December 4, 2023

The Graduate School is providing writing support for current and prospective graduate students who wish to apply for Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) research grants.

Participating divisions: Earth Science, Planetary Science, Astrophysics, Heliophysics, and Biological and Physical Sciences.

The proposal must present a well-defined research problem/activity and a justification of its scientific significance to NASA, as well as a detailed approach for its solution/conduct. Proposals should explain how the research is relevant to the particular Science Mission Directorate division that will review the proposal. Eligibility and evaluation criteria can be found in the solicitation.

The maximum amount of a FINESST award is $50,000 per 12 months and up to $150,000 total for a maximum period of performance of up to 36 months.

Applicants should contact Michigan Tech's Sponsored Programs Office and Sarah Isaacson as soon as they know they will apply.

Deadlines:

• All nontechnical documents due to Sponsored Programs: Tuesday, Jan. 30
• All technical documents due to Sponsored Programs: Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7 a.m.
• Proposals due to NSPIRES: Tuesday, Feb. 6

Questions? Contact Sarah Isaacson at sisaacso@mtu.edu.

Graduate students conducting applied research in the health and medical fields are invited to attend a Zoom presentation on Thursday (Dec. 7) at 10 a.m. regarding the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBS-MI) Foundation’s annual Student Award Program. The presentation will be given by Myra Tetteh, senior program officer at the BCBS-MI Foundation.

The Student Award Program supports the next generation of applied researchers in health and medical care. Awarded projects focus on health, health services, public health and policy research. The program offers a grant of up to $3,000 to fund doctoral-level research. All doctoral students enrolled at Michigan universities are eligible. Funding will not be awarded to drug trials or research involving nonhuman subjects.

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Tech Forward Working Group (AMMTF WG) seeks proposals from University researchers that will advance its mission to develop and strengthen the materials processing and manufacturing capabilities at Michigan Tech to meet next-generation research opportunities. Faculty and/or staff with relevant interests and expertise across all University units are welcomed and encouraged to submit proposals.

More information regarding potential topics of interest can be found at the Institute of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing website.

Seed Project Grants will be funded at a $10,000 level for up to a six-month period of performance. In addition, more substantive Capability Enhancement Grants will be funded at up to an approximate $50,000 level for projects that can provide extended benefits by establishing unique capabilities or facilities that can be accessed by multiple investigators for multiple grant opportunities over several grant campaigns.

Proposals should be limited to two pages in length. Proposals should contain a summary description of the project, a discussion and analysis of the return-on-investment opportunities in service to the mission as described above and a brief description of budget items. Proposals that demonstrate significant opportunities for external follow-on funding involving several investigators and units will be favorably reviewed.

Proposals are due before the close of the business day on Jan. 12 and should be emailed to the Institute at iamm@mtu.edu. Deliverables will be negotiated with the AMMTF WG during the final project discussion.

Contingent on availability of remaining funds, a second proposal campaign may be initiated prior to the end of fiscal year 2024.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 694 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 6) in Dow 642.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 694.

Accounting for the University holiday schedule, Sponsored Programs will be closed Dec. 23 to Jan. 2. Proposals with sponsor due dates falling between these dates will need to be submitted to the sponsor by Dec. 22. The two-tier internal proposal deadlines will be adjusted accordingly.

For proposals due between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9, the first internal deadline for proposal paperwork will be adjusted to the week of Dec. 18.

Please work with your assigned Sponsored Programs analyst for specific internal paperwork due dates.

If you have any questions, please contact Sponsored Programs at 906-487-2226 or spo-l@mtu.edu.

The Human Resources office will be closed from 2:30-5 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 8) for our departmental holiday party. Inquiries during this time can be sent to hr-help@mtu.edu.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Art-O-Rama — Now Open! Closes Wednesday, Dec. 5
Daily Showcase Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Rozsa Art Galleries
Presented by Michigan Tech Art

A showcase of student artworks from the fall 2023 Art + Design and Art & Ecology classes. A variety of media is represented, including painting, sculpture, installation, drawing and mixed media.

This showcase includes artwork by Alex Coryell, Hannah Crigger, Lindsay Donajkowski, Nikki Donley, Kekoa Dowell, Sommerdai Kier, Avery Lawrence, Allison Lewis, Mackenzie Miller, Hannah Moody, Andrew Niemi, Patrick Payne, Molly Pelkey, Miranda Rich, Serenity Snyder, Shep Thieme, Frida Visser, Allen Wadeen, Cait Warner and Griffin Wick.

This event is free and open to all.
_ _ _ _ _

Seeing As Creative Act: An Artist Talk — Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 6-7 p.m.
Studio Here Now in Wadsworth Hall
Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Anne Beffel, professor of art, will project recent works of art and explore how “seeing” is a creative act. Light refreshments provided.

This event is free and open to the public.
_ _ _ _ _

Bon Voyage, New Zealand — Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
Michigan Tech Choirs
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Presented by Michigan Tech Music

The choirs of Michigan Tech present a concert of music in preparation for a Concert Choir tour to New Zealand in May 2024.

Tickets:
Faculty, Staff and General Public: Get your tickets online, at 906-487-1906, or at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students: Reserve your tickets (included with your Experience Tech fee) online and bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.
_ _ _ _ _

Enigma Variations — Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Presented by Michigan Tech Music

British composer Edward Elgar wrote his Enigma Variations as a tribute to 14 dear friends — including his bulldog, Dan. Each movement represents the character and personality of the friend. The most well-known song is Nimrod, played yearly on Remembrance Sunday at The Cenotaph in London.

This outrageously fun concert is a fabulous introduction to classical music for people of all ages!

Tickets:
Faculty, Staff and General Public: Get your tickets online, at 906-487-1906, or at the Rozsa Box Office from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students: Reserve your tickets (included with your Experience Tech fee) online and bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.

The MLK Planning Committee is excited to announce the 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Michigan Technological University! As part of this celebration, we will be hosting the banquet on Jan. 15, 2024, to celebrate the life and legacy of King.

Donation Deadline Extended to Jan. 5
Due to overwhelming positive responses from the campus community, we are anticipating more of our Husky family attending this year's celebration. As such, we want to ensure that students, staff and faculty have an opportunity to share in this celebratory event. Therefore, we're extending our donation deadline to Jan. 5, 2024. Your assistance allows us to provide this program free of charge and continue our collaborative efforts to provide programming that focuses on embracing diversity on the Michigan Tech campus.

We'd love your support in ensuring a successful event. Keep in mind, all sponsors will be recognized in our celebration. To initiate your donation, please email cdi@mtu.edu with your donation amount. Donations should be transferred to D96356. If you have any questions, please email cdi@mtu.edu.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and the Cooperative Campus Ministry are organizing an Interfaith Prayer Vigil and Reflection on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day),  Jan. 15, at noon in the Van Pelt and Opie Library’s East Reading Room. We invite faculty, staff and students from all faiths to share a prayer, personal reflection or excerpt from one of King’s prayers, sermons or speeches.

Following the Prayer Vigil, we invite the campus community to gather at the Husky statue at 1 p.m. for a peace march across campus to honor King and solidify our campus commitment to his life and work ensuring justice and equity for all.

If you would like to participate, please fill out our sign-up form. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Rachael Hathcoat at rehathco@mtu.edu or Jennifer Ormsbee at Jennifer@gladtidingsag.org.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee is proud to announce the 35th Annual MLK Jr. Day Celebration on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. in the Ballroom of the Memorial Union Building. This year’s celebratory meal will be a brunch so we as a community can commemorate and honor King's legacy and continue to create meaningful change through acts of kindness and service to others.

Spots are limited. Sign up to attend using the 35th Annual MLK Brunch Sign-Up Sheet. Emails will be sent to inform you of confirmation. Filling out this form does not guarantee you a seat at the event.

For more information, please email the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at cdi@mtu.edu.

Thank you to our sponsors, who have helped make this event free for students to attend.

This program is partially sponsored by the Visiting Professor Program, which is funded by a grant to the Office of the Provost from the state of Michigan's King-Chávez-Parks Initiative.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 7) in Noblet G002 with speaker Tara Bal, assistant professor, CFRES.

The title of Bal's talk is "Bugs, Buckthorn, and Blocks: Stories of Applied Research Finding Innovative Solutions."

Bal is a forest entomologist and forest pathologist who conducts research contributing to an integrated understanding of forest health and its broad impacts on ecosystems and societies. Understanding how trees respond to interacting stressors is fundamental to the well-being of forests and the people that depend on them. Bal uses both field-based and lab methods to explore the ecology of various forest health issues, all toward a goal of restoring, protecting or providing more sustainable forest management, wood use and improved forest health. She works with many sectors of forest landowners and managers, including agencies, companies, nonprofits and individuals; that network of professionals has led to a slew of recent research projects seeking applied solutions directly to "on the ground" problems or issues.

In this talk, Bal will discuss the background of some example current research projects and the pathways her lab is taking to provide solutions related to a forest disease (oak wilt - "bugs"), an invasive plant ("buckthorn") and assessment of wood decay ("blocks").

Save the Date: The Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will host a technical workshop on Jan. 4 from 2-3 p.m. to introduce instructors to iClicker Cloud software.

iClicker Cloud helps instructors engage with their students in the classroom by asking polling questions that can promote discussion, identify areas of confusion and generate questions. Michigan Tech has a campus site license for iClicker Cloud, so instructors can use this tool at no additional cost to their students.

In this CTL technical workshop, we’ll review how to get started using iClicker Cloud in your classroom. We’ll review how to set up your instructor account and iClicker Groups, make custom course settings to meet your needs, and integrate the course with your Canvas course.

Register for the workshop — make plans to join us Jan. 4 from 2-3 p.m.

The workshop location will be announced closer to the event date.

Contact the CTL at elearning@mtu.edu with any questions about this workshop or using iClicker Cloud in your class.

Please join the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) on Friday (Dec. 8) from 3-4 p.m. in ATDC 101 for our final seminar of the fall semester.

The guest speaker will be Patrick Mueller from the Department of Physiology at Wayne State University's School of Medicine. The title of the presentation is "Mechanisms of Neuroplasticity Involved in Inactivity-Related Cardiovascular Disease."

For more information about the speaker and his research, please visit the KIP Newsblog.

Dean of Students Kellie Raffaelli was interviewed by WLUC TV6 for a story about her background and goals in her new role.

*****

The Hindu mentioned Michigan Tech’s partnership with LeapScholar to offer two hybrid M.S. degree programs allowing students to begin their studies in India and finish in Houghton. The partnership was announced in a Michigan Tech News press release in November.

*****

A column published by Great Lakes Now referenced research from Michigan Tech about the threat posed by invasive earthworms to the Great Lakes Region’s hardwood forests.

*****

The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of last week’s Houghton City Council meeting relating to a possible collaboration with MTU to add local pickleball courts and the construction status of the new parking lot on Seventh Avenue.

*****

The Keweenaw Report covered the location change of last week’s Volunteer Expo.

Fall 2023 WIA Breakfast Social

Please join Women in the Academy (WIA) for a breakfast celebrating the end of the fall semester. Stop by the MUB Alumni Lounge B anytime between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. next Tuesday (Dec. 12). There will be continental breakfast and coffee.

There will be no formal program or agenda for this meeting, but there will be discussion tables and lots of opportunities for networking and conversation. Hope to see you there!

Submit your RSVP by today (Dec. 4) to help us organize the event.

*****

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

The next Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar will take place at 3 p.m. today (Dec. 4) in GLRC 202.

Dan Titze, research physical scientist, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will present "Developing Realtime Forecasts for the Great Lakes: Improving Simulation of Coastal Processes."

Read the abstract on the University Events Calendar.

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

PhD Defense: Behrouz Khoshbakht Irdmousa

Monday, December 4, 10–11 a.m. | R. L. Smith Building (MEEM), 1020

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Co-advisors: Jeffrey Naber and Mahdi Shahbakhti Data Driven Modeling and Predictive Control of Combustion at Reactivity...

PhD Defense: Apurva Baruah

Monday, December 4, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Advisor: Fernando Ponta On The Gaussian-Core Vortex Lattice Model For The Analysis of Wind Farm Flow Dynamics Attend...

Developing Realtime Forecasts for the Great Lakes: Improving Simulation of Coastal Processes

Monday, December 4, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Dan Titze, Research Physical Scientist, NOAA - Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Abstract: The NOAA Great Lakes...

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

Monday, December 4, 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, December 4, 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....

Law Club Weekly Meeting

Monday, December 4, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Library 103

Objectives: 1. 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. 2. To prepare...

Art-O-Rama Student Gallery Showcase Presented by Michigan Tech Art

December 4, all day | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries

A showcase of student artworks from the fall '23 Art + Design and Art & Ecology classes. A variety of media is represented including painting, sculpture, installation,...