Category Archives: Academics

Michigan Tech SURF Applications Now Open

Applications for 2020 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) are now open. 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. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Feb. 7. A workshop on writing effective SURF proposals is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in Fisher 133. More information and access to the application materials and instructions are available online or contact Sigrid Resh.

By Pavlis Honors College.

Michigan Tech Graduate Students: Storytelling for Researchers on October 30, 2019

A common mistake graduate students make in their professional communications is focusing too much on data and the process of collecting that data and not enough on the story behind the research.

Often you will have to share your research with a general audience who will not have the full technical background you possess and will quickly be lost in the mires of facts, figures and equations. Often, these are the same people you need to convince to fund your research, project or business.

Studies show our brains are hardwired for stories. You can learn simple storytelling elements to make people listen, understand the value of your work, and want to support your research. Learn to capture the essence of your research, and find the story behind it and why it is important to you and the world.

Here’s a great prep session for this year’s “Three Minute Thesis Contest” presented by local author Charli Mills. Mills punches readers in the gut with emotive 99-word narratives. A born buckaroo, she grew up telling stories, earned a degree in creative writing and communicated brands for a living.

She teaches punchy storytelling and leads 99-word challenges at CarrotRanch.com. This workshop is 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 30) in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge. Register here.

By Graduate Student Government.

Amcor Co-op Opportunities

Amcor (formally Bemis Company) is looking for students interested in a career in polymers for Spring and Fall 2020 co-op opportunities. We are specifically looking for students who would like to work in research and development. I have attached a few slides that shares some info on the new, combined, organization along with some general descriptions of the different roles within R&D. I included the descriptions of the roles because many students think of lab coats & microscopes when they hear R&D, but our co-op’s are far more hands-on than that – with few ever touching a microscope! While our ideal candidates will be in their Junior year, all are welcome to apply. The majority of these positions are located at our state of the art Innovation Center in Neenah, WI. Interested students can apply on Handshake and are also welcome to reach out to our campus HR leader, Amy Santkuyl (amy.santkuyl@amcor.com), or myself (aaron.cedergren@amcor.com) with further questions. As Bemis Company we’ve always found strong co-op’s and full time students from Michigan Tech and we hope to continue that under the Amcor name.

ADVANCE PhD GRA Funding Available for Michigan Tech Students

The Michigan Tech NSF-funded ADVANCE Initiative seeks a PhD student to participate in conducting research on faculty gender and career issues including diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly in STEM disciplines. Up to three years of graduate RA support with tuition and stipend is available (including summer semesters).

The ideal candidate is an incoming PhD student with a master’s degree or a current PhD student in their first or second year. Discipline or degree program is open, but the student should have or be willing to take courses in survey methods and quantitative analysis. Current familiarity with diversity and inclusion research in STEM is advantageous but not required. Optimally, the research done under the ADVANCE programs will form the core or a substantial portion of the student’s dissertation.

To apply, please submit a cover letter indicating your current academic level, your CV, and a statement of interest regarding diversity and inclusion in STEM via email to Prof. Adrienne Minerick. A multidisciplinary team of faculty will be reviewing application materials, so please try to minimize technical, discipline-specific jargon. Start date is as soon as possible but no later than August 19, 2019.