Category: Academics

The Pavlis Honors College announces the 10th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, to take place March 25 in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts lobby. Save the date!

The symposium will highlight the cutting-edge research conducted on Michigan Tech’s campus by some of our best and brightest undergraduates. The students represent a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from across campus and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored. Visit the Undergraduate Research Symposium website for more information regarding abstract submission.

Abstract submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 7. Encourage your undergraduate student researchers to participate in this opportunity as a means to display their work and gain presentation experience. The symposium coincides with Tech’s Preview Day and is a great way to share the exciting research projects going on across campus with high school students considering attending Michigan Tech. We encourage all faculty, staff and students to attend and support our excellent undergraduate researchers.

Questions can be directed to honors@mtu.edu.

By the Pavlis Honors College.

We are thrilled to announce the competition for the first annual Frank Chernosky Campus Climate Ambassador Award, an alumni-funded award that will support the development of Michigan Tech undergraduate students into the climate change leaders of tomorrow.

Frank Chernosky was a former professor and advisor at Michigan Tech. Chernosky, an early advocate for sustainability principles, impacted many students before dying tragically from a rare form of heart cancer in 1971. This award in his name consists of three forms of student support: a partial tuition scholarship, funds for professional development and/or applied work, and a formal mentorship by campus and/or external professionals. Please encourage all eligible undergraduate students to apply.

The award for 2022-23 will be $8,000 — a scholarship amount of $6,400 spread over fall and spring semesters, and a professional development and applied work fund of up to $1,600 to be used by August 2023. Awardees will also receive active mentorship from campus and/or external professionals to help them develop networks and skills for their future work. The overall timetable for the award is flexible to accommodate opportunities such as a co-op or internship. Applicants and award recipients will solidify the details on the timing of the award, as well as the nature of mentorship and professional development, through the application process and dialogue with the committee.

To be considered, an applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student at Michigan Tech with the equivalent of at least three semesters of full-time enrollment at MTU by the fall of 2022. They must also have a minimum of two semesters of coursework remaining, though there is potential for flexibility to accommodate an internship or co-op into the award timeframe.

Full details of the award and a link to the application are available on the Michigan Tech Sustainability Blog.

By Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

Part 1: Absences, Leaves and Mental Health Support

New and returning graduate students are invited to join Graduate School staff from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 25) in MUB Alumni Lounges B and C to learn more about the processes and resources available to you to navigate situations including excused absences, medical considerations and parental leave. This presentation is the first in our Graduate Student Professional Development Series. 

We understand that graduate students have many responsibilities outside of the classroom, lab and office that at times can hinder academic success and professional development. While we in the Graduate School hope that you never experience disruptions like illness or other emergencies, we want you to know how to proceed if you encounter an unexpected situation while enrolled at Tech.

Please register soon, as space is limited to 30 students. If you cannot attend but want more information about the topics we will cover, please email Anna McClatchy, manager of outreach and retention, at ajmcclat@mtu.edu.

By the Graduate School.

Do you ever find yourself wondering how to be an effective graduate teaching assistant (GTA) or graduate teaching instructor (GTI)? The Professional Development Committee at Graduate Student Government will be hosting Michael Meyer as a speaker for our “How to be an Effective GTA/GTI” seminar.

Meyer is the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at MTU and teaches a course about this very thing, so don’t miss this invaluable material!

Register to attend.

By Graduate Student Government.

Applications for 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor.

SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000.

For more information and access to the application materials and instructions, visit the SURF web page or contact Rob Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

By Pavlis Honors College.

Started by Michigan Tech’s University Innovation Fellows in 2015, Innovation Week is a celebration of innovation within our Tech Community.

This year, from Jan. 24-28, Husky Innovate and the Center for Educational Outreach will be hosting innovation-themed talks, student activities, the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition and a reverse pitch competition led by the Office of Innovation and Commercialization.

Learn about innovative applied research that has the potential to spin off into startup businesses, listen to compelling business model pitches, glean insights that could lead to educational innovation and hear from successful entrepreneurs.

Join us for one event or several. Connect with alumni, students and faculty. Pre-registration is required for each event. More details for each event are available on the University Events Calendar.

• Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion
  Monday, Jan. 24 — noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom.
  Register to attend by Jan. 20.
  
• Unboxed Treasure Hunt
  Tuesday, Jan. 25 — 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Wadsworth Hall, Room G42W.
  Register to participate by Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. 
  
• Developing the Cross – I System for Inspecting Railgrade Crossings
  Wednesday, Jan. 26 — noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom.
  Register to attend by Jan. 22. 
  
• Reverse Pitch Event with the Office of Innovation and Commercialization
  Wednesday, Jan. 26 — 4-5 p.m. on Zoom.
  Register to attend by Jan. 22. 
• Generation Zoom Talk with Cassy Tefft de Munoz
  Thursday, Jan. 27 — 12:15-1:15 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A or on Zoom.
  Register to attend by Jan. 24. 
• Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition
  Thursday, Jan. 27 — 5-7 p.m. in MUB Ballroom A or on Zoom.
  (Pre-event mixer — 4-5 p.m.)
  Register to attend. 
  Register as a contestant by Jan. 21. 
• Husky Innovate Talk with Dave Shull, founding member of Handshake
  Friday, Jan. 28 — noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom.
  Register to attend by Jan. 25.

By Pavlis Honors College.

The College of Computing and the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) invite undergraduate and graduate students to submit posters for the Computing[MTU] Showcase. The poster session will be held April 5 in MUB Ballroom A from 3:45-5 p.m.

Team or individual pitch competition sign-ups are also open. The pitch competition will be held April 6 from 9-10 a.m. in the MUB Ballrooms.

Poster and pitch applications are open through March 10.

In addition, faculty members are invited to submit presentation or workshop/tutorial ideas through Feb. 21.

Application forms can be found on the ICC’s Computing[MTU] Showcase web page.

Questions can be directed to Amanda Stump at ajstump@mtu.edu.

By Amanda Stump, Institute of Computing and Cybersystems.

The surveys have been conducted, the public forums have been held and your input has been heard. Come out and join the Graduate Student Government for our final public forum on the Graduate Commons.

At the forum, we will be presenting our final draft of the proposed renovations to the space and the plans for making the space open for public use.

The forum will be held today (Dec. 9) starting at 5:30 p.m. in the MUB Ballroom B. Please join us for the capstone of this exciting design phase of the Graduate Commons!

By Graduate Student Government.

Applications for 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are now open. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer working on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor.

SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 11.

Students who have questions about the program or application process can take advantage of a virtual drop-in advising session with the SURF coordinator, Robert Handler (ChE).

Virtual drop-in advising sessions are scheduled for these dates:

• Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 2-5 p.m. — Join via Zoom.
• Tuesday, Jan. 18, from 2-5 p.m. — Join via Zoom.

For more information and access to the application materials and instructions, visit the SURF web page or contact Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

By Pavlis Honors College.

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience is offering sponsorships to a limited number of students, faculty and staff for this year’s Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The conference is 100% virtual, and will be held Oct. 12-14.

Registration includes access to all virtual sessions, including the ability to access all content on demand until Dec. 31. You will also be able to participate in networking sessions, visit the virtual exhibit hall, chat with your peers during the sessions and more.

Please fill out this brief form by Oct. 1 if you are interested in attending. You will receive a confirmation by Oct. 4 at the latest. Send your questions to sustainability@mtu.edu.

By Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience.