December 15, 2023

The Graduate School is offering application writing support to master's and Ph.D. students who are interested in applying for the 2025 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.

Eligible students have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Former awardees have been from a wide range of fields, including social sciences, natural sciences and law. Both international and domestic students are welcome to apply. Relocation to the Washington, D.C., area is required during the fellowship period.

Timeline:

• Application Due Date: Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024
• Award Announcement: Midsummer 2024
• Fellowship Period: Feb. 1, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026

The total award amount is $93,900.

For details, visit the 2025 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide and the Knauss Fellowship Program website.

Questions? Contact Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

MLK Day is almost here! Help us spread the word about the exciting events planned for Michigan Tech's 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, being held on Jan. 15!

These events have been months in the making, and the MLK Planning Committee would love to share the MLK Day opportunities with your students. To have a committee member come speak at the beginning of a class session during the week of Jan. 8-12, sign up at our ’24 MLK Classroom Visits form!

Will STEM faculty ranks become increasingly more inclusive? The answer is complex and involves looking at every aspect of Ph.D. education, faculty recruitment and selection, and the tenure-track career path. One oft-overlooked issue is the racial disparity in the debt incurred for a graduate education.

A recent report by RTI International, commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and drawing on three federal higher education databases, finds that Black and Hispanic Ph.D. graduates in STEM are more likely to incur federal student loan debts of $50,000 or more than white and Asian graduates. The report indicates that from 2010 to 2020, 50% of Black Ph.D. graduates and 24% of Hispanic Ph.D. graduates were carrying such debt in contrast to 15% of white Ph.D. graduates. A summary editorial in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, called this a “$40,000 Tax on Black Scientists.”

Research universities have long offset the cost of a STEM Ph.D. through assistantships, grants or corporate tuition programs. So why are Black Ph.D. students left out of such opportunities? Once again, the answer is complex, but one aspect is the tendency of these students to attend universities that do not have much funded research. According to a summary of the RTI report, while 77% of white Ph.D. graduates attended a research university, only 53% of Black Ph.D. graduates did so. Further, Black Ph.D. students are more likely than their counterparts to attend for-profit universities, to do a separate master's degree at another university, and to take longer to complete their studies. In an overview published in Inside Higher Ed, Lorelle Espinosa at the Sloan Foundation warned, “We won’t see a diverse professoriate until these trends are reversed… If you’re carrying debt, you’re going to want to go to a place where you can pay that debt off quickly and support your family … and that’s not academe.”

The RTI report concludes that higher education needs to create more equitable pathways to STEM faculty careers. Not only is the “pipeline” obstructed — out of 184,000 STEM graduates, just 3.8% were Black — but getting through may impose long-standing career-inhibiting burdens.

Today’s feature was shared with us by the ADVANCE PI Team. If you have an article you think we should feature, please email it to advance-mtu@mtu.edu and we will consider adding it to the ADVANCE Monthly Roundup.

The ADVANCE Monthly Roundup is brought to you by ADVANCE at Michigan Tech, an NSF-funded initiative dedicated to improving faculty career success, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. Past articles are available on the ADVANCE Newsblog.

To learn more about our featured topic, our mission, programming efforts, and to check out our growing collection of resources, contact us or visit our website.

Register now for the next American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification blended learning course, being held Jan. 4-7 at the Michigan Tech SDC Pool! This four-day intensive training course includes Lifeguard/First Aid/CPR/AED certifications and all training materials.

All participants must be 15 years of age or older by the first date of the course (documentation required). Required water skills include the ability to swim 300 yards continuously, tread water for two minutes and complete a timed event in which participants retrieve a 10-pound brick from a depth of 7-10 feet and swim 20 yards with the object.

Online training prerequisites must be completed by the first day of classroom instruction. The instructor will contact class participants with online course information and directions. Class size is limited.

Course Details:

• Dates/Times:
  • Thursday, Jan. 4, from 4-5:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Jan. 5, from 4-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, Jan. 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday, Jan. 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cost: $200 per participant
• Registration Deadline: Friday, Dec. 22, at 11:59 p.m.

For more information, visit Michigan Tech Recreation's ARC Lifeguard Certification page.

The McNair Scholars Program at Michigan Tech is thrilled to announce the publication of groundbreaking research by current student scholars May Waters and Sophia Jaeger. Their work, recently published in the journal Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, marks a significant advancement in the field of biosensing technology.

Waters and Jaeger, both fourth-year chemistry majors and research assistants in the lab of Haiying Liu (Chem), have made a remarkable contribution to the understanding of NAD(P)H. Crucially, NAD(P)H fuels many of our cellular processes, such as the production of energy.

“We are incredibly proud of May and Sophia,” said Thomas Schlitt, assistant director of the McNair Scholars Program. “Their dedication, talent and passion for research are truly inspiring. This publication is a testament to their hard work and the exceptional support provided by this program.”

Read more about the achievement and the McNair Scholars Program on the Diversity and Inclusion Newsblog.

Michigan Technological University, in partnership with Lunar Outpost Inc., has won a National Aeronautics and Space Administration STTR Phase II award for the Lunar Surface Site Preparation program. The research will leverage Lunar Outpost's REGOWORKS 2.0 tool.

From Lunar Outpost's press release:
This sophisticated lunar civil engineering software analysis toolset is essential to lunar surface development and infrastructure construction. REGOWORKS 2.0 will facilitate construction of essential lunar structures such as foundations, landing pads, and roadways by meticulously evaluating critical design parameters like surface flatness, obstacle mitigation, compaction, gradient, load considerations, and energy efficiency. In Phase II, autonomous robotic construction of select structures will be demonstrated in a high-fidelity, simulated lunar environment, to validate the REGOWORKS 2.0 software and lay the groundwork for upcoming Lunar Outpost missions to the Moon. This initiative contributes significantly to NASA's Moon-to-Mars Strategy, enabling crucial lunar infrastructure such as power generation, precise landing, surface transportation, in-situ construction, and habitat development within the Artemis program. It will enhance safety measures, sustainability, and risk reduction in both manned and robotic missions, supporting the new era of space exploration and a thriving lunar economy.

The Michigan Tech Nordic Ski teams will conclude the 2023 calendar year at the Salomon CXC Cup on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 16 and 17) in Cable, Wisconsin.

The Huskies will compete in the Classic Sprint on Saturday and the Skate Interval Start 10km on Sunday.

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team has two nonconference games before the holiday break, welcoming Kentucky Wesleyan and Winona State to the SDC Gymnasium.

The Huskies play the Panthers on Sunday (Dec. 17) and the Warriors on Tuesday (Dec. 19). Both games are slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

Listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net. Fans can also watch a livestream of the contest on FloHoops (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the previews at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Job Posting for Friday, Dec. 15, 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 – Mechatronics, Applied Computing & Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology. 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.

WLUC TV6, UPWord and Radio Results Network covered a $5 million grant awarded to Michigan Tech by The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation for renovations to the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building. MTU President Rick Koubek and Bill Roberts (ADV) were quoted in the stories. The grant was announced Dec. 11 by Michigan Tech News.

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Cassy Tefft de Muñoz (CEO) was interviewed by ABC 10 in a segment about this year’s OneUP Copper Trail Festival, held at the Student Development Complex on Tuesday (Dec. 12). The festival featured hands-on demonstrations by MTU’s Mind Trekkers traveling STEM road show and hosted hundreds of Upper Peninsula middle school students. The Keweenaw Report picked up the story.

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Dean of Students Kellie Raffaelli was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story reviewing amenities available to MTU and NMU students who stay on campus over winter break.

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Ph.D. candidate Sushree Dash (applied physics) and undergraduate Aerith Cruz (management information systems) were quoted by Radio Results Network in a story previewing tomorrow’s 2023 Midyear Commencement. Dash and Cruz are the ceremony's featured speakers. The story was picked up from Michigan Tech News.

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The Livingston Post mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of the governor's announcement that a Scout Motors research and development facility is coming to Novi, Michigan. MTU was listed as one of three university participants in the Michigander EV Scholars program, which offers top tech students a $10,000 scholarship incentive to find jobs in Michigan’s electric vehicle (EV) and transportation mobility sector.

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Diverse Education mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the departure of Wayne Gersie, vice president of equity and inclusion, from Quinnipiac University. Gersie announced his return as Michigan Tech’s vice president for diversity and inclusion Dec. 7 in Tech Today.

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Edward Louie ’15 (M.S. Environmental and Energy Policy), an energy efficiency engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was quoted by the Oregonian in a story highlighting how he uses his aging Portland home as a test lab to cut his utility bills.

Banner Production System Maintenance

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday (Dec. 17) from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• ASPIRE
• Course Tools
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

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

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

Fall 2023 CEGE Senior Design Colloquium

Friday, December 15, 8–11 a.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), U113 & U115

The Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Department is pleased to invite the University community to attend the fall 2023 senior design team presentations. This...

Board of Trustees Meeting

Friday, December 15, 9–11 a.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom B

Regular meeting of Michigan Technological University Board of Trustees

Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony Rehersal

Friday, December 15, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Multi-purpose Room

Commencement rehearsal will take place on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. please arrive by 1:15 p.m. Parking will be limited to first-come first-serve. Rehearsal lasts...