April 10, 2023

As you walk on campus, you may notice that teal ribbons have appeared on several trees. These ribbons are symbolic and used to raise awareness for survivors, as April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s also time to complete your required annual employee training related to Title IX and sexual misconduct.

If you have not already, you will receive an email with the subject: “Michigan Tech Required Title IX Employee Training.” This email will contain a link to access the training within Vector, our training platform.

Employees will be given ample time (45 days) to complete the training, which takes about one hour. Topics include responsibilities of Title IX personnel, bystander intervention strategies, appropriate responses to dating and domestic violence, confidentiality, supporting survivors, confidential resources and referring individuals to our Title IX office.

Be on the lookout for additional programming during April! For more information on Title IX, visit our Title IX website.

It takes many hands, hearts and minds to create a sustainable campus. As a part of Earth Month programming, join us in celebrating four individuals who go the extra mile, dedicating their time and energy to supporting a more sustainable Michigan Tech.

This year’s awardees are:

Undergraduate: Janelle Freeman (sustainability science and society)
Graduate: Elise Rosky (Ph.D. candidate in physics)
Staff: Dan Liebau (Facilities)
Faculty: Mark Rudnicki (CFRES)

Please visit the Sustainability Blog to see this year's Sustainability Awards video, created by Monte Consulting.

Additionally, we will gather today (April 10) for a celebration of the award winners and their accomplishments and provide a brief update on sustainability work at Michigan Tech with some time to enjoy snacks and interact with your peers.

Celebration Details:

• What: Sustainability Awards Gathering
• When: Monday, April 10, from 4-5 p.m. (formal program ends by 4:40)
• Where: MUB Ballroom (changed from Alumni Lounge)

Students, faculty and staff will be presented awards on Friday (April 14) at the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Convocation held in the MUB Alumni Lounge, starting at 2 p.m.

Student award recipients will be announced for the following:

• Chair’s Award for Outstanding Chemical Engineering Senior
  This award recognizes a graduating ChE senior for their academic achievement, experiential learning activities and community engagement. This award consists of a certificate and monetary award in the amount of $1,000.
  
  
• Excellence in Communication Award
  This award acknowledges the critical role that effective communication plays in successful leadership and recognizes a graduating ChE senior for their effective use of communication of the highest standard.
  
  
• Professional Ethics Award
  This award recognizes a student who has exhibited exemplary ethics and admirable professional conduct during Plant Design and Unit Operations experiences and throughout their academic career at Michigan Tech.
  
  
• Prevent Accidents With Safety (PAWS) Award
  The Prevent Accidents with Safety (PAWS) Undergraduate Lab Safety Program is a comprehensive safety program requiring training, constant vigilance and incident reporting and documentation systems — all with an eye toward critical review and continuous improvement. The PAWS program provides a framework to develop the necessary safety culture within the student community.
  
  
• Dow Chemical Marriott W. Bredekamp Award
  This award recognizes outstanding technical skills in the laboratory, outstanding teamwork and professionalism, effective oral and written communication and strong adherence to process safety practices as recognized by your peers and supported by the faculty of the department. This award is in memory of Marriott W. Bredekamp.
  
  
• Senior Design Team Awards
  John Patton, as chair and faculty member, initiated much of today's design course content in ChE. He brought his experiences at Exxon to the classroom to provide students with a systematic way to design and analyze a new, large-scale capital project. This award recognizes the student team in CM4861 that created the best plant design and recommendation for Fictitious Chemical Company.
  
  
• Davis W. Hubbard Outstanding Rising Senior Award
  The eligible candidate for this award has completed all their junior-level core chemical engineering courses. Selection is based on GPA for coursework done at Michigan Tech, research engagement and internship/co-op work experience. The award consists of a certificate and monetary award in the amount of $1,000.
  
  
• Leadership Awards

Additionally, ChE students will vote on these categories to honor our outstanding department employees and awards will be presented for:

Teacher of the Year
Research Mentor of the Year
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Undergraduate Grader of the Year
Staff Making a Difference
Peer Mentor and Coach of the Year

Please join us tomorrow (April 11) for our last meeting this spring of 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.

Friends and family are welcome!

The Women in Natural Resources (WiNR) club will be hosting our annual Plant Sale on April 19 and 20! This event will be held in the atrium of the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Items available for purchase include house plants, succulents, herbs, pots, handmade macrame and more! Our website will be updated one week prior for pre-orders (link in our Instagram bio, @winr_at_mtu).

Hope to see you there!

Modern Languages is happy to announce our yearly Spring Celebration will be held Thursday (April 13) from 6-7.30 p.m. in GLRC 210.

Join us for treats, fun games and karaoke!

On top of food and cultural activities, we will also celebrate our ML language minors graduates. If you are curious about our minors, this is a great opportunity to mingle and glean more about scheduling and content.

CHESS — Wednesday through Saturday, April 12-15, at 7:30 p.m.
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Presented by Michigan Tech Theatre

In this groundbreaking rock musical, the ancient game becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super-power politics and international intrigue. From Bangkok to Budapest, the players, lovers, politicians and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental score that includes “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help My Heart.” This musical is intended for mature audiences.

Learn more.

Get your tickets at 906-487-1906 or at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students, bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.

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Snowsports Art Exhibit — Ongoing: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Saturday 1-8 p.m. | Ends Saturday, April 29
Rozsa Art Galleries
Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Stop in to see artwork created by Department of Visual and Performing Arts faculty and staff. Exhibition artists include Jared Anderson, Anne Beffel, Mary Cyr, Terri Jo Frew, Lisa Gordillo, Kenyon Hansen, Lindsey Heiden, Susie Kilpela, Mike Maxwell, Libby Meyer, Mat Moore, Christopher Plummer and Beth Techtmann. This exhibition is coordinated by Rozsa Art Galleries Director Terri Frew.

Learn more.

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering candidate Tinu Folayan will present their Ph.D. defense on Thursday (April 13) at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 201 and virtually via Zoom.

The title of Folayan's defense is "Direct Recycling of Lithium-ion Battery Materials using Physical Separation Methods."

Folayan is advised by Lei Pan.

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering candidate Zachary Jeffries will defend his doctoral dissertation on Friday (April 14) at 2 p.m. in person in EERC 501 and virtually via Zoom.

The title of Jeffries’ dissertation is "Evaluation of Lidar Uncertainty and Applications Towards SLAM in Off-Road Environments."

Jeffries is advised by Jeremy Bos.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. Thursday (April 13) in Noblet G002 with speaker Douglas J. Gardner, professor and program leader at the University of Maine.

The title of Gardner’s talk is “Large Scale Additive Manufacturing with Forest-based Composite Feedstocks.”

From the abstract:
This presentation will discuss ongoing work at the University of Maine in large scale additive manufacturing (AM) using forest-based composite feedstocks. Large scale AM with forest-based feedstocks offers opportunities to manufacturing products that can be used in a variety of applications including building and construction, marine tooling and infrastructure applications. BioHome3D the first 3D-printed house manufactured from wood fibers and bio-resins will be show cased.

Gardner is a professor and program leader of sustainable materials and technology in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine. He is also member of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and Forest Bioproducts Research Institute. He is scientific co-leader for the UMaine-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Hub and Spoke Program focusing on developing and optimizing the production and integration of bio-based materials and next-generation manufacturing systems into mainstream manufacturing to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Gardner’s research, teaching and service activities address polymer processing and interfacial science aspects of wood-polymer composite materials. He has co-authored over 300 technical publications and 150 research presentations, and eight patents. Gardner is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST). He was awarded the SWST Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and the SWST Distinguished Educator Award in 2018.

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (April 10) in GLRC 202 with the following graduate student presenters:

Presenter: Joe Primeau ’22 (B.S. Environmental Engineering), current M.S. student (civil engineering), Michigan Technological University.

Primeau will present “RegoWorks Tool: Logistical and Physical Analysis of the Construction of Lunar Regolith-based Structures.”

From the abstract:
In the new age of space exploration, NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the surface of the moon to conduct state of the art experiments, develop technologies for the exploration of mars, and to construct a lunar outpost to sustain mankind’s presence there. To support these missions, the emplacement of semi-permanent lunar infrastructure is required. Structures such as roads, landing pads, foundations, shielding, and protective embankments will need to be properly designed and constructed while only utilizing in-situ resources (i.e. Lunar regolith). In an effort to inform the geotechnical design of these infrastructure elements as well as their required concept of operations (CONOPS), this research develops a spreadsheet-based analysis tool in which the user inputs their proposed structure and construction rover fleet information, then the tool conducts the necessary analysis to provide useful project insights such as estimated duration, regolith demand, distribution of tasks, performance graphics, and construction optimizations. With these insights, the aerospace industry can be better informed on the development of ISRU technologies, allocation of resources, and design of mission architectures.

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Presenter: Enid Partika, Ph.D. student (environmental engineering), Michigan Technological University

Partika will present “Progress toward Delineating Causes of the Toxicity of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Regional Fish.”

From the abstract:
Because of their toxic nature, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are routinely monitored in Great Lakes fish, often using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to identify the compounds and measure their concentrations. Many laboratories are currently switching to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), because these instruments are more affordable and versatile for targeted analysis of organic toxics in complex environmental matrices, providing comparable or better results. Using the CEGE Department Agilent Gas Chromatograph (GC)-MS/MS’s dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) capability, we are developing a “one-shot method” for efficient sample processing and analysis. The method is being used to analyze over 260 organic compounds including all 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in fish collected from Lake Superior and inland lakes. The results generated using this method together with results from state, regional, and national fish toxics monitoring programs enable us to investigate causes of temporal and spatial variations and factors that determine the concentrations of these toxics in the fish including diet, food web structure, fish health, and fish growth rate. This presentation will present our research team’s progress investigating these causes so far.

Yun Hang Hu (MSE) was mentioned by Interesting Engineering, Head Topics and Inceptive Mind in stories about a new type of fuel cell developed at Michigan Tech. The research was announced last week by Michigan Tech News.

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Gaming Deputy mentioned Michigan Tech in a story on the Ohio startup Beehex Automation’s plans to transform plastic waste into a variety of appetizing foods, like steak or hamburgers, by way of 3D printing. The idea builds on a process of utilizing plastic-eating bacteria to recycle unwanted plastic pioneered at Michigan Tech (and highlighted in our 2022 Research Magazine).

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Lake Superior Magazine mentioned two upcoming events hosted by MTU’s Institute for Computing and Cybersystems: “The Work of Art in the Age of AI Generation” panel discussion Wednesday (April 12) and a juried art show reception Thursday (April 13). Both events are part of the ICC’s inaugural “Art in Silico” art exhibition and event series.

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A press release from the Executive Office of the Governor announcing the state’s new Venture Fellows Program mentioned Michigan Tech as one of the inaugural participants in the state’s EV Scholars program, a $10,000 scholarship promoting EV and mobility careers announced in February.

MS Defense: Robbie Watling, CS

M.S. in Computer Science candidate Robbie Watling will present his final oral examination (master’s defense) on Wednesday (April 12) at 10 a.m. in Dillman 208 and virtually.

The title of Watling’s defense is “Analysis of GPU-Based Graph Processing Algorithms.”

Join the Zoom meeting.

Learn more and read the defense abstract on the Computing News Blog.

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Virtual Interest Session on the TechMBA

Mari Buche (COB) and Vice President for Global Campus and Continuing Education David Lawrence will be hosting a 45-minute virtual interest session on the online version of MTU's TechMBA.

Save the date: This session will run tomorrow (April 11) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ET via Zoom.

Come discover not only what makes the TechMBA unique, but also how this degree can equip you with fundamental business, communication and project management skills, which help prepare you for STEM professional roles.

Register for this interest session.

If you have any questions about this interest session or the online TechMBA program, please email Amanda Irwin at globalcampus@mtu.edu.

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Husky Connect Looking for Student Mentors!

Do you know a current student who would make a great mentor? Then tell them about the Husky Connect Peer Mentorship Program!

The Husky Connect Peer Mentorship Program is looking for remarkable student mentors for the fall 2023 semester. As a mentor, we ask students to share their experiences and offer support to first-year students. Mentors will begin their training in the summer and will be paired with their mentees before they arrive on campus. This support continues throughout the fall semester and sometimes even lasts a lifetime.

Husky Connect mentors will receive compensation for their time.

Students can learn more about this peer-to-peer program and apply to be a Husky Connect mentor on our website. Applications close Wednesday (April 12) at 5 p.m.

For more information, please contact us at huskyconnect@mtu.edu.

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Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Athletics Presentation

Join a presentation on the importance of diversity and inclusion in athletics with MTU alumnus Jaylyn Boone ’18 (B.S. Business Administration), who played football for our very own Tech team.

We will discuss why sports in schools need to address and value diversity in sports and have equal opportunities for all who are interested in playing.

This presentation is open to all students and community members who enjoy sports. We hope to see you in Fisher 135 on Wednesday (April 12) at 7:30 p.m.!

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'Art in Silico' Juried Art Show Reception

"Art in Silico" welcomes you to enjoy refreshments, art and live music at our Juried Art Show Reception at the Historic Orpheum Theater in Hancock on Thursday (April 13) from 5-7 p.m. A $15 donation is requested, and funds will be split between Copper Country Community Arts Center and MTU student scholarships.

Awards will be presented to artists and we will have interactive displays.

Friends, family and the greater community are all welcome and encouraged to attend!

The inaugural "Art in Silico" is a computational art exhibition and event series that examines the expressive world of creative computation and the confluence of technology and art, connecting circuit board to canvas. As technology pervades our existence, forming new universes — metaverses — in which we can live, act and perceive, the spaces between the conventional science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and the creative arts have shrunk to the infinitesimal. "Art in Silico" celebrates the continuum of arts and STEM, seeking to hack your mind and STEAM your brain to experience a world in which data are compelling, evocative, provocative, ugly, beautiful and appealing.

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No Credit Card Transactions at Campus Store, University Images on Monday

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

Web orders placed between last Saturday (April 8) and Wednesday (April 12) will be processed beginning Thursday (April 13). We apologize for the inconvenience.

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Chemistry Seminar with M. Jasim Uddin

The Department of Chemistry will have the next presentation in the Chemistry Seminar Series today (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."

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MS Defense: Clara Mosentine, BioSci

M.S. in Biological Sciences candidate Clara Mosentine will present a master's defense from noon to 2 p.m. today (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.

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Atmospheric Sciences Grad Student Presentation

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. today (April 10) in Fisher 101.

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

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

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Monday, April 10, 12–12 a.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Joe Primeau, MS Student, Civil Engineering, Michigan Technological University RegoWorks Tool: Logistical and Physical Analysis of the Construction of Lunar Regolith-based...

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment

Monday, April 10, 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...

Master's Defense: Olivia Czajka

Monday, April 10, 8–9 a.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G002

Geographic Information Science Co-advisors: Mickey Jarvi and Michael Hyslop Finding Utility in Historic Maps: How Georectification Can Enhance Understanding of Long-Term...

Michigan Tech Art Presents: Snowsports Faculty and Staff Art Show

Monday, April 10, 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.

Green Bandana Project Promotion

Monday, April 10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Library (Exhibit Hall)

Have you heard of the Green Bandana Project? If not, we're setting up a passive booth for people to stop by and learn more about the project that originated at UW Madison!...

Master's Defense: Clara Mosentine

Monday, April 10, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 743

Biological Sciences Advisor: Paul Goetsch Cancer/Testis Gene Expression Changes in Metastatic Cancer Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/88598458964

Master's Defense: Vikranth Kumar Madeppa Kalappa Doddamani

Monday, April 10, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G002/144

Geographic Information Science Co-advisors: Mickey Jarvi and Michael Hyslop Invasive Species Mapping (Common and Glossy Buckthorn) :A UAV-Based Approach Utilizing Machine...

PhD Defense: Wei Zhang

Monday, April 10, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Materials Science and Engineering Advisor: Yun Hang Hu Stability of LiNiCoAl-Oxide Electrode Material Under High-Temperature Ceramic Fuel Cell Conditions Attend Virtually:...

Atmospheric Sciences - Graduate Student Presentations

Monday, April 10, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 101

Please join this week's Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Student presenter Susan Nathai (Physics) for their in-person presentation Monday, April 10th at 4 PM - Fisher Hall 101. ...

German Mystery Film Night

Monday, April 10, 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! ...

Keweenaw Socialists @ MTU General Meeting

Monday, April 10, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | Fisher 325

Discussion of current org projects and planned socials as well as notable recent news. The meeting will be hybrid in-person and on Zoom. Following the organized portion of the...

Campus Barbershop

April 10, 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:...