June 19, 2024

J. W. Hammond is the recipient of Michigan Tech’s 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice/Assistant Professor category.

Hammond joined the Department of Humanities in 2023 as an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition. He centers his research and teaching on writing studies, social justice and science and technology studies.

“I suppose that while my younger self wouldn’t have expected that I’d become a teacher, it makes sense that I’ve taken that journey,” said Hammond. “After all, my heroes have been teachers. And when I think of the kind of work worth doing in life, I find myself hoping that I will make even a fraction of the impact on the lives of others that they have had on me.”

Learn more about Hammond’s career journey, teaching style and what he’s learning from his students in a Q&A at Michigan Tech News.

The Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team recently competed in the national finals of the AISC 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition, hosted May 31 and June 1 by Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

Michigan Tech finished ninth overall, placing eighth in stiffness and fifth in efficiency.

The annual competition judges bridges designed and built by students in categories such as construction speed, lightness, aesthetics, stiffness, cost, economy and efficiency. It began 37 years ago with undergraduate engineering students from just three schools — Lawrence Tech, Michigan Tech, and Wayne State — competing in a parking lot at Lawrence Tech.

This year, 47 schools from all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico took part. The teams were asked to design and build a steel bridge for a disc golf course located in Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston. The bridge needed to be able to accommodate players, park employees and maintenance vehicles.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn to work with each other on a complex project,” said civil engineering student Jon Wright, captain of MTU's Steel Bridge Team. “The goal is to design a structure where strength, weight and cost are all balanced to provide the best outcome.”

“It isn’t enough to simply design a bridge that can support the load placed on it at competition. It must be able to support the load with minimal deflection and with minimal weight while being easy to assemble,” he explained. “Anyone can design a bridge that stands. But it takes an engineer to design a bridge that ‘barely’ stands.”

Read more on the College of Engineering Blog.

The Michigan Tech McNair Scholars Program and Michigan College and University Partnership (MiCUP) Scholars Program invite you to the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium tomorrow (June 20) from 1-4 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A and the Alumni Lounge.

This summer's symposium is showcasing innovative research projects by students across campus, including participants in MiCUP and McNair as well as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs.

Join us for an afternoon of engaging presentations, discussions and a celebration of undergraduate research in diverse fields. This is a free event, open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Event Details:

• What: Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
• When: Thursday, June 20, from 1-4 p.m.
• Where: MUB Ballroom A and Alumni Lounge

Facilities Management is adjusting billing rates for our technical staff, effective July 1.

Facilities Management receives an allocation from the University's General Fund on an annual basis to perform a wide range of routine services on campus. Nonroutine or nonfunded services require Facilities Management to recover costs by billing the campus department or organization requesting services. More information related to funded and nonfunded services can be found on the Facilities Management website.

Rate changes for specific technical staff classifications can also be found on our website.

CollegeNET will be performing maintenance on all Series25 software tools on Saturday (June 22) starting at 1 p.m. During this time, room reservation requests through the 25Live interface (for the MUB, GLRC and classrooms) will be unavailable.

This maintenance is projected to last six hours.

Deputy Chief Reid DeVoge of Michigan Tech's Department of Public Safety and Police Services was recently selected from a national pool of applicants to join the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Policy Center’s working group on crowd management and control.

The IACP Policy Center is nationally recognized as a leader in policy development for law enforcement, often defining the industry standard for police practices. The working group comprises law enforcement individuals and subject matter experts with the goal of providing a comprehensive, holistic approach to policy development.

As part of the working group, DeVoge will collaborate with law enforcement and community leaders from across the country to review and modify a model policy for how police should approach and plan for large gatherings of people. The goal is to create a model that will be adopted by law enforcement agencies across the nation.

Michigan Tech cross country and track and field head coach Robert Young has announced the addition of 15 student-athletes for the 2024 recruiting class. The newly signed Huskies come to Michigan Tech from far and wide, hailing from eight states.

"I am very excited about this incoming class," Young said. "These six men represent some of the fastest-ever recruits for the program, and yet we feel they are likely to get much faster. I think there is a good chance they are at the core of some very good teams, and high individual finishes in the coming years."

Young said the nine women joining the team have a ton of quality and potential as well.

"Each of these women has shown us that they are likely to be able to step in and bring some needed depth to our women's ranks," he said. "I'm also excited about the character within this class. Through our recruiting conversations, I've discovered that each of these athletes is bringing something special to the University, which will benefit more than just our team."

Read about the Huskies' 2024 cross country and track and field recruits at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Melissa Baird (SS) is the author of a paper published in the Journal of Social Archaeology.

The paper, titled "Heritage work in extractive zones," defines heritage work and how different stakeholders — industries, communities and governments — leverage heritage to assert claims and achieve visibility.

This paper is based on a multiyear research project examining the now-canceled Jordan Cove Energy Project and Pacific Connector Pipeline in Oregon.

Steven Elmer (KIP/HRI) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $23,000 research and development contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The project is titled "Pilot Testing of Ergonomic Devices in Patient Handling Tasks."

Sarah Fayen Scarlett (SS) was mentioned by the Keweenaw Report in a story about the annual conference of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, which was hosted by the Department of Social Sciences last week (June 12-15). Scarlett chaired the 2024 conference, which had the theme “North of the Northwoods: From Mines to Motels on Michigan’s Lake Superior.”

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The A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum and several of its displays were featured in Rock & Gem Magazine in the story “Exploring Copper and Iron Country: Mines, Museums & Minerals of Michigan's Upper Peninsula” from the July 2024 issue.

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The Daily Mining Gazette picked up an announcement by Student Leadership and Involvement and Residence Education and Housing Services about the Juneteenth Celebration being held from 1-3 p.m. today (June 19) on the DHH Patio.

Fall 2024 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Due Next Week

Applications for Fall 2024 Finishing Fellowships are still being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. next Wednesday (June 26) to the Graduate School. Please email applications to gradschool@mtu.edu.

Instructions on the 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.
2. Must expect to finish during the semester supported as a Finishing Fellow.
3. Must have submitted no more than one previous application for a Finishing Fellowship.
4. Must be eligible for candidacy (tuition charged at Research Mode rate) at the time of application.
5. Must not hold a final oral examination ("defense") prior to the start of the award semester.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to Ph.D. candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in the Michigan Tech Strategic Plan.

The Graduate School anticipates funding up to 10 fellowships with support ranging from $2,000 to full support (stipend plus tuition). Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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Juneteenth Celebration

Join Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) and Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS) for a Juneteenth celebration! We invite you to come and commemorate this significant day in history.

The celebration will take place today (June 19) from 1-3 p.m. on the DHH Patio. There will be an array of exciting activities for everyone to enjoy, including delicious food, refreshing drinks, engaging outdoor games and a thrilling trivia contest with fantastic prizes.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate and learn more about Juneteenth. Mark your calendars and join us for a memorable event!

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

Master's Defense: Patrick Skillings

Wednesday, June 19, 10–11 a.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, 143

Applied Ecology Co-advisors: Rodney Chimner and Erik Lilleskov PEATLANDS OF THE COLOMBIAN ANDES Attend Virtually: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/86353491983

Juneteenth Celebration

Wednesday, June 19, 1–3 p.m. | DHH Patio

Join Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) and Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS) for a Juneteenth celebration! We invite you to come and commemorate this...

Huskies Swim Training - Summer 2024 Session 1

Wednesday, June 19, 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Join us for a summer of swimming in Huskies Swim Training! This training program provides additional attention and competitive guidance to proficient swimmers ages 6-17...