October 25, 2024

The Commencement Team is seeking volunteers for the 2024 Midyear Commencement ceremony, which will take place on Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m. in the SDC Varsity Gym. We need volunteers to help with pre-ceremony setup, serve as greeters and ushers, coordinate graduate check-in, and assist guests with special seating accommodations.

There are also opportunities to volunteer on the days leading up to Midyear Commencement — on Dec. 12 during setup and on Dec. 13 during rehearsal — if that works better for your schedule. More information regarding the ceremony is available on the Commencement website.

Please sign up by Dec. 6 if you would like to volunteer. Contact Tiffany Jaeger at tiffanyj@mtu.edu if you have any questions.

This special event cannot happen without the help of our amazing Michigan Tech community!

Staff Council invites the campus community to submit nominations for the 2024 Making a Difference Staff Awards. Nominations are now open, and regular full-time and part-time staff are eligible. All faculty and staff are invited to submit a nomination of a deserving colleague or write a letter in support of a nomination.

The categories are:

• Innovation Award
• Behind the Scenes
• Legacy Award
• Outstanding Leader
• Rookie Award
• Serving Others
• Unsung Hero

Award recipients will receive $500 after taxes. Past recipients are not eligible to receive another award until five years after their previous award year.

Please follow these steps:

1. Review the award criteria
2. Create your nomination letter
3. Collect your letters of support (no more than three one-page letters)
4. Complete the nomination form

Please note that you will need to be prepared to upload your nomination letter and letters of support as one PDF file in the nomination form.

For more information, please go to the Staff Council’s Making a Difference Staff Awards webpage.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Nov. 22.

Research projects awarded to the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) increased from $1.6 million to $5.5 million over the past year, demonstrating significant growth. To read more about MTTI’s progress, as well as events and activities held in fiscal year 2024, please see our current annual report, submitted to the Vice President of Research Office.

Additionally, the October 2024 issue of the MTTI newsletter is available on our website. The newsletter provides updates on current activities and upcoming events, and highlights recently awarded research projects.

Benefits Services and Financial Aid strongly encourage students to submit their TRIP (Tuition Reduction Incentive Program) application forms for spring 2025 by Nov. 15 to ensure timely processing. Students should turn these forms in as soon as they have them completed, and no later than Dec. 1.

A TRIP application form can be obtained from the Additional Benefits page. The form is to be signed by the eligible employee/retiree and student. One application form is to be completed for each semester.

The Society of Medical Lab Scientists (SMLS) is hosting a blood drive next Friday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the DHH Ballroom.

All blood donated stays in the Upper Peninsula. You will complete a mini physical and donor history questionnaire prior to donation. Walk-ins are also welcome. Please consider donating and help save a life!

Sign up to donate on SignUpGenius.

Nosang Myung will present as part of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) Seminar Series next Friday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. in person in Chem Sci 101 or virtually via Zoom.

Join the ChE Seminar on Zoom.

Myung will present "Intelligent E-nose System: Materials Discovery to Wearable Device."

Read Myung's abstract and bio on the University Events Calendar.

Myung is a Bernard Keating Crawford Endowed Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, where his group researches how to control nanoscale-sized features to enhance material properties and device functions. He has published over 280 papers and has an h-index of 68 with over 16,500 total citations.

Michigan Tech hockey is hosting Clarkson in another nonconference home series. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. tonight, Oct. 25, and 6:07 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 26, at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Alongside the series, the Huskies are celebrating Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame weekend. Former players John Scott and Shawn Harrison getting inducted, along with public address announcer Mitch Lake.

The first 700 fans to tonight's game will be given a new-edition Michigan Tech spirit T-shirt printed by Superior Graphics. Doors open at 6 p.m., so get there early — because once they're gone, they're gone!

Fans can listen to Michigan Tech hockey live on the radio at Mix 93.5 WKMJ-FM or online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.net.

Watch MTU hockey on Midco Sports Plus 2 (subscription required).

Read the hockey preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech volleyball will get back to GLIAC action this weekend.

The Huskies play at Wayne State tonight, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. They’ll wrap up the weekend at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 26, at No. 13 Grand Valley State.

Watch MTU volleyball on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read the volleyball preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

It's the final home weekend of the regular season for the Michigan Tech soccer team.

The Huskies are set to play Purdue Northwest today, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m., and they’ll take on Roosevelt on Sunday, Oct. 27, at noon for Senior Day.

Seniors Molly Bolang, Emilie Clayton, Jordan Noble, Taylor Noble, Julia Pietila and Ella Roach will be honored following Sunday's contest.

Watch MTU soccer on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read the soccer preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech cross country squads will begin the postseason this weekend. The Huskies are traveling to Big Rapids, Michigan, for the 2024 GLIAC Cross Country Championships, hosted by Ferris State at the Katke Golf Course.

The men's 8K race will start the event at 11 a.m., with the women's 6K to follow at 11:45 a.m. Live results and a livestream of the races can be found on the Michigan Tech Athletics' Live Events page.

Read the cross country preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Job Postings for Friday, Oct. 25, 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 Engineer / Scientist I – Environmental Remote Sensing, Michigan Tech Research Institute. Apply online.

Assistant to the Vice President of Global Campus and Corporate Partnerships, Michigan Tech Global Campus. 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.

Hayden Henderson (GLRC) attended the International Joint Commission (IJC) meeting titled "Science Advisory Board's Great Lakes Science Plan." It was held at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Science on Oct. 10-11.

This IJC meeting convenes professionals, researchers and policy makers to discuss recommendations and updates to high-level sciences concerns or interests in the Great Lakes region. Henderson was able to share his professional opinion and experience throughout the two days, during the workshop and in expert panels.

These talks hope to build a complete plan for how to move forward in stewarding the Great Lakes best. The objective of the meeting was: "Design a comprehensive, implementable, decadal-scale science plan for the Great Lakes that includes proposed sustainable mechanisms for the level and sources of funding, governance and decision-making, the broad scientific scope, and the infrastructure, capacity, and workforce building needed to ensure intellectually strong and comprehensive scientific and cultural understandings of the greater Great Lakes ecosystem sufficient to manage and protect the system over the next decade and beyond."

The L’Anse Sentinel mentioned Judith Perlinger and Sandeep Chaudhry (both CEGE), Shawn Brueshaber (MAE) and Hayden Henderson (GLRC), as well as four Michigan Tech graduate students, in a story about the SPARC trailer open house held at the Meadowbrook Arena on Oct. 19. The event was part of a four-year research project and showcased specialized equipment used to study the atmospheric structure of the Keweenaw. Master’s students Dan Koshar and Tommy Pavell (both applied physics) and Ph.D. students Geeta Nain and James Simmons (both atmospheric sciences) were named as MTU crew members.

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Aleksandr Sergeyev (AC) was quoted and Vinh Nguyen (MAE) was mentioned in stories from the Manistee News Advocate and Big Rapids News about their participation in the Congressional AI Caucus event in Washington, D.C. Sergeyev and Nguyen showcased a teleoperated robotics system developed as part of a collaboration between Michigan Tech and West Shore Community College. The remote robotics technology was highlighted for its potential to transform workforce training. Their trip was the subject of a Michigan Tech News story.

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Microbiome Times quoted Stephen Techtmann (BioSci) in a feature story about cellular analytics company Cerillo’s launch of their Duet co-culture system. Techtmann noted how the platform has simplified his research on microbial interactions, allowing for more efficient experiment design.

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ECO Magazine mentioned Noel Urban (CEGE) in a story about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s $3 million initiative to enhance ocean carbon observing systems. Urban leads a project focused on measuring and modeling pH processes in the Laurentian Great Lakes to improve understanding of the region’s carbon system and potential acidification.

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Angie Carter (SS) was quoted by Missouri’s El Dorado Springs Sun in a story about regenerative agriculture and the role of peer support networks like Practical Farmers of Iowa. Carter discussed the importance of community support for farmers adopting sustainable practices and how peer learning helps drive environmental and economic sustainability in agriculture.

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The Mining Journal mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the University’s Keweenaw Research Center receiving the 2024 Jack Donnelly Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence. The KRC, one of just five recipients, was recognized for its work in protecting U.S. defense and national security technology.

Banner System Maintenance on Sunday

A production system maintenance window is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The following production services will be unavailable during that time:

• Apps.mtu.edu
• Banner
• Banweb
• MyMichiganTech
• Aspire
• Course Tools
• Fischer/mylogin.mtu.edu
• mtu.edu/tips
• OAP Rental System
• Oracle Reports
• Papercut Printing
• Perceptive Content (Imagenow)
• Pinnacle
• Sunapsis
• UC4/Appworx
• Virtual Cashiering
• WebFocus

If you have any questions or concerns, we can help. Email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-1111.

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Proposal Form and Requirements Document for Essential Education Courses

The Essential Education Steering Committee has finalized the following documents:

• Proposal Form: The Essential Education Proposal & List Change Form can be used to either propose a new course for one of the Essential Education course lists or to switch courses between lists.

• Requirements for Course Lists: The Requirements for Course Lists document provides a list of required and desirable elements for each Essential Ed course list.

The deadline to submit proposals is today, Oct. 25.

Google doc versions of the proposal form specific for new Michigan Tech courses and existing Michigan Tech courses are also provided to help you draft content for the proposal form; however,  please submit your proposals using the proposal form.

For questions, please contact Steve Patchin at shpatchi@mtu.edu.

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Chemistry Seminar with Rudy Luck

Rudy Luck, associate professor from the Department of Chemistry at Michigan Technological University, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar.

The seminar will be held in person at 3-4 p.m. today, Oct. 25, in Chem Sci 101.

Luck’s presentation is titled "Hydrogen: The Smallest Element with the Biggest Impact.”

From the abstract:
Hydrogen chemistry encompasses a wide range of interactions and bonding behaviors due to hydrogen's ability to form covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds. In covalent bonding, hydrogen is found in hydrides and organic molecules (e.g., hydrocarbons), while in ionic bonding, hydrogen can exist as protons (H⁺) or hydride anions (H⁻). Hydrogen bonds are crucial in biological systems, shaping the structure of water, DNA, and proteins. Additionally, hydrogen plays an important role in catalytic processes, such as hydrogenation and reactions in fuel cells. Its isotopes — protium, deuterium, and tritium — exhibit distinct chemical behaviors, particularly affecting reaction kinetics. Moreover, hydrogen is a promising clean energy source, widely used in hydrogen fuel cells, and is essential in various catalytic and energy storage processes. Hydrogen's versatility extends to high-pressure physics (e.g., metallic hydrogen) and its application in isotopic labeling and fusion research. This seminar will cover the production of hydrogen, its reactions with transition metals, and the application of fluorescent probes to detect hydrogen atoms, either in the form of hydride (H⁻) or proton (H⁺), within organelles.

Luck is renowned for his expertise in inorganic chemistry, particularly in X-ray crystallography and materials chemistry. His pioneering research has significantly advanced the understanding of complex transition metal hydrides and their properties, often bridging the disciplines of chemistry, physics and materials science. In addition to his crystallographic work, Luck has made notable contributions to materials chemistry, with a focus on the synthesis and characterization of new materials with potential applications in catalysis. His investigations into the chemical bonding in transition metal complexes have deepened our understanding of their electronic structures, particularly in compounds featuring metal-metal bonds. This research is crucial for the design of new catalysts and materials with tailored electronic properties.

Luck’s research has been supported by grants from Michigan Tech, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and more recently the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Among his noteworthy achievements are an NSF-COBASE grant in 1996, which enabled collaborative research with Professor Boris A. Popovkin at Moscow Lomonosov State University, and contract work with the U.S. military (TARDEC, 2012) that addressed the potential production of explosive contaminants resulting from the use of counterfeit refrigerants in military vehicles stationed overseas and in combat zones.

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

Friday, October 25, 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...

Graduating and Still Looking?

Friday, October 25, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 220 Career Services

Are you graduating soon and need help finding a job? Come in for a coffee and chat with one of our career advisors. We can help tailor your search, review your resume, bounce...

Undergraduate Research Forum

Friday, October 25, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 329

Faculty Research Talks Followed by FREE Lunch, Q&A and informal discussion - Free & Open to all Undergrad Math Majors Join us for an opportunity for faculty and students to...

Distinguished Lecture Series by Professor Massimo Moraldi

Friday, October 25, 1–2 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 327

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...

MathSci Colloquium: Professor Wei Guo, Texas Tech University

Friday, October 25, 1:00–1:50 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 327B

Conservative Low-rank Approximations to nonlinear-vlasov Dynamics Abstract: The Vlasov system is known as a fundamental model in plasma physics which describes the dynamics...

Master's Defense: Jonathan Rabideau

Friday, October 25, 4–5 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 122

Electrical and Computer Engineering Co-advisors: Soner Onder and Jin Choi SPECIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ARM ISA USING ADL Attend Virtually:...

Python Workshop

Friday, October 25, 5–6 p.m. | Rekhi 113

A free, in person, python workshop for beginners!

Women's Soccer vs Purdue Northwest

Friday, October 25, 5–8 p.m. | Sherman Field

Women's Soccer vs Purdue Northwest Houghton, Mich.

ASO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM

Friday, October 25, 6–8 p.m. | EERC 103

In a bid for ASO to continue to provide academic and professional development opportunities for its members, the organization invites you to ASO Professional Development Forum...

Haunted Hoist House: Fears and Phobias - Michigan Tech Theatre and the Quincy Mine Hoist Association

Friday, October 25, 7:00–10:30 p.m. |

A MICHIGAN TECH THEATRE SERIES EVENT

Women's Volleyball at Wayne State

Friday, October 25, 7–10 p.m. | Detroit, Mich.

Women's Volleyball at Wayne State Detroit, Mich.

YAF Presents: Blazing Saddles

Friday, October 25, 7–9 p.m. | Forestry G002

YAF will show Blazing Saddles on Friday, October 25th at 7 pm. We will have pop and snacks!

Men's Ice Hockey vs Clarkson

Friday, October 25, 7:07–10:07 p.m. | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena

Men's Ice Hockey vs Clarkson Houghton, Mich.

Backstage Jazz: The Music of Count Basie - Michigan Tech Jazz

Friday, October 25, 7:30 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Backstage

MICHIGAN TECH MUSIC SERIES EVENT The R&D Jazz Band under the direction of Drew Kilpela will play music written and arranged for the Count Basie Orchestra. Opening sets by MTU...

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following dissertation, thesis and report defenses occurring next week. Please consider attending to learn more about our students’ scholarship and celebrate their academic accomplishments. Check the University Events Calendar for last-minute updates to times, dates and locations.