Category Archives: Announcements

Medical Imaging and Informatics Lab Seeking Volunteer Research Assistants

A student views digital x-rays on multiple computers

The Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Informatics is seeking volunteer Research Assistants.

Are you looking for an exciting research experience in applied artificial intelligence and medical imaging/informatics? The MIIL Lab (Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Informatics) is hiring. We’re focused on developing new computer methods and techniques to solve significant healthcare problems and improve clinical practice.

Visit https://pages.mtu.edu/~whzhou/ for more information about our research projects. Please see the attached flyer, below. For more information, contact Weihua Zhou at whzhou@mtu.edu.

Under the guidance of the director, senior research assistants and clinical collaborators, Volunteer Research Assistants will conduct literature reviews, develop and validate software methods and tools, validate with computer simulations and patient data, analyze study data, prepare manuscripts, apply for student research fellowships, and more.

Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. For a more complete job description or to submit application materials, email whzhou@mtu.edu.

Lab Director: Weihua Zhou, Ph.D.

Locations:

Rekhi #109 @Michigan Tech (office)
Rekhi #324 @Michigan Tech (lab)

Required Qualifications:

Passion for science/ engineering and healthcare.
Strong academic performance with an intended major in computer science/ engineering, biomedical engineering, medical informatics, or electrical engineering. Postbaccalaureate students are also encouraged to apply.
Experience with any programming language.
Ability to work at lab on campus 8 hours each week
One-year commitment.
Strong willingness to learn new and challenging analytical methods.
Excellent communication skills.

Desired Qualifications:

Ability to work independently.
Interest in learning more about medical image analysis, machine learning/ deep learning, and/or natural language processing.
Proficiency with Python or MATLAB.

Required Application Materials (unofficial copies are accepted):

Cover letter and CV/resume
Most recent academic transcript

Download the Research Assistant Flyer

Nathir Rawashdeh To Present Talk Fri., Dec. 6

Nathir Rawashdeh, College of Computing Assistant Professor of Mechatronics, Electrical, and Robotics Engineering Technology, will present a talk this Friday, December 6, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., in Rekhi 214. Rawashdeh will present a review of recent advancements in Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) applications, hardware, and software with a focus on vehicle localization and autonomous navigation. Refreshments will be served.

Abstract: Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) are being applied in many scenarios including, indoors, outdoors, and even extraterrestrial. Advancements in hardware and software algorithms reduce their cost and enable the creation of complete UGV platforms designed for custom application development, as well as research into new sensors and algorithms.

Tomorrow Needs Faculty and Scientist Seminar Series

A seminar series to bring advanced PhD students and postdoctoral scholars to Michigan Tech has been launched by the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems, in partnership with the College of Computing, the College of Engineering, and the Great Lakes Research Center. The Tomorrow Needs Faculty and Scientist Seminar Series is intended to build connections with up-and-coming researchers, recruit and retain top talent at Michigan Tech, and provide opportunities for these promising scholars to learn more about Michigan Tech and the University’s excellent resources for research and education.

Those selected will be invited to present a research seminar, tour the Michigan Tech campus and research facilities, and meet with faculty and students.

Applications to nominate scholars from around the globe are sought from all areas of the university. Nominations of advanced PhD candidates and postdoctoral scholars currently at Michigan Tech are also encouraged. Find the online nomination form at mtu.edu/icc/seminars. In the near term, applications will be reviewed as they are received, with a more formal review process to be instituted in the near future.

“Recruiting and retaining talented faculty and researchers is essential for Michigan Tech as we pursue the growth strategies identified by Tech Forward and the University’s leadership team,” says Adrienne Minerick, dean of the College of Computing. “We have an abundance of excellent teaching and creative research at Michigan Tech that complements a terrific quality of life here in the Upper Peninsula. This seminar series will showcase our top-notch people, facilities, teaching and research support infrastructure, and the Houghton/Hancock area to talented new PhDs and post doctoral researchers.”

Tim Havens, the William and Gloria Jackson Associate Professor of Computer Systems and director of the ICC, stresses that the seminar series is open to all University areas. “The need to attract and retain top-tier faculty and researchers is a challenge shared across campus. We welcome nominations from all units. We are also very open to adding new partners to this initiative.”

Download the Seminar Series flyer.

Yakov Nekrich to Present Computing Seminar Talk this Friday at 3 pm

The College of Computing (CC) will present a Friday Seminar Talk on November 22, at 3:00 p.m. in Rekhi 214. Featured this week is Yakov Nekrich, associate professor of Computer Science. He will present his research titled: “Space-Efficient and Compact Data Structures.” Refreshments will be provided.

Massive data sets are becoming increasingly common in many areas. Therefore, it’s desirable to keep the data in compact form so that it fits into the main memory. What operations can be performed on data that is stored in compressed form without decompressing the data? This question is addressed in the emerging research field called compressed (or compact) data structures. In this talk, Nekrich will describe a compressed index for a collection of strings and efficient solutions for several related problems.

Health Informatics MS Program Is Among Top 20 in Nation

The website OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has released the “Top 20 Online Schools for Master’s of Health Informatics Degree Programs for 2020.” The ranking provides readers with the twenty finest online colleges and universities offering graduate degrees in health informatics.

Michigan Tech was listed among the top 20 programs and was the only school from Michigan to make the list.

Find the full list here.

OnlineSchoolsCenter.com identified the following Michigan Tech Health Informatics program standouts: Michigan Tech is an excellent university that is well-decorated with glowing recognition. Namely for students’ professional success, the best online graduate programs, and one of the finest online Masters in Health Informatics in the nation! What makes this degree most exciting are the eleven different areas of focus in which students can concentrate their coursework. No other school on this ranking has as many specialization options. Online students learn from expert faculty members in the areas of healthcare systems analysts and design, cybersecurity, and much more. Graduates from Michigan Tech often go on to earn six-figure incomes, and the school has been recognized for this achievement in education, according to Money Magazine.

Meet and Greet with John Cheney-Lippold Is Mon., Nov. 18, 3-4 pm

A Meet & Greet with John Cheney-Lippold, University of Michigan associate professor of American culture and digital studies and author of We Are Data: Algorithms and the Making of Our Digital Selves, will take place Monday, November 18, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., in Rekhi G09.

Dr. Cheney-Lippold will present “Algorithms, Accidents, and the Imposition of a World of Calculation” on Monday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. in EERC 103. The lecture is part of the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture’s Algorithmic Culture Series.

Algorithms are everywhere, organizing the near limitless data that exists in our world. Derived from our every search, like, click, and purchase, algorithms determine the news we get, the ads we see, the information accessible to us and even who our friends are. These complex configurations not only form knowledge and social relationships in the digital and physical world, but also determine who we are and who we can be, both on and offline.

The explosive, sometimes accidental transformations performed by statistics and algorithms alter our world to produce “someone else,” no longer the beings we thought we were.

To demonstrate how statistics and algorithms are fundamentally transformative, Cheney-Lippold explores the use of statistics to invalidate the signature of a multimillion-dollar will and to objectify racial categories in the case of People vs. Collins. He also examines the accidental algorithmics that led to the lethal collision of a Tesla autonomous vehicle.

His lecture reorients many of the pressing questions of contemporary culture of algorithmic bias, ethics, and ideas of justice.

Download the event flyer.

Weihua Zhou to Present Friday Seminar Talk

The College of Computing (CC) will present a Friday Seminar Talk on November 15, at 3:00 p.m. in Rekhi 214. Featured this week is Weihua Zhou, assistant professor of Health Informatics. He will present his research titled: “Information retrieval and knowledge discovery from cardiovascular images to improve the treatment of heart failure.” Refreshments will be provided.

Abstract: More than 5 million Americans live with heart failure, and the annual new incidence is about 670,000. Once diagnosed, around 50% of patients with heart failure will die within 5 years. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a standard treatment for heart failure. However, based on the current guidelines, 30-40% of patients who have CRT do not benefit from CRT. One of Zhou’s research projects is to improve CRT favorable response by information retrieval and knowledge discovery from clinical records and cardiovascular images. By applying statistical analysis, machine learning, and computer vision to his unique CRT patient database, Zhou has made a number of innovations to select appropriate patients and navigate the real-time surgery. His CRT software toolkit is being validated by 17 hospitals in a large prospective clinical trial.

Linda Ott, Laura Brown to Join “1984” Panel

The Rozsa Center For the Performing Arts presents a powerful theatrical production of George Orwell’s “1984” — an evocative and timely cautionary tale of personal freedom against political repression.

Today, Orwell’s story resonates around the globe as individuals, systems and governments clash. Join us for “1984,” by New York City’s Aquila Theatre, followed by a post-show discussion of how Orwell’s narrative eerily predicted today’s unprecedented challenges to privacy, truth, and personal expression.

See “1984” at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 8) at the Rozsa Center. Panelists include guest lecturer Marika Pfefferkorn, and Michigan Tech’s Alexandra Morrison (HU), Linda Ott (CS), and Laura Brown (CS) and will be moderated by Stefka Hristova (HU). Light refreshments will be served. The discussion is expected to run approximately 45 minutes after the show.

Written in 1944 near the end of World War II, “1984” depicts a society controlled by a perfectly totalitarian government bent on repressing all subversive tendencies. “Big Brother” is always watching and technology is wielded as a weapon to inundate citizens with propaganda and to monitor thoughts and actions. Imagined before the existence of computers, this dystopian future explores the power of technology as a mental manipulator and source of curated information.

This event is made possible with funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Crane Group. Tickets to “1984” are Adult: $22.00, Youth: $10.00, and Michigan Tech Students at no charge with Experience Tech Fee, and are available by phone, (906) 487-2073, online, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex, or at the Rozsa Box office the night of the show.

CNSA Major Gary Tropp Named University Innovation Fellow

Gary Tropp (Computer Network and System Administration ’22), along with Abigail Kuehne (Psychology and Communication, Culture, and Media/ Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors ’21), Sam Raber (Psychology ’22), and Lindsay Sandell (Biomedical Engineering ’21), has been named a University Innovation Fellows by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.

The global UIF program trains student leaders to create new opportunities for their peers to engage with innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and creativity. Michigan Tech’s team of University Innovation Fellows (UIF) support student interests, create an ecosystem for innovation, and encourage environmentally sustainable practices on campus. They aim to preserve a culture of inclusion, encourage creativity and self-authorship, and help students create lasting connections.

Current UIF proposals include a university-sanctioned gap year program, updates to campus wellness opportunities, student ambassador programs, and creating a space to reduce waste and encourage students to share and reuse common school items. Learn more about UIF here.

Intro to Computing Principles using Python to be offered in Spring 2020

The College of Computing will offer an introductory fundamentals of computing class using the Python programming language in the Spring 2020 semester.

Introduction to Computing Principles, CS 1090, will meet MWF, 3:05-3:55 pm. The CRN is 14789. This class is for non-CS majors. There are no prerequisites and prior programming experience is not needed. Maximum class size is 25.

In the class, students will develop computational thinking skills vital for success across all disciplines. The course uses programming to introduce topics such as algorithms, abstraction, data, global impact, and internet technologies. Students will also develop effective communication and collaboration skills by working in groups to solve problems. This course engages students in problem-solving, creativity, and exploration. Upon completion of the course, students will have a richer understanding of the key principles of computer science. Students will be able to write small programs, speak intelligently about how computers work and how they enable us to become better problem-solvers, and communicate that knowledge to others.

What is Python? Python is a widely-used, high level programming language that can be used to create desktop applications, 3D graphics, video games, and even websites. It’s a great first programming language because it is easier to learn and more expressive than complex languages like C, C++, or Java. Python is powerful and robust enough to create advanced applications, and it’s used in just about every industry that uses computers.

Who uses Python? Among the companies that use Python are Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Uber, Reddit, Dropbox, Slack, Digital Ocean, Lyft, CapitalOne, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, along with many others, large and small.

Download the course flyer.