January 9, 2024

The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) is accepting nominations for both the Bhakta Rath Research Award and the Michigan Tech Research Award.

The Bhakta Rath Research Award offers an opportunity to promote and reward excellence in scientific and engineering research in the fields of physical and natural sciences and engineering. For complete submission guidelines, visit our Bhakta Rath Research Award page.

The Michigan Tech Research Award offers an opportunity for an individual to be recognized for outstanding achievements in research. For complete submission guidelines, visit our Michigan Tech Research Award page.

Nominations for both must be submitted electronically in PDF format, per the guidelines, no later than 4 p.m. on March 7.

All nominations must be sent to Natasha Chopp at nichopp@mtu.edu.

The Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR, pronounced scissor) is offering three funding opportunities in spring 2024 to support Michigan Tech faculty and staff in developing collaborative research and curriculum development around the themes of sustainability and resilience. These activities are supported by the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience.

All awards have due dates of March 7, but rolling submissions and inquiries are encouraged!

• Faculty Fellowship
  The Sustainable and Resilient Communities Faculty Fellowship offers teaching buyout in fall 2024 or spring 2025 to support research development activities. We anticipate making three to four awards in fiscal year 2024. Read the RFP.
  
  
• Early Career and New Directions Award
  In the range of $5,000 to $7,000, this award complements start-up packages for early-career faculty or supports established researchers who are pursuing new ideas or topics in their work. We anticipate making four to six awards. Read the RFP.
  
  
• Curriculum Innovation Award
  Supports the development of new or retooled courses. Awards range from $3,000 to $5,000, but are flexible to meet the project needs. Read the RFP.

Please send all inquiries to Chelsea Schelly at cschelly@mtu.edu.

Pre-proposals for Summer 2024 Copper Shores Community Health Foundation (CSCHF) Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. Jan. 24 to the Graduate School. Students who best meet the foundation’s criteria will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due on March 5. Instructions on the pre-proposal and information about the full application and evaluation process are found online.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Must be a Ph.D. student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities.
2. Must be a Ph.D. candidate at the time of application.
3. Must be two years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
4. Must not be a prior recipient of a Portage Health Foundation (PHF) or CSCHF Graduate Assistantship.
5. Preference will be given to applicants with long-standing local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon county.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties. Nonresident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

• health research and technology development
• health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
• rural health care access, informatics and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

Career Services is hosting an on-campus jobs expo next Tuesday (Jan. 16) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the MUB. Students are encouraged to come check out the job opportunities available right here on campus. Many departments will be represented.

On-campus jobs provide opportunities for Michigan Tech students. A part-time job offers income to students who need it and is an important co-curricular opportunity. As a co-curricular opportunity, on-campus work can lead to internships and co-ops, opening the door to full-time offers immediately after graduation. It can also help a student establish a strong foundation for research that leads to enhanced graduate school opportunities.

If your department has not signed up and would like to attend, please contact Career Services at careerfair@mtu.edu.

Purchasing textbooks can be a financial burden for students. In recognition of this challenge, the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Campus Store work together to identify course materials that are available in the library’s collections. A list of every textbook request sent to the Campus Store for the spring 2024 semester was reviewed and compared to existing library collections.

Where applicable, these “accidental textbooks” have been placed on Course Reserve and instructors have been notified of their availability. All materials currently placed on Course Reserve can be found in a special collection on the library’s webpage. A spreadsheet that identifies which courses are using each library textbook can be searched online.  Instructors are encouraged to share this information with their students.

Course Reserve allows students to borrow materials for a limited time, ensuring everyone will have the opportunity to use a book for free that is assigned in a course. Instructors are welcome to provide copies of books they’ve assigned for a class if the library does not already own a copy. They may also search the library’s catalog and submit a Course Reserve Request for any assigned texts they find. Student research consultants (SRCs) and librarians are eager to help anyone who’d like assistance with this task. Stop by the Ask Us! station on the first floor of the library or email library@mtu.edu for more information.

Please note: The library is unable to purchase copies of every book assigned in Michigan Tech classes, but identifying “accidental textbooks” in the library’s collections can help to make the Course Reserve system a valuable resource for our students. Let’s take one step closer to making a Michigan Tech education more affordable by utilizing Course Reserve!

Tomorrow (Jan. 10), we’ll continue the celebration of textbook affordability efforts with a post outlining concrete steps instructors can take to further our mission to make a Michigan Tech education more affordable.

The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum and gift shop are back from winter break, resuming normal business hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission to the museum for Michigan Tech students, staff and faculty is waived with a Tech ID.

Happy New Year!

Menu for Thursday (Jan. 11):

• Jerk Chicken Breast with Pineapple Salsa (AG, AD)
• Coconut Ceviche (Vegetarian, AG, AD)
• Spanish Rice (AG, AD)
• Garden Salad (Vegan)
• Cuban Black Beans (Vegan, AG, AD)
• Tortillas (Contain Gluten)

C3 is back! Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon, held 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 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 or redeemed in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

We will be incorporating new food icons moving forward. Please follow the guide listed below and you will see these included into our menus and used in dining facilities across campus.

AG = Avoiding Gluten
AD = Avoiding Dairy
VG = Vegan
V = Vegetarian

On Jan. 18 from noon to 1 p.m. in Library 103 (or virtually via Zoom), join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of mass timber research.

Panelists Mark Rudnicki and Xinfeng Xie (both CFRES) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.

Add the event to your Google Calendar.

Jude Okolie will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Research Series on Thursday (Jan. 11) at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 101 or virtually via Zoom.

Okolie will present "Integrated Biomass Conversion Processes: Advances in computational and experimental approach."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Okolie is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Are you interested in taking your idea, technology or process commercial? Entrepreneurially minded faculty, staff, students and community are invited to attend the Great Lakes Region Hub National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Program offered at Michigan Tech.

Course Description:
The NSF I-Corps lean startup program spans five weeks. Using the scientific process, customer discovery and the business model canvas, teams will work to validate key business hypotheses and develop a business model.

Course Benefits:
Upon completing the workshop and the customer discovery interviews (30), you or your team may be eligible for a mini grant of up to $1,000. Funds may be reimbursed for customer discovery interview expenses.

Teams who complete the program may become eligible for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program and a $50,000 grant.

Participation in the workshop can lead to qualification for research and other funding from several granting agencies, including the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and various state and regional programs.

Past participants have reported that they saved time and money by better understanding potential applications of their technology, experienced improved engagement with teams and improved their ability to receive add-on funding.

Our cohort will meet virtually on the following dates:

• Monday, Jan. 29, 4-6:30 p.m. EST
• Monday, Feb. 5, 4-6 p.m. EST
• Monday, Feb. 19, 4-6 p.m. EST 
• Monday, March 4, 4-7 p.m. EST

To participate, please register for the program by Jan. 25. After registration, a Zoom link will be sent via a Google Calendar invite.

Carol Roach, principal data scientist at Aspentech, will present at this week's Chemistry Seminar. The seminar will be held virtually at 3 p.m. Friday (Jan. 12). Virtual attendance is invited via Zoom (use passcode 083286).

Roach’s presentation is titled "From the Benchtop to the Desktop: A Career Journey.”

From the abstract:
Before Data Science was an established discipline, several different fields had “-metrics” subdisciplines (i.e. “econometrics” and “chemometrics”) that focused on applying statistics, linear algebra, and calculus to large data sets to generate predictive models and other data insights. These “-metrics” disciplines established the foundation for what we now call Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) fields within Data Science, and still find wide application to many fields, from Amazon product and Netflix show recommendations to cell receptor targeted pharmaceutical development. This presentation will review how skills gained through STEM graduate studies were leveraged into a career in the growing Data Science field.

Speaker bio:
Roach received her Associate of Arts from Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pennsylvania, in 2002, a B.S. in Chemistry from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2004, and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, in 2010. She pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, before entering her professional career. Her academic awards include the Jasco Award in Analytical Chemistry (2005), Society for Applied Spectroscopy Student Poster Award (2009), the Elizabeth Dyer Award for Excellence in Teaching (2010), the David W. Lipp Fellowship (2010) and Silver Symposium First Place Award (2010).

Roach has worked as a manufacturing analytical chemist for ChampionX, a chemometrician and data analyst for a near infrared spectrometer startup (JP3 Measurement LLC), and a research analytical chemist for Ecolab. She currently works as a principal data scientist for Aspentech, where she creates new mathematical algorithms for Unscrambler and ProMV chemometrics software. Professional achievements include publication in NACE Corrosion Conference in 2018 and Aspentech Tech Summit Conference 2023.

The Michigan Tech Nordic ski teams completed the U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships in Midway, Utah, over the weekend. The Huskies put in competitive performances Thursday, Friday and Sunday (Jan. 4, 5 and 7) — and Wes Campbell qualified for the World Junior Ski Championships for the second straight year.

Campbell and Greta Hansen excelled in the junior races on day two, the skate sprint day. Campbell won gold for the junior men's race and Hansen finished fifth overall for the junior women.

Anabel Needham was the lone Husky to make it into the senior skate sprint finals, placing 16th overall in 3:58.98 in the women's race.

The Huskies turned out a stellar day in the distance races on the third day — and Campbell's fourth-place finish in the junior men's freestyle punched his ticket for the 2024 World Junior Ski Championships, being held in Slovenia on Feb. 5-11.

"It was an awesome day for the team," head coach Tom Monahan Smith said. "The big highlight was the last race of the day, with Wes Campbell getting fourth place in the junior men's skate race, securing his ticket to the World Junior Ski Championships after finishing seventh in both the classic distance race, the skate sprint, and then (the) fourth-place finish today. The entire team is so happy for him to achieve this outstanding selection and to be representing Michigan Tech and Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Slovenia in February. We had a lot of personal-bests today, which was a huge focus of ours for this championship."

Needham led the Huskies on the final day of the national championships, classic sprint day.

"The highlight of the day was Anabel finishing as the third U23 athlete in the field," Monahan Smith said. "It was a really outstanding championship as a whole for her. We also had all three of our junior women make it into the classic sprint heats, which was really cool for them, and we had Wes Campbell finishing off the week by making the junior semifinal, taking eighth place overall for the junior men."

"There were really challenging conditions out there today, with new snow and wet conditions making it challenging for waxing," he added. "We didn't have the best skis in the field today, but our athletes found ways to be really tough regardless and ski fast. We're just really proud of the efforts of our team throughout the entire championships and especially on the final day, where they're going to be tired going into this race. We're a really gritty team and it showed today and I'm proud of how this team races and competes every day."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech women's basketball team took a hard loss from No. 1 Grand Valley State, then rebounded to prevail over Davenport to conclude the first road conference weekend of the season.

The Huskies were held to a season-low 30 points in an all-around clinic by the top-ranked Lakers, falling 74-30 at the GVSU Fieldhouse last Thursday (Jan. 4).

"It was a tough game for us," head women's basketball coach Sam Clayton said. "Nothing went our way and we're going to have to compete better come Saturday."

Tech bounced back from the loss with a 59-51 victory over Davenport at the Davenport Student Center on Saturday (Jan. 6).

"I thought our leaders stepped up today, and it started with Kate (Meister) and Sara (Dax)," Clayton said. "Alex (Rondorf) didn't score today, but she also played hard and did a lot for us defensively. I also thought Maja (Kozlowska) played really well — she got some offensive rebounds and made some big shots for us."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team resumed GLIAC play on the road, falling to Grand Valley State and defeating Davenport.

The Huskies were overwhelmed in the latter stages of their second half against the Lakers, succumbing 87-64 at the GVSU Fieldhouse last Thursday (Jan. 4).

"Credit Grand Valley tonight," head men's basketball coach Josh Buettner said. "They made key plays in the second half after we cut it down to four. Brad (Simonsen) showed what he can do offensively, but as a team we need to play harder and trust each other on the floor."

Tech outscored Davenport 35-28 in the second half to upend the Panthers in a defensive battle at the Davenport Student Center on Saturday (Jan. 6). The Huskies won 59-53.

"This was just a gritty game and our guys never gave up," Buettner said. "Offensively, we told the guys that if we stick with it and we defend and rebound, sooner or later things are bound to happen. We missed some layups and free-throws early, and at the end, we made some tough shots to come back and get the win. Grittiness and toughness and defense travel — and that's what we were preaching, and it worked out today."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech hockey fell 7-2 at Northern Michigan on Saturday (Jan. 6) in exhibition play at the Berry Events Center.

Isaac Gordon and Lauri Raiman scored for the Huskies.

"It was important for us to see our overall depth and what players can step up with an enhanced role," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We need to find nine forwards and five defensemen that we can count on for the second half of the season. Everybody had a chance tonight, and we'll get together and watch video and continue to learn and get better."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday (Jan. 9)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM

Thursday (Jan. 11)
• Women's Basketball vs. Ferris State, 5:30 p.m. at SDC Gym on 920 AM/107.3 WMPL-FM & FloHoops
• Men's Basketball vs. Ferris State, 7:30 p.m. at SDC Gym on 920 AM/107.3 WMPL-FM & FloHoops
• Hockey at St. Thomas, 8:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

Saturday (Jan. 13)
• Women's Basketball vs. Lake Superior State, 1 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHoops
• Men's Basketball vs. Lake Superior State, 3 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHoops
• Hockey at St. Thomas, 6:07 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ-FM & FloHockey

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Job Posting for Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024

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.

Administrative Aide (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #24000, Mathematical Sciences (UAW posting Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, 2024 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.
Contact: Chelsie Carne

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.

Adam Wellstead (SS) is a co-author of a paper published in Canadian Public Administration.

The paper is titled "What's going on in there? Canadian government policy labs and public value management."

Nora Ottenhof and Bryan Evans of Toronto Metropolitan University and Anat Gofen of Hebrew University of Jerusalem are co-authors.

This paper analyzes the trends in spatial concentration, the tools and methods employed, focus areas and the primary role in the policy process of Canadian government policy labs. The authors conclude by presenting a preliminary public value management typology to analyze policy labs.

Andrew Fiss (HU) presented a research paper for the AMS Special Session on History of Mathematics at the Joint Mathematics Meeting, held Jan. 6 in San Francisco, California.

The paper was titled "'Compute, observe, and mark my word': Collaborative Mathematics and Joint Authorship through Harvard's Observatory Pinafore, 1879."

Fiss analyzed Harvard College Observatory's 1879 parody about astronomy, its rediscovery in 1929 and its debated authorship in the 1960s, and he observed how jokes in mathematical workplaces are less about an individual author and more about the group, even their site-specific expectations for collaboration in research writing. For the Harvard Observatory, the joke "mark my word" was about understanding and retaining words and calculations, but also literally writing on top of others' work, a common practice of that historical workplace.

Yu Cai (AC/IC/ICC) was quoted by All About Cookies in an article discussing the use and recommendation of VPNs — virtual private networks. Cai provided expert opinions on the safety and privacy implications of VPNs and their practical applications.

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Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) was quoted by Yahoo! News in a story about a town hall meeting Wednesday (Jan. 10) in Galveston, Texas, relating to Galveston Island’s unique population of ghost wolves — coyotes with a significant amount of DNA from the critically endangered red wolf. The story was picked up from FOX 26 Houston.

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Mary Jennings (Rozsa) was mentioned by WZMQ 19 News and the Keweenaw Report in stories about the next session in Visit Keweenaw’s Sustainable Tourism series. Jennings will speak about sustainable practices in Michigan’s performing arts on Friday (Jan. 12) at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. The Daily Mining Gazette also printed a version of the story.

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Mont Ripley general manager Nick Sirdenis was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story about the ski area’s reopening Saturday (Jan. 6) after unseasonably warm December weather forced a temporary closure.

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Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity listed Michigan Tech among 19 recipients of a total $2.6 million in competitive grants to improve graduation rates and paths to K-12 teaching opportunities for academically or economically disadvantaged students. The grants are part of the King-Chávez-Parks Initiative.

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The Daily Mining Gazette covered the Michigan Tech community’s reaction to the loss of Husky senior Kenny Bragg (anthropology), who died in a house explosion downstate Dec. 30. The Huskies Pep Band will hold a vigil for Bragg at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Jan. 10) at the Husky Statue. 

Bragg’s parents Hope ’95 (B.S. Forestry) and Don ’92 ’95 (B.S. M.S. Forestry) and sister Elizabeth were also killed in the explosion.

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The Keweenaw Report covered the opening of registration for Michigan Tech’s 2024 Summer Youth Programs.

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WorldAtlas mentioned Michigan Tech and Mont Ripley in an article describing the best small towns in Michigan for outdoor enthusiasts — including Houghton!

Candlelight Vigil for Kenny Bragg

The Huskies Pep Band invites all members of the Husky community to join us in holding a candlelight vigil for Kenny Bragg at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Jan. 10) at the Husky Statue.

Kenny was killed Dec. 30 in a house explosion in Whitmore Lake, Michigan. He was a proud member and tenor saxophone section leader of the Pep Band, and was set to graduate in April with his degree in anthropology.

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Wahtera Center Looking for Student Employees for 2024-25!

The Wahtera Center for Student Success has opened the application process for our Orientation Executive Staff (OES).

Are you looking for something to do this summer? Do you want to stay in the Houghton area to enjoy the Keweenaw's summer beauty? Would you like experience planning and executing a large program like Orientation? Are you thinking that you really should be doing an internship this summer, but don't know what to do or where to go? The experiences that you will have planning OTL Training Week and O-Week will let you do all of these things. It is a great opportunity to have one of the largest student-planned and student-run programs on campus under your belt. We are looking for students who are hardworking, creative and self-motivated, and who are excited to bring our newest Huskies to campus! The application period was extended and will now close Monday (Jan. 15).

If you have something lined up for this summer, but you can be back for Fall Training starting Aug. 10, apply to be an Orientation Team Leader (OTL). We are looking for students from all areas to help lead our incoming class of Huskies! You will need to be on campus Aug. 10-16 for training, Aug. 16-18 to help with Move-In, and Aug. 18-24 for O-Week. We will also have one more meet-and-greet with students in September. Applications will close Jan. 22.

If being part of Orientation is not something you can swing this summer, that is OK — we are looking for individuals who are motivated and organized and have a commitment to help other Huskies find their path to success. We have positions for success coaches, ExSEL peer mentors and success course peer assistants open as well. Applications will close Jan. 22.

All the job descriptions are listed on the Wahtera website. Applications are open through Handshake. Please email success@mtu.edu if you have any questions.

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Making A Difference Awards Reception

A total of 36 nominations have been submitted for the 2023 Making a Difference Awards. There will be winners in each of the following categories:

• Behind the Scenes
• Innovation Award
• Legacy Award
• Outstanding Leader
• Rookie Award
• Serving Others
• Unsung Hero

A list of nominees is available on the Staff Council website. Everyone is invited to a reception honoring the nominees. The reception is scheduled from 2-3:30 p.m. today (Jan. 9) in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The recipients for each category will be announced at the reception.

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

Library Orientation for New Students

Tuesday, January 9, 4:00 a.m.–5:15 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

The Van Pelt and Opie library is here to help you succeed! At this event, librarians will share tips and tricks for getting the most out of the library's electronic and...

Making a Difference Staff Awards Reception

Tuesday, January 9, 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom

Employees nominate deserving staff members for one of the following categories: rookie award, serving others, outstanding leader, unsung hero, legacy award, innovation award,...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Spring 2024 Session 1

Tuesday, January 9, 5–6 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 Spring 2024 Session 1

Tuesday, January 9, 5–6 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...