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STEM Outreach During Fall 2016 at Michigan Tech

Published October 5, 2016

Brimley Area School Students Visit Michigan Tech

Thirty middle-school students, plus two science teachers, and two chaperones from Brimley Area Schools visited Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw Peninsula from Sept. 28-30, 2016. The outreach event was hosted by Ted Bornhorst, Executive Director, A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, and Joan Chadde, Director of the Center for Science & Environmental Outreach. The Brimley Area Schools student population is 54 % Native American and 51 % low income. Students participated in a half-day of STEM activities on campus with Brian Barkdoll and “Kiko” de Melo e Silva, faculty and research scientist, respectively, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Sarah Sun in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.

“We were pleased to provide this unique opportunity for the Brimley students that may spark their interest to pursue a STEM degree at Michigan Tech,” explained Bornhorst.

“This was a great group of students,” observed Chadde. “We plan to work with them to make this an annual visit.”

Brian Barkdoll and Brimley Area Schools Students

Kiko de Melo e Silva and Brimley Area School Students

Sarah Sun and Brimley Area School Students

SIS & SAAM Hold Annual Meeting

The students of SIS (Society of Intellectual Sisters) and SAAM (Society of African American Men) alumni participated in several STEM activities just like their parents did at Tech! Joan Chadde facilitated several Family Engineering activities for the students, who ranged in age from 3-17 years. A favorite activity is the “Hot Chocolate Machine where students stack 10-15 cups to let gravity do its thing and mix the milk power and cocoa powder—and Voila! Hot chocolate!”

Unscripted Geoheritage: More than a Boulder

Published September 19, 2016

By College of Engineering

The rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula are ancient and full of history. Most are more than one billion years old and hold one of the world’s few native copper deposits. In their guest blog, part of a series on local geoheritage, Erika Vye and Bill Rose explain the importance of a single Copper Country boulder.

The North Houghton County Sewage Authority hit a boulder during work south of Calumet. The boulder is large—nearly seven feet across—but that’s not what makes it unusual. The rock type is a rare sight at the surface and is chock full of copper. The rock is part of the Calumet and Hecla Conglomerate, a formation considered the mother lode of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and represents an important part of the region’s history.

Unscripted Geoheritage: Stamping Through History

Published September 1, 2016

By College of Engineering

News

The rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula are ancient: More than one billion years old, containing loads of native copper deposits. Mining them created a legacy seen throughout the region.

The nation’s first big mining boom certainly left its mark on the peninsula. It left icons like the Quincy Mine Hoist; it left massive deposits of mine waste, a fine material called stamp sands, outside Gay; it left a few problems, like a Superfund site in and around Torch Lake. As rich as the copper that people once mined here, the history of the Keweenaw is full of stories, insight, dilemmas, and opportunities. Call it geoheritage.

As part of ongoing geoheritage education, the annual Geotours are an effort to bring the earth processes and cultural legacy of the land to light. The program is run by Bill Rose, a professor emeritus of geology at Michigan Tech, and Erika Vye, a recent PhD graduate of the geology program. On Thursday, July 28, they took a boatload of people to the eastern side of the peninsula for an up-close and personal view of the Keweenaw’s industrial mining legacy.

Michigan Tech Quoted on Earthquake in Chile

Published July 28, 2016

By College of Engineering

News

The Guardian Liberty Voice, an online newspaper, published an article about an earthquake that hit the coast of Chile on Monday, quoting Michigan Tech earthquake experts.

From Tech Today.

Earthquake Rocks Coastal Chile

In heavily populated areas, these magnitude earthquakes can cause extensive damage. According to Michigan Tech University, tremblors of a magnitude 6 or higher, occur about 100 times each year, throughout the world.

Carnegie Museum to Host Guided Tours

Published July 12, 2016

By College of Engineering

Four Michigan Tech Professors will act as guides during three upcoming guided tours highlighting the history of the Keweenaw.

The tours are sponsored by Houghton’s Carnegie Museum, and begin with a wine and cheese social at the museum at 5 p.m. Following the social, participants will board the Red Jacket Trolley Company’s bus for a two-hour trip through time.

The first guided tour “Torch Lake Mining Waste,” is tomorrow (July 13). Geologists Bill Rose (GMES) and Erika Vye are the guides through a tour along the industrial corridor associated with milling of Quincy and Calumet mines along Torch Lake’s western shore. The tour takes a look at areas from Mason to Tamarack City, Hubbell and Lake Linden, viewing mill sites and stampsand areas while discussing the modern implications and environmental mitigation efforts.

Upcoming tours will explore “Trials and Trails of Huron Creek,” with Alex Mayer (CEE) and Carol MacLennan (SS), Wednesday Aug. 3 and “Hockey Arenas of the Copper Country,” with Bill Sproule (CEE), Thursday Sept. 8.

All tours begin with the social at 5 p.m. with the tours to follow at 5:30 p.m. and are expected to last two hours. The cost is $25 ($20 for museum members). Reservations are recommended and your seat is not guaranteed until payment is made.

Check out the museum’s Facebook page.

From Tech Today.

NSF Video Showcase features Geoheritage Field Education

Published May 23, 2016

By Kim Geiger

photo by Jim Belote — photo by John Belote

Dr. Erika Vye, who earned her PhD in Geology at Michigan Tech just last month, together with her PhD advisor Professor Bill Rose, have created interpretative videos about the geological underpinnings of the Keweenaw. One such video, “Geoheritage Field Education in Michigan’s UP”, which features beautiful aerial drone imagery, is live now on the NFS Video Showcase, http://videohall.com/p/791 #stemvideohall. Please watch and vote. Public choice voting will end at 8:00 pm Monday, May 23. 2016, but the video will remain online.

Vye and Rose aim to connect people more personally to the the science of Keweenaw geology. Learn more at geo.mtu.edu/KeweenawGeoheritage.

Greenhouse gas emissions vary by region – GE alumnae Deborah Huntzinger

Published March 11, 2016

By Kim Geiger

News

Deborah Huntzinger, who earned her BS and PhD in Geological Engineering at Michigan Tech, is now an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ.

During her post-doc at the University of Michigan, Huntzinger was involved in research recently published in the journal Nature, “The terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.” Huntzinger is a coauthor in the research, which for the first time ever quantifies how greenhouse gas emissions vary by source sector and region.

“The comprehensive approach used to compile, synthesize, and interpret the data has led to results that bolster the understanding of human contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and point to regions where more attention is needed to manage emissions,” notes John Gierke, Huntzinger’s graduate advisor and chair of the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Tech.

The group’s research suggests that a reduction in agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions, particularly in Southern Asia, may help mitigate climate change.

Read more at Eurekalert.org: “Greenhouse gas bookkeeping turns on its head”, and Nature: “The terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere”.

Huntzinger’s research interests focus on improving the understanding of complex environmental systems and our ability to forecast their future variability. Her current research interests are in the integration and comparison of environmental remote sensing products, model estimates, and in situ data to advance the understanding of biospheric contributions, both spatially and temporally, to land-atmosphere carbon exchange.

2016 Summer Michigan Tech University Summer Teacher Institutes

Published February 15, 2016

By Kim Geiger

News

Attention Teachers Grades 4-12! Register now for the 2016 Summer Michigan Tech University Summer Teacher Institutes!

Global Change Teacher Institute, June 20-24 (ED5641); Engaging Students in Authentic Science Research Teacher Institute, June 27-July 1 (ED5601); and Designing a Sustainable Future Teacher Institute, July 11-15 (ED 5640).

The application deadline is May 1, 2016. Please complete teacher institute applications online. See link after each description below, or visit http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/

To register for Michigan Tech credits: Michigan Tech Cognitive & Learning Sciences will contact you with registration information (Tel: 906-487-2460)

For more information: Joan Chadde, Institute Coordinator (jchadde@mtu.edu or 906-487-3341)

ED5641 Global Change Teacher Institute (for Grades 4-12 Teachers)
Date: M-F, June 20-24, 2016
This 5-day Institute will prepare you to engage your middle and high school students in a real-world study of the effects of global change on ecosystems, including the impacts of climatic change on forests— elevated carbon dioxide and ozone levels, nitrogen saturation, acid rain, and invasive species. Teachers will participate in the MEECS Climate Change workshop and receive the NEW MEECS Climate Change Unit. Cost: $400 off campus includes five lunches, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials. $700 on campus includes 5 nights lodging & meals from Monday morning through Friday lunch, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials.
Link to register: 2016 Global Change Teacher Institute Application
Link to Global Change flyer

ED5601 Engaging Students in Authentic Science Research Teacher Institute (for Gr. 4-12 Teachers)
Date: M-F, June 27-July 1, 2016
Teachers gain skills in designing original research, rather than merely conducting cookbook experiments. Teachers will learn research design methods and procedures, and participate in a variety of research field and lab studies. Cost: $400 off campus includes five lunches, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials. $700 on campus includes 5 nights lodging & meals from Monday morning through Friday lunch, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials.
Link to register: 2016 Engaging Students in Science Research Application
Link to Engaging Students in Authentic Science Research Flyer

ED 5640 Designing a Sustainable Future Teacher Institute (for Grades 4-12 Teachers)
Date: M-F, July 11-15, 2016
The institute will introduce teachers to the field of sustainability through examination of product life cycles, product recycling, repurposing materials, renewable energy sources of wind, solar, and biomass, designing energy- and resource-efficient buildings, site designs to reduce storm water runoff and increase biodiversity, and efficient transportation systems and vehicles. The institute will address the Next Generation Science Standards and be taught by a variety of Michigan Tech University faculty and graduate students, along with community and teacher experts. Cost: $400 off campus includes five lunches, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials. $700 on campus includes five nights lodging & meals from Monday morning through Friday lunch, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and materials.
Link to register: 2016 Designing a Sustainable Future Application
Link to Designing a Sustainable Future Flyer

Michigan Tech World Water Day: Awards and Photos

Published March 26, 2015

By

News

Michigan Tech celebrated World Water Day on March 23, 2015. Professor Peter Goodwin presented a lecture on “River Restoration and Flood Management”. Goodwin is the director of the Center for Ecohydraulics Research at the University of Idaho and also served as the science director for the California Delta Program. He is the DeVlieg Presidential Professor in Ecohydraulics and Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Idaho.

The Center for Water & Society World Water Day poster competition was held at the Great Lakes Research Center. Awards were made in two categories: Original Research (presentation of thesis or project research) and Coursework/Informational (presentation of coursework or literature-based research).

Lecture: Indigenous Cultural Elements of Keweenaw and Isle Royale

Published January 15, 2015

By

On Tuesday, February 24, MTU Professor Emerita Susan Martin, expert on Prehistoric Archeology and ancient copper, will lead a discussion about ancient cultural elements of our region. She will be joined by Seth dePasqual, Cultural Resource Manager at Isle Royale National Park. The event is part of a monthly series of sessions on the Geoheritage and Natural History of the Keweenaw, at the Carnegie Museum in Houghton. The discussions are aimed at the general public, but discuss current research and science.

Tag: GMES

Brimley Area School Students Visit Michigan Tech

SIS & SAAM Hold Annual Meeting

Attention Teachers Grades 4-12! Register now for the 2016 Summer Michigan Tech University Summer Teacher Institutes!