March 6, 2024

Michigan Tech is updating our Hazard Mitigation Plan, and we are seeking input from students.

Student feedback will help us better understand your hazard concerns and help us identify mitigation activities that should help lessen the impact of future hazard events, including the impacts of climate change.

Please help us by completing our MTU Hazard Mitigation Plan survey by March 15!

All responses will be kept anonymous and confidential and will only be used to inform the committee when updating the plan.

Undergraduate students in any college across campus are encouraged to register and take part in Michigan Tech’s annual Design Expo on April 16. Registration is open now through Friday (March 8). Full information is located on the Design Expo student registration webpage.

Design Expo allows our students to showcase their work to industry, other faculty and departments within MTU, and the broader community. Any questions or need help? Contact Kimberly Geiger at kmgeiger@mtu.edu.

Give Your Presentation an Extra Boost with Design Expo Workshops
Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and help from dedicated Van Pelt and Opie Library and University staff! All sessions take place in the Library East Reading Room from 2-3 p.m.

• Thursday, March 7: Posters, Images & Visualizations
  We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your posters and the images and data you display in them are readable and appealing, and run through tools you can use to design supporting images.
  
  
• Wednesday, March 20: Video Creating & Editing
  We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last half of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you!
  
  
• Thursday, April 4: The Finishing Touches
  Refresh on details about how to present your work for Design Expo and other end-of-year presentations. Get last-minute feedback for a winning project and work on the final details of your project and video to the company! Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

As the oldest student organization on campus, the Michigan Tech Lode appreciates the feedback of all members of the Michigan Tech community. We invite you to complete The Lode Mid-Semester Feedback form about your interaction with The Lode student newspaper.

The survey takes less than five minutes to fill out and enters you to win one of our crewnecks!

Aikido is a great way for kids and teens ages 7 and up to gain confidence, practice focus and concentration, and learn nonviolent strategies for self-defense.

The Spring Session begins Friday (March 8) and runs through April 19, with a cost of $49 per participant. Registration closes today (March 6) at 11:59 p.m. Sign up now!

Days/Times:

• Level 2 (ages 7-10) — Fridays, 6:15-7:05 p.m.
• Level 3 (ages 11-14) — Fridays, 6:15-7:30 p.m.
• Level 4 (ages 11 and up with instructor approval) — Fridays, 6:15-8:05 p.m.

Learn more and register at Michigan Tech Recreation's Youth Aikido page.

Associate Professor Daisuke Minakata (CEGE/GLRC) has been selected as one of the winners of the 2022 ES&T Reviewer Award!

This award acknowledges Minakata's outstanding contributions in peer review for the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), showcasing his expertise, timeliness and dedication throughout the year.

Congratulations, Professor Minakata, on this well-deserved recognition!

The next Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) Graduate Seminar speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow (March 7) in MEEM 112.

Nikhil Koratkar will present “Battery Electrodes: Nano vs Micro-Structuring.”

Koratkar is the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His research has focused on the synthesis, characterization and application of advanced materials.

Aaron MacLeod and Ellie Sempek will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series tomorrow (March 7) from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202.

The presentation is titled "microRNA-483 deficiency induces pancreatic beta-cell dedifferentiation and type 2 diabetes."

From the abstract:
Type 2 diabetes afflicts millions worldwide, yet existing treatments address symptoms but fail to tackle the root cause. Traditional models for type 2 diabetes pathogenesis often focus on cell death, but new evidence suggests that the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells undergo dedifferentiation, resulting in the loss of β-cell identity without cell death. Understanding the cellular processes following dedifferentiation that affect insulin production loss is critical.

MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that often maintain cell identity by inhibiting gene expression through targeting and degrading mRNAs. Our research showed that microRNA-483 (miR-483) is expressed at a higher level in β-cells than glucagon-producing α-cells, highlighting its important role in β-cell development and identity. Mice with a β-cell specific knockout of miR-483 (483-/-) exhibited accelerated progression of high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetes. Notably, miR-483 deficiency led to a significant increase in Aldh1a3, a marker of β-cell dedifferentiation. Furthermore, islets from 483-/- mice showed reduced insulin and elevated glucagon expression following HFD and streptozotocin (STZ) treatment, indicating that β-cells are losing their ability to secrete insulin. Our analysis further revealed that miR-483 deficiency significantly upregulates multiple enzymes involved in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction. To assess mitochondrial function, we utilize the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. The research aims to elucidate the interplay between miR-483 deficiency, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the pathogenesis of this prevalent disease. We hypothesize that miR-483 deletion induces a defective metabolic stress response, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and ultimately β-cell dedifferentiation. The results obtained from this project will help understand the underlying mechanisms of β-cell dedifferentiation and guide therapeutical treatments for diabetes.

For the third straight year, the Michigan Tech women's basketball team will open the GLIAC Tournament at home as the No. 4 seed.

The Huskies will welcome No. 5 seed Parkside to the SDC Gymnasium tonight (March 6). The quarterfinal match tips off at 6 p.m.

Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net. A livestream of the contest will be available on FloHoops (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech men's basketball team have a chance to avenge their final regular-season loss to Grand Valley State.

The Huskies are heading to Allendale, Michigan, to open the GLIAC Tournament against the Lakers tonight (March 6) at 8 p.m.

Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net. The game will also livestream on FloHoops (a subscription is required — discounts are available for students).

Read the preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Wednesday (March 6)
• Call of Duty: MW3 vs. Keiser University, 7 p.m. Varsity Plus. Watch the Twitch stream.

Thursday (March 7)
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Northwestern Michigan College, 7 p.m. Varsity Plus. Watch the Twitch stream.

Friday (March 8)
• Counter-Strike 2 vs. Butler University, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Premier. Watch the Twitch stream.

Saturday (March 9)
• Apex Legends vs. Various, Noon Octane Collegiate

Times are subject to change. Check Twitter @MTUEsports for updates.

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Esports News
Read more in the MTU Esports weekly update.

Missed a game? All past streams are available on YouTube.

Job Posting for Wednesday, March 6, 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.

Research Security Specialist I, Keweenaw Research Center. Apply online.
Contact: Scott Bradley

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.

WLUC TV6 and the Daily Mining Gazette covered the opening of Velodrome Coffee in the Van Pelt and Opie Library on Monday (March 4). Kay Oliver (AC) and students Alayna Mills (chemical engineering) and Rose Siebigteroth (computer science) were quoted by TV6, and biomedical engineering major Raquel Carlson was quoted by the DMG.

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Student Sky Harris was quoted by the Mining Journal in a story about this year’s CopperDog, held March 1-3 in Calumet with alternative events due to lack of snow. Harris, a member of the Michigan Tech Mushing Club, and sled dog Wolfie participated in the new 250-foot single-dog CopperDrag race and the weight pull. The story was picked up from the Daily Mining Gazette.

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The Michigan Economic Development Corporation mentioned Michigan Tech in a press release announcing new industry and higher-ed partners in the Michigander Scholars program.

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The Ludington Daily News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a celebration of Andy Horujko, a Michigan College of Mines alumnus remembered for walking from Anchorage, Alaska, to the southern tip of South America to bring awareness to “the detriments of automotive emissions.”

CTL Lunch and Learn: 'Fostering Student Engagement in Online and Face-to-Face Environments'

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is excited to invite you to an upcoming Lunch and Learn that delves into a powerful framework for fostering student engagement in online and face-to-face (f2f) learning environments. We hope you will join us next Wednesday (March 13) at noon in MUB Ballroom B1.

Join the CTL staff as we explore the Community of Inquiry Framework that emphasizes three interdependent elements — social, cognitive and teaching presence — in order to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for all students. The Lunch and Learn will wrap up by providing practical and easy-to-implement strategies to enhance student engagement in both the online and f2f classroom settings.

Participants who register by today (March 6) will have a lunch provided.

Please feel free to contact Jessica Hendrickson at jelhendr@mtu.edu or 906-487-2275 with any accommodation requests. There is also room on the registration form to notate any accommodation requests.

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Workshop: Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty Promotion File

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty (ITF) Promotion File, tomorrow (March 7) from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in the Administration Building in Admin 404.

The first half of the session will focus on the mechanics of preparing an ITF promotion file and will include insights from panelists who have gone through the promotion process or reviewed promotion materials. The second half of the session will focus on how to input data and narratives into Digital Measures to produce a Faculty Activity Report (FAR) for the promotion file.

All ITF are welcome; those who plan to submit a promotion package in the next couple of years are especially encouraged to attend.

Faculty are welcome to attend just one part of the session as their schedule allows.

Direct questions to Shari Stockero, assistant provost for faculty development, at stockero@mtu.edu.

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MTTI Luncheon with MDOT Research Program Visitors

Michael Townley, engineer of research at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), will be on campus for site visits and a luncheon on March 15. Townley will be joined by Dean Kartiz, MDOT project program manager, and Heidi Spangler, MDOT innovation engineer.

The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) will be holding a luncheon for the visitors from 12-1:30 p.m. in Alumni Lounge B (MUB 107B) of the Memorial Union. MTTI Director Pasi Lautala will offer a brief overview of MTTI’s transportation research capabilities and Townley will discuss the MDOT Research Program and upcoming opportunities.

This is a perfect opportunity to meet with the MDOT research personnel and hear how you can get involved in MDOT supported research, as MDOT has released the dates of their Research Program Development Meetings for May 6-10. All meetings are virtual via Microsoft Teams this year, and we encourage everyone interested to consider participating in selected sessions. During each of the 20 to 30 program development meetings, MDOT staff will present an approved research idea for the 2025-2027 Research Program. 

These meetings, a vital step in further developing the research ideas, provide an opportunity for University partners, MDOT staff and transportation stakeholders with common research interests to identify research gaps and opportunities, collaborate and discuss research that addresses the department’s strategic priorities.

All are welcome to attend the luncheon. RSVP is required by Friday (March 8).

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WIBIT Wednesday: Tonight at the SDC Pool

MTU Students, SDC Access Pass holders (minimum one-month), and WIBIT Wednesday Pass holders, come make a splash with our inflatable pool obstacle course called the WIBIT!

Events will be held this spring for current MTU Students and SDC Access Pass Holders (minimum one-month). Not a current student or SDC Access Pass Holder? Purchase a WIBIT Wednesday Pass (space is limited)!

Test your individual skills on the course or challenge your friend to a race across the obstacles.

The course is set up in the deep water and requires users to be able to pass our swim test. See the WIBIT rules and swim test content on our website for more information.

There are many different pieces of the WIBIT and each event will have a featured combination.

Potential featured pieces include:

• The Step — This piece allows users to climb up onto the course.
• The Base — Users must make their way across a horizontal surface. Be careful how fast you move, as it can get slippery!
• The Cliff — Users must navigate either side of a slope using the handles and their balancing skills.
• V-Connect — Users must use limited footing space to navigate across the horizontal structure.
• The Bridge — Users must navigate up and over an arched structure without falling through.
• The Slope — Users must climb up a six-foot wall that leads to a slide into the pool water below!

Upcoming WIBIT Dates, Times and Combinations: 

• Wednesday, March 6, from 5-8 p.m. — Step/Bridge/V-Connect/Slope
• Wednesday, Apr. 10, from 5-8 p.m. — Step/Bridge/Cliff/Slope

Come visit us at the pool to try out your skills! For more information, visit our WIBIT page.

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Workshop: Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, "Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder," today (March 6) from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in Admin 404 in the Administration Building.

The first half of the session will focus on the mechanics of preparing a well-presented promotion and/or tenure binder and will include insights from a panel who have been involved in the TPR review process. Panelists include Nancy Langston (SS), Bruce Lee (BioMed), Dennis Livesay (CC) and Adrienne Minerick (ChE). The second half of the session will focus on how to input data and narratives into Digital Measures to produce a Faculty Activity Report (FAR) for the tenure and promotion binder.

All faculty are welcome; those who plan to submit a tenure/promotion package in the next couple of years are especially encouraged to attend.

Faculty are welcome to attend just one part of the session as their schedule allows. Questions can be directed to Shari Stockero, assistant provost for faculty development, at stockero@mtu.edu.

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This Week's C-Cubed Menu

Menu for Thursday (March 7):

• Crepe Florentine (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg)
• Chicken Florentine (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg)
• Roasted Red Potatoes (VG, AD, AG)
• Green Beans (VG, AD, AG)
• Garden Salad (VG, AG, AD)
• Dinner Roll with Butter (V, Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Sesame)

Join Carved and Crafted Catering for this week's C3 Luncheon. The luncheon is held each week on Thursday 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, or C-Cubed, 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 in the Memorial Union office (MUB 101).

We will be incorporating 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

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

Simple Machines: Poetry, Letterpress, and the Art of the Little Magazine Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Wednesday, March 6, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries

Simple Machines is a two-edition, international, letterpress poetry magazine founded and edited by Michigan Tech’s M. Bartley Seigel, funded through a Research Excellence...

Steering the Future: Unleashing the power of Women In Mobility

Wednesday, March 6, 9:30–11:00 a.m.

KPIT Technologies invites you to the Women in Mobility 2024 edition, a powerful forum gathering renowned women leaders from diverse Automotive and Technology companies. This...

TIAA Webinar: The Starting Line - Beginning to save for retirement

Wednesday, March 6, 12–1 p.m.

Register here: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4424782/703C3EE185AF14E06D7E65B65469F9BF There’s no time like the present to save for the future. Retirement may not seem...

Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder Workshop

Wednesday, March 6, 2–4 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing a Tenure and Promotion Binder. The first half of the session will...

Students For Life General Meeting

Wednesday, March 6, 5–6 p.m. | Fisher 230

Students For Life general meeting

WIBIT Wednesday

Wednesday, March 6, 5–8 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

MTU Students, SDC Access Pass Holders (minimum 1-month) and WIBIT Wednesday Pass holders, come make a splash with our inflatable pool obstacle course called the WIBIT! Events...

Board Game Group

Wednesday, March 6, 6–8 p.m. | Wads Annex (G111W)

Come hang out with us for a few hours in the evening and play some fun games! Feel free to bring your own games, too (if interested)! We will have games like UNO, Apples to...

(Women's Basketball) Michigan Tech vs. Michigan Tech

March 6, all day | Student Development Complex (SDC), Wood Gym

Women's Basketball: Michigan Tech vs. Michigan Tech, GLIAC Quarterfinals - High seeds host