Author: Karen Johnson

The Auto-Owners IT Division is looking forward to this upcoming fall recruiting season! We continue to seek your assistance in hiring the brightest and best technical talent for software development, security, infrastructure, Project Management, UX, and data warehousing positions and several summer internships for 2020! Our updates for this season include:

· Building a container orchestration system

· Investing in a Project Management career path

· Our annual IT/Actuarial Day! (Fri, Oct 18)

Building Nimble Applications with Containers

For the past couple of years, we’ve been rolling out a new container orchestration system. This has allowed us to run many different types of applications side by side in one unified system. Now we can build a diverse portfolio of small, lean applications which, when combined, make up the feature-rich systems our customers have come to expect.

The use of automated containers means that we are able to use whichever technology is best for the project. This allows the use of some of the newest front-end frameworks, different types of servers based on needs, or even new messaging platforms. As Auto-Owners continues to grow and build, we can be confident that we have the necessary flexibility to ensure that the right tool is being used for the task at hand.

Investing in Project Management Career Paths

Recognizing the increasing need for projects to have dedicated project leadership, Auto-Owners introduced the Project Management career path in January 2018. Since this time, the Project Management Community at Auto-Owners has helped individuals prepare for and grow in this career path. Some provided opportunities include:
· Monthly meetings to learn tools, tricks, and best practices, and to discuss how to handle current challenges

· Mentoring for associates new to the career path or looking to advance to the next job class

· Opportunities to attend Project Management, Agile, and tool-related conferences

· Opportunities to join community groups, such as the Project Management Institute

Having associates dedicated to managing projects saves us money and time and helps avoid the frustration of unmet project expectations. Our PM Community continues to strive to make the projects at Auto-Owners the best that they can be.

IT/Actuarial Day is Friday, October 18!

This year’s IT/Actuarial Day is on Friday, October 18. IT/Actuarial Day is an exciting day where students can come to the Auto-Owners Home Office in Lansing and see how their degree can be used in a career field. There is a networking lunch with management, presentations from our tech and Actuarial areas, and a chance to visit a workspace to see what day-to-day work is like. This is a chance to discover – in person instead of on a website – the many different tech and math fields at Auto-Owners and is a great opportunity for students to connect to a major employer in Michigan. Additional details were sent in a separate email earlier this week. Faculty and staff are also welcome, and we would love to see you there!

Please share these updates and our company information with any of your students who may be seeking a paid internship or full-time tech position. We look forward to working with you this season and wish you a successful semester!

ERIN McLAUGHLIN
Sr. IT & Actuarial Recruiter | HR
p: 800.346.0346, ext. 51855

ADRIENNE KIMBRELL
Manager | Traverse City Remote IT
p: 800.346.0346, ext. 52433

As many of you are already aware, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) solicitation has been published and the NSF GRFP website has been updated (http://www.nsfgrfp.org/).  To prepare our students for submission, the Graduate School and Pavlis Honors College will be partnering to offer an informational seminar and a guided Canvas course aimed at advising current or prospective Michigan Tech students in developing competitive GRFP application packages.

If you are aware of a student who you believe has the potential to produce a competitive application for this program, please use the form below to provide that student’s name and email to be added to our communication list.  Please submit these individuals via this form and share the details of the information session below with them.

Our offices will send out a special/individual invitations letting students know they have been identified as “a competitive candidate” for the NSF GRFP. The invitation is often received as a positive recognition in itself, as it should be. In the past, this type of invitation has given students the confidence and motivation to put the time and effort into applying for the GRFP.

Our first session will be held on Thursday, September 12th at 4:00 pm in Admin 404 (Graduate School Conference Room). This session will be a general overview of the NSF GRFP.

To be competitive, we encourage students to apply who have:

• a 3.5 GPA or higher
• research and outreach experience
• strong faculty references – letters of recommendation will need to be exceptional

Graduate students who already have internal University/department funding are strongly encouraged to apply.  This, in turn, will free up internal funds for less competitive students.

Below are more details about eligibility, deadlines and links to the solicitation.

Sincerely,

Lorelle A. Meadows

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, students must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study)
• Have never previously accepted a GRFP award
• If previously offered a GRFP award, have declined by the deadline
• Have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
• Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
• Have never earned a master’s, professional, or bachelor’s-master’s degree in any field, unless (i) returning to graduate study after an interruption of two (2) or more consecutive years immediately preceding the deadline, and; (ii) are not enrolled in a graduate degree program at the application deadline

 Award benefits:

• a three-year annual stipend of $34,000
• $12,000 cost of education allowance for the cost of tuition

PROGRAM GUIDELINES: Solicitation  19-590

DUE DATES:

• October 21, 2019 – Life Sciences, Geosciences
• October 22, 2019 – Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Engineering, Materials Research
• October 24, 2019 – Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning

• October 25, 2019 – Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy

SYNOPSIS
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.

Genesis Systems will be on campus Wednesday, September 11, starting at 6:00 pm –in Fisher Hall, Room 129. If you’d like to attend,  please email your RSVP to robots@genesis-systems.com.

Genesis Systems, an IPG Photonics Company, is a recognized leader in robotic systems integration. In business since 1983, Genesis specializes in factory automation with robots for integrated robotic arc, spot and laser welding/cutting, non-destructive inspection, including robotic ultrasonic inspection of carbon fiber composites, adhesive application, material removal and material handling. Located in Davenport, IA. Genesis has designed, engineered, manufactured and supported integrated robotic solutions for over 36 years. www.genesis-systems.com

You want to do work they’re passionate about. Here’s an opportunity that speaks to the desire to rethink the way we produce and consume, to redesign the way economies work, and to build a better future. The Wege Prize is a global design competition that enables students to collaborate with others around the world and develop products, services, business models, or other solutions that can help us create a circular economy.

In addition to competing for $30,000 USD in total cash prizes to help move your ideas forward, students will expand their perspective and their professional network, hone their creative problem-solving skills, and learn directly from experts in the circular economy, sustainable development, design thinking, materials science, user experience design, biomimicry, and more.

Beginning August 26, Kendall College of Art and Design will be accepting accept team applications for Wege Prize 2020. Visit wegeprize.org for more information.

Ohio State’s College of Engineering is now accepting applications for our annual Graduate Engineering Open House, a one day graduate student recruitment event that will be held on Friday, October 18^th. Please share the event information with your undergraduate students who are considering graduate studies. Attached is an event flyer for distribution.

The Ohio State University and its College of Engineering are committed to recruiting the best and brightest students for our graduate engineering programs. We recognize the critical importance of a diverse student body and are strongly committed to fostering and enhancing diversity within our graduate programs and in the field of engineering. We welcome and encourage applications from undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds and with varied experiences, including, but not limited to, applicants who are from historically underserved and underrepresented populations, female, racial and ethnic groups (African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American and Native Alaskan) historically underrepresented in STEM fields, veterans, LGBTQ+, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Travel awards available, apply today!

Majors that are encouraged to apply:

• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics

Thank you,

Nina

Nina Parshall, M.S.
Director, Graduate Recruitment and Support

Office of Graduate Education
The Ohio State University | College of Engineering
Smith Laboratory, room 5044 | 174 W. 18^th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-6320 Direct / 614-292-2651 Main
parshall.8@osu.edu engineering.osu.edu

DEKA Research & Development is coming to campus at Michigan Tech! Please join us at DEKA’s special recruiting info session for engineering and computing students. Both events will take place on Thursday, September 12.

Interested in career opportunities with DEKA? Be sure to bring your resume!

DEKA Special Recruiting Info Session, with pizza lunch

Meet DEKA’s Talent Acquisition Team

RSVP

12:15-1:15 pm

Memorial Union Building, Ballroom A

Meet Dean Kamen, President of DEKA and founder of FIRST® Robotics.

RSVP

3-3:30 pm Dean Kamen presentation

3:30-4 pm Mingle/chat with Dean and the DEKA Talent Acquisition Team

Opie Van Pelt Library, Opie Reading Room

SPECIAL NOTE TO STUDENTS: Can’t make the first session due to your class or work schedule? Please feel free to come to the second session—or vice versa.

MORE ABOUT DEAN KAMEN

Dean Kamen holds 440 US and foreign patents, including the Segway, the self-balancing personal transporter, and the first-ever drug infusion pump. At the age of 30, Kamen sold his first company, AutoSyringe. He then founded DEKA to focus on innovations aimed to improve lives around the world. It started small and has now grown to a group of over six hundred. Celebrating over 30 years in business, DEKA is a leading R&D company, birthplace of some of the most innovative and life-changing products of our time. Kamen continues to push DEKA to be a place where no idea seems too big and where creativity and crazy cool gizmos reign supreme.

Curious to learn more about DEKA? Check out DEKA’S website. Follow DEKA on LinkedIn!

Finding a Research Mentor Workshop for Undergrads, Sept. 10 and 13

Tuesday, September 10th 4-5pm in Fisher 133

or

Friday, September 13th 12-1pm in Fisher 133

Are you interested in conducting research? Are you unsure how to locate a faculty member to work with?  Please join this interactive discussion featuring practical advice and tips for finding and approaching a faculty member for a research position. In addition, learn about paid research internship opportunities at Michigan Tech and beyond.