The Human Resources Office will be closed on Tuesday (Feb. 14) from 1-5 p.m. for a departmental meeting. During this time, questions can be routed to humanresources@mtu.edu. Normal office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume on Wednesday (Feb. 15). We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience is excited to announce the creation of the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR, pronounced “scissor”). CISR is a collaborative center established in partnership with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and the Ecosystem Science Center (ESC).
CISR’s mission is to grow MTU’s leadership in sustainability and resilience research through two main threads: first, advancing innovations in the tools and approaches used in research on sustainability and resilience, and second, in growing opportunities for collaboration across research, scholarship and engagement. To achieve this mission, CISR will collaborate with GLRC and ESC members, the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience, and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience.
CISR will also facilitate the funding opportunities created by the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience, including the Sustainable and Resilient Communities Faculty Fellowship; the Sustainable and Resilient Communities Early Career and New Directions Awards; and the Educational Innovations in Sustainability and Resilience Awards.
Interested in learning more? Please reach out to Chelsea Schelly (cschelly@mtu.edu) to schedule a time to talk more about CISR and potential projects that could be aligned with CISR’s mission.
A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The following production services will be unavailable during that time:
If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.
Please join us tomorrow (Feb. 14) for an hour of laid-back Francophone setting with French natives and other Francophiles. All levels welcome. Walker 120A, from 5-6 p.m.
Note that we meet every second Tuesday: Feb. 28, March 14, March 28 and April 11.
Friends and family are welcome!
Join us tomorrow (Feb. 14) at La Peña! 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., at the Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ), Walker 120A.
Other Peña dates of the semester: Feb. 28, March 14 and March 28.
The Western U.P. Food Systems Collaborative (WUPFSC) invites you to join us in sharing our food stories! We are hosting a photo contest to celebrate our communities’ rich foodways. You are invited to submit one or more photos you love for their look, message or personal meaning to at least one of the following categories:
Photos accompanied by a title and short description can be submitted using our form. Participants are limited to five submissions per person. Submissions are due Feb. 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
We hope this contest inspires you to share stories about our community. Sharing your stories with the public is one way to generate knowledge about our community, and this knowledge has the power to inspire social change. Please invite others to contribute to or hear our stories.
Past and present contest submissions are accessible to the public on Flickr @WUPFoodPics (no account needed). Your photos and stories may also be published on the WUPFSC website, in the WUPFSC annual report or in other WUPFSC publications. Please contact wupfoodsystems@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
We look forward to hearing your stories!
Isabelle Cervantes and Maya Klanderman
Partners of the WUPFSC
Undergraduate Students in the Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University
Michigan Tech is a partner of the Western U.P. Food Systems Collaborative, a grassroots coalition of food growers and procurers, public health and civic partners, scientists, educators, land and water stewards, students and all community members.
Xylophones and Rainbows — 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by Superior Wind Symphony
Join us for an evening of joyful musical exuberance with Michigan Tech Music's Superior Wind Symphony, led by Director of Bands Mike Christianson.
Learn more about Xylophones and Rainbows.
Get your tickets online, at 906-487-1906 or at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Students, bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.
Can’t attend in person? The concert will be livestreamed for far-away Michigan Tech Music lovers and alums.
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences student Laura Schaerer will present their doctoral proposal defense at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Feb. 14). The presentation will take place in the Alumni Lounge in the MUB.
Schaerer's defense is titled "Enriched microbial consortia from natural environments provide novel method for upcycling plastic waste."
From the abstract:
Most polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste is landfilled or pollutes the environment. At the same time, global food production is inadequate to support the growing population. By using microorganisms in an industrial system designed to upcycle plastic into edible microbial protein powder, we may be able to solve both problems simultaneously. Many microorganisms can utilize plastics as feedstock, and the resultant microbial biomass contains fats, nutrients, and proteins like those found in human diets. While microbial degradation of PET is promising, biological PET depolymerization is too slow to resolve the global plastic crisis and projected food shortages. Research presented here demonstrates that by coupling chemical depolymerization and biological degradation of PET, and by using cooperative microbial communities, microbes can efficiently and flexibly degrade plastic waste into microbial biomass.
Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:
This will be an in-person event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 16) in Fisher 139.
The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will have a seminar at 12:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 16) at G002 UJ Noblet with speaker Assistant Professor Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci). Vick-Majors’ talk is entitled “Microbial Life in the Cryosphere from the Keweenaw to the Poles.”
Using microbial ecosystems spanning from subglacial aquatic environments in the Antarctic to the Keweenaw, Vick-Majors aims to develop a coherent understanding of the fundamental biotic and abiotic interactions that result in observable patterns in microbial community composition and function across the cryosphere’s aquatic ecosystems.
Esports is complicated, chaotic, and creates many gray hairs across college campuses. You may have heard of Michigan Tech's esports program but have no idea how any of it works. Well, here's your guide to the Huskies' Spring 2023 season.
First, know that each game is its own world, and often has its own independent schedule. For example, most Huskies compete in the NACE Starleague for their relevant esport. However, not all of them do.
Then, understand that there is a breakdown between league play and events. So, the League of Legends, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros teams are competing downstate in the GLIAC Invitational in February. This is an isolated event that has no bearing on any of these teams' seasons in NACE Starleague.
Read more on the Michigan Tech Athletics website.
Dan Gherezgher posted 20 points and Brad Simonsen scored 10 off the bench, but Michigan Tech fell 79-74 at Grand Valley State Thursday night in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball.
The Huskies led by as many as 11 in the second half, but Marius Grazulis (17 points, nine rebounds) rallied the Lakers late to snap Tech's three-game win streak.
"Our guys fought hard and we did some really good things, especially early," said head coach Josh Buettner. "We just have to continue getting better in critical situations. It was great to see Dan finishing at the rim and we got a number of contributions off the bench."
Read more on the Michigan Tech Athletics website.
No. 6 ranked Grand Valley State evened up the season series by taking down No. 24 ranked Michigan Tech 60-43 at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena Thursday night. The Huskies converted just 2 of 18 tries from beyond the arc as the Lakers' led for all but 17 seconds of the game.
Michigan Tech struggled to make baskets, particularly in the second quarter, and fell behind 31-16 at the half. Despite the loss, Isabella Lenz posted 13 points for MTU, with five rebounds, four steals, and a pair of blocks. Both teams entered the night on a three-game win streak but the Lakers preserved their position at the top of the GLIAC Standings with a win.
"I thought we competed hard tonight," said head coach Sam Clayton. "Shots just weren't falling. Bella created for us. Emma (Anderson) and Tessa (Leece) came off the bench and defended well. There is a lot to learn from and build from this game moving forward."
Read more on the Michigan Tech Athletics website.
Apply for Undergraduate Research Internships
Pavlis Honors College (PHC) is accepting applications to the Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) for the 2023-24 academic year. The internship program will run from September 2023 through mid-March 2024 and is open to any undergraduate student on campus with an identified faculty research mentor. Faculty and students who are already working together are welcome to apply.
PHC will provide $960 in funding for the student intern, with the expectation that faculty will provide equivalent matching funds to be dispensed concurrently, resulting in a total of $1,920 paid hourly over the course of the internship. Faculty may make use of research funds, IRAD and start-up packages or consult their chairs, deans or center/institute management to identify the source of their match.
Details regarding the application process can be found on the Pavlis Honors College website.
The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. March 24. Faculty need to supply a letter of support as part of the application package. If you have questions about the submission process, please email Rob Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.
The Undergraduate Research Internship Program is made possible with support from PHC and generous donations from the Portage Health Foundation and the DeVlieg Foundation.
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Request for Art Submissions: Art in Silico Event
Are you interested in the intersection of computing and art? The inaugural Art in Silico event invites amateur or professional artists in all areas (visual, performance, digital or really anything that can be imagined) to enter our juried show. Submissions are welcomed and encouraged from students, faculty, staff and community members. $1,500 in prizes will be awarded!
The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems, Great Lakes Research Center, College of Computing, Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Copper Country Community Arts Center (CCCAC) are pleased to present Art in Silico, a series of workshops, panels, lectures and other events celebrating the intersection of computing and art. The series will culminate in a juried art show April 13 at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock. The show will be a combination fundraiser for the CCCAC and MTU student scholarships (artists can choose if they would like to donate their art for a silent auction benefiting these causes).
Please see the Art in Silico page for more information, or email silico-art-l@mtu.edu.
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Finance Your Innovation Workshop: Registration Open
Interested in competing at this year’s New Venture Challenge (NVC)?
Getting ready to try to raise capital for your start-up business?
Presented by Chief Commercial Officer Patrick Visser with the MTEC SmartZone, our local business incubator, this online workshop will cover founder capital fundraising strategies and choices including bootstrapping, angel investment, venture capital investment and growth capital financing.
This workshop is open to all students. Those interested in the New Venture Challenge (in April) will find this workshop helpful when applying to NVC and should plan to attend.
Join us Wednesday (Feb. 15) from 4-5 p.m. for this virtual workshop. Register by the end of today (Feb. 13) to receive the Zoom link.
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AISES Pre-Valentine's Day Bake Sale
Join the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) today (Feb. 13) from 12-4 p.m. in the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library for our Pre-Valentine's Day Bake Sale!
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Write-D and the Department of Physics Welcome Write-D Facilitator Alyssa Horne
Writing in the Discipline (Write-D) and the Department of Physics are pleased to welcome Alyssa Horne as the department’s Write-D facilitator, beginning in the Spring 2023 semester.
Write-D provides a dedicated time and space for graduate students to get work done and receive support on writing projects within their discipline, such as manuscripts, research proposals, etc. Guest speakers from the department and industry visit to present briefly on research, writing and publishing tips. This free program is open to all graduate students.
Current departments and facilitators:
For more information, including times and locations, visit our webpage. Questions? Contact the Write-D Coordinator, Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.
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Faculty Mentors Needed for MiCUP Scholars Program
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) is seeking faculty to serve as mentors for the 2023 MiCUP Scholars Program. This program targets low-income, underrepresented, first-generation students who wish to continue their education beyond community college.
The 2023 MiCUP program offers a seven-week summer experience (May 8 to June 22) that addresses the opportunities and challenges students face as they pursue a bachelor’s degree. Faculty mentors in the program will assist students with research projects in engineering, technology, business, computer science and health sciences.
All faculty interested in facilitating undergraduate research with MiCUP program participants should complete the Mentor Information Request Form.
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Husky FAN Food Pantry - Request for Donations
The Husky FAN food pantry has seen a large increase in use over this school year. Help us continue reaching more people by donating shelf-stable, unperished items, or making a monetary donation through our online giving form!
Food items can be left outside the pantry on the first floor of Fisher Hall in the alcove across from Fisher 135. Lastly, if you're interested in volunteering, please contact huskyfan@mtu.edu!
WXPR public radio mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge held Feb. 7-9 in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Undergraduate student Sophie Bollin (mechanical engineering) was quoted in the story.
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Michigan Tech was mentioned in the SAE Tomorrow Today podcast as one of four universities in Michigan educating the next generation of aerospace engineers.
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Multiple news outlets picked up the Michigan Tech News announcement of the snow statue winners for Tech’s 101st Winter Carnival, including Keweenaw Report, WZMQ 19 News, Radio Results Network, WLUC TV6, ABC 10, and the Daily Mining Gazette. WLUC TV6 and Keweenaw Report also previewed the remaining Winter Carnival events happening this weekend.
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Tara Bal (CFRES) was featured as a university collaborator in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2022 Forest Health Highlights Report. Students in her lab group shared research updates on multiple forest pests and diseases. Read the report on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website.
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Joe Shawhan (ATH) was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story about the momentum Michigan Tech hockey carries into its final two CCHA series of the regular season.
A team from the Department of Chemistry, led by Associate Professor Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova, has published an article in ChemPhysChem. Co-authors include Ph.D. students Sodiq Waheed (first author) and Ann Varghese, undergraduate students Isabella DiCastri, Brenden Kaski, and Ciara LaRouche, and Professor Gregg Fields at Florida Atlantic University.
The article, titled "Mechanism of the Early Catalytic Events in the Collagenolysis by Matrix Metalloproteinase-1," was featured on the front cover with an author cover profile. The cover image was developed with the help of Sarah Atkinson (Research Development).
The study is funded by National Institutes of Health grant GM132873.
To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.
MICHIGAN TECH ART PRESENTS Me, You, and Us ART EXHIBITION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023 THROUGH SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2023 A-SPACE HOURS: M-F 8 A.M.-8 P.M.
*****Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Professor Eric Seagren, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Michigan Tech Abstract: In 2022, the...
*****Come join us at the Bubble Greenhouse or Bio Office every Monday at 5pm! We will mostly be socializing but also do some cool activities like watercolor, tank design, and more!
*****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,...
*****Husky Bites presents Special Guest Matt Jennings Volleyball Head Coach Instructor, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Michigan Technological...
*****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...
