October 4, 2023

Writing in the Discipline (Write-D) and the Department of Mathematical Sciences (Math) are pleased to welcome Kyle Schwiebert as the department’s Write-D facilitator beginning in the second half of the fall 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, dissertations, 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:

• Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering: Catherine Rono
• Chemical Engineering: Grace Dykstra
• Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering: Miaomiao Li
• Mathematical Sciences: Kyle Schwiebert
• Physics: Alyssa Horne
• Social Sciences: Aritra Chakrabarty

For more information, including times and locations, visit the Write-D webpage.

Questions? Contact Write-D Coordinator Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

Following Senate Procedure 802.1.1, the following individuals have agreed to serve on the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) dean search committee.

• Capt. Dan Polakowski (AFROTC)
• Guiliang Tang (BioSci)
• Christo Christov (Chem)
• Shane Mueller (CLS)
• Oren Abeles (HU)
• Qinghui Chen (KIP)
• Teresa Woods (Math)
• Capt. Paul Weiss (Army ROTC)
• Yoke Khin Yap (Physics)
• Don Lafreniere (SS)
• Anne Beffel (VPA)
• Aritra Chakrabarty (alternate Karlee Westrem), Graduate Student Government
• Cole Pierucki (alternate Mariah Mellendorf), Undergraduate Student Government
• Heather Simpson (CSA), staff
• Melissa Baird (Grad School), at-large
• Dean Johnson (COB), at-large
• Dukka KC (CC), at-large
• Dan Carney (HR), ad-hoc
• Beth Lunde-Stockero (EOC/Title IX), ad-hoc

The committee has received their charge and already scheduled their first two committee meetings, which are open to faculty, staff and students.

The kickoff meeting, in which the committee will discuss the search process and job description, is scheduled for tomorrow (Oct. 5) at 12:15 p.m. in Fisher 139. The second meeting, to seek faculty, staff and student feedback related to the job description, is scheduled for next Thursday (Oct. 12) at 11:30 a.m. in GLRC 202.

Additional meetings open to faculty, staff and students will be announced by the committee through Tech Today.

University Marketing and Communications is proud to announce that Joel Vertin, executive director of digital marketing, and Heather Powers, digital content manager, have taken up pivotal positions on the HighEdWeb Leadership Academy Committee.

Vertin serves as program co-chair, while Powers has assumed the role of session moderator. Both will serve two-year terms on the committee. Their involvement not only showcases their dedication to advancing digital innovation in higher education but also underscores their commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in the field.

The HighEdWeb Association is a prestigious international organization of dedicated professionals who are at the forefront of shaping the digital landscape in higher education.

With a diverse array of leadership topics, the Leadership Academy boasts presentations from industry experts and leaders in higher education. Attendees have the unique opportunity to engage in immersive activities and discussions that foster deeper learning and broaden their perspectives on leadership. Themes covered include strengths-based leadership, strategic planning frameworks, digital governance and effective team management.

The registration deadline to attend the 2023 Leadership Academy is next Friday (Oct. 13). Registration for online attendance at HighEdWeb’s 2023 Annual Conference ends Sunday (Oct. 8).

The Essential Education leadership team is hosting two workshops next week and one workshop in November to begin developing Essential Education minors.

The first workshops will take place next week on Monday (Oct. 9) and Wednesday (Oct. 11) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Alley Makerspace. Participants should plan to attend both sessions — on Monday and Wednesday — to complete the workshop. This workshop will be an opportunity to generate ideas for Essential Education minor themes. We will not be making any final decisions at these sessions. Please come with an open mind — ready to share your ideas and listen to others.

Sign up for the Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 workshops.

If you are not able to attend next week’s workshops, there will be another workshop on developing Essential Education minors on Nov. 17 from 2-5 p.m., also in the Alley Makerspace.

Sign up for the Nov. 17 workshop.

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 5) in MEEM 112.

Bhisham Sharma will present “Enabling Structural Multi-Functionality Through Additive Manufacturing.“

Sharma's research mission is to create new knowledge and address technology challenges at the intersection of structural mechanics, dynamics and acoustics.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences (Math) is proud to host another Kliakhandler Lecture Series, bringing a top mathematician to campus to present a pair of lectures.

David Colton of the University of Delaware will present two lectures — tomorrow (Oct. 5) and Friday (Oct. 6) — sponsored by the Math department and funded by a generous gift from former faculty member Igor Kliakhandler.

Colton is an internationally renowned pioneer and leader in the area of direct and inverse scattering theory. He has won numerous honors and his publications have been cited over 23,000 times on Google Scholar as well as 7,000 times on MathSciNet.

• Lecture 1 — "Inverse Problems in Applied Mathematics"
  Thursday, Oct. 5, from 5-6 p.m. in Fisher 138
  Open to the Public
  In Colton's first lecture, he will give a broad overview of inverse problems in applied mathematics. He will begin by giving as an example the initial boundary value problem for the backwards heat equation and use the method of separation of variables to show that this inverse problem can be reduced to the problem of solving an integral equation of the first kind. He will then show by simple examples that solving integral equations of the first kind is an ill-posed problem and show that nevertheless, under appropriate assumptions, a unique solution can be obtained through a method known as Tikhonov regularization. He will conclude our lecture by considering an inverse problem arising in nondestructive testing and show how this problem can be solved through the use of Tikhonov regularization.

• Lecture 2 — "Eigenvalue Problems in Scattering Theory"
  Friday, Oct. 6, from 1-2 p.m. in Fisher 329
  Open to Math Faculty and Students 
  Colton's second talk will be a departmental research lecture delivered to the faculty and students of the Math department. The aim of this lecture is to introduce this class of nonselfadjoint eigenvalue problems to a general mathematical audience who may have no expertise in scattering theory itself. In particular, Colton will give a brief introduction to acoustic scattering theory and then introduce the transmission eigenvalue problem, as well as two related eigenvalue problems which have recently been shown to play an important role in nondestructive testing.

The Michigan Tech Blue Line Club is hosting its first luncheon of the season next Friday (Oct. 13) at 11:45 a.m. in the 'old' Blue Line Room outside of University Images. The event is open to the public and costs $15 per person.

Tickets need to be purchased by 5 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 11) to guarantee lunch and can be purchased online, by calling the Central Ticket Office at 906-487-2073, or by visiting the ticket office in person.

Payment will not be accepted after Tuesday at 5 p.m. Chicken salad croissants with chips, cookies, fruit, pop and water will be served. 

Michigan Tech hockey head coach Joe Shawhan and Alaska coach Erik Largen will be on hand to talk about Tech's home-opening nonconference series against the Nanooks.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Wednesday (Oct. 4)
• Valorant vs. Stony Brook University, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Premier
• Call of Duty vs. University of North Carolina, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Plus
• Rocket League B vs. Lubbock Christian University, 9 p.m. NACE Varsity Plus

Thursday (Oct. 5)
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Purdue University Fort Wayne, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Premier

Friday (Oct. 6)
• Counter-Strike 2 vs. Missouri State University, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Premier

Saturday (Oct. 7)
• Overwatch 2 vs. TBD, 2 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Activision Blizzard Collegiate

Times are subject to change. Check Twitter @MTUEsports for updates.

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Esports News
Read more in the MTU Esports weekly update.

Watch MTU Esports on Twitch.

Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) was quoted and Ph.D. student Natalie Nold (chemical engineering) was pictured by Chemical & Engineering News Magazine in a photo essay featuring images of the laboratories where C&EN readers work and what makes those spaces special to them. A version of the essay appeared in Volume 101, Issue 32 of the magazine.

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Joel Vertin (UMC) was interviewed by the Higher Education Web Professionals Association's Link Journal for a Q&A about how to give award-winning conference presentations.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned by Trains Magazine, Metro Magazine, Mass Transit Magazine and Railway Age as one of the inaugural institutional members of the new National University Rail Center of Excellence (NURail CoE). The center’s inception was announced earlier this week by the Federal Railroad Administration.

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The Iron Mountain Daily News previewed Michigan Tech Music’s upcoming New Music in the Mine concerts, being presented tomorrow (Oct. 5) and Friday (Oct. 6) at the Quincy Mine No. 2 Hoist House.

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Great Lakes Now mentioned Michigan Tech and the Isle Royale Winter Study in a story discussing a decision conservationists are facing more and more frequently: whether and how to intervene in the face of rapid human-induced changes.

VPR Requesting C2E2 Proposals for Impactful Equipment

The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) requests Century II Campaign Endowed Equipment Fund (C2E2) proposals.

The C2E2 program is aimed at providing funds to purchase equipment that will have a campuswide impact and improve the lives of faculty, staff and students.

The submission deadline is 4 p.m. next Friday (Oct. 13). Late submissions will not be accepted.

For more information and proposal submission requirements, visit the C2E2 website.

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Chairlift Colors Tours at Mont Ripley

Mont Ripley is once again offering chairlift rides to Michigan Tech students and community members for fall color viewing. Come see the spectacular fall colors and view Michigan Tech's campus from the top of Mont Ripley!

Come see the colors:

• Saturday, Oct. 7, from 12-6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 8, from 12-6:30 p.m.
  
  
• Saturday, Oct. 14, from 12-6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 15, from 12-6:30 p.m.

Dates and times are subject to change due to weather and colors.
Check Mont Ripley's website or our Facebook page for updates.

Ticket Information
Advance tickets can be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the lift are cash only. Prices are $10 for adults and $8 for Michigan Tech students with ID. Children 10 and under ride free with an adult.

Proceeds from color tours benefit Mont Ripley's chair lift improvement projects, Mont Ripley’s Volunteer Ski Patrol, and the new Copper Country Snowsports Club.

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Husky FAN Donations Needed!

Greetings All,

The Husky Food Access Network (FAN) needs your help! Last year was a huge success and we gave out over 7,000 pounds of food. Please consider donating to help us continue to fight food insecurity on the Michigan Tech campus this year. We accept any non-expired, nonperishable goods as well as basic toiletries.

Food can be donated in the gray bin outside the Husky FAN pantry located in Fisher Hall. Please also follow us on social media on Facebook and Instagram. Lastly, check out our schedule to find out when we will be open next.

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Fifth Annual People of the Heart Water Walk to Take Place in the Keweenaw

The People of the Heart Water Walkers will host the fifth annual Water Walk to honor water gifts from Saturday to Monday (Oct. 7-9).

The Water Walk is conducted through Anishinaabe ceremonial protocol with traditional understandings of the natural environment. Anishinaabekweg from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will assist in the walk. In this work, women lead the ceremony carrying a copper vessel filled with nibi, the Anishinaabe word for water. The water continually moves through the 1842 ceded territory throughout the day. An eagle staff is carried beside them as protector.

All are welcome to join in this important work for water. Please be welcome to connect anywhere along the route (see below). If you are able, please consider donating food or money to help us feed the walkers. Donations will enable our cooking team to provide breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to the walkers. To donate, please sign up online. 

Water Walk Route:

• Saturday, Oct. 7 — Sunrise ceremony at Astor Shipwreck Park, Copper Harbor; we will walk toward Mohawk, Michigan (following M26 to the Eagle River cutoff road).
• Sunday, Oct. 8 — Water lifts near Mohawk; we will walk toward Chassell, Michigan (following M26 from Calumet/Laurium).
• Monday, Oct. 9 — Water lifts near Chassell; we will walk to Sand Point Lighthouse in Baraga, Michigan.

The conclusion of the three-day event coincides with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This annual day of celebration, which falls on Monday (Oct. 9), honors the peoples, histories and cultures of Indigenous populations across the Americas.

For more information about the walk, visit the People of the Heart Water Walkers' Facebook page.

Sponsors of the walk include the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Campaign of Upper Michigan, the Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region, and the Mariner North in Copper Harbor.

People of the Heart Water Walkers joins those of all colors, faiths and philosophies to work together for life’s most precious gift — nibi.

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Register a Site for Make a Difference Day!

We are just one month away from our largest annual day of service — Make a Difference Day!

Last year, 448 Huskies gave back at 60 unique service sites across the Keweenaw. We anticipate a similar number of volunteers for this year’s event, which will take place Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Do you know of an organization, agency or community member who is in need of assistance? We can help! Request support yourself by completing our site registration form or pass it on to others who would benefit from having some Husky Helpers.

Past activities completed by our volunteers include organizing donations, chopping wood, cleaning storage facilities, fall lawn cleanup, trail maintenance and more.

Thank you for your help to make a difference in our community!

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On-Campus Meetings Available with TIAA Financial Consultant

Ryan Hallowell from Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) will be available on Michigan Tech's campus on the following dates for one-on-one sessions.

• Tuesday, Oct. 10 — Wadsworth Cherry Room
• Wednesday, Oct. 11 — Wadsworth Cherry Room
• Thursday, Oct. 12 — Wadsworth Cherry Room
• Friday, Oct. 13 — Wadsworth Cherry Room

No matter where you are in life — just getting started or planning for retirement — a session with Hallowell can help you create a plan for your goals. And, it's at no cost as a part of your retirement plan. You'll get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

RSVP today, as space is limited. Register for sessions with TIAA directly, or register by calling 800-732-8353 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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PhD Defense: Chen Zhao, AC

Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering student Zhao Chen will present his dissertation defense today (Oct. 4) from 4-6 p.m. in Rekhi 101 and via Zoom.

The title of Chen's dissertation is “Deep Learning for Medical Image Segmentation using Prior Knowledge and Topology.”

Zhao is advised by Weihua Zhou.

Join the Zoom meeting.

Read the defense abstract on the Computing News Blog.

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Faith Fair

Join faith-based student organizations and local congregations/faith-based groups in the first-ever Faith Fair today (Oct. 4) from 12-2 p.m.

Groups will be set up on the lawn between Fisher Hall and the Van Pelt and Opie Library to share information and resources with the campus community.

The fair is being sponsored by the Dean of Students Office, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Student Leadership and Involvement, and the Cooperative Campus Ministry.

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

Wednesday, October 4, 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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Faith Fair

Wednesday, October 4, 12 p.m.–2 p.m. | The lawn between Fisher and the Library

Join MTU and the surrounding community in celebrating it's diverse religious organizations with the first-ever Faith Fair! This event is sponsored by the Dean of Students...

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SciENcv: Creating Biosketches, C&P Docs, and Changes to NSF PAPPG

Wednesday, October 4, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

As of October 23, 2023, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will begin requiring that all senior personnel listed on NSF proposals use an online tool called SciENcv to...

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Flu Shot Clinics

Wednesday, October 4, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. | Rozsa (Lobby)

The Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being is partnering with UP Health Systems to bring students, faculty, and staff accessible flu shot clinics throughout the month...

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PhD Defense: Chen Zhao

Wednesday, October 4, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Rekhi Hall, 101

Computational Science & Engineering Advisor: Weihua Zhou Deep Learning for Medical Image Segmentation using Prior Knowledge and Topology Attend Virtually:...

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Race Practice

Wednesday, October 4, 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...

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Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, October 4, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher 133

Students For Life General Meeting

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Showcase [AI] Reception

Wednesday, October 4, 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), Boathouse and 201/202

Please join Showcase [AI] for a reception showcasing AI-related projects and research from MTU faculty and students. In addition, we will celebrate the College of Computing...

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Board Game Group

Wednesday, October 4, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | WADS Annex

Come join one of the counselors and play some board games!

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Leading Scholar Webcast

Wednesday, October 4, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.

Join us to learn more about Michigan Tech's premier scholarship program, the Leading Scholar Award!

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USG Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, October 4, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge

This meeting includes weekly updates from all representatives, liaison positions, and committees. Official business carried out by USG is conducted throughout old and new...

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Showcase[AI] 2023

October 4, all day

Save the date! The 2023 Showcase[AI], hosted by the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC), will be presented October 4-6, 2023. Details will be shared shortly.