May 23, 2024

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) at Michigan Tech is proud to announce the Center for Artificial Intelligence, hosted within the ICC and led by Vinh Nguyen (ME-EM/MMET). As the center's director, Nguyen aims to cultivate cutting-edge research in AI development and application, prepare the next generation of AI professionals and establish external partnerships to address today’s problems.

“The accelerated advent of AI presents exciting opportunities and challenges for society,” said Nguyen. “The Center for AI is the culmination of Michigan Tech’s research and education in fields including computing, transportation, manufacturing, sustainability, humanities and health. Hence, Michigan Tech’s Center for AI is our premier research center to provide AI solutions for today’s evolving world.”

The Center for Artificial Intelligence is the evolution of the ICC's Data Science Center, with a renewed focus on pioneering AI research across various domains. By leveraging the University’s existing strength in engineering and computing, the center aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Innovative Research — Conducting cutting-edge research to challenge the boundaries of possibility by developing new AI algorithms, models and technologies to benefit not only Michigan Tech, but communities across the country.
2. Interdisciplinary Collaboration — Fostering a multidisciplinary center in which AI experts from diverse disciplines across MTU’s campus can build highly collaborative research proposals and deliver groundbreaking research outcomes in AI.
3. External Partnerships — Building strong and successful partnerships with local, regional and national entities to transform AI innovations into real-world applications.
4. AI Education — Educating and training the next generation of AI experts, and supporting opportunities for a strong AI education in Michigan and beyond.

Visit the brand-new Michigan Tech Center for Artificial Intelligence website to learn more about what the future holds, and to explore collaboration opportunities and membership.

Cliff Drive will be closed to all traffic from Parking Lot 1 eastward next Saturday (June 1). A new sanitary sewer line for the East Hall project is being installed across Cliff Drive near the entrance of Parking Lot 10, and this will cut off the exit access at the east end of Cliff Drive.

Access around the closure through the construction site will be available for emergency use only.

If you have any questions, please contact facilities@mtu.edu.

The Laboratory for Integrative Physiology at Michigan Tech is recruiting male and female research volunteers. We are conducting a study to better understand how nicotine (via smoking, vaping or chewing) affects cardiovascular responses to simulated hemorrhage.

You are eligible to participate if you satisfy the following:

• Between the ages of 21 and 55
• A nicotine or non-nicotine user
• No diabetes, hyperthyroidism or respiratory illness
• No history of blood clots or fainting upon standing
• Not pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• Not currently taking prescriptions drugs
• Blood pressure is below 140/90 mmHg

The experiment will take about one hour of your time and there is monetary compensation associated with participation.

For more information, please contact Professor William Cooke (KIP) at wcooke@mtu.edu or 906-487-3389.

IRB approval #2103434-1

Sophia Ford ’19 (M.S. Environmental and Energy Policy) successfully defended her dissertation at the University of Oregon and has secured a Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship with the National Park Service.

Ford completed her Ph.D. in the Environmental Sciences, Studies and Policy (Geography) program at the University of Oregon. Her dissertation is titled "Memory, Whiteness, and Right-Wing Opposition to National Heritage Areas."

Ford will be heading to Denver, Colorado, to begin work as a Mellon Fellow.

Erika Vye (GLRC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $13,200 other sponsored activities contract from the Copper Country Intermediate School District.

The project is titled "Lake Superior Watershed Support: Agency & Advocacy.”

Steve Senczyszyn (GLRC) presented at the Acoustical Society of America conference in Ottawa, Canada, on May 13-17.

Senczyszyn's two presentations were titled "Quiet uncrewed surface vessels assess fish avoidance to motorized survey ships with varying noise levels in the Great Lakes" and "Great Lakes fisheries vessels and uncrewed surface vessels: A publicly available dataset."

The Air Force Research Laboratory mentioned Michigan Tech in a story announcing the university participants for the second year of its Mission Concept Program, which is focused on advancing skills in early satellite mission design through mentorship and guidance from space professionals. Emi Colman ’21 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) and Jesse Olson ’17 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering/Electrical Engineering) were quoted in the story. Colman is the deputy program manager of the University Nanosatellite Program in the AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate. Olson is a former manager of the UNP.

*****

Crain’s Detroit Business mentioned Michigan Tech in a Q&A with Kelly Sexton, associate vice president for research, innovation partnerships and economic impact at the University of Michigan. In the story, Sexton discusses the role of the Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund and the Michigan University Innovation Capital Consortium in the state's university-based startup pipeline.

Nominations Still Open: 2024 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

Nominations are still open for the 2024 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Please submit nominations to the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m. next Thursday (May 30), following our online instructions.

This year, nominations are being accepted from dissertations in the fields of:

1. Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering
2. Social Sciences (Note: History is classed within the humanities and is not a field of competition in 2024.)

Michigan Tech may nominate one student in each field. Ph.D. students who have completed all of their degree requirements between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, are eligible. The fields of competition for 2025 will be Biological/Life Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts (including History).

A nomination packet must be submitted by the student's department chair or college dean to our CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Nomination form no later than 4 p.m. next Thursday. Contact Debra Charlesworth at gradschool@mtu.edu if you have any questions about the competition.

*****

June Deadline for Michigan Tech Fund Endowment Check Requests

Please remember to submit check requests for disbursements from Michigan Tech Fund Endowed Funds to mtfchecks@mtu.edu by June 3 to meet the deadline for the June 26 payment date.

*****

No Tech Today on Monday

Tech Today will not publish on Monday (May 27) in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. 

Submissions for the Tuesday (May 28) issue of Tech Today are due by noon tomorrow (May 24).

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

No events are scheduled for today. Visit the University Events Calendar.