October 21, 2024

The University originally invited three candidates to interview for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President for Administration position. However, the second candidate has withdrawn from consideration and their scheduled visit today and tomorrow, Oct. 21 and 22, has been canceled.

Resumes, cover letters, interview dates and open forum information for the remaining candidates can be viewed at the Chief Financial Officer Search page. A Michigan Tech login is required to view candidate information.

When Xiaojie Wang went looking for her next research topic, she found a previously unexplored region beyond our galactic plane and a path to publication.

Wang, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Physics, is the lead corresponding author of the article “Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Bubble around Microquasar V4641 Sgr,” recently published in the international journal Nature. The findings highlighted in the article offer new insights into how microquasars might contribute to the cosmic-ray energy spectrum — a long-standing puzzle in astrophysics.

“While reviewing the sky maps in search of my next project, I noticed a region five degrees away from our galactic plane with bright emissions that had not been visible in previous datasets,” said Wang. “No gamma-ray source has been identified nor analyzed in this region — so I seized the opportunity and led the analysis.”

Join Wang on the trail of solving microquasar mysteries. For the story and a link to her appearance on Nature Podcast, visit the College of Sciences and Arts Newsblog.

The Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers, UP Michigan Works! and MiSTEM Network invite you to participate in the 2024 OneUP Copper Trail Festival on Dec. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Varsity Gym at Michigan Tech's Student Development Complex (SDC). This event is offered at no cost to schools or exhibitors, and will inspire hundreds of students from the Western Upper Peninsula through the exploration of educational and career pathways.

University departments, student organizations and Enterprise teams are invited to host hands-on STEM-related activities that showcase their work. If you do not have an activity on hand, but have individuals who will volunteer their time, you can request to borrow a Mind Trekkers demonstration and we will supply all materials necessary. There are also additional volunteer opportunities available for those who would like to participate, but are unable to exhibit!

To learn more about this event and register your organization, please visit the 2024 OneUP Copper Trail Festival website. Registration is required by Nov. 25.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at mindtrekkers@mtu.edu.

Please join Women in the Academy (WIA) for a breakfast celebrating the fall semester. Stop by the MUB Ballroom A1 anytime between 7.30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 14. Continental breakfast and coffee will be provided.

Although no formal program is planned, this time will provide opportunities for open table discussions and networking. Hope to see you there!

Submit your RSVP by Nov. 5 to help us organize the event.

This event is supported by the Office of the Provost.

Haunted Hoist House — Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 24-26
Quincy Mine 1918 Hoist House
Michigan Tech Theatre Series

Michigan Tech Theatre creates entertainment events for the Keweenaw, sharing the creative and scholarly work of students and faculty from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). Each fall, VPA partners with the Quincy Mine Hoist Association to create a haunted experience for all ages. Get tickets at the Quincy Mine Hoist Association’s Mine Tours page — click “Book Now” to see available events.

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Backstage Jazz: Music of Count Basie — Friday, Oct. 25
Rozsa Backstage
Michigan Tech Music Series

The R&D Jazz Band under the direction of Drew Kilpela (VPA) will play music written and arranged for the Count Basie Orchestra. Opening sets by MTU Jazz's premier small group JazTec, and the student-led Video Game Jazz Ensemble. Get Tickets.

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Backstage Jazz: Music of Maria Schneider — Saturday, Oct. 26
Rozsa Backstage
Michigan Tech Music Series

Michigan Tech Jazz Lab Band under the direction of Adam Meckler (VPA) will perform music by seven-time Grammy award-winning composer Maria Schneider after an opening set of New Orleans music played by the Workshop Brass Band. Get Tickets.

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that thing between my teeth is my foot — Open through Nov. 2
Professional Art Exhibition
Rozsa Galleries A-Space
Michigan Tech Art Series

Douglas Degges is presenting two parallel artistic explorations in the Rozsa A-Space Gallery. Since the fall of 2019, Degges has been creating a series of intriguing abstract paintings based on cell phone photos from his family in Louisiana in a group text. This project explores shared visual experiences and affirms the concept of home as immaterial and held within oneself. Alongside these paintings are a series of abstract sculptures that Degges collaborated on with his wonderful canine companion, Cricket. Degges is an active contemporary artist and assistant professor of art in painting and drawing at the University of Connecticut.

The gallery exhibition is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-8 p.m. on Saturday. This event is free and open to the public.

Be a part of the action and volunteer with 41 North Film Festival as we celebrate our 10th anniversary! This year’s festival will take place Nov. 7-10, and we need your help to make it happen! We welcome film enthusiasts, members of the campus community and local area residents. Individuals and groups are invited to join us as volunteers.

Our volunteers help us keep 41 North free and open to the public, and are an integral part of the festival. Volunteers may assist with welcoming festival attendees, ushering and answering general questions. Help is needed for all four days of the festival; volunteer for one film or for the whole festival — it’s up to you! Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt as a thank-you. We look forward to having you on our team!

What do I do when volunteering at 41N?
As a volunteer usher, you play a critical role in creating a joyful experience at arts events. With Rozsa and 41N leadership, you and other ushers work together to greet guests, admit folks into the theater, assist with seating and wayfinding, connect guests to venue accommodations, and support effective crowdflow and emergency procedures. Usher roles will be decided as a team at the beginning of the volunteer shift.

Do I do this alone or with other people?
Each show will have a 41N volunteer coordinator, front-of-house lead and 6-8 volunteer ushers, so you will never be alone! You are always welcome to put together a group — friends, family or people from an organization — and enjoy the shared experience of bringing a production to life.

What do I wear and bring?
Wear clothes and shoes that you’re comfortable in! Please make sure they are free from stains and tears. 41N volunteers will receive 41N T-shirts. You are welcome to bring a water bottle, and we encourage you to leave valuables at home.

How do I prepare for the event?
No experience is needed. All the training you need will take place the day of the show, before guests arrive. Ensure you arrive at or before the shift's start time, and check in with the volunteer coordinator in the Rozsa Lobby for a brief orientation.

The 41 North Film Festival spans four days and showcases award-winning independent films and filmmakers from around the region, country and world. Its mission is to provide Michigan Tech students and the surrounding community with an opportunity to critically engage films that are currently in distribution and under discussion, as well as the chance to interact with filmmakers, producers and other industry professionals about the art and business of cinematic storytelling.

Visit the volunteer registration page on GivePulse and search for 41N to sign up for individual volunteer shifts. Questions can be directed to our volunteer coordinator, Allison Neely, at alneely@mtu.edu or by phone at 906-487-2816.

Join us tomorrow, Oct. 22, for the fourth La Peña of the 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.

And don't forget to add to your calendar the next two Peñas: Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.

The MTU Volleyball Middle School Development League is a four-week developmental program for middle school girls in grades 6-8 to learn and improve their skills in preparation for the upcoming interscholastic season.

This program is designed to maximize exposure to the sport by providing high-quality training and guaranteed playing time without the time commitment, cost and travel required of more competitive club teams. Athletes will develop basic to intermediate volleyball skills, strategy and rules of volleyball to help prepare them for future competitive teams.

Dates and Times:

• Tryouts/Sorting into Teams: Monday, Jan. 6, from 6-7:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. at the SDC front counter)
• Practices: Wednesdays, Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29
• Scrimmages: Fridays, Jan. 10, 17, 24
• Tournament: Friday, Jan. 31

Find more league information at Michigan Tech Recreation.

Register for the Middle School Development League starting today, Oct. 21, at 8 a.m.

Questions? Contact Michigan Tech Sports Camps at sportscamps@mtu.edu or 906-487-2975. For more information, visit Michigan Tech Recreation.

Come join the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library to hear Associate Teaching Professor Laura Walikainen Rouleau, Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, discuss her new book, “Private Spaces in Public Places.”

The presentation is planned as part of the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library annual membership meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 4:30-6 p.m. in the East Reading Room of the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library. The event will include a short business meeting and elections before the presentation.

Rouleau's research explores the history of privacy in the United States from 1880–1930 through a series of “private” spaces newly emerging in public facilities. Her research uses spatial case studies to uncover how these sites were both physically and socially constructed. The similarities across geographical locations, from the industrializing Copper Country to urbanizing New York, demonstrate the ubiquity of social norms that informed these spaces. These spaces emerged embedded in several concurrent social transformations that altered both the public and private landscapes of the turn-of-the-20th-century United States.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Job Postings for Monday, Oct. 21, 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 Professor – Environmental Engineering, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. Apply online.

Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering. Apply online.

Postdoctoral Scholar – Dissolved Organic Matter-Based Microbial Fuel Cells, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. 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.

Assistant Professor Amna Mazen (AC/MMET) will present a paper at IECON 2024 in Chicago on Nov. 4. Additionally, she will serve as the session chair for the “Mechatronics and Robotics” track at the conference.

The paper being presented focuses on the development of an advanced warehouse robot system designed to replicate human capabilities by integrating computer vision technologies (using YOLOv5), a mobile robot and a robotic arm. In this system, the YOLOv5 algorithm performs object detection and size estimation, allowing the system to classify goods-containing boxes into small, medium and large categories. The classified boxes are transported by the mobile robot to predefined locations, while the robotic arm manages the placement of the boxes based on their size, ensuring efficient and accurate sorting.

Phys.org mentioned Xiaojie Wang (Physics) in a story about new research from the HAWC observatory showing that microquasars within our galaxy can produce extremely high-energy gamma rays. Wang and other researchers observed these powerful emissions, offering new insights into how cosmic radiation forms, which were previously thought to only come from distant galaxies.

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Angie Carter (SS) was interviewed by Missouri's KBIA News, an NPR affiliate, for a story about the importance of peer learning networks in the adoption of new agricultural practices. Her interview was part of a new series, “The Next Harvest,” exploring what needs to change to sustain agriculture. A companion print piece appeared in the Columbia Missourian.

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Yahoo! Life mentioned Soonkwan Hong (COB) in a story about the benefits of naming everyday objects to foster creativity and appreciation. Hong shared insights on how personalizing inanimate objects, like cars, can transform them from simple commodities into meaningful parts of one’s history.

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The Detroit News mentioned Michigan Tech in coverage of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame’s 67th annual induction ceremony that took place on Thursday, Oct. 17. Among the Class of 2024 inductees was the late Tony Esposito, the legendary former Michigan Tech hockey goaltender.

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My UP Now mentioned Michigan Tech’s Greek life organizations in a preview story about this year’s Treat Street event in downtown Houghton. The organizations hosted a trunk-or-treat as part of the Halloween festivities on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Laboratory Pre-Inspection Documents

As a part of continuously improving the culture of safety across campus, the Research Integrity Office is updating the laboratory inspection process. Laboratory safety inspections are required for all research spaces (teaching, instructional and nonresearch spaces not included).

The pre-inspection process will collect required documentation from each research laboratory manager (primary faculty/staff member responsible for the laboratory). Department safety liaisons will also be contacted and engaged throughout the process.

If you are the primary person responsible for a laboratory, please submit the following forms by Dec. 13.

• Hazard / Risk Assessment — Identify all hazards (required for each unique laboratory)
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) — Describe each hazard and procedures to safely operate and mitigate each hazard
• Training Documentation — Certification that all users have been properly trained on all necessary SOPs and laboratory equipment

This will ensure that all researchers and their staff are aware of all the hazards in their laboratories and have the tools and plan to mitigate them, and ensure they have the relevant training they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. These documents are required during unscheduled regulatory MIOSHA inspections.

Laboratory inspection scheduling will begin in January 2025 and be prioritized based on the submitted hazard / risk assessments. 

Please note: If you currently have a hazard / risk assessment, you cannot submit an old assessment. Please use the form above.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to labinspections@mtu.edu. Thank you!

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RSVP Open Enrollment Ends Oct. 31

The Retirement Supplemental Voluntary Program (RSVP) is a voluntary retirement program offered to eligible Michigan Tech employees. The enrollment period, during which an employee may sign their RSVP election, ends Oct. 31.

Employees electing the monetary retirement option must retire on or before June 30, 2025. The monetary retirement option provides a benefit equal to 15% of the eligible employee’s annual salary (nine-month salary for faculty), up to the cap amount of $45,000 at the time of their actual retirement date. For further clarification, please see the RSVP policy.

Prior to electing RSVP, employees should contact Benefits Services to verify their eligibility.

RSVP questions may be sent to hr-help@mtu.edu or 906-487-2517.

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Tomorrow: Virtual Interest Session on the Online MS in Civil Engineering

Join Barbara Dai, professor and associate chair in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE), other CEGE representatives, and the Michigan Tech Global Campus team for a virtual information session on Michigan Tech's online M.S. in Civil Engineering.

You'll learn more about this program's structural engineering focus, as well as how you can build your degree from stackable graduate certificates.

Session Details:

• What: Virtual Info Session on Michigan Tech's Online M.S. in Civil Engineering
• When: Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EDT
• Where: Virtually on Zoom
• Registration: Sign up using our registration form.

The CEGE and Global Campus teams look forward to seeing you there!

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Design Your Academic Life Faculty Workshop

Faculty are invited to apply to the Design Your Academic Life (DYAL) workshop, to be held the afternoon of Nov. 21 and all day on Nov. 22.

The DYAL workshop helps faculty assess and align their personal and professional lives, explore ways to prototype their desired future, set purposeful steps toward their goals, and identify support networks as they develop action plans. More information and an application link can be found in the workshop flyer.

Space is limited, so interested faculty are encouraged to apply right away, but no later than Nov. 1. Faculty are asked to fully commit to the event by clearing their calendars for the entirety of the workshop.

This event is sponsored by KEEN and the Kern Family Foundation, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost. Questions can be directed to Shari Stockero at stockero@mtu.edu.

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Hiring Orientation Executive Staff

The Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success is looking for students who are passionate, outgoing and great student leaders to serve as Orientation Executive Staff (OES).

Students who hold OES positions spend the summer planning fall Orientation. We are looking for five students to fill the roles of our team.

Find more information on these roles at the Wahtera Center’s Hiring page. Please submit applications no later than today, Oct. 21, by 5 p.m.

Available OES Positions:

• Lead OES — Responsible for mentoring, role modeling and assisting other members of the OES at Michigan Tech.

• Communication OES — Leads the design, production and distribution of key electronic and printed documents about Orientation at Michigan Tech.

• Logistics OES (LC-OES) — Leads the creation of O-Week Teams, vehicle and room reservations, and the production of the University Welcome for Orientation at Michigan Tech.

• Training OES — Leads the creation of training for all Orientation Team Leaders (OTLs), who will work with the incoming class for Orientation at Michigan Tech.

• Programming OES — Leads the creation of O-Week programming for all of the Orientations at Michigan Tech.

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EPSSI Seminar with Ali Hyder

An Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) Seminar will take place today, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. in M&M U113.

Guest speaker Ali Hyder, a postdoctoral scholar at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will talk on "What the Giant Hides – the Fruits of an Interdisciplinary Approach to Jovian Atmospheric Modeling."

Read Hyder's abstract and bio at the EPSSI's Fall 2024 Seminar Series page.

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

that thing between my teeth is my foot Exhibit - Michigan Tech Art

Monday, October 21, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Art Galleries A-Space

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Douglas Degges is presenting two parallel artistic explorations in the Rozsa A-Space Gallery. Since the fall of 2019, Degges has been creating...

Hot Cocoa/Lemonade Handout

Monday, October 21, 1–3 p.m. | Fisher Rock Garden

Come join us and keep cool or warm (weather dependent) and learn about who Christ is in the Fisher Rock Garden

Distinguished Lecture Series by Professor Massimo Moraldi

Monday, October 21, 2–3 p.m. | Walker Hall, 144

The Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena is pleased to announce that Professor Massimo Moraldi, from the University of Florence and Michigan Tech...

Electrokinetics and Droplet Microfluidics: Two Subfields of Microfluidics for Biological Monitoring and Research

Monday, October 21, 3 p.m. | Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), 202

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar Aytug Gencoglu, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech Summary: Microfluidics technology is mostly developed and...

EPSSI Seminar: Dr. Ali Hyder

Monday, October 21, 4 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), Room U113

This event will be held in M&M U113. Dr. Ali Hyder, Postdoctoral Scholar working with Glenn Orton at Jet Propulsion Laboratory-NASA, will give a talk entitled "What the Giant...

Python Workshop

Monday, October 21, 5–6 p.m. | Rekhi 113

A free, in person, python workshop for beginners!

Parent & Child Aquatics - Session 2

Monday, October 21, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Parent & Child Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 6 months to 3 years old. A...

Preschool Aquatics - Session 2

Monday, October 21, 5:10–5:50 p.m. | Student Development Complex (SDC), Pool

Come make a splash this in Huskies Group Swim Lessons! American Red Cross Preschool Aquatics levels are being offered at the SDC Pool for ages 4 to 5 years old. Space will...

ASCE October Meeting - Michigan Department of Transportation

Monday, October 21, 7–8 p.m. | Dillman 320

Our keynote presenter is Victoria Fitzpatrick P.E. from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Victoria will be covering her transition from college to the workforce, what...