November 6, 2023

The U.S. manufacturing sector has seen significant changes in the past decades. Digital technologies, automation and data analytics have revolutionized the way products are designed, produced and delivered.

A key driver of this revolution is the emerging field of mechatronics. With mechatronics, the manufacturing sector is achieving unprecedented levels of automation, flexibility and efficiency, and it is expected to remain a driving force in manufacturing. Training a new generation of professionals to lead this surge in advanced manufacturing is key. However, educational programs to train this workforce are few, and the existing workforce cannot meet current and future demand.

To answer this need for advanced manufacturing training, West Shore Community College in Scottville, Michigan, and Michigan Technological University are collaborating to put this much-needed education in place.

Read the full story on the Computing News Blog.

2024 Open Enrollment will begin next Monday (Nov. 13) and will run until 5 p.m. on Nov. 30. Open enrollment is your opportunity to assess your individual and family needs and elect the benefit package that is right for you.

Benefit Services will be hosting two Benefit Open Enrollment Forums for employees to learn about their 2024 benefit options. Release time will be provided to attend.

Benefit Open Enrollment Forums:

• Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m. in MUB Alumni Lounge B & C
• Friday, Nov. 17, at 9:30 a.m. in MUB Ballroom B

Transportation Services and the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts are excited for comedian Charlie Berens to perform two shows at the Rozsa on Friday (Nov. 10) at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. We expect to see an increase in vehicles parking on campus leading up to these events.

To accommodate the increased parking demand, Transportation Services will be closing campus parking lots surrounding the Rozsa after 4 p.m. on Friday. The affected parking lots will be Lots 5, 8, 10 (Temporary 26), and 14. If you need to park on campus after 4 p.m. on Friday, please move/park on the west side of campus (closest to the Administration Building).

Please contact Transportation Services if you have any questions.

The 2023 Midyear Commencement Ceremony will take place on Dec. 16 at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Development Complex Varsity Gym.

Michigan Tech faculty are cordially invited to participate in the faculty procession to support students in their department at the ceremony. Faculty presence means a great deal to the students and their families. Members of the procession wear regalia, march in the procession and sit as a group to show support for the graduates.

To participate in the ceremony on Dec. 16, please submit the Commencement Ceremony Participation Form as soon as possible.

Faculty may order caps and gowns before noon next Monday (Nov. 13) from the Campus Store’s Cap and Gown Order page. Orders placed after that date are not guaranteed to arrive before the commencement ceremony.

We hope you will join us!

— Commencement Team

We're excited to share an important opportunity with you — an invitation to learn alongside a growing community of researchers and the staff who assist them with proposal development to meaningfully integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging (DEIS) principles into their research.

Federal sponsors increasingly require strong DEIS components in proposals. This course is designed to increase your ability to write strong DEIS plans that will increase the competitiveness of your grant proposals. This course aims to increase your skills and knowledge regarding the recruitment, mentorship, development and retention of research team members who are diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, gender orientation, sexual identity and other forms of diverse identity. We invite you to join us in creating a more diverse research community.

This class will create a safe space for scholars to share experiences, insights and resources regarding DEIS and research. We will work through a one-hour-per-week, 14-week course together with signposts to check for understanding and implementation. Individuals who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. The course includes a range of resources that can support your DEIS and research journey.

Being part of this course opens doors to interdisciplinary collaborations and connections with colleagues who share a passion for DEIS. As a course participant, you have the potential to integrate DEIS principles more effectively into your research program and proposals to create real-world change and address societal inequities.

In joining the DEIS & Research course, we ask for your commitment to openness, respect and a willingness to learn. DEIS principles require us to actively engage with different perspectives and contribute to an inclusive scholarly environment. We are not looking for a large number of participants, but rather a select group of committed staff and researchers who are enthusiastic about infusing their research with DEIS principles.

You can register for this DEIS & Research course by Dec. 1. The course will be scheduled around participant availability. Contact Kathy Halvorsen at kehalvor@mtu.edu with any questions.

What is the Early Intervention Team?
The Early Intervention Team, also known as EIT, is charged with reviewing and screening potential at-risk students and critical situations. The Early Intervention Team utilizes an evidence-based risk rubric to identify early indicators of potential risks and harms to self and others, and the team appropriately intervenes with strategies and outreach efforts.

Who are Students of Concern?
Some examples of students of concern include, but are not limited to, students who:

• show extreme change in behavior (from their typical baseline),
• are dealing with the death of a family member or friend,
• are alleged to have engaged in significant violations of the Student Code of Community Conduct or serious criminal behavior,
• are victims of a crime, or
• show cause or concern indicating potential harm to self or others.

How Do I Make a Report?
Anyone can report a student of concern to the Early Intervention Team in the following ways:

• Submit a concern online by using the Report a Concern page. 
• Email eit@mtu.edu 
• Call the Dean of Students Office at 7-2212
• Contact any EIT member (member list can be found below)
• Report anonymously through the TIP Line
• Call 911 or Public Safety for concerns of immediate threats

What Happens When I Make a Report?
The Early Intervention Team, made up of professional staff from across campus, examines and evaluates the reported concern using an evidence-based risk rubric from the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NaBita). Professional staff will engage with the student, following NABITA-recommended intervention guidelines. Students are often referred to services at Michigan Tech and within the community. Students who are in danger of harming themselves or others are quickly evaluated. After the initial evaluation, the team will discreetly monitor the student’s progress in multiple areas. Individuals who report a student of concern may be contacted for additional information; however, due to confidentiality, EIT may be limited in the type of information that can be relayed back to the original reporter.

Who is on the Team?

• Laura Bulleit, vice president for student affairs (chair)
• Laura Putwen, director of community conduct (interim chair)
• Abbi Halkola, Title IX coordinator
• Alexandra Marshall, director of residence education
• Anna McClatchy, director, Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success
• Crystal McLeod, director, Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being
• Kelly Matson, detective lieutenant
• Kellie Raffaelli, associate dean of students
• Susanna Peters, associate teaching professor, ombuds
• Tiffany Jaeger, manager for student outreach

To learn how to identify students of concern, when it is appropriate to report and more, you can request a presentation for your department or staff by emailing the Early Intervention Team at eit@mtu.edu.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the Testing Center’s 10th year of operation with our 10 articles about the Testing Center.

Week 10 Fun Fact: Over the last 10 years, the Testing Center has employed over 65 student employees, giving them invaluable job experience and allowing us to extend hours. Thank you to all the hardworking student employees we have had!

Week 10 Tip: The Testing Center started with Pearson VUE exams and has expanded to offering exams through many sponsored exam companies. The Testing Center currently offers exams for companies such as ETS, Meazure, PAN and Certiport (Microsoft certifications), among others. Please reach out if there is an exam you would like to see the Testing Center offer, and we will look into it.

If the Testing Center can assist you or your students, please reach out to us at techtesting-l@mtu.edu or 906-487-1001.

Michigan Tech conducts annual information security awareness training to maintain compliance with federal and state regulations. This mandatory training program is designed to assist our employees in understanding the importance of information security and privacy and their role in keeping the University's sensitive information safe.

This training contains multiple modules and should take about 30 minutes to complete. The modules do not all need to be completed in one sitting, so this can be spread out over time. Each individual module must be completed in a single viewing. There is also a second course with optional modules that are not required but are made available, as they may be pertinent to personal privacy and online security.

Starting tomorrow (Nov. 7), employees will receive an enrollment email, after which they’ll have four weeks to complete the training program. A link in the email will direct them to the security training website.

The site will authenticate employees through Michigan Tech’s Secure Sign-On Site, where they can sign in with their Michigan Tech credentials and proceed with the training.

If you have any questions, we can help. Contact IT or call 7-1111.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) Dean Search job posting is now live. You can view the posting on the Human Resources Job Openings webpage.

Please share the opportunity broadly within your networks. Candidates can direct questions to the search committee chair, Andrew Burton (CFRES), at ajburton@mtu.edu.

The Geospatial Research Facility (GRF) is excited to announce the launch of the MTU GeoPortal, a multidisciplinary one-stop shop for maps and GIS datasets for the Great Lakes Region and beyond. The aim of the GeoPortal is to supply students, faculty and staff conducting geospatial research at Michigan Technological University with authoritative and unique geospatial data online with easy-to-use geospatial analytical tools.

The GRF cordially invites everyone from MTU community to attend a Lunch and Learn launch event next Tuesday (Nov. 14) from noon to 1 p.m. at the Great Lakes Research Center Auditorium and Atrium in GLRC 202.

The event will feature an overview of GRF resources and services, short presentations by GRF staff of recent and ongoing research projects and an overview of the MTU GeoPortal’s functions and features. Lunch will be provided.

An RSVP for this event is greatly appreciated, but not necessary. Please direct any questions and RSVP correspondences to Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson at djlizzad@mtu.edu.

Consider studying abroad in Wales this summer! Geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, Wales 2024: Community Transformations is a 16-day exploration of how the "first industrialized nation in the world" (according to National Museum Wales) has transitioned environmentally, economically, culturally and politically.

Using natural and cultural heritage institutions as our medium (national museums, national parks and World Heritage Sites), we will dig into how these institutions navigate the environmental and economic scarring of deindustrialization and try to create a balance between following Welsh Parliament policy and community-based planning. Students will design individual research projects using landscape analysis to present at the Vernacular Architecture Forum hosted at MTU in June 2024. All three courses taught by Mark Rhodes and Kathryn Hannum (both SS) center interdisciplinary-yet-geographic questions upon industrial communities and national identities.

Interested students can reach out to Rhodes directly at marhodes@mtu.edu, visit the program website and apply, and/or mark their calendars for 5 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 8) and next Tuesday (Nov. 14) for informational sessions on campus in AOB 209.

We are a student group in Michigan Tech's College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science that is focusing our senior capstone project on the Tech Trails. 

We are looking to:

• Record trail and facility use
• Gain feedback on desired future improvements

Take our quick survey. A QR code is also available in our flyer.

Thank you for your time!

Charlie Berens Good Old Fashioned Tour — Friday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Location: Rozsa Center For the Performing Arts
Presented by the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

For the first time in the Keweenaw, get your tickets for comedian, Emmy-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author and host of "Manitowoc Minute" — Charlie Berens!

Support for this Rozsa Presenting Series Event is provided by Visit Keweenaw, Braveworks, Iron Fish Distillery and Copper Queen Whiskey, Imperial Beverage, Hampton Inn & Suites Houghton, Late Night Programming, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, National Endowment for the Arts, James A. and Margaret C. Black Endowment Fund, Katherine M. Bosch Foundation, and the Rozsa Circle of Supporters.

Tickets:
Available tickets for this event are extremely limited, and all available Student Rush tickets, sponsored by the Experience Tech fee, have been reserved in advance.

Parking:
Coming to the show? Plan your parking in advance.
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Coming Soon!

Anatomy of Gray — Four Performances, Nov. 12-15
Location: McArdle Theatre
Presented by Michigan Tech Theatre

KSO Community Recital — Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Portage Lake United Church
Presented by Michigan Tech Music
Performed by the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra

A Department of Computer Science (CS) Colloquium lecture titled “Black Box or Sandbox: Computational Approaches to Interpreting Michigan’s Clean Slate Law” will take place Friday (Nov. 10) from 3-4 p.m. in Rekhi 214 and via Zoom online webinar.

Join the Zoom webinar.

The talk will be presented by Associate Professor Ali Ebnenasir (CS); Associate Teaching Professor Susanna Peters (SS); Associate Professor Charles Wallace (CS); and graduate student Josh Alele-beals (computer science).

Read the talk abstract on the Computing News Blog.

Ganesh Sivaraman from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will be presenting at this week's Physics Colloquium.

The seminar will be presented in person at 4 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 9) in Fisher 139.

Sivaraman's presentation is titled "Machine Learning-Driven Accelerated Modeling of Materials."

Read the abstract and speaker bio at the University Events Calendar.

For the second time in three years, the Michigan Tech soccer team is playing host for the GLIAC Quarterfinals, facing Parkside at noon today (Nov. 6).

The Huskies earned the No. 3 seed in the GLIAC tournament following a conference record of 7-2-5. No. 6 seed Parkside brings a GLIAC ledger of 3-7-4 to Houghton. Of note, the Huskies swept the Rangers in their two meetings during the regular season.

Fans can catch the contest on FloSports (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

The winners of the quarterfinal matches move on to the semifinals, set for Friday (Nov. 10). Semifinal games will be hosted by the higher seeded team in each contest.

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Job Posting for Monday, Nov. 6, 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.

Assistant Professor – Structural Engineering, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. 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.

Erin Smith (HU) was quoted by ABC 10 in a story about the launch of this year’s 41 North Film Festival at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. The Keweenaw Report picked up the story.

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Tooling & Production mentioned Michigan Tech in connection to hypersonics-applicable sponsored research being done by Husky undergraduates as part of an initiative of the LIFT manufacturing research institute in Detroit.

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Lake Superior Magazine mentioned the Michigan Tech Trails in its list of featured and upcoming events, highlighting “uber cool pics” of bike riders taken Oct. 29 during the season’s first snowfall and previewing the 50KUM Trail Race held Saturday (Nov. 4).

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The Daily Mining Gazette and Mining Journal credited the Michigan Tech chapter of the Knights of Columbus for assisting with a cleanup in Hecla Cemetery in Laurium.

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The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in an editorial about the Marquette City Commission's decision to purchase SwimSmart signal towers for the city's four beaches, which have experienced lifeguard staffing issues. Jacob Soter ’19 ’20 (B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, MBA) is the founder of SwimSmart.

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Looper mentioned Michigan Tech in a story delving into the history between Craig Tester and Marty Lagina, of the History Channel’s “The Curse of Oak Island.” The duo were roommates while studying at Tech — both hold bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering.

Become a Certified Wilderness First Responder

The Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) will be hosting a five-day hybrid Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course, taught by Wilderness Medical Associates International, from Jan. 1-5 here at Michigan Tech. Class size is limited. Must be 18 or older.

WFR is the definitive course in medical training for outdoor educators, guides, search and rescue team members and others who work or play in remote areas. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical, including all of the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments.

The hybrid five-day format is for individuals and sponsors with less time available for on-site training and requires 30 hours of pre-course preparation. Students must register by Dec. 8 at 11:59 p.m. All students must complete all pre-course e-learning prior to arriving to the course.

Event Details:

• What: Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Course
• When: Monday to Friday, Jan. 1-5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in SDC 238
• Cost: $800
• Registration Deadline: Dec. 8 at 11:59 p.m.

Visit OAP's Wilderness First Responder Course page for more information and to register.

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Women's Entrepreneurship Day Talk with Carolyn Yarina

Join us to celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day with Carolyn Yarina, startup consultant and the esteemed founder of Sisu Global.

This talk is open to the community and will be informative for anyone interested in launching a startup. We will meet next Tuesday (Nov. 14) in the MUB Alumni Lounge from 11-12:30 p.m. Register to attend by Friday (Nov. 10).

As Sisu Global's founder, Yarina raised over $4 million from investors including Steve Case, Camden Partners and Keiretsu Capital. She has received numerous awards, such as Forbes 30 under 30 and Maryland’s Innovator of the Year, as well as features in USA Today and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Before Sisu Global, Yarina founded a medical device nonprofit working with rural mobile clinics in India. She raised over $100,000 in cash and in-kind services and was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and Business Insider. While getting her chemical engineering degree at the University of Michigan, she was named Entrepreneur of the Year for her first company.

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CTL Course Design Series: Session 2 – Alignment and Backwards Design

Join the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Instructional Design team Thursday (Nov. 9) at 2 p.m. for an active and hands-on workshop where we will continue our detailed review of the course design process: Alignment and Backwards Design.

Planning out your course map is a pivotal step toward success in teaching your course. It serves as the blueprint for your course design. In this workshop, we will help you plan out your course content, assessments and learning activities using backward design so that they align with your module learning objectives. Backward design starts with the end in mind, which is a very useful model for planning out your course map.

Bring your tablet or laptop, have a course in mind that you would like to start the Instructional Design process on, and let's get to work!

Please register to attend. We hope to see you there. Contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu if you have questions.

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VPR Research Series: IRBNet Transition to Cayuse eIRB

Join members from the Research Integrity team tomorrow (Nov. 7) from 11 a.m. to noon as they provide an overview and virtual walkthrough of the new Cayuse Human Ethics (eIRB Submission) system. This is an important session for researchers interested in engaging with human subjects research.

For more information on the transition from IRBNet to Cayuse for IRB submissions, please visit the eIRB Submission System webpage.

For any questions, please contact Brent Burns at bburns@mtu.edu.

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CISR Research Discussion: 'Wind, Water, and Waves: Technological Innovations in Sustainability and Resilience'

On Wednesday (Nov. 8) from noon to 1 p.m. in Library 103 (or virtually via Zoom), join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of "Wind, Water, and Waves: Technological Innovations in Sustainability and Resilience."

Panelists Hassan Masoud and Fernando Ponta (both ME-EM) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.

Add the event to your Google Calendar.

If you are interested in this area of research but are unable to attend, please email Alan Turnquist at alturnqu@mtu.edu and we will provide you with a summary and an opportunity to join subsequent discussions.

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Tech Troop to Tackle Climate Challenge at COP28

A delegation of faculty, staff and students from Michigan Technological University will depart late this month for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The delegation includes 16 students from the College of Sciences and Arts and is led by Professors Mark Rouleau and Roman Sidortsov (both SS), Professor Emerita Sarah Green (Chem) and Adjunct Professor Shardul Tiwari (SS).

Known as COP, or Conference of the Parties, this event marks the 28th time that people from around the world will meet to fast-track the energy transition and slash emissions, transform climate finance and put nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action.

Michigan Tech's delegation will be at the center of the action as the collective co-hosts of a COP pavilion. The "Welcome to Just North and Beyond: A Pop-up University Pavilion" is a product of collaboration between American, British and Norwegian universities dedicated to achieving sustainable development through the lens of energy, environmental and climate justice.

The pavilion is organized by Michigan Tech; the University of Tromsø — the Arctic University of Norway; and the University of Sussex, U.K., and in collaboration with the European Union-funded JUSTNORTH Horizon 2020 project. It will bring a wealth of complementary knowledge, expertise and insights on and from northern regions deeply impacted by climate change.

“Our delegation to this year’s U.N. climate meeting really shows the strength and breadth of Michigan Tech’s energy transition and climate change work,” said Sidortsov, associate professor of energy policy. “We are working with colleagues at other universities to organize an exciting set of presentations, minicourses and press conferences highlighting their perspectives on climate, environmental and energy justice; policy; and governance.”

“It’s going to be exciting to spread the word on the work we’ve been doing on the potential for underground storage of hydroelectric power and how we can move communities off a dependence on carbon-based energy systems,” Sidortsov continued. “Presenting the work at a global conference like this, where there’s going to be people from all over the world, is exciting because they’ll see what we might be able to help them with toward transitioning to alternative energy sources. The work is new and is just starting to be implemented and proven in an actual installation, so the more people who see it, the more benefit it would be for everybody.”

This is Michigan Tech’s fourth COP. It is rare for a university to host a pavilion, and Tech is one of just a handful of universities with observer status and delegate privileges.

“We are the lead of a network of institutions and put forth a highly competitive proposal focused on energy, environmental and climate justice,” said Tiwari.

COP28 runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. If you are planning to be at the COP with blue zone access and would like to present at the pavilion, submit your idea.

Read the latest happenings from the delegation on the Huskies at the UN Climate Conference (COP) blog.

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

MATLAB Workshop

Monday, November 6, 2 p.m.–4 p.m. | Online

Free MATLAB Workshop! Women in Physics is hosting a MATLAB workshop that is available to anyone who is interested. It is a 7 week course that will begin with the basic...

Recycling Waste Tire Rubber in Asphalt Pavement Design and Construction in North America

Monday, November 6, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Zhanping You, P.E., Ph.D., F.ASCE, F.EMI, Distinguished Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering,...

Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Parent & Child Aquatics Fall 2023 Session 2

Monday, November 6, 5:10 p.m.–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Ages 6 months to 3 years. Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6...

Huskies Group Swim Lessons - Preschool Aquatics Fall 2023 Session 2

Monday, November 6, 5:10 p.m.–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Ages 4-5 years. Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Preschool Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 4 to 5 years old....

Freedom Week Kickoff Party

Monday, November 6, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. | Fisher 231

Join us during our regular meeting time at 7 p.m. in Fisher 231 on Monday, November 6th for a party to kick off Freedom Week! Bring a dish to pass and be ready for some fun...