March 11, 2025

Are you interested in making changes to one of your fall 2025 courses? Examples include designing new assignments, redesigning activities, restructuring the course, integrating generative artificial intelligence, and/or incorporating multiple forms of assessment of student learning. Do you lack the time, resources or inspiration to innovate? IDEAhub can help. We have 12 mini grants available in summer 2025 Track A to invest in your ideas.

Mini grants are open to instructors in any discipline, any department. We are particularly interested in projects that focus on incorporating active learning, group activities, new ways of assessing student learning, and/or changing classroom culture.

Grant recipients will participate in a four-week, in-person summer program offering resources, community and deadlines to help you move forward on your project. We welcome participants who know they want to change an aspect of their course, but don’t know how to change it. Our ideation sessions will help you come up with possibilities. We will provide community support for your project via weekly office hours where you can try out your ideas and get feedback from your peers.

Only face-to-face participation options will be available. To be accepted into this program, you will be expected to attend the Kickoff and Ideation Session in Week 1, one office hour per week during Weeks 2 and 3, and the Prototype Testing and Workshop Finale during Week 4.

Tentative Schedule:

• Week 1:
  • Kickoff: Monday, May 12 , from 12-2 p.m.
  • Ideation Session: Thursday, May 15, from 12-2 p.m
• Weeks 2-3:
  • Office Hour: Monday, May 19, from 12-1 p.m. or Thursday, May 22, from 12-1 p.m.
  • Office Hour: Wednesday, May 28, from 12-1 p.m. or Thursday, May 29, from 12-1 p.m.
• Week 4:
  • Prototype Testing: Monday, June 2, from 12-2 p.m.
  • Workshop Finale: Thursday, June 5, from 12-2 p.m.

Deliverables:

• Copy of new assignment, syllabus, demo, etc.
• Implementation in a course in fall 2025.
• Written reflection on the outcomes at the end of the fall semester.
• Collaborate with other participants to share your project and lessons learned with the campus community.
• Participants will be encouraged to also share their project at next year’s UP Teaching and Learning Conference.

Participants will receive $1,000 upon completion of the program. Please take five minutes to apply using the IDEAhub Course Innovation Grant Application. Applications are due March 31.

Questions can be directed to ideahub@mtu.edu.

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning reminds you that there is still time to submit comments for the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award finalists, recognizing outstanding contributions to Michigan Tech’s instructional mission. Comments will be accepted via online submission through March 31. Based on more than 39,000 student ratings of instruction, ten finalists have been selected for this year’s awards. The selection committee will consider feedback from students, staff, faculty, and alumni in their deliberations.

Assistant Professor/Assistant Teaching Professor Finalists:

• Jason Archer (Humanities), Assistant Professor
• Estela Mira Barreda (Humanities), Assistant Teaching Professor
• Terri Frew (Visual and Performing Arts), Assistant Teaching Professor
• Gord Patterson (Biological Sciences), Assistant Professor
• Tim Wagner (Mathematical Sciences), Assistant Teaching Professor

Associate Professor/Associate Teaching Professor/Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice Finalists:

• Matt Barron (Engineering Fundamentals), Associate Teaching Professor
• Zack Fredin (Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering), Associate Teaching Professor
• Paniz Khanmohammadi Hazaveh (Applied Computing), Associate Teaching Professor
• Jeffery Hollingsworth (Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering), Professor of Practice
• Teresa Woods (Mathematical Sciences), Associate Teaching Professor

The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from this list of finalists also involves the additional surveying of their spring 2025 classes. The selection committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The 2025 Distinguished Teaching Awards will be formally announced in June. For more information, please contact ctl@mtu.edu.

The Department of Humanities (HU) is pleased to be hosting candidates for on-campus interviews for the position of department chair.

The next candidate will present a department leadership seminar titled "Leading Together" on Thursday, March 13, from 11 a.m. - noon in Walker 134 and via Zoom.

The candidate will also present a research and teaching presentation titled “Compassion as Interdisciplinary Research and as Humanities Pedagogy” on Friday, March 14, from 1-2 p.m. in GLRC 202 and via Zoom.

Join the HU Department Chair Seminar on Zoom.  

All members of the Michigan Tech community are welcome to attend.

Join Evan Lucas (ICC) tomorrow, March 12, in Rekhi 112 for the AI Art Workshop, part of the Art in Silico Event Series!

In this workshop, Lucas will provide an overview on the history of generative models, from GANS to DALL-E, followed by a chance to play around with generative AI models and discuss the ethics, challenges, and perks of this technology in a group setting. 

This workshop, as well as all other Art in Silico events, is free and open to the public! Please email townsend@mtu.edu with any questions about Art in Silico.

Qi Zhong from St. Louis University will present at this week's Physics Colloquium. Qi Zhong's presentation is titled "Non-Hermiticity and Exceptional Points in Photonics: From Classical to Quantum." 

The seminar will be presented at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, in Fisher 325. 

Read Qi Zhong's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

The Health Research Institute will host their Spring Research Social on Friday, March 14, from 1-2 p.m. in MUB Ballroom B1.

The presenters are:

• Hongyu An, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Maria Gencoglu, Chemical Engineering
• Daniel Shtob, Social Sciences

We hope to see you there!

Due to the ongoing Department Chair search and candidate visits, the RTC Brown Bag Reading Circle with Holly Hassell originally scheduled for March 14 has been postponed to Fall 2025.

Please do join us on March 28, April 4, and April 11 for our remaining Spring 2025 Brown Bag events! Details will be announced in Tech Today and on Humanities department channels.

Join the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) on Wednesday, March 12, from 4-5 p.m. in EERC 508 to learn about advanced degree options in electrical and computer engineering and the accelerated master's program.

Jin Choi, ECE Chair and Graduate Program Director, will discuss:

• ECE Accelerated MS program
• Double counting undergraduate credits
• Senior Rule - earn graduate credits prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree
• Applying to Graduate School
• Online options

All ECE undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to attend.

Pizza, soft drinks, and cookies will be available!

Contact ecegradadvise@mtu.edu for more information.

 

Chibuike Udenigwe, professor and University Research Chair in Food Properties and Nutrient Bioavailability at the School of Nutrition Sciences, University of Ottawa, will be presenting at this week's Chemistry Seminar. The seminar will be held virtually at 3 p.m. Friday, March 14, on Zoom. Password: 183849

From the abstract:
The intrinsic structures of food proteins make them relevant in a wide range of applications beyond their basic nutritional roles. We have used physical and chemical triggers to structure food proteins and their peptide fragments into functional networks for value-added applications such as biomaterials, including hydrogels, bioplastics, and nanodelivery systems. We have also applied the bioinformatics approach to advance food protein utilization through structure-informed processing and to discover novel peptides with self-assembly and bioactive properties. This seminar will focus on the underlying principles in formulating the protein- and peptide-based supramolecular structures, and the opportunities and challenges in the use of the food biopolymers in developing functional biomaterials for various applications.

Chibuike Udenigwe is a Full Professor and University Research Chair in Food Properties and Nutrient Bioavailability at the School of Nutrition Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada where he is also a Cross-appointed Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, and a Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Science, Society and Policy. His research takes the chemical sciences approach in exploring food and health, with a focus on sustainable processing, alternative proteins, functional foods and nutraceuticals, especially bioactive peptides, functional biomaterials (peptide hydrogels, and protein-based nano- delivery systems and edible bioplastics), and their health effects. He is editor of the book, Food Proteins and Peptides (2021, Royal Society of Chemistry) and serves on several journal editorial boards. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK and Fellow of the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society.

The University Senate will convene Meeting 715 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, in Chem Sci 102.

Those within the University community unable to attend in person have the option to attend the University Senate meeting via Zoom. Please note: You will need to log in to your MTU Zoom account to join the virtual meeting.

Senators are responsible for making their constituents aware of the agenda for this meeting. Senators who are unable to attend should arrange for their alternates to attend in their place.

View the agenda to Meeting 715.

Clara Shaw, disease ecologist from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, will be presenting on Thursday, March 13, from 3-4 p.m. in GLRC 202 and on Zoom.

Join the BioSci Seminar on Zoom.

Shaw's presentation is titled "Understanding viral persistence within natural and non-natural host species."

From the abstract:
Countless genetic and environmental factors impact susceptibility to infectious disease and the outcome of infection. We use a Caenorhabditis nematode – Orsay virus system to understand these factors through laboratory experiments. During the first part of my talk, I will discuss our work exploring the effect of maternal age on Orsay virus susceptibility and viral amplification. We found that early offspring (from young parents) had greater viral loads than later offspring (from older parents). Interestingly, when the virus was allowed to transmit in populations derived from early or late offspring, there was more viral amplification in the populations derived from the later offspring. We are now working to mechanistically understand these effects, which, at first glance, seem contradictory. During the second part of my talk, I will discuss our experiments to understand factors that govern the success of viruses following spillover of Orsay virus to Caenorhabditis species that do not naturally host the virus. Often, spillover results in dead-end infections, sometimes, in stuttering transmission chains that die out, and rarely, large epidemics and virus persistence. We exposed populations of non-natural host species to the virus and measured epidemiological characteristics of the resulting spillover process (i.e. prevalence of infection, intensity of infection, and the degree of virus shedding from novel hosts). We then quantified viral persistence in populations through a passage experiment: we used quantitative PCR to track virus persistence in passaged host populations for 10 passages or until virus was undetectable, indicating its loss. We found that sustained transmission was associated with infection prevalence in the exposed population and the ability of exposed hosts to detectably shed the virus, but not with the infection intensity. Though there are few other experimental studies of disease emergence for comparison, our findings are in line with theory and with findings in invasion ecology: the probability of persistence increases with more introductions and pre-adaptation to the novel environment. These findings suggest that continued monitoring of pathogens known to replicate and disseminate from human cells and of spillover events that infect multiple individuals is important for disease emergence monitoring.

Job Posting for Tuesday, March 11, 2025

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.

​Custodian (12 months/​40 hours), Facilities (AFSCME posting dates March 11 to March 17, 2025 — external applicants are encouraged to apply; however, internal AFSCME applicants are given first consideration if they apply during the internal AFSCME posting dates). 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.

Dong (Dane) Min Kim '24 (Ph.D. Environment and Energy Policy) and Adam M. Wellstead (SS) are co-authors of a research paper published in the journal Utilities Policy.

The paper is titled "New avenues for community solar adoption research: A qualitative comparative analysis of ten U.S. states."

Kim is the lead author of the paper. An additional co-author is Shan Zhou of Purdue University. 

Sarah Hoy (CFRES) was quoted by the Chicago Tribune in a story about the ongoing debate over the federal protection of gray wolves. Hoy discussed her research on the ecological role of gray wolves on Isle Royale and the potential impacts of delisting the species from federal protections.

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WZMQ 19 News mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the “Stand Up for Science” rally at Michigan’s Capitol. The rally, protesting cuts to research funding, emphasized the broader concerns across research institutions about the potential impact of reduced federal support.

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Michigan Tech chef Erik Copeland was interviewed by WLUC TV6 in a story about his training for the Mackinac Bridge Swim in July. Copeland is working towards completing the 4.5-mile swim while improving his health.

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WLUC TV6 mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the Huskies’ men’s basketball postseason awards. Head coach Josh Buettner was named GLIAC Coach of the Year, while Marcus Tomashek earned GLIAC Player of the Year honors. Tomashek, Dawson Nordgaard, and Josh Terrian also received All-Conference recognitions.

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CBS Sports, Yahoo! News, and 20 national news outlets mentioned Michigan Tech hockey defenseman Chase Pietila in stories about his signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pietila was drafted by the Penguins in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

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Navy Leaders mentioned Michigan Tech’s Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) in a story about General Dynamics Land Systems continuing to test its new Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) with the U.S. Marine Corps. The KRC was a key test location for the ARV C4/UAS variant from March to December 2024.

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The Daily Mining Gazette mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the men’s and women’s distance medley relay teams setting school records at the Ripon Final Qualifier. The women’s team, Claire Endres, Reilly Loverchek, Cedar Gordon and Sophia Rhein clocked a 12:20.26, breaking the previous record by 44 seconds, while the men’s team, Lucas Seng, Broderick Steward, John Paul Norland and Nik Thomas, finished in 10:20.77, setting a new record by over 12 seconds.

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Michigan Tech alum Paul Rogers '88 ‘04 (B.S., Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering) was mentioned by the Traverse City Record-Eagle in a story about his keynote address at the inaugural Northern Michigan Defense Conference.

Mark Your Calendar: Tech Forward Campus Conversations

Michigan Tech is anticipating the launch of the University’s next iteration of the Tech Forward initiatives. As was the case with the initial Tech Forward initiatives, campus conversations will be a critical part of defining what the new initiatives might look like. Conversations will follow the themes of the “Tomorrow’s Needs” articles published throughout the fall 2024 semester in order to coalesce input from the campus community and ensure that all voices are heard early in the process.

Everyone’s input is important, and we hope you are able to participate in one or both of our planned Tech Forward Campus Conversations:

• Friday, March 14, from 12-1:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom
• Friday, March 28, from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby

These conversations will be compiled, summarized and shared with the campus community on April 4 from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Lobby.

This early feedback is intended to position everyone to continue to think about future directions before we reconvene in fall 2025 to work through the details of designing and moving our new initiatives forward.

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Physics Colloquium with Bumho Kim

Bumho Kim from the University of Pennsylvania will present at this week's Physics Colloquium. Kim's presentation is titled "Customizing Artificial Quantum Materials For Information Technology."

The seminar will be presented  at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 11, in Fisher 325. 

Read Bumho Kim's abstract and bio at the University Events Calendar.

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

Isle Royale Art Exhibition - Michigan Tech Art

Tuesday, March 11, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Rozsa Galleries A-Space

MICHIGAN TECH ART SERIES EVENT Enter into a world of artistic expression inspired by the wilderness of Isle Royale. The artworks showcased in this exhibition have all been...

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Physics Colloquium with Bumho Kim

Tuesday, March 11, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Fisher Hall, 325

Bumho Kim of University of Pennsylvania will present at this Tuesday Physics Colloquium. Bumho Kim's presentation is titled "Customizing Artificial Quantum Materials For...

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CTL/Essential Education Lunch and Learn: PebblePad Working Lunch

Tuesday, March 11, 12–1 p.m. | J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning for the following opportunity: https://mtu.libcal.com/event/13802151

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Master's Defense: Arabella Brodowski

Tuesday, March 11, 1–2 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building, 404

Sustainable Communities Co-advisors: Chelsea Schelly and Kari Henquinet Investigating Dimensions of Social Vulnerability to Wildfire: A Case Study of Western Montana ...

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Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty Promotion File Workshop

Tuesday, March 11, 3–5 p.m. | Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom A1

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will host a workshop, Preparing an Instructional Track Faculty (ITF) Promotion File, on Tuesday, March...

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Stammtisch

Tuesday, March 11, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Walker Arts and Humanities Center, 120C HDMZ

Join us for German conversation and get to know the German-speaking community at Michigan Tech!

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International Students: Pathways to Employment

Tuesday, March 11, 5–6 p.m. | Administration and Student Services Building (Admin, Building 1), 220 Career Services

Join virtually or in person in Admin 220. Career Services staff will will provide snacks and conversation. Registration is required. Guest speakers Max von Wels, Global...

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NCSA General Meeting

Tuesday, March 11, 6–7 p.m. | Chem-Sci 102

A weekly meeting where we cover what's going on in the organization, often followed by a guest presenter, then discussion of what's going on in the world of tech.

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Bible Study - John

Tuesday, March 11, 7:00–8:45 p.m. | His House Campus House

Join us as we continue to study the Gospel of John this semester! Who is Jesus? Who did he claim to be? If you are a seasoned Christian or just exploring your...

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Crochet - Husky Hobbies

Tuesday, March 11, 7–9 p.m. | The Makerspace (MUB Basement)

Come learn to crochet a leggy frog with Craft Club! All instructions and supplies included, and all experience levels welcome!

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Serve The King Main Meeting

Tuesday, March 11, 7–9 p.m. | Wads G42W

Want to learn who Christ is? Why we sin? Why the world is in it's current state? Join us as we preach Christ crucified and risen, salvation to all who believe. Pizza...

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Michigan Tech Parent and Family Panel

Tuesday, March 11, 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Join us virtually to meet parents of our current Huskies! They'll tell you about their student's experiences at Michigan Tech and how to navigate the whole process as a parent.