May 2, 2023

Michigan Tech has invited a candidate to interview for the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President for Administration. The candidate will give a presentation sharing their vision for MTU within the context of academic finance and administration and how their experience has prepared them for this task.

Please mark your calendar to attend Nicholas Stevens' presentation on Friday (May 5) at 1 p.m. The presentation will occur in the Alumni Lounge in the Memorial Union Building.

An opportunity to provide candidate feedback will be available on the CFO and Senior Vice President for Administration Search page at the conclusion of the candidate's visit.

Applications for Fall 2023 Portage Health Foundation (PHF) Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. June 13 to the Graduate School. Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online. Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Must be a Ph.D. student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities.
2. Must be a Ph.D. candidate at the time of application.
3. Must be two years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
4. Must not be a prior recipient of a PHF Graduate Assistantship.
5. Preference will be given to applicants with long-standing local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon county.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties. Nonresident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Portage Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

• health research and technology development
• health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
• rural health care access, informatics, and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a PHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a PHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

Tess Ahlborn (CEGE) and Vice President for Global Campus and Continuing Education David Lawrence will be hosting a 45-minute virtual interest session on Michigan Tech’s online M.S. in Civil Engineering, with a focus on structural engineering.

Save the date: This session will run May 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ET via Zoom.

Ahlborn will be providing details about this innovative program, such as how students can combine stackable certificates to customize their degrees. Members of the Global Campus team will also be present to answer questions about the benefits of advanced degrees, accelerated options and the admissions process.

Register for this interest session.

Everyone is welcome!

If you have any questions about this event or the online M.S. in Civil Engineering, please contact Amanda Irwin at globalcampus@mtu.edu or 906-487-1000.

In celebration of the ADVANCE Adaptation grant progress, today we feature additional details on the Academy for Responsive Leadership (ARL) program, which has included professional development and training opportunities for department chairs, associate deans and deans at Michigan Tech.

Our website offers a wealth of resources. Workshops have been offered once or twice a semester since fall 2020. Historically, the resources provided to chairs and managers have included how-to guides on administrative tasks, assessment, compliance, etc. ADVANCE worked to prioritize tools to empathetically manage faculty and staff such that they felt valued, supported and included.

Workshop topics have included:

• Interactive Theater: On the Line (in the Academic Forum and repeated for tenure and promotion committee members), performed by AWED Theatre from Florida International University’s ADVANCE Program.
  • On The Line featured a living case study that interactively engaged participants to strategize and test ways to mitigate bias and equity in tenure, promotion and reappointment (TPR) discussions and decisions.
• Managing Faculty Performance in a Time of Change
• Workplace Bullying
• Evaluating Faculty in a Time of Change
• Power Play
• Speaking Up: How Department Leaders Can Change the Conversation in the Academic Workplace, with Stephanie Goodwin of Incluxion Works Inc.
• Come Together: Building an Equitable Department Where Faculty Want to Work and Stay
• Changing Culture from the Top: Department Chairs Make a Big Difference
• Flexible Faculty Policies and Practices

Many workshops have been developed and delivered in coordination with the ADVANCE Midwest Partnership because we discovered that cross-institutional networking was extremely valuable during case-scenario discussions.

ADVANCE would like to commend those department chairs and deans who have attended frequently, including Kelly Steelman (CLS), Jared Anderson (VPA), Sarah Green (Chem), Leonard Bohmann (CoE), Dan Fuhrmann (AC) and Audra Morse (CEGE). These individuals have demonstrated consistent dedication to ongoing learning in order to support the health and productivity of their faculty.

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience (ISR) is excited to announce its awardees for spring 2023! The ISR supports advancements in curriculum development and research through a series of three awards programs.

Curriculum Innovation Awards
We funded three diverse projects (award range: $5,000-$7,000) that are well-aligned with our mission and can lead to long-lasting changes in our educational offerings at Michigan Tech.

• Laura Rouleau (SS): Detroit as a resilience case study.
• Rich Canavez and Sue Collins (HU): Communication skills for sustainability and resilience advocacy.
• Lisa Gordillo (VPR), Tara Bal (CFRES) and Sam Smith (CLS): SPEAK Resilience (Sustainability, Psychology, Ecology, Arts, Kultur).

We have received many excellent and varied curriculum development proposals in the past two years that are resulting in new course offerings, and will continue to offer this opportunity.

Early Career and New Directions Award
This seed funding to support research innovation (typical award range: $5,000-$7,000) will fund summer work by Kathryn Perrine (Chem) to research carbon capture and conversion. The equipment and summer research support provided by this award will allow for new innovative research directions in the chemistry of decarbonization.

Sustainable and Resilient Communities Faculty Research Fellowship
Hassan Masoud (ME-EM/AIM) has been awarded a Sustainable and Resilient Communities Faculty Research Fellowship (typical award range: $12,000-$17,000) that will support a one-course buyout for spring 2024 to provide time to develop research collaborations and proposals on wave energy and other forms of renewable energy, in partnership with internal and external collaborators and the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience.

Congratulations to these awardees — we are excited about these contributions to sustainability and resilience leadership at Michigan Tech!

If you have questions or would like to ask about a potential future proposal, please reach out to ISR lead Chelsea Schelly at cschelly@mtu.edu.

Annually, MTU's Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section awards scholarships to members in the fall and spring semesters. This semester, the lower-division scholarship recipients were Kathryn Krieger and Grace Moeggenborg, both studying environmental engineering.

Krieger is our campus and community chair for SWE, president of Engineers Without Borders, and is actively involved in Mind Trekkers, the MTU Ultimate Frisbee team, and Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority. Moeggenborg was recently elected as our SWE section secretary. She has served as webmaster and recruitment co-chair. She has enjoyed volunteering at Engineering Days, Spring Fling, the Spring Involvement Fair and FLARE.

The section congratulates Krieger and Moeggenborg and thanks Milwaukee Tool for supporting these scholarships.

The Indianapolis Colts selected former Michigan Tech men's basketball forward Jake Witt with the 236th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday (April 29).

Witt averaged 6.4 points per game for the Huskies as a first-year player in 2018. After transferring to Northern Michigan University to pursue a different major, Witt (6 feet 7 inches, 302 pounds) played football for the Wildcats and was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team as a senior.

He became a notable draft prospect this spring after a standout performance at Central Michigan University's Pro Day.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Postings for Tuesday, May 2, 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 humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

Merchandising Coordinator (two positions), Merchandising Operations. Apply online.

Administrative Aide 8 #23113 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift), Career Services (UAW posting dates May 2 to May 8, 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.

Administrative Aide 8 #23114, 23115 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift), Business Support Center (UAW posting dates May 2 to May 8, 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.

Custodian #23116 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift), Facilities Management (AFSCME posting dates May 2 to May 8, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). 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.

Jamey Anderson (GLRC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $86,764 research and development contract from the Great Lakes Observing System.

The project is titled "NOAA NCCOS Ground Truthing 2023."

Hayden Henderson (GLRC) is a co-PI on this potential one-year project.

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Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) is the PI on a project that has received a $228,005 research and development grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The project is titled "Structural and chemical changes between empty and full AAV capsids."

This is a potental two-year project.

Spring Commencement speakers Tinuade Ololade Folayan ’20 ’23 (M.S. Ph.D. Chemical Engineering) and Julie Fream ’83 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in coverage of Michigan Tech’s first graduate student commencement ceremony on Friday (April 28). 

Michael Mullins (ChE) and commencement speaker Anderson Piercey ’23 (B.S. Business Management) were quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about the undergrad ceremony on Saturday (April 29). The Daily Mining Gazette ran photos from the event.

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President Rick Koubek, Provost Andrew Storer and Mike Mullins (ChE) were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette and Mining Journal in a story about the Michigan Tech Board of Trustees’ approval of creating a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at MTU. Tech will bring Finlandia University’s nursing faculty on board to teach the curriculum, which will mirror Finlandia's with minor adjustments.

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The Daily Mining Gazette quoted MTU Board of Trustees member Andrea Dickson in a story about the approval of Michigan Tech’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year at the Board’s meeting Friday (April 28). The story also mentioned multiple faculty promotions and faculty emeriti appointments approved at the meeting.

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The Detroit Free Press mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Michigan’s $10,000 EV Scholars scholarship promoting in-state electric vehicle (EV) and mobility careers announced in February. Of 350 spots in the program’s inaugural class, 160 have been filled, according to the story.

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The American Society of Civil Engineers mentioned Michigan Tech in a write-up on the ASCE Eastern Great Lakes Student Symposium held March 30 to April 1 at Wayne State University. MTU was one of 18 universities represented at the event.

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The Keweenaw Report ran a story about a crowdsourced tick collection effort by Michigan Tech’s Genomic Sequencing Lab that began yesterday (May 1) and runs until Sept. 30.

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The Traverse City Record-Eagle mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the return of Northern Michigan Startup Week from May 5-11, with students from MTU competing in the University Pitch Showdown on May 9.

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Therapy dog handler Robin Beale mentioned Michigan Tech in a WLUC TV6 story about a free therapy pet handling course being offered in the Keweenaw. Beale and their golden retriever Finney visited campus last week to help students studying for finals destress.

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The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs, Arkansas, previewed a talk by Tamar Mannikko ’99 (B.S. Social Sciences) to the Ouachita Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society. Mannikko is the forest archeologist and Heritage Program manager for the Ouachita National Forest.

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Wausau City Pages mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about ultramarathoner Andrea Larson ’08 (B.S. Chemical Engineering). Larson, who competed in Tennessee’s grueling Barkley Marathons in March, ran cross country for the Huskies.

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Multiple outlets, including USA Today, MLive, WJMN Local 3 and the Indianapolis Star, covered former Michigan Tech basketball player Jake Witt’s selection by the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 236 pick in the NFL Draft.

Rozsa Summer Box Office Hours

Thanks to all of the Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students who included experiences at the Rozsa in their year and became part of the vibrant arts community in the Keweenaw! Now, the Rozsa Box Office is shifting to summer hours until the fall semester begins:

Summer Rozsa Box Office Hours
Wednesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and for one hour before events for walk-up sales.

Rozsa administrative offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday throughout the summer.

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

Summer WonderHack Competition for K-12 Students

May 2, all day

Michigan Tech is pleased to announce the launch of Summer WonderHack 2023, a new capture-the-flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition designed for K-12 participants. The event is...