August 28, 2023

Staff Council is rebooting Professional Development Day! Mark your calendars — this event will be held on the morning of Oct. 19 during October Recess.

Professional Development Day is a day of opportunities provided for faculty and staff to improve their skills and knowledge through training sessions. The sessions will be led by Michigan Tech faculty and staff and provide development in a learning-centered peer-to-peer environment.

Currently, we are looking for proposals from Michigan Tech faculty and staff for training sessions. Do you have a topic that you would like to share with others? In the past, we have had sessions on health and wellness, technology, continuous improvement practices, Microsoft Office/Google tips and tricks, social media and more! Please consider submitting a proposal for a session you would like to host! Proposals are due by Sept. 15.

Keep an eye on Tech Today for information on how to register!

Leave your mark at Michigan Tech with a personalized, engraved paver located at the new Alumni Gateway at the west end of campus. Pavers are available until Thursday (Aug. 31)!

The construction of the West Gateway began in July, and is scheduled to conclude this fall. The project will include closing off the portion of College Avenue which flows through the west end of campus, making it a pedestrian walkway. The remaining portion of the "campus" College Avenue will be redirected through the existing parking lot between the Alumni House and the Academic Office Building. 

The project includes the installation of a gateway arch near the Alumni House and engraved pavers surrounding the base of the Arch. The project has been established with a lead gift from Mike Trewhella '78. 

All proceeds will be applied to the Alumni Way fund to support and maintain the gateway entrance and other features on Alumni Way, such as the William J. Bernard Jr. Family Clock Tower and the Husky Statue Plaza.

For more information, please visit give.mtu.edu.

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sept. 10 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. During that time, the following production services will be unavailable:

• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• Aspire
• Confluence
• Course Tools
• Fischer/mylogin.mtu.edu
• mtu.edu/tips
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• Papercut Printing
• Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
• Pinnacle
• Sunapsis
• 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 fifth annual GeekU.P. Mini-Con Charity Event will be held at Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 9 from 12-7 p.m.

GeekU.P. celebrates geek culture, offering an artists' alley, vendors, cosplay contest, celebrity Q&A sessions, autograph sessions and more.

This year's charity recipient is Unite Mental Health and Wellness, located in Houghton. Unite Mental Health and Wellness is a nonprofit mental health service organization committed to helping individuals in our community connect to non-emergency mental health care. Partnering with providers both locally and remotely, they support professionals and services currently available in our community while filling in the gaps where care may be lacking.

GeekU.P. has an exciting celebrity guest lineup this year and they will take part in Q&A sessions and autograph signings for attendees. Visit the GeekU.P. website to see who's attending.

"We're very excited about what we have in store for GeekU.P. this year," said Shana Porteen, GeekU.P. co-founder and owner of Black Ice Comics & Books in Houghton. "We want to welcome folks of all ages to GeekU.P. to come have a great time. Even if it's been years since you read a comic, or you've never played a video game, we can't wait to share the fun, have folks meet our fabulous celebrities, and help us raise money for Unite Mental Health and Wellness."

"I'm thrilled to celebrate local arts and culture in the community I grew up in! I certainly hope to inspire and provide insight for budding artists who may be thinking of a related career path," said Patricia Summersett, GeekU.P. co-founder and guest celebrity. "Shana and I dreamed up this event several years ago and I'm amazed how the festival has evolved so considerably. I'm excited to imagine how it may grow and expand in years to come!"

More information and the developing schedule can be found at the GeekU.P. website. Tickets can be purchased at the door using cash or credit.

Get ready for the fall 2023 round of Win by Losing!

Since 2009, Win by Losing has been helping people lose weight and establish and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. Twice a year, group customer employees join this nine-week competition to achieve their personal goals and win bragging rights for their team. Altogether, participants have lost more than 209,000 pounds — that’s more than 104 tons!

Fall 2023 marks our 29th round of Win by Losing. Employees, it's time to form teams, select captains and get ready to Win by Losing!

Registration begins next Monday (Sept. 4) and ends Sept. 17.

Before registering for the competition, employees need to:

• Form a team and decide on a team name.
• Select a team captain.
• Calculate their team’s total group starting weight.
• The team captain can then register the team online at the Win by Losing Weight Loss Challenge website during the registration period.

Employees don’t have to be Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or Blue Care Network members to participate. Companies may have more than one team.

The competition runs Sept. 18 through Nov. 17. During these nine weeks, your team competes against other Blue Cross and BCN group customers.

Here’s what teams can expect during the competition:

• Weekly emails to team captains with health tips, links to articles and reminders to report their team’s weight-loss progress.
• A suite of resources in the Win by Losing toolkit, including meditations, healthy recipes and motivating challenges.
• Free, interactive support through the Drop 5 Virtual Weight-Loss Community each Thursday from Blue Cross Virtual Well-Being.

New this year, you can have one of our Blue Cross health coaches do a virtual well-being presentation for your team. Health coaches can talk to your team about physical activity, heart-healthy living, reducing sugar, managing weight and more.

At the end of the competition, we’ll add up the total weight each team lost and announce the winners based on percentage of weight lost. Winning teams receive a trophy.

We hope you'll join us! If you have any questions, please reach out to WinbyLosing@bcbsm.com.

The Graduate School is assisting graduate students who wish to apply for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF's) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Support includes Zoom workshops, support via Canvas modules and one-on-one writing support.

Fellowship recipients earn an annual stipend of $37,000 and a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance. To be eligible, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident; have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program; and have never earned a master’s or professional degree in any field or completed more than one academic year in a graduate degree-granting program. Application deadlines begin Oct. 16.

Workshop Details:

• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Workshop 1: Overview and tips
  
  • Date and Time: Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 2-3 p.m.
  • Presenter: Sarah Isaacson, NSF GRFP support coordinator
  • Co-presenter: Deb Charlesworth, NSF GRFP reviewer
    Register for Workshop 1.
    
    
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Workshop 2: Crafting your statements (content and organization)
  
  • Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 14, from 2-3 p.m.
  • Presenter: Sarah Isaacson, NSF GRFP support coordinator
    Register for Workshop 2.

See the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program website for more details. Questions? Contact Sarah Isaacson, NSF GRFP support coordinator: sisaacso@mtu.edu.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 31) in Noblet G002 with speaker Bridgett vonHoldt, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB), Princeton University.

The title of vonHoldt's talk is: "The Genetic Signature of Mating Structure and Demography in North American Gray Wolves."

vonHoldt is an evolutionary biologist who specializes in genomic analysis of North American canines. She earned her Ph.D. at UCLA advised by Robert Wayne. vonHoldt joined the faculty at Princeton EEB in 2013. She champions the value of mixed genetic ancestry for endangered species conservation. Her research focuses on evolutionary genomics of admixed canine species across hybrid zones, with her research having significant conservation applications for endangered species like the red wolf.

vonHoldt is also the founder and director of the North American Canine Ancestry Project as well as a co-founder and lead geneticist for the Gulf Coast Canine Project.

Sarah Kostinski from New York University will be presenting at the first Physics Colloquium of the year. The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 31) in Fisher 139.

Kostinski's presentation is titled "Speed Limits on Unicellular Growth."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

A collaborative team of researchers led by Research Scientist Sushil K. Dwivedi and including Ph.D. students Dilka Liyana Arachchige, Adenike Olowolagba and Mohamed Mahmoud; undergraduate students Jenna Cunnien, Daniel R. Tucker and Delaney Fritz; and Professor Thomas Werner (BioSci) and Associate Professor Rudy L. Luck and Professor Haiying Liu (Chem) has successfully published a paper in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

The paper is titled "Thiophene-based organic dye with large Stokes shift and deep red emission for live cell NAD(P)H detection under varying chemical stimuli." It is a significant contribution to the journal and has earned the honor of being featured on the front cover.

The artistic prowess of Sarah Atkinson (RD) is evident in the striking artwork created for the journal's front cover, adding visual appeal to the publication.

Funding for this groundbreaking research was generously provided by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, through Award Numbers R15GM114751 (H. Liu), 2R15GM114751-02 (H. Liu), and R15 GM146206-01 (H. Liu and R. Luck).

Additional financial support was received from the National Science Foundation under award number 2117318, which enabled the acquisition of a new NMR spectrometer for the comprehensive characterization of the fluorescent probes employed in the study.

Sarah Hoy (CFRES) was quoted by Yahoo! News, Radio France Internationale, the Times of India, the Duluth News Tribune and more than 50 other regional and national news outlets around the globe in stories about a new study published in Science Advances assessing how changing grey wolf genetics impacted the Isle Royale National Park ecosystem over two decades. The study describes the genetic impact of a single wolf, “The Old Gray Guy,” whose story was featured last week on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

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Interim Dean of Students Laura Bulleit was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story covering Michigan Tech students’ return to campus for the 2023-24 academic year and previewing Welcome Week activities. The first Welcome Week event, Afternoon on the Town in Houghton on Saturday (Aug. 26), was previewed by the Keweenaw Report. 

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Erika Vye (GLRC) was mentioned by the Keweenaw Report in a story previewing the Estivant Pines Nature Sanctuary’s 50th anniversary celebration, which was hosted by the Michigan Nature Association yesterday (Aug. 27) in Copper Harbor. Vye led attendees on a geoheritage walking tour of the sanctuary as part of the celebration.

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The Daily Mining Gazette ran a story previewing the MTU Madness trail race held at the Tech Trails on Saturday (Aug. 26). The race was hosted by the Copper Country Running Company and former MTU cross country/track and field runner Clayton Sayen ’22 ’23 (B.S. Marketing/Engineering Management, MBA).

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in a story summarizing the Houghton Planning Commission’s Aug. 22 meeting, including the approval of site plans for a 186-bed apartment project at 100 Pearl St. The project will help accomplish the city’s goal of drawing MTU students closer to campus.

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MLive mentioned Michigan Tech in a story announcing the incoming director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission: Matthew MacDonell ’98 (B.S. Civil Engineering). MacDonell will transition into the role in October, according to the story.

Increased Funding for GLRC Student Grants

The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) is thrilled to announce an increase in student travel and research funding starting today (Aug. 14). These grants are a strategic investment in advancing science, increasing collaboration between student and advisor, and communicating the exciting research being conducted by GLRC faculty members and student awardees.

• GLRC Student Travel Grants
  GLRC Student Travel Grant awards will increase to a maximum of $1,000 per recipient for a podium presentation, and $750 for a poster presentation, at a scientific conference, meeting or workshop. The presentations must highlight GLRC-affiliated research developed by students working with their GLRC member advisor.
  
  GLRC Student Travel Grant applications are accepted anytime and reviewed on the last Friday of each month. Students are eligible for one grant per degree. Applications must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of the travel. A GLRC acknowledgment should be included on the poster or presentation. The presentation/poster may be displayed on the electronic showcase in the GLRC or posted to social media.
  
  
• GLRC Student Research Grants
  GLRC Student Research Grant awards will increase to a maximum of $1,000 per recipient. The GLRC Student Research Grants are intended to provide undergraduate and graduate students with GLRC member advisors with an opportunity to gain experience in writing competitive grants, and to perform research they would not be able to attempt due to funding limitations. The grants are also meant to provide seed research data for advisors to use in pursuing externally funded research support.
  
  GLRC Student Research Grant applications are accepted three times a year — Nov. 1, March 1 and July 1. A student is eligible to receive a maximum of one research grant per academic year. Master's and undergraduate students are eligible for one award during their degree program. Ph.D. students are eligible for up to two awards during their degree program. A final report is due within 30 days of the grant end date, including information on the next steps for the GLRC-affiliated advisor in obtaining external funding for this research.
  
  Funded students are expected to participate/volunteer for at least one GLRC activity during the grant period.

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On-Campus Jobs Expo Registration

Editor's note: The date of the jobs expo has been updated from the previously published version of this announcement.

Career Services is coordinating an On-Campus Jobs Expo that will be held tomorrow (Aug. 29) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alumni Lounge in the MUB.

If you wish to participate in the On-Campus Jobs Expo as an employer, please contact Jill Patterson, career and corporate events manager, at jspatter@mtu.edu.

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Ride, Walk or Float in the Parade of Nations!

Community groups, fraternal organizations, religious organizations, student organizations, etc., are invited to create a float or organize a walking group for the Parade of Nations!

Awards will be given to the top three floats that best represent this year's theme ($300 for first place, $200 for second place, $100 for third place). Additional information on the judging criteria will be shared at the end of August.

The 2023 Parade of Nations begins at 11 a.m. on Sept. 16 at the Quincy Green in Hancock and ends at the Dee Stadium in Houghton. Please submit the float application form if you intend to enter a float, and submit the walking group form if you intend to organize a walking group.

Approved floats, accompanying walkers and walking groups will be asked to arrive at the parade start between 10 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. to allow time to ensure vehicles are in parade order. Applications received after Sept. 9 will be considered, but are not guaranteed.

To assist organizations with their float entry for the Parade of Nations, registered student clubs and organizations can seek up to $100 in funding. Awards are available until all funds are exhausted. Requests must be submitted using the grant application form by Friday (Sept. 1) in order to receive the grant before the event. 

Please only submit one grant request per group. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You will be contacted within five business days of submitting the form.

For more information about the grant, please contact paradeofnations@mtu.edu, or stop by the International Programs and Services Office in Admin 200.

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Dow Building Construction Update

With the fall semester beginning today (Aug. 28), we wanted to remind campus that construction of the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building's elevator addition continues through the academic year. At least one side of the north entryway off Parking Lot 31 will remain open at all times; however, the Dow north loading dock and a number of parking spots in this area will be unavailable. Traffic flow east toward the M&M Building is narrowed to a single lane around the construction zone.

While this work is being completed, we will do our best to minimize loud noises, but you may experience more noise than normal in the Dow. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation during this important construction project.

Please remember to keep alert while in and around construction zones and to follow all posted directions.

If you have questions or concerns, please email facilities@mtu.edu.

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Michigan Tech Art, Music, Theatre Tickets On Sale Now!

The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts are thrilled to share the complete 23/24 season with you, adding the Michigan Tech Art, Michigan Tech Music and Michigan Tech Theatre Series to the Rozsa Presenting Series announced earlier this month. The wide-ranging season’s events will bring the Michigan Tech and Keweenaw community together nearly every week of the school year. Check out all upcoming events. 

Michigan Tech Art presents a year of spectacular professional and student events in the Rozsa Galleries, curated by Terri Frew, and Studio Here Now, curated by Anne Beffel. 

Michigan Tech Music brings its magnificent array of ensembles to the stage with a full series of events by the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Tech Jazz, Michigan Tech Choirs, Superior Wind Symphony, Campus Concert Band, Huskies Pep Band and the annual sellout concerts: New Music in the Mine. 

Michigan Tech Theatre rounds out the season with a variety of theatrical experiences including plays, an interactive museum experience and their popular Haunted Smelter. 

Tickets for the 2023/24 season are on sale now. Get tickets online, in person at the Rozsa Box Office, or by calling 906-487-1906. Free Student Rush tickets for all Rozsa, Michigan Tech Music and Michigan Tech Theatre events are sponsored by the Experience Tech fee.

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Personal Pronoun Identification Option Now Available

In an effort to respect and value the identities of our faculty, staff and students, Michigan Tech has taken steps through the Preferred First Name and Personal Pronouns Policy (Policy 1.13) to provide individuals the opportunity to choose how to identify themselves within the campus community through our new pronoun selection system. Everyone at Michigan Tech now has the option to choose how to identify at MTU by adding or updating an existing preferred first name or selecting pronouns to be used across University records and communications systems, where feasible. 

Every member of the campus community has the option to indicate personal pronouns within these University systems. When such pronouns are indicated, it is respectful to the individual to use them. Although the currently offered list of pronoun options is not all-encompassing, it is a foundation to build upon. The University recognizes that faculty, staff and students have multiple, often intersecting identities, and that the language used to communicate those identities is important and ever-changing.

Michigan Tech is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming environment for all members of the campus community. For additional information or support, please email vpdi@mtu.edu.

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Construction Continues on Alumni Way Gateway Project

With the return of faculty and students to campus, we wanted to remind everyone again that construction on the west end of Alumni Way will continue through the end of October.

Please be aware that the following areas will be impacted by this construction:

• Vehicle Traffic — Detours will be marked and traffic will be directed through Parking Lot 1 to Cliff Drive.

• Pedestrian Traffic — Sidewalks will not be available from the corner of Highway 41 and Cliff Drive until the end of the construction zone. Pedestrian traffic will be directed around the construction zone fencing and through Parking Lot 1.

• Parking — Metered parking spaces at the west end of Alumni Way will not be available. Lot 1 will have fewer parking spaces along the southwest side of the parking lot (across from the Administration Building).

• Building Access — Main building access to the Administration Building and Alumni House will not be impacted.

• Noise — While we will do our best to keep disruptions to a minimum, construction noise will occur.

For a detailed map of the detours and area of construction, visit the Facilities Management website. If you have questions or concerns, please email facilities@mtu.edu.

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

Boats, Buoys, and Books

Monday, August 28, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Library

Navigate the perilous library stacks to find any book with a nautical theme, snap a picture of the book you find and bring the picture down to the "Ask Us Station" for a prize.

First Day of Class Photo Booth + Treats

Monday, August 28, 9:30–11:30 a.m. | Michigan Tech Campus, Husky Statue

As you set sail on a new academic year, the Alumni Engagement Office welcomes you to kick off the school year with a sweet treat and a memorable first-day-of-class photo. Join...

First Day of Class Photo Booth and Treats

Monday, August 28, 9:30–11:30 a.m. | Husky Statue

As you set sail on a new academic year, the Alumni Engagement Office welcomes you to kick off the school year with a sweet treat and a memorable first day-of-class photo. Join...

EPSSI Seminar: Dr. John Seinfeld, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Caltech

Monday, August 28, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, Room 642

This event will be held in DOW 642. The Richard E. Honrath Memorial Lecture "Insight Into the Changing Sources of Ambient Aerosol in the Troposphere and to Celebrate Richard...

Race Practice

Monday, August 28, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. | East Houghton Waterfront Park

Race practices are pretty casual. We set a few marks in the portage and have a few races on Monday and Wednesday nights. Anyone is welcome to attend, regardless of sailing...

Men's Soccer Club travel team tryouts

Monday, August 28, 7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. | Sherman Field

The men's soccer club will be hosting our annual tryouts for the travel team on these dates, expect mandatory practice twice a week, optional open pickups once a week, as well...