February 1, 2023

The Career Closet gives away gently worn business clothing to assist students in preparing for Career Fair and other career opportunities. Our event this fall was hugely successful — we gave away almost 950 items to 275 students!

In order to provide as many options for students as possible, we need to secure donations of professional clothing and shoes. We are now accepting donations of gently worn, clean business clothing. The donation window will close Feb. 17 at noon. Donated items will be available to all Michigan Tech students at no cost.

The Career Closet will be held Feb. 18 from 1-5 p.m. and Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer at the event, please sign up through GivePulse or email aemarsh1@mtu.edu.

Clothing and shoe donations may be dropped off at any of the following locations:

• Business School, Academic Office Building
• Grad Commons
• Dean of Students Office
• Career Services
• University Images
• Campus Bookstore
• Van Pelt and Opie Library

Or, boxed clothing can be mailed to:

Residence Education & Housing Services
1701 Townsend Drive
153W Wadsworth Hall
Houghton, MI 49931

Thank you to all who have supported this effort. This event is donation- and volunteer-based, and we could not do it without the help and support of our Husky community.

Applications are being accepted for the King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowship, a program funded by the state of Michigan. The purpose of the KCP Future Faculty Fellowship Program is to increase the pool of academically and economically disadvantaged candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in postsecondary education.

Funding may begin in summer or fall of 2023. Complete applications received by 4 p.m. on March 15 will receive priority for consideration. Pending availability of funds, applications received will be considered on a rolling basis until the state’s application portal closes on April 30. Please note that April 30 is a Sunday, and no staff are available to assist with applications. Applicants are highly encouraged to submit well in advance of the portal closing.

Applicants will complete the following steps:

• Review the eligibility criteria to ensure eligibility (see step 1)
• Gather the materials needed for an application (see step 2)
• Create an account on the MiLogin for Citizens portal (see step 3)
• Submit an application on the MiLogin portal (see step 4)

KCP fellowships provide students up to $20,000 (M.S. students) or $35,000 (Ph.D. students) to pursue their degrees. Funds may be used to support students, including faculty and staff, pursuing degrees at Michigan Tech. For Michigan Tech students, the Graduate School and nominating department must also contribute matching funds to help support the student.

Complete information about eligibility criteria and materials needed for an application is available on our webpage. Please note that applications will be submitted through the MILogin Citizens Portal. Questions about eligibility or the application procedure can be directed to Debra Charlesworth at ddc@mtu.edu.

On behalf of the University community, we are now seeking nominations for the President's Award for Leadership, the Dean of Students Award for Possibilities and the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Award, along with a variety of other awards to recognize the efforts and achievements of the Michigan Tech community. Take a minute to nominate a standout student today!

All awards and their information can be found on the Student Leadership Awards webpage. For each award, click on the award title to read more about the requirements and to access the nomination form.

Nominations for the President's Award for Leadership, Dean of Students Award for Possibilities, the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Award and the Percy Julian Award are due by noon on March 3. Nominations for all other awards are due by noon on March 17.

The nominees and recipients of each award will be honored at the 29th Annual Student Leadership Awards Ceremony at 6 p.m. on April 14 in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom.

Questions concerning the awards can be directed to Student Leadership and Involvement at activities@mtu.edu or 7-1963.

Current undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in climate leadership are invited to apply to be a fellow of the Climate Leaders Academy (CLA), which is launching this summer.

CLA is a two-semester program with the goal of providing formal climate training and professional development to fellows through direct engagement with national and international climate change frameworks, formalized mentoring and collaboration with a diverse set of institutions. CLA is funded through the National Science Foundation and the YEAH network, and supported by MTU, Boston University, Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University.

CLA-Fellows will be entitled to the following benefits:

• $10,000 stipend ($5,000 per semester)
• Four transferable course credits
• All travel expenses covered (to and from kickoff workshop, climate change conferences, etc.)
• One-on-one mentoring by a CLA faculty member
• Tuition coverage for CLA course

Additional information and the official application can be found at the CLA Application Form. Applications are due March 15 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Questions can be directed to Rose Daily at roset@mtu.edu or Leah Dundon at leah.a.dundon@vanderbilt.edu.

Registration is open for spring 2023 Adult Huskies Aquatics Sessions 2 and 3. Two programs are being offered:

• 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 levels in a group setting. Each session is programmed with a warm-up and variations of a workout for the beginner, intermediate and advanced swimmer. Participants will be provided coaching and guidance to meet their individual swimming goals!
  
  
• Adult Huskies Swim Lessons
  Provides aquatic education for the beginner to intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the fundamental four strokes.

Program Dates and Cost:

• Session 2 — Feb. 7 to March 2 (registration closes Feb. 3 at 11:59 p.m.)
• Session 3 — March 7 to April 6 (registration closes March 3 at 11:59 p.m.; no class March 14 and 16)

Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday from 5-5:50 p.m. at the SDC Pool. Cost is $100 per session. A discount is available for SDC members.
Please Note: Registration for Session 2 closes Friday (Feb. 3).

For more information, visit Michigan Tech Recreation's Adult Huskies Aquatics page.

You, Me, and Us — Feb. 6-25
Artist Reception: Feb. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
An independent art exhibit hosted by the Rozsa Art Galleries.
Learn more.

Xylophones and Rainbows — Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by the Superior Wind Symphony
Learn more.

Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Party with the Workshop Brass Band — Feb. 21, 9 p.m.
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by the Workshop Brass Band
Learn more.

An Up-Cycled Fashion Show — Feb. 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Michigan Tech Theatre
Learn more.

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 — Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by the Keweeenaw Symphony Orchestra
Learn more.

Music for a Sacred Space — Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by Michigan Tech Choirs
Hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Linden
Learn more.

Congratulations to alumnus Ryan Bauman ’07 (civil engineering) for being named an ENR Midwest Top Young Professional. The Engineering News-Record (ENR) recognized 20 individuals in the region under the age of 40 — all young leaders in design and construction who are helping shape the industry's future.

Bauman is a transit section manager at HDR Engineering Inc. in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is seeking input for its annual Distinguished Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to Michigan Tech’s instructional mission. Based on more than 40,000 student ratings of instruction responses, 10 finalists have been identified for the 2023 awards. The selection committee is soliciting comments from students, staff, faculty and alumni to be referenced during their deliberations.

Assistant Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice finalists:

• Thomas Adolphs (HU), assistant teaching professor
• Claire Danielson (BioSci), assistant teaching professor
• Kyle Griffin (ChE), assistant teaching professor
• Mickey Jarvi (CFRES), assistant teaching professor
• Robert Larson (BioSci), assistant professor

Associate Professor/Professor finalists:

• Yu Cai (AC), professor
• Chad Deering (GMES), associate professor
• Guy Hembroff (AC), associate professor
• Amy Marcarelli (BioSci), professor
• Joel Neves (VPA), professor

Comments for the finalists are due by March 31 and can be submitted online. The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from this list of finalists also involves the additional surveying of their spring 2023 classes. The selection committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The 2023 Distinguished Teaching Awards will be formally announced in May.

For more information, contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu or 906-487-3000.

Ramana Pidatala will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 2). The seminar will be held virtually via Zoom (use passcode 046347).

Pidatala is a senior scientific engineering associate at the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Berkeley, California. He will present "Feedstocks to Fuels: A high-throughput screening approach."

From the abstract:
In the U.S., petroleum is the primary source of transportation fuels and chemicals. Sustainably grown biomass is an alternative to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and bioproducts requires the bioengineering of plants and microbes. Biomass is deconstructed using ionic liquids and enzymes, and resulting sugars are converted by microbes into desired bioproducts. Testing the saccharification and conversion efficacy of hundreds of transgenic plants, various strains of microbes, and Ionic liquids with different possible combinations is a daunting task. Evaluation and identification of best candidate plants, and microbes at bench scale are cumbersome and time-consuming. A high-throughput screening platform (F2F: Feedstocks-To-Fuels) was developed to address these challenges. With end-to-end automated processes combined with machine learning tools, the pipeline provides the flexibility to adjust multiple experimental parameters and predictive deconstruction of various biomass samples.

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar Speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 2) in EERC 103.

George Huber will present "Recycling of Waste Plastics by Solvent Targeted Recovery and Precipitation."

Huber is the Richard Antoine Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focus is the design of disruptive technologies for the conversion of biomass, waste plastics and other waste resources into renewable fuels and chemicals.

Michigan Tech hockey's Blake Pietila has been named the CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second straight week.

Pietila received the honor for the fifth time this season and for the 12th time in his career.

Pietila backstopped the Huskies to a CCHA sweep of rival Northern Michigan over the weekend, making 20 saves Friday (Jan. 27) and 26 saves Saturday (Jan. 28). He leads the nation in shutouts and is third in save percentage and seventh in goals-against average.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Both Michigan Tech tennis teams serve up their first ball today (Feb. 1) at Gates Tennis Center in Houghton. The women host Tiffin at 10 a.m. followed by the men at 2 p.m. Matches are free to attend.

The Huskies played two September events, including the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament, hosted by Grand Valley State, and the Ashland University Doubles Invitational. Wednesday represents their season-opening duel.

Read about the teams at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Wednesday (Feb. 1)
• Valorant vs. UW-Stout 7 p.m. NSL Varsity Premier. Watch the Twitch stream.

Thursday (Feb. 2)
• Apex: Legends 7 p.m. Phase One Spring Series Finals
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Ashland 7 p.m. NSL Varsity Premier. Watch the Twitch stream.

Friday (Feb. 3)
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive vs. TBD 7 p.m. Collegiate League of Legends. Watch the Twitch stream.

Saturday (Feb. 4)
• League of Legends vs. Manitoba 4 p.m. Collegiate LoL League. Watch the Twitch stream.

Times are subject to change. Check Twitter @MTUEsports for updates.

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Esports News
Read more in the MTU Esports weekly update.

Job Postings for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email mtujobs@mtu.edu.

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

Director – Human Research Protection Program, Associate Vice President for Research Development. Apply online.

Administrative Aide 8, Electrical and Computer Engineering (UAW posting dates Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Associate Director – Experiential Learning Partnerships, Enterprise. 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 mtujobs@mtu.edu.

Leah Joy (SLI) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about Michigan Tech’s Spring Involvement Fair, held Jan. 30 in the MUB Ballroom.

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Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale researchers’ Facebook post about a wolf who survived a plunge through the ice into Lake Superior on Jan. 28 was picked up by the Kansas City Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Modesto Bee and more than 20 other regional news outlets nationwide.

The story featured photographs from Rolf Peterson (CFRES), who was flying overhead in a survey plane when the wolf went through.

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Wisconsin Public Radio mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the potential for plant-based hydrocarbon fuels to replace petroleum. 

The story highlighted research to create carbon-neutral fuels being done by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, a partnership between six universities, including MTU. It was picked up by the Superior Telegram.

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Michigan Business Network and Lansing’s WILX 10 mentioned the Center for Educational Outreach’s Mind Trekkers program in a story about the success of “high-energy, hands-on” STEM festivals for eighth graders at locations across the Upper Peninsula as part of the OneUP Mind Trekkers 2023 tour.

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The Daily Mining Gazette picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about team and individual honors received by the cross country team from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Both the men’s and women’s teams and 12 individual student-athletes received All-Academic honors.

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The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about an eight-hour annual Mine Safety and Health Administration refresher training course planned at Bay College. The course is being presented in partnership with MTU.

Interview Room Request for Spring Career Fair

We are excited to be kicking off CareerFEST 2023 this spring, including an in-person Career Fair on Feb. 22! As we have done in the past, Interview Day will be Feb. 23, and we need your help.

On average, there are over 1,000 individual interviews conducted on campus following Career Fair. In order to provide the best interview experience for both students and employers, we are requesting office and room spaces for interviews on campus.

Please use our Rooms for Interviews Google form to submit any available rooms to be included for our Interview Day schedule. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to CareerFair@mtu.edu.

We are looking forward to another great CareerFEST and Career Fair this spring!

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New Required Safe and Inclusive Off-Campus/Fieldwork Research Project Planning

Researchers submitting sponsored proposals for research projects with off-campus, off-site or "fieldwork" research components must now complete a safe and inclusive research plan. Their plan must be designed to ensure that the off-campus research activities will be conducted in a manner that is safe and inclusive of every team member. The Safe and Inclusive Off-Campus Research Planning webpage includes the required plan template and links to a variety of resources to assist in developing plans appropriate to the proposed research.

At this time, researchers must attest that they have completed the plan before being able to submit their proposal. They must retain a copy of their plan — federal sponsors may require that they submit it to the sponsor at the time of award. If the proposal is awarded, they must share the plan with every team member, including undergraduate students, and follow through on their plan to train all team members to ensure they are all ready to work together in off-campus settings in a safe and inclusive manner. While federal sponsors are not currently requiring submission of the plan with proposals, researchers submitting to National Science Foundation (NSF) Geoscience and Biological Science Directorates should note that some of these directorates’ 2023 RFPs will require submission of these plans. They should review RFPs carefully to see if specific funding opportunities require this.

Questions about meeting this requirement can be directed to Director of Biological Laboratory Operations David Dixon at dcdixon@mtu.edu or 906-487-2131.

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2022 Electronic W-2s Now Available on Banweb

Electronic 2022 W-2s are now available on Banweb for all employees who have consented to an electronic copy. Paper W-2 forms were mailed yesterday (Jan. 31).

If you would like to receive an electronic copy of your W-2, it's not too late. Log in to Banweb and click the Employees box, then Tax Forms, and then Select Electronic Consent (W-2 and 1095-C). Click the box under "My Choice" and next to "Consent to receive your W-2 electronically," then click Submit.

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

Health Hut

Wednesday, February 1, 12 p.m.–2 p.m. | Library (Exhibit Hall)

This month the Well-being Advocates will be providing resources for alcohol awareness and education! This will be focused on the be well faction of "play well", as we provide...

Resume Review with Corporate Recruiters

Wednesday, February 1, 3 p.m.–5 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Get feedback from industry professionals on your resume in preparation for Career Fair.

Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion

Wednesday, February 1, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.

Join us for an online panel discussion celebrating entrepreneurship with four entrepreneurial leaders who have had successful careers forging their own path forward....

EV Scholars Kick-off and Info Session

Wednesday, February 1, 5 p.m.

Are you interested in a career helping to develop the next generation of automotive vehicles and batteries? Here’s a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the EV industry...

Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, February 1, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher 133

Students For Life General Meeting

Middle School Volleyball Development League

Wednesday, February 1, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multi-Purpose Gym

A four-week developmental program for middle school girls in grades 7 & 8 to learn and improve their skills in preparation for the upcoming interscholastic season. This...

SAE Aero Design Bi-Weekly Meetings

Wednesday, February 1, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | 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...

Wednesday Learn to Ski and Snowboard Program

Wednesday, February 1, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Wednesdays 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...

Cookie decorating

Wednesday, February 1, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Phi Delta Chi sorority house

Come decorate cookies at the PDC house with Phi Delta Chi! All women + nonbinary individuals encouraged to come, and rides are offered leaving WADS from the front desk at...

Law Club Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, February 1, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Library 103

Our objective is to provide a pre-professional organization for those who are planning to pursue a legal career or those who are interested in the legal field. Meetings will...

(Men's Tennis) Tiffin vs. Michigan Tech

February 1, all day | Gates Tennis Center

Men's Tennis: Tiffin vs. Michigan Tech, Gates Tennis Center

(Women's Tennis) Tiffin vs. Michigan Tech

February 1, all day | Gates Tennis Center

Women's Tennis: Tiffin vs. Michigan Tech, Gates Tennis Center

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

February 1, 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...