April 7, 2023

College of Engineering Dean Janet Callahan has selected Radheshyam Tewari, associate teaching professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM), as the featured instructor this week in the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Tewari will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Tewari is an extremely versatile instructor, excelling in teaching many different ME-EM courses that vary by type, size and level. He contributes significantly to developing, revising and improving courses, curricula and programs. Examples include developing and substantially revising several senior elective and graduate-level face-to-face and online courses, such as ME4695/5695 Additive Manufacturing, ME4650/5650 Quality Engineering, ME5670 Experimental Design in Engineering, ME4665/5655 Lean Manufacturing, and ME4655/5656 Production Planning.

These courses are very popular and highly subscribed, which reflects Tewari’s passion for continuously improving courses. To make his courses more applied and the student learning more active, he incorporates industry-based projects in ME5650, research-based projects in ME5670, and hands-on manufacturing process simulation-based projects in ME5655.

"Radheshyam has always done a great job in the classroom," said Jason Blough, chair of ME-EM. "Because of this, many of his courses are at capacity every time he teaches them. Students are drawn in due to his reputation, passion and commitment. He is completely committed to the students and does a great job each and every day."

Tewari’s teaching has led to students’ increased interest in the minor in manufacturing. Since 2014, the number of students completing the minor have quadrupled. His dedication and efforts in developing and improving curricula and programs also led to the creation of the Graduate Certificate in Quality Engineering. This has become the most popular certificate among those offered by ME-EM and is one of the five programs across campus selected by the Michigan Tech Global Campus to highlight.

Callahan is grateful for Tewari's work. "I want to thank Radheshyam for being so passionate about the quality of his instruction and the associated student learning," said Callahan. "The online offerings are strong additions to what our graduates learn and then apply in their workplace, which in turn advances the company's competitiveness. It's a win for everyone."

The passion and motivation Tewari brings to his teaching is very evident to his students. Not only does he regularly receive strong course evaluations, but his teaching and mentoring frequently leave lasting impressions. As one student noted, "I want to let you know of the huge impact you have had on my life. You are a great teacher, and you made our basics strong and imprinted some great manufacturing knowledge in us. I've been in the manufacturing industry for the last two and a half years, and everywhere I go I share some of the knowledge I learned from you. Thank you for being an amazing coach and having such a significant impact in my life."

Credit cards will not be accepted Monday (April 10) starting at 2 p.m. and throughout Tuesday (April 11) due to a store system upgrade.

Web orders placed from tomorrow (April 8) to Wednesday (April 12) will be processed beginning Thursday (April 13). We apologize for the inconvenience.

The well-known 1999 report on space allocation at MIT by Nancy Hopkins alerted the research world to gender-based inequities in lab space allocations. In light of that report, the results of a recent assessment at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) are both stunning and concerning. The May 2022 “Space Allocation” report confirms that women scientists have on average half the research space and one-third the research storage space as their men counterparts. The report considered differences in funding, tenure, research group size and discipline. In doing so, the SIO report debunks the assumption that bigger spaces are “naturally” allocated to scientists with longer seniority. The report notes practices that sustain space inequities include letting scientists inherit their space from a departing PI rather than following a policy for equitable space distribution. Perceptions among Scripps scientists were consistent with the quantified data: In a survey of 77 faculty, 42% of the women said they don’t have sufficient space for their work (compared to 6% of men). UC San Diego, the home institution for SIO, affirms that they are actively reevaluating space allocations not just for SIO but across the entire university, at every level.

This fine-grained statistical report is unusual because most institutions do not publicly disclose such information; UC San Diego and SIO’s transparency about this issue is encouraging. The University of Maryland's Faculty Workload Equity project also recommends that workload and resource allocations like this be shared transparently (a Google sheet is simplest) within departments. If you do not know the research space allocation in your department, please ask your chair. At Michigan Tech, chairs have access to the ADVANCE Faculty Equity Query Tool, which includes research space allocation data. Regularly examining research space allocations and reflecting upon current practices and policies is key to fostering processes that allow all faculty members to be allocated resources to thrive in their research endeavors.

Today’s feature was shared with us by the Advocates 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.

MTU students and SDC Access Pass holders (minimum one month): Come make a splash tomorrow (April 8) from noon to 4 p.m. with our inflatable pool obstacle course called the WIBIT!

Events will be held this spring for current MTU students and SDC access pass holders (minimum one month). You can test your individual skills on the course or challenge your friend to a race across the obstacles. The course is set up in the deep water and requires users to be able to pass our swim test. (Please see the WIBIT rules and swim test requirements at our website.)

The WIBIT has many different pieces and each event will have a featured combination. Potential featured pieces include:

• The Step — This piece allows users to climb up onto the course.
• The Base — Users must make their way across a horizontal surface. Be careful how fast you move, as it can get slippery!
• The Cliff — Users must navigate either side of a slope using the handles and their balancing skills.
• V-Connect — Users must use limited footing space to navigate across the horizontal structure.
• The Bridge — Users must navigate up and over an arched structure without falling through.
• The Slope — Users must climb up a six-foot wall that leads to a slide into the pool water below!

Tomorrow's featured combination: Step/Bridge/Cliff/Slope

Come visit us at the pool to try out your skills! For more information, visit Michigan Tech Recreation's WIBIT webpage.

Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology candidate Isaac Wedig will defend his dissertation next Friday (April 14) at noon in ATDC 101.

The title of Wedig's dissertation is "Physical Activity as Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond." Please visit the KIP Newsblog for more information.

Wedig is advised by Steven Elmer.

From the abstract:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity levels have decreased and sitting time has increased. This is a major concern as physical inactivity increases the risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Evidence also indicates that COVID-19 survivors can experience reduced physical function (i.e., ability to complete daily living activities) long after acute illness. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for recovering physical function following COVID-19 infection. Exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) presents a promising rehabilitation strategy as the benefits of traditional exercise can be achieved using lower intensities. However, several barriers such as cost, access to equipment, and lack of standardized methods limit its use.

M.S. in Biological Sciences candidate Clara Mosentine will present a master's defense from noon to 2 p.m. Monday (April 10) in person in Dow 743 and virtually via Zoom.

Mosentine's defense is titled "Cancer/Testis Gene Expression Changes in Metastatic Cancer."

From the abstract:
Metastasis is the movement of cancerous cells to new parts of the body, often through the blood or lymph systems. Metastasis is classified as stage IV cancer, a prognosis that is significantly more difficult to effectively treat compared to earlier cancer stages. We are interested in assessing whether expression of Cancer/testis (CT) genes, a class of genes that are predominantly expressed in germ cells while also being abnormally expressed in a large percentage of cancers, is associated with cancer metastasis. Germ cells make up an organism’s reproductive system, such as the testis and ovaries, and exhibit cellular immortality and, in the case of testis, self-proliferative behavior in the form of spermatogenesis. Cancer cells adopt similar germ and self-proliferative behaviors, making CT gene analysis useful to isolate the genes and pathways involved in tumorigenesis. By assessing for differential expression between testis germline, normal tissue, and cancerous tissue, we identified 50 CT genes whose expression increases in stage IV tumors. Importantly, we determined that the majority of known CT genes were not associated with metastasis, suggesting that the most CT genes are activated in early cancer stages. However, many of the 50 CT genes that were associated with metastasis have previously been linked to metastatic and aggressive cancer behavior. Our analysis will direct more attention towards these CT genes linked with metastasis. Ideally, understanding how these CT genes are overactivated in stage IV tumors may shed light on a new avenue to develop new diagnostics or treatments aimed to improve quality of life, longevity, and prognosis for patients with stage IV cancer prognoses.

Assistant Professor Wenbin Zhang of the Department of Computer Science (CS) will present a Computer Science Colloquium lecture next Friday (April 14) from 3-4 p.m. in person in Rekhi 214 and virtually via Zoom.

Zhang’s research investigates the theoretical foundations of machine learning with a focus on societal impact and welfare. The title of his talk is “Fairness with Censorship: Bridging the Gap between Fairness Research and Real-world Deployment.”

Join the Zoom meeting.

Read the talk abstract on the Computing News Blog.

Terrance Campbell, Tennessee State University, will visit campus and present a research seminar on Wednesday (April 12) at 1 p.m. in Fisher 125. The talk is hosted by the College of Computing (CC).

A published health informatics and information systems security practitioner-scholar, Campbell has 35-plus years of senior-level IT management experience across several business sectors and five countries. He is pursuing an Ed.D. at Tennessee State University focusing on digital cyber-hygiene simulations as co-curriculars.

At Tennessee State, as a graduate teaching assistant, Campbell is assisting in building the capacity of students and leaders at more than 46 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and creating and implementing digital resources for dismantling structures that perpetuate community-level health and digital literacy inequities in three African countries. Additionally, Campbell oversees three initiatives that bring cybersecurity educational and career programming to K-12 youth.

Read Campbell's full bio on the Computing News Blog.

The Department of Chemistry will have the next presentation in the Chemistry Seminar Series on Monday (April 10) at 3 p.m. in Chem Sci 102.

Our guest speaker is M. Jasim Uddin from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Uddin's presentation is titled "Understanding Functional Materials for Sustainable Energy Conversion with Advanced Energy and Healthcare Application."

This week's Atmospheric Sciences grad student presenter will be:

• Susan Mathai (advised by Claudio Mazzoleni)

This will be an in-person event — Mathai will give their talk at 4 p.m. Monday (April 10) in Fisher 101.

Event details, including Mathai's presentation title and abstract, are available on the University Events Calendar.

The Michigan Tech track and field team is heading downstate for their third meet of the outdoor season: the Golden Grizzlies Invite at the Elaine Leigh Track & Field Complex at Oakland University tomorrow (April 8).

The field events will take place at noon, starting with the women's hammer throw, while the running events will start at 12:30 p.m. with the 4x100-meter relay. Of note, races will be run fastest heat first, except for the men's and women's 5,000 meters. 

The Huskies will bring a roster of 62 to the meet. Live results will be posted at Michiana Timing.

Read the preview at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Postings for Friday, April 7, 2023

Staff and faculty job descriptions are available on the Human Resources website. For more information regarding staff positions, call 906-487-2280 or email humanresources@mtu.edu. For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.

McNair Scholars Coordinator, Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Apply online.

Laboratory Instrument Coordinator, Chemistry. Apply online.

Office Assistant 6 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #23088, Chemistry (UAW posting dates April 7 to April 13, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Administrative Aide 7 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22343RPRP and 22358RPRP, Business Support Center (UAW posting dates April 7 to April 13, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Administrative Aide 7 (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #22327RP, Sponsored Programs Office (UAW posting dates April 7 to April 13, 2023 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal UAW applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal UAW posting dates). Apply online.

Assistant Sponsored Programs Analyst, Sponsored Programs Office. Apply online.

Assistant Sponsored Programs Analyst, Sponsored Programs Office. Apply online.

Sponsored Programs Analyst, Sponsored Programs Office. Apply online.

Custodian (12 months/ 40 hours/ first shift) #23089, Facilities Management (AFSCME posting dates April 7 to April 13, 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.

Adam Wellstead (SS) and Kei Schmidt ’22 (M.S. Environmental and Energy Policy) are co-authors of a chapter published in the Routledge Handbook of Environmental Policy.

The chapter is titled "The Science-Policy Interface and Evidence-based Policymaking in Environmental Policy – Promises and Pitfalls."

Wellstead and Schmidt co-authored the chapter with Anat Gofen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The handbook was edited by Helge Jörgens, Christoph Knill and Yves Steinebach.

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Five photographs by John Jaszczak (Museum/Physics) of mineral specimens in the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum were featured in an article in the March/April 2023 issue of Mineralogical Record.

The article, titled "The Crystal Cave, South Bass Island, Ottawa County, Ohio," was written by Jamison K. Brizendine and former associate curator Christopher J. Stefano.

Among the illustrated specimens from Michigan Tech's collection is a 28-centimeter celestine crystal that A. E. Seaman acquired and exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Two of the illustrated specimens are from the University of Michigan collection, which are cared for by the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum under the Michigan Mineral Alliance, and include a specimen of celestine from Grosse Isle, Michigan, that was formerly in Douglass Houghton's collection.

Yun Hang Hu (MSE) was quoted and Ph.D. candidates Hanrui Su and Wei Zhang (materials science and engineering) were mentioned by Tech Xplore and Australia's  Mirage News in stories about a new type of fuel cell developed at Michigan Tech. The stories were picked up from Michigan Tech News.

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Lynn Mazzoleni (Chem) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about the “Seeking Balance” art exhibit debuted by the Copper Country Community Arts Center. Mazzoleni created every piece of art in the exhibit, which will remain on display through April 29.

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The Soo Leader mentioned Michigan Tech’s Mind Trekkers in a story about a STEM festival being held at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie on April 21. The Sault Area Chamber of Commerce invited 600 regional eighth and ninth graders to take part in the event.

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WILX News 10 in Lansing and ABC 12 News in Flint mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about $2 million in grant funding awarded by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy for projects across the state using scrap tire materials. Two MTU road paving projects were funded by EGLE, totaling $901,363.

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The Gander mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about rural development grants awarded by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for 22 projects across the state. A project in Houghton County received $100,000 to enhance an existing trail system along the Pilgrim River.

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The Daily Mining Gazette and Mining Journal covered the selection of 36 Michigan Tech winter sports student-athletes to receive GLIAC All-Academic and All-Academic Excellence honors.

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Contractor Supply Magazine mentioned Michigan Tech in stories about the new CEO of Weiler Abrasives Group: Arjang Roshan-Rouz ’92 (B.S. Electrical Engineering).

PhD Defense: Nastaran Khademimoshgenani, Chem

Ph.D. in Chemistry candidate Nastaran (Nassy) Khademimoshgenani will present their doctoral defense virtually at 11 a.m. today (April 7) via Zoom.

Khademimoshgenani's dissertation is titled "Origins of Optical Properties in Natural Organic Matter and Fluorescent Animals."

Khademimoshgenani is advised by Sarah Green.

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Film Board Presenting 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'

This week, the Film Board is presenting "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," which is rated PG-13.

Summary: In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.

Showings:

• Friday, April 7 — 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 8 — 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.

A team representing the MTU Graduate School attended the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 79th Annual MAGS meeting, Great Expectations: Graduate Education in a Changing World, held March 29-31 in Chicago, Illinois.

Sarah Isaacson (GS), Graduate Language Assessment and Support (GLAS) program director, attended to gather information on graduate student writing support models and support Xiaoqing Gao, Michigan Tech's 3MT winner, who presented in the final rounds of the regional competition with her work titled "Predict Tiny Viruses, Make Big Smiles." Gao is a Ph.D. candidate in statistics under advisor Kui Zhang (Math).

Melissa Baird (SS/GS) led a workshop "Transforming the Culture of Graduate Programs through Cross-Generational Mentoring."

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

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment

Friday, April 7, 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

Friday, April 7, 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.

PhD Defense: Nastaran Khademimoshgenani

Friday, April 7, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 218

Chemistry Advisor: Sarah Green Origins of Optical Properties in Natural Organic Matter and Fluorescent Animals Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/86985530473

PhD Defense: Frederic Jacquelin

Friday, April 7, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Co-advisors: Jung Yun Bae and Darrell Robinette Neuroevolution and Machine Learning Research Applied to Connected Automated...

CS Colloquium Lecture: Genevieve Flaspohler, nLine Inc.

Friday, April 7, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Rekhi Hall, 214

Genevieve Flaspohler, chief data officer at nLine Inc., will present her talk, “From the Ocean to the Electric Grid: Mobilizing Algorithms, Robots, and Sensors for Society,”...

Film Board Presents: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Friday, April 7, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. | Fisher 135 Michigan Tech

Join Film Board this weekend as we show Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! Showings are on Friday 4/7 and Saturday 4/8 in Fisher 135! More information on our website...

Film Board Presents: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Friday, April 7, 8:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. | Fisher 135 Michigan Tech

Join Film Board this weekend as we show Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! Showings are on Friday 4/7 and Saturday 4/8 in Fisher 135! More information on our website...

Peter Antoniou - Psychic Comedian

Friday, April 7, 9 p.m.–10 p.m. | MUB Ballroom

From London’s West End, to being a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, Peter Antoniou has been astounding audiences around the world with his uncanny abilities. His shows...

Film Board Presents: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Friday, April 7, 11:30–1:30 a.m. | Fisher 135 Michigan Tech

Join Film Board this weekend as we show Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! Showings are on Friday 4/7 and Saturday 4/8 in Fisher 135! More information on our website...