February 12, 2024

Spring Career Fair will bring hundreds of employers to the SDC from noon to 5 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 13). Recruiters come with great expectations, advice for job-seeking students and, in many cases, Career Fair memories from the students’ side of the table.

Ellen Bauman ’90 ’93, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering at Tech, recruited at last fall’s Career Fair for IBM Power Systems in Rochester, Minnesota.

“We come to Michigan Tech for a couple of reasons,” she said. “We bring in computer engineering majors and computer science majors who have a firm understanding of the application of what they’re picking up and they’re learning in their classes at Michigan Tech. Also, we’re in Rochester, Minnesota. It’s cold there. We know that the type of students you have at Tech are the type who are going to come into Rochester and they’re going to be able to survive and thrive in the climate.”

Her advice for Huskies attending Career Fair: “Ask questions. Ask, ‘What do I need to do to be the perfect candidate for the company?’ Ask the recruiter what they do and what the internship is going to be like for their company — what your day is going to look like when you’re there.”

Pick up more Career Fair tips from alumni recruiters at Michigan Tech News.

Today and tomorrow (Feb. 12 and 13), the Van Pelt and Opie Library is continuing its resume printing service in support of Career Fair!

Get assistance with printing up to 25 copies of your resume in the Exhibit Space on the first floor of the library between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. We will provide high-quality resume paper while supplies of it last.

To have your resume printed, email your PDF resume to 3Dlibrary@mtu.edu with the subject line "Resume for [your name]." Then, visit us on the first floor during these times and we will print while you wait.

The MiCUP Scholars Program and McNair Scholars Program are currently seeking faculty to serve as mentors during summer 2024. Faculty mentors in the program will assist students with research projects in their field of study, including engineering, technology, business, computer science, health science and more.

All faculty interested in facilitating undergraduate research with the MiCUP or McNair program participants should complete the Summer 2024 Research Mentor Information Request form.

For questions about MiCUP or McNair, contact micup@mtu.edu or mcnair@mtu.edu.

Know someone who is passionate about sustainability and is improving campus or the community through their teaching, research or service? Please consider nominating them for the second annual Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards!

Self-nominations are welcome; nominations from others are encouraged. Please submit nominations via our submission form by Feb. 23. Award recipients will be informed by March 4 and recognized at an Earth Week lunch event April 19.

The awards will recognize a faculty member, a staff member and a student on campus, each of whom has made significant contributions to advancing sustainability. A public ceremony will be held to celebrate their accomplishments in early April.

Last year’s winners are listed below, and a three-minute video on their contributions is available on the Sustainability Blog.

• Undergraduate: Janelle Freeman (sustainability science and society)
• Graduate: Elise Rosky (Ph.D. in Physics candidate)
• Staff: Dan Liebau (Facilities)
• Faculty: Mark Rudnicki (CFRES)

Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday — Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Backstage at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Presented by Michigan Tech Music

Michigan Tech Jazz brings New Orleans to the Keweenaw with an epic Mardi Gras party, complete with a New Orleans–inspired Fat Tuesday dinner! Enjoy traditional brass band music from the Workshop Brass Band while you eat dinner, catered by the Bonfire. After dinner, cut loose as the band plays a party set.

Tickets
Faculty, Staff and General Public: Get your tickets through the Rozsa Box Office online 24/7, or on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person or by calling 906-487-1906.

Students: Reserve your tickets online. The Michigan Tech student ticket fee reflects the cost of dinner, with the cost of the performance covered by the Experience Tech fee. Bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets.
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Imagining (Im)Possibilities — Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-17, at 7 p.m.
McArdle Theatre
Presented by Michigan Tech Theatre

Experience the transformative power of museum exhibit design and discover firsthand how lighting, sound and physical elements come together to tell stories and spark curiosity on this 30-minute self-guided tour with Imagining (Im)Possibilities: Museum Explorations.

Tickets
Faculty, Staff and General Public: Get your tickets through the Rozsa Box Office online 24/7, or on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person or by calling 906-487-1906.

Students: Reserve your tickets (included with your Experience Tech fee) online and bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.
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Music for a Sacred Space — Sunday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Lake Linden
Presented by Michigan Tech Music and NMU Department of Music

Under the direction of Erin Colwitz and Jared Anderson, NMU and Michigan Tech Choirs join together in song to benefit local St. Vincent de Paul conferences.

No Tickets Needed
Freewill donations to St. Vincent de Paul are gratefully accepted at the door.

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) at Michigan Tech and the Department of Social Sciences are hosting a lunch seminar from noon to 2 p.m. next Monday (Feb. 19) in GLRC 202. Lunch will be provided. Contact Larissa Juip at lajuip@mtu.edu for a Zoom link.

As more members of our campus community seek to engage with Indigenous peoples through research, Indigenous scholars across campus wish to share examples of how to carry out this work ethically. Join us for a discussion of what culturally competent and ethical research looks like in our communities.

Harald Griesshammer from George Washington University will present this week's Physics Colloquium.

Griesshammer's presentation is titled "GW's Graduate Curriculum Revamping: Experiences and Loose Ends."

The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 15) in Fisher 139.

Read the abstract and speaker bio at the University Events Calendar.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 15) in Noblet G002 with speaker Cassandra Reed-VanDam, M.S. student in applied ecology, CFRES (advised by Valoree Gagnon).

The title of Reed-VanDam's talk is: "Restoration is repairing relationships: An ethical research methodology for the socio-ecological restoration of wild rice (Zizania palustris) within KBIC homelands."

From the abstract:
Wild rice (Zizania palustris) is an ecologically and culturally significant species for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), an Ojibwe Tribe located on the L’Anse Reservation as established by the Treaty of 1854. This annual aquatic grass is an important food source for many beings, including humans and waterfowl, and the roots hold sediment in place contributing to high water quality. Historically, wild rice was present across much of the northern Great Lakes area, however their lake presence has declined since the early 1900s due to a confluence of factors attributed to industrialization, forestry, and mining. This talk will focus on the research methods used to bridge Western and Indigenous sciences in order to determine the socio-ecological attributes of manoomin restoration efforts within KBIC homelands. Grounded in community relationships, this research presents a framework for assessing restoration efforts of wild rice while centering the values, priorities, and responsibilities of the KBIC.

The next guest speaker in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series will present Wednesday (Feb. 14) at 11 a.m. in person in M&M 610.

Dake Hao visits from University of California Davis and will present "Tissue Engineering for Clinical Applications."

Read the abstract at the University Events Calendar.

Dake is a faculty candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Benjamin Ong (Math/CAMS) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $45,000 research and development contract from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The project is titled "Systematic Approaches to Construct Coarse-Grid Operators for Multigrid Reduction in Time."

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Fengjing Liu (CFRES/ESC) is the PI on a project that received a $49,001 research and development co-op joint agreement from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

The project is titled "Responses of Stream Temperature to Future Climate Scenarios in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Area."

John Gierke (GMES/ESC) is a co-PI on this project.

A team of dedicated researchers have achieved a significant milestone in the field of cancer detection and monitoring, and their collaborative efforts culminated in the publication of a paper in the prestigious Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

The team was led by Ph.D. student Dilka Liyana Arachchige, alongside Research Scientist Sushil K. Dwivedi (Chem); undergraduate students May Waters, Sophia Jaeger, Joe Peters, Daniel R. Tucker and Micaela Geborkoff; and Professors Thomas Werner (BioSci) and Rudy L. Luck and Haiying Liu (both Chem).

Their groundbreaking paper is titled "Sensitive monitoring of NAD(P)H levels within cancer cells using mitochondria-targeted near-infrared cyanine dyes with optimized electron-withdrawing acceptors."

Highlighted on the journal's front cover, the research introduces two cutting-edge near-infrared cyanine dyes meticulously engineered for the precise detection of NAD(P)H, a critical biomarker in cancer metabolism. These dyes exhibit primary absorption peaks at 438 nm and 470 nm, transitioning seamlessly into fluorescence at 748 nm and 730 nm upon interaction with NAD(P)H, showcasing an unprecedented level of sensitivity. Notably, their unique design enables deep tissue penetration with minimal disruption, rendering them invaluable for non-invasive cancer detection and continuous monitoring.

Of particular significance is their efficacy in monitoring glycolysis-induced NAD(P)H levels within mitochondria, offering insights into cancer cell metabolism and the effects of chemotherapy drugs. This breakthrough promises to advance our understanding of cancer progression and enhance treatment strategies.

The research, supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institutes of Health under multiple award numbers, underscores the vital role of funding agencies in driving scientific innovation. Liu, expressing gratitude as a co-PI, acknowledges the National Science Foundation's support for a new NMR spectrometer, emphasizing the collaborative effort across disciplines in pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery.

Rolf Peterson was interviewed by Michigan Public on the Feb. 6 “Stateside” radio show, discussing Michigan Tech’s Isle Royale winter study of wolves and moose and the warm-weather suspension affecting this year’s study.

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Holly Hassel (HU) was quoted by Inside Higher Ed in a story reviewing attitudes among college professors regarding tools used to detect AI-generated plagiarism.

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Brian Isaksson (REC) was mentioned by ABC 10 in a story previewing the Michigan Nordic Ski Championship amid this year’s “strange season” for skiers. The Copper Country Ski Tigers’ development program coach praised Isaksson and his team for their careful management of icy Tech Trails conditions.

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WLUC TV6 reported live from Michigan Tech yesterday (Feb. 8) after the All-Nighter, touring campus and giving viewers a look at the monthlong and one-night snow statues. Among those interviewed was Blue Key National Honor Society President Joe Dlugos, who voiced thanks to MTU Facilities Management and local public works departments for collaborating to bring in 30 truckloads of snow for statue building.

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MTU students Jesse Nichols and Joe Dlugos were quoted by ABC 10 in a story covering the warm, rainy start of the 2024 Winter Carnival All-Nighter.

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The Daily Mining Gazette ran a story about the trials and triumphs of the All-Nighter, quoting MTU students Shelby Rohwetter, Colin Fuecht, Kevin Hock, Jacob Ojala, Shannon Mattson, Emily Taylor, Tania Bernal and Dan Raper. The Gazette also picked up Michigan Tech News’ story announcing the winning snow statues.

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WJMN Local 3 covered the winners of 2024 Winter Carnival’s monthlong snow statue contest. The story and photos were picked up by Yahoo! News.

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myScience and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mentioned Michigan Tech’s third-place finish in the ASM Materials Education Foundation’s 2023 Undergraduate Design Competition. MTU’s project focused on reducing the presence of boron impurities when making cast iron from recycled steel.

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MLive mentioned Michigan Tech’s online master’s program in engineering being ranked No. 37 in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report.

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The Hockey News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story covering former Husky Jake Lucchini’s first goal skating for the Minnesota Wild.

CISR Research Discussion: 'Climate Resilience and Community Partnerships'

On Feb. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. in Library 103 (or Zoom), join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of climate resilience and community partnerships.

Panelists Evan Lanese and Rachael Pressley of the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region; Chris Van Arsdale, emergency services coordinator for Houghton and Keweenaw counties; and Pengfei Xue (CEGE/GLRC) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the 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.

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IPEC Seeks Applicants for Seed Research Grants

The Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture (IPEC) is inviting applications for Seed Research Grants.

IPEC Seed Research Grants will be awarded to individuals and groups to conduct preliminary research that will lead to a larger external grant proposal. Proposals should be in the following research areas without any priority:

1. Social Media and Society,
2. Human Machine Culture,
3. Justice and Security in Energy Transitions,
4. Ethics in STEM, and
5. Algorithmic Culture.

Evaluation criteria include:

1. Potential for future/continuous external funding,
2. Previous research experience and productivity,
3. Scholarly merit of the proposed research project,
4. Potential for extended/continuous research program, and
5. Potential for future collaborative work.

All full-time faculty members are eligible to apply.

Interested applicants shall submit the IPEC Seed Research Grant Application by Friday (Feb. 16). The maximum funding amount is $5,000 with an expected average of $2,500. Awardees are expected to submit a report upon completion of the project.

Apply Now.

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CS Colloquium with James Davis

James C. Davis, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, will present a Department of Computer Science (CS) Colloquium lecture today (Feb. 12) from 4-5 p.m. in Rekhi 214 and via Zoom.

The title of Davis’ talk is “Practices and Hazards in Reusing Pre-Trained Neural Networks: A Software Engineering Perspective.”

Join the colloquium via Zoom.

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

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Become Mental Health First Aid Certified

The next opportunity for staff to become Mental Health First Aid Certified is Feb. 29 and March 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. This two-day training assists individuals with recognizing signs and symptoms of someone experiencing a mental health crisis and understanding how to respond and/or get them connected to appropriate resources.

Two hours of pre-work are required through online modules ahead of the in-person training dates. The deadline to sign up is Friday (Feb. 16) and the session is limited to 30 participants. Sign up using the Mental Health First Aid registration form.

Please direct any questions to Sarah Dowd at sedowd@mtu.edu.

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MTRAC Request for Proposals Open Now

Applications for the 2024 Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization (MTRAC) grants are open from Jan. 1 to March 31.

The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Applied Advanced Materials program at Michigan Tech provides funding and resources to support materials-related projects with high commercial potential. This support includes research and development funding for prototype and late-stage translational activities, with consultation and mentoring from an oversight committee including industry and investment experts.

Contact Julie Baker at juabaker@mtu.edu or 906-487-3458 to receive assistance and guidance on proposal preparation.

Full details can be found in the 2024 MTRAC Applied Advanced Materials Application Process PDF and on the University's MTRAC page.

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Registration Opening Today: Spring 2024 Youth Aquatics Programs

Registration for spring Session 2 youth aquatics programs opens today (Feb. 12) at 8 a.m.!

• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Parent & Child Aquatics (ages 6 months to 3 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Preschool Aquatics (ages 4-5 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Learn to Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17 years)
• Huskies Swim Clinic (ages 6-17 years)

Registration for Session 2 adult aquatics programs is open now!

• Adult Huskies Swim Training (ages 18 years and older)
• Adult Huskies Swim Lessons (ages 18 years and older)

Questions? Contact Aquatics Manager Annie Bengry at ambengry@mtu.edu or 906-487-2995.

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VPR Research Series: 'Designing Effective International Research Experiences for Students'

Join the Vice President for Research Office (VPR) tomorrow (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 tomorrow.

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).

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35th Annual MLK Celebration Feedback Survey

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.

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Become a Hero: Donate Blood

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 tomorrow 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.

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Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar with Sandeep Chaudhry

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (Feb. 12) in GLRC 202.

Sandeep Chaudhry, postdoctoral scholar, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Michigan Technological University, will present "Study on the Effect of Passive School Transport and In-cabin Ventilation Modes on Students’ Pollutant Exposure."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

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MINE Hosting Lunabotics Exploration Event for Middle and High School Students

The Michigan Tech Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE) team will host a free STEM engagement event for middle and high school students Saturday (Feb. 17) from 1-5 p.m. in Fisher 133. Programming experience is not required.

Register for the Free Event.

Participants will learn about the challenges associated with robotics in lunar environments, and the MINE team will share their experiences building robots for NASA’s Lunabotics Competition. Following, students will engage in hands-on activities, including programming activities with Zumi robots.

Michigan Tech undergraduate students John Dagg (mechanical engineering) and Ben Bistline (computer engineering) are developing the Zumi robot cars and activities for the event. They are part of the Zumi Undergraduate Research Group (ZURG), which is advised by faculty member Leo Ureel, Department of Computer Science.

The event is presented as part of the MINE Enterprise’s participation in NASA’s Lunabotics Competition.

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

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

ECE Career Fair Mixer

Monday, February 12, 12–12 a.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Alumni Lounge

You are invited to attend the ECE Career Fair Mixer on Monday, February 12, 2024 from 4:30 - 6:00 PM in the Memorial Union Building Alumni Lounge. This is an opportunity to...

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Simple Machines: Poetry, Letterpress, and the Art of the Little Magazine Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Monday, February 12, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries

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...

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CocoaFEST!

Monday, February 12, 9–11 a.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

Casually visit with employers while enjoying a cocoa bar.

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Voter Registration Drive with USG

Monday, February 12, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall - Tabling Location

Stop by USG's table to fill out a voter registration form! Make sure you are prepared to participate in the democratic process of voting!

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Thermo-responsive Hydrogels for Solar-Driven Water Purification

Monday, February 12, 10 a.m. | R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), 302

Chemical Engineering Seminar Dr. Xiaohui Xu Associate Research Scholar Princeton University Abstract The global demand for clean water will continue to grow well into the...

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Resume Review and Interview Prep with Employers

Monday, February 12, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

Get feedback from employers on your resume and tips in landing a successful interview.

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Valentine's Day with USG

Monday, February 12, 2–5 p.m. | Van Pelt and Opie Library

USG will be handing out Valentines with handwritten messages and candy!

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Study on the Effect of Passive School Transport and In-cabin Ventilation Modes on Students’ Pollutant Exposure

Monday, February 12, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Dr. Sandeep Chaudhry, Post-doc, CEGE Dept., MTU Abstract: The unprecedented rise in school transport and students’ associated...

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Auto-Owners Insurance's Coding, IT, and Actuarial/Data Science Opportunities

Monday, February 12, 3:30–4:30 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 125

Join Auto-Owners' IT/Actuarial Recruiter, Samantha Woods, to learn information about A-O's work culture, available positions (full-time careers and paid internships), and much...

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Computer Science Colloquium: James Davis

Monday, February 12, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Rekhi Hall, 214

James C. Davis, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, will present a Department of Computer Science Colloquium lecture on Monday,...

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Nuclear Power and Navy Q&A

Monday, February 12, 5–6 p.m.

Ever wonder about the US Navy's Nuclear Power Program? Or what it is like to be in the Navy/military. Come by Fischer Room 132 from 5pm-6pm and ask any questions that you...

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Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Parent & Child Aquatics - Spring 2024 Session 1

Monday, February 12, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Ages 6 months to 3 years. Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6...

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Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Preschool Aquatics - Spring 2024 Session 1

Monday, February 12, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Ages 4-5 years. Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Preschool Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 4 to 5 years old....