July 20, 2023

The Van Pelt and Opie Library will be closed Monday (July 24) from 8-10 a.m. so employees may participate in training. The library’s 24-hour areas will not be available during this time.

The Technical Assistance Center (TAC), the Library Café, the Library Testing Center, the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience will also be closed during this time.

The library building and all services will reopen on Monday at 10 a.m.

Ryan Hallowell from Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) will be available on Michigan Tech's campus on the following dates and times for one-on-one sessions:

• Monday, Aug. 7 — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., MUB Alumni Lounge A
• Tuesday, Aug. 8 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., MUB Alumni Lounge A
• Wednesday, Aug. 9 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., MUB Alumni Lounge A
• Thursday, Aug. 10 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., MUB Alumni Lounge A

No matter where you are in life — just getting started or planning for retirement — a session with Hallowell can help you create a plan for your goals. And, it's at no cost as a part of your retirement plan. You'll get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

RSVP today, as space is limited. Register for sessions with TIAA directly, or register by calling 800-732-8353 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

A paper co-authored by graduate student Zichong Wang (computer science) and Assistant Professor Wenbin Zhang (CS) has been selected for presentation at the 26th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI 2023), which will be held Sept. 9 to Oct. 5 in Kraków, Poland.

The paper, titled “Individual Fairness Guarantee in Learning with Censorship,” was one of more than 1,600 papers submitted, with a 24% acceptance rate. Additional co-authors are Professor Thomas Oommen (GMES) and Carnegie Mellon University faculty Cheng Cheng, Juyong Kim and Pradeep Ravikumar.

For more information, visit the Computing News Blog.

Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture candidate Laura Vidal Chiesa will present a final doctoral defense next Thursday (July 27) from 2-3 p.m. This will be a virtual only defense. Attendance is invited via Zoom.

Vidal Chiesa's dissertation is titled "The Flight Attendants Of Academia: Liminality, Emotional Labor, And Feminization In Graduate Student Writing Program Administrators."

From the abstract:
Writing Program Administration (WPA) is an interdisciplinary field that addresses the management and development of writing programs in educational institutions. WPA entails writing instruction pedagogy, curriculum design, assessment, and faculty development pertaining to the teaching of writing. Graduate students in Humanities and English-based programs typically fill this position which can offer a career trajectory. However, the position is often experienced as demanding, unrewarding and does not deliver on the career-enhancing experience it seems to promise. Historically, this is unsurprising given that the position has been a subordinated role occupied by women in composition. And yet, the troubles besetting contemporary graduate student writing program administrators (gWPAs) positions are complex, involving organizational, gendered, and labor issues. Still the voices of gWPAs are missing from analyses of these issues. Based on a poststructuralist framework, this dissertation performs a thematic analysis of interviews with gWPAs to comprehend the systemic, structural, and rhetorical factors that contribute to marginalization, feminization, and emotional labor burden required for gWPAs.

Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering candidate Jordan Ewing from the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) will defend his doctoral dissertation tomorrow (July 21) at 3 p.m. in person in Dow 610 and virtually via Google Meet.

ChE Research Seminar Speaker: Molly Skinner

Molly Skinner will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Research Seminar Series tomorrow (July 21) at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 404 and virtually via Zoom.

Skinner will present "Exploration of Corona Charge as a Novel in Vitro Molecular Delivery Method."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

Skinner received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and her M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and is finishing her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida.

*****

Construction Notice: Alumni Way Gateway Project Beginning Today

Construction is beginning on the west end of Alumni Way today (July 20), and will continue through the end of October.

Building access to the Administration Building and Alumni House will not be impacted. However, please be aware that the following areas will be impacted by this construction:

• Vehicle Traffic — Detours will be marked and traffic will be directed through Parking Lot 1 to Cliff Drive.

• Pedestrian Traffic — Sidewalks will not be available from the intersection of US41 and Cliff Drive until the end of construction in October. Pedestrian traffic will be directed around the construction zone fencing and through Parking Lot 1.

• Parking — Metered parking spaces at the west end of Alumni Way will not be available. Lot 1 will have fewer parking spaces along the southwest side of the parking lot (across from the Administration Building).

• Noise — While we will do our best to keep disruptions to a minimum, construction noise will occur.

A detailed map of the detours and area of construction is available in the Announcements section on the Facilities Management homepage.

Drivers and pedestrians are reminded to keep alert while in and around construction zones and to follow all appropriate directions and detours. Pedestrians are reminded to stay on designated pedestrian paths.

If you have questions or concerns, please email facilities@mtu.edu.

The Tomahawk Leader of Tomahawk, WI mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about undergraduate student Cody Scholz (civil engineering), who will be running the Wausau Marathon to raise funds for families who have lost a family member in active duty military service. Scholz’s goal is $5,000.00. A link for how to donate is included at the bottom of the article.

*****

Jared Wolfe (CFRES) was mentioned by SCIENMAG and EurekAlert! as one of two researchers who received funding from the National Science Foundation to study the impacts of forest fragmentation and climate change on avian biodiversity in the Brazilian Amazon.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Paul Labine, who will resign as mayor of Hancock, MI, to become the Houghton County prosecutor. The article notes that Labine is an MTU alum with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics.

*****

Michigan Tech was mentioned by the Vilas County News-Review of Eagle River, WI in a story about the 58th Annual Manito Art League Art Show happening Thursday through Sunday (July 20-23). Professor emerita Mary Ann Beckwith (VPA) will judge the show.

*****

Our Sports Central and The Times Leader in Martins Ferry, OH covered the resigning of David Jankowski with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Our Sports Central also covered the signing of Tanner Kero to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

*****

WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a weeklong tour of Keweenaw attractions being taken by representatives of the U.P. Superior Alliance for Independent Living (SAIL). The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum was listed as one of the sites being assessed by the group for accessibility.

*****

Patrick Mikesch (ADV) was the subject of another story in the Toledo Blade. Mikesch was announced as the new head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in June.

*****

Attorney Intel included MTU alumnus Lars Taavola ‘96 (B.S. chemical engineering, engineering management), the general counsel of brands for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, in its 2023 list of the top 50 attorneys in New Jersey.

*****

AftermarketNews covered the promotion of Klynt Baker ’95 (B.S. electrical engineering) from vice president of operations to president of Sonnax Transmission Company.

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

Tracks to the Future Session II

Thursday, July 20, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | University Partner Locations

Railroad Transportation and Engineering 2023 Hybrid Delivery Program: Virtual, Hands-on, and Field Trips July 17–21, 2023 Monday-Friday Open to high school students who...

Volleyball High School All-Skills

Thursday, July 20, 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Wood Gym, Multipurpose Courts

This camp is open to girls entering grades 9-12 as of Fall 2023. This camp is designed specifically for players with goals of improving their overall technique and tactical...

S'mores and Getting Outdoors

Thursday, July 20, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. | Hillside Outdoor Fireplace

Join SLI along with International Programs and Services for an evening of good company and tasty treats! Come share stories about your adventures in the Keweenaw and learn...

Hockey Camp Group 1

July 20, all day | Student Development Complex (SDC), Macinnes Student Ice Arena

Gain fundamental skills and broad knowledge of the sport for all age levels. Co-ed camps and clinics focus on team play, positional play, defensive play, strengthening...

Hockey Camp Groups 2 and 3

July 20, all day | Student Development Complex (SDC), Macinnes Student Ice Arena

Gain fundamental skills and broad knowledge of the sport for all age levels. Co-ed camps and clinics focus on team play, positional play, defensive play, strengthening...