October 31, 2023

Michigan Tech has received $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop DRIFT: a practical tool that can model a low-carbon, intermodal freight transportation system of the future.

Led by Kuilin Zhang (CEGE), the project is titled “A Decarbonized and Resilient Intermodal Freight Transportation (DRIFT) Modeling Platform for Intermodal Logistical Decisions Under Uncertainty.” Co-PIs are Chee-Wooi Ten (ECE) and Tim Colling (CTT).

An intermodal shipping system moves goods internationally or domestically using more than one mode of transportation, such as container ships, trains and semi trucks. DRIFT is one of six projects nationwide and the only one in Michigan funded by the DOE through the Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) exploratory topic: INcreasing Transportation Efficiency and Resiliency through MODeling Assets and Logistics (INTERMODAL).

Learn how DRIFT will save costs, time and energy shipping by sea, rail and roadway at Michigan Tech News.

The provost’s office has established a new working group to develop a curriculum roadmap to ensure that Michigan Tech continues to offer academic programs that are attractive to future students, and to ensure that Michigan Tech graduates continue to meet the needs of employers.

Over the next two years (academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25), members of this working group will collaborate with colleagues across the University to develop the roadmap as a guiding document that will prepare graduates for 2030 and beyond.

The curriculum roadmap will be a forward-focused plan that can guide investment in the continued development of existing programs and the development of new programs. It will help answer questions relating to what the portfolio of undergraduate academic programs will look like as we work toward our 2035 University goals.

The working group includes the associate deans who have responsibility for undergraduate programs in each college, as well as representatives from the Office of the Registrar, the Advising Council, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the University Senate. The group will engage with department chairs and faculty to review existing programs, including ensuring that existing programs are integrated with the new Essential Education program. It will also work with them to identify opportunities to develop new academic programs.

Members of this group include:

• Andrew Storer, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
• Marika Seigel (chair), associate provost for undergraduate education; dean, PHC
• Leonard Bohmann, associate dean for academic affairs, CoE
• Maria Bergstrom, associate dean for undergraduate education, CSA
• Molly Cavaleri (co-chair), associate dean, CFRES
• Chuck Wallace, associate dean for curriculum and instruction, CC
• Mari Buche, associate dean, COB
• Tayler Haapapuro, advising council, academic advisor and outreach coordinator, KIP
• Theresa Jacques, registrar, Office of the Registrar
• Darren Bausano, assistant registrar, Office of the Registrar
• Paige Short, associate director of operations, ODI
• John Lehman, vice president for university relations and enrollment
• Anne Beffel, professor, VPA; University Senate representative

Michigan Tech, to maintain compliance with federal and state regulations, conducts annual information security awareness training. This mandatory training program is designed to assist our employees in understanding the importance of information security and privacy and their role in keeping the University's sensitive information safe.

This training contains multiple modules and should take about 30 minutes to complete. The modules do not all need to be completed in one sitting, so this can be spread out over time. Each individual module must be completed in a single viewing. There is also a second course with optional modules that are not required but are made available, as they may be pertinent to personal privacy and online security.

Starting next Tuesday (Nov. 7), employees will receive an enrollment email, after which they’ll have four weeks to complete the training program. A link in the email will direct them to the security training website.

The site will authenticate employees through Michigan Tech’s Secure Sign-On Site, where they can sign in with their Michigan Tech credentials and proceed with the training.

If you have any questions, we can help. Contact IT or call 7-1111.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 692 at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 1) in Dow 642.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 692.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) Dean Search Committee will be holding a meeting today (Oct. 31) at 9 a.m. in Noblet (Forestry) G004.

The meeting is open to all Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students.

Menu for Thursday (Nov. 2):

• Herb Crusted Chicken Breast
• Tortellini Primavera
• Caesar Salad (Contains Egg, Dairy, Wheat, Fish, Soy)
• Parmesan Polenta (Contains Dairy)
• Chef Vegetables
• Breadsticks (Contains Dairy, Egg, Wheat)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Tech for this week's C-Cubed Luncheon on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C-Cubed, or C3, lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by chef Luis Delgado and his culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea and cookies are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $15 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

To join the C-Cubed Google Group and receive weekly menus, please complete the C-Cubed Luncheon Email List form.

Two films screening during the 41 North Film Festival will offer audiences a glimpse of technology from the past and future.

• Time Bomb Y2K — Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m.
  Whether you remember where you were on Dec. 31, 1999, or wonder what your parents were doing, "Time Bomb Y2K" (Becker/McDonald, 2023) takes us back to the moment when the threat of infrastructural breakdown loomed large. Told through archival footage from 1997-2000, the film screens on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 7 p.m.
  Panel Discussion: A panel discussion and Q&A will follow the film, featuring Steven Walton, associate professor of history; Charles Wallace, associate professor of computer science; and Jason Archer, assistant professor of communication and media technologies.

• Another Body — Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3:30 p.m.
  Continuing the discussion about technology on Sunday (Nov. 5) with a different set of questions is "Another Body" (Hamlyn/Compton, 2023), in which a college student takes us on an investigation into deepfake pornography after she finds herself a victim of it.
  Panel Discussion: Joining 41 North for a panel discussion following the film are Stefka Hristova, Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture; Susanna Peters, Social Sciences; Reid DeVoge, Public Safety and Police Services; and Laura Putwen, Academic and Community Conduct.

Please join the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) on Friday (Nov. 3) from 3-4:30 p.m. in ATDC 101 for November's KIP Seminar.

This month's seminar is "Sedentary Behavior and Health Outcomes: College Students and Beyond" presented by Megan Nelson from Northern Michigan University.

More information is available at the KIP Newsblog.

Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering candidate Lea Morath will present as part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series for Graduate Students on Friday (Nov. 3) at 3 p.m. in person in M&M 610 and virtually via Zoom.

The seminar is titled "The biocompatibility of vascular materials is strongly impacted by the background biological environment."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

The Michigan Tech soccer team finished the 2023 regular season at home with a shutout against Ferris State and a scoreless draw against Saginaw Valley State. MTU moves to 8-2-7 overall and 7-1-5 in conference play.

First-year Husky Brooke Green scored the game-winning goal as Tech prevailed over Bulldogs 1-0 on Friday (Oct. 27).

"Every match matters at this point — we are extremely happy, and it was very important for us to get that win," head coach Turk Ozturk said. "We have a bunch of warriors and this group is so determined that they can taste it. I'm incredibly proud of Brooke and what she's able to do and the support she has from her teammates who also had quality performances tonight."

Despite outshooting the Cardinals 11-1 on Sunday (Oct. 29), the Huskies could not find the back of the net on Senior Day, concluding the regular season at home in a scoreless draw against SVSU.

"Saginaw Valley is a good team and unfortunately, we couldn't find one today to hit the game-winner," Ozturk said. "We had chances and opportunities — credit to their goalkeeper, she had one heck of a game."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech hockey is still looking for their first win of the season, returning from a trip to upstate New York with a tie and a loss.

Tech and St. Lawrence tied 2-2 on Friday (Oct. 27) at Appleton Arena. Marcus Pedersen scored the game-tying goal with 8.2 seconds left.

"It was a great goal by Pedersen at the end of the game," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "The team showed a lot of character and played with poise with the goaltender out, and we were able to grind it out and get the tie."

The Huskies lost 3-1 to Clarkson on Saturday (Oct. 28). The Golden Knights broke a 1-1 tie with 3:01 to go in the second period and added an empty netter in the third. Lachlan Getz scored for MTU.

"We played a good hockey game," Shawhan said. "The power play and penalty kill looked good. The energy was better than last night, and the mood was good on the bench. I told the guys that this is the baseline of how we want to play and the offense will start clicking. It's a learning process. I'm optimistic with the group, and I like the effort that everyone is putting in."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech volleyball team still has some improvements to make, and will have a chance to put it all together today (Oct. 31) in a Halloween joust against Northern Michigan in Marquette.

The Huskies fell 3-1 at Grand Valley State on Saturday (Oct. 28), 25-20, 21-25, 25-19, and 25-20.

"We're just so close to turning the big corner as a group," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "Our inconsistency in the backcourt seems to be a real thorn in our side and I feel it cost us here again today. Our offense was good enough at times today to give us a real shot."

Today, MTU will wrap up a three-and-a-half-week road trip at Northern Michigan, with first serve at Vandament Arena set for 6:30 p.m.

Tech will return home to wrap up the week, hosting Wayne State on Friday (Nov. 3) and Saginaw Valley State on Saturday (Nov. 4) at the SDC Gym.

Tonight's match will be televised locally on Grit TV. Fans can tune in to channels WLUC 6.3 or Charter 192. The games will also be streamed on FloSports (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech football team was unable to answer the tall order at No. 3 Grand Valley State, falling 44-13 at Lubbers Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 28).

The Huskies struggled to find the run game while the Lakers trekked for 264 yards with five rushing touchdowns on the day, led by a quarterback who had three rushing touchdowns on 14 carries.

"Grand Valley State is really good and I give them a ton of credit, they're well coached and took advantage of some things," head coach Dan Mettlach said. "I felt like it was still a game — even going into the fourth quarter, I don't feel like it's out of control — but as hard as it is for the defense to get stops, the offense has to put points on the board to beat this team, and we just couldn't do it today."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech women's basketball team has been selected to finish third in the GLIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, and Isabella Lenz has been named to the Preseason All-GLIAC First Team.

The Huskies earned 66 votes, behind Ferris State (73) and the 2023 GLIAC tournament champions Grand Valley State (79), who had three and seven first-place votes, respectively.

Michigan Tech went undefeated at home in the 2022-23 campaign with an overall record of 25-7 while playing to 15-3 in the GLIAC under sixth-year head coach Sam Clayton. The season concluded in the NCAA Midwest Regional quarterfinal.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday (Oct. 31)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM
• Volleyball at Northern Michigan, 6:30 p.m. on FloSports & FOX-UP

Wednesday (Nov. 1)
• Tadych's Marketplace Foods Kids Day Hockey and Volleyball ticket giveaway, Noon

Thursday (Nov. 2)
• Soccer at Northern Michigan, 3 p.m. on FloSports & FOX-UP

Friday (Nov. 3)
• Volleyball vs. Wayne State, 5 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloSports
• Hockey vs. Augustana, 7:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

Saturday (Nov. 4)
• Cross Country at NCAA Midwest Regional (Evansville, Indiana), 11 a.m.
• Football vs. Minot State, 1 p.m. at Kearly Stadium on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloSports
• Women's Basketball Exhibition vs. UW-Stevens Point (Wisconsin Dells), 2 p.m.
• Volleyball vs. Saginaw Valley State, 3 p.m. at SDC Gym on FloSports
• Hockey vs. Augustana, 6:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Saturday (Nov. 4) is the annual Tadych's Marketplace Foods Kids Day at Michigan Tech.

Tadych's of Houghton has purchased 100 youth tickets for Saturday's 3 p.m. volleyball match and 400 tickets for the 6:07 p.m. hockey game that it will give away beginning tomorrow (Nov. 1) at noon. Fans can also Skate With The Huskies after Saturday's hockey game.

Tadych's Marketplace Foods will give away the tickets on a first-come, first-served basis for children ages 3 to grade 12. They are free of charge, and anyone can pick up the youth tickets. However, Tadych's will limit the amount allowed per family. The hockey tickets will be a voucher to be redeemed at the SDC Central Ticket Office.

Find out more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Oct. 31, 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.

Postdoctoral Scholar – Atmospheric Physics, Physics. Apply online.

Postdoctoral Scholar – Computational Fluid Dynamics, Physics. 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.

Ezra Bar-Ziv (ME-EM/APSRC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $320,658 research and development grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The project is titled "Extraction of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from the non-Recyclable Fraction 3-7 at Recycle 906."

This is a potential two-year project.

Parth Bhatt (CFRES) and Dan Trepal (GLRC/SS) were mentioned by The Nature Conservancy in a progress report on the inventory of the Keweenaw Heartlands, more than 32,000 acres purchased by the organization in 2022. According to the report, a machine learning algorithm developed by Bhatt is helping to locate “unique high-quality natural communities and rare plants,” while a model being developed by Trepal will assist in predicting likely locations for cultural features.

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Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) was quoted by Texas’ Galveston County Daily News in a story about next steps regarding Galveston’s “ghost wolves,” coyotes that carry endangered red wolf genetics. Brzeski is one of the scientists studying the coyotes, who live on the site of a proposed 278-unit housing development.

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Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) and David Lawrence (GC) were interviewed by WLUC TV6 in a segment about the Health Research Institute’s second annual Upper Peninsula Medical Conference, which brought regional health care leaders to Michigan Tech last Friday and Saturday (Oct. 27 and 28). Organizer Erich Petushek (CLS) was interviewed in another TV6 segment.

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Master’s student Luke Schloemp (mechanical engineering) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about more than 500 MTU students who participated in Make a Difference Day on Saturday (Oct. 28). 

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The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts was mentioned by the Escanaba Daily Press and Radio Results Network as a recipient of a Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) grant to U.P. arts and cultural organizations and individuals for the 2023 fiscal year. 

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Reuters referenced Michigan Tech’s Earthquake Magnitude Scale in a story about a “seismic swarm” of thousands of small earthquakes detected in Iceland from Oct. 25-27. The story was picked up by over 100 news outlets worldwide.

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NASDAQ picked up a Business Wire story about the appointment of Julie Fream ’83 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) to the board of directors for Blue Bird, a manufacturer of electric and low-emission school buses.

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NASDAQ picked up Stellantis Media’s story about Aurora White ’16 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) being named the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) 2023 Most Promising Engineer. White is a torque security calibration engineer for Stellantis.

New Edition of Form I-9 Becomes Mandatory in November

The Form I-9 document for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is used by an employer to verify an employee’s identity and employment eligibility in the United States. As mentioned Aug. 9 in Tech Today, the new edition of Form I-9 becomes mandatory for all employers effective tomorrow (Nov. 1).

Authorized representatives who fill out Form I-9, including reviewing the employee’s completed Section Number 1, must use the new edition.

USCIS offers free employer training to explain and demonstrate how to complete Form I-9 employment eligibility verification.

Questions can be sent to hr-help@mtu.edu or via the HR Support Center ticketing portal.

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Provost Holding Open Office Hours

Provost Andrew Storer will be holding open office hours from 2:30-3:30 p.m. today (Oct. 31) in the Library Café. Feel free to stop by; appointments are not required for open office hours.

Spring 2024 open office hours will be held in the Library Café on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 28, from 1-3 p.m.

Office hours also continue to be held from 1-3 p.m. each Thursday during the 2023-24 academic year. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to schedule an appointment by emailing Amie Ledgerwood at asledger@mtu.edu.

The information provided here is also available on the Academic Affairs website. To view it, click the office hours icon in the bottom right corner of the banner image.

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CTL Course Design Series: Session 1 – Learning Objectives

Join the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Instructional Design team on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 2 p.m. for an active and hands-on workshop where we will take a deep dive into the first step in creating high-quality courses: defining and developing observable and measurable learning objectives.

When you begin creating a course, you want to design with the end in mind. The best way to approach this is to start by writing observable and measurable course learning objectives. Course learning objectives are the destinations on your course map. They state where you want students to go. A learning objective is a statement that clearly and precisely describes what the learner will know and be able to do by the end of the course, module or unit.

Please register to attend, and bring your tablet or laptop. Have a course in mind that you would like to start the instructional design process on, and let's get to work!

We hope to see you there. Contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu if you have questions.

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TIAA Live Webinar: 'Prepare for Your Future: A Guide to Saving and Investing'

Developed for anyone interested in making a comprehensive plan! This Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) webinar will be held Wednesday (Nov. 1) at noon.

The webinar covers core concepts of investment strategies, taking on life's challenges, a financial personality type quiz and goal setting.

Reserve your spot at TIAA.org/webinars.

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Career Services Office Closure

The Career Services office will be closed today (Oct. 31) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a department retreat. Regular office hours will resume after 2:30 p.m.

Questions during this time can be sent to career@mtu.edu. Co-op questions can be sent to co-op@mtu.edu.

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Registration Closes Soon for ACS Student Research Symposium

Registration is closing soon for the ninth annual American Chemical Society Upper Peninsula Student Research Symposium! Abstracts are due today (Oct. 31) by 5 p.m. EST.

The symposium will be held at Northern Michigan University on Nov. 11.

This symposium is a venue for students to present their research in chemistry, chemical engineering and related fields. It is open to undergraduate, graduate, high school and community college students from the Upper Peninsula. We welcome visitors and community members! There is no cost to present and lunch will be provided. Prize money will be awarded for best posters and presentations.

For more information and to register for the symposium, visit our Student Research Symposium page. All presenters, visitors and judges, please register to ensure we have enough food ordered.

Contact Momoko Tajiri at mtajiri@mtu.edu with any questions.

The Student Research Symposium is sponsored by the Department of Chemistry at Michigan Tech.

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MTU Dining Services Survey

Tell us what you think! From the food in the dining hall, to C-Cubed Luncheons, to retail options in the Memorial Union Building or Library Cafe, we want to know what you think about Husky Eats and dining options across campus. Your feedback is extremely important to us and will be used to help us create a happier, tastier dining experience here on campus.

The survey is open until the end of today (Oct. 31). It should take 8-10 minutes, and your responses are completely anonymous.

Complete the survey today!

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, October 31, 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...

Puzzle Day with USG

Tuesday, October 31, 12 p.m.–5 p.m. | Van Pelt and Opie Library - East Reading Room

Join USG members on Halloween to hang out and do puzzles! Puzzles and refreshments will be provided.

MATLAB Workshop

Tuesday, October 31, 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...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Fall 2023 Session 2

Tuesday, October 31, 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

Tuesday, October 31, 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...

(Women's Volleyball) Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan

Tuesday, October 31, 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Women's Volleyball: Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan

Winter Coat & Boot Drive

October 31, 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...