lean Fundamentals (formerly "Introduction to Lean")
  • Wednesday, Nov. 16 — 9 a.m. to noon
  • Practice visualizing the fundamental Lean concepts of flow and waste and see how you can apply them to your job right away.

• Countermeasures: Solving Common Problems using Lean Methods and Tools
  • Wednesday, Nov. 30 — 9 a.m. to noon
  • Explore several Lean tools that are used as countermeasures for common workplace problems so you can close the gap between what is currently happening and what we want to happen.

• Understanding the Impact: Collecting and Visualizing Metrics to Support Improvement
  • Thursday, Jan. 26 — noon to 3 p.m.
  • Discover some simple methods for collecting and visualizing data so you can visually tell the story of the impact of your work.

• Practical Problem Solving: Leveraging the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle
  • Thursday, March 2 — noon to 3 p.m.
  • Practice different problem solving methods to test and learn your way toward your goals.

To see more workshop details and register, complete our brief form or visit our website. Once registered, we'll add you to a calendar event for the course.

These workshops will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. There will be a brief pre-work assignment before a workshop, and you'll receive a certificate after completing a post-work assignment.

These stand-alone workshops are part of the Lean Basics workshop series. They can be taken independently or, if you complete all five workshops in the series, we’ll award you a Lean White Belt certificate! For more information, email improvement@mtu.edu.

*****

ROBOT101 Event: Tech Theatre Company to Perform 'R.U.R.'

The Tech Theatre Company will perform the 1920 dystopian play R.U.R: Rossum's Universal Robots in McArdle Theater at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20-22. Witness a world of robots as it revolts against the limited human population in this semi-staged radio drama. A post-performance discussion will take place following the performance on Oct. 22.

Limited Student Rush tickets are available 30 minutes prior to the performance and are included with the Experience Tech fee. Public tickets are on sale at mtu.universitytickets.com.

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

*****

ROBOT101 Event: Jindrich Toman, 'Golems, Robots, Workers'

Jindrich Toman, professor of Slavic languages and literatures at the University of Michigan, will speak about the historical influences of Karel Čapek’s 1920 dystopian play, "R.U.R." The talk takes place Thursday (Oct. 20) at noon in Michigan Tech's Van Pelt and Opie Library.

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

*****

Diwali Night

Diwali Night is one of the mega events hosted by the Indian Students Association (ISA), and it is widely acclaimed around Michigan Tech and the Houghton area in general. We would like you to be a part of this event — to celebrate and enjoy our most well-known festival.

We will be having delicious Indian cuisine in the MUB Commons and MUB Ballroom at 5 p.m. We will also have a Cultural Show in the Rozsa Center at 7 p.m.

Details:

• Event: ISA Diwali Night 2022
• Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 23 — Dinner from 5-6:45 p.m. and Cultural Show from 7-9 p.m.
• Location: Dinner in the MUB Commons and MUB Ballroom and Cultural Show in the Rozsa Center
• Get Tickets: Tickets are available online at mtu.universitytickets.com.

*****

5k/10k Husky Autumn Mountain Run

On Saturday (Oct. 22), the MTU Department of Military Science Cadets will be hosting a 5K and 10K trail run to raise money for our program and the Keweenaw Family Resource Center. The fifth annual Husky Autumn Mountain Run, cordially known as the HAMR, is the program's largest fundraiser. The HAMR is held at Mont Ripley and Quincy Mine in the peak autumn colors. Participants of all ages and abilities will run through the gorgeous red, orange and yellow hues while getting a unique tour of Quincy Mine and the surrounding area.

A portion of the funds raised from the event will be donated to the Keweenaw Family Resource Center. The KFRC strives to provide support and resources to developing families in the Copper Country area. Donations will be used to fund activities and mentorship for both children and parents. Within the Department of Military Science, donations will be used to upgrade gear, fund cadet training experiences and renovate the cadet facilities.

To sign-up or donate, or for more information, please visit the Husky Autumn Mountain Run website.

*****

41 North Film Festival Seeks Volunteers

Volunteers are needed for the 41 North Film Festival! 

Be a part of the action and volunteer with the 41 North Film Festival. This year’s festival will take place Nov. 3-6, and we need your help to make it happen! We welcome film enthusiasts, members of the campus community and local area residents. Individuals and groups are invited to join us as volunteers.

Our volunteers help us keep 41 North free and open to the public and are an integral part of the festival. Volunteers may assist with welcoming festival attendees, ushering and answering general questions regarding the festival and films. Help is needed for any and all of the four days of the festival, Thursday through Sunday. Volunteer for one film or for the whole festival — it’s up to you! Volunteers receive a free T-shirt. We look forward to having you on our team!

What do volunteer ushers do?
Volunteer ushers play a critical role in creating a welcoming environment. You could fill one of several positions that may include: greeter, counter, program helper or seating guide, or be a floating usher who fills in where they are needed.

Do I do this alone or with other people?
You will never be alone! Each show will have a house manager and 2-12 volunteer ushers. You are always welcome to put together a group — friends, family or people from an organization — and enjoy the shared experience of bringing a production to life.

What experience or training do I need?
No previous experience is necessary. All the training you need will take place the day of the show, before guests arrive.

What is the time commitment for a show?
You will arrive 60 minutes before the show, monitor the audience while you enjoy the show for free, and then stay to help with some light cleanup for 30 minutes or less after the show.

The 41 North Film Festival spans four days and showcases award-winning independent films and filmmakers from around the region, country and world. Its mission is to provide Michigan Tech students and the surrounding community with an opportunity to critically engage films that are currently in distribution and under discussion, as well as the chance to interact with filmmakers, producers and other industry professionals about the art and business of cinematic storytelling.

Visit the volunteer registration page on GivePulse and search for 41N to sign up for individual volunteer shifts, or contact our volunteer coordinator, Allison Neely, by email at alneely@mtu.edu or by phone at 906-487-2816.

*****

Pajama Day!

Please Join the Wadsworth Hall Student Association and Residence Education staff in wearing pajamas on campus Friday (Oct. 21). This is to raise awareness and promote healthy sleep habits on campus — and prove that Tech students do sleep!

We encourage you to take time Friday to talk to students about sleep and what your healthy sleep habits are.

CLS at Human Factors and Ergonomics Society International Annual Meeting

Michigan Tech was well represented at the HFES International Annual Meeting held in Atlanta last week. CLS faculty in attendance were Kelly Steelman, Susie Amato-Henderson and Briana Bettin (CLS/CS), along with ACSHF graduate students Tauseef Mamun, Lamia Alam, Lauren Monroe and Nishat Alam.

Faculty and graduate student research information and photos from the event can be found on the CLS blog.

*****

University Archivist Lindsay Hiltunen recently presented at the Digitizing Hidden Collections Symposium, part of the Digital Library Federation Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Oct. 10-14. Hiltunen also served as a moderator for the session, "Emerging Pathways for the Transcription of Scientific Field Notes."

Hiltunen was part of the program committee and sponsorship subcommittee for the national symposium, representing Michigan Tech and their open CLIR grant to digitize copper mining employee records held by the Michigan Tech Archives.

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu.

For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Research Scientist I, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences. 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 humanresources@mtu.edu.

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

The Rozsa Galleries Present: Arabesque

Wednesday, October 19, 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...

CDI x Library Study Hours

Wednesday, October 19, 2 p.m.–5 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, Library 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...

Michigan Tech Open Access Week Celebration

Wednesday, October 19, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

The Graduate School and J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library are celebrating Open Access Week 2022 by highlighting ten years of Michigan Tech graduate student...

Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, October 19, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher 132

Students For Life General Meeting

Traverse City Research Workspace Office Tour & Social

Wednesday, October 19, 5 p.m. | Traverse City, MI

Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends are invited to the Michigan Tech Traverse City Research Workspace on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 5 p.m. An update will be given by Jay...

SAE Aero Design Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, October 19, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | SAE Aero Lab, MEEM 703

SAE Aero Design aims to offer valuable experience to Michigan Tech students of all majors interested in an extracurricular engineering & design opportunity. Come join our...

Info Session: BS in Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering Technology

Wednesday, October 19, 6:30 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 103

Undecided about your undergraduate major? An informational session about the Bachelors of Science in Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering Technology will take place...