March 27, 2023

Michigan Technological University announces the appointment of Andrew Storer as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. His appointment comes after an extensive national search chaired by Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Wayne Gersie.

“The University owes much thanks to the search committee for their efforts in recruiting such a talented pool of candidates, and to the entire campus for their active participation and feedback,” said Rick Koubek, president.

Read more at Michigan Tech News.

The Soyring Foundation Scholarship is available exclusively for Pavlis Honors College students through a generous gift from an alumnus of Michigan Tech with a passion for education and innovation.

The $1,000 scholarship is available to students expressing research and innovation interests in any of these three areas:

• Water quality management,
• Renewable energy, or
• Solutions to prevent and cure cancer.

If you are interested in applying, please fill out the application form. A short essay is required and it can be uploaded as an Microsoft Word document or PDF file. The application submission deadline is midnight on April 9.

The Career Services team is pleased to share that we will host the 2023 Fall Career Fair on Sept. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. The recess will last from 2-4 p.m. Employer and student registration is now open on the Handshake platform.

We are also planning several outdoor CareerFEST days in the weeks leading up to Career Fair, including a “906” day featuring employers recruiting for Upper Peninsula-based positions on (wait for it) Sept. 6.

Join us on our Summer Track B Study abroad in England! We still have several slots available, but you need to apply this week.

The deadline for the 2023 Summer Track B Cumbria, England, Study Abroad program has been extended! Join us in this four-week, six-credit program (July 16 to Aug. 12) for an amazing opportunity to explore England's northwestern borderlands, including ancient stone circles, Roman forts and Medieval castles and cathedrals, all while taking in contemporary English and Scottish culture!

Simply fill out the Study Away/Study Abroad 2023 Application Form to get started. Your $500 deposit (applied toward the program fee) will be due April 1.

Please contact Dan Trepal at djtrepal@mtu.edu with any questions regarding the program.

Don't wait — apply today!

The Iranian Community at Michigan Tech is celebrating the new year (Nowruz) and would like to share the Iranian new year tradition at Michigan Tech. Everyone is invited to join us to celebrate the beginning of spring together.

This year, our event includes an Iranian banquet, traditional dance performances by our organization members, Iranian live music by a music rock star invited from London and stand-up comedy by a comedian invited from California. Our event is Sunday (April 2) from 6-9 p.m., followed by a one-hour fun after-party.

Tickets will be sold at the MUB Commons starting today (March 27) until Friday (March 31), or until we sell out. Last event, we sold out on the third day of selling tickets, so if you plan to come, please get your ticket earlier. Students can get tickets for $15 and nonstudent tickets are $25.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at ircom@mtu.edu.

What are the politics of nature? Who owns it, where is it and what role does it play in our lives?

Join MTU's Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and MTU's Office of Sustainability and Resilience as we attend the virtual discussion of "A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars," a collection of lyrical essays in conversation with archival objects of Black history and memory. The explores stories spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles, traveling from roots to space — finding rich Blackness everywhere. Presented by Augsburg University as part of Earth Month 2023 at Michigan Tech.

Read more on the Sustainability Blog.

Event Details:

• What: "From Soil to Stars: Finding Nature in the Archive," A Virtual Reading & Conversation Presented by Augsburg University
• When: Monday, April 3, from 5:30-7 p.m.
• Where: U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, Noblet G002 Hesterberg Hall

Please join us tomorrow (March 28) for an hour of laid-back Francophone setting with French natives and other Francophiles. All levels welcome. Walker 120A, from 5-6 p.m. Please be advised: We changed rooms.

Note that we meet every second Tuesday. The semester's last meeting is April 11.

Friends and family are welcome!

Join us tomorrow (March 28) at the last Peña of the semester! Come unwind and meet new people at the Spanish Conversation hour, all while you refresh your Spanish! We will meet from 5-6 p.m., at the Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ), Walker 120A.

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (March 27) via Zoom (use passcode 514421).

Alex Mayer, professor, director of the Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Environmental Resource Management, University of Texas at El Paso, will present "Vulnerability to climate change and water scarcity in a desert metroplex."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Young Geun Park, Ph.D., will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Research Series on Friday (March 31) at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 201 and virtually via Zoom.

Park is an assistant research scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Park will present "Integrated plasmonic system and probes for high spatiotemporal biomolecular profiles."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

As part of the Michigan Tech EV Scholars program, Brett Hillstrom, president of Xeratec Software Development of Hancock, will discuss “Software Development in the Auto Industry” on Wednesday (March 29) at 4 p.m. in Rekhi 214.

Hillstrom will talk about his company’s work with a Big Three automotive company. All students are welcome. Especially encouraged to attend are junior- and senior-level students majoring in software engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, computer network and system administration, electrical engineering, computer engineering and related programs.

Are you intrigued by a career helping to develop the next generation of automotive vehicles and batteries? Michigan Tech EV Scholars have opportunities to learn more about electric vehicles (EV) and mobility tech companies and careers, network with potential employers and receive up to $10,000 in scholarship dollars. Apply for EV Scholars anytime.

Learn more about the event on the Computing News Blog. 

Job Postings for Monday, March 27, 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.

Assistant Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. Apply online.

Professor of Practice, Chemical Engineering. Apply online.

Research Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering. 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.

Radwin Askari (GMES/RISE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $301,108 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation as part of a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award.

The project is titled "CAREER: Deciphering Cavitation in Fluid-Filled Cracks and its Induced Seismicity through Integrated Physical Modeling."

This funding covers two years of the potential five-year project.

Jared Anderson, Anne Beffel, Mary Cyr, Terri Jo Frew, Lisa Gordillo, Kenyon Hansen, Lindsey Heiden, Susie Kilpela, Mike Maxwell, Libby Meyer, Christopher Plummer and Beth Techtmann (all VPA) were mentioned by Lake Superior Magazine in a preview of the artist reception held last Friday (March 24) for the “Snowsports” art exhibit at Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Art Galleries.

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Mike Mullins (ChE), Paul Bergstrom (ECE/MSE), Andrew Storer (Provost), Christine Grotzke (ADM) and Brett Hamlin (EF) were quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in coverage of the Michigan Tech University Senate’s unanimous passing of a resolution supporting a four-year nursing program at Tech. Michigan Tech’s interest in relocating the Finlandia University nursing program to MTU was also mentioned by the Keweenaw Report.

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Adam Meckler (VPA) was quoted by the Keweenaw Report in a story previewing Michigan Tech Music’s Don Keranen Memorial Jazz Festival, held over the weekend at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. The story was picked up from ABC 10.

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SAE International published a “Women in Mobility Spotlight” blog post featuring Angela Xydis ’20 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), who is now a program manager for software defined vehicles at General Motors and a Concept Design event captain for the AutoDrive Challenge II.

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WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Lee Marana ’07 ’08 (B.S. Business Administration, M.B.A.) being appointed to the state of Michigan’s Health Information Technology Commission.

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The Naples News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a visit to Washington, D.C., by chemistry professor and science education influencer Kim Hilton ’91 (B.S. Chemistry). Hilton, whose TikTok channel @chemicalkim is followed by more than 1.4 million people, was one of 30 TikTok creators who traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak about the social media app. The story was picked up by 15 regional news outlets in Florida.

Save the Date for Spring 2023's Last Michigan Tech Research Forum Event

Save the date for the last Michigan Tech Research Forum event this spring!

The Michigan Tech Research Forum was developed to showcase and celebrate Michigan Tech researchers' work and strengthen discussions in our community. It is a privilege and honor to announce the 2023 Distinguished Lecture. This award is peer-nominated and honors faculty for their research impact.

A Distinguished Lecture with Chelsea Schelly (SS) will be held tomorrow (March 28). Schelly's lecture is titled "Confronting Complexity while Keeping our Heads and our Hearts (And Keeping Communities Centered in Collaborative Science)."

The lecture will begin at 4:15 p.m., with time for socializing 30 minutes before and after the lecture. It will take place in the Memorial Union Ballroom A.

Michigan Tech Research Forum events are presented by the Office of the Provost in coordination with the Vice President for Research Office.

Please share this announcement and invite your colleagues as we celebrate and build upon our Tech-grown research and scholarship talents!

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Exploring Team Research Opportunities in Sustainability and Resilience

On Thursday (March 30) from noon to 1 p.m. in GLRC 202, join members of the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience to discuss upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic areas of sustainability and resilience. Ana Dyreson (ME-EM), Chelsea Schelly (SS), Judith Perlinger (CEGE), Soonkwan Hong (COB) and Yousef Darestani (CEGE) will help seed and moderate the discussion. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about Tech Forward resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.

Add the event to your Google Calendar.

If you are interested in this work area but unable to attend, please email Alan Turnquist at alturnqu@mtu.edu and we will provide you with a summary and an opportunity to join subsequent discussions.

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RTC Colloquium: 'Technology and Identity'

The Department of Humanities announces a Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) Colloquium being held today (March 27) from noon to 2 p.m. in the Petersen Library, Walker 318.

The colloquium will be conducted by panel chair Professor Stefka Hristova (HU) and panel respondent Professor Jason Archer (HU).

Presentations will include:

• "Algorithmizing Identities and Experiences of Twitter and Facebook Users in Africa" presented by Eugene Agyei, RTC Ph.D. student
  
  
• "Digital Justice: Vernacular of Complaints on Police and Criminal Allegations in the United States" presented by Ayodele James Akinola, RTC Ph.D. student
  
  
• "Identity-first Versus Person-first Language Within Disability Dialogue" presented by Riley Powers, scientific and technical communication B.S. student
  
  
• "Redefining the Classroom: How Metonymy Engages Students Further in Postsecondary Writing Pedagogy" presented by Tucker Nielsen, RTC M.S. student
  
  
• "TikTok and Queer Youth Identity" presented by Nila McGinnis, RTC Ph.D. student

From the abstract:
This panel addresses ways that technology articulates social identity — specifically around notions of ability. Papers explore different sociotechnical and symbolic formations of marginalized identity related to queerness, victims of the criminal justice system, the classroom, and mobility. Papers address these issues from digital and global perspectives, including TikTok, African contexts, and transnational experiences — attempting to show how groups often treated as disabled and further marginalized by normative discourses, strategically operate with technology to reshape identity.

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Husky FAN Pantry Request for Donations

We're in the last stretch of the semester! Help our Huskies stay fueled as they cross the finish line on this school year by donating funds or any shelf-stable, unexpired items. The pantry has seen promising growth this year — thank you for helping keep the shelves stocked!

Food donations can be left outside the pantry in the alcove across from Fisher 135. For more details, including how and what to donate, visit our donation page or reach out to huskyfan@mtu.edu!

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Retirement Party for Nancy Byers Sprague

Please join the Graduate School on May 12 from 3-5 p.m. at the Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 201/202, to celebrate the retirement of Nancy Byers Sprague.

Byers Sprague has been a valuable member of our campus community for over 45 years, and has been with the Graduate School for the last 20. During this time, countless students, faculty and staff have been impacted by her caring and compassionate nature, and it will be hard to imagine campus life without her.

Please join us in wishing her well as she “sails” toward retirement at the end of June.

RSVP to Mia Kemppainen at miaw@mtu.edu with the number of attendees. We hope to see you there!

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ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host two speakers at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) forum: Nishat Alam and Anne Inger Mørtvedt, both ACSHF graduate students. Their presentations will be from 2-3 p.m. today (March 27) in Meese 109 and via Zoom.

Alam will present "Types of Questions Teachers Ask to Engage Students in Making Sense of a Student Contribution."

Mørtvedt will present "Relationship between Program Usability Characteristics and Intention to Use: Preliminary Data Implementing a Sport Injury Prevention Program."

Abstracts can be found on the Cognitive and Learning Sciences News blog!

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

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment

Monday, March 27, 12 a.m. | Academic Office Building (AOB), G015

The College of Business is pleased to again offer Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Accounting majors will provide free income tax preparation assistance for students and...

Michigan Tech Art Presents: Snowsports Faculty and Staff Art Show

Monday, March 27, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |

MICHIGAN TECH ART PRESENTS SNOWSPORTS FACULTY AND STAFF ART SHOW WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023 THROUGH SATURDAY APRIL 29, 2023 A-SPACE HOURS: M-F 8 A.M.-8 P.M.

Master's Defense: Samantha Kurkowski

Monday, March 27, 9–10 a.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G029

Applied Ecology Advisor: Rodney Chimner Characterization of Vernal Pools Across National Parks in the Great Lakes Region Attend Virtually:...

ACSHF Forum: Grad Student Presentations

Monday, March 27, 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Harold Meese Center, 109

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host two speakers at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum: Nishat Alam and Anne Inger Mørtvedt,...

Vulnerability to climate change and water scarcity in a desert metroplex

Monday, March 27, 3 p.m.

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Alex Mayer, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Director, Center for Environmental Resource Management, University of Texas...

Mobility in Michigan: Reception for Janine Ward

Monday, March 27, 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Alumni Lounge, Room 107

Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) Reception State of Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) funding platforms - Opportunities for Michigan...

German Mystery Film Night

Monday, March 27, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 134

German film evening is an opportunity to see German films in a quality viewing venue. Some of these films are required for various German classes, but the public is welcome! ...

The A.E. Seaman Museum—120 Years

Monday, March 27, 6 p.m.

Husky Bites presents Special Guest John Jaszczak Professor of Physics Director and John and Phyllis Seaman Endowed Curator, A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum Affiliated Professor,...

The Great Firewall

Monday, March 27, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | EERC 315

Let an "insider" tell you what is going on behind the great firewall, however, can this "insider" be trusted? A student will give a special presentation about the Great...

Campus Barbershop

March 27, all day | Student Development Complex (SDC), Wood Gym (follow signage)

The Campus Barbershop is available to MTU students by appointment only. Use the link to book your appointment:...