Thank you to everyone who joined Michigan Technological University's 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration! It was great to see so many students, faculty, staff and community members celebrate King’s life and legacy despite the winter storm and snow.
We'd love to hear from you on how we can improve future celebrations. Please provide any comments you have using our feedback survey.
Sons and Daughters Scholarships
A reminder that Michigan Tech Employee Sons and Daughters Scholarship applications, valued at $100 each, are available for the 2024-25 academic year. Applicants must be children of Michigan Tech employees. Applications must be submitted by Feb. 28 and are available online.
LeAnn Becia Family/AFSCME Scholarships
Two $250 LeAnn Becia Family/AFSCME Scholarships are available for 2024-25. Applicants must be the son, daughter or spouse of a current AFSCME Local 1166 member. Applications, which must be submitted by Feb. 28, are available online.
Both scholarships require applicants be full-time Michigan Tech undergraduates in their first four years of study or high school students planning to be enrolled for fall 2024.
For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 7-2622 or scholarships@mtu.edu.
Do you know a student who might be interested in learning more about Enterprise at Michigan Tech? Or a student who wants to join an Enterprise, but is not sure which team is right for them? Please take a moment to invite any and all students to Enterprise Day, happening Feb. 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom (A&B).
During this time, students will learn more about Enterprise by talking with program staff and students from various Enterprise teams, all in one place. Teams will be spread out across the MUB Ballroom.
Students will be able to visit with the following teams:
Advanced Metalworks • Aerospace • Alternative Energy • Blizzard Baja • Blue Marble Security • BoardSport Technologies • Built World • Clean Snowmobile Challenge • Consumer Product Manufacturing • Formula SAE • Green Campus • H-STEM • Hotforest • Humane Interface Design Enterprise • Husky Game • Innovative Global Solutions • ITOxygen • Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE) • Open Source • Robotic Systems • Strategic Education through Naval Systems Experiences (SENSE) • Supermileage Systems • Velovations • Wireless Communication
For more information about each team, please visit our Enterprise Day webpage. Registration is not required for interested students who would like to attend. If students have any questions, please reach out to enterprise@mtu.edu.
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They don’t wear capes or special suits, and their badge of honor is the bandage that shows they gave the gift of life.
All members of the community are invited to become a hometown hero and answer the call of patients in need by donating blood next Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 13 and 14) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom. This blood drive is sponsored by the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society.
Donating blood is one of the simplest things a person can do to help save a patient’s life. For the hour it takes to give blood, there could be a whole community of people thankful for another birthday given to their loved one.
To make an appointment or to learn more, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
Completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.
Xiaohui Xu will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Research Series on Monday (Feb. 12) at 10 a.m. in person in MEEM 302 or virtually via Zoom.
Xu will present "Thermo-responsive Hydrogels for Solar-Driven Water Purification."
Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.
Xu is an associate research scholar at Princeton University.
Department of Computer Science (CS) instructional-track faculty candidate Sujan Kumar Roy will give a classroom presentation next Thursday (Feb. 15) at 1 p.m. via Zoom.
The title of Roy’s talk is “Teaching Seminar on Introduction to Data Science with My Teaching Methods and Teaching Areas of Expertise.” The talk will discuss introductory data science topics, tools and methods.
Join the presentation via Zoom.
Read the talk abstract and Roy's bio on the Computing News Blog.
Tomorrow (Feb. 8) at 11 a.m. in Rekhi 101, Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Research Scientist Evan Lucas will present a seminar on his research, specifically on a reference-free text segmentation metric, as well as a background on his research interests and his current research projects.
Lucas specializes in natural language processing, computer vision and more. Check out his research interests at the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems Staff page.
Snacks and coffee/water will be provided during the event. If you are interested but cannot attend in person, please email James Townsend at townsend@mtu.edu for a Zoom link.
Save the Date: Join the Vice President for Research Office (VPR) on Tuesday (Feb. 13) from noon to 1 p.m. for a special session of the VPR Research Series: "Designing Effective International Research Experiences for Students,” featuring our special guest, Kirsten Davis, assistant professor of engineering education at Purdue University.
Davis will share the results of a series of NSF-funded projects exploring the design and student outcomes of programs providing international research experience for students. Using case studies, focus groups and interviews with various stakeholders, Davis and her collaborators have developed a framework describing the factors that can influence effective collaboration and student learning in these programs.
In this talk, Davis will explain both the administrative support structures that can influence program success as well as program design decisions and their influence on student experiences. She will conclude by discussing the implications of the study findings for educators designing international research experiences for students as well as opportunities for future research on international research collaborations.
Join us via Zoom at noon on Tuesday.
Any questions should be addressed to rd-l@mtu.edu.
This program/lecture is partially funded/sponsored by the Visiting Professor Program, which is funded by a grant to the Office of the Provost from the state of Michigan’s King-Chávez-Parks Initiative. This visit is also co-sponsored by Michigan Tech’s Department of Engineering Fundamentals, Institute for Research and Innovation in STEAM Education (RISE), College of Engineering, and the Vice President for Research (VPR) Associate Vice President for Research Development (AVPRD).
Michigan Tech Nordic skiing student-athletes Wes Campbell and Anabel Needham are competing at the FIS World Junior/U23 Championships in Planica, Slovenia. The event began Tuesday (Feb. 6) and runs through Friday (Feb. 9).
Campell qualified fifth among the Junior men representing Team USA. He is slated to race in the Skate 20km Mass Start today (Feb. 7) and the Classic 10km Interval Start on Friday (Feb. 9).
"Wes has had a stellar competition season, and he had a truly outstanding U.S. Nationals to earn his spot on this World Junior Championship Team," said MTU Nordic ski coaches Tom and Kristen Monahan Smith. "Wes is a downright fearless competitor, and he never lets pressure get to him. Those are two amazing qualities to possess in the championship setting, and we know this will allow him to have his best races, as he'll treat these championships as he does any other race — by just going out there and skiing as hard and as fast as he can."
Needham qualified fifth among the U23 women representing Team USA. She competed in the Skate Sprint yesterday (Feb. 6) and will race in the Skate 20km Mass Start tomorrow (Feb. 8).
"We truly believe Anabel is ready to have her best World U23 Championships," said Tom and Kristen Monahan Smith. "Anabel has been racing faster and faster through every race and every competition weekend this season, and this has her so well prepared for these championships. She gives it everything she's got in every competition — and this is truly Anabel's greatest strength, what's got her to these championships, and what brings her continual competitive growth. She brings a breadth of experience into these championships, having competed at U23s the past two years — and if there is one thing she continues to prove, it's that she deserves to be here and she's ready to compete with the best of them."
Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.
Wednesday (Feb. 7)
• Call of Duty vs. Morris Brown College, 7 p.m. Varsity Plus. Watch the Twitch stream.
Thursday (Feb. 8)
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Central Michigan University, 7 p.m. Varsity Plus
Friday (Feb. 9)
• Counter-Strike 2 vs. Ashland University, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Premier. Watch the Twitch stream.
Mark Your Calendars: Feb. 17 and 18
• GLIAC Tournament Championship for Esports
Times are subject to change. Check Twitter @MTUEsports for updates.
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Esports News
Read more in the MTU Esports weekly update.
Job Postings for Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024
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 Teaching Professor – Accounting, College of Business. Apply online.
Compensation Analyst, Human Resources. Apply online.
Director of Global Campus and Continuing Education, Global Campus. Apply online.
Contact: Gina LeMay
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.
Gregory Odegard (ME-EM/MARC) is the principal investigator on a project that received a $50,000 research and development contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The project is titled "Molecular Modeling of Shrinkage, Strength, and Permeability in Thermoplastic Composites."
Tara L. Bal (CFRES) and Angie Carter (SS) are co-authors of a paper published in Gastronomy and Tourism.
Siona Beaudoin, a Lake Linden-Hubbell graduate, is also a co-author of the paper.
The paper, titled "Berries without Bugs: Recreational Foraging and a Fruit Fly Threat in Rural Michigan," presents a survey of berry foragers in the Houghton/Keweenaw area, their practices harvesting fruit and their baseline knowledge about a relatively new invasive fruit fly, spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). Understanding the cultural, economic and potential human health impacts of berry pests like spotted wing drosophila is necessary to inform adaptive foraging and harvesting practices and further spread prevention when possible.
Beaudoin was a high school student at Lake Linden-Hubbell at the time of the survey. She initially connected with Bal about a possible research project regarding invasive species. She, Bal and Carter designed the research instrument and conducted this survey. She also attended the Western Upper Peninsula Food Systems Collaborative meeting with Carter.
Beaudoin presented at the Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) competition and was a finalist who went on to present at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in 2020 in Washington, D.C. She is currently attending Saginaw Valley State University.
Sarah Hoy (CFRES) was quoted and John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson (also CFRES) were mentioned by Great Lakes Now in a story about the suspension of Michigan Tech’s 2023-24 Isle Royale winter study of wolves and moose. The National Park Service made the decision Jan. 30 after sustained warm weather made the ice unsafe for the researchers’ survey plane to land. It is the first time in the study’s 65-year history that warm weather has caused a suspension. The story was picked up from AP News. The Mining Journal and Keweenaw Report also covered the story.
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Beth Fitzpatrick (ADM) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about enrollment growth seen at Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan University for the winter 2024 semester.
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Blue Key National Honor Society President Joe Dlugos and Tau Kappa Epsilon President Connor Steer were quoted by the Escanaba Daily Press in a story about preparations for Winter Carnival.
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ABC 10 and the Keweenaw Report covered the coronation of undergraduate student Kristen Kautz (chemical engineering) as 2024 Winter Carnival Royal Majesty. Eliya Huebner (biochemistry and molecular biology) and Samatha Ludwick (medicinal chemistry) were first and second runners-up, respectively. Evelyn James (mechanical engineering) was the audience’s choice, and Mary Christine Stevens (marketing/English) received the congeniality award.
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DBusiness mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the new Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund and the Michigan University Innovation Capital Consortium. Driven by a partnership of six Michigan universities, including Michigan Tech, the initiatives were created with a goal of supporting pre-seed startups and early-stage companies across the state. They will be administered by U-M’s Innovation Partnerships, which recently received a $5 million award from the Michigan Innovate Capital Fund to support the program.
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Michigan Tech’s Mind Trekkers were mentioned by 102.3 WGRT-FM of Port Huron, Michigan, in a story about the second annual STEM Fest being hosted by St. Clair County Community College on March 9.
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The Daily Mining Gazette covered a “shoveling party” held at the Michigan Tech Trails on Feb. 3 in preparation for the Feb. 24-25 NCAA Midwest Regional Skiing Championships. Volunteers worked to distribute snow to cover patches of bare ground on the trails. Another party is planned Saturday (Feb. 10) at 9 a.m.
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The Keweenaw Report covered MTU Student Leadership and Involvement’s call for nominations for the University’s annual Student Leadership Awards.
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The Daily Mining Gazette covered Michigan Tech Nordic ski team’s Wes Campbell and Anabel Needham’s selection as competitors in the FIS World Junior/U23 Championships, taking place this week (Feb. 6-9) in Planica, Slovenia.
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School Transportation News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Blue Bird Corporation naming Mike Boggess ’91 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) vice president of product development.
GLRC/ICC Rapid Seedling Awards for Summer Research
The window of submission for GLRC/ICC Rapid Seedling Awards for projects to be conducted in summer 2024 is open until the March 1 deadline. The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) are accepting applications for startup (seedling) projects undertaken by members of the joint institutes that aim to use the results of the research to scale into proposals to larger external funding opportunities.
The application and submission instructions can all be found on the GLRC/ICC Rapid Seedling Research Funding webpage. Questions will be addressed by emailing GLRC-ICC-ADMIN-L@mtu.edu.
This opportunity is available to members of the ICC and/or the GLRC. Those interested in joining can find resources on the ICC's Members page and/or the GLRC's Contact Information and Form page.
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PADI Open Water SCUBA Course
Registration for Michigan Tech Recreation's next Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water SCUBA Course opens today (Feb. 7) at 8 a.m.
The course is conducted over two weekends and includes:
Upon registration, students will be given all required reading material and paperwork to complete prior to the start of the course. Students must be 18 years old and be able to swim 200 yards comfortably. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to all class sites, including the SDC and dive location in Marquette.
Course Dates and Times:
Cost is $575 per person (includes all instruction, fees and training materials). Class size is limited. The deadline to register is Feb. 29 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information, visit our PADI Open Water SCUBA Course page.
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WebFOCUS Maintenance on Sunday
A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday (Feb. 11) from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. WebFOCUS will be unavailable during that time.
If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Contact us at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.
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You're Invited to CocoaFEST!
Please join Career Services in the East Reading Room of the Van Pelt and Opie Library from 9-11 a.m. Monday (Feb. 12) for CocoaFEST!
This will be a unique, relaxed opportunity to meet recruiters from Brunswick Corporation/Mercury Marine, Caterpillar Inc., Gerdau, Greenheck Group, Heartland Business Systems, Leidos, Nucor, Plexus Corp., Auto-Owners Insurance Company, American Axle & Manufacturing and General Dynamics – Electric Boat Division.
We will have hot cocoa and toppings for you to enjoy with these great employers!
After CocoaFEST, there will be a resume review and interview prep with employers from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
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AppsAnywhere Downtime
Tomorrow (Feb. 8) from 6-8 a.m., AppsAnywhere software will be unavailable due to system maintenance. This will not affect locally installed software (CORE, COMSOL, aspen One and Labview).
For questions about this maintenance, we can help. Contact IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 7-1111.
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Cookies for a Cause
Enjoy some delicious homemade cookies and help Michigan Tech’s Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) chapter support St. Jude’s Children's Cancer Research!
Join us tonight (Feb. 7) during the All-Nighter from 4-10 p.m. (or until supplies run out). We’ll be set up behind the TKE statue site, next to the Administration Building. Some allergen-free options will be available.
Suggested donation of $3 per bag or two bags for $5. Cash and Venmo accepted. You can also donate directly to St. Jude’s on behalf of the Michigan Tech TKEs.
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ChE Seminar Series Speaker: Robert Handler
Robert Handler will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Research Series tomorrow (Feb. 8) at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 101 or virtually via Zoom.
Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.
Handler is a senior research engineer at Michigan Technological University.
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Tomorrow's C3 Luncheon Menu
Menu for Thursday (Feb. 8):
Join Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Tech for this week's C3 Luncheon. The luncheon is 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).
AG = Avoiding Gluten
AD = Avoiding Dairy
VG = Vegan
V = Vegetarian
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Winter Carnival Parking
With Winter Carnival activities beginning today (Feb. 7), Transportation Services wants the campus community to be aware of visitor parking options. Beginning at 4 p.m. today, the following parking areas will be available free of charge for visitors and will not require a parking permit:
All residential and faculty/staff lots will continue to be monitored for proper permits.
The Husky Campus Shuttle will continue to operate by its regular schedule — which includes service to Mont Ripley — tomorrow, Friday and Saturday (Feb. 8-10).
For any questions regarding Winter Carnival parking regulations or shuttle bus service, please contact Transportation Services or 906-487-1441.
To have your event automatically appear, please submit them to the University Events Calendar.
Simple Machines is a two-edition, international, letterpress poetry magazine founded and edited by Michigan Tech’s M. Bartley Seigel, funded through a Research Excellence...
*****Come hang out with us for a few hours in the evening and play some fun games! Feel free to bring your own games, too (if interested)! We will have games like UNO, Apples to...
*****The Air Force ROTC cadets are hosting their annual pancake fundraiser during Winter Carnival All-Nighter. Everyone is invited. Proceeds support the cadets in leadership...
*****Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome.
*****Fuel and warm up during the All-Nighter by getting FREE chili (vegetarian!), served in front of the library on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, starting at 7 p.m. until it runs...
*****Join us for our third annual mocktails event hosted during all-nighter! As you view statue progress around campus, be sure to stop by the MUB Commons and grab yourself a...
*****Sing along with your friends and enjoy some giveaways while you warm up during the Winter Carnival all nighter!
*****Winter Carnival All-Nighter event, Join us for a night of non-stop fun, pulsating Indian beats, and snacks that will make your taste buds dance. Don't miss out on the hottest...
*****Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome.
*****Join us for Winter Carnival Karaoke, this week Wednesday. Stop inside for some warmth, and enjoy listening to others perform or go ahead and get up there yourself or with some...
*****Organized by Blue Key National Honor Society since 1934, Winter Carnival started in 1922 and has grown to become one of the largest annual winter festivals in the nation....
