January 9, 2025

Gustavo Bejar-Lopez, a geology Ph.D. student at Michigan Tech, was just 30 days old when his parents brought him to visit a local volcano in his home country of Ecuador. Now, he’s a volcanologist-in-training studying lahars — fast moving mixtures of volcanic debris and water that resemble mudflows or landslides.

Bejar-Lopez recently embarked on an expedition funded by both the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society to the “perfect natural laboratory” of Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego. Alongside researchers from Michigan Tech and Boise State University, Bejar-Lopez was able to collaborate with an undergraduate student from Yachay Tech University in Ecuador, where Bejar-Lopez himself first began studying geology.

“As an undergraduate student in Yachay Tech University, I joined an expedition to find and collect fossils in the Peruvian Amazon thanks to another project funded by, coincidentally, both the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society,” said Bejar-Lopez. “I wanted to generate the same impact on students through my National Geographic project.”

Read more about Bejar-Lopez’s research and expedition on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog.

Purchasing textbooks can be a financial burden for students. In recognition of this challenge, the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Campus Store work together to identify course materials that are available in the library’s collections. A list of textbook requests sent to the Campus Store for the spring 2025 semester was reviewed and compared to existing library collections to identify “accidental textbooks.”

Accidental textbooks have been placed on Course Reserve and instructors have been notified of their availability. All materials currently placed on Course Reserve can be found in the “Course Materials from the Library” special collection on the library’s website. An additional list located on our Course Materials page can be searched by course code. Instructors are encouraged to share this information with their students.

Please Note: The library is unable to purchase copies of every book assigned in Michigan Tech classes, but identifying “accidental textbooks” in the library’s collections can help to make the Course Reserve system a valuable resource for our students.

Apply now for the spring 2025 Michigan Tech Faculty DC Trip, happening the week of May 4. This trip has a long-standing tradition of connecting researchers to funding agencies and other collaboration opportunities in the nation’s capital city.

This spring, the trip will have a health-related research focus. Health is broadly defined. Even if you don’t think you do health-related research, you are welcome to apply and join the trip. We look forward to collaborating with potential participants on the logistics of an impactful experience.

Applications
For the 2025 DC Trip, we request all who are interested, even if you are unsure, to complete a short application. The application is a nonbinding submission that helps us understand the distribution of the group's characteristics. You’ll notice that the new interest form gives several weeks for you to give input. We will have a small group of reviewers look at the applications, which will inform the distribution of cost-share from MTU's Health Research Institute, colleges and Vice President for Research Office. We ask that interested researchers apply by completing the application by Feb. 26.

Check out our DC Trip Timeline for sessions, deadlines and expectations.

Next up in the timeline is: 

• Fill out the application form by Feb. 26.
• Plan on joining us on Jan. 16 at noon for a hybrid session featuring DC Trip info and a Q&A.
• Talk to chairs and deans about attending.
• Make a list of program officers you want to meet with.

If you have any interest at all in the DC Trip, please fill out the short application form. We will be limiting all future communications about the DC Trip to those who fill out the form.

The DC Trip website will continue to be updated.

Please join the Graduate School in congratulating Michigan Tech's Spring 2025 Finishing Fellows. Awardees will be recognized daily in Tech Today through Jan. 17.

Junyao Yang’s first experience with computer science research deepened his interest in computer memory systems and ultimately led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science. His research focuses on the modeling and optimization of software caching systems, motivated by the challenges posed by diverse and variable software caching workloads and the critical need for efficient use of memory to reduce resource costs.

Read more about Yang’s journey at Michigan Tech on the Graduate School Newsblog.

Please join the Graduate School in congratulating Michigan Tech's Spring 2025 Finishing Fellows. Awardees will be recognized daily in Tech Today through Jan. 17.

Kendall Belopavlovich started their Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture in 2020. Their dissertation is a critique of the historical and contemporary relationship between the U.S., Japan and each country's marginalized “Others” through the lens of animation. They have authored several publications on various critiques of animation related to queer studies and Indigenous studies, and currently serve as the Indigenous studies area chair for the Midwest Popular Culture Association conference.

Read more about Belopavlovich’s journey at Michigan Tech on the Graduate School Newsblog.

Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) is looking for staff and faculty who are interested in becoming advisors for registered student organizations (RSOs). While we do not have a specific need at this time, vacancies occur regularly throughout the year due to staffing changes or the establishment of new student groups. Collecting this information before a vacancy occurs allows us to provide a smooth and efficient resource for groups who seek advice or direction on finding a new advisor.

As an advisor, you will have the chance to provide guidance and support to student leaders while fostering an environment that encourages leadership, innovation and collaboration. Learn more about being an RSO advisor on SLI's website.

To express your interest in becoming an advisor, please take a moment to fill out our Student Organization Advisor Interest Form. Your participation will not only benefit our students but also contribute to the overall enrichment of our University community.

Michigan Tech will host our first-ever Zero Waste Hockey Game when the Huskies take on Lake Superior State on Saturday, Jan. 11. The initiative aims to demonstrate how large-scale sporting events can minimize their environmental impact while maintaining an exceptional fan experience.

Attendees will notice several environmentally friendly changes at the game, including compostable packaging at concessions, waste collection stations with clearly marked recycling and composting bins, and volunteer support to guide proper waste sorting. Following the game, a team of volunteers will ensure proper waste management, partnering with Recycle 906 and Partridge Creek Compost to divert materials from landfills.

Volunteers Welcome!
Interested in volunteering during the Zero Waste Hockey Game? Volunteers gain free entry into the game. Sign up to volunteer and support sustainability efforts on campus!

The Zero Waste Hockey Game is a partnership between MTU Athletics, Husky Eats and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

For the first time in a long time, the Michigan Tech women's basketball team will have both a road and home GLIAC game this weekend. The Huskies are traveling to Northern Michigan today, Jan. 9, with tipoff at 5:30 p.m., before hosting first-year GLIAC affiliate Roosevelt at the SDC Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 11, at noon.

Thursday's game will be locally televised on FOX-UP, and fans far and wide can watch MTU women's basketball on FloSports (subscription required — a discount is available for students).

Read the women's basketball preview at Michigan Tech Athletics.

Susanta Ghosh (MAE/ICC) is the principal investigator on a project that received a $669,490 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation.

The project is titled "CAREER: Bayesian Symmetry-Respecting Machine Learning Framework for Predicting Electronic Structures in Materials Design."

This is a potential five-year project.

Chad Deering (GMES) was a guest on the Jan. 7 episode of Michigan Public’s “Stateside” radio show. The episode discussed Deering’s work in carbon capture and its potential to reduce global warming, along with the logistics involved in the process. 

*****

Freight Waves quoted Pasi Lautala (CEGE/MTTI) in a story about the railroad industry’s need to attract young jobseekers. Lautala discussed Michigan Tech’s role in preparing students for careers in railroad transportation, noting that many Tech students secure internships or full-time jobs in the industry.

*****

Adjunct Instructor Joshua Pearce (MSE) was quoted and Robert Handler (ChE/CEGE/SS) was mentioned by Ontario's Western University in a story about the economic and environmental benefits of using sheep for vegetation management on solar farms. Their 2022 study highlighted how sheep grazing under solar panels provides a profitable revenue stream for farmers while reducing the need for herbicides and grass cutting.

Volunteer Opportunity: Spring Career Fair

Spring Career Fair will take place on Jan. 28 from 12-5 p.m., and Career Services is looking for volunteers from the Michigan Tech community to help make this event a success!

We have a variety of shifts, tasks and roles available, so there’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Your support is essential in creating a meaningful experience for our students and employers — and it plays a pivotal role in the future success of many Huskies.

If you’re able to assist, please visit the Spring Career Fair Volunteer Sign-Up Form to select a shift that works for you.

Thank you for your time, energy and commitment. We couldn’t do it without you!

*****

On-Campus Jobs Expo Planned Next Tuesday

Save the Date: Career Services is hosting an on-campus jobs expo on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the MUB. Students are encouraged to come check out the job opportunities available right here on campus. Many Michigan Tech departments will be represented.

If your department has not signed up and would like to attend, please contact Career Services at careerfair@mtu.edu.

*****

Today'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, Jan. 9:

• Meatball Sub
• Ratatouille with Cannellini Beans (V) (VG)
• Italian Vegetables (V) (VG)
• Minestrone Soup (V) (VG)
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Cookie Platter (V)

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.

*****

MTRAC Grant Request for Proposals Open Now

Applications for the 2025 Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization (MTRAC) grants opened on Jan. 1 and will close on March 31.

The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Applied Advanced Materials program at Michigan Tech provides funding and resources to support materials-related projects with high commercial potential. This support includes research and development funding for prototype and late-stage translational activities, with consultation and mentoring from an oversight committee including industry and investment experts.

Contact Julie Baker at juabaker@mtu.edu or 906-487-3458 to receive assistance and guidance on proposal preparation.

Proposal instructions can be found in the 2025 MTRAC Applied Advanced Materials Application Process PDF. Information about MTRAC is available on the University's MTRAC page.

*****

MTU Wellness 360 Incentive Deadline is Tomorrow

Remember to complete your MTU Wellness 360 Incentive 2024 Checklist Google form with the activities you completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, to earn up to $450 in health incentives for benefits-eligible employees.

Tomorrow, Jan. 10, is the deadline to submit your MTU Wellness 360 Incentive 2024 Checklist for the 2024 reporting period. The 2024 payout incentives will be available in late February.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at hr-help@mtu.edu or call 906-487-2517.

*****

MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker: Juhyeon Ahn

The next Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Graduate Seminar Speaker will present at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 9, in EERC 103.

Juhyeon Ahn will present "New Chemistries for Advanced Battery Materials and Their Behavior."

Ahn is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wyoming. Her primary research focuses on energy storage systems, with the emphasis on exploring new battery materials and employing advanced analytical methods to understand the fundamental behavior of materials and electrochemical mechanisms.

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

New Chemistries for Advanced Battery Materials and Their Behavior

Thursday, January 9, 2–3 p.m. | Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), 103

MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker Series proudly presents Juhyeon Ahn, PhD University of Wyoming Abstract Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries operate by facilitating the...

Undergraduate Research Info Session

Thursday, January 9, 4–5 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

Are you interested in undergraduate research? Are you considering applying for the Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) or the Summer Undergraduate Research...

Clay Creations

Thursday, January 9, 5–7 p.m. | MUB Commons

Turn our colorful air-dry clay into wonderful creations such as magnets, keychains and knick-knacks!

Las Vegas Alumni Social during the 2025 CES Convention

Thursday, January 9, 7–9 p.m.

Whether you're in town for the 2025 CES Convention or a Las Vegas-based alum, you're invited to join volunteer hosts Peipei Zhao '09 and Tao (Daniel) Tao '14 for an alumni...

Vastness: Art, Sound, & Meditation

January 9, all day | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, East Reading Room

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Vastness is an art exhibition and meditation lounge area installed at east end of the Van Pelt Opie reading room. Conceived by Anne Beffel, it...