November 20, 2024

“Tomorrow's Needs” is a series of opinion pieces from leaders around campus on the role that Michigan Tech innovators will play to define the world’s emerging needs.

In President Rick Koubek’s September article, he asked: “In 2035, what will society’s most pressing questions be? And what are Michigan Tech’s best opportunities for answering those questions?”

Continuing the discussion, Great Lakes Research Center Director Tim Havens and Marine Engineering Laboratory Director Guy Meadows present five big questions about the global demands for water and the challenges these demands present.

“Despite its abundance, less than 1% of Earth’s water is accessible for human use. This limited supply is in high demand — not only to enable the chemistry of life, but also to support the industrial, agricultural and technological infrastructure that sustains human civilization,” they write. “At Michigan Technological University, our location and mission compel us to confront global water challenges. We are ideally positioned to establish ourselves as leaders in addressing the world’s future water needs.”

Read their full article at Michigan Tech News.

It is time to move all bikes into their designated winter bike storage areas. If left out, bikes may be damaged by snow removal operations on campus.

Bikes must be removed to allow for storage of the bike racks so they will not be crushed by plow equipment or by the accumulated piles of ice and snow.

In the next couple of days, Facilities Management staff will place colored flagging on the handlebars of bikes on campus. Remove and dispose of the flagging if you’re using your bike. Bikes with flagging on the handlebars that remain on bike racks or are left in other locations on campus after 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, will be considered abandoned. Abandoned bikes will be collected by the Department of Public Safety and Police Services next week, beginning Monday, Nov. 25.

For those who continue to ride a bike during the winter months, all bike racks are left on campus throughout the winter. Many racks are just moved closer to the buildings so that they are not in the way of snow plowing. Students, faculty and staff can use these bike racks if they choose to. In addition, there are also several sheltered bike racks on campus that may be used by seasonal riders.

• Bike racks on the north side of the Library are sheltered by the building.
• The bike rack at the entrance of the GLRC is sheltered by the building.
• There are sheltered vertical/hanging bike racks under the Dow overpass on Cliff Drive.
• There is a sheltered bike rack on the west side of the EERC, near the H-STEM Complex.

A bike repair station will also be moved to the northeast corner of the Library this winter to provide additional support to those who ride during the winter months.

If you have any questions on winter bike accessibility on campus, please contact Facilities Management at 906-487-2303.

Want to put your graphic design skills to the test?

Art in Silico, a computational art exhibition at MTU hosted yearly in April, is now accepting submissions for logos to represent the 2025 event. This competition is open to MTU students — and the winner will receive prize money!

Submissions are due by Dec. 15 and must adhere to the guidelines on the Art in Silico website. Questions may be directed to silico-art-l@mtu.edu.

All Campus Timekeepers: Below are the adjusted deadlines for the pay period of Dec. 8 through Dec. 21 (Bi-Weekly 26), being paid on Dec. 27. Please note that as department timekeeper, it is your responsibility to share this information with all employees in your department.

All web time approvers must have a designated proxy set up.

• Deduction Forms — due Thursday, Dec. 12, at noon
• Electronic Time Submissions — due Monday, Dec. 16, at noon
• Electronic Time Approvals — due Monday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m.
• Paper Timesheet Submissions — due Tuesday, Dec. 17, at noon

Seasonal Day Time Reporting Instructions:
Both hourly and exempt employees should use Earn Code 320 “Seasonal Day” for Dec. 26, 27 and 30 when completing their timesheets for the pay period of Dec. 22 through Jan. 4, 2025 (Bi-Weekly 01, 2025). This earn code will become available for use within the time reporting systems for Bi-Weekly 01. Employees who are using equal time off at a later date should also report those hours under Earn Code 320.

Important Notes:

• The last off-cycle and reallocation batch of the calendar year will take place concurrently with the Bi-Weekly 26 processing during the week of Dec. 16. Off-cycle and reallocations will post on Dec. 20, and the pay day for Bi-Weekly 26, 2024, will remain Dec. 27. There will not be an off-cycle or reallocation batch the week of Dec. 30 due to the New Year’s holidays.
• Status Forms and EPAF Submissions for Bi-Weekly 01, 2025, will be due Dec. 20.
• Regular payroll processing schedules will resume when we return to campus on Jan. 2, 2025.

Happy Holidays!
For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please visit the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers PDF.

The Memorial Union Building will be closed for the holidays on the following dates:

• Thanksgiving Break: Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 1
• Winter Break: Saturday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 1

Join the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) tomorrow, Nov. 21, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Library 243 for casual conversations over your favorite beverage from Velodrome (compliments of the CTL). Educators from across campus can come together to exchange ideas, thoughts and experiences related to teaching.

Final course assessments are just around the corner! This last coffee chat of the semester will focus on discussing the various ways that instructors design their final assessments. Whether you are looking for some inspiration on how you can structure your final assessment differently or would like to share your ideas, we hope you can join us!

Our sessions offer an open, informal space to share teaching ideas, learn from each other and collaborate — no agenda or presentations, just rich conversation! Come connect, relax and enjoy some time with colleagues over a warm beverage.

Registration for Michigan Tech Aquatics’ spring 2025 programs opens on Dec. 4 at 8 a.m.!

Swimming programs are offered at the SDC for all ages and ability levels. We hope to see you at the pool!

• Adult Huskies Swim Training (ages 18 years and older)
• Adult Huskies Swim Lessons (ages 18 years and older)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Parent & Child Aquatics (ages 6 months to 3 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Preschool Aquatics (ages 4-5 years)
• Huskies Group Swim Lessons Learn to Swim Levels 1-5 (ages 6-17 years)
• Huskies Swim Training (ages 6-17 years)

If the class you are looking for is full, please fill out the waitlist form or contact Aquatics Manager Annie Bengry at ambengry@mtu.edu or 906-487-2995. We will try to add additional sections based on demand.

Questions? Contact Aquatics Manager Annie Bengry at ambengry@mtu.edu or 906-487-2995.

The DataSENSE NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) project at Michigan Tech is sponsoring the workshop "Remote Sensing Data Processing and Deep Learning with PyTorch" tomorrow, Nov. 21, from 2-4 p.m. in Noblet 139.

• In-Person Attendance: There are 10 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Online Attendance: A Zoom link will be available after registration.

Register for the DataSENSE Workshop.

The two-hour workshop is designed for individuals with basic Python coding experience who are new to deep learning but eager to learn and apply these models. Participants will learn how to apply deep learning techniques for processing optical remote sensing (RS) data. The workshop will introduce:

• The fundamentals of deep learning.
• The creation of deep learning models from scratch.
• The use of pre-trained models for image classification and image segmentation.

Participants are expected to attend the entire workshop, which will be presented by Tao Liu, assistant professor of the AI4ClimateChange Lab in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.

The workshop will be conducted using the Google Colab platform. Participants may use their own personal computers or the computers provided in the workshop room to take part in the session.

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar Speaker will present at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 21, in R. L. Smith 112.

Shannon Fitzpatrick will present "NASA’s Planetary Science – Where Science Fiction Meets Reality."

Fitzpatrick manages the $5 billion annual budget; spacecraft and/or instrument projects in formulation, development, or operations; and a team responsible for managing the Discovery, New Frontiers, and Solar System Exploration Programs and other assigned projects. She oversees planning, budgeting and coordination for planetary missions through every phase of the mission life cycle and collaborates with interagency and international partners for the successful execution of these missions.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is hosting a graduate seminar presented by Shebeer A. Rahim, postdoctoral scholar at Michigan Tech, tomorrow, Nov. 21, from 1-1:20 p.m. in M&M 610.

Rahim's presentation is titled “Microstructural Control of Biodegradable Metals for Biomedical Applications.”

From the abstract:
Conventional metallic implant materials, such as stainless steel, titanium alloys, and cobalt-chromium alloys, present numerous limitations for temporary implant applications, including cardiovascular stents and temporary orthopedic fixations such as screws and plates. Though metallic corrosion presents significant limitations and challenges in society, biodegradable and biocompatible metals can open new possibilities for temporary implants. However, biodegradable metals such as iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) should be tuned with acceptable mechanical properties and degradation rates. Metallurgical and surface modification methods can tailor the mechanical and degradation behavior of biodegradable metals. The presentation will provide an overview of the microstructural control of Zn alloy through a rapid solidification process(melt spinning) to enhance the mechanical and degradation behavior for cardiovascular stent applications.

Rahim is a postdoctoral scholar at Michigan Technological University doing research on biodegradable metallic materials for cardiovascular stent applications. He earned his Ph.D. and master’s in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Calicut, India. He has four years of experience in teaching undergraduate courses. His current research interests include biodegradable metals, thermomechanical processing,and materials characterization. He also has a good publication record in biodegradable metals.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is hosting a graduate seminar presented by M.S. candidate Joey Tomei tomorrow, Nov. 21, from 1:25-1:45 p.m. in M&M 610.

Tomei will present “Characterizing the Microstructural Effects of Rapid Solidification on Magnesium Alloys for Biomedical Applications.”

From the abstract:
Commonly treated with permanent metallic stents, coronary artery disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. These permanent metal implants can have negative long term effects including inflammation, thrombosis, and restenosis. Researchers have shifted their focus to a new generation of biodegradable alloys to reduce the risk of long-term issues caused by permanent metallic implants. The mechanical and corrosion properties of these alloys: iron, magnesium, and zinc, must be tailored to better fit cardiovascular applications. Alloy modifications, microstructural control, and surface modifications can all be used to tailor the properties of these alloys. This research investigates the effects of rapid solidification through melt spinning on the microstructure of two biodegradable magnesium alloys to enhance their mechanical and corrosion properties. Rapid solidification is being used to control the size and distribution of intermetallic particles, as well as reduce the average grain size to improve mechanical properties.

Tomei is a master’s candidate at Michigan Technological University, where he is researching magnesium alloys for biodegradable cardiovascular implants. He earned a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan Tech, where he was a member of the Supermileage Systems team in the Advanced Motorsports Enterprise. While on the Supermileage team, he focused on composite material design and manufacturing, specifically carbon fiber laminates for structural components.

During his undergrad studies, Tomei worked on the ICON Olympus Off-World Construction Project, where he characterized minerals and ceramics for applications on the lunar surface.His research interests include X-ray diffraction, lightweight structural materials and electron microscopy. When he’s not doing research, he enjoys spending time outdoors mountain biking, skiing and hunting.

Michigan Tech football's senior quarterback Alex Fries and first-year kicker Avery Kucharski have earned GLIAC Player of the Week honors.

Fries earned his second GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor. He recorded a career-high three rushing touchdowns on 15 carries (69 yards) and tossed for 203 yards (17-for-32) to help the Huskies complete a fourth-quarter comeback at Saginaw Valley State on Nov. 16 that showcased 22 straight points for Tech.

Kucharski was named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career. He connected on two field goals during Tech's game at SVSU, completing one from a career-high 45 yards, and went 2-for-2 on extra points. He also produced two monumental on-side kicks, helping the Huskies steal two possessions and hold SVSU's offense to just 45 seconds on the field in the fourth quarter.

Read more football news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Two Michigan Tech volleyball second-year student-athletes — setter Tess Hayes and libero/defensive specialist Amelia Albers — have been named GLIAC Volleyball Players of the Week.

Hayes is the GLIAC Setter of the Week for the second time this season. She led the Huskies to a road sweep in the regular season’s final weekend, averaging 11.57 assists per set in the wins. She tallied 48 assists and seven digs in Tech’s 3-1 victory at Saginaw Valley State on Nov. 15 and followed it up with 33 assists and seven digs in a sweep at Lake Superior State on Nov. 16.

Albers was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. She anchored the Huskies’ defense on the weekend, averaging 4.86 digs per set. She tallied 20 digs at SVSU and notched 14 digs at LSSU.

Read more volleyball news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Michigan Tech volleyball will open the GLIAC Tournament at Wayne State today, Nov. 20. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Matthaei Center.

The Huskies are the No. 5 seed and the Warriors are the No. 4 seed. Tech went 16-11 overall and 10-7 in the GLIAC during the regular season, winning five of the last six matches. WSU won the teams’ only matchup of the regular season, sweeping the Huskies 3-0 in Detroit.

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

Read the volleyball preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

The Michigan Tech hockey team is ranked No. 20 in this week's USA Hockey/The Rink Live Men's College Hockey Poll.

The Huskies are 6-2-0 overall and 4-0-0 in the CCHA and host No. 17 Minnesota State at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena this weekend on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23.

The series will feature two special events: Vollwerth's Family Night on Friday and Junior Hockey Night on Saturday — with an opportunity to Skate with the Huskies after Saturday's game.

Read more hockey news at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Chelsea Schelly (SS/CISR/GLRC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $300,000 research and development contract from Pennsylvania State University.

The project is titled "RAISE: CET: Design and operation of community-informed equity-based virtual power plants for achieving impact in Philadelphia."

Haiying Liu (Chem) is a co-author of a paper published in Food Chemistry.

The paper is titled "Novel near-infrared fluorescent probe with large stokes shift for detection of cysteine in food sample and living cells."

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Haiying Liu (Chem) is a co-author of a paper published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The paper is titled "Novel Colorimetric and Near-Infrared Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Sensing Cysteine in Food Samples, Plants, and Living Cells."

The Daily Mining Gazette and WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech football players Alex Fries and Avery Kucharski in stories about their GLIAC Player of the Week honors. Fries earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, while Kucharski was named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

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PR Newswire, Fenton's Tri-County Times, South Dakota’s Madison Daily Leader and over 150 additional outlets mentioned Michigan Tech alum Charles Marshall (B.S. Electrical Engineering) in stories about his appointment as vice president of ITC Holdings Corp. and president of ITC Michigan.

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Michigan Tech alum Dylan Steman ’18 ’19 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, MBA) was featured on the Nov. 19 episode of the Keeping It Real-Estate podcast. In the episode, titled “From Ice Rinks to Property Links: Dylan Steman’s Journey in Real Estate,” Steman shared insights from his career transition from professional hockey to multifamily real-estate investment sales.

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Rubber World mentioned Michigan Tech alum Jake Steinbrecher ’08 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) in a story previewing a Dec. 5 RDAbbott webinar where Steinbrecher will discuss silicone rubber’s role in electric vehicle applications.

Thanksgiving Payroll Schedule

All Campus Timekeepers: Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday observance on Nov. 28 and 29, for the pay period ending Nov. 23 (Bi-Weekly 24), the deadlines for payroll forms will be as listed below.

Please be sure that all web time approvers have a designated proxy set up.

• Deduction Forms — due Thursday, Nov. 21, at noon
• Electronic Time Submissions — due Friday, Nov. 22, at noon
• Electronic Time Approvals — due Friday, Nov. 22, at 2 p.m.
• Manual Timesheet Submissions — due Monday, Nov. 24, at noon

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

For instructions on how to set up a proxy, please visit the Quick Reference Guide for Approvers PDF.

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This Week's C-Cubed Luncheon Menu

Carved and Crafted Catering at Michigan Technological University invites you to join the C-Cubed Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge (MUB 107). All faculty and staff, along with their guests, are invited.

Menu for Thursday, Nov. 21:

• Za’tar Roasted Chicken Breast (AG) (PR)
• Blackened Salmon (AG) (PR)
• Chickpea and Tomato Salad (V) (AG)
• Broccoli, Lemon, and Garlic Penne Pasta (V) (PR)
• Broccoli Rabe (VG) (AG)

The 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 and tea are available free to all attendees. All vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items on the buffet are labeled for easy identification. Meals are for dine-in only, and personal containers and to-go meals are not permitted.

The buffet lunch is $15.50 per person. Cash, credit cards and gift cards are accepted. Gift cards can be purchased in the Memorial Union Office (MUB 101).

You can submit C-Cubed feedback using C-Cubed Survey/Comments form. To join the C-Cubed Luncheon Email List and receive weekly menus, please complete the sign-up form.

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USG Post-Election Stress Roundtable

Join Undergraduate Student Government (USG) for a Post-Election Stress Roundtable discussion tomorrow, Nov. 21, from 7-9 p.m. in MUB Ballroom B.

The roundtable will be a supportive space to discuss the 2024 General Election and the electoral process. Join us to share your thoughts and learn more about how U.S. elections are held. There will be guest speakers taking questions and discussing the election process.

Stop in to:

• Ask questions of educated individuals on the election process
• Discuss stress in a changing administration
• Share concerns for the future

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

Women's Volleyball vs TBA

Wednesday, November 20, 12–3 a.m.

Women's Volleyball vs TBA

Composing, Coding, and Conversing in AI Work Session

Wednesday, November 20, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Rekhi Hall, 101

Ever wanted a block of time when you could just write, code, or network with your peers? The Center for AI’s Composing, Coding, and Conversing in AI group aims to provide...

Open Enrollment Support Session

Wednesday, November 20, 12–5 p.m. | Fisher 330

Electron Microscopy Consultation Sessions

Wednesday, November 20, 1–3 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), 607

As part of ACMAL actions to strengthen the electron microscopy user base at Tech, Dr. Erico Freitas is offering a few hours of free-of-charge consultations in November for the...

PhD Defense: Samuel Hervey

Wednesday, November 20, 2–3 p.m. | U. J. Noblet Forestry Building, G002

Forest Science Advisor: Kristin Brzeski A MULTIMOLECULAR PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUCCESS OF WOLF RECOVERY AND RELOCATION

Café Français - French Conversation Hour

Wednesday, November 20, 4–5 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, HDMZ 120C

Café Français, the French conversation hour group invites you to join! Practice your French, explore the French-speaking world, and meet new people. This last meetings is...

Husky Innovate: Business Pitch Competition

Wednesday, November 20, 5–7 p.m. | Minerals and Materials Engineering Building (M&M), U113

The annual Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition will take place Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 5-7 pm in the M&M Building, Room U115. Hosted by the College of Business...

Python Workshop

Wednesday, November 20, 5–6 p.m. | Rekhi 113

A free, in person, python workshop for beginners!

SoundGirls General Meeting!

Wednesday, November 20, 5–6 p.m. | Walker 210

SoundGirls strives to empower women and minorities in the audio industry. This year, we are working on a halloween themed reality TV show.

Undeclared: Exploring Majors at Michigan Tech

Wednesday, November 20, 6:30–9:00 p.m.

Are you having trouble deciding on a major? Join us for a virtual event for students who have multiple interests and are not sure which one to pursue. During this event, we...