November 7, 2023

Brigitte Morin’s biological sciences courses are intentionally designed to make every Husky feel welcome to come as they are. This inclusive approach to teaching has earned Morin the 2023 Michigan Technological University Diversity Award.

As an associate teaching professor, Morin’s classrooms and labs are a microcosm of her efforts to expand Michigan Tech’s capacity for inclusive teaching. Her courses are as challenging as any at Michigan Tech. But, her students consistently rave about the 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award winner’s ability to make everyone feel welcome and included, said nominator Michael Meyer (Physics), past director of faculty development at the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

Learn more about Morin’s approach and accomplishments in a Q&A on Michigan Tech News.

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will hold an informational session on two upcoming research opportunities.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released the FY24 Broad Agency Announcement for Research Initiatives in Support of Rail Safety.

At this session, we will review the research topics available, plus provide information on the application process and examples of current MTTI projects funded by the FRA. The research topics are available for download.

A second research opportunity is provided by MxV Rail, a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads. MxV Rail is soliciting proposals for 2024 research projects to address the Grand Challenge Research Topics in railway technology. The purpose of this request for proposals (RFP) is to solicit a variety of innovative applied technologies for railway research projects and provide seed money to demonstrate the feasibility of the project and the effectiveness of the project team. Proposals are due by Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. MST. More information on the MxV Rail Challenge and a list of topics can be found on the MxV Rail website.

The informational session will be held in Dillman 315 on Friday (Nov. 10) from 11-11:30 a.m. Online attendees are invited to join us via Zoom.

Are you looking for some summer credits but don’t want to sit in a classroom? Then join us next week to learn about our 2024 MTU Archaeology Field School!

Save the Dates: Info sessions will be held in Walker 120A on Monday (Nov. 13) between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and next Tuesday (Nov. 14) between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

This summer, we will be exploring both ancient and 19th century copper mining archaeology at the Delaware Mine site on the Keweenaw Peninsula during our seven-week 2024 Summer Track B program. You will learn all the field skills of the modern archaeologist, including survey, testing, excavation and digital recording techniques. You will also get a taste of public archaeology as we share our finds with the community. In addition, we will tour a number of other historical and archaeological sites in the Keweenaw that place our own site in the broader context of ancient and historical human activity in the Lake Superior region.

Enrollment is limited and the remaining slots will fill up quickly, so visit the field school website and submit our short application form today!

Have you heard about or seen the best Unit Operations (UO) Lab in the United States? It's right here, at Michigan Tech.

If you've stopped by the UO Lab's window on the first floor of the Chem Sci building and are waiting to get in there, or would like an opportunity to learn more about what chemical engineers do, please sign up for one of our tours:

• Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 1-2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 1-2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 1-2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 1-2 p.m.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and will be provided once you arrive for a tour.

Each tour is limited to the first 5-6 students to sign up, preferably a week in advance. You'll be included on a calendar invitation once the tour date you've requested is approved, and the invitation will include the tour location. Please decline the invitation if your plans change so others can attend in your place.

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the University will be closed Nov. 23 and Nov. 24. The deadlines for Payroll and Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) forms for the off-cycle week ending Nov. 25 will be adjusted as shown below.

Please be sure that all web time approvers have a designated proxy set up.

• Status Forms and EPAF Submissions — due Friday, Nov. 17, at noon
• Deduction Forms — due Tuesday, Nov. 21, at noon
• Off-Cycle Requests — due Tuesday, Nov. 21, at noon
• Reallocations Submission — due Tuesday, Nov. 21, at noon

For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please refer to the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers.

Please remember to submit check requests for disbursements from Michigan Tech Fund Endowed Funds to mtfchecks@mtu.edu by Dec. 4 to meet the deadline for the Dec. 20 payment date.

The third episode of the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture's (IPEC’s) monthly podcast is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Our guest, Jason Archer (HU), discusses his research in human machine communication and haptics.

Archer is an assistant professor of communication and media technologies here at Michigan Tech. He serves on the executive committee of IPEC and leads our Human Machine Culture research area. This research area focuses on the developing dynamics between humans and machines — the ways humans and communicative machines sense and make sense of the world together, and the cultural impacts of those formations.

Together, we talk about our next sense-revolution: touch. Listen now!

Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Ph.D. student Palas Borkar will present his Ph.D. proposal defense at 10 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 9). The presentation will be held in person in Chem Sci 201 and virtually via Zoom.

Borkar's defense is titled “In-Situ Reductive Bioleaching of Manganese Ores.”

His advisor is Timothy Eisele.

Professor H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe, the Arthur B. McDonald Chair of Research Excellence and Professor of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals from the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar.

The seminar will be held virtually at 3 p.m. Friday (Nov. 10) via Zoom (use passcode 387735).

Rupasinghe’s presentation is titled "Flavonoids and Their Derivatives: Application in Cancer Prevention and Treatment.”

From the abstract:
To enhance the bioavailability and biological activities of flavonoids, we have synthesized a series of novel flavonoid derivatives with higher hydrophobicity. The lipase-catalyzed acylation of phloridzin (PZ) and isoquercitrin with six long-chain fatty acids was optimized. We have identified an effective and safe flavonoid derivative with potential for treating hepatocellular carcinoma, acute monocytic leukemia, and breast cancer. The antiproliferative potency of fatty esters of PZ was comparable to the potency of the chemotherapeutic drugs. Antiproliferative efficacy of one of the derivatives, docosahexaenoic acid acylated PZ (PZ-DHA) was investigated using a triple negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). PZ-DHA, but not PZ, caused the death of MDA-MB-231 in vitro which was both time- and dose-dependent. PZ-DHA-induced apoptosis was indicated by DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase 3/7. PZ-DHA showed low cytotoxicity toward human mammary epithelial cells. Moreover, in vivo tumor suppressor effect of PZ-DHA was observed when MDA-MB-231 cells xenografted non-obese diabetic severe combined immune-deficient (NOD-SCID) mice were subjected to intratumoral injections of PZ-DHA. Anticancer efficacy observed in cell cultures and mice suggest PZ-DHA as a potential treatment for breast cancer.

Alejandra Martinez Blancas, postdoctoral scholar at Michigan State University, will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series on Thursday (Nov. 9) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202.

Martinez Blancas will present "The role of niche differentiation and stress gradients on species coexistence in a semiarid grassland."

From the abstract:
Understanding how diversity is maintained in nature has been a challenge in ecology. Recently, among alternative theories, ecologists have explored mechanisms for the maintenance of diversity through modern coexistence theory. Under this theory, species may coexist in a community through a balance of stabilizing and equalizing mechanisms. Stabilizing mechanisms allow species to coexist when they differ in their niches, thus not interfering in other species’ resource acquisition. When stabilizing mechanisms are in place, intraspecific competition is stronger than interspecific competition, i.e., each species limits its population more strongly than it limits others. Equalizing mechanisms refer to fitness differences between species: species can only coexist via large enough niche differences to overcome fitness differences. Environmental conditions such as stress modify intra- and interspecific interactions. However, we have limited information on how these environmental conditions may affect coexistence and particularly stabilizing mechanisms. Furthermore, the simultaneous presence of equalizing and stabilizing mechanisms may generate a pattern known as emergent neutrality in communities, where clusters of similar species emerge. When this is the case, species within clusters can coexist through similarities in their niches and their fitness. Alternatively, it has been suggested that additional niche dimensions, referred to as hidden niches, could also stabilize coexistence within clusters. Finally, clusters can also occur when facilitation alliances occur between species. Using experimental and observational data we aimed to disentangle the effect of an environmental gradient, the hydric stress gradient, on species coexistence in a semiarid grassland. We found slightly greater niche differentiation with greater stress and that the stress gradient allowed species to coexistence at a local scale and over large spatial scales. We also found that species cluster over the hydric stress gradient. There was strong interspecific competition within clusters so additional niches, besides the hydric stress gradient, may stabilize coexistence within clusters. Furthermore, indirect facilitation may also aid clusters formation. Future directions include establishing what niche axes are allowing species to coexist.

Michigan Tech hockey earned a sweep of Augustana in a high-scoring series at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, with a Husky hat trick in each game.

MTU came back from a two-goal deficit and earned a 6-4 victory over Augustana on Friday (Nov. 3). First-year Husky Isaac Gordon netted a hat trick, and goaltender Blake Pietila won his 59th career game to set a school record.

"I thought it was a fun game to watch," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "The people that came sure gave us great energy. We played a really good hockey team tonight, but I think we have a good hockey team as well that's growing, gaining confidence and finding an identity."

Ryland Mosley lifted Michigan Tech to a 4-3 victory and sweep of the Vikings on Saturday (Nov. 4), scoring 99 seconds into overtime to complete a hat trick. The Huskies had to twice come back from a one-goal deficit. Gordon scored the first goal of the night — his fourth of the weekend — and Max Vayrynen earned his first win of the season with 26 saves.

"I don't think we played particularly well, but we got good, timely goaltending, and we got a really good effort out of our top guys, especially Ryland Mosley," Shawhan said. "We were seconds away from defeat, but we snatched victory out of it."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech volleyball team battled hard for a five-set win against Wayne State and swept Saginaw Valley State to close their regular-season home schedule.

The Huskies handed the Warriors a 3-2 loss Friday (Nov. 3). The Huskies won 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 24-26 and 15-11.

"I'm incredibly proud of our Huskies tonight," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "I can't overstate how important that win was, for not just the win and the standings, but the team."

The Huskies swept the Cardinals 3-0 on Saturday (Nov. 4) on Senior Day. The Huskies won 25-14, 25-23 and 26-24 to improve to 13-14 overall and 9-7 in the GLIAC — good for fourth place in the standings.

"I'm thrilled we won, and glad we did it in three," Jennings said. "It was important to honor our seniors the right way, and I think we did just that."

Seniors Lindy Oujiri, Zoe Rhines, Lauren Richards, Leiya Rybicki and Kate Walch were honored after the match in their last regular-season home appearance.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech student-athletes Sam Lange and Hannah Loughlin earned All-Region honors at the NCAA Midwest Regional Cross Country Championship at the Angel Mounds on Saturday (Nov. 4).

In the team race, the women placed eighth overall with 291 points, while the men of Michigan Tech placed seventh with 216 points, two points shy of sixth place and 17 points away from fifth place.

"We raced really well today," head coach Kristina Owen said. "Both our men and women ran well and had fast times. The end of the season is always a little bittersweet — it looks like we probably won't be getting an at-large spot for nationals, but we hold our heads high knowing we gave it everything we had.

"We've got a great team full of wonderful human beings and I'm really proud of how we performed on and off the course this season."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech football team snapped a two-game losing streak with a 37-3 victory over Minot State at Kearly Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 4).

With the win, the Huskies move to 5-4 overall and remain 1-4 within the GLIAC.

"We're happy with the win. I thought we moved the ball well, especially in the first half, and the defense played really well," head coach Dan Mettlach said. "Ultimately, the guys played hard and took care of the ball for the most part. I thought we controlled the game from start to finish — there's some stuff we need to clean up with penalties before next weekend."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday (Nov. 7)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM

Friday (Nov. 10)
• Soccer at GLIAC Semifinal, TBD on FloSports
• Volleyball at Ferris State, 4 p.m. on FloSports
• Women's Basketball vs. William Jewell, 6 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloSports
• Hockey at Bemidji State, 8:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

Saturday (Nov. 11)
• Football vs. Saginaw Valley State, 1 p.m. at Kearly Stadium on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloSports
• Volleyball at Ferris State, 3 p.m. on FloSports
• Men's Basketball vs. Missouri S&T, 4 p.m. at Wisconsin Dells
• Women's Basketball vs. Lewis, 6 p.m. at SDC Gym on 920 AM/107.3 WMPL-FM & FloSports
• Hockey at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

Sunday (Nov. 12)
• Soccer at GLIAC Championship, TBD on FloSports
• Men's Basketball vs. Upper Iowa, 4 p.m. at Wisconsin Dells

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Job Postings for Tuesday, Nov. 7, 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 – Geotechnical Engineering, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. Apply online.

Food Service Helper (nine months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #23205RP, 23206RP, 23251RP, 23252RP, Dining Services (AFSCME posting dates Nov. 7 to Nov. 13, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

Food Service Helper (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #23253RP, Dining Services (AFSCME posting dates Nov. 7 to Nov. 13, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

Human Resources Generalist – Benefits, Human Resources. 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.

Angie Carter (SS/ESC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $39,990 research and development contract from the Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Agency.

The project is titled "Institutionalizing Farm to School Integration through Community Engagement, School Purchasing Processes, and Student Involvement: Western Upper Peninsula Farm to School Phase 2."

This is a potential two-year project.

Melissa Baird (SS/GS) attended the National Diversity in STEM Conference, held Oct. 26-28 in Portland, Oregon.

The conference was hosted by SACNAS, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science.

SACNAS “is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.”

TIAA Live Webinar: 'Take Control of Your Financial Life: 5 Steps to Managing Money and Debt'

Learn how to manage your money and balance your priorities so you can enjoy life now and save for the future. This Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) webinar covers balancing income and expenses, creating a spending plan, debt strategies and building your credit score.

The webinar will be held tomorrow (Nov. 8) at 2 p.m.

Reserve your spot at TIAA.org/webinars.

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Card Services Upgrade Today

A Card Services production system maintenance window will take place today (Nov. 7) from 9-11 a.m.

During this time, CS Gold access readers, meal readers and access to some Keywatcher Kiosk rooms will work in their offline mode. After the maintenance is complete, transactions will be uploaded back into CS Gold.

The following services will be affected:

• cardservices.mtu.edu website
• Mobile Readers
• Vending Readers
• Dining Point of Sale Systems
• Husky Print

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

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Tech Trails User Feedback Survey

We are a student group in Michigan Tech's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science that is focusing our senior capstone project on the Tech Trails. 

We are looking to:

• Record trail and facility use
• Gain feedback on desired future improvements

Take our quick survey. A QR code is also available in our flyer.

Thank you for your time!

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CFRES Dean Search Job Posting

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) Dean Search job posting is now live. You can view the posting on the Human Resources Job Openings webpage.

Please share the opportunity broadly within your networks. Candidates can direct questions to the search committee chair, Andrew Burton (CFRES), at ajburton@mtu.edu.

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

Take Your Job Search Home for the Holidays

Tuesday, November 7, 10:00–10:30 a.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

We have some tips to share for taking your job search home for holidays.

Cayuse: Human Ethics (eIRB)

Tuesday, November 7, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.

Please join members of the Research Integrity team for this virtual event as they provide an overview and walkthrough of the new Cayuse Human Ethics (eIRB Submission) system. ...

Health Professions Scholarship Program: Lunch and Learn

Tuesday, November 7, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Enjoy lunch and learn about the Health Professions Scholarship Program, one of the most comprehensive healthcare scholarships available anywhere. Graduate debt free and become...

MATLAB Workshop

Tuesday, November 7, 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...

PhD Defense: Cameron Shock

Tuesday, November 7, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 132

Physics Advisor: Issei Nakamura On Examining Solvation and Dielectric Constants of Polar and Ionic Liquids using the Stockmayer Fluid Model

Protect Your Innovation

Tuesday, November 7, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, 244

Did you know that Michigan Tech hosts a regional Patent and Trademark Research Center (PTRC) which is part of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s nationwide program, and that...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Fall 2023 Session 3

Tuesday, November 7, 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 3

Tuesday, November 7, 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...

Space Dynamics Lab Info Session

Tuesday, November 7, 6:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. | R.L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), 111

An information session to learn about summer internship opportunities at Space Dynamics Laboratory.