March 7, 2024

A diverse, multitalented group of Michigan Tech students and faculty have been awarded fellowships and grants totaling an impressive $71,728 from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) for its 2024-25 cycle.

The MSGC, which consists of 52 consortia, is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The MSGC promotes awareness, research and education in “space-related science and technology in Michigan.” To achieve this goal, the organization not only funds fellowships and scholarships for students pursuing STEM careers but also financially supports curriculum enhancement and faculty development.

Michigan Tech undergraduate students who received $4,000 for Faculty Led Fellowships:

• Grace Hoeppner (biomedical engineering): “Effects of Microgravity on Predisposing Factors for Atrial Fibrillation Thrombosis Risk”
• Grace Murray (social sciences): “Cultivating Healthy Communities: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Female Eponyms in Heirloom Plant Varieties and their Impacts in Community Food Networks”

Michigan Tech graduate students who received $5,000 Graduate Fellowships:

• Alexander Apostle (Chem): “Improved Synthesis and Application of Human Telomeres”
• Matthew Beals (ME-EM): “Advancing Adaptive Aerostructures: Utilizing Steady-State Traveling Waves for Drag Reduction and Sustainable Aviation”
• Grady Boyle (CFRES): “Using High Resolution Multitemporal Imagery for Ash Inventory and EAB Invasion Mapping in the Upper Great Lakes Region”
• Jacob Jackson (BioMed): “Cell-Specific Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in the Subthalamic Nucleus of a Parkinson’s Rat Model”
• Benjamin Mohrhardt (ECE): “Investigating and Predicting the Formation of Toxic Nitrogenous Byproducts from Phenolic Compounds in the Presence of Nitrate under Far-UVC Irradiation from KrCl* Excilamps”
• Ian Norwood (Physics): ”Constraining Frictional Charging on Coarse-Mode Atmospheric Dust Particles”
• Eleanor Serocki (CFRES): ”Estimating Trace Gas Flux Dynamics in Boreal Wetlands”
• Tanner Sether (Physics): ”Toward a Deep Learning Approach for Fast Galaxy Catalog Generation”
• Matthew Sisson (MSE): ”Micromagnetism of Self-Assembled FeSi2 Nanoislands”
• Caitlyn Sutherlin (SS): ”Community- and Nature-Led Adaptation in El Salvador”
• Kyle Wehmanen (KIP): ”Human Powered Locomotion on Variable Terrain: a Continuing Investigation for how to Move on Mars”

Michigan Tech faculty and staff members who received $5,000 or more for Hands-On NASA-Oriented Experiences for Student Groups (HONES) or Research Seed Grants:

• Paul van Susante (ME-EM): HONES — “NASA Lunabotics Competition”

The Graduate School is proud of these students for their outstanding scholarship. These awards highlight the quality of students at Michigan Tech, their innovative work, their leadership potential and the incredible role played by faculty in students’ academic success.

Join the fun with Michigan Tech’s football, women’s basketball, and men’s basketball Little Huskies camps, volleyball academies and Doghouse Classic 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament!

These camps provide an opportunity for your Little Husky to have fun, all while learning from college athletes and coaches at Michigan Tech!

The Doghouse Tournament will take place on April 20 and is for grades 4-8, JV, Varsity, and men’s and women’s open groups who want to compete in this exciting basketball tournament!

Our football Little Huskies registration closes Saturday (March 9) at 11:59 p.m., so sign up quick!

Registration and more information on all our spring programs can be found at Michigan Tech Recreation’s Camps, Clinics and Tournaments page.

The national tour of the Tony Award-nominated Lincoln Center Theater Production of Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” arrives at the Rozsa Center for one night only tonight (March 7) at 7:30 p.m. The performance promises an enchanting evening filled with the classic musical’s tunes and story. Remaining ticket availability is limited — secure your tickets now.

From the Lincoln Center Theater, which brought you "The King & I" and "South Pacific," comes Lerner and Loewe’s "My Fair Lady." Director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production has been described as "a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time" by Entertainment Weekly and “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” by the New York Times.

Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.”  But who is really being transformed?

This performance is Pay As You’re Able, with a full ticket fee of $40. The Rozsa believes that the foundation of an equitable and inclusive arts culture requires making events financially accessible to all. Pay As You're Able ticketing is available for all Rozsa Presenting Series events. Please pay what you can afford.

Support for the Rozsa Presenting Series and this event is provided by Visit Keweenaw, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the Katherine M. Bosch Foundation, the James A. and Margaret C. Black Endowment Fund and the Rozsa Circle of Supporters.

Show Details:

• What: “My Fair Lady,” a Lincoln Center Theater Touring Production
• When: Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Tickets: Pay As You’re Able ($40 full ticket fee). A limited number of Student Rush tickets are available and sponsored by the Experience Tech fee.

Reserve your tickets.

Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics candidate Yue Kang will defend her doctoral dissertation next Thursday (March 14) in Fisher 325.

Kang's defense is titled "Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Compressible Miscible Displacements and Applications in Reservoir Simulation."

She is advised by Yang Yang.

Looking for ways to enjoy and benefit from your local forests? Join the Women Owning and Appreciating Woodlands of Michigan and the Women in Natural Resource Club at Michigan Tech on March 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a day at the Ford Center to learn about wildlife, forest management and forest health.

Network with College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) faculty and local forest professionals and meet other women who love the outdoors! Children are welcome and activities will be available for them as well. Please bring your lunch if you would like. Refreshments will be provided.

The workshop is free, but registration by next Friday (March 15) is required. To register, email Carly DeVet at fap.iron.baraga@macd.org.

Michigan Tech Nordic skier Olivia Laven is the recipient of the Elite 90 award from the NCAA. Laven was presented with the award during the 2023 NCAA Skiing Championships banquet on Tuesday (March 5) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. 

An engineering management major, Laven currently carries a 4.0 GPA. She is the second Husky in program history to achieve this award, with Amanda Kautzer earning the award in the 2019-20 season.

"We are so incredibly proud of Olivia," said the Nordic ski team coaching staff. "Olivia is the exemplary student-athlete on our team; we take pride in the fact that our student-athletes value academic achievements to the same degree as athletic achievements. To say Olivia has worked hard for this award is an understatement. This is her third time making the NCAA Championships, and to finally achieve this award in her senior year is a true testament to the relentless effort she puts into being the best possible student every step of the way."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters recently awarded Mix 93 WKMJ three Broadcast Excellence Awards in Commercial Radio Market 4 for its coverage of Michigan Tech hockey:

• Best Award, Play-By-Play Sports — Dirk Hembroff's broadcast of the Huskies' 4-2 victory over Northern Michigan on Dec. 8 at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
  
  
• Merit Award, Play-By-Play Sports — Hembroff's call of the Huskies' Great Lakes Invitational semifinal overtime win over Alaska on Dec. 28.
  
  
• Best Award, Sports Program — The Michigan Tech Huskies Hockey Radio Show. Hosted by Hembroff, the show airs at 10 a.m. on Mondays during the hockey season and features regular appearances by the coaching staff and current Huskies.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Stephen Techtmann (BioSci/GLRC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $798,426 research and development co-op joint agreement from the U.S. Department of Defense, DARPA.

The project is titled "Ice Control Compounds from Bacterial Isolates and Functional Metagenomics."

Trista Vick-Majors (BioSci/GLRC) is a co-PI on this potential 2.5-year project.

CSA Dean Semifinalist Presenting at Open Forum

The College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) Dean Search Committee has invited four semifinalist candidates to Michigan Tech for on-campus interviews.

Candidate 4 Open Forum Presentation:
Thursday, March 7, at 10 a.m. in the Library East Reading Room
The fourth candidate's interview will be held today and tomorrow (March 7 and 8). The candidate will present their administrative philosophy and vision for CSA at an open forum at 10 a.m. today in the Library East Reading Room.

Information on all candidates, interview dates and open forum information can be viewed at the Academic Affairs Dean Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view resumes and provide comment. The open forums will be video recorded and posted to the website for viewing.

The CSA Dean Search Committee encourages the campus community to interact with each candidate during the interviews and provide feedback by completing the anonymous comment form provided at the website. Feedback forms will be available for 72 hours following the last candidate's visit.

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COE Dean Semifinalist Presenting at Open Forum

The College of Engineering (COE) Dean Search Committee has invited four semifinalist candidates to Michigan Tech for on-campus interviews.

Candidate 2 Open Forum Presentation:
Thursday, March 7, at 2 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A2
The second candidate's interview will be held today and tomorrow (March 7 and 8). The candidate will present their administrative philosophy and vision for COE at an open forum at 2 p.m. today in MUB Ballroom A2.

Information on all candidates, interview dates and open forum information can be viewed at the Academic Affairs Dean Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view resumes and provide comment. The open forums will be video recorded and posted to the website for viewing.

The COE Dean Search Committee encourages the campus community to interact with each candidate during the interviews and provide feedback by completing the anonymous comment form provided at the website. Feedback forms will be available for 72 hours following the last candidate's visit.

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Workshop: Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty Promotion File

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, "Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty (ITF) Promotion File," today (March 7) from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in Admin 404 in the Administration Building.

The first half of the session will focus on the mechanics of preparing an ITF promotion file and will include insights from panelists who have gone through the promotion process or reviewed promotion materials. Panelists will be Kit Cischke (ECE), David Flaspohler (CFRES), Paniz Hazavah (AC) and Teresa Woods (Math). The second half of the session will focus on how to input data and narratives into Digital Measures to produce a Faculty Activity Report (FAR) for the promotion file.

All ITF are welcome; those who plan to submit a promotion package in the next couple of years are especially encouraged to attend.

Faculty are welcome to attend just one part of the session as their schedule allows. Direct questions to Shari Stockero, assistant provost for faculty development, at stockero@mtu.edu.

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Physics Colloquium: Grad Student Presentations

Department of Physics graduate students will be presenting their research progress at this week's Physics Colloquium:

• Lucas Simonson (advised by Ramy El-Ganainy)
• Nithin Allwayin (advised by Raymond Shaw)

This will be an in-person event — the students will give their talks at 4 p.m. today (March 7) in Fisher 139.

Event details, including the students' presentation titles and abstracts, are available on the University Events Calendar.

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Today's C-Cubed Menu

Menu for Thursday (March 7):

• Crepe Florentine (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg)
• Chicken Florentine (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg)
• Roasted Red Potatoes (VG, AD, AG)
• Green Beans (VG, AD, AG)
• Garden Salad (VG, AG, AD)
• Dinner Roll with Butter (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Sesame)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon. The luncheon is held each week on Thursday 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, or C-Cubed, 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 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

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Join the Voter Engagement Coalition!

Historically, young adults have voted at lower rates than older cohorts. The newest members of our democracy move more frequently, are less likely to have a driver’s license and are less likely to be contacted directly by political campaigns than older age groups, all of which are barriers to registering and voting. Help us change these historical trends!

Members of our campus community are invited to join the Voter Engagement Coalition. Over the course of the 2024 election cycle, this nonpartisan working group will create, implement and assess a plan to foster civic engagement and voter participation on Michigan Tech’s campus. By harnessing the collective expertise, passion and influence of our community, we hope to foster a culture of democracy that extends far beyond Election Day.

The coalition will host an introductory meeting at 1 p.m. today (March 7) in the Memorial Union Building Superior Room for anyone interested in learning more about this important endeavor. Not able to attend Thursday afternoon? Email Danielle Meirow at dlmeirow@mtu.edu to share your interest and learn more.

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ME-EM Graduate Seminar Speaker: Nikhil Koratkar

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. today (March 7) in MEEM 112.

Nikhil Koratkar will present “Battery Electrodes: Nano vs Micro-Structuring.”

Koratkar is the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His research has focused on the synthesis, characterization and application of advanced materials.

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BioSci Seminar Series Speakers: Aaron MacLeod and Ellie Sempek

Aaron MacLeod and Ellie Sempek will present as part of the BioSci Seminar Series today (March 7) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202.

The presentation is titled "microRNA-483 deficiency induces pancreatic beta-cell dedifferentiation and type 2 diabetes."

From the abstract:
Type 2 diabetes afflicts millions worldwide, yet existing treatments address symptoms but fail to tackle the root cause. Traditional models for type 2 diabetes pathogenesis often focus on cell death, but new evidence suggests that the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells undergo dedifferentiation, resulting in the loss of β-cell identity without cell death. Understanding the cellular processes following dedifferentiation that affect insulin production loss is critical.

MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that often maintain cell identity by inhibiting gene expression through targeting and degrading mRNAs. Our research showed that microRNA-483 (miR-483) is expressed at a higher level in β-cells than glucagon-producing α-cells, highlighting its important role in β-cell development and identity. Mice with a β-cell specific knockout of miR-483 (483-/-) exhibited accelerated progression of high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetes. Notably, miR-483 deficiency led to a significant increase in Aldh1a3, a marker of β-cell dedifferentiation. Furthermore, islets from 483-/- mice showed reduced insulin and elevated glucagon expression following HFD and streptozotocin (STZ) treatment, indicating that β-cells are losing their ability to secrete insulin. Our analysis further revealed that miR-483 deficiency significantly upregulates multiple enzymes involved in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction. To assess mitochondrial function, we utilize the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. The research aims to elucidate the interplay between miR-483 deficiency, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the pathogenesis of this prevalent disease. We hypothesize that miR-483 deletion induces a defective metabolic stress response, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and ultimately β-cell dedifferentiation. The results obtained from this project will help understand the underlying mechanisms of β-cell dedifferentiation and guide therapeutical treatments for diabetes.

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Student Teams: Registration for Design Expo Closes Tomorrow

Undergraduate students in any college across campus are encouraged to register and take part in Michigan Tech’s annual Design Expo on April 16. Registration is open through tomorrow (March 8). Full information is located on the Design Expo student registration webpage.

Design Expo allows our students to showcase their work to industry, other faculty and departments within MTU, and the broader community. Any questions or need help? Contact Kimberly Geiger at kmgeiger@mtu.edu.

Give Your Presentation an Extra Boost with Design Expo Workshops
Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and help from dedicated Van Pelt and Opie Library and University staff! All sessions take place in the Library East Reading Room from 2-3 p.m.

• Thursday, March 7: Posters, Images & Visualizations
  We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your posters and the images and data you display in them are readable and appealing, and run through tools you can use to design supporting images.
  
  
• Wednesday, March 20: Video Creating & Editing
  We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last half of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you!
  
  
• Thursday, April 4: The Finishing Touches
  Refresh on details about how to present your work for Design Expo and other end-of-year presentations. Get last-minute feedback for a winning project and work on the final details of your project and video to the company! Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

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

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

Thursday, March 7, 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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CTL and Essential Ed Lunch and Learn: Mastering the Essentials of Essential Education

Thursday, March 7, 12–1 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, A1

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for the following opportunity: CTL and Essential Ed Lunch and Learn: Mastering the Essentials of Essential...

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Master's Defense: Isabel Valencia

Thursday, March 7, 2–3 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 708

Biological Sciences Advisor: Stephen Techtmann Synthetic Microbial Communities for Plastic Upcycling Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/9885800590

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Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty Promotion File Workshop

Thursday, March 7, 2–4 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty (ITF) Promotion File. The event will...

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Battery Electrodes: Nano vs Micro-Structuring

Thursday, March 7, 4 p.m. | R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building (MEEM), 112

ME-EM Graduate Seminar Speaker Series proudly presents Nikhil A. Koratkar, PhD Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Abstract Battery electrodes comprise a current collector...

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Physics Colloquium - Graduate Student Presentations (Simonson / Allwayin)

Thursday, March 7, 4–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 139

Please join physics graduate students, Lucas Simonson and Nithin Allwayin for their in-person presentations on Thursday, March 7th at 4 PM - Fisher Hall 139. Lucas...

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Fueling the Future of Sustainability with Ford's Mark Dearth!

Thursday, March 7, 5–6 p.m. | ChemSci 211

Join AIChE and Mark Dearth to learn about sustainability in the automotive industry. With experience at Ford and Rivian, he has consulted for both automotive pioneers on their...

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Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Learn to Swim Levels 1-5 - Spring 2024 Session 2

Thursday, March 7, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 are being offered at the SDC Pool. Huskies Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17...

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My Fair Lady Presented by The Rozsa

Thursday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Black Performance Hall

“Thrilling, glorious and BETTER THAN IT EVER WAS. Eliza is a hero for our moment!” The New York Times From Lincoln Center Theater and director Bartlett Sher comes “a...

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NCAA Skiing Championships (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)

March 7, all day

NCAA Skiing Championships (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)