January 16, 2023

Proposals are being solicited for the Research Excellence Fund (REF) program, an internal award of the Vice President for Research Office.

Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. March 2, and must be submitted electronically per the program guidelines. This due date will be strictly enforced based on the timestamp marked on the University's email system. Early submission is encouraged.

Please note that the program has changed in a number of respects in recent years, so be sure to download the current documents and review the current guidance carefully. Those scholars, creators and researchers who started with Tech or moved into a new research role after Dec. 1, 2020, must be enrolled in the Responsible Conduct of Research course for new researchers taking place this fall.

For additional information, see the Research Excellence Fund webpage. Questions can be directed to REF-l@mtu.edu.

Today (Jan. 16), all undergraduate and graduate students over age 18 will be invited to participate in the National Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Survey. This survey is designed by eduOutcomes and utilized by institutions across the country. Students will receive an email with a link to the survey, and we ask that staff and faculty encourage student participation.

The goal of the survey is to provide Michigan Tech with important information on campus sexual misconduct prevalence and responses. Preventing and remedying sexual misconduct is essential to maintaining a safe environment in which students can learn. We are committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to fully benefit from our programs and activities.

If you have questions or comments about this survey, please contact Abbi Halkola, Title IX coordinator, at 906-487-3310 or titleix@mtu.edu.

On Feb. 3, Michigan Tech IT will remove all Mac computers from the network that are not running macOS Big Sur (11.7) or higher. Apple is no longer supporting operating systems older than 11.7, making those computers vulnerable to security threats and posing a risk to our network.

If your Mac falls in this category, you will need to upgrade your operating system. If your computer is unable to meet the hardware requirements for the upgrade, our IT procurement staff can help you explore other options.

For more information, please review our KB article on the minimum supported version of macOS. 

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

Each summer for over 50 years, Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs (SYP) has welcomed over a thousand youth from grades 6-11 to campus from across the country and around the world. We need your help to ensure they experience the Michigan Tech community we all know and love.

SYP students come for weeklong, hands-on, experiential learning in one (or more) of our 50-plus weeklong explorations in STEM, humanities and law. During their time at SYP, students gain confidence in their ability to be successful in college as they experience residential life, responsibility in arriving to class on time and exploring the beauty of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

We’re looking for passionate individuals who enjoy working with youth and want to inspire the next generation of doers and makers. Each year we hire 50-plus undergraduate and graduate students for a variety of rewarding experiences enabling them to build their capacity in leadership, communication and critical interpersonal skills.

If you or someone you know are interested in learning more about being a member of the SYP team, we encourage you to attend our hiring sessions or email us at outreach@mtu.edu.

Hiring Information Session Dates:

• Monday, Jan. 16 — 6:30-7:30 p.m., MUB Alumni Lounge (MUB 107A)
• Wednesday, Jan. 25 — 7-8 p.m., Wadsworth Hall Cherry Room (Wads 138W)

We are very happy to announce that Café Français is resuming its activities this week.

Please join us tomorrow (Jan. 17) for an hour of laid-back Francophone setting with French natives and other Francophiles. All levels welcome. Walker 120A, from 5-6 p.m. Please be advised: We changed rooms.

Note that we meet every second Tuesday (Jan. 31, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28 and April 11).

Friends and family are welcome!

Join us tomorrow (Jan. 17) for the first Peña of the spring semester.

Come unwind and meet new people at the Spanish Conversation Hour, all while you refresh your Spanish! Everybody is welcome. We will meet from 5-6 p.m. in the HDMZ (Humanities Digital Media Zone), Walker 120A.

Other Peña dates of the semester: Jan. 31, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14 and March 28.

You can’t stop the beat! Presented by the Rozsa and Aspirus Health, "HAIRSPRAY," the national tour of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon, is coming to the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Jan. 17)! Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world?

The “HAIRSPRAY” company is led by:

• Andrew Levitt aka Nina West (from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) as Edna Turnblad
• Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad
• Sandie Lee as Motormouth Maybelle

The production features the beloved score of hit songs, including “Welcome to the ’60s,” “Good Morning, Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” “HAIRSPRAY” is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times).

This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring “HAIRSPRAY” to a new generation of theater audiences.

Don’t miss this “exhilaratingly funny and warm-hearted musical comedy” (The New Yorker).

Student Tickets:

• You can get free tickets for yourself and one guest through the Experience Tech Fee.
• You must be present at “HAIRSPRAY” and have your valid HuskyCard to use your student ticket.
• Seating is reserved, so we recommend that groups book together.
  Tickets are subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get your tickets in advance today (Jan. 16) or tomorrow (Jan. 17) by stopping by the Rozsa during regular box office hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All students requesting tickets must be present with their own valid HuskyCard.

Get your tickets at the door by lining up and tapping yourself and a guest in with your valid HuskyCard. You may begin lining up at 6 p.m. (one hour before the performance). Any unclaimed student tickets will be released to the general public at show start, 7 p.m.

General Public Tickets:

• Available tickets can be purchased online or at the Rozsa Box Office during regular hours (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday-Friday) or for one hour before the show.
• Any unclaimed student tickets will be released to the general public tomorrow at show start, 7 p.m. The Rozsa cannot guarantee that there will be any unclaimed student tickets.

Event Details:

• What: “HAIRSPRAY”
• When: Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.
• Where: Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Tickets: $35 Adult | $10 Youth Under 18 | Free Student Rush through the Experience Tech Fee

Get tickets online or at the Rozsa Box Office, open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before shows for walk-up sales.

The inaugural Art in Silico is a computational art exhibition and event series that examines the expressive world of creative computation and the confluence of technology and art, connecting circuit board to canvas.

As technology pervades our existence, forming new universes — metaverses — in which we can live, act and perceive, the spaces between the conventional science, technology, engineering  and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and the creative arts have shrunk to the infinitesimal. Art in Silico celebrates the continuum of arts and STEM, seeking to hack your mind and STEAM your brain to experience a world in which data are compelling, evocative, provocative, ugly, beautiful and appealing.

Are you interested in computational art?
We will soon announce Art in Silico seminars and workshops so that you can learn about and create computational art. Stay tuned to the website for announcements about upcoming events.

Would you like to submit a piece to Art in Silico?
We invite submissions from anyone: from beginning programmers and first-time artists to professional artists/hackers who see colors and hear music in volumes of data. We invite any and all forms of computational art: immersive performance, interactive installations, virtual and augmented reality, visual art, musical compositions, data visualization and other thought-provoking works inspired by science, technology, engineering and math.

Possible submissions include, but are not limited to:

• Immersive performances
• Interactive installations
• Virtual and augmented reality
• Visual art
• Musical art
• Data visualizations
• Hybrid forms

Submission Instructions
The deadline for submission is March 3. A submission form will follow; check the website for details.

Pieces chosen for the exhibition will be required to be installed in their indicated location by March 13. Installations will be on display at Michigan Tech prior to the Art in Silico Awards Reception, which will be held at 5th & Elm at the Orpheum Theater in early April (to be announced soon).

Michigan Tech and other Art in Silico presenting organizations will not be liable for damage or theft, however caused, including as a result of negligence.

Pieces indicated for donation in the submission form will be auctioned to support the Copper Country Community Arts Center and student scholarships at Michigan Tech. Pieces may also be listed for sale during the exhibition, with a 20% commission fee collected to support the Copper Country Community Arts Center for all sold pieces.

For more information, please contact silico-art-l@mtu.edu.

Congratulations to Daisuke Minakata (CEGE/GLRC) on being appointed a member of the Early Career Editorial Board for Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T), a premium journal in the field of environmental science and engineering. The term is three years, beginning in January 2023. ES&T currently has an impact factor of 11.357.

Minakata has also been appointed an associate editor for Water Research X, a new open-access gold-standard journal in the field of environmental water. The term is three years, also beginning in January 2023.

Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:

• Aaron Wildenborg (advised by Jae Yong Suh)
• Lisa Eggart (advised by Ravi Pandey)

This will be an in-person event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 19) in Fisher 139.

Event details, including the students' presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

Ph.D. student Benjamin Barrios (environmental engineering) and Daisuke Minakata (CEGE/GLRC) are the co-authors of a new paper accepted for publication at Environmental Science and Technology.

The paper focuses on ozonation of dissolved organic matter and bromine radical reactivities in water and wastewater treatment. It is titled "Reactivity of bromine radical with dissolved organic matter moieties and monochloramine: Effect on bromate formation during ozonation."

Barrios and Minakata co-authored the paper in a collaboration with Swiss researchers at Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology).

The work was conducted during Minakata's sabbatical at Eawag, from August 2021 to May 2022.

UpNorthLive and Lansing’s WILX News 10 mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of $1.6 million in federal funding allocated toward construction of the planned Freshwater Research and Innovation Center in Traverse City.

The center is a collaboration between MTU, 20Fathoms, the Discovery Center & Pier, Northwestern Michigan College and Traverse Connect.

*****

ABC 10 mentioned the Michigan Tech Trails in a feature on the Equipment Loan of the Keweenaw’s adaptive sit ski program.

*****

The Detroit Jewish News and DELECIOUSFOODS mentioned alumnus Kenny Showler ’07 (sound design) in a feature story on Berkley Coffee in Oak Park, Michigan. Showler is the “owner and creative force” behind the combination coffee roasting shop, nonalcoholic bar and events venue.

*****

North American Clean Energy covered the appointment of Phil Rausch ’08 (chemical engineering) as Hemlock Semiconductor’s new senior director of commercial sales.

*****

The Keweenaw Report picked up a WJMN Local 3 story announcing alumni Dominique Aleo ’19 (biological sciences) and Lucas Tarvainen ’19 (medical laboratory science) as recipients of scholarships from the Portage Health Foundation. Both are students at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine UP Campus.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about hockey goaltender Blake Pietila being named to the watch list for the Mike Richter Award.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about football linebacker Marc Sippel and wide receiver Darius Willis receiving All-America Honorable Mentions.

Diversity Literacy Workshop: Spring 2023 Workshop Dates

There is still time to complete your full or refresher Diversity Literacy training. Please check your Diversity Training Status and plan to complete your refresher if your training expires this spring 2023 semester.

The Diversity Literacy Workshop is part of Michigan Tech's ongoing commitment to faculty diversity in building a supportive campus climate. Successful completion of the Diversity Literacy Workshop 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.

The spring 2023 workshop dates are listed below and can also be found on the training website, which is also where you can submit your request for workshop registration. Please note that Legal Aspect training will immediately follow the Diversity Literacy training, and faculty will be registered for them both at the same time.

If you have any questions about the Diversity Literacy workshop and training, contact Diversity Literacy Workshop Administrator Amy Marcarelli at ammarcar@mtu.edu.

Full course and refresher dates for spring 2023:

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

*****

Husky Bites Returning for Spring Semester 2023!

What are you doing for supper this semester, Monday nights at 6 p.m.? Join College of Engineering Dean Janet Callahan and special guests for Husky Bites, a 30-minute interactive Zoom webinar, followed by a Q&A session.

Got time? Join early for some extra conversation, starting at 5:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

The Husky Bites Spring 2023 series kicks off next Monday (Jan. 23) with “Sliding into the Future of Mont Ripley,” presented by Nick Sirdenis, general manager, Mont Ripley Ski Area. He will be joined by Dan Dalquist, ski instructor for the Mont Ripley Ski & Snowboard School, and Josie Stalmack, student president of the Mont Ripley ski patrol. We’ll hear about some new features at Mont Ripley currently in the planning stage, plus one now in the works.

This spring, additional topics and speakers include:

• "Making Skis," with Jeffrey Thompson ’12 (B.S., mechanical engineering), co-founder of Shaggy's Copper Country Skis;
• "Winter Carnival Geospatial Imagery," with Joe Foster (CEGE);
• "Volleyball at MTU," with Matt Jennings (ATH/KIP);
• "Solar Energy in Cold Climates," with Ana Dyreson (ME-EM);
• "Money Matters and MTU’s Applied Portfolio Management Program," with Dean Johnson (COB);
• "The Consumer Products Manufacturing Enterprise," with Tony Rogers (ChE);
• "Bio-inspired Designs," with Bruce Lee (BioMed);
• "The A.E. Seaman Museum — 120 Years," with John Jaszczak (Physics/Museum); and
• "Birdwatching for Quality of Life," with David Flaspohler (CFRES).

Get the full scoop and register at the Husky Bites website!

*****

Spring Semester Portrait Sessions By Appointment

Faculty, staff and graduate students can have their complimentary professional portrait taken by University Marketing and Communications (UMC) at one of the following sessions:

• Wednesday, Jan. 25 — 10 a.m. to noon
• Thursday, Jan 26 — 1-3 p.m.

The sessions will take place in the UMC Studio, located in Admin G37.

An appointment is required and can be scheduled online. On the calendar, go to Jan. 25 or Jan. 26, choose the time you want, then click Save. You must use your mtu.edu account when scheduling a time slot.

Portraits will be emailed to the attendee within four weeks after the session. Alternatively, departments or individuals can contact Brockway Photography at 906-482-1900 to schedule a session and purchase portraits at any time.

*****

Innovation Week 2023 Talks and Events: Registration Is Open!

Husky Innovate is hosting five innovation-themed events this week (Jan. 17-20) at Michigan Tech. Innovation Week celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship by hosting speakers and events to inspire and support innovation and entrepreneurship. These events are a great way to connect with alumni, students, faculty and the community.

Check the Innovation Week webpage for full event descriptions. Pre-registration is required for each event. Join us for one event or several!

• Keynote Speaker: Leading Innovation with Charles Nwatu
  Tuesday, Jan. 17, 4-5 p.m. via Zoom
  Our keynote speaker, Charles Nwatu, head of security technology assurance and risk at Netflix, will kick off Innovation Week by discussing how diverse perspectives lead to innovation. He will share his journey as an intrapreneur developing innovative solutions within a company, and how his mindset has led to an impactful Silicon Valley career at LinkedIn, Twilio, Stitch Fix and now Netflix. 
  Registration has closed
  
  
• New Venture Creation with Eric Roberts
  Wednesday, Jan. 18, noon to 1 p.m., MUB Ballroom A 
  Eric Roberts, MTU alum and executive director of Traverse City business incubator 20Fathoms, has spent a long, diverse career innovating in spaces from Silicon Valley tech startups to mobile giants like Motorola and Blackberry. He will talk entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, and share experiences with launching new ventures (both successful and unsuccessful). Tips and strategies will be offered for all types of innovators. 
  Registration has closed
  
  
• Reverse Pitch Presentation with Nate Yenor
  Thursday, Jan. 19, noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom 
  Nate Yenor, director of tech business incubation with the Office of Innovation and Commercialization at Michigan Tech, will report on applied research’s top teams poised to launch their innovation into a startup. Teams may be looking for talent, champions and industry-specific advice during this reverse-pitch event. Interesting and valuable for innovators, entrepreneurs and MTU community members who want to know what’s new and innovative at Tech. Make connections and support our innovation and entrepreneurship community!
  Register now — Deadline: Jan. 17
  
  
• 15th Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition
  Thursday, Jan. 19, 5-7:30 p.m., MUB Ballroom A 
  Michigan Tech graduate and undergraduate students will pitch their business model for a chance to win cash prizes. This legacy event is a tribute to late Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community are invited to attend in person or virtually. Refreshments will be served and a pre-event mixer will begin at 4:30 p.m.
  Student contestant registration has closed
  Virtual attendees: Register now to attend remotely
  
  
• Financing Your Venture Panel Discussion
  Friday, Jan. 20, noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom
  Hear what investors look for when deciding whether to invest in your company — during both early-stage commercialization and late-stage buy-outs. Experts will share real-world experiences and insight into how investment decisions are made. This talk is helpful for anyone interested in commercializing their venture or for investors who want to hone their skills. Panelists John Rockwell (CEO and president, Accelergy Corporation) and Jeff Helminski (co-founder and managing partner, Auxo Investment Partners) are both Tech alumni and successful venture capitalists, and they will share their insight into venture financing.
  Register now — Deadline: Jan. 18

*****

CAMS Offering Statistical Consulting Service for Spring 2023

The Center for Applied Mathematics and Statistics (CAMS) is pleased to announce that the free statistical consulting service provided to the MTU research community will continue for spring 2023. The purpose of this service is to foster collaborations between the members of CAMS and the researchers from other centers/departments/colleges at MTU.

What we do:

• Help with experimental design (including power analysis and sample size determination).
• Help with data analysis with appropriate and clean data sets.
• Provide guidance and suggest statistical methods for data analysis and visualization.
• Provide guidance on appropriate statistical language for manuscripts.

Consulting will be offered from 4-5 p.m. on the following Tuesdays and Wednesdays of the semester:

• January: 17, 18, 24, 25, 31.
• February: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28.
• March: 1, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29.
• April: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19.

Meetings on dates with links will be conducted via Zoom. All others will be face-to-face meetings held in Fisher 317.

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

MLK Day Interfaith Vigil

Monday, January 16, 12 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and the Cooperative Campus Ministry invite you to an interfaith prayer vigil/reflection on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day)....

MLK Jr Day Celebration

Monday, January 16, 5:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Lobby

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion is proud to announce the 34th Annual MLK Jr Day Celebration on January 16, 2023. In preparation for the event, the CDI will host a...

Monday After School Learn to Ski and Snowboard Program

Monday, January 16, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Mondays Ages 8-12 Children of all ability levels have an opportunity to learn to ski or snowboard, make new friends, and explore Mont Ripley together. The focus is on safety,...

Engineering Ambassadors Info Session

Monday, January 16, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Fisher 132

Join us to find out about the Engineering Ambassadors program and our plans for the semester! Bring a friend!

Adult and Youth Huskies Tennis and Pickleball Lessons (Session 1)

January 16, all day | Michigan Tech Gates Tennis Center

Youth Huskies Tennis Lessons: After school and weekend Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons are available this spring! Join in by age group and level for some fun on the tennis...