April 9, 2024

A team of engineers led by Michigan Tech’s Advanced Power Systems Research Laboratories (APS Labs) delivered a new tactical hybrid electric High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) to the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO).

Michigan Tech, along with industry partner Pilot Systems International, designed and constructed the prototype technology demonstrator vehicle before conducting internal testing and evaluation. The vehicle was then officially delivered to the RCCTO, who will test and demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities.

Read more at Michigan Tech News.

The Vice President for Research is pleased to announce the 2024 Michigan Tech Research Award and Bhakta Rath Research Award awardees:

• Michigan Tech Research Awardee: Simon Carn, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

• Bhakta Rath Research Awardee: Niusen Chen and advisor Bo Chen, Computer Science

Thank you to the review committees, as well as those who nominated the nominees, for their time spent on this important internal award process.

For additional information on the two award opportunities, visit Michigan Tech Research Award and/or Bhakta Rath Research Award.

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) Dean Search Committee originally invited four semifinalist candidates to Michigan Tech for on-campus interviews. Due to the third candidate's withdrawal, another candidate was invited to campus this week.

Candidate Open Forum Presentation:
Tuesday, April 9, at 4 p.m. in Dow 642
The final candidate’s interview will be held today and tomorrow (April 9 and 10). The candidate will present their administrative philosophy and vision for CFRES at an open forum today at 4 p.m. in Dow 642.

Information on all candidates, interview dates and open forum information can be viewed at the Academic Affairs Dean Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view resumes and provide comment. The open forums will be video recorded and posted to the website for viewing.

The CFRES Dean Search Committee encourages the campus community to interact with each candidate during the interviews and provide feedback by completing the anonymous comment form provided at the website. Feedback forms will be available for 72 hours following the last candidate's visit.

Feedback forms will close at 8 a.m. Monday (April 15).

Purple Hearts by C.S. Wallace — Four Performances: Wednesday-Saturday, April 10-13, nightly at 7:30 p.m.
McArdle Theatre
Directed by Nich Radcliffe
Presented by Michigan Tech Theatre

This play marks the directorial debut of Nich Radcliffe (VPA) at Michigan Tech. While this is Radcliffe's first production here, he has directed over 50 plays, operas and musicals in Chicago and across the United States. The play also represents the final curtain call for five graduating seniors this semester — meet the full cast in the digital program.

Set in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, "Purple Hearts" tells the story of three U.S. Navy soldiers trapped aboard the sunken USS West Virginia and the loved ones who await them back home. Based on true events, the play imagines what may have happened during the weeks they were trapped inside the ship’s compartment.

Tickets:
General Public: Tickets are Pay As You're Able for this Michigan Tech Theatre event. Purchase your tickets through the Rozsa Box Office online 24/7, or on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person or by calling 906-487-1906.

Students: Reserve your tickets (included with your Experience Tech fee) online. Bring your HuskyCard to use your student tickets or tap in for Student Rush.
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Spring Fling Student Art Showcase — Friday-Tuesday, April 12-16
Artist Reception — Friday, April 12, from 5-7 p.m.
Rozsa Art Galleries
Terri Jo Frew, Rozsa Gallery Director
Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Stop by the Rozsa Art Galleries for a showcase of student artworks from the Spring '24 Fiber Arts and World Sculpture Traditions classes. The drop-in artist reception will be held Friday from 5-7 p.m., featuring a variety of works in different media, including fibers and textiles, painting, sculpture, mixed media and more. Students from many different majors at MTU, including (but not limited to) engineering, biology, computer science, theatre, entertainment technology, and physics are presenting their art in this eclectic show.

Rozsa Art Galleries Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Saturday: 1-8 p.m.
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Coming Soon!

The Greatest Movie and Video Game Music — April 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Campus Concert Band and Superior Wind Symphony Concert
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Conducted by Jana Meckler and Joel Neves
Presented by Michigan Tech Music

Student Art Exhibition Reception — April 15 from 6-7:30 p.m.
Hosted by Studio Here Now and Anne Beffel
Wadsworth Hall Studio, Wads G04W
Presented by Michigan Tech Art

Mosaic for Earth — April 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Michigan Tech Choirs, Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Chorus
Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts
Conducted by Jared Anderson
Presented by Michigan Tech Music

Hop on over to the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum to explore the official mineral museum of Michigan.

The museum and gift shop are open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission to the museum for Michigan Tech students, staff and faculty is waived with your Tech ID.

Menu for Thursday (April 11):

• Herb Crusted Chicken Breast (AD, AG)
• Tortellini Primavera (Vegetarian, Contains: Dairy, Gluten)
• Caesar Salad (Vegetarian, Contains: Egg, Dairy, Gluten, Fish, Soy)
• Parmesan Polenta (Vegetarian, AG, Contains: Dairy)
• Chef Vegetables (Vegan, AD, AG)
• Breadsticks (Vegetarian, Contains: Dairy, Egg, Gluten)

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 look forward to seeing you at our next luncheon!

AG = Avoiding Gluten
AD = Avoiding Dairy

Gustavo Bejar Lopez, a graduate student in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences and the Graduate Student Government's (GSG's) 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winner, competed in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3MT regional competition, held April 5 during the MAGS annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.

GSG would like to congratulate Gustavo on a successful weekend, as he advanced to the final round of this competition.

Please join the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) on Friday (April 12) from 3-4 p.m. in Fisher 132 for a seminar with guest speaker Lindsey Lepley from the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan.

The title of the presentation is "Treating Sick Muscles After ACL Injury."

For more information about the speaker and her work, please go to the KIP Newsblog.

Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET) tenure-track faculty candidate Foxian Fan will give a research presentation on Thursday (April 11) from 1-2 p.m. in EERC 103.

The title of Fan's research presentation is "A Simple Alternative: Mass Finishing based AM Postprocessing."

Emil Alexov, professor at the Department of Physics, Clemson University, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar, which will be held in person at 3-4 p.m. Friday (April 12) in Chem Sci 101.

Alexov’s presentation is titled "On the Linkage of Thermodynamics and Pathogenicity: Case Study of X-linked Monogenic Diseases."

From the abstract:
Thermodynamical quantities as folding and binding free energies are essential for assessing stability and binding affinity of biological macromolecules. Changes of these quantities caused by missense mutations may or may not be associated with pathogenicity. We argue that for monogenic diseases, the most prominent pathogenic effect is associated with changes of these two quantities. This allows us to use computational approaches to predict the effect of missense mutations on thermodynamics and to infer pathogenicity. Such an approach offers two advantages over the classical pathogenicity predictors: it can do confident predictions even for low conserved sequences and paves the way for development of treatment via development of stabilizers or modulators. We apply it to study several X-linked disorders (Snyder-Robinson, Rett and Creatine Deficiency syndromes) and demonstrate that many genotypes result in the same phenotype, which allows the same treatment to be applied to different genotypes. Furthermore, it can be used for genetic screening of prospective mothers or in-vitro fertilization, since these variants typically do not occur de-novo but are inherited from the carrier mother.

Alexov received his Ph.D. in Physics from Sofia University, Bulgaria, and was an assistant professor there. He was also a staff scientist at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, visiting scientist at RIKEN, Japan, postdoctoral researcher at City College of New York and senior scientist at Columbia University, New York. Currently he is the Roy Wallace Distinguished Professor at Clemson University.

Alexov is known for his expertise in computational biophysics and bioinformatics. He has made significant contributions to the field, particularly in the areas of molecular modeling and simulations of biological macromolecules. His research often focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying various biological processes, including protein-protein interactions, ion channels and the effects of mutations on protein stability and function, and their association with diseases. His research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF). He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor, Faculty Achievement in the Science, Faculty Scholar at the School of Health Research, and Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research, Clemson.

Leslie Satin will present as part of the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci) Seminar Series from 3-4 p.m. Thursday (April 11) in GLRC 202.

The presentation is titled "Oscillations in Pancreatic Islets: Lessons from Experimental and Modeling Studies."

From the abstract:
Pancreatic beta cells synthesize and secrete insulin when blood sugar rises during a meal to bring sugar levels back down to its pre-meal level. Interestingly, insulin release is oscillatory and the period of these oscillations is rather slow, around 3-5 minutes. Importantly, the size of the oscillatory pulses and their pattern is disrupted in patients who have type 2 diabetes. Our lab goal is to understand the basis of these oscillations and how they become disrupted so we can develop treatments to restore the normal pattern in type 2 patients. Our lab has shown that islet oscillations result from complex interactions between glucose metabolism, mitochondrial activity and Ca and K ion channel interactions, described quantitatively using mathematical modeling. My talk will review the development of our thinking about islet oscillations and how they occur, and the experimental data and modeling that support their feasibility will be presented.

Satin, the inaugural Joanne I. Moore Endowed Research Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan and the Brehm Diabetes Center/Caswell Diabetes Institute, earned his Ph.D. at UCLA and has been at the University of Michigan since 2008. His expertise includes cellular electrophysiology, optical measurements using real-time imaging probes in cells and research on diabetes and traumatic brain injury. He has served on editorial boards for journals such as Diabetes and the American Journal of Physiology, and has reviewed grants for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other organizations.

Michigan Tech hockey senior forward Arvid Caderoth has signed a professional contract with the Fort Wayne Comets in the ECHL.

Caderoth skated in 140 games for the Huskies over the past four seasons and tallied 56 points with 15 goals and 41 assists. The two-time captain scored six game-winning goals and six power-play goals.

Caderoth scored a career-best seven goals as a senior, including a four-point night at Bemidji State on Nov. 10 with two goals and two assists. Caderoth had the game-winner that night, and also scored the game-winner at Bowling Green on Feb. 23.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech hockey fifth-year goaltender Blake Pietila has signed an amateur tryout contract with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL.

Pietila appeared in 142 games for the Huskies, going 76-49-11 overall with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He holds school records in games played, wins, shutouts in a career (24), shutouts in a season (10), goals-against average for a season (1.81) and save percentage for a season (.934).

As a senior, Pietila went 18-13-6 with four shutouts, a 2.38 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He was honored on the GLI All-Tournament Team after leading the Huskies to the 2023 Great Lakes Invitational title, making a career-high 54 saves in a shootout win over No. 7 Michigan State on Dec. 29. He was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month in December and February, and the CCHA Goaltender of the Week three times this season — an award he received 17 times in his career.

Read more at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech tennis opened April with a road trip to Wayne State on Saturday (April 6). The women's team fell 6-1 and the men dropped a 7-0 match to the Warriors.

Chiara Heinz went undefeated, winning her No. 5 singles matchup against Shanice Weekes 6-4, 6-4 and teaming up with Emily Rose for a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles. Marina Fernandez won her first set at No. 6 singles before ultimately falling in three.

The Huskies will host Davenport on Friday (April 12) and Purdue Northwest on Saturday (April 13) at Gates Tennis Center. Saturday will be Senior Day for the Huskies, with Artem Sharkota, Eli Pinnoo, Nikolai Prosjanykov, Ricardo Nunez Cuesta, Chiara Heinz, Grace Eland and Marina Fernandez to be honored.

It's playoffs time for Michigan Tech Esports:

Wednesday (April 10)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 vs. Baldwin Wallace, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Plus RO4. Watch the Twitch stream.

Thursday (April 11)
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate vs. Grand Valley State, 7 p.m. NACE Varsity Plus RO4. Watch the Twitch stream.

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 Tuesday, April 9, 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.

Assistant Research Scientist – Geospatial Scientist, Michigan Tech Research Institute. Apply online.
Contact: Michelle Wienert

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.

Adam Wellstead (SS) is a co-author of a paper published in Policy Design and Practice.

The paper is titled "Public value and procedural policy instrument specifications in 'design for service.'"

Michael Howlett of Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada, is the other co-author of the paper.

Jonathan Robins (SS) presented a paper on the history of kapok and kapok substitutes at the 2024 American Society for Environmental History Conference, held April 3-7 in Denver, Colorado.

Kapok is a tree fiber once widely used for stuffing mattresses, pillows and life jackets, but material shortages during World War II inspired new research into artificial materials that displaced kapok and other natural fibers from key markets. The research is part of a larger project on historical transitions from biomaterials to synthetics in fiber-consuming industries like rope, fishing nets and insulation.

Nich Radcliffe (VPA) was quoted by the Keweenaw Report in a story previewing Michigan Tech Theater’s upcoming play: “Purple Hearts” by C.S. Wallace. The production opens tomorrow (April 10) and closes Saturday (April 13), with nightly performances at 7:30 p.m. at the Rozsa.

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Alyssa Fredin (SFSC) was quoted by WLUC TV6 in a story about Northern Michigan University and Michigan Tech’s response to the delays related to the new process for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

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The Huskies Pep Band was mentioned by the Daily Mining Gazette and WJMN Local 3 in stories about Northern Lights Hockey Night, held last Saturday (April 6) at Dee Stadium in Houghton. One of the Michigan UP Veterans’ co-captains called the Pep Band “our fourth or fifth line tonight” for the way they inspired the players and crowd.

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The Keweenaw Report covered the opening of Blue Key National Honor Society’s 2025 Winter Carnival Logo Contest. The theme for next year’s Carnival is “Dragons, Knights, and Legendary Sights.”

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Yahoo! News, the Miami Herald and more than 25 other news outlets referenced Michigan Tech’s Earthquake Magnitude Scale in stories about the 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered under New Jersey last Friday (April 5).

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The Escanaba Daily Press mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of InvestUP and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s creation of the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund — a $3 million pre-seed fund to support entrepreneurs across the state in the outdoor recreation industry. Michigan Tech is one of the regional partner organizations serving on the fund’s advisory board.

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WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the Living Superior Fair, featuring locally made creative goods. The fair was held Saturday (April 6) at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

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The Pioneer mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about Nirvana, a ghost town in Lake County, Michigan. The story referenced a series of news articles detailing the hike of Michigan Tech alumnus Andrew Horujko — a Nirvana native — from Anchorage, Alaska, to the southern tip of South America to protest air pollution.

Advancement and Alumni Engagement Streamlines Requests

Advancement Services has launched the Advancement and Alumni Engagement (A&AE) Support Center. Similar to the Business Support Center, the A&AE Support Center provides campus partners with a centralized, streamlined ticketing system for advancement- and alumni-related support for data and event partnerships.

Submitting an email to adv-help@mtu.edu initiates a process similar to the IT Help process: You’ll receive an email with your ticket number and be able to track its progress online. It is important to include as much information as possible in your request in order for A&AE staff to best evaluate the pivotal members of our team (Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, Stewardship, etc.) to partner with for a successful outcome.

Advancement and Alumni Engagement types of information requests include, but are not limited to: contribution reports, financial aid scholarship reports, unit contribution designation reports, newsletters (emailed or physical), holiday cards, thank-you notes, honor academy lists, Presidential Council of Alumnae induction lists and Alumni Awards nomination lists.

We take data privacy and confidentiality very seriously and are excited to partner with you on the successful execution of your request. As such, while some of the mechanics you are used to using may have changed, be assured we still desire to help you achieve your goals and complete your activity.

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Sense of Belonging Student Focus Groups

What makes you feel like you belong on campus? What doesn’t? Where can changes be made? The Student Success Council’s Sense of Belonging Committee invites students to share your thoughts at a focus group.

Join us for a guided discussion on one of the following dates:

• Tuesday, April 9, at noon
• Thursday, April 11, at 12:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 11, at 5 p.m.
• Friday, April 12, at 2 p.m.

All focus groups will meet in Library 244. Light refreshments will be provided.

Find more info and sign up for a focus group session using our Sense of Belonging Discussion form.

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

Talk About it Tuesday: How to Apply for Federal Jobs

Tuesday, April 9, 12–1 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

JOIN IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM USING THIS LINK: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/8422130631'omn=82724746882 Joy Liang works with The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). She will...

Master's Defense: Raliba Hinga Roseline

Tuesday, April 9, 1–3 p.m. | Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, 875

Environmental Engineering Advisor: Daisuke Minakata Analysis of Energy Consumption and Water Utilization for Carbon Dioxide Dissolution in Scrubbing, Nanobubble, and...

Spring 2024 Little Huskies Girls Basketball Camp

Tuesday, April 9, 4–6 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Varsity Gym

Open to grades 2-5. Learning skills, working in a team, and having fun: that’s Michigan Tech’s Little Huskies Girls’ Basketball Camp. It’s a great introduction to the sport...

Stammtisch

Tuesday, April 9, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120C in the HDMZ

Come enjoy a relaxed hour of German conversation, games and snacks. All levels of German are welcome.

Adult Huskies Swim Lessons Spring 2024 Session 2

Tuesday, April 9, 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 2

Tuesday, April 9, 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...

Data Science Information Session

Tuesday, April 9, 7–8 p.m.

Join us to learn more about the new data science program at Michigan Tech. Gain a comprehensive understanding of how our program will equip you with the skills and knowledge...