March 29, 2023

Michigan Tech has been named a Voter Friendly Campus by the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Tech is one of 258 campuses in 38 states and the District of Columbia to receive the designation.

The Voter Friendly Campus initiative recognizes institutions that  planned and implemented practices that encouraged their students to register and vote in the 2022 elections and in coming years. Michigan Tech was evaluated based on a written action plan for how we intended to register, educate and turn out student voters in 2022; how we facilitated voter engagement efforts on our campus; and a final analysis of our efforts.

As part of our endeavor to be designated a Voter Friendly Campus, information on voter engagement was disseminated to students through an Orientation Canvas module and a shared module available to all instructors. In order to provide greater depth, the Van Pelt and Opie Library trained their reference and "Ask Us" desk staff to help students do candidate and/or issue research as the midterms approached. Michigan Tech’s Voter Engagement Coalition also created a marketing campaign encouraging students both to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot. Undergraduate Student Government took the lead on distributing informational postcards at several events throughout the fall, including Move-In Weekend, An Afternoon on the Town and our culminating day of action on National Voter Registration Day.

Thank you to all the individuals, volunteers and dedicated faculty, staff and students who gave their time and passion to this initiative.

Michigan Tech’s Voter Engagement Coalition is eager to continue engaging students through 2023, 2024 and beyond. Planning for the 2024 election cycle will begin promptly. If you would like to contribute to our upcoming efforts, please contact Danielle Meirow at dlmeirow@mtu.edu to learn how you can get involved.

Dear MTU Graduate Students, Faculty and Staff:

Join us at the Graduate Research Colloquium at Michigan Tech today (March 29) from 5-8 p.m. at the Rozsa Center Lobby. Hors d'oeuvres will be served.

This is a great opportunity for graduate students to showcase their research through poster presentations and network with fellow scholars and faculty. You can learn about a wide range of research topics, including engineering, science, humanities and social sciences.

Come and support your fellow graduate students, gain valuable insights into current research and make new connections. Don't miss this chance to engage with the research community!

The deadline for employees to submit claims for their 2022 Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is Friday (March 31). Health care and dependent care claims during the 2022 calendar year are eligible if the date of service was in 2022. Any money remaining in the account after this date is forfeited per IRS regulations.

The Flexible Spending Account Claim Form can be found online. Dependent care claims require an invoice or receipt from the provider. All medical, dental and optical claims should be processed through your insurance plans before submitting them to your health care reimbursement account.

Attach the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or a claim summary from your insurance plan to the claim form when submitting a claim. For expenses not processed through insurance, submit the itemized receipt.

For questions, contact Benefit Services at benefits@mtu.edu or call 7-2517.

This week, the Film Board is presenting "Rush Hour," a 1998 film rated PG-13.

Summary: A loyal and dedicated Hong Kong inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed Los Angeles Police Department detective to rescue the Chinese consul's kidnapped daughter, while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.

Showings:

• Friday, March 31 — 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 1 — 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.

Located on Michigan Tech's campus in Fisher 135.

Tickets are $3 and concessions are $1. We hope to see you at the movie this weekend and have a great day.

Daisuke Minakata (CEGE/GLRC) has been selected as one of the winners of the inaugural Excellence in Review Awards by the editor-in-chief and associate editors at the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T).

The award is meant to recognize ASC ES&T Water peer review scientists who consistently have high-standard, timely and frequent reviews in their area of expertise throughout the year.

Ryan Klemm ’24, a third-year B.S. in Computer Science major, has been selected as the 2023 Computer Science Departmental Scholar. A stellar student, Klemm's journey at Michigan Tech includes numerous achievements.

Klemm is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Scholarship for Service, a leading competitor and officer of the MTU RedTeam, a research assistant in the MTU Security and Privacy Lab and an instructor for the local middle/high school Husky Cyber Team.

“Ryan is an excellent undergraduate student and he has won a lot of top achievements in national-level cybersecurity, programming and mathematics competitions,” said Associate Professor Bo Chen (CS).

Klemm, along with all 2023 department scholars, will be recognized at the Annual Student Leadership Awards Celebration on April 14.

The Computer Science Departmental Scholar Award, established by the Office of the Provost, recognizes a student who will have senior status the next academic year and who represents the best of student scholarship in the department, especially in the areas of intellectual curiosity, creativity and communication. Departmental Scholars are nominated for the Provost’s Award for Scholarship, with the winner to be selected later this spring.

Learn more on the Computing News Blog.

The Pavlis Honors College hosted the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium (URSS) last Friday (March 24) in conjunction with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC). The event featured a panel discussion in which participants discussed how undergraduate research impacted their present work, two poster sessions and a networking social event that culminated with the announcement of the award winners. In addition to Michigan Tech students, students from the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College shared their work during this year’s URSS.

Thanks to the Portage Health Foundation and the DeVlieg Foundation for supporting the Undergraduate Research Internship Program as well as to the faculty, staff and graduate students who served as judges for the event.

The winners of the 2023 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium are:

• First Place Overall: Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund for their poster "Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling"
• Second Place Overall: Haley Marchese for her poster "Sympathetic Activity to the Heart is Increased in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy"
• Third Place Overall: Grace Gonzalez for her poster "The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance"
• Audience Choice Award: Katherine Rauscher for her poster "Learning from Aviation to Improve the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles"
• Excellence in Presentation: Matt Kouba for his poster "Low Cost CAN FD and Automotive Ethernet Development Boards" and Henry Summers for his poster "Investigation of a Novel Zinc-based Alloy for Bioabsorbable Vascular Stent Applications"
• Excellence in Research Content: Kristoffer Larsen for his poster "A Grad-CAM Interpretable Deep Learning Multi-input Transfer Learning Model Integrating SPECT MPI Polarmaps with Clinical and Derived Topological Variables for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Decision Support" and Kristin King for her poster "Assessing Feasibility of Using Artificial Intelligence in Computational Hemodynamic Analysis for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms"
• Excellence in Design and Format: Katie Bershing for her poster "Moth Community Distribution Across Varying Silvicultural Treatments Post 5 Years Harvesting"

The winners of the GLRC competition are:

• First Place: Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund for their poster "Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling"
• Second Place: Grace Gonzalez for her poster "The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance"
• Third Place: Tessa Tormoen for her poster "Using DNA Metabarcoding to Evaluate Dietary Resource Partitioning Between Two Sympatric Tilefish"

Congratulations to all of the award winners!

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech and Engineering Ambassadors hosted an Engineering Day at Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Elementary for K-5 students last Friday (March 24).

Kindergarten and first grade students learned about buoyancy by making tinfoil boats and loading them with marbles until they sank. Second and third graders made roller coasters for marbles and explored the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Fourth and fifth graders learned about photovoltaic cells and that they cannot store energy while making series and parallel circuits. We especially loved the survey comment: “Electricity is cool!” We thank the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City students and teachers for learning with us and we’d love to host another Engineering Day with you.

Last Saturday (March 25), SWE hosted their annual Engineering Day for Girl Scouts. Youth from northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula came to campus to learn about engineering. The Daisies and Brownies made their own paddle boats and paper airplanes with SWE and Concrete Canoe. They loved seeing the concrete canoe in the Dow building and seeing the difference in weights of the canoe concrete and concrete that is used in sidewalks. One Brownie named Amy (third grade) wrote: “I Loved it here. I amy want to come here for colage.”

The Juniors explored electrical and computer engineering (ECE) with SWE members from the ECE department and Blue Marble Security Enterprise. They met the robot, Ned, who sorts LEGO blocks. They visited the Plexus Lab and watched a shamrock circuit board being made. They explored series and parallel circuits using Play-Doh and LEDs. The most exciting parts were the Arduino and FPGA — students connected a three-color LED to an Arduino and then modified the code to change the rate at which the lights cycled. Each youth changed the code for the FPGA such that their name or a word scrolled across the screen. A fourth grade Junior commented, “I loved this! I really want to do this again,” while a fifth grader said, “It was amazing! Thank you!”

SWE members enjoyed working with the Girl Scouts — this is one of our favorite outreach events. The section is already planning for next year’s event.

Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering candidate Brennan Vogl will present "Flow assessment of atrial fibrillation using a computational fluid dynamics approach" tomorrow (March 30) at 11 a.m. in person in M&M 610.

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Vogl is advised by Hoda Hatoum.

This seminar is part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BioMed) Seminar Series for Graduate Students.

Haiying Liu will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. tomorrow (March 30). The seminar will be held in the Great Lakes Research Center, GLRC 202.

Liu is a professor at Michigan Technological University in the Department of Chemistry. He will present "Near-infrared fluorescent probes for sensitive detection of intracellular pH changes."

From the abstract:
Intracellular pH is a crucial factor in various cellular processes such as cell functions, regulations, proliferation, cellular apoptosis, enzymatic activity, ion transport, and endocytosis. Abnormal intracellular pH values are linked to diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's, emphasizing the need for accurate monitoring of pH fluctuations in live cells. This monitoring can help understand physiological and pathological processes and explore cellular functions. Fluorescence imaging is a powerful tool for determining intracellular pH due to its advantages, including high sensitivity, rapid response, high spatial and temporal resolution, operational simplicity, non-invasiveness, and real-time monitoring. We have developed a series of near-infrared fluorescent probes based on near-infrared BODIPY, rhodol, rhodamine, and cyanine dyes to detect intracellular pH changes. These probes take advantage of the unique features of near-infrared imaging, such as low biological autofluorescence background, low photobleaching issues, and deep tissue penetration. To overcome systematic errors caused by intensity-based fluorescent probes, such as fluctuations in excitation light source, sample heterogeneity, uneven dye distribution, concentration variations, and compartmental localization, we have also developed ratiometric near-infrared fluorescent probes. These probes achieve better performance and reliability in quantitative and comparative analyses of pH changes in live cells by utilizing a built-in self-calibration capability with dual emission bands.

The Department of Chemistry will have the next presentation in the Chemistry Seminar Series on Friday (March 31) at 3 p.m. in Chem Sci 101.

Our guest speaker is Kai Shen from Savannah State University.

Shen's presentation is titled "Modulating Sigma-1 Receptor: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Neurodegenerative Disorders."

From the abstract:
Neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction, induced by factors such as exposure to environmental toxins or circadian disruption, has been implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders. Sigma-1 receptor (S1R), a transmembrane chaperone protein, has recently been pursued as a promising pharmacological target to ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction. My lab is exploring the potential of S1R agonists as a countermeasure to restore mitochondrial function in two military-related health issues: Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Circadian Rhythm Disruption (CRD)-induced fatigue. Both issues have been linked to the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Using cell models of GWI and CRD, we confirmed that selected S1R agonists significantly improve mitochondrial respiration. The results of our genetic analysis suggested possible therapeutic mechanisms of S1R agonists that involve alterations in calcium and actin cytoskeleton signaling pathways. Moreover, our preliminary animal behavioral data indicate that one of the selected S1R agonists can enhance memory and motor function in our GWI animal model.

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow (March 30) in MEEM 112.

Beckry Abdel-Magid will present “Durability of Thermoset Composites and Optimization of Thermoplastic Composites.”

Abdel-Magid is professor, chair and founding faculty of the composite materials engineering program at Winona State University. His expertise is in mechanics, mechanical characterization and durability of composite materials.

Tara Bal (CFRES/ESC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $159,100 research and development grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.

The project is titled "Timing Oak Wilt in the North – Modeling Vectors and Host Phenology with Risk of Spread."

This is a potential three-year project.

Sarah Hoy (CFRES) was quoted and many of her wildlife photographs from Isle Royale were shared by MLive in a photo essay that was picked up from Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

*****

Andrew Storer (Provost) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about Michigan Tech’s plan to  add a four-year nursing program at the University, with faculty and staff from Finlandia University’s program joining MTU.

*****

The Keweenaw Report covered the appointment of Andrew Storer as Michigan Tech’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

*****

MLive mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about whether the Upper Peninsula has enough housing to accommodate its growing remote workforce.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette covered Michigan Tech track and field’s Clayton Sayen being named the GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week.

Free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment Until April 12

The Michigan Tech College of Business (COB) is pleased to again offer Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, a service offered at the University for more than 20 years.

Now until April 12, accounting majors will provide free income tax preparation assistance for students and members of the community who could not otherwise afford the services of a CPA tax professional.

For details and to schedule your appointment, please visit the College of Business Newsblog.

*****

Design Expo Innovation Award Opportunity

Husky Innovate and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization are co-sponsoring Innovation Awards as part of Design Expo 2023. The top three contestants will receive a cash award and certificate of recognition.

Apply using our application form. Applications will be evaluated on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate the following:

1. A clear value proposition,
2. The distinction of their innovation over alternative solutions,
3. A defined and actionable plan for realizing the economic or societal impact of their innovation, and
4. The scale of that impact.

All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 7.

Winners will be announced at the Design Expo Awards Ceremony on April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center.

*****

14th Annual Feminists Reading Feminists

Save the date for the 14th Annual Feminists Reading Feminists event hosted by the Department of Humanities’ Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) graduate program. Help us pay homage to the contributions of diverse feminist scholars and activists who have inspired us and continue to shape our world.

The virtual event will be held at noon tomorrow (March 29) via Zoom.

If you would like to share a favorite passage from a text or a short media clip (less than five minutes), please sign up using the 14th Annual Feminists Reading Feminists form.

We also welcome anyone interested in listening and engaging with those sharing. Inspired by Women’s History Month; all are welcome.

*****

Grade 8-12 Students Invited to Lake Superior Youth Symposium

Do you know someone in grades 8-12 who would like to attend the Lake Superior Youth Symposium at Northland College?

The 15th Biennial Lake Superior Youth Symposium will be held April 20-23 at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. Register by Friday (March 31)! This unique opportunity will engage students in Lake Superior science, stewardship, careers, art and more.

Donations have been received to cover all costs (including breakfast) for the first 25 students to sign up to attend the symposium:

• $125 student registration (includes meals on campus),
• $100 for lodging (with four students per room), and
• Round-trip transportation on a coach bus.

The symposium began at Northland College in 1995. It is hosted by an educational institution and its location rotates around the greatest lake every two years — between Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. The symposium was held at Michigan Tech in 2001 and 2013, with the largest participation numbers ever — 400 and 250, respectively!

Visit the Lake Superior Youth Symposium website to learn more.

A group of western Upper Peninsula students and educators are organizing to attend the symposium — raising donations for student sponsorships and writing grants to cover transportation costs for students and educators/chaperones. Interested students who want to attend and need financial support should complete the interest form by Friday (March 31). We want all interested students to be able to attend!

*****

'Software Development in the Auto Industry' with Brett Hillstrom

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” tomorrow (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.

*****

Math Seminar with Sunil Chebolu

Our next Department of Mathematical Sciences (Math) Seminar Series presentation will take place today (March 29) from 12:45-1:45 p.m. in Fisher 323. Please be sure to note that both the day and time of this presentation are different from our usual weekly seminars.

The guest speaker will be Sunil Chebolu, professor and undergraduate director in the Department of Mathematical Science at Illinois State University.

Ghebolu's presentation is titled "Zero-sum free sequences and Hyperplane arrangements."

*****

ADVANCE Campus Child Care and Family Support Discussion

Join us Thursday (March 30) at 1 p.m. EDT for a virtual discussion on the equity issues faced by campus communities due to inadequate child care and caregiver support.

Led by Wendy Robeson and Autumn Green, this event is a continuation of the Jan. 26 discussion with a focus on implementing child care and family support in campus communities. If you were unable to attend the prior session, you are welcome to still join this session.

Register to attend the discussion.

In the end, we hope that we all can recognize that our campuses need to uphold care infrastructures that are flexible, and value community members' values, cultures, gender, ethnicity and diversity so that all members can advance and reach their potential and thereby enhance the campus to which they belong.

This discussion will be inclusive of all members of the community: undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty.

This event is part of the ADVANCE Midwest Partnership — Joining Forces, a partnership of four research-intensive institutions funded by NSF ADVANCE.

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

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment

Wednesday, March 29, 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

Wednesday, March 29, 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.

CDI Game Night

Wednesday, March 29, 5 p.m. | Wadsworth Hall G42W, Wadsworth Hall G42W

Come join CDI at Wads G42 for Game Night on Wednesday, March 29 from 5:00-7:30 pm. Whether you like video games, card games, or board games, it's "Game On!" Even if you...

Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, March 29, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher 133

Students For Life General Meeting

WIBIT Wednesday

Wednesday, March 29, 5:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

MTU Students and SDC Access Pass Holders (minimum 1-month), come make a splash with our inflatable pool obstacle course called the WIBIT! Events will be held this spring for...

SAE Aero Design Bi-Weekly Meetings

Wednesday, March 29, 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | MEEM 703

SAE Aero Design aims to offer valuable experience to Michigan Tech students of all majors interested in an extracurricular engineering & design opportunity. Come join our...

Law Club Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Library 103

Our objective is to provide a pre-professional organization for those who are planning to pursue a legal career or those who are interested in the legal field. Meetings will...

USG Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | MUB Alumni Lounge B&C

This meeting includes weekly updates from all representatives, liaison positions, and committees. Official business carried out by USG is conducted throughout old and new...

EV Scholars: Brett Hillstrom, President, Xeratec Software Development

March 29, all day

Brett Hillstrom, president, of Xeratec, a software development and consulting services company that serves clients in the auto industry, will discuss “Software Development in...