September 26, 2023

Michigan Tech, in collaboration with UP Health System – Portage, is excited to announce our on-campus flu shot clinics schedule for this fall:

• Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 4-6 p.m. — Rozsa Lobby
• Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Rozsa Lobby
• Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Rozsa Lobby
• Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 4-6 p.m. — SDC Wood Gym Balcony

A few things to remember for this year’s flu shot clinics:

• There's no need to make an appointment — all flu shot clinics are walk-in friendly.
• Be sure to have a valid copy of your insurance card (or a very clear picture of the front and back of the card) with you when you arrive.
• Be sure to fill out the Influenza Vaccination Authorization Form before you arrive
• Flu shots are $40 for those who do not have insurance, payable by cash, check or credit card.

Full details on the flu clinics can be found by visiting the Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being webpage, and questions can be directed to counseling@mtu.edu.

If you are interested in participating in a working group or in a leadership role to support the implementation of Essential Education, Michigan Tech's revised general education curriculum, please express your interest in participation using the Essential Education Implementation Team and Task Forces form. We will be accepting responses until Friday (Sept. 29).

In addition to supporting a campuswide change, these roles will provide valuable networking and professional development opportunities for individuals who are interested in expanding their on-campus networks or gaining valuable experience for taking on future leadership roles.

Do you know a student who might be interested in learning more about the Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech? Or a student who wants to join an Enterprise, but is not sure which team is right for them? Please take a moment to invite any and all students to Enterprise Day, happening next Tuesday (Oct. 3) from 6-8 p.m. in the Rosza lobby.

During this time, students will learn more about Enterprise by talking with program staff and students from various Enterprise teams, all in one place. Teams will be spread out across the Rosza lobby.

Students will be able to visit with:

Advanced Metalworks • Aerospace • Alternative Energy • Blizzard Baja • Blue Marble Security • BoardSport Technologies • Built World • Clean Snowmobile Challenge • Consumer Product Manufacturing • Formula SAE • Green Campus • H-STEM • Hotforest • Humane Interface Design Enterprise • Husky Game • Innovative Global Solutions • ITOxygen • Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE) • Open Source • Robotic Systems • Strategic Education through Naval Systems Experiences (SENSE) • Supermileage Systems • Velovations • Wireless Communication

For more information about each team, please visit our Enterprise Day website.

All interested students who would like to attend are welcome — no registration needed. If students have any questions, please reach out to enterprise@mtu.edu.

The next guest speaker in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series is Megan Killian, who will present "Illuminating the mechanical adaptation of musculoskeletal interfaces" on Friday (Sept. 29) at 4 p.m. in person in M&M 610 and virtually via Zoom.

Killian received her B.S. and Ph.D. from Michigan Tech and is now an assistant professor in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Michigan.

Vaishali Sharma will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series on Thursday (Sept. 28) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202A.

Sharma is a third-year Ph.D. student in biological sciences at Michigan Tech. She works with Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) in the Heldt Bioseparations Lab, where she investigates how to inactivate viruses using various antiviral materials. She applies techniques such as chemical force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and virus infectivity assays to understand the mechanisms of virus inactivation.

Sharma's presentation is titled "Copper infused clay mineral for virus inactivation."

From the abstract:
Infectious agents can be transmitted from the source to a host, often by aerosols, droplets, and fomites. Breaking the chain of infection during transmission is essential to manage the spread of infection. Antiviral materials and coatings with self-sterilizing properties could reduce viral loads from fomites. Copper-based alloys, nanomaterials, and coating technologies have proven effective against various enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Nevertheless, the development and application of Cu-based antivirals have increased the ecological constraint of the accumulation of Cu ions in the environment. Various copper-based composites, like copper-infused phyllosilicate minerals, polymers, glass, etc., offer strategies to confine the metal and reduce the concentration of metals leaching into the environment. Phyllosilicate minerals infused with cupric ions (Cu2+) can act as antiviral materials for fomite coatings. We used different methods to investigate how the Cu2+ ions interact with the viruses and affect their infectivity. We measured the morphology of phyllosilicate minerals, infusion, and release of the Cu2+ ions from the phyllosilicate minerals. We also tested the effect of EDTA, a chelating agent, and BSA, a blocking agent, on the virus removal by the Cu2+-modified minerals. Our results showed that the Cu2+ ions were involved in virus inactivation and surface adsorption. This suggests that phyllosilicate minerals with Cu2+ ions could reduce viral transmission from fomites while minimizing the environmental impact of copper accumulation.

Isaac Bigcraft will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series on Thursday (Sept. 28) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202A.

Bigcraft is a biochemistry and molecular biology Ph.D. student at Michigan Tech, working with Stephen Techtmann (BioSci) in the Techtmann Lab. Bigcraft's research focuses are microbial ecology and bioinformatics; specifically, applying machine learning techniques to the modeling of environmental microbes.

Bigcraft's presentation is titled "Predicting Oil Contamination in the Great Lakes Using Microbial Communities."

From the abstract:
Microbial community composition can shift dramatically in response to oil contamination. These microbial biomarkers can be identified by machine learning models in order to predict contamination and aid in environmental monitoring. 16S rRNA data from three different Great Lakes oil amendment microcosm studies was used to train machine learning models and explore their ability to predict oil contamination in the Great Lakes. The resulting random forest models were highly accurate, even when trained on as few as ten taxa. However, when testing the trained models with a wider variety of data from different times, locations, or sequencing runs, accuracy fell as the models lacked generalizability. Despite this, the accuracy of the models demonstrate the potential of microbial communities as biosensors able to identify trace amounts of oil and aid in determining spill origins.

The Department of Humanities invites the campus community to a Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) Fall Brown Bag Series presentation on Oct. 6 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Petersen Library (Walker 318).

RTC graduate student Tucker Nielsen will present: "Deconstructing Writing Pedagogy with LEGO: Exploring Methods for Engaging STEM Students Further in Writing Pedagogy Spaces."

Writing centers and writing classrooms have tendencies to focus on a pure linguistic approach to teaching composition. This presentation will explore alternative methods for engaging with students of different disciplines outside the humanities, including the use of LEGO bricks to practice critical thinking, creative writing and composing rhetoric effectively. Pulling from the concepts of metonymy and deconstruction, using LEGO bricks enables students to translate familiar objects to subjects otherwise foreign or barely practiced. We will briefly examine a few exercises instructors or writing coaches can do with their students to see these principles in effect.

Michigan Tech football's kicker/punter Drew Wyble has been named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Wyble accounted for 10 points for the Huskies in their 34-31 comeback victory against Upper Iowa. He went two-for-two in field goals, hitting a career-high 49-yard field goal, along with a 30-yard field goal to solidify the win and help Michigan Tech to its best start since the 2015 season.

Wyble also was perfect on extra points, making all four attempts.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Hannah Loughlin finished seventh overall to highlight the Michigan Tech cross country teams' efforts at the Roy Griak Invitational. The races were hosted by the University of Minnesota at the Les Bolstad Golf Course on Friday (Sept. 22).

"We had a rough day out there today," head coach Kristina Owen said. "I think it was a confluence of variables that added up to not racing to our overall ability as a team. Although, we did have some bright spots — Hannah Loughlin's seventh-place finish was a highlight, and Sawyer Fowler dropped over a minute from his time last year. We'll make some adjustments and move forward."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech soccer team went unbeaten on their weekend road trip and remains tied with Grand Valley State for first place in the GLIAC.

The Huskies' three-game win streak came to an end with a scoreless draw against Saginaw Valley State at the Robert C. Braddock Field on Friday (Sept. 22).

"I felt that our team played shutdown defense tonight knowing some of the offensive threats that SVSU has," head coach Turk Ozturk said. "They are a talented group and are well coached. We had a few opportunities to get on the scoreboard but missed our chances."

Tech overcame a charging Ferris State offense in the second half, winning 2-1 at the Bulldog Soccer Field on Sunday (Sept. 24).

"It was a successful weekend away and it was a great game today," Ozturk said. "Ferris is such a talented opponent. We saw an amazing goal by Emilie Clayton off a nice service free kick from Cassie (Bonifas) and another beautiful long-range goal from Cassie Bonifas. We also saw an incredible effort by our defense, who locked it in after Ferris scored late in the second half — which made the last 15 minutes very interesting."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech volleyball split their weekend matches on the road.

The Huskies fell 3-1 at Parkside on Friday (Sept. 22) in their first GLIAC road match of the season. Tech won the first set 25-23 before the Rangers took the final three, 25-21, 25-18 and 25-20.

"Credit to coach Leigh (Barea) and Parkside for playing tough and getting it done tonight," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "They outplayed us in a lot of ways, none more so than the amount of heart they battled with."

The Huskies recovered to defeat Purdue Northwest 3-2 Saturday (Sept. 23) with a come-from-behind victory in Indiana. Tech trailed 2-1 and the result looked similar to Friday's, but the Black and Gold responded on the road, winning the fourth set in extra points and snapping the Pride's seven-game winning streak with a 15-10 win in the fifth.

"We talk a lot about resilience in our locker room and how we decide to respond to certain situations in a match or throughout the season," Jennings said. "While there definitely have been moments so far this year we'd like back, today we showed a lot of guts and fought hard when our backs were against the wall. Our resilience paid off here today, and I'm exceptionally proud of our team for pulling this one off."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

The Michigan Tech football team outscored Upper Iowa 27-7 in the second half to complete a 34-31 comeback at Harms-Eischeid Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 23).

With the win, the Huskies rise to 3-0 on the season, marking their best start since the 2015 season.

"To go on the road for the second week in a row, it says a lot about our locker room with the way things were at halftime to come out and play the way they did," head coach Dan Mettlach said. "They never gave up and I'm really proud of them for that. I can't say enough about the way everyone stayed with it and the interactions on the sideline were always positive."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech volleyball is hosting Northern Michigan today (Sept. 26) to begin a five-match home stretch.

The first serve is set for 6 p.m. at the SDC Gym. The match will be aired locally on FOX-UP. Fans can also watch the livestream on FloSports (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Tech is 4-8 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC. The Huskies also host Lake Superior State on Friday (Sept. 29) and Ferris State on Saturday (Sept. 30).

Read the preview at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Tuesday (Sept. 26)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM
• Volleyball vs. Northern Michigan, 6 p.m. at SDC Gym on FOX-UP and FloSports

Friday (Sept. 29)
• Soccer vs. Davenport, 6 p.m. at Kearly Stadium on FloSports
• Volleyball vs. Lake Superior State, 7 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM and FloSports

Saturday (Sept. 30)
• Men's Tennis at ITA Regionals at Grand Valley State
• Football vs. Davenport, 1 p.m. at Kearly Stadium on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM and FloSports
• Volleyball vs. Ferris State, 4 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM and FloSports

Sunday (Oct. 1)
• Men's Tennis at ITA Regionals at Grand Valley State
• Soccer vs. Grand Valley State, Noon at Kearly Stadium on FloSports

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Sept. 26, 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.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering. Apply online.

Assistant Teaching Professor, Biomedical Engineering. Apply online.

Assistant Professor, Computer Science. Apply online.

Assistant Teaching Professor, Computer Science. 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.

Paul van Susante (ME-EM) was quoted by Forbes in a story about development and testing of Lockeed Martin’s inflatable space habitat, made of a strong, light and flexible polymer yarn that’s comparable to Kevlar and 10 times stronger than aluminum. Van Susante commented on the efficiency of inflatables in space travel, prior testing and applications, and design considerations for future applications.

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Nancy French (MTRI) was quoted by Carbon Brief in a summary of a National Academies workshop addressing the challenges and opportunities in measuring, modeling and managing greenhouse gas emissions from wildland fires. The story described French’s comments, made during the workshop’s opening session, about how fire is changing across the Arctic region and boreal forests, in tropical regions, and in temperate forests. The workshop was held Sept. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. 

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Tara Bal (CFRES/ESC) was quoted by the New York Times in a story listing five places to see outstanding fall colors this year. Bal commented on how stress can affect a tree’s autumn leaf colors.

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Robert Nemiroff (Physics) was a guest on "Coast to Coast AM," an overnight radio program aired by 600 radio stations across the U.S., on Sunday (Sept. 24). The show’s titular topic was “UFOs & Theology / Paradoxes of Light Travel.”

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Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Bates (Army ROTC) and MTU undergraduate Faith Oard were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story about recruiting for military careers in the Copper Country.

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Michigan Tech undergrad Alexander Kwapisz (electrical engineering) was quoted by the Wall Street Journal in a story highlighting unexpected heavyweights among the WSJ’s list of top schools for salary impact — how much a college boosts salaries earned by students after graduation. The list ranked MTU 12th overall in the nation and second-highest for public universities. The story was picked up by MSN.

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Michigan State University’s Spartan Newsroom mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about higher enrollment rates at a few Michigan universities, despite a statewide decline. As announced by Michigan Tech News earlier this month, overall enrollment at the University is up 3.5% compared to last year.

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Michigan Advance mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the new Michigan Assured Admission Pact between 10 of the state’s public universities. Per the pact, members will guarantee admission to recent high school grads with a GPA of 3.0 or higher starting in fall 2024. Michigan Tech is one of five universities not participating in the pact at this time.

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Blue Water Healthy Living quoted Michigan Tech’s What are the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)? webpage in a story about the widespread visibility of the northern lights on Sept. 18.

Bias in External Review Letters: Recommendations for Promotion and Tenure Committees

In academia, promotion and tenure reviews are pivotal for career progression. Join our workshop to gain crucial insights into promoting equity and fairness within promotion and tenure evaluations. Through interactive sessions, explore strategies to enhance inclusivity and equity in these assessments, and receive practical recommendations and templates for navigating the promotion and tenure review process effectively.

Drawing from a critical analysis of 75 publicly available templates for requesting external promotion and tenure review letters, our workshop deepens your understanding of potential biases, particularly those affecting women and faculty of color. Regardless of your career stage, our workshop offers practical recommendations for enhancing the promotion and tenure process.

Join us for this free virtual workshop on fostering more equitable academic environments, where all individuals have a fair opportunity to achieve their academic and career goals.

There are two offerings of the same workshop:

• Tuesday, Sept. 26, from 3-4 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 10-11 a.m. ET

Register to attend the workshop.

We hope to see you there!

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Cybersecurity CEO to Present Entrepreneurship Journey

Join us for an entrepreneurship talk with Rob Cote ’85, Michigan Tech alum and founder and CEO of Security Vitals, a cybersecurity organization.

Cote has founded and led two companies in the cybersecurity space. He will share misconceptions about entrepreneurship and insights gleaned from his experience as a startup CEO. He will discuss how he and his company stay focused on delivering value-added products and services to the customer in a dynamic environment. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend.

We will meet today (Sept. 26) from 2-3 p.m. in Chem Sci 211. Josue Reynoso (COB) is co-hosting this talk during his Management of Technology and Innovation class, and it is open to the Tech community.

Please register to attend the talk. After registration, a Google Calendar invite with a Zoom link will be sent.

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Office Hours with Startup Pitch Mentor Joe Corso

Are you working on a pitch or business model for your new venture? Do you have an innovative idea? In his free time, Michigan Tech alum Joe Corso (B.S. Electrical Engineering) mentors entrepreneurs at a business accelerator in Austin, Texas, and has scheduled online office hours to mentor our Husky Innovate startup teams.

Corso has an impressive record of leading new initiatives throughout his corporate career. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and wants to help Tech innovators move their ideas forward. Office hours will be held regularly throughout the year. If you are a faculty or advisor, please encourage students working on startups to attend.

Register to attend Fall Office Hours with Joe Corso.

This fall, we will meet online with Corso from 4-5 p.m. EST, on four dates: today (Sept. 26), Oct. 19, Nov. 9 and Nov. 30. Spots for Office hours are limited and based on availability. After we receive your registration, we will follow up with a Google Calendar invite and Zoom link to confirm.

About Joe Corso
Corso is the founder and president of TouchPoint Inc., where he provides management consulting to various technology companies in the Austin, Texas, area. Prior to that, he held executive management positions at IBM, Picture Network International (sold to Kodak), Dazel (sold to HP), AlterPoint and Mirage Networks.

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

Layered in Between: Prints by Erin Hoffman Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Tuesday, September 26, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

Erin Hoffman is an artist and printmaker from Muskegon, Michigan, who deals primarily with political and social concerns. Through the presentation of mismatched ideas and...

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Homecoming Puppy Pop-Up

Tuesday, September 26, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | Various locations around campus

DOGGIES! Join our athletes for some puppy luv around campus. Athletes and other volunteers will be positioned and walking throughout campus to drum up excitement for the...

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Moving your Research Forward with GrantForward

Tuesday, September 26, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Join the Research Development and GrantForward teams to learn how to use this comprehensive tool to move your research program forward. In addition to system basics, the team...

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The Entrepreneurship Journey with Rob Cote

Tuesday, September 26, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 211

Join Husky Innovate and the College of Business for an entrepreneurship talk with Rob Cote, Michigan Tech alum and Founder and CEO of Security Vitals, a cyber security...

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Boys' Basketball Little Huskies

Tuesday, September 26, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC)

Learning skills, working as a team, and having fun: that’s Michigan Tech’s Boys’ Basketball Little Huskies League. It’s about the best introduction to basketball you can...

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Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Fall 2023 Session 1

Tuesday, September 26, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the...

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Adult Huskies Swim Training Fall 2023 Session 1

Tuesday, September 26, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

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...

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Student Community Meals

Tuesday, September 26, 5:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Cooked by students, for students this new community meal is always homemade and always free. Enjoy cooking or looking for an outlet to volunteer? Meal prep begins at 5p.m....

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(Women's Volleyball) Northern Michigan vs. Michigan Tech

Tuesday, September 26, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Wood Gym

Women's Volleyball: Northern Michigan vs. Michigan Tech

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Bonfire Rush @ Sigma Pi

Tuesday, September 26, 8 p.m.–10 p.m. | Sigma Pi

Come enjoy a relaxing night with the brothers of Sigma Pi. The bonfire will be at the Sigma Pi house.

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Little Huskies Volleyball Club

September 26, all day | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Wood Gym

Focus on fun while you learn to play volleyball! Our Little Huskies Volleyball Club is the perfect way to explore the basics of an active and energetic sport. Once you get...