February 10, 2023

The snozzberries taste like victory for Phi Kappa Tau. The Hancock-based Greek organization extended its winning streak in Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival overall monthlong statue competition to five years in a row with the Willy Wonka-themed “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” 

Finishing in second place overall for the monthlong builds was Tau Kappa Epsilon’s “Frozen Noodles Fill the Pan as Samurai Defend Japan.” Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Tau Gamma took third with “Let Us Join Hands and Explore Candyland: Take a trip with us through this classic family board game.”

Find out who won in all the 2023 Winter Carnival snow statue categories at Michigan Tech News.

Michigan Tech's 48-hour giving challenge will conclude at 4 p.m. today. As of 8:30 p.m. last night (Thursday), the total raised approached $400,000 from 700 gifts.

Tech employees are encouraged to make their Campus Campaign gift by participating in Give Back to the Pack. Give a one-time gift online or use this form to set up payroll deduction.

Dozens of dollar-for-dollar matches and participation challenges remain open and can increase the impact of gifts.

Thanks to all who have participated and encouraged others to do so.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) is seeking faculty to serve as mentors for the 2023 MiCUP Scholars Program. This program targets low-income, underrepresented, first-generation students who wish to continue their education beyond community college.

The 2023 MiCUP program offers a seven-week summer experience (May 8 to June 22) that addresses the opportunities and challenges students face as they pursue a bachelor’s degree. Faculty mentors in the program will assist students with research projects in engineering, technology, business, computer science and health sciences.

All faculty interested in facilitating undergraduate research with MiCUP program participants should complete the Mentor Information Request Form.

The Husky FAN food pantry has seen a large increase in use over this school year. Help us continue reaching more people by donating shelf-stable, unperished items, or making a monetary donation through our online giving form!

Food items can be left outside the pantry on the first floor of Fisher Hall in the alcove across from Fisher 135. Lastly, if you're interested in volunteering, please contact huskyfan@mtu.edu!

College of Sciences and Arts Dean David Hemmer is pleased to announce that Laura Walikainen Rouleau (SS) is the featured instructor this week for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase. She was nominated by Department of Social Sciences Chair Don Lafreniere and Associate Professor Melissa Baird.

Walikainen Rouleau will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with other spring showcase members, and is a candidate for the next CTL Instructional Award Series.

An associate teaching professor in social sciences, Walikainen Rouleau is a deeply knowledgeable scholar, an accessible and innovative teacher, and a trusted advisor. As a historian, she makes history accessible and essential to understanding contemporary issues, which improves student outcomes and competencies beyond the classroom. She strives to create inclusive classrooms and supportive environments. Her teaching pedagogy is student-centered and designed to bring research into the classroom and the classroom into the community. 

Walikainen Rouleau recently took her Copper Country History class to the Champion Mine in Painesdale to learn about industrial communities. She collaborated with industrial heritage and archaeology MS student Gary Spikberg and the Keweenaw Time Traveler team to use augmented reality (AR) to illustrate the location and historical-spatial relationships between the houses and remnant mining structures still on the landscape today and the structures that are lost to time. Combining the AR application with a deep knowledge of historical context, the students learned about the relationship between work and home, the importance of the school to the community, and the role of religious communities in Painesdale. 

Walikainen Rouleau is a valued member of the Department of Social Sciences and the University. Lafreniere and Baird have both witnessed first-hand the impression that students have of her teaching. For example, Lafreniere traveled with her students to the Painesdale field trip and saw how she connected the materials from lectures to their experiences in the communities and how technology was used to illuminate historical processes and populations. Baird's advisee, who served as a teaching assistant, described how Walikainen Rouleau took time to ensure she was successful as a teaching assistant. Moreover, she adopted Walikainen Rouleau's close historical reading and methods to approach historical sources in her Ph.D. work.

Walikainen Rouleau demonstrates that teaching history comes with the responsibility of sharing that knowledge beyond the boundaries of the University. Her commitments in and outside the classroom engage and inspire students to be independent while providing attention and care to facilitate their success.

A student summed up how much they appreciate her approach: “The field trips that our class took were a fantastic way for us to interact with historical sites in a way that we wouldn't be able to do in the classroom. These trips provided direct experience and helped me to connect the concepts we were learning in class with the landscape.”

Dean Hemmer noted that “Tech students are fortunate to have a professor who can really make history come to life while integrating teaching, scholarship and community engagement.”

Writing in the Discipline (Write-D) and the Department of Physics are pleased to welcome Alyssa Horne as the department’s Write-D facilitator, beginning in the Spring 2023 semester.

Write-D provides a dedicated time and space for graduate students to get work done and receive support on writing projects within their discipline, such as manuscripts, research proposals, etc. Guest speakers from the department and industry visit to present briefly on research, writing and publishing tips. This free program is open to all graduate students.

Current departments and facilitators:

• Physics: Alyssa Horne
• Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering: Catherine Rono
• Chemical Engineering: Tinu Folayan
• Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering: Miaomiao Li

For more information, including times and locations, visit our webpage. Questions? Contact the Write-D Coordinator, Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

As part 2 of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute's (MTTI) information sessions, Colin Brooks (MTRI) will lead discussion on the current SBIR funding notice by the U.S. Department of Transportation on February 15 from 1-2 p.m.

The session will cover how MTRI Inc. has partnered with Michigan Tech faculty on successful SBIR/STTR proposals, review some of the interesting topics on this particular call, and answer any questions for those interested in research that targets commercialization.

Also joining the session will be Nate Yenor, director of technology business incubation with Michigan Tech's Office of Innovation and Commercialization. Nate will share his experiences with other SBIR proposals and answer questions about small business partnerships available beyond MTRI, Inc.

Attend via Zoom.

The trap of service tasks that take time and energy but are not considered to be significant in promotion decisions was addressed in a recent article in Nature. The authors describe themselves as the “No Club” because they have both experienced and researched the ineffectual advice to women academics of “just say no” to service tasks that don’t advance careers. They state: “The underlying reason is simple, and sad: we all expect women to take on this work, which is why we ask them more often and judge them harshly when they say no.”

Although members of the No Club often get better at saying no to unrewarded work such as serving on university committees, this does not stem the flow of requests. Further, an unintended consequence of saying no is that another woman is often asked. Therefore, the authors discuss the need for university leaders to develop other solutions that don’t always place women (and other underrepresented groups) in the position of declining requests and being perceived negatively for doing so.

Leaders can help by transparently tracking “asks” and assignments, such as through a shared Google Sheet or another dashboard, and by developing task-sharing strategies so that one demographic group is not burdened more than another. Succeeding in doing this may minimize the need for a “No Club.”

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

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

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

Tonight head down to the Rozsa Art Galleries from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the artist reception for the independent student art exhibit, "You, Me, and Us."

Driven by themes of introspection, memory and human connection, three student artists (and Michigan Tech seniors) have come together to create a series inspired by different experiences in their lives that they feel are more universal than subconsciously realized.

About the Artist Reception
Featured artists: Bobbie Desgrange, Madi Wentela, and Maisie Whitaker

What to Expect: Enjoy refreshments. Meet the student artists in a relaxed environment. See fantastic, student-made art.

Details: The reception is free and open to the public, faculty, staff and students.

• When: Friday, February 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Where: Rozsa Art Galleries (located on the lower level of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts)

Can't make it tonight? Come see the exhibit today through Feb. 25 in the Rozsa Art Galleries.

Come one, come all, to Winter Carnival! The annual celebration is a time for town, gown, alumni and friends to celebrate the majesty of a Copper Country winter with snow statues, outdoor games and contests, Huskies hockey and, of course, the crowning of the carnival queen!

To celebrate the time-honored tradition, the Michigan Tech Archives welcomes you to join us as we team up with the Office of Alumni Engagement to co-host the Alumni Social and “Queens of Carnivals Past” exhibit.

The limited-time display of Winter Carnival Queen artifacts and memorabilia includes crowns, photographs and promotional posters dating back to 1958! The joint event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Opie Reading Room in the library. This is a free event. Coffee, hot chocolate and donuts will be provided.

For more information about the exhibit please email University Archivist, Lindsay Hiltunen at copper@mtu.edu. Be sure to follow the archives on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 in GLRC Room 202.

Professor Eric Seagren (CEGE) will present "The VisiSens TD System for 2-D In Situ Measurement of O2, CO2, and pH Using Optical Chemical Sensors: Opportunities for Research and Education."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Banner Production System Maintenance

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday (Feb. 12) from 7-11 a.m.

The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

Banner 
Banweb 
MyMichiganTech 
ASPIRE 
Course Tools 
OAP Rental System 
Oracle Reports 
Sunapsis (iOffice) 
UC4/Appworx 
Virtual Cashiering 
WebFocus 

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

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Upcoming Maintenance Affecting Password Resets

Michigan Tech IT will be performing routine quarterly maintenance on the Fischer/mylogin system on Sunday (Feb. 12) from 8 a.m. to noon. During this maintenance, password resets and mylogin.mtu.edu will be unavailable.

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

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GSG Merit Award Nominations: Open Now!

Nominations for this year's Graduate Student Government (GSG) Merit Awards are now open.

This is a time to celebrate all the hard work that graduate students, faculty and staff have put in over the last year. GSG gives out four awards each year:

• Exceptional Staff Member,
• Exceptional Graduate Mentor,
• Exceptional Student Leader, and
• Exceptional Student Scholar.

To see full information about the criteria for these awards, please visit our website. If you wish to nominate someone, please fill out the form below.

Nominations will close next Friday (Feb. 17) at 11:59 p.m. Please help us in recognizing some of the outstanding individuals on our campus by submitting a nomination today!

Nominate someone today using the Merit Awards Nomination Form!

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Today's the Day to Give Back to the Pack!

Give Back to the Pack, Michigan Tech's 48-hour giving challenge, continues until 4 p.m. today (Feb. 10).

Visit giveback.mtu.edu to make your gift at any time during the 48 hours. Gifts can be made in any amount and to any area of campus. Dozens of challenges from departments across campus have been set up, which can increase the impact of gifts through participation or dollar-for-dollar matches.

Give Back to the Pack aims to celebrate what makes Tech special while developing a culture of philanthropy among alumni, faculty, staff, students and the community.

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Software Carpentry in Python Workshop

Michigan Tech will host an online Software Carpentry in Python workshop Feb. 20-24. Sessions will be held daily from 3-5:30 p.m. All Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend this free workshop, which covers basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control and task automation. The target audience is learners who have little to no prior computational experience, although those with some experience will also benefit.

Please sign up by the end of today (Feb. 10). Space is limited and will likely fill quickly. Register now.

This workshop is the first of a series of workshops to be held this spring. Additional announcements will be made for these future events as they are confirmed.

Questions? Please email Laura Brown at lebrown@mtu.edu.

Read more on the Computing News Blog.

Job Posting for Friday, Feb. 10, 2023

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.

Help Desk Consultant, Information Technology. Apply online.

Associate Director of Housing Services, Residence Education and Housing Services. Apply online.

Food Service Helper (9 months/ 40 hours/ 1st Shift) #23029, Facilities (AFSCME posting dates Feb. 10, 2023 to Feb. 16, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

Custodian (12 months/ 40 hours/ 1st Shift) #23030, Facilities (AFSCME posting dates Feb. 10, 2023 to Feb. 16, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

Food Service Helper (9 months/ 40 hours/ 2nd Shift) #23031, Facilities posting dates Feb. 10, 2023 to Feb. 16, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). Apply online.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available. If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations to apply for employment, or for an interview, at Michigan Technological University, please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or humanresources@mtu.edu.

Ph.D. students Dilka Liyana Arachchige and Adenike Mary Olowolagba, undergraduate students Tara Vohs, Kyle Usimaki and Delaney Raine Fritz, high school student Jiani Tang, Research Scientist Sushil K. Dwivedi and Professor Haiying Liu (Chem), and Associate Professors Rudy L. Luck and Thomas Werner (BioSci) published an article in Journal of Materials Chemistry B. The paper is selected as one of the hot papers collected by Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

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Doctoral student Isaac Wedig and Steven Elmer (KIP) are co-authors of an article published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The article, titled "Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Modulators of Health Outcomes: A Compelling Research-Based Case Presented to the Medical Community," was selected as the Editor’s Choice and featured on the journal’s YouTube channel. 

Keweenaw Report and UPWord ran stories announcing the beginning of Michigan Tech’s 101st Winter Carnival. WLUC TV6 also provided extensive coverage of the happenings, including a story about the pancake fundraiser hosted by MTU’s Air Force ROTC, a series of interviews with students working to complete their snow statues, and a campus tour of finished statues with undergraduate student Joe Dlugos, president of the Blue Key Honor Society, which organizes the event. 

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Escanaba’s Daily Press covered the return of St. Albert the Great Catholic University Parish’s annual Ice Mass. 

St. Al’s first Ice Mass of 2023 will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 10) at the chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, and will stream online on Facebook Live.

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Blake Pietila was featured by WLUC TV6 for his outstanding contribution to the success of Michigan Tech’s hockey season. Pietila’s save percentage is .931. He has recorded 8 shutouts on the year, most in the nation and a new team record.

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The Miami Herald covered the hiring of Butch Barry as offensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins football team. Barry held the same position for Michigan Tech football from 2006 to 2008.

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Michigan Tech was mentioned by Phys.org in a story about new research into the impacts of moisture in the regulation and sequestration of carbon stocks in both humid and arid soil systems. Research associate professor Lucas Nave (CFRES) was a co-author of the study led by researchers at Virginia Tech. The story was picked up by SCIENMAG and Bioengineer.org. 

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WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the OneUP Mind Trekkers 2023 tour, which has reached over 1,200 students in the two events hosted so far. Mind Trekkers is a flagship program of Michigan Tech’s Center for Educational Outreach. Jannah Tumey (CEO) was interviewed in the story.

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Keweenaw Now published a blog post written by Ph.D. student Aritra Chakrabarty (environmental and energy policy) about the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss on Indigenous communities around the world. Chakrabarty was a member of Michigan Tech’s delegation to the COP27 climate conference, held in November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

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

Michigan Tech Art Presents: Me, You, and Us

Friday, February 10, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |

MICHIGAN TECH ART PRESENTS Me, You, and Us ART EXHIBITION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023 THROUGH SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2023 A-SPACE HOURS: M-F 8 A.M.-8 P.M.

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Hitachi FESEM Workshop by Appointment

Friday, February 10, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 636

S4700 FESEM Imaging Workshop Bob Passeri Hitachi High-Tech America Faculty, staff, or students are invited to bring in a sample for a one-on-one session on campus. Bring...

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Ice Bowling

Friday, February 10, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC)

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Teams consisting of no more than ten members will compete in this version of bowling on ice. One team member...

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Tug-of-War

Friday, February 10, 10 a.m. | Recreational Sports Fields (Softball, Baseball)

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Registered teams will compete in a single elimination, 6-vs-6 Tug-of-War tournament. Teams of eight will...

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Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides

Friday, February 10, 12 p.m.–4 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Outside

Enjoy a ride around campus looking at the statues. Sponsored by Blue Key.

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Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

Friday, February 10, 2 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Winter Carnival Special Event for participating organizations. Pre-registration required to participate; spectators welcome. Skiing Teams with a maximum of five participants...

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Friday After School Learn to Ski and Snowboard Program

Friday, February 10, 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. | Mont Ripley Ski Area

Fridays Ages 8+ Children of all ability levels have an opportunity to learn to ski or snowboard, make new friends, and explore Mont Ripley together. The focus is on safety,...

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Ice Mass

Friday, February 10, 5:30 p.m. | St. Albert the Great Ice Chapel on the Lawn

Join us for mass during Winter Carnival. There will be chili served after each service.

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The Rozsa Galleries Present: Me, You, and Us Artist Reception

Friday, February 10, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

THE ROZSA GALLERIES PRESENT Me, You, and Us ARTIST RECEPTION Join the three senior Visual & Performing Arts students for their Me, You, and Us artist coffee and cake...

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Maryland Winter Carnival Hockey Watch Party

Friday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. | Columbia, MD

MTU alumni and friends are invited to join Pat Kilroy '83 to cheer on our Huskies at Black Flag Brewing Co on Friday, February 10, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. as Michigan Tech goes up...

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KAC Scholarship Winter Carnival Skybox Social

Friday, February 10, 6:45 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Huskies South Skybox

All alumni and friends are invited to cheer on the Huskies from skybox seating for a scholarship social at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena during Winter Carnival. Join us for...

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Michigan Tech Night at the Resch Center Gamblers Hockey

Friday, February 10, 7:05 p.m. | Green Bay, WI

Join fellow Huskies for Michigan Tech Night at Resch Center Gamblers Hockey on Friday, February 10, 2023, for the Gamblers vs. Youngstown game. The game begins at 7:05 p.m....

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(Men's Ice Hockey) Bowling Green vs. Michigan Tech

Friday, February 10, 7:07 p.m.–10:07 p.m. | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena

Men's Ice Hockey: Bowling Green vs. Michigan Tech

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Late Night Programming Presents: Winter Carnival Comedian Mikey Day

Friday, February 10, 9 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, James and Margaret Black Performance Hall

Late Night Programming presents: Winter Carnival Comedian Mikey Day -------- 📅 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023 ⏰ 9 PM (ET), DOORS AT 8:15 PM 📍 THE ROZSA CENTER FOR THE...

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Adult and Youth Huskies Tennis and Pickleball Lessons (Session 1)

February 10, all day | Michigan Tech Gates Tennis Center

Youth Huskies Tennis Lessons: After school and weekend Youth Huskies Group Tennis Lessons are available this spring! Join in by age group and level for some fun on the tennis...

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Give Back to the Pack

February 10, all day | Michigan Tech Campus

Celebrate Winter Carnival 2023 from wherever you are and Give Back to the Pack on February 8–10! Huskies from across the country and globe are coming together during this...