April 12, 2023

Researchers Ben Evans and Dave Whelihan from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MITLL) came to Michigan Tech in March to collect acoustic, seismic and weather data related to ice fracturing events. The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) team helped the two MITLL researchers scout locations for their fieldwork, eventually settling on a patch of Huron Bay ice near Skanee.

“We were thinking about going up to the Arctic again,” said Whelihan. “But then we found Michigan Tech and the GLRC. The first thing we thought was it’s really easy to get there. Second, you have an awesome facility, and you have the people who know this ice really, really well.”

Learn more about what makes MTU and the GLRC such great partners for winter research on Michigan Tech Unscripted.

As a reminder, the Commencement Team is still seeking volunteers for Michigan Tech's Spring Commencement undergraduate student ceremony at 10:30 a.m. April 29. We need volunteers to:

• Serve as greeters and ushers,
• Coordinate graduate check-in,
• Collect tickets at the door, and
• Assist guests with special seating accommodations.

More information regarding the ceremonies can be found on the Commencement website.

Please sign up by next Wednesday (April 19) if you would like to volunteer. Contact Anna McClatchy at ajmcclat@mtu.edu if you have any questions.

This special weekend cannot happen without the help of our amazing Michigan Tech community!

The Graduate School is seeking facilitators for our Orientation to Graduate Studies and Research online training. This training fulfills the basic Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training required for all graduate students by the America Competes Acts.

Facilitators will interact online with a group of graduate students beginning Aug. 23 and ending approximately Sept. 1. These students have been accepted into research-based graduate programs, so this is an excellent opportunity for faculty to meet their new students or for senior Ph.D. students to welcome them into the program.

We will hold a Zoom orientation to highlight your responsibilities on Aug. 16 from 2-3 p.m. Please register online to participate. Please contact Debra Charlesworth at ddc@mtu.edu with any questions.

A production system maintenance window will take place April 23 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. During that time, the following production services will be unavailable:

Fischer/mylogin.mtu.edu
mtu.edu/tips
Papercut Printing
Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
Pinnacle
Sunapsis
Virtual Cashiering

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

The Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) will be hosting its annual Silent Gear Auction this Saturday (April 15) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SDC/MacInnes Ice Arena mezzanine area. There is no charge for this event and there will be no early shopping or early sales.

Sale items are still being determined, but currently include Tubbs snowshoes, Kona mountain bikes, REI sleeping bags, Osprey internal frame backpacks and more!

We will be accepting consignments from today to Friday (April 12-14) as well, to be included the auction on Saturday.

More information can be found at the Michigan Tech Recreation website.

Michigan Tech Theatre is proud to present the musical "Chess," opening at 7:30 p.m. tonight (April 12) with performances nightly through Saturday (April 15) at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. This performance will captivate audiences with its unique blend of drama, music and dance.

"Chess" is a beloved musical that has captivated audiences since its debut in 1986. “Set in the final stages of the Cold War ... [the] international competition provides a window of opportunity for players to escape the oppressive regime of the U.S.S.R.,” says director Trish Helsel. “The musical is an allegory where the players are ‘pawns’ in a political war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.”

The production features a book by Richard Nelson, lyrics by Tim Rice (Disney's “Aladdin” and “The Lion King”) and an incredible score by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (members of ABBA), and includes the hit songs “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help My Heart.”

“The music ... helps to put the audience smack in the middle of the ’80s,” says Helsel.

Both entertaining and provocative, the show's language and content are intended for mature audiences.

The cast and crew — nearly 100 people from Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw community — have been hard at work preparing for this production, and audiences can expect to be blown away by the set, costumes, and lighting designed to enhance the show's stunning visuals, driving music and compelling story.

“The show is more relevant now when we can see the parallels between the Hungarian uprising of 1956 against the U.S.S.R. and the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia,” reflects Helsel.

Tickets for the public are available online, at 906-487-1906, or at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and for one hour before shows. Michigan Tech students can reserve free Experience Tech tickets for themselves and one guest online, and Student Rush will be available at the door.

Show Details:

• What: “Chess” the Musical presented by Michigan Tech Theatre
• When: Wednesday through Saturday, April 12-15, at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
• Tickets: $20 Adult | $5 Youth | Free for students and a guest
  Get tickets.

“Chess” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
concordtheatricals.com

Chelsea Schelly and Shardul Tiwari (SS) have been named co-recipients of an Innovation Partnerships Award for their project titled “A Transdisciplinary Workshop of Energy and Community Resiliency.” The $4,000 grant is from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).

The award will help support a two-day workshop at Michigan Tech on energy, health and community resiliency. This workshop will be hosted at the Great Lakes Research Center by the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience. It will bring researchers and practitioners together to consider diverse perspectives on resilience and identify opportunities for partnerships that serve community needs.

The Innovation Partnerships Award, given annually by ORAU, is designed to drive new opportunities for university consortium members and ORAU experts to formulate meaningful collaborations. 2023 focus areas are: climate and environment, health equity, and future of the STEM workforce. ORAU is particularly interested in events that can bring more thought leadership in building a national strategy for STEM education and workforce development.

Ph.D. in Geological Engineering candidate Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha will present a Ph.D. final defense from 3:30-4:30 p.m. today (April 12) in Dow 610. Virtual attendance is also invited via Zoom.

Lekha's defense is titled "Developing a Regional Scale Landslide Early Warning System in a Data Sparse Region Using Remote Sensing, Geostatistics and Google Earth Engine."

Lekha is advised by Thomas Oommen, with Snehamoy Chatterjee, Greg Waite and Sajinkumar K.S. as committee members.

From the abstract:
The Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) is a non-structural approach to mitigate landslide risk by alerting vulnerable communities at an early stage. This study aimed to develop a regional LEWS for rain-induced shallow landslides in Idukki, a mountainous district in India with sparse rainfall data. The landslide model consists of a rainfall component and a slope stability component. Satellite precipitation data can be used in data-sparse regions, but they must be calibrated because they tend to underestimate rainfall. To improve the accuracy of satellite data, this study used a geostatistics-based multi-criteria approach to identify optimal locations to install new rain gauges, thus enhancing the rain gauge network's monitoring capability. A rainfall threshold was developed for Idukki, accounting for intra-seasonal variations in rainfall patterns and extreme rainfall events. The slope stability component of the model is limited by the lack of high-resolution soil properties, which are time-consuming and impractical to acquire using conventional methods. To overcome this limitation, this research proposed developing empirical relationships between sub-surface resistivity and soil properties, providing a regional-scale high-resolution soil property dataset for slope susceptibility assessment. Finally, a cloud-based LEWS was developed using Google Earth Engine, combining the rainfall threshold and high-resolution slope stability models, with the advantage of readily available near real-time data, processing power, user accessibility, and the opportunity for future updates.

Margret Shirinian, assistant professor, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, will present virtually as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. tomorrow (April 13).

Join the presentation via Zoom (use passcode 046347).

Shirinian's presentation is titled "A tale of histone and DNA modifications in brain tumors using the Drosophila melanogaster model."

From the abstract:
Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors are the second most common cancers affecting children and adolescents after leukemia. Approximately half of these CNS tumors are childhood gliomas. Our understanding of high-grade gliomas (HGG) in children was revolutionized by the groundbreaking discovery of somatic recurrent driver mutations in Histone H3.3. Although the repertoire of cancers harboring these “oncohistones” expanded significantly the underlying molecular mechanisms affected by these Histone H3.3 mutants is still under intensive investigation. In our lab we work on unraveling the molecular mechanism through which histone and DNA modifications impact CNS development. We use Drosophila melanogaster as a model system to understand some facets of epigenetic regulation in normal development and cancer.

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow (April 13) in MEEM 112.

Jon Estrada will present “Critiquing motion pictures: evaluating experimental goodness in 3D magnetic resonance cartography.“

Estrada is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Estrada’s research interests lie in the experimental observation and assessment of soft and biological materials.

Following five weeks of practice, Michigan Tech football will wrap up its spring training slate Saturday (April 15) with an intrasquad scrimmage at Kearly Stadium at 1 p.m.

Practice is free and open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend and bring lawn chairs (as bleachers will not be snow cleared). 

First-year head coach Dan Mettlach is expecting around 45 football student-athletes to remain in the Houghton area through the summer to continue training with teammates, with another 60-65 players joining at a later point.

Mettlach and his staff have focused on developing strong leadership and accountability within the group so they can pick up where they left off when formal coaching resumes in the fall.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Michigan Tech men's basketball has announced the commitments of guards Matthew Schmainda of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Alex Calcaterra of Boyne City, Michigan, for the 2023-24 season.

Schmainda (6 feet 2 inches) was a shooting guard at Brookfield East High School and is coming off a stellar senior season, averaging 19 points per game with 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals. He also helped the Spartans to a pair of regional championships.

Calcaterra (6 feet 3 inches) joins his brother Pete on the team after three years of varsity basketball at Boyne City High School. Calcaterra is a two-time All-State athlete and was named All-Conference in each of his past three seasons. He averaged 19 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Thursday (April 13)
• League of Legends vs. Cornell University 7 p.m. NSL Varsity Premier.
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Full Sail University 8:30 p.m. NSL Varsity Premier RO16 National Playoffs. Watch the Twitch stream.

Saturday (April 15)
• Apex vs. Week 5 Group Stage 3 p.m. Octane Collegiate.
• League of Legends vs. Illinois Tech 4 p.m. Teemo Cup.
• CS:GO vs. TBD NSL Varsity RO8 National Playoffs.
• Bandwidth Bowl

Times are subject to change. Check Twitter @MTUEsports and the Esports schedule for updates.

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Esports News
Read more in the MTU Esports weekly update.

Ana Dyreson (ME-EM/GLRC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $499,445 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The project is titled “Electrification and Climate Resilience in the Rural North: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Chelsea Schelly, Roman Sidortsov and Timothy Scarlett (all SS) are co-PIs on this three-year research project.

Minnesota Center for Energy and Environment is a subcontractor on this project and several community partners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota participate in the project’s advisory board.

Undergraduate Dee Paulson (computer science) was quoted by MLive in a story featuring two students in Michigan’s first cohort of EV Scholars — recipients of a new $10,000 scholarship promoting in-state electric vehicle (EV) and mobility careers announced in February. 

The program was also featured in a DBusiness story that said 160 of the 350 scholarship slots are already filled — 46 of them by Huskies.

The scholarships are open to students at Michigan Tech, University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

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Hatch Magazine published an article written by Tim Schulz (ECE) about the remarkable fly fishing skills of Professor Emeritus Warren Perger (ECE).

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Yahoo! Sports mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a pre-draft meeting between the Denver Broncos and NFL draft prospect and former Husky basketball player Jake Witt.

Retirement Party for Sheila Milligan

Please join the College of Business (COB) as we gather to celebrate the retirement of Sheila Milligan, associate teaching professor in accounting, tomorrow (April 12) in the Rozsa Center Lobby.

Milligan’s career at Michigan Tech began in 1989, with a hiatus for family life. Her passion has always been students and the learning environment campus provides. During Milligan’s tenure, she was awarded COB’s Innovative Teaching Award and Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Provost’s Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence Award, and she was inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Milligan was also a finalist for the Michigan Association of CPAs’ Accounting Teaching and Excellence Award. A point of pride for Milligan: Five of her students have gone on to teach in the College. Her students may always remember that she humorously taught how to steal and get away with it — and how to live a good life afterward.

Stop by the reception for hors d'oeuvres and dessert from 4-6 p.m. A celebration program will begin at 4:30 p.m. Students are welcome — we hope to see you there!

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Free Sustainability Film: 'The Plastic Problem'

"The Plastic Problem" will be shown at 7 p.m. next Thursday (April 20) at the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building in G002 Hesterberg Hall.

David Shonnard (ChE) and Bre Tucker (PHC), co-owner of Refill U.P. in Hancock, will be the discussion facilitators. The Copper Country Recycling Initiative will provide refreshments.

A $5 suggested donation at the door to support the Sustainability Film & Facilitated Discussion Series is appreciated.

Film Description
"The Plastic Problem" explores the issue of plastic pollution, now considered one of the largest environmental threats facing humans and animals globally. By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans — an environmental crisis that’s been in the making for nearly 70 years. Amna Nawaz and her PBS NewsHour colleagues interview two of the world’s biggest plastic producers, the Coca-Cola Company and Unilever, to find out what they’re doing to address the problem. The film examines the effectiveness of plastic bans, bacteria that eat plastic, a young inventor who has made an alternative to plastic wrap out of beer brewing by-products, and a startup making plastic roads. Find out how you can be a part of the solution.

Facilitator Bios
David Shonnard teaches courses in sustainable engineering, environmentally conscious design, life cycle assessments and chemical reaction engineering. His research interests are in systems analysis for sustainability, environmental life cycle assessments of renewable energy technologies, and chemical recycling of waste plastics for a circular economy.

Bre Tucker is Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program coordinator and the co-owner of Refill U.P. in Hancock, a business that is tackling the plastics problem one day, one person, one shower and one load of laundry at a time. Tucker will share the motivation behind starting the business and what it offers residents.

Film & Discussion Series
The Sustainability Film & Facilitated Discussion Series is coordinated by the Tech Forward Initiative for Sustainability and Resilience and co-sponsored by:

Keweenaw Land Trust | Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship | Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative | Friends of the Land of Keweenaw | | Refill U.P. | MTU College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science | MTU Department of Social Sciences Sustainability Science Program | MTU Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering | MTU Center for Science and Environmental Outreach | MTU Sustainability Demonstration House | MTU Great Lakes Research Center | MTU Students for Sustainability

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PhD Defense: Jaclyn Barnes, CS

Ph.D. in Computer Science candidate Jaclyn Barnes will present her dissertation defense tomorrow (April 13) at 9 a.m. via Zoom online meeting.

The title of Barnes' dissertation is “Toward a Longitudinal Program of In Situ Social Robotics Research and Informal STEAM Education.”

Barnes’ research interests include human-robot interaction, assistive technology and usable security. She received an M.S. in Computer Science from Michigan Tech in 2017.

Join the Zoom meeting.

Read the abstract on the Computing News Blog.

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PhD Defense: Tinu Folayan, ChE

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering candidate Tinu Folayan will present their Ph.D. defense tomorrow (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.

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

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance by Appointment

Wednesday, April 12, 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...

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Michigan Tech Art Presents: Snowsports Faculty and Staff Art Show

Wednesday, April 12, 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.

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Digital Marketers

Wednesday, April 12, 9–10 a.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, G27

Digital Marketers is a group for digital platform managers (digital ads, photo/video production, social media accounts, websites, etc) across campus. We meet every other...

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Green Bandana Project Promotion

Wednesday, April 12, 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!...

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Master's Defense: Robbie Watling, Computer Science

Wednesday, April 12, 10 a.m. | Grover C. Dillman Hall, 208

Graduate student Robbie Watling, Computer Science M.S., will present his final oral examination (master’s defense) on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 10 a.m. in Dillman Hall,...

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Master's Defense: Robert Watling

Wednesday, April 12, 10–11 a.m. | Grover C. Dillman Hall, 208

Computer Science Co-advisors: Zhenlin Wang and Junqiao Qiu Analysis of GPU-Based Graph Processing Algorithms Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/85112794424

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Computing[MTU] Lecture: Terrance Campbell, Tennessee State

Wednesday, April 12, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 125

Terrance Campbell, Tennessee State University, will visit campus and present a research seminar on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 1 p.m. in Fisher Hall Room 125. The talk is...

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PhD Defense: Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha

Wednesday, April 12, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 610

Geological Engineering Advisor: Thomas Oommen Developing a Regional Scale Landslide Early Warning System in a Data Sparse Region Using Remote Sensing, Geostatistics and...

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Art in Silico Panel: The Work of Art in the Age of AI Generation

Wednesday, April 12, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 201/202

Please join us for a panel discussion, The Work of Art in the Age of AI Generation, as part of the Art in Silico series. The panel will discuss AI art, ethics, and philosophy....

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Little Huskies Girls Basketball Spring Camp

Wednesday, April 12, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Gym and Multipurpose Gym

Open to grades 2-5. Learning skills, working in a team, and having fun: that’s Michigan Tech’s Little Huskies Girls’ Basketball Camp. It’s a great introduction to the sport...

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From Hubble To James Webb Space Telescope: A Personal Journey

Wednesday, April 12, 4:45 p.m.–7:00 p.m. | Dillman 204

Abstract: Dr. Hasan will share her personal journey from growing up in India to becoming a scientist at NASA headquarters. She will discuss the history of the spherical...

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Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, April 12, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Fisher 133

Students For Life General Meeting

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Law Club Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, April 12, 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...

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USG Weekly Meeting

Wednesday, April 12, 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...

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Michigan Tech Theatre Presents: Chess

Wednesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. James A. and Margaret C. Black Performance Hall

MICHIGAN TECH THEATRE PRESENTS CHESS Book by Richard Nelson Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson Directed by Trish Helsel Music Direction by Jared...

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Michigan Tech Parent Panel

Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Join a panel of current Husky parents to answer any questions you may have. They'll share their student experiences at Tech and how to navigate the whole process as a...

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Michigan Tech Parent Panel

Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Join a panel of current Husky parents to answer any questions you may have. They'll share their student experiences at Tech and how to navigate the whole process as a parent.

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Michigan Tech Student Hangout

Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Join a panel of current Michigan Tech students to ask questions and learn stories and tips about life as a Husky. Register online:...

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Michigan Tech Student Hangout

Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Join a panel of current Michigan Tech students to ask questions and learn stories and tips about life as a Husky.