Category: Academics

Submission and Formatting 101: Master the Dissertation, Thesis and Report Process at Michigan Tech

Students who are completing a dissertation, thesis or report are invited to join the Graduate School to learn about the resources available to them to assist in scheduling their defense, formatting their documents and submitting their documents. In one afternoon, you can learn everything you need to be successful and complete your degree in a timely fashion! Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. Attend the entire event, or stop in for the seminar that interests you.

  • When: Wednesday, May 24, from 2-4 p.m. (see a detailed schedule on our blog)
  • Who: Students completing a dissertation, thesis or report; faculty and staff who assist students with submission.
  • Where: Virtually via Zoom (please register to attend online and receive participation instructions) and in person in Admin 404 (room capacity is 35).
  • Registration: Please register to receive handouts via email or attend online. The seminar will be available online as well as on campus.

If you are unable to join us, the event will be taped and available online after the event. The previous semester’s seminars are always available online.

Information on submitting, formatting and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

By Debra Charlesworth, Graduate School.

Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs is Hiring

Are you looking for a summer job where you can spend your summer here in Houghton and build professional skills while making an impact on the next generation of doers and makers? If so, Summer Youth Programs (SYP) is the place for you.

This summer, we’re looking for dedicated individuals to join our team of counselors as we host nearly a thousand middle and high school students from around the world. During the day, our students spend time in Michigan Tech classrooms and labs doing hands-on activities to spark curiosity. In the evenings, awesome students just like you, join our participants as they explore the Keweenaw.

Come share your passion for our beautiful home and make an impact today. Job descriptions and an application can be found on our website and we’re always happy to chat. Contact us at outreach@mtu.edu, stop by our office (Admin 217) or give us a call at 906-487-2219.

By Summer Youth Programs.

Upcoming Library and Design Expo Workshops at Michigan Tech

Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and help from dedicated library and writing center staff! You’re invited to four instructional work sessions to help you create compelling videos, visuals and pitches for the projects you have dedicated so much time to. Pizza will be provided at each session so you can grab a quick meal while you fine-tune your work!

Faculty and instructors are highly encouraged to send students working on large final projects to these workshops.

All sessions will be held:

  • Where: Library’s East Reading Room
  • When: 2-3 p.m.

Please register for the sessions that interest you so we don’t order too much, or worse, too little pizza!

  • Explain Your Project to Anybody — Wednesday, March 15
    Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way. This will help you solidify content for your video and develop a short elevator pitch that you can share at your booth the day of the Expo. Come prepared to talk about your design and answer a few questions about it! Register for this work session.
  • Video Creating & Editing — Thursday, March 23
    We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last 40 minutes of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you! Register for this work session.
  • Communicate with Images & Visualizations — Wednesday, March 29
    Co-hosted with the Michigan Tech Writing Center! We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your images and data are readable and appealing, and run through tools you can use to design supporting images. The second half of the session will be devoted to questions and open work time. Pick the brains of staff from the writing center and library as you think through how to best share your research. Register for this work session.
  • Explain Your Project to Anybody — Thursday, April 6
    A skill so important we are holding the session twice! Join if you cannot make the first one or still want to workshop your elevator pitch. Register for this work session.
  • Final Countdown — Wednesday, April 12
    Work on the last details of your project and video with company! Snacks and refreshments provided. Register for this work session.
    • by Van Pelt and Opie Library

Applications Sought: Sustainability and Resilience Education Innovations at Michigan Tech

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience (ISR) at Michigan Tech invites applications for educational innovation projects that increase student exposure to sustainability and resilience in formal coursework. The ISR seeks to incentivize the creation of new sustainability curricula through new and existing coursework so more students across Michigan Tech learn about sustainability, resilience and the connection of each to their domain expertise.

Applications for Educational Innovation support will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis between now and March 31, with notification of awards planned by April 15.

Proposals may include support for hourly student work, summer salary or materials/supplies to develop new courses, revamp existing courses or host workshops for educating faculty and/or staff on sustainability education. Proposals may also include funds to support or incentivize participation from students, faculty and/or staff, and/or materials or supplies for coursework innovation.

Faculty, graduate students and staff are all eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted by individuals or teams; graduate students are encouraged to collaborate with a faculty member to submit an application.

We anticipate most awards will be in the range of $3,000 to $5,000, but encourage budgets that meet the project needs. Potential applicants are encouraged to reach out with questions about their potential budget.

Submitted proposals should be no more than two pages. Each proposal should include:

  • A narrative description of the proposed educational innovation. This description should include at least one stand-alone paragraph that clearly describes how this educational innovation aligns with the broader goal of ensuring all students at Michigan Tech are exposed to sustainability and resilience through the curricula, including how many students are likely to be impacted by this innovation and how this innovation will be maintained in the curriculum.
  • A detailed budget and a proposed project timeline. Project work should take place no later than spring 2024; the implementation timeline is flexible but should be described in the proposal.
  • A list of deliverables to be provided to ISR at the end of the project period, such as a completed syllabus, a new course proposal prepared for submission, a workshop report, etc., to be determined and described by the applicant.
  • Separate from the proposal document, we are also asking for confirmation from relevant department chairs that they have reviewed the proposal and are supportive of the proposal plans, especially if the proposal involves creation of a new course. This can be in the form of an email to Robert Handler. 

If you have any questions about a potential project proposal, please reach out to ask! The ISR Working Group (ISR WG) will review applications and contact applicants regarding decisions. For questions and to submit your application, please email Robert Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

By Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience.

Applications Open: Climate Leaders Academy

Current undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in climate leadership are invited to apply to be a fellow of the Climate Leaders Academy (CLA), which is launching this summer.

CLA is a two-semester program with the goal of providing formal climate training and professional development to fellows through direct engagement with national and international climate change frameworks, formalized mentoring and collaboration with a diverse set of institutions. CLA is funded through the National Science Foundation and the YEAH network, and supported by MTU, Boston University, Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University.

CLA-Fellows will be entitled to the following benefits:

  • $10,000 stipend ($5,000 per semester)
  • Four transferable course credits
  • All travel expenses covered (to and from kickoff workshop, climate change conferences, etc.)
  • One-on-one mentoring by a CLA faculty member
  • Tuition coverage for CLA course

Additional information and the official application can be found at the CLA Application Form. Applications are due March 15 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Questions can be directed to Rose Daily at roset@mtu.edu or Leah Dundon at leah.a.dundon@vanderbilt.edu.

Michigan Tech Info Session Today: Summer Track B Study Abroad Program in England

Looking for a great study abroad opportunity? Look no further than the Summer Track B 2023 Crossing Borders: Study Abroad in England! A program information session is being held today (Feb. 22) in the Department of Social Sciences Commons on the second floor of the Academic Office Building (AOB 209) at 4 p.m.

This four-week program takes in the history and archaeology of northwestern England and Southern Scotland and includes six credits of (HASS) coursework. Visit the program website for more details and to submit your application. There is no cost to apply; a $500 deposit is due March 15.

Questions? Email Dan Trepal at djtrepal@mtu.edu.

By Dan Trepal, Social Sciences.

Writing Center Offers Michigan Tech Student, Classroom and Project Support

Send your students over to us at the Writing Center! All undergraduates are welcome to come by for a scheduled or walk-in face-to-face appointment with one of our peer coaches. Our coaches offer advice on brainstorming, revision, aligning ideas, research incorporation, citations and grammar, just to name a few topics. Please promote the Writing Center to your students and encourage them to visit.

We are located in Walker 107 and open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Your students can access the appointment system via the Michigan Tech Writing Center website.

If you would like a writing coach to visit your classroom to promote the center, or to schedule additional support during a class for a writing project or revision day, or have any other ideas of how we can support your classroom and projects, please contact Claire Helakoski at chelakos@mtu.edu or M. Bartley Seigel at mbseigel@mtu.edu. We are also happy to brainstorm with you over particular assignments or classroom support ideas to find ways to enhance your course and engage with your students on writing topics.

By Claire Helakoski, Assistant Writing Center Director, Humanities.

NSF IRES: IRiKA Paid Internship in Korea for Michigan Tech Students

Eligible undergraduate and graduate students at Michigan Tech can apply for an eight-week paid research internship in Korea during the summer of 2023. The grant is through the National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students (NSF IRES): Interdisciplinary Research in Korea on Applied smart systems (IRiKA) program.

The goal of the NSF IRES program is to provide high-quality educational experiences for small groups of U.S. students through active research participation in collaboration with foreign researchers at an international site and provide students with international collaborative research training and a personal network on which to build future collaborations.

IRiKA is a competitive program. The students selected for the Summer 2023 cohort will each receive:

  • U.S.-Korea roundtrip airfare and transportation in Korea,
  • an eight-week paid research internship in Korea ($500 per week),
  • accommodations in Korea, and
  • additional research support.

The dates of the internship are June 16 to Aug. 16. Eligible students can find more information and apply through IRiKA’s website. The deadline for Michigan Tech students to apply is tomorrow (Feb. 10).

View the detailed flyer.

Michigan Tech Graduate Research Colloquium 2023

Graduate Student Government (GSG) is pleased to announce this year’s Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) will be held March 29 and 30.

Each spring, GSG sponsors the GRC Poster Presentation Competition. GRC offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to showcase their research with the University community and work on their presentation skills for other professional events. Students can give oral presentations, present posters, or do both. This year, both the formats will be held in person. Judges from a similar field as the presenter will score all the presentations. They will provide valuable insight and feedback on how the students can improve their presentations. The presenters will be grouped into different technical sessions, according to their discipline of study.

Cash prizes are available for the top three places in both oral and poster presentations (first $300, second $200 and third $100). Registration is open now, and it closes March 3 at 11:59 p.m. Register today!

Poster presentations will occur March 29 from 5-8 p.m. at the Rosza Lobby. Oral presentations will happen on both March 29 from 12-5 p.m. at the MUB and March 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MUB. GSG will be covering the cost of printing posters this year. The oral sessions will be 12-minute live talks followed by Q&A sessions.

The GRC event will be capped off with the annual GRC Awards Banquet. All participants and judges are invited to attend. The banquet will be held March 30, following the closing of GRC. Full information can be found on our website. If you have any questions please contact gsg-research@mtu.edu.

Important Dates:

  • Feb. 1 — Registration Opens
  • March 3 — Registration Closes
  • March 17 — Posters and Abstracts Due at 5 p.m.
  • March 29 — Oral Presentations at the MUB, 12-5 p.m.
  • March 29 — Poster Presentations in the Rosza Lobby, 5-8 p.m.
  • March 30 — Oral Presentations at the MUB, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • March 30 — Banquet in the Rosza Lobby, 5-7 p.m.

By Graduate Student Government.

Applications Open to Michigan Tech Students: Climate Leaders Academy

Current undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in climate leadership are invited to apply to be a fellow of the Climate Leaders Academy (CLA), which is launching this summer.

CLA is a two-semester program with the goal of providing formal climate training and professional development to fellows through direct engagement with national and international climate change frameworks, formalized mentoring and collaboration with a diverse set of institutions. CLA is funded through the National Science Foundation and the YEAH network, and supported by MTU, Boston University, Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University.

CLA-Fellows will be entitled to the following benefits:

  • $10,000 stipend ($5,000 per semester)
  • Four transferable course credits
  • All travel expenses covered (to and from kickoff workshop, climate change conferences, etc.)
  • One-on-one mentoring by a CLA faculty member
  • Tuition coverage for CLA course

Additional information and the official application can be found at the CLA Application Form. Applications are due March 15 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Questions can be directed to Rose Daily at roset@mtu.edu or Leah Dundon at leah.a.dundon@vanderbilt.edu.

By Rose Daily.