John Durocher (BIO) is a co-author on a paper published in this month’s Journal of Sport and Health Science. This project was in collaboration with two investigators from the University of Guelph. Results of the study indicate that individuals who participate in CrossFit exercise have comparable arterial stiffness to individuals who routinely participate in aerobic exercise.
Ten graduate students, seven undergraduate students, four faculty members, and two recent alumni from Michigan Tech recently participated in the 6th annual Michigan Physiological Society Meeting held on the campus of Central Michigan University on June 27-28.
John Durocher (BIO) served as the president of the society and Ian Greenlund (KIP) served as the trainee committee chair. Four MTU graduate students completed oral presentations, with Jeremy Bigalke (KIP) winning one of the top oral presentation awards.
Another thirteen MTU students were active in poster presentations, with Sarah LewAllen (BIO) winning one of the top poster presentation awards. Finally, two graduate students served as moderators for oral presentations.
In conjunction with the annual meeting, the 3rd annual Michigan Physiology Quiz competition was held. Michigan Tech competed against six other teams from around the state. Team members included Jana Hendrickson (KIP), Sarah LewAllen (BIO), Jill Poliskey (BIO), and Colleen Toorongian (KIP).
The Michigan Tech team was very competitive through four rounds but missed making the final round between the top three teams by a single question. All team members did a great job with the intense questions.
Michigan Tech was one of only three universities from around the state to achieve Diamond-Level Sponsorship! This was possible thanks to the College of Sciences and Arts, Michigan Tech Graduate School, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology, and Department of Biological Sciences. Additional faculty and staff members from Michigan Tech also made individual awards that contributed to the cash prizes for the quiz competition, oral presentations, and poster presentations.
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