April 21, 2023

Two student teams from Michigan Tech made it through the qualifying rounds at the New Venture Challenge (NVC), which is hosted by Central Michigan University (CMU); they will pitch in person today (April 21). Best of luck to our student teams!

Bayle Golden, a graduate student in engineering management, will pitch “STEMPOWER.”

“At STEMPOWER we are working to create an integrative STEM experience for young girls through a physical toy line and online STEM community,“ Golden shared. “We believe that we can change the STEM landscape and empower an entire generation of youth.”

Rourke Sylvain, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, will pitch “imi.”

“imi revolutionizes health care by eliminating the need for centralized clinical testing,” Sylvain explained. “We develop bio wearable devices that provide patients the ability to monitor their hormone levels continuously.”

The event will be live via radio and video at:

• Mountain 91.5 WMHW-FM Radio
  Listen live from 1-5 p.m. and 7 p.m. until the end of the challenge.

• MHTV Broadcast
  Watch live from 2:45-5:10 p.m. for the competition, from approximately 5:55-6:25 p.m. for interviews, and from 7-8:30 p.m. for awards.

Due to the Memorial Day Holiday on May 29, deadlines for Payroll and Human Resources forms will be as follows for the period from May 14 through May 27 (Bi-weekly 11). Department timekeepers are responsible for sharing this information with all employees in your department.

The deadlines below indicate when items are due to Payroll and/or Human Resources, not to individual departments. Departments are responsible for setting internal deadlines with employees to meet these deadlines.

• Status Forms Due to Human Resources: Thursday, May 18, at noon
• EPAF Submissions: Thursday, May 18, at noon
• Deduction Forms: Tuesday, May 23, at noon
• Electronic Time Submission: Friday, May 26, at noon
• Web Time Entry Approval: Friday, May 26, at 2 p.m.

Please be sure that all web time approvers have a designated proxy set up.

For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please visit the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers PDF.

Next Saturday (April 29), beginning at 8 p.m., Michigan Tech IT will be performing software upgrades that will cause wireless downtime for all of campus. The wireless network should be available by 8 a.m. on Sunday (April 30), when the work is complete.

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

The conventional separation of “work” and “life” in academia encourages faculty to ignore or even actively undermine their well-being. This week, we feature several publications that extol the need to prioritize self-care in higher education.

Although work-life balance is important for all academics, certain groups face more emotional fatigue from microaggressions, relentless inequities and the struggles for social justice that can affect well-being and increase the need for self-care.

A recent study in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education (JDHE) — featuring women pre-tenure faculty of color (WFOC) — found that all of them reported stress and associated negative mental and physical health issues. Reported self-care activities included meditation, exercise and time with family and friends. Such self-care practices contribute to building resilience in the face of ongoing challenges. For those engaged in advocacy and change efforts, Kerry Ann Rockquemore from the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity offers radical self-care strategies for mind, body and spirit such as “regular rage” practices to expunge residual feelings and intentional expressions of joy and gratitude.

While acknowledging the value of self-care, the JDHE study emphasized “the need for greater accountability on the part of universities [regarding] the mental and physical distress [...] described.” We call attention to these publications and the publications listed below because they argue for a shift in the culture of academe that accepts the value of well-being and care as integral to the intellectual and disciplinary work of the academy. ADVANCE has promoted inclusive, collective practices of care across our campus community and we encourage institutional and community recognition of self-care as critical and necessary to the quality of professional work, to the long-term productivity of individuals, and to campus life.

A sampling of additional recent publications on this topic: 

• An essay in Edutopia asserts that work/life “balance” is a myth because faculty careers entail differing and dynamic priorities.
• An essay in Inside Higher Ed reports on a variety of strategies for re-energizing during the workday.
• Two recent, edited books advance strategies for well-being, many involving physical movement, creative expression or scaffolded collaborations that can be integrated into academic writing and research routines; see “Creative Expression and Wellbeing in Higher Education” (Routledge, 2022) and “Healthy Relationships in Higher Education: Promoting Wellbeing Across Academe” (Routledge, 2021).

Today’s feature was shared with us by the ADVANCE PI 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.

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS) is pleased to announce its Outstanding Student Awards recipients for academic year 2022-23.

We'll start off with the top research project team selected by ACSHF graduate student and faculty judges at the annual CLS Research Symposium held on Tuesday (April 18).

Kyla Richardson, Sara Gelon and Jane Sinclair made up the winning team for their project “Crowd Forming Observations at Michigan Tech.” The team designed an observational study in order to look at the impacts of social conformity and curiosity. Their study was to determine the motivations behind crowd formation — Do crowds gather due to social conformity, or is curiosity the underlying motivator? For the full abstract, along with all other projects presented at the symposium, see the full list of presentations/abstracts.

In addition, the following undergraduate student awards were presented by CLS Chair Kelly Steelman:

• Mercy Barikor: Undergraduate Research Award
  This award is presented to a student who demonstrates excellence in research conducted in support of an undergraduate studies or project carried out under the guidance of a CLS faculty member or approved mentor.

• Kallie Weecks: Outstanding Clinical Intern of the Year
  This award recognizes a psychology or human factors undergraduate student who has made a positive impact on their community through experiential education opportunities. Weecks interned with the Copper Country Intermediate School District for fall 2022, completing 140 hours, and assisted school psychologist Christine Etter.

• Ani Schneiderhan: Outstanding First-Year Student
  This award is presented to an outstanding first-year psychology and/or human factors student who has demonstrated academic excellence in their first year by academic achievement, exemplary character, leadership in class and activities, and potential for success in future endeavors.

• Hunter Malinowski: 2023 CLS Department Scholar
  This award represents the best of student scholarship in the department, including participation in research and scholarly activities, high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and exceptional communication skills.

CLS faculty and staff wish to congratulate all our undergraduate and graduate students for their many accomplishments during the 2022-23 academic year!

See the Cognitive and Learning Sciences News blog for more details.

Last Saturday (April 15), MTU's Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section attended the Annual SWE-Wisconsin Professional Day in Madison. We enjoyed visiting with the SWE-Wisconsin Professional Section, developing career skills and learning about engineering opportunities.

• Gretchen Hein, SWE advisor, led an #IamRemarkable workshop, where participants learned how to advocate for themselves and others, and the importance of those skills in career development.

• Second-year student Kathryn Krieger (environmental engineering) was honored as the 2023 GE-Healthcare Scholarship recipient. The scholarship committee was impressed with her involvement in SWE, Engineers without Borders and Delta Phi Epsilon.

• The section received the Collegiate Section Achievement Award for establishing the SWE Section Endowed Scholarship.

• We were also excited to see Andrea Falasco ’12 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) and learn about her career path during the panel discussion on working for big versus small companies.

Nine section members attended:

• Amanda West, junior (mechanical engineering):
  “I enjoyed networking with the other SWE sections in the region. It was great to learn how other students handle their organization and use it to help improve our own.”

• Talia Olson, junior (mechanical engineering):
  “I enjoyed getting inspired by other women engineers and learning from their experiences. I learned how to brand myself and to own my strength in the workforce.”

• Cassandra Borr, second-year (mechanical engineering):
  “I found this conference to be very empowering, as we were able to see what other women in the industry have accomplished and how they achieved it.”

• Carissa Best, first-year (mechanical engineering):
  “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to hear the stories of confident women in STEM who were interested in empowering other women.”

• Kathryn Krieger, second-year (environmental engineering):
  “SWE has grown to be such an important part of my college career. I am constantly inspired by the women around me and grateful for the opportunities for both personal and professional growth.”

• Catherine Huston, second-year (materials science and engineering): 
  “Learning to own who I am and how to recognize my accomplishments was empowering and an experience I will carry with me as I navigate my path in life.”

• Tory Cantrell, first-year (mechanical engineering):
  “The most important piece of advice that I will take away from this conference is how it is important to step outside of your comfort zone and evolve your leadership brand as you grow.”

• Rixlie Fozilova, graduate student (environmental engineering):
  “The Spring Forward SWE conference provided me with an amazing opportunity to network with fellow engineering students and professionals from a wide variety of companies and backgrounds.”

• Lydia Minzey, first-year (environmental engineering):
  “The conference empowered participants to believe in their abilities and reach out to achieve their full potential, even while being a minority in their field. I’m very grateful to have been able to attend and learn from the wise women present.”

SWE thanks the College of Engineering and engineering departments for supporting SWE throughout the year. We also thank the Undergraduate Student Government and our corporate sponsors, whose support made this travel possible.

The Department of Chemistry will have the next presentation in the Chemistry Seminar Series today (April 21) at 3 p.m. via Zoom.

Our guest speaker is Professor G. Andrés Cisneros from the University of Texas at Dallas.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) is pleased to invite the University community to attend the spring 2023 Senior Design team presentations next Friday (April 28) from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in GLRC 201/202.

This semester, students have undertaken a wide range of projects to fulfill the department’s Senior Design requirement.

View the Senior Design Colloquium poster at the CEGE Undergraduate Advising Blog.

Schedule:

• 8 a.m. — Join the presentation via Zoom
  Advisor: Zhen Liu (CEGE/GMES/MTTI)
  
  • Team: Flood Mitigation via Tunnel for Segment 3 of 1-75 Modernization
    
    
• 9:30 a.m. — Join the presentation via Zoom
  Advisor: Zhanping You (CEGE/MTTI)
  
  • Team: Superpave Mix Design of Recycled Asphalt Materials
  • Team: Road Design and Improvement in Clare County
  • Team: Design Asphalt Pavement on Old Concrete Pavement in Saginaw County
  • Team: Road Network Design and Improvement in Dickinson County
    
    
• 11 a.m. — Join the presentation via Zoom
  Advisor: Nathan Manser (GMES)
  • Team: Anaerobic Digestion System Design for Mezcal Production Wastes
  • Team: KBIC Hatchery Well #6 Location/Design & Pipe Network
  • Team: Process System Design of Biobeneficiation Plant
  • Team: Structural Design and Construction Plan of Biobeneficiation Plant
  • Team: Rural Mexico Water Distillation & Distribution System Design

When No. 44 ranked Michigan Tech women's tennis (8-6, 5-2) takes the court today (April 21) in the GLIAC quarterfinals, it will be their seventh straight tournament appearance, and third under head coach Kristin D'Agostini-Yep.

The Huskies proved their ability to win tight matches this spring, with five 4-3 clinchers leading to a 5-2 conference record. Tech's latest triumph came in more decided fashion, a 5-2 home victory over Ferris State on Saturday (April 15) as the Huskies celebrated their three senior players. Now they hope to make a long postseason run.

After grabbing the No. 3 seed, MTU's journey begins against No. 6 seed Davenport (13-11, 2-5) at Greater Midland Tennis Center, which hosts all three rounds of the six-team tournament. No. 2 seed Wayne State (bye) awaits the winner. The semifinals are tomorrow (April 22), followed by the championship on Sunday (April 23).

Read the preview at the Michigan Tech Athletics website. 

The Michigan Tech track and field squads return to competition after a weekend away from the oval office, traveling to La Crosse, Wisconsin, for the Phil Esten Challenge, hosted by UW-La Crosse today and tomorrow (April 21 and 22).

Field events will start at 2 p.m. today, while running events will begin at 5:30 p.m. The meet will resume tomorrow with field events starting at 1 p.m. and running events starting at 2 p.m.

Read the preview at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Andrew Burton (CFRES/ESC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $1,357 research and development grant from the Electa Quinney Institute at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The project is titled "Analysis of 14 Tree Sap Samples for Total Nitrogen, Dissolved Organic Carbon, pH, Conductivity, and 10 elements by ICP-oes."

Jennifer Eikenberry (CFRES/ESC) is a co-PI on this potential one-year project.

Mark Rudnicki (CFRES) was quoted by MLive in a story on Michigan Tech research into hardwood mass timber as a sustainable housing solution.

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Annie Bengry (REC) was quoted by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story announcing that Michigan Tech students and SDC lifeguards Leah Komarzec, Skyler Spitzley and Brett Ceane will receive a national lifesaving award from the American Red Cross. The award was also covered by Wisconsin’s Price County Review.

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Student-athlete Ella Merklein (biomedical engineering) was quoted by the Washington County Insider in a story about her recently set Guinness World Record. The story was picked up from Stories from Husky Nation.

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Forbes referenced Michigan Tech’s Earthquake Magnitude Scale in a story about concerns that tectonic fluid leaking from a crack in the Pacific Ocean floor off the Oregon coast could herald a magnitude 9.0 earthquake. According to the scale, magnitude 8.0 and higher earthquakes “can totally destroy communities near the epicenter.”

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UPWord mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Advanced Blending Solutions, a custom machine manufacturing company in Wallace, Wisconsin, housed in the same building where owner and CEO Mike Rasner ’95 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) attended elementary school.

Production System Maintenance on Sunday

A production system maintenance window will take place Sunday (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.

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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Michigan Tech is excited to announce the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day scheduled tomorrow (April 22) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.! This is an opportunity to properly dispose of expired and unused prescription drug medication. Michigan Tech Public Safety and Police Services is a registered drop-off/collection site and is located at 206 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, Michigan. As a reminder, this prescription drug medication disposal is for pills only (no liquids please).

Michigan Tech Public Safety and Police Services has a 24/7/355 thru-wall drug disposal box that can be used any day of the year to dispose of your unused medications.

Questions? Contact Whitney Boroski at wmborosk@mtu.edu.

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Spring Customer Appreciation Sale at Campus Store, University Images

It's time for the sale you look forward to every spring — the Customer Appreciation Sale at the Campus Store and University Images.

Visit us in person today (April 21). All Michigan Tech branded apparel and souvenirs will be 25% off, as well as our Upper Peninsula and Michigan apparel and souvenirs.

The Campus Store and University Images will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Math Colloquium with Junato Huang

The next presentation in the Mathematical Sciences Colloquium Series will be held today (April 21). Our guest speaker will be Junato Huang.

Huang is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Texas Tech University. His presentation is titled "Adaptive multiresolution sparse grid DG: algorithms and its open source C++ package."

The presentation will take place in Fisher 125 from 1-2 p.m.

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MS Defense: Caleb Kaminski, GMES

M.S. in Geophysics candidate Caleb Kaminski will present a final master's defense today (April 21) at 9 a.m. in Dow 610.

Kaminski's defense is titled "Exploring Ground-Penetrating Radar Responses to Basaltic Terrain for Upcoming Lunar Expeditions."

Kaminski is advised by Aleksey Smirnov, with Paul van Susante and Jeremy Shannon as committee members.

From the abstract:
In preparation for upcoming lunar expeditions, a comprehensive understanding of the Moon's geophysical properties is imperative, particularly in the context of resource identification and extraction. This study focuses on the experimental characterization of electromagnetic (EM) behavior in the radio spectrum for ground-penetrating radar applications, utilizing basaltic Keweenawan stamp sand and highland lunar simulant soil test materials with varying particle grades. Under controlled laboratory conditions, we systematically analyzed and compared the differences in EM wave velocity and signal amplitude as a function of particle size and mineralogy, as represented in radargrams. Our findings demonstrate that the highland lunar simulant exhibits a significantly higher EM reflection coefficient than the stamp sand, which can be attributed to its lower conductivity arising from compositional differences. These results hold important implications for the development of remote sensing techniques and optimization of ground-penetrating radar systems for future lunar missions, ultimately enabling the efficient detection and extraction of valuable resources such as water ice on the lunar surface.

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

Michigan Tech Art Presents: Snowsports Faculty and Staff Art Show

Friday, April 21, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |

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

Master's Defense: Caleb Kaminski

Friday, April 21, 9–10 a.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 610

Geophysics Advisor: Aleksey Smirnov Exploring Ground-Penetrating Radar Responses to Basaltic Terrain for Upcoming Lunar Expeditions

Life Cycle Systems Modeling for Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy

Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. | Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, 201

Chemical Engineering Research Seminar Dr. Yuan Yao Assistant Professor Yale University Abstract Circular bioeconomy is an emerging concept to support the utilization of...

Adaptive Multiresolution sparse Grid DG: Algorithms and its Open Source C++ Package

Friday, April 21, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Fisher Hall 327B

Abstract: In this talk, we present our work on adaptive multiresolution sparse grid DG method and its open source C++ package. This method is constructed based on two types of...

CDI Pre-Exam Jam

Friday, April 21, 3 p.m. | , Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Hosted every Fall and Spring Semester before Final Exam, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion hosts Pre Exam Jam. This event is designed to give students a much needed break...

Michigan Tech Music Presents: Charles Mingus & Ethel Smyth, for Starters...

Friday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. | General...

MICHIGAN TECH MUSIC PRESENTS CHARLES MINGUS AND ETHEL SMYTH, FOR STARTERS PERFORMED BY THE SUPERIOR WIND SYMPHONY PROGRAM Run Time TBD

(Men's Tennis) Michigan Tech at TBA

April 21, all day

Men's Tennis: Michigan Tech at TBA, GLIAC Tournament

(Women's Tennis) Michigan Tech at TBA

April 21, all day

Women's Tennis: Michigan Tech at TBA, GLIAC Tournament