October 19, 2023

Today (Oct. 19), starting at 9 a.m., Michigan Tech IT will be working with a vendor to apply upgrades to the campus phone and voicemail systems. Phones will continue to operate as normal and fail over to backup systems if necessary. Incoming and outgoing calls will be unavailable during a phone reboot, which will only take a few minutes.

The voicemail system will also be upgraded at this time. We’re testing the migration process now and will alert you ahead of time if there are any changes you’ll need to make.

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

Amanda Gonczi (GLRC) is a co-author of a paper selected by the American Chemical Society (ACS) as one of the New and Noteworthy papers published this year.

The authors have been invited to present their findings at the ACS Spring 2024 Meeting, being held March 17-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The paper, titled "Finding the variables that react: Relationships between ability beliefs and student achievement in an inquiry-based introductory chemistry laboratory course,” was published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

No. 17 Michigan Tech hockey continues their nonconference home stand this weekend. The Huskies are hosting Wisconsin.

The puck drops tomorrow (Oct. 20) at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday (Oct. 21) at 6:07 p.m. at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

It will be Wisconsin's first trip to Houghton since October 2011. Tech is 0-1-2 and the Badgers are 3-1-0.

Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net. Both games will be livestreamed on FloHockey (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech football team returns home for the first time in October, welcoming No. 9 Ferris State to Kearly Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 21).

The Huskies and Bulldogs will take the field for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Fans can listen in on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at Pasty.net. The game will be livestreamed on FloSports (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Job Postings for Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 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 – Human Factors Psychology, Cognitive and Learning Sciences. Apply online.

Assistant Sponsored Programs Accountant, Sponsored Programs Accounting. Apply online.
Contact: Kelly Kallio

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.

Ph.D. student Kobina Akyea Ofori (chemical engineering) is currently representing Michigan Tech and the Department of Chemical Engineering during a four-day intense training session in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the MINER BOOST research program and featuring tons of information and socialization opportunities.

MINER BOOST (Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resources - Business Orientation and Origination of Spinouts Training) is organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically ARPA-E (the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy), under Douglas Wicks, the program director for waste-to-energy projects.

The program caters to graduate students, stakeholders and investors, and aims to address the absence of a vibrant mining and mineral processing start-up community. It seeks to:

1. Create a community of mining and mineral processing innovators by bringing together students and postdocs from academic groups within the MINER program.
2. Teach participants practical skills related to pitching, networking and company building.
3. Develop case studies evaluating the commercial potential of current projects students and postdocs are working on within the MINER program.

Ofori expressed his enthusiasm about the journey thus far, stating, "The experience has been incredibly exciting!"

The Keweenaw Report covered the Higher Learning Commission’s approval of the Michigan Tech Bachelor of Science in Nursing, announced by the Office of the Provost on Oct. 17.

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Digital Engineering mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the impact 3D printers are having on toy and game manufacturers. MTU engineers were mentioned as co-authors of a 2017 study on how much home 3D printers could save consumers in the toy and game market. The study was covered by Michigan Tech News.

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the MiSTEM Network and how it benefits Copper Country students. The story called out Emily Geiger ’11 ’15 (B.S. Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), the network’s regional director for the Western Upper Peninsula, as a Tech grad.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned in a Board Converting News opinion piece on the 2030 outlook for manufacturing jobs and the need to include women and others traditionally underrepresented in the field. MTU was named as one of the educational institutions partnering with Domtar, a Wisconsin manufacturer.

CC Announces Launch of Undergraduate Research Journal

The College of Computing (CC) is pleased to announce the launch of the Infinite Loop Online Journal for Undergraduate Research and Applied Computing. The initiative reflects the college’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, intellectual rigor and research-based learning among undergraduate students. The Infinite Loop aims to serve as a premier platform for showcasing the research contributions of undergraduate students in the computing field and related disciplines.

A distinguishing feature of the Infinite Loop Online Journal is its inclusivity. The Loop welcomes submissions from undergraduates of all majors. Its scope includes interdisciplinary research and applications of computing in diverse fields such as data science, health informatics, information technology and digital humanities. This all-encompassing approach acknowledges the ubiquitous impact of computing technologies in various aspects of human life and societal progress.

To honor and motivate outstanding contributions, the journal is introducing awards for the following categories:

• Best Research Paper: Recognizing excellence in original research that contributes to the knowledge base in computing or related disciplines.

• Best Applied Computing Paper: Rewarding contributions that apply computing technologies to solve real-world problems.

• Best Interdisciplinary Paper: Celebrating research that bridges computing with other fields of study, resulting in innovative solutions or new understandings.

Submission Guidelines
The Infinite Loop is seeking submissions of original undergraduate research papers. Papers should describe student research conducted at Michigan Tech or an independent applied computing project of significant depth.

The deadline for fall 2023 submissions is Nov. 3 at 11:59 p.m. All papers will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the highest standards of academic integrity and quality.

Submissions should be 1,000 to 8,000 words in length (not including references), conform to IEEE Style Guidelines, contain at least 10 references, and have at least three figures, tables or code snippets.

For more information about submission guidelines, paper templates, the review process and other details visit, the Infinite Loop website or email loop@mtu.edu.

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Physics Colloquium with Reza Foudazi

Reza Foudazi from the University of Oklahoma will be presenting at this week's Physics Colloquium. The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m. today (Oct. 19) in Fisher 139.

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

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National Conflict Resolution Day

Today (Oct. 19) is National Conflict Resolution Day, a global event conceived in 2005 by the Association for Conflict Resolution to:

• Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict.
• Promote the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments and the legal system.
• Recognize the significant contributions of (peaceful) conflict resolvers.
• Obtain national synergy by having celebrations happen across the country and around the world on the same day.

The third Thursday of October has become a time to promote and celebrate peaceful conflict resolution practices worldwide. Dedicated dispute resolution practitioners are helping to educate the public about mediation and other innovative conflict management processes.

Michigan Tech's Conflict Resolution Network is working to raise awareness of the importance of mediation and conflict resolution. The network has a number of faculty and staff who are trained as mediators and/or facilitators to assist individuals with resolving interpersonal conflicts.

For more information, check out the Conflict Resolution Network at Michigan Tech.

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Presentation and Panel on Pumped Hydropower Potential

Learn how Michigan Tech and its research partners propose reusing mines for grid-scale support of the energy transition, unleashing the power of giant underground hydroelectric batteries to power our homes and businesses. Presentations featuring Timothy Scarlett, Roman Sidortsov, Chelsea Schelly, Shardul Tiwari (all SS) and industry partners, plus a live panel discussion, will take place tomorrow (Oct. 20) in the MUB from 9 a.m. to noon.

Tech is collaborating with Dairyland Power Cooperative and Mine Storage International AB (Mine Storage) to explore the potential for pumped storage hydropower in the Upper Midwest. Dairyland has been evaluating the development of underground pumped hydro at closed mines to support grid reliability for its members while repurposing retired industrial sites in an innovative way that supplies essential storage.

“Pumped hydro is an exciting opportunity for Dairyland as part of our commitment to adopting viable new storage technologies that support the clean energy transition,” said Dairyland President and CEO Brent Ridge. “The Mine Storage system brings unique benefits as it essentially recycles an existing, but unused, site into a flexible, carbon-free power storage system without some of the environmental concerns of traditional battery storage.”

What is pumped storage hydropower? It is an energy storage system familiar to those who know Michigan’s Ludington Pumped Hydropower Storage facility. Pumped hydro performs similarly to a giant battery, storing power in an upper pond or reservoir and then releasing it on demand — typically during times of high energy use. The facility generates power as water flows down from one reservoir to the other, passing through a turbine. When power is plentiful and inexpensive, the system pumps water back into the upper reservoir.

“The American market for energy storage is growing quickly,” said Mine Storage CEO Thomas Johansson. “We view Dairyland as a forward-thinking utility with an attractive location and a portfolio of energy resources. Dairyland also has a business strategy and corporate culture which makes a collaborative partnership ideal for us at Mine Storage when entering the U.S. market.”

Mine Storage (Stockholm, Sweden) develops abandoned mines into pumped hydro energy storage, a flexible resource similar to utility-scale battery storage. Instead of constantly drawing water from a river or lake, the natural resources are contained within a mine where the water quality can be monitored and used over and over. Information on the Mine Storage concept is available in Michigan Tech's 2023 Research Magazine and on Dairyland's website.

Michigan Tech continues to support the collaboration as Dairyland examines potential development options. The University has led significant research on the potential of pumped hydro storage systems in mines through grants provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

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

Thursday, October 19, 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...

MATLAB Workshop

Thursday, October 19, 2 p.m.–4 p.m. | Online

Free MATLAB Workshop! Women in Physics is hosting a MATLAB workshop that is available to anyone who is interested. It is a 7 week course that will begin with the basic...

Physics Colloquium with Dr. Reza Foudazi

Thursday, October 19, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 139

Reza Foudazi from the University of Oklahoma will be presenting at this week's Physics Colloquium. The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m., Thursday, October 19 in...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Fall 2023 Session 2

Thursday, October 19, 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...

Adult Huskies Swim Training Fall 2023 Session 2

Thursday, October 19, 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...

Weekly RedTeam Meeting

Thursday, October 19, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Rekhi G05

Join Michigan Tech's RedTeam for their weekly club meeting! Each meeting we discuss cyber news articles and give talks pertaining to the field of cybersecurity.

Drive-In Movie: Spaceballs

Thursday, October 19, 9 p.m.–11 p.m. | Walker Lawn/CDI Parking Lot

Come join us for a classic drive-in to start your Fall Break! On Walker Lawn, we will be showing Spaceballs, and you can watch either from the lawn or in a car in the CDI...

Drive-In Movie: Spaceballs

Thursday, October 19, 9 p.m.–11 p.m. | RAIN LOCATION: Fisher Hall, 135

Come join us for a classic drive-in to start your Fall Break! On Walker Lawn, we will be showing Spaceballs, and you can watch either from the lawn or in a car in the CDI...

Winter Coat & Boot Drive

October 19, all day | Michigan Tech Campus, Various locations on campus and in the community

The Husky Closet Collective is seeking winter coat and boot donations for the Clothing Closet at Michigan Tech. To help keep our Huskies warm, we need to secure donations of...