July 31, 2023

The Office of Alumni Engagement is excited to host Alumni Reunion 2023 this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Aug. 3-5). With representation from the Class of 1953 to the Class of 2023, more than 470 alumni and friends will return to campus for a weekend full of fun activities. This year marks the golden landmark for the Class of 1973, who will celebrate their 50-year reunion and induction into the Golden M Society. Also joining us on campus will be the Honored Classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1983, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2013.

Ahead of a busy week on campus, here are a few important reminders for all:

Alumni should check in with our Reunion staff in the MUB (building 34 on the campus map) to collect their packets before attending their first event. Reunion packets include their name tags (required at Reunion functions), personalized registration schedule, information on department-hosted Open Houses on Friday (Aug. 4), a free gift, and other goodies!

Reunion check-in for registered alumni attendees will be open at the below times in the MUB Commons, located on the ground floor:

• Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If alumni and friends wander into your building or appear lost on campus throughout the week, please feel free to direct them back to the MUB during the above hours, as Reunion staff can help them from there!

Faculty and staff registered to attend Reunion events do not need an attendee packet and are requested to wear their professional name tags.

Presentation proposals for the 2023 Michigan Canvas Users Conference are now open! Submit your proposal by Aug. 28.

Wayne State University is excited to host the 2023 Michigan Canvas Users Conference, a gathering of Canvas users from educational institutions across the state, on Oct. 6.

The mission of this year's conference is to explore student engagement comprehensively, incorporating diverse perspectives from faculty, instructional designers and student success staff.

Potential conversations surrounding student, faculty and academic staff engagement may include but are not limited to:

• Creating global and experiential learning opportunities
• Designing equitable and accessible courses with multiple forms of student, instructor and content interaction
• Implementing outcomes and rubrics assessment to measure program success
• Intentionally integrating AI into teaching and learning
• Identifying opportunities for innovation through Canvas Data and reporting
• Using Canvas for student and instructor support services

Learn more at the Michigan Canvas Users Conference 2023 website.

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for August 13 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• ASPIRE
• Course Tools
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

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

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) has formalized its Faculty Travel Grant process for the upcoming academic year.

Faculty Travel Grants are provided for faculty researchers within the ICC to attend conferences in which they present their research. Grant funds cover food, conference fees, lodging and travel, and offer a maximum $1,000 per request. Funding is now available for conferences taking place in fall 2023, winter 2023 and spring 2024.

The deadline for fall 2023 submissions is Nov. 10. Visit the ICC's Faculty Travel Grants webpage to learn more and apply.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) are delighted to host a special going-away celebration honoring the remarkable contributions of our esteemed vice president for diversity and inclusion, Wayne Gersie. As he embarks on the next chapter of his journey, we come together to bid him farewell and express our heartfelt appreciation for the transformative impact he has had on Michigan Technological University.

Light refreshments will be served. Please join us in celebrating Wayne's inspiring legacy and bid him a fond farewell. Your presence is what will make this event truly special.

Event Details:

• What: Farewell Celebration for Wayne Gersie
• When: Thursday, Aug. 3, from 2-4 p.m.
• Where: CDI Lawn (in case of rain, the celebration will move inside CDI)

Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Ph.D. student Meenaa Chandrasekar will present her doctoral defense at 9 a.m. on Thursday (Aug. 3). The presentation is virtual only via Zoom.

Chandrasekar's defense is titled “Microscopic and laboratory scale biomass characterization methods to evaluate biomass deconstruction.”

Chandrasekar's advisor is Rebecca Ong.

M.S. in Environmental Engineering candidate Michelle Bollini will defend her master's thesis on Thursday (Aug. 3) at 9:30 a.m. in Dow 875 and virtually via Zoom.

The title of Bollini's thesis is "Bioaccumulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Compounds and Mercury in a Mining Impacted Aquatic Ecosystem."

From the abstract:
The Keweenaw area continues to be influenced by the century of copper mining that ended nearly 50 years ago. This project is focused on Torch Lake, an aquatic ecosystem that has been heavily impacted by mining waste disposal. The watershed has been impaired by mine discharge and tailings, smelter and smokestack plumes, and poor waste disposal practices. The lake is listed as a Great Lakes Area of Concern with beneficial use impairments of restrictions on fish consumption and a degraded benthic community. Polychlorobiphenyl compounds (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs). These contaminants pose threats to human and environmental health primarily via fish consumption. The use impairment of restricted fish consumption is a result of elevated concentrations of PCBs and MeHg in Torch Lake. In this research, kinetic bioaccumulation models were developed using MATLAB to estimate steady state concentrations in each trophic level of the Torch Lake food chain. The model links the contaminated environment to the bioaccumulation in a single organism. Model-predicted concentrations agree with the steady-state model, AQUAWEB, and with concentrations measured in walleye fish (Sander vitreus). The kinetic model coupled with a mass balance model was used to predict the extent of recovery of the ecosystem following remediation actions, such as removal of local sources to the lake. Removal of contaminated sediments was predicted to reduce the predicted PCB congener concentrations by a factor of 2-14, and elimination of in-lake methylation was predicted to reduce fish Hg concentrations by a factor of 2. Thus, the model suggests that the planned remediation under the Legacy Act will significantly reduce PCB concentrations in fish. The model indicates that adult fish entering Torch Lake from the Keweenaw Waterway could reach the observed concentrations in fish within 62 days, but other studies have indicated that immigration of fish to Torch Lake is uncommon.

The Sponsored Operations Office and Vice President for Research Office (VPR) invite the campus community to participate in a third session, a virtual training on the use of the new Cayuse research administration software. Specifically, research-active faculty, research scientists and research support staff are invited to attend an upcoming training on Aug. 24.

If you anticipate submitting any externally funded proposals in the next year, consider attending or viewing the online training videos on the Cayuse Training webpage.

Please register for the Zoom training by completing the Cayuse Training RSVP and Test System Access form. Registration is necessary to access the testing version of the platform you will use in training.

The virtual training will be held Aug. 24 from 1:30-3 p.m. via Zoom.

Additional information is available on our Cayuse Implementation webpage. Please reach out to Sponsored Operations at soo-l@mtu.edu with any questions.

Yu Cai (AC/ICC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $399,797 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation.

The project is titled "SaTC: EDU: Case Analysis for Security Education (CASE)."

Sidike Paheding, Xiaoyong Yuan and Victoria Walters (AC/ICC) and Xinyu Lei (CS/ICC) are co-PI's on this potential three-year award.

Grand Rapids Kids mentioned Michigan Tech in a story reviewing the Keweenaw Peninsula as a travel destination for families, couples and others. The story highlighted the Michigan Tech Trails as an “extensive all-season trail system.”

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WLUC TV6 and BVM Sports picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics announcement about the Nordic ski team’s 2023-24 incoming class.

Faculty and Staff Volunteers Needed for Move-In Weekend

The energy of campus elevates when we welcome our new students and their families to campus each year. We invite faculty and staff to join us for the 16th year of the Move-In Volunteers initiative. We need you to help welcome our new students to campus. Move a couple of crates, give directions or be a friendly face for incoming Huskies and their families.

Volunteer shifts for faculty, staff and students are available on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. Please register by Aug. 11 to volunteer. You can choose to be a move-in helper or greeter, or provide traffic flow support. If you have the availability, feel free to volunteer for more than one shift.

You will also be asked to provide your contact information and T-shirt size. In keeping with the University's sustainability efforts, we will have a similar Welcome Crew shirt design as in past Move-Ins, so you may wear a previous year’s shirt if you have one.

Additional information about your Move-In volunteer shift will be emailed the week of Aug. 13. If you have any questions, contact the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success at success@mtu.edu or 906-487-3558. Thank you in advance for supporting our new students!

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Figure Skating School

Monday, July 31, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Macinnes Student Ice Arena

Take your skating to the next level with Michigan Tech’s Summer Figure Skating School at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. All skaters, beginner through advanced, will...

Master's Defense: Isaac Lennox

Monday, July 31, 10–11 a.m. | Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC), 101

Kinesiology Co-advisors: Steven Elmer and Kelly Kamm Exercise is Medicine® On Campus: A National Analysis and Assessment of Community Impact Attend Virtually:...

Master's Defense: Shelby Lane-Clark

Monday, July 31, 10–11 a.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G002

Forest Ecology and Management Advisor: Tara Bal Impacts of Introduced Earthworms on Sugar Maple Sap Chemistry and the Discourse of Invasion Ecology Attend Virtually:...

Master's Defense: Zachary Hough Solomon

Monday, July 31, 10–11 a.m. | Academic Office Building (AOB), 201

Environmental & Energy Policy Advisor: Nancy Langston Case Study on Carbon Offset Projects in Michigan: Forest Practitioners' Perspectives

Master's Defense: Nishat Binte Alam

Monday, July 31, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

Applied Cognitive Science & Human Factors Advisor: Shari Stockero Types of Questions Teachers Ask to Engage Students in Making Sense of a Student Contribution