Engagement and Belonging Newsblog

Author: Paige Short

Paige brings her passion for issues of diversity and inclusion to her role, focusing on streamlining operations and communications, connecting stakeholders with change makers, and helping find places where process needs a bit of a nudge in the right direction. As a social justice change agent, Paige is a firm advocate for listening first and being willing to admit things need changing. She believes higher education should be for everyone who wants it and diversity work should be shared work. A proud Michigan Tech alumna, Paige earned her bachelor of science degree in scientific and technical communication, along with minors in media production and psychology. She resides in Houghton with her partner and animals. A proud nerd for life, most weekends she can be found gaming with friends, playing roller derby, or, occasionally, hiking the beautiful Keweenaw.

MTU McNair Scholars Publish Cutting-Edge Research

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May Waters smiles at the camera, wearing safety goggles and a lab coat in front of a computer. A microscope and other equipment is in front of her.
Image courtesy Sarah Atkinson

The McNair Scholars Program is thrilled to announce the publication of groundbreaking research by current student scholars May Waters and Sophia Jaeger. Their work, recently published in the journal Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, marks a significant advancement in the field of biosensing technology.

Waters and Jaeger, both fourth-year chemistry majors and research assistants in Haiying Liu’s lab, have made a remarkable contribution to the understanding of NAD(P)H. Crucially, NAD(P)H fuels many of our cellular processes such as the production of energy.

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Wayne Gersie Appointed to U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Advisory Council

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Portrait of Wayne Gersie smiling with his arms folded across his chest.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has appointed Wayne Gersie, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, as a representative member on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Academy) Advisory Council. The appointment is effective from May 3, 2023 for a term of two years.

On the Council, Gersie will represent the viewpoints of Michigan Tech in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and sense of belonging (DEIS). In this role, he will provide valuable insights and perspectives to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to help further the USMMA’s mission.

“I am honored to be called to serve by the Secretary to provide insight on the positive educational and innovation impacts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and sense of belonging initiatives,” said Gersie. “This appointment is recognition of the DEIS work we’re doing here at Michigan Tech.”

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Christopher Sanders Wins 2023 Bayard Rustin Award

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Christopher Sanders smiles and stands in front of a microphone.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) named Christopher Sanders the winner of the 2023 Bayard Rustin Award during the 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet on January 16. This award, now in its fourth year, recognizes a faculty or staff member at Michigan Tech for their behind-the-scenes impact.

Sanders is the advisor for NSBE as well as the assistant director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Bayard Rustin Award from NSBE. Since starting at MTU, our community—and especially our students—have gone out of their way to ensure I feel welcome on campus,” said Sanders.

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Domestic Violence: Changing the Narrative

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Michigan Tech's Husky Statue wearing a purple ribbon around its neck.

For more than 30 years, we have marked our observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) with purple ribbons, awareness campaigns, and participation in local and national events. At Michigan Tech, purple ribbons around campus draw attention and awareness to the issues of domestic violence, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, and relationship abuse. Student organizations also host events to raise awareness.

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A Look at Latine Culture: CDI Director Talks Hispanic Heritage Month

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Colorful illustration with text that reads National Hispanic Heritage Month.

¡Hola!

My name is Gabriel Jesus Escobedo, but most people here at Michigan Tech call me Gabe. I am originally from Texas and identify as a Tejano. This is my first year as the Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. I am also a PhD candidate studying Anthropology of Performing Arts and Dance with a minor in Latino Studies at Indiana University. The focus of my research is the intersectionality of dance and identity among US Latine youth. Just a few more chapters left and I will be Dr. Gabe.

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Queer and Here: Conversations Beyond Pride Month

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Sunshine creating a rainbow in the mist of a lawn sprinkler on a sunny day.

This Pride Month, a few Michigan Tech faculty and staff from across campus gathered for a conversation on being queer in the Keweenaw.

In this roundtable Q&A, Amlan Mukherjee, Erin Matas, Kelly Steelman, Paige Short, and Tom Adolphs share their thoughts and experiences on the importance of representation, connections, and conversations during this heritage month and beyond.

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Seven Things to Try this AAPI Heritage Month

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Prairie landscape with a long barracks-type building on the left, a water tower in the distance, and a guard tower in the near right.
Amache National Historic Site, a newly designated national park unit, was an incarceration site established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans. Credit: US National Park Service.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month serves as an allegory for many Asian Americans as they ascertain their identities. Officially designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, public law 102-450 finally passed in 1992 after nearly 15 years of failed resolutions. Congress selected May as the official heritage month for Asian and Pacific Islanders to mark the anniversary of completing the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. This tribute also stands as a reminder to many Asian Americans that, with the completion of the railroad, many of our predecessors weren’t met with thanks or applause but with dismissal, anti-Asian sentiment, and segregation. It wasn’t until 2014 that work began on a memorial in honor of the Chinese railroad workers, which was finally completed in 2018.

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A Husky on the Spectrum

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Tucker Nielsen stands in front of the Michigan Tech writing center.

In April 2011, the Autism Society celebrated the first Autism Acceptance Month. Throughout the decades, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have received negative attention, and individuals with autism were portrayed as deficits to society. Thankfully, it’s become more accepted as one’s identity. In honor of April’s heritage month and the spirit of autism acceptance, I would like to share my journey as someone on the spectrum.

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America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion

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Photo of Michigan Tech's husky dog statue in summer with people seated on benches around it.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and all members of the Michigan Tech community are encouraged to participate. The purpose of NDEAM is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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