November 14, 2022

Husky Innovate is organizing Innovation Week, a series of innovation-themed events the week of Jan. 17-20. We invite the campus community to participate.

Innovation Week celebrates entrepreneurship, new ventures and innovative projects both on campus and within our extended Tech community. We will provide opportunities for students, the campus and the community to meet and engage around the topic of innovation. A highlight will be the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition on Jan. 19 from 5-7 p.m., in which students pitch their business models.

If you are interested in leading a workshop, being part of a panel discussion, sharing innovative research, hosting a virtual innovation tour or something else, please let us know using our Innovation Week 2023 interest form.

Join Mind Trekkers on Dec. 13 as we welcome eighth grade students from across the Western Upper Peninsula to campus for the Copper Trail Festival! This event will feature hands-on STEM demonstrations designed to spark curiosity and showcase career opportunities. We would like to invite departments, student organizations and local businesses to take part in the event as exhibitors and volunteers.

The event will take place in the SDC Varsity Gym from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It is the first of four festivals in the OneUP Mind Trekkers Tour, a collaboration with UP Michigan Works! and the MiSTEM Network.

To exhibit at the festival, please register your group using the Exhibitor Registration form.

To help out as an individual volunteer, please sign up to volunteer.

For more information about the event, please reach out to the Center for Educational Outreach at mindtrekkers@mtu.edu or call 7-2219.

On Friday (Nov. 18) beginning at 8:30 p.m., Michigan Tech IT will be performing equipment replacements and upgrades that will cause wireless downtime for all of campus.

The wireless network should be available again by 8 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 19) when the work is complete.

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.

The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) cordially invites everyone to stop by and view the newly installed Land Acknowledgment sign at our main entrance. The GLRC’s commitment to partnership is also a responsibility of action, to recognize where we are and to learn more about the peoples and stories we are a part of.

The sign includes Ojibwemowin contributions by Michael Waasegiizhig Price, traditional ecological knowledge specialist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, and Ojibwa floral art designed by Rose Edwards, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) tribal elder.

The Land Acknowledgement on the GLRC sign reads:

Valoree Gagnon (CFRES/GLRC), director of the University-Indigenous Community Partnerships, states: “Having the sign is a reminder and to bring more awareness to the people who come to the Center, including visitors to our region, to reflect on what it means to acknowledge, and to live and work acknowledging land and life in the Keweenaw surrounded by Lake Superior.”

The Department of Humanities announces a Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) Colloquium featuring a joint presentation on the work of acknowledging. The event will be held via Zoom from 12-1 p.m. Nov. 30.

The colloquium is titled "RTC Colloquium #3: The Work of Acknowledging: Insights from the 2022 Indigenous Knowledges Symposium 'Land Acknowledgement Statement' Workshop."

This presentation reflects on the work done during the 2022 Indigenous Knowledges Symposium at Michigan Tech, in which graduate student co-facilitators Kendall Belopavlovich (RTC) and Cassandra Van Dam (applied ecology) presented a Land Acknowledgement Statement Workshop, alongside Val Gagnon (CFRES/GLRC) and M. Bartley Seigel (HU), to a diverse audience of educators, students, community members, tribal members, agency employees and more.

After the presentation, the colloquium will open a conversation about acknowledging, extending the work of the symposium.

Join the colloquium via Zoom. To receive a calendar invite for this event, please email humanities@mtu.edu.

From the abstract:
For this RTC colloquium, Belopavlovich and Van Dam note: "we offer insight from the workshopping experience and hope to continue the conversation about the work of acknowledging. As presenters, we humbly offer our experiences of acknowledging, ranging from creating and employing land acknowledgement statements, to classroom activities with students, to everyday practices that honor land and life. Acknowledging is an ethical, reciprocal, respectful, and active process of shifting awareness and building long-term relationships with our human, more-than-human, and other kin."

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) fall seminar series and the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture (IPEC) are co-hosting an online seminar from Aida Greenbury, global sustainability advisor and World bioeconomy Forum co-founder, who will speak on her groundbreaking work implementing policies to end her former company's deforestation practices, which have become recognized as the sector's most important sustainability declarations.

Greenbury will also speak to the ongoing and future role of bioeconomic practices, in which basic economic building blocks for materials, chemicals and energy are sourced from renewable biological resources.

The seminar will be held Thursday (Nov. 17) from 4-5 p.m. via Zoom (use passcode 977078).

Add the seminar to Google Calendar.

Greenbury is outspoken, courageous and widely recognized as a globally influential leader.

Come join us!

Four members of the Husky volleyball team were announced as all-conference honorees at the GLIAC Tournament Championship Banquet on Nov. 10:

• Carissa Beyer was named to the All-GLIAC First Team
• Lina Espejo-Ramirez was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team
• Jillian Kuizenga was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team
• Janie Grindland was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention

Read about their outstanding seasons at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

A Michigan Tech News story featuring first-year mechanical engineering major Maci Cornish made Lake Superior Magazine’s Around the Circle This Week blog, and was also picked up by Radio Results Network.

*****

Yahoo! Finance mentioned Michigan Tech as a partner in the Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen Partnership (GLCH) in a story about a new industry-led coalition aiming to transition Midwest manufacturing, mobility, power generation and technology operators to hydrogen, a low-carbon alternative solution.

*****

Aerotech News mentioned Michigan Tech as a Phase 1 research partner in the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime program in an announcement of $250,000 awards to 124 companies selected to participate.

As a research partner, the University will assist one of the awardees in exploring in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities and technologies relating to identifying, approaching and servicing an object in space.

*****

MLive mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Intelligent.com’s rankings of Michigan’s top 20 colleges. MTU was ranked No. 3, and noted for having the best forestry program in the state.

*****

The Traverse City Record-Eagle listed a partnership between Michigan Tech and four others to develop a freshwater research center in Traverse City in its “Business in Brief” published Nov. 9.

*****

WLUC TV6 picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about four volleyball players — Carissa Beyer, Lina Espejo-Ramirez, Jillian Kuizenga and Janie Grindland — receiving All-GLIAC honors.

*****

Michigan Business Network mentioned former Michigan Tech Board of Control member Bob Jacquart’s receipt of a lifetime achievement award by the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Jacquart is the chairman of Jacquart Fabric Productions in Ironwood, Michigan — home to Stormy Kromer.

2023 Benefits Open Enrollment Period Begins Today

The 2023 Open Enrollment period for Michigan Tech benefits begins today (Nov. 14) and ends Nov. 30. 

Some important changes are happening during this Open Enrollment period and we strongly encourage you to participate. Whether you are electing Michigan Tech benefits for the first time, making changes to your elections or not making any changes at all, Open Enrollment is the perfect time to ensure your information is up to date and correct.

The past four years have seen significant industry increases to employee health insurance premiums. The University projects an approximately $600,000 increase in health care costs for the 2023 plan year. While we will not always be able to do so, the University will absorb these medical care cost increases for the upcoming year. In addition, there are relatively minor changes in costs for available dental and vision plans.

To better serve our employees, the Benefits Advisory Committee has recommended, and the University has approved, important changes to our health care structure. As a result, 95% of employees will see a decrease or no change to the overall cost of their health care benefits. A subset of employees who elect to take the HDHP 2 plan will see a slight reduction in the amount of money they receive each pay period for making that election. Michigan Tech health, dental and vision plans will be changing to a tiered system, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Monthly premium information can be found on the comparison charts on Human Resources’ Benefits website. 

Additionally, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to increase their retirement matching plan percentage in accordance with the announcement we made in July 2021. Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the retirement matching maximum will increase from 7.75% to 8.5%.

*****

Thanksgiving Holiday Payroll Schedule

Timekeepers/Approvers: In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the University will be closed on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25. The deadlines for Payroll and HRIS forms for the Off-Cycle week ending Nov. 25 will be adjusted as shown below:

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

• Status Forms and EPAF Submissions: Wednesday, Nov. 23, at noon
• Deduction Forms: Wednesday, Nov. 23, at noon
• Off-Cycle Requests: Tuesday, Nov. 22, at noon
• Reallocations Submission: Tuesday, Nov. 22, at noon

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

*****

Faculty-Led Study Abroad to Germany Returns for 2023

A group of Michigan Tech students participated in an inaugural faculty-led study abroad trip to Germany over the summer. Ulrich Schmelzle (COB), assistant professor of supply chain and operations management, led a group of eight Huskies to his hometown of Hamburg. This once-in-a-lifetime tour will have a positive impact on students’ future careers, and will return as a study abroad option for summer 2023.

Most Michigan Tech students may be eligible for the Germany Study Abroad, slated for July 24 to Aug. 12, 2023. An informational meeting will be held at 5 p.m. today (Nov. 14) in the Academic Office Building, AOB 101.

Please connect with Schmelzle with questions and read more on the College of Business Newsblog.

*****

VPR Research Series: 'Navigating New Research Data Management Requirements'

Join the Vice President for Research Office (VPR) as we present the next session of the VPR Research Series with a virtual presentation led by VPR, the Van Pelt and Opie Library, the Great Lakes Research Center and the Geospatial Research Facility.

The session will be held tomorrow (Nov. 15) from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

This session will provide an introduction to recent developments in research data management, which are being driven in part by the evolving requirements of many research sponsors, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others. In particular, we will discuss changes coming to NIH requirements, effective January 2023.

The session will include an overview of Michigan Tech’s policy on research data, as well as practical resources available at Michigan Tech to assist with data management needs (e.g., online resources at the Van Pelt and Opie Library, the Data Management Plan tool, and Digital Commons). In addition, the panel will share practical tips and examples from data management planning on recent projects.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation for attendees to ask questions and engage with the presenters to dig deeper into specific topics of interest.

*****

DOE Fellowship Application Writing Support

The Graduate School is assisting current and prospective graduate students who wish to apply for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) fellowships, including the DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship and the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship.

DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF)
The DOE CSGF is open to senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students. Benefits include yearly stipends of $45,000, payment of full tuition and required fees, one 12-week practicum experience at a DOE national laboratory or site, and more. 

The application and all supporting materials are due by Jan. 18, 2023.

Eligible fields: applied mathematics, astrophysics, chemical engineering, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, life sciences, machine learning, materials science, mechanical engineering and physics.

For more information, please visit the DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship website. Questions? Contact Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

DOE NNSA Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship (LRGF)
The DOE NNSA LRGF is open to U.S. citizens engaged in full-time study toward a doctoral degree who are in their second year or later. Benefits include $38,000 yearly stipends, payment of full tuition and required fees, two 12-week residencies and more.

Eligible fields: engineering and applied sciences, physics, materials, mathematics, and computational science.

The application will be available in late November. Materials are due March 15, 2023.

For more information, please visit the DOE NNSA Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship website. Questions? Contact Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

*****

PhD Defense: Marina Choy, HU

Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture candidate Marina Choy will present their doctoral defense at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Nov. 15). This will be a virtual-only defense. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Choy's defense is titled "Articulating Nationalism Through The ‘Problem of Immigration:’ The Case of Foreign Unaccompanied Minors in France."

From the abstract:
Informed by the theory and method of articulation, this dissertation examines the growing prominence of far-right French nationalism by deconstructing contemporary cultural-political anxieties and antagonisms associated with the “problem of immigration.” It identifies three historical-political mythological formations through which (im)migrants are constituted as threats to the economic welfare, the security, and the cultural identity of the nation. These tenacious articulations take contemporary forms and remain thematic in the context of rising nationalist politics and widespread anti-immigration sentiments.

*****

Younger Chemist Committee Interest Survey

The American Chemical Society Upper Peninsula Local Section (ACS UPLS) would like to hear its members’ interests and opinions about starting a Local Section Younger Chemists Committee (LSYCC). Please review the information about LSYCC and take a few minutes to respond to our survey. Your responses are greatly appreciated!

Please respond to our survey no later than Friday (Nov. 18) to let us know if you would like to see the formation of a LSYCC in the Upper Peninsula.

You are welcome to forward our survey to other young chemists in the U.P., even if they are not members of the ACS UPLS.

Please direct any questions or comments you may have to Monica Nyansa at mnyansa@mtu.edu.

Thank you for participating!

What is a Local Section Younger Chemists Committee (LSYCC)?
LSYCCs empower younger chemists — those under the age of 35 or getting started in their careers — to communicate and interact with other chemists in their areas, often participating in programs that enhance their professional development.

Why should we start a LSYCC?
• To bring together Local Section members with similar professional needs and enable them to identify and address common issues. 

• To provide leadership opportunities for younger chemists who wish to develop skills.

• To provide a vehicle for younger chemists to voice their opinions and concerns to the American Chemical Society and to the larger scientific community.

*****

Sign Up for Virtual Workshop on Lean Fundamentals

The Office of Continuous Improvement is offering a virtual workshop, "Processes, Flow, and Waste: Lean Fundamentals (Virtual)," on Wednesday (Nov. 16) from 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. These tools can assist you in your efforts to create the best possible experience for students, faculty, staff and other customers.

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

This workshop will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. You'll receive a certificate after completing a small post-workshop assignment.

This stand-alone workshop is part of the Lean Basics workshop series. It 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.

*****

EPSSI Seminar with Judah Cohen

Join the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) from 4-5 p.m. today (Nov. 14) as we hear from climatologist Judah Cohen, director of seasonal forecasting, Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER).

Cohen will be presenting “Eurasian Snow Cover Variability Links with Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling and its impacts on Eastern US Weather” in the Minerals and Materials Engineering Building, M&M U113.

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

*****

SDC Thanksgiving Break Building Schedule

The Student Development Complex (SDC) will have shortened hours over Thanksgiving Break (Nov. 18-27). Normal building hours will resume Nov. 28.

A complete schedule of SDC Thanksgiving Break hours is available on the Michigan Tech Recreation website.

*****

ACSHF Forum with Briana Bettin

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS) will host Department of Computer Science and CLS Assistant Professor Briana Bettin at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) forum today (Nov. 14) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Meese 109 and via Zoom.

Bettin will present her research, titled "Faceting Futures: Making Change With Programming, Pedagogy, and Punks."

The full abstract and Bettin's bio can be found on the Cognitive and Learning Sciences News blog.

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

Open Enrollment Forum

Monday, November 14, 1 p.m.–3 p.m. | MUB Ballroom A1

*****

ACSHF Forum: Briana Bettin

Monday, November 14, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host CS and CLS Assistant Professor Dr. Briana Bettin at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum...

*****

Hygienic safety of recycled handwashing water: disinfectant stability and disinfection efficiency

Monday, November 14, 3 p.m.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Tianqi Zhang, EPFL Switzerland Abstract In low- and middle-income countries where healthcare facilities and schools are not...

*****

Business Model Bootcamp

Monday, November 14, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.

If you plan to compete in the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition (January 19th), apply for the Design Expo Innovation Award (in April), or if you would like to...

*****

EPSSI Seminar: Dr. Judah Cohen, Director of Seasonal Forecasting, Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER)

Monday, November 14, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), Room U113

Eurasian Snow Cover Variability Links with Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling and its impacts on Eastern US Weather Observed fall Eurasian snow cover extent (SCE) anomalies...

*****

Informational Meeting: Faculty-Led Study Abroad in Germany

Monday, November 14, 5 p.m. | Academic Office Building, AOB 101

Most Michigan Tech students may be eligible for the Germany Study Abroad, slated for July 24 to August 12, 2023. Learn more about this opportunity through the College of...

*****

Monday Study Sessions!

Monday, November 14, 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. | Fisher Hall 232

Get together with your peers to work on professional, personal and academic activities with help from undergrad and grad physics buddies! When: Every Monday evening from 5:30...

*****

Free Falling

Monday, November 14, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guest Carolyn Duncan Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Affiliated Assistant Professor, Biomedical...

*****

SAE Aero Design Weekly Meeting

Monday, November 14, 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...

*****

Adult and Youth Huskies Tennis Lessons

November 14, all day | Gates Tennis Center

Youth Tennis Lessons: After school and weekend Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons are back this fall! Join by age group and level for some fun on the tennis courts! October 24...

*****

Open Enrollment Period for MTU Faculty/Staff

November 14, all day