Casey Huckins (BS/GLRC) is Principal Investigator on a project that has received a $114,445 research and development contract with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The project is titled, ” Salmon Trout River Restoration and Coaster Brook Trout Confirmation.” This is a potential three- to four-year project.
The 30th annual Bioathlon was held on May 8, 2019. A total of 52 students from 13 high schools across the U.P. and Wisconsin came together to compete in this year’s event.
Calumet High School claimed first place again, following their victory during last year’s competition! The team was comprised of Emma Aho, Hanna Tuoriniemi, Serenity Snyder, and Gracia Perala. Second place was awarded to Negaunee High School, and Houghton High School took third.
First, second and third place teams were awarded a plaque to display at school and each student on the team was awarded $200 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place. All Bioathlon competitors received a certificate of participation and a t-shirt sporting this year’s competition logo.
Funding is provided by MTU Admissions, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Michigan Tech Fund, and MTU Alumni Mark Cowan, M.D., Robert C. and Kathryn DellAngelo, M.D., Olive Kimball, D.Ed., Ph.D., Nancy Auer, Ph.D., Janice Glime, Ph.D. and Jeffery and Sandra Lewin.
Matthew Songer, (Biological Sciences ’79) and Laura Songer (Biological Sciences ’80) have generously donated funds to the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) to support a research project competition for undergraduate and graduate students. Remembering their own eagerness to engage in research during their undergraduate years, the Songers established these awards to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students. The College is extremely grateful for the Songers’ continuing interest in, and support of, Michigan Tech’s programs in human health and medicine. This is the second year of the competition.
Students may propose an innovative medically-oriented research project in any area of human health. The best projects will demonstrate the potential to have broad impact on improving human life. This research will be pursued in consultation with faculty members within the College of Sciences and Arts. In the Spring of 2019, the Songer’s gift will support one award for undergraduate research ($4,000) and a second award for graduate research ($6,000). Matching funds from the College may allow two additional awards.
Any Michigan Tech student interested in exploring a medically related question under the guidance of faculty in the College of Sciences and Arts may apply. Students majoring in any degree program in the college, including both traditional (i.e., biological sciences, kinesiology, chemistry) and nontraditional (i.e., physics, psychology, social science, bioethics, computer science, mathematics) programs related to human health may propose research projects connected to human health. Students are encouraged to propose original, stand-alone projects with expected durations of 6 – 12 months. The committee also encourages applications from CSA students who seek to continue research projects initiated through other campus mechanisms, such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, Pavlis Honors College activities or the Graduate Research Forum (GRF).
Funds from a Songer Award may be used to purchase or acquire research materials and equipment needed to perform the proposed research project. Access to and research time utilizing University core research facilities, including computing, may be supported. Requests to acquire a personal computer will be scrutinized and must be fully justified. Page charges for publications also may be covered with award funds, as will travel to appropriate academic meetings. This award may not be used for salary or compensation for the student or consulting faculty.
To apply:
- Students should prepare a research project statement (up to five pages in length) that describes the background, methods to be used, and research objectives. The statement also should provide a detailed description of the experiments planned and expected outcomes. Students must indicate where they will carry out their project and attach a separate list of references/citations to relevant scientific literature.
- The application package also should provide a concise title and brief summary (1 page) written for lay audiences.
- A separate budget page should indicate how funds will be used.
- A short letter from a consulting faculty member must verify that the student defined an original project and was the primary author of the proposal. The faculty member should also confirm her/his willingness to oversee the project. This faculty letter is not intended to serve as a recommendation on behalf of the student’s project.
Submit applications as a single PDF file to the Office of the College of Sciences and Arts by 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 22. Applications may be emailed to djhemmer@mtu.edu.
The selection committee will consist of Matthew Songer, Laura Songer, Shekhar Joshi (BioSci) and Megan Frost (KIP). The committee will review undergraduate and graduate proposals separately and will seek additional comments about the proposed research on an ad-hoc basis from reviewers familiar with the topic of the research proposal. Primary review criteria will be the originality and potential impact of the proposed study, as well as its feasibility and appropriateness for Michigan Tech’s facilities.
The committee expects to announce the recipients by early May of 2019. This one-time research award will be administered by the faculty advisor of the successful student investigator. Students will be expected to secure any necessary IRB approval before funds will be released. Funds must be expended by the end of spring semester 2020; extensions will not be granted. Recipients must submit a detailed report to the selection committee, including a description of results and an accounting of finds utilized, no later than June 30, 2020.
Any questions may be directed to Megan Frost (mcfrost@mtu.edu), David Hemmer (djhemmer@mtu.edu) or Shekhar Joshi (cpjoshi@mtu.edu).
John Durocher was quoted for the story “Could A Single Mindfulness Session Ease Your Anxiety?” in Public Now.
Third time’s a charm! After being in the top three scoring teams in the last year, Calumet High School was able to place first in the 29th annual Bioathlon. The team was comprised of Ada McDonal, Molly Helminen, Nick Djerf and Sam Oja. Second place went to A.D. Johnston High School from Bessemer, and West Iron County High School took third.
First, second and third place teams were awarded a plaque to display at school and each student on the team was awarded $200 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place. All bioathlon competitors received a certificate of participation and a t-shirt sporting this year’s competition logo.
The competition was held on Wednesday, May 9th. The four problems the four-student teams tackled:
- Dissection: Designed by undergraduate students Jessica Benson, Becca Riffe, and Chance Sherretz-Hayes. This activity will be the dissection of a
- Microbiology: Designed by Biological Sciences graduate student Tim Buttler, assisted by undergraduate student Paige Webb.
- Field Identification: Designed by Biological Sciences graduate student Taylor Zallek assisted by graduate student Bailey Duxburry and undergraduate student Hannah Mckinnon Reish.
- Medical Laboratory Science: Designed by undergraduate Kaycee Kolar and assisted by Medical LaboratoryScience undergraduate students, Eleia Kozminski, Kayla Bates, and Jarett McClanahan.
Funding was provided by MTU Admissions, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Michigan Tech Fund, MTU Alumni Mark Cowan, MD, Robert C. and Kathryn DellAngelo, MD, Olive Kimball, D.Ed., PhD, Nancy Auer, PhD, and Janice Glime, PhD.
The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program recently had a Site Visit by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). On April 9-10, three reviewers from NAACLS were on campus intensely evaluating curricula, laboratories and outcome measures and talking to University administrators, current students, recent graduates, clinical affiliates and the MLS advisory board. They were especially interested in evaluating the support the administration has shown to accredit the MLS program at Michigan Tech.
The accreditation procedure has been a four-year process, starting in 2014. It began with a preliminary study, a self-study and finally a successful site visit. The MLS program passed without deficiencies, which is unheard of for a first-time program accreditation.
The final step is the NAACLS Executive Board meeting in September, upon which the accreditation will be conferred. This accreditation will allow the MLS program to grow, send more students to clinical sites, and help alleviate the critical need for medical laboratory scientists not only locally, but across the country.
The Medical Laboratory Science program has a long history at Michigan Tech, but many high school and college students are not aware of all of the opportunities available to them in allied health.
In order to continue promote careers in the medical laboratory, Kelsey Johnson (MLS Clinical Practicum Coordinator & Instructor) has joined a volunteer network though the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a career ambassador. The program provides free resources to accepted ambassadors to make engaging local students easy. We are excited by this new opportunity to connect and engage with future medical laboratory scientists!
Heartiest congratulations to the following seven faculty members and one graduate student from the Biological Sciences Department who have been identified as one of only 96 campus-wide instructors who received an exceptional “Average of 7 dimensions” student evaluation scores during Fall 2017 semester. Their scores were in the top 10% of similarly sized sections university-wide that had at least a 50% response rate.
Provost Jacqueline Huntoon recently congratulated them for their outstanding accomplishments in teaching.
The following faculty received the recognition based on average of 7 elements of university-wide class size group with response rate of >50% on student evaluations of their lecture classes:
- Dr. Stephen Techtmann, Assistant Professor (Nominated for teaching award, 2018)
- Ms. Brigitte Morin, Lecturer (Nominated for teaching award, 2017 and 2018)
- Ms. Karyn Fay, Professor of Practice (Winner of teaching award 2016)
- Dr. Ebenezer Tumban, Assistant Professor (Nominated for teaching award, 2018)
- Dr. Thomas Werner, Assistant Professor (Winner of teaching award in 2013)
- Dr. John Durocher, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Amy Marcarelli, Associate Professor (Nominated for teaching award, 2018)
The following instructor received recognition based on “average of 7 elements” of university-wide class size group with response rate of >50% on student evaluations of their classes:
- Lukai Zhai, Graduate Student Instructor
The Michigan Tech Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually. Since 1982, an award has been given in each category: 1. Associate Professor or Professor and 2. Lecturer, Professor of Practice, or Assistant Professor. Based on more than 50,000 student rating of instruction responses, 12 finalists have been identified for the 2018 awards. Out of the 12 finalists, 4 of them are from the Department of Biological Sciences!
This year’s finalists are:
Assistant Professor / Lecturer / Professor of Practice Category
- Andrew Barnard (MEEM), Assistant Professor
- Lisa Johnson de Gordillo (VPA), Assistant Professor
- Heather Knewtson (SBE), Assistant Professor
- Brigitte Morin (Bio Sci), Senior Lecturer
- Stephen Techtmann (Bio Sci), Assistant Professor
- Ebenezer Tumban (Bio Sci), Assistant Professor
- Jeffrey Wall (SBE), Assistant Professor
Associate Professor / Professor Category
- Andrew Burton (SFRES), Professor
- Ann Maclean (SFRES), Professor
- Amy Marcarelli (Bio Sci), Associate Professor
- Christopher Webster (SFRES), Professor
- Richelle Winkler (Soc Sci), Associate Professor
This is the second year in a row that Brigitte Morin has been nominated for the award. She instructs foundation courses in our Medical Laboratory Science program and has also created a popular new course on the practice and science of yoga. Stephen Techtmann teaches environmental and advanced microbiology courses. Ebenezer Tumban teaches our general microbiology and virology courses. Amy Marcarelli teaches a variety of ecology courses and created a new professional development course for graduate students in science.
The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning seeks input for the finalists. Comments on the nominees are due by Monday, March 26, and can be completed online. The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from this list of finalists also involves the additional surveying of their spring classes.
The selection committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The 2018 Distinguished Teaching Awards will be formally announced in May.
Faculty, staff, and undergraduate students from Michigan Tech’s Department of Biological Sciences led Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week activities last week for LeAnn Larson’s 4th grade class at the E.B. Holman School in Stanton Township. PhUn Week is a nationwide outreach program organized through the American Physiological Society (APS) aimed to build connections between scientists and their local K-12 schools.
The events were organized by Dr. John Durocher with the assistance of several outstanding undergraduate students, including: Cassie Cecchettini, Erin McKenzie, Justin Mitchell, Chance Sherretz-Hayes, and Colleen Toorongian. Some of these students are part of the new Alpha Epsilon Delta – Health Preprofessional Honors Society at Michigan Tech.
On Tuesday, students learned about careers related to physiology from Dr. Durocher. Undergraduate student volunteers then helped teach the students how to take vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate.
On Wednesday, students formed their own hypotheses about physiological responses to several different types of exercise. Then they hit the gym to test their hypotheses by using the techniques they learned the previous day.
On Thursday, Travis Wakeham (Laboratory Supervisor) led students through a heart dissection. Afterwards, Dr. Durocher demonstrated how he measures aortic blood pressure on the school’s principal and several students!
Students had a lot of fun while learning about possible careers and how their own body works throughout the events. They each received a bag filled with a physiology coloring book, scientist trading cards, and a foam heart provided by the APS.
