May 9, 2023

The annual University Staff Service Awards will be held on June 7 in the MUB Ballroom. The University's president and the Staff Council chair will present awards for five-year increments of service to more than 100 staff members this year. Recent staff retirees are also recognized. Thank you to the Office of the President for their continued support and funding for the Staff Service Awards luncheon and awards.

Congratulations and thank you to our amazing staff for your service and commitment to Michigan Tech. The staff members who will be honored for reaching a five-year anniversary date this fiscal year are listed on the Staff Service Awards 2023 Honorees page.

This year’s luncheon will feature a fajita and taco salad bar (including vegetarian and gluten-free options). Tickets are $12 and may be purchased online — they must be purchased by June 1. Please note there is no reserved seating; it is first come, first served. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. If you are unable to attend the lunch, you may join the awards presentation beginning at approximately 12:15 p.m.

The Michigan Tech track and field teams concluded the GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday (May 5). Highlights included Clayton Sayen repeating as GLIAC champion in the men's 1,500m while lowering his GLIAC 1,500m record time, and a new school record set by Katherine Jarvis in the women's shot put.

Altogether, the Huskies racked up seven individual podium finishes and one relay podium finish between both the men's and women's squads. In the team standings, the men of Michigan Tech accumulated 76 points to take fifth place while the women placed seventh with 37.50 points.

"Overall, I'm really pleased with how we performed this year," head coach Kristina Owen said. "We're a smaller team than most of the competition and we can't support all events, which makes it challenging to score well as an overall team. We had some really great performances with a conference champion, a new conference meet record and a new school record. We've got a few athletes still in the hunt for NCAA championships spots and we're looking to finish the season strong."

"Both teams came away with more points than last year," assistant head coach Robert Young added. "We like to see this growth and look to build upon it next year."

Read more at the Michigan Tech Athletics website.

Job Postings for Tuesday, May 9, 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.

Food Service Helper #23122 (nine months/ 30 hours/ first shift), Dining Services (AFSCME posting dates May 9 to May 15, 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.

Food Service Helper #23123 (nine months/ 40 hours/ first shift), Dining Services (AFSCME posting dates May 9 to May 15, 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.

Manager for Logistics and Facilities Purchasing, Facilities Management. Apply online.

Administrative Aide 8, Graduate School (UAW posting dates May 9 to May 15, 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.

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.

John Vucetich (CFRES) was quoted by the Durango Herald and The Journal, both of southwest Colorado, in a story about proposed federal legislation known as the Trust the Science Act that would remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered species protected by U.S. federal law.

*****

Ezra Bar-Ziv (ME-EM/APSRC) was quoted by the Green Bay Press-Gazette in a story about a new plastic recycling system called STRAP (solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation) that uses solvents to break down plastic film types. Bar-Ziv is leading the design and construction of a system prototype at Michigan Tech.

*****

An article written by Sigrid Resh (CFRES/ESC) and undergraduate student Abraham Stone (ecology) was published by the Daily Mining Gazette. The article explained how to identify two varieties of invasive buckthorn, summarized the threat they pose to native forest plants, and listed removal and disposal methods and native alternatives.

*****

David Flaspohler (CFRES) was mentioned by the Daily Mining Gazette in a story previewing a bird migration forum being held at Michigan Tech by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Flaspohler is one of three presenters at the event, planned from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday (May 9) in Fisher 135. The story was picked up from the Mining Journal.

*****

An online talk by Nancy Langston (SS/CFRES) was previewed by the Network in Canadian History & Environment (NiCHE). The talk, with topics of climate model tipping points, caribou/reindeer restoration, and the possibility of hope in the Anthropocene, is planned Thursday (May 11) at 4 p.m. Eastern. 

*****

Yahoo! News and the Mankato Free Press mentioned Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center in a story about an expected drop in recreational fishing in Minnesota. Demographic analysis by the GLRC projected a decline from 2016 to 2035 primarily due to the loss of Baby Boomers as active anglers.

*****

BVM Sports and the Daily Mining Gazette picked up a Michigan Tech Athletics press release about the results of the 2023 GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Michigan Tech’s Clayton Sayen repeated as GLIAC champion in the men’s 1,500 meters and Katherine Jarvis set a new school record in the women’s shot put at the event.

*****

Truck, Parts, Service ran a story about MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers President and CEO Julie Fream ’83 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) delivering the commencement address at Michigan Tech’s 2023 Spring Commencement ceremonies. The story was picked up from a MEMA news release.

Conflict Resolution Workshops

• Facilitating Difficult Conversations Workshop
  The "Facilitating Difficult Conversations: Let’s Talk About It" workshop is once again being offered by the office of Equal Opportunity Compliance on June 27 from 9-11 am. This summer we are piloting a shorter version of the workshop that is just two hours in length. The workshop will provide tools for handling uncomfortable work and/or peer conversations in a respectful and professional manner.

This in-person workshop is open to all Michigan Tech faculty and staff. However, if you are a remote employee and would like to participate, please contact us. We plan to lead a workshop that is fully virtual in the near future.

The number of participants is somewhat limited, so please complete the RSVP form to save your spot. Once you are signed up, you will receive a calendar invitation, which will include the location. For more information, feel free to contact our office at 906-487-3310 or eocompliance@mtu.edu.

• An Introduction to Restorative Practices
  The Office of Academic and Community Conduct will be offering a 10-hour training to introduce participants to the theory of restorative justice (RJ) and its practices. Training will take place the week of June 5 for two hours a day, Monday-Friday, 2-4 p.m.

In restorative practices, harmed parties have the opportunity to tell those responsible how they have been affected. Those responsible can gain empathy and understanding — not only for those directly affected, but for family, friends, co-workers and others. Then, the responsible parties have a chance to make amends and shed the "offender" label, hopefully breaking the cycle of violence, misbehavior and/or disruption. For more information about restorative practices, please visit the International Institute for Restorative Practices website.

Training participants will:

• Learn how to prepare for and facilitate an RJ conference through experiential learning.
• Learn how to prepare for and facilitate an RJ circle through experiential learning.

All participants will need to purchase two small low-cost books. Register now. Registration is due no later than May 29. Seats are limited, so sign up now! All inquiries may be addressed to Director of Academic Conduct Rob Bishop at rmbishop@mtu.edu or 906-487-1964.

*****

Virtual Interest Session: Online MS in Civil Engineering

Tess Ahlborn (CEGE) and Vice President for Global Campus and Continuing Education David Lawrence will be hosting a 45-minute virtual interest session on Michigan Tech’s online M.S. in Civil Engineering, with a focus on structural engineering.

Save the date: This session will run next Tuesday (May 16) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ET via Zoom.

Ahlborn will be providing details about this innovative program, such as how students can combine stackable certificates to customize their degrees. Members of the Global Campus team will also be present to answer questions about the benefits of advanced degrees, accelerated options and the admissions process.

Register for this interest session.

Everyone is welcome!

If you have any questions about this event or the online M.S. in Civil Engineering, please contact Amanda Irwin at globalcampus@mtu.edu or 906-487-1000.

*****

Bird Migration Forum

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Through Forestry series continues with a bird migration forum, featuring speakers Jen Owen (Michigan State University), Joseph Youngman and David Flaspohler (Michigan Tech).

This forum will bring awareness of the plight of migratory bird populations, highlight migration and population information for the Keweenaw Peninsula, and provide instruction from researchers to community members who wish to enhance bird habitat on their land.

A panel of resource professionals will also be available to discuss the development and implementation of Forest Stewardship Plans. More event information may be found in the Mining Journal.

The forum will be held from 6-9 p.m. today (May 9) in Fisher 135 at Michigan Tech.

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

Summer WonderHack Competition for K-12 Students

May 9, all day

Michigan Tech is pleased to announce the launch of Summer WonderHack 2023, a new capture-the-flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition designed for K-12 participants. The event is...