January 16, 2024

Husky Innovate invites Michigan Tech innovation and entrepreneurship champions, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, to join us for the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition.

During Innovation Week, next Wednesday (Jan. 24), we will gather for a pre-event mixer at 5 p.m. and kick off the competition at 5:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom A.

Hosted by Husky Innovate collaborators, Pavlis Honors College, the College of Business, and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the annual Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition is a legacy event recognizing student entrepreneurial spirit and paying tribute to the late Professor of Practice Bob Mark. Students with innovative ideas pitch their business model to a panel of judges who provide expertise and feedback to help them move forward.

This year’s judges include representatives from the MTEC SmartZone, Northern Michigan University, Michigan Tech’s College of Business and College of Computing, and Michigan Tech Alumni startup founders.

Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition prize categories:

• First Prize: $2,000 — sponsored by Rick and Jo Berquist
• Second Prize: $1,000
• Third Prize: $500
• Honorable Mention: $250
• Audience Favorite: $250 — sponsored by Dan Green (MTU alum and principal, BlackFin Group)
• Breakthrough Innovation Award: $1,000 — sponsored by MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
• Social Impact Award: $1,000 — sponsored by Gates Professor Elham Asgari (COB)

Student contestants can register to pitch their business model through Friday (Jan. 19).

Virtual attendees may join via Zoom.

Proposals are being solicited for the Research Excellence Fund (REF) program, an internal award of the Vice President for Research Office.

Proposals must be started and routed for approval in Cayuse by the internal deadline of Feb. 29. Final proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. March 7, and must be uploaded electronically in Cayuse. This due date will be strictly enforced based on the timestamp marked in the Cayuse system. Early submission is encouraged.

Please note that the program has changed in a number of ways in recent years. Be sure to download the current documents and review the current guidance carefully. Changes implemented this academic year include submission via Cayuse, a limit of one REF Research Seed award per principal investigator during their eligibility period, expansion of Scholarship and Creativity Grant eligibility to include teaching faculty, and the addition of an optional presubmission review for compliance with REF guidelines.

For additional information, see the Research Excellence Fund webpage. Questions can be directed to REF-l@mtu.edu.

Dining retail locations on Michigan Tech’s campus are introducing Boost Campus Food Ordering for quick food pickup. Save time by pre-ordering your favorite meals, snacks and drinks on Boost's website or with the Boost mobile app! Boost offers convenience, options and fast service at your fingertips, so skip the line and order ahead for pickup.

• Get exclusive offers
• Pay using your campus card, credit/debit card
• Easily reorder your favorite meals or customize orders
• Pick up on your schedule
• Get real-time order status updates through push notifications
• Separate pickup window area (follow the Boost signs and skip the line)

Boost Ordering is currently available for BRKFST & CO. and Bowl Life, located in the Memorial Union Building, and the Campus Cafe, located in Wadsworth Hall. The Library Cafe is scheduled to add Boost Ordering on Monday (Jan. 22).

To download the Boost app, search Boost Ordering in the App Store on Android or iOS, or text BOOST to 99299.

To order, search Boost for Michigan Technological University, pick your current food craving, customize your meal and choose a pickup time that works best for you!

The University Senate will convene Meeting 695 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 17) 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 695.

Join us today (Jan. 16) for the first Peña of the spring semester.

Come unwind and meet new people at the Spanish Conversation Hour, all while you refresh your Spanish! Everybody is welcome. We will meet from 5-6 p.m. in the HDMZ (Humanities Digital Media Zone), Walker 120A.

Other Peña dates of the semester: Jan. 30, Feb. 13, March 5, March 19 and April 2.

Menu for Thursday (Jan. 18):

• Cauliflower General Tso's (Vegetarian, Soy, Sesame, Gluten, Dairy, Egg)
• Orange Chicken (Sesame, Dairy, Gluten, Egg, Soy)
• Basmati Rice (VG, AD, AG)
• Garden Salad (VG, AD, AG)
• Vegetable Stir Fry (VG, AD, AG)
• Vegetable Spring Rolls (Vegetarian, Dairy, Sesame, Gluten, Egg)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

The C3 lunch buffet menus are created and prepared by Chef Luis Delgado and his culinary team. As the name suggests, the meals are meant to foster conversation, community and collegiality. Attendees may bring their lunch instead of purchasing the buffet. Fruit-infused water, coffee, tea and cookies are available free to all attendees.

The buffet lunch is $15 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased or redeemed in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

We have incorporated new food icons moving forward. Please follow the guide listed below and you will see these included into our menus and used in dining facilities across campus.

AG = Avoiding Gluten
AD = Avoiding Dairy
VG = Vegan
V = Vegetarian

We will continue to list out any additional top-nine allergen items that are included in each dish. We look forward to seeing you at our next luncheon.

Human Resources' Huskies New Employee Orientation Program has been welcoming new faculty, postdoctoral researchers and part-time and full-time staff to the University since its inception in 2015. This one-day program is designed to provide essential information about the University's vision, mission and goals. It also includes mandatory training regarding compliance, diversity, safety and engaging conversations with University leadership.

From 2021 to 2023, the program welcomed 551 new Huskies.

Questions or comments can be directed to our HR Support Center Portal at hr-help@mtu.edu or by calling 906-487-2280.

The Department of Social Sciences (SS) is hosting a brown bag presentation on Monday (Jan. 22) from noon to 1 p.m. We will meet in AOB 201 or virtually via Zoom.

Please join us in this seminar, where Jongeun You will present his work on "Policy Conflict in U.S. Energy Infrastructure Siting."

From the abstract:
Policy decisions are related to diverse levels of conflict. However, the degree and variance of conflict remain largely unspecified. This study examines how types of energy infrastructure and characteristics of project location are associated with the distribution of conflict around the energy infrastructure siting process. By examining gas pipelines, electricity transmission lines, and solar and wind power projects across the U.S. in 2018, this study finds differences in the distribution of conflict intensity within and between these energy infrastructure types, with gas pipelines and wind power projects presenting relatively higher conflict intensities. Characteristics of project locations that are positively associated with high conflict intensity include the proportion of Democratic voters and the level of urbanization in the places where projects are sited. In contrast, the proportion of Black or Hispanic residents is negatively associated with high conflict intensity.

Jongeun You is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Northern Michigan University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Colorado School of Mines and previously worked for SK Engineering & Construction.

Michigan Tech hockey dropped a pair of games at St. Thomas in their return to CCHA action.

The Huskies fell 4-3 to the Tommies on Thursday (Jan. 11). Alex Nordstrom scored the first two goals of his Tech career, and Isaac Gordon added his team-leading 11th of the season, but the Huskies couldn't overcome an early 2-0 deficit.

"It was a tough game from the very start," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We didn't do the simple things right. The effort was there but St. Thomas executed. I'm disappointed in the performance."

"Good for Alex for finding the scoresheet," he added. "He plays the game the right way."

Michigan Tech fell again on Saturday (Jan. 13), losing 3-1 with Kyle Kukkonen scoring the lone goal for the Huskies. Tech is now 9-10-4 overall and 6-6 in the CCHA.

"St. Thomas played well and limited us on what we could do," Shawhan said. "Good for Kyle getting the monkey off his back. That certainly ignited him tonight. We played well, but I think we beat ourselves with some bad penalties and missing some of the details of the game."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech women's basketball team was defeated by No. 11 Ferris State, but came back for a dominant win over Lake Superior State at the SDC Gymnasium.

The Huskies were outlasted by the Bulldogs, 66-54, on Thursday (Jan. 11).

"I was happy to see our team fight hard," head women's basketball coach Sam Clayton said. "Overall, I thought we kept responding and kept fighting back — a 12-point game with the No. 11 in the nation, we're right there. I'm happy with our overall performance and we're taking steps in the right direction."

Next, MTU nabbed a feel-good win at home over Lake Superior State, outscoring the Lakers 75-58 on Saturday (Jan. 13).

"I was happy with how we responded after Thursday's loss. To be able to come back and have some urgency and do what we needed to do — I was happy," Clayton said. "It's great to see our captains, our leaders, stepping up, making big shots and also leading in other ways. Great for Kate (Meister) and Sara (Dax), and also Lydia (Schaible) came in and was efficient scoring and got some blocks, so I'm really happy with how (she) and also Alyssa (Wypych) came off the bench and lifted us."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team picked up a pair of losses to Ferris State and Lake Superior State at the SDC Gymnasium last week.

The Huskies lost 69-68 to the No. 12 Bulldogs on Thursday (Jan. 11). Tech had the lead with five seconds left, but gave up an open 3-pointer in the corner that decided the game.

"We did a nice job of keeping in close in the first half by playing hard and being gritty," head men's basketball coach Josh Buettner said. "The second half, I thought we played really well and outplayed them — we made a couple of bad mental mistakes, gave them life — and then at the end, we didn't execute on what we said we were going to do."

Tech suffered another defeat at the hands of the red-hot Lakers, who shot 62.5% from the field to cruise past the Huskies 78-55 on Saturday (Jan. 13).

"It felt like we came out OK the first couple minutes, but from the 15-minute mark to the final minute, we didn't compete," Buettner said. "Credit to Lake State, they can really shoot the basketball and they execute their game probably better than anyone in the league right now. They made some shots, but there was a lack of us being there defensively. We competed better in the second half, and I think we did the competing part, but I don't know if we were putting our best basketball out there."

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Tuesday (Jan. 15)
• Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ

Thursday (Jan. 18)
• Women's Basketball at Parkside, 6:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHoops
• Men's Basketball at Parkside, 8:30 p.m. on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHoops

Friday (Jan. 19)
• Hockey vs. Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHockey

Saturday (Jan. 20)
• Nordic Skiing at NMU CCSA Invite (Coleraine, Minnesota)
• Women's Basketball at Purdue Northwest, 2 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHoops
• Men's Basketball at Purdue Northwest, 4 p.m. at SDC Gym on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHoops
• Hockey vs. Bemidji State, 6:07 p.m. at MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Mix 93 WKMJ & FloHockey

Sunday (Jan. 21)
• Nordic Skiing at NMU CCSA Invite (Coleraine, Minnesota)

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Athletics News
Read more in the MTU Athletics weekly update.

Job Posting for Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024

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.

Head Women's Soccer Coach, Athletics. 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.

Jill Olin (BioSci/GLRC) is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that has received a $193,533 research and development contract from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The project is titled "Assessing population structure and the role of burbot (Lota lota) in coupling nearshore and offshore habitats of Lake Superior."

Gordon Paterson (BioSci/GLRC) and Kristin Brzeski (CFRES/GLRC) are co-PIs on this potential two-year project.

Shiliang Wu (GMES/CEGE) was quoted by Planet Detroit in a story explaining how a winter atmospheric inversion lowered air quality Jan. 7-8 in Detroit. Wu co-authored a 2016 study that found a 50% increase over the last 60 years in the frequency of winter atmospheric inversions and summer heatwaves, which can both increase air pollution. The story was picked up by Great Lakes Now.

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Kristin Brzeski (CFRES) was quoted by CBS19 News of Tyler, Texas, in a story about a town hall meeting Jan. 10 where residents of Galveston expressed concern that construction of a resort on Galveston Island’s East Beach will displace a local pack of ghost wolves — Galveston Island’s unique population of coyotes with a significant amount of DNA from the critically endangered red wolf.

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Beth Fitzpatrick (ADM) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about updates to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the 2024-25 academic year.

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Silicon Semiconductor mentioned Michigan Tech in a press release picked up from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announcing a total $4.6 million in grants and matching funds awarded to eight institutes for higher education to support semiconductor education and training programs. MTU’s share is $838,000 according to a press release from Michigan Tech News in December.

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The Keweenaw Report previewed the brunch, prayer vigil and peace march held yesterday (Jan. 15) at Michigan Tech in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the completion of road projects in 2023 in Dickinson County, with some roads resurfaced using a mix of recycled tire rubber and asphalt. The story was picked up from the Iron Mountain Daily News and the Escanaba Daily Press.

Summer 2024 CSCHF Graduate Assistantship Nominations Open

Pre-proposals for Summer 2024 Copper Shores Community Health Foundation (CSCHF) Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. next Wednesday (Jan. 24) to the Graduate School. Students who best meet the foundation’s criteria will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due on March 5. Instructions on the pre-proposal and information about the full application and evaluation process are found online.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Must be a Ph.D. student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities.
2. Must be a Ph.D. candidate at the time of application.
3. Must be two years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
4. Must not be a prior recipient of a Portage Health Foundation (PHF) or CSCHF Graduate Assistantship.
5. Preference will be given to applicants with long-standing local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon county.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties. Nonresident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

• health research and technology development
• health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
• rural health care access, informatics and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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

On-Campus Jobs Expo

Tuesday, January 16, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Alumni Lounge

See who is hiring on campus.

Vascular Tissue Engineering: Let’s Build Vascular Grafts Together

Tuesday, January 16, 11 a.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 610

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Candidate Seminar Weilue He, PhD Research Assistant Michigan Tech University Abstract Heart disease, the leading cause of mortality in the...

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Spring 2024 Session 1

Tuesday, January 16, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons provides aquatic education for the beginner to the intermediate swimmer who is looking to become more comfortable in the water and learn the...

Adult Huskies Swim Training Spring 2024 Session 1

Tuesday, January 16, 5–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Adult Huskies Swim Training provides additional attention and competitive guidance to swimmers ages 18 and older who are looking to improve their swimming skills and fitness...

La Peña - Spanish Conversation Hour

Tuesday, January 16, 5–6 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, HDMZ 120A

La Peña is the Spanish Conversation hour. Organized by Modern Languages & Cultures in the Humanities department. Come unwind, meet new people, and play board games all while...

KAA General Meeting

Tuesday, January 16, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Wadsworth Hall (room G17)

KAA is regularly scheduled to meet every Tuesday at 6 pm, we will meet in G17 of Wadsworth Hall (our usual room). New members are welcome, spread the word if you know people...

NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, January 16, 6–7 p.m. | Chem-Sci 101

Join NCSA in their weekly meeting, where we talk about news from the Tech industry, give updates on team projects, and have guest speakers from industry talk about what they...

Snow Wars

Tuesday, January 16, 6–8 p.m. | TKE House

Join the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon for this fantastic event. Stop by to learn more about how we can help you create lifelong relationships that enhance educational,...