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Carnegie Museum to Host Guided Tours

Published July 12, 2016

Four Michigan Tech Professors will act as guides during three upcoming guided tours highlighting the history of the Keweenaw.

The tours are sponsored by Houghton’s Carnegie Museum, and begin with a wine and cheese social at the museum at 5 p.m. Following the social, participants will board the Red Jacket Trolley Company’s bus for a two-hour trip through time.

The first guided tour “Torch Lake Mining Waste,” is tomorrow (July 13). Geologists Bill Rose (GMES) and Erika Vye are the guides through a tour along the industrial corridor associated with milling of Quincy and Calumet mines along Torch Lake’s western shore. The tour takes a look at areas from Mason to Tamarack City, Hubbell and Lake Linden, viewing mill sites and stampsand areas while discussing the modern implications and environmental mitigation efforts.

Upcoming tours will explore “Trials and Trails of Huron Creek,” with Alex Mayer (CEE) and Carol MacLennan (SS), Wednesday Aug. 3 and “Hockey Arenas of the Copper Country,” with Bill Sproule (CEE), Thursday Sept. 8.

All tours begin with the social at 5 p.m. with the tours to follow at 5:30 p.m. and are expected to last two hours. The cost is $25 ($20 for museum members). Reservations are recommended and your seat is not guaranteed until payment is made.

Check out the museum’s Facebook page.

From Tech Today.

Agassiz Excursions at Strawberry Festival

Published July 6, 2016

By College of Engineering

“How do scientists assess the health of Lake Superior” is the focus of free scientific excursions that will be offered at the Strawberry Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 9, 2016, departing from the Chassell marina.

The public is invited to sign up for free 30-minute scientific excursions aboard Michigan Tech’s research vessel Agassiz by calling the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at 7-3341 or coming to the Chassell Marina dock on Saturday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Spaces go quickly. Half of available spaces will be saved for onsite participants.

On each scientific excursion, Marcel Dijkstra, a Michigan Tech Great Lakes scientist, will demonstrate the use of sampling equipment to collect data on water clarity, temperature and turbidity that tells us about the health of the lake—Chassell Bay. Participants will explore the link between land uses and the health of the Great Lakes.

Adrienne Minerick is the Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Development

Published June 28, 2016

By College of Engineering

News

New Model Designed to Promote Collaboration and Communications

In recognition of the University-wide efforts that some of our academic administrators are undertaking, the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and Research are testing out a new model intended to promote improved collaboration and communication on campus.

For the 2016-17 academic year, Jason Carter (KIP) will continue to serve as Chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology while also serving as assistant to the Vice President for Research for Research Development.

In addition, Adrienne Minerick will continue in her position as Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the College of Engineering and will also serve as Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Development.

Michigan Tech is a DENSO Grant Recipient

Published June 28, 2016

By College of Engineering

News

News outlets across the nation, including WFLX-TV Fox 29, reported that Michigan Tech is one of 24 universities to receive part of a $1 million grant from the DENSO North America Foundation to support education in the skilled trades, active safety and robotics programs, student vehicle teams, learning labs and more.

From Tech Today.

DENSO Foundation gives more than $1 million in grants to 24 colleges and universities to advance engineering and skilled trades education

That’s what the DENSO North America Foundation believes. On Monday, June 20, 2016, the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) awarded more than $1 million to 24 colleges and universities across North America. Funds support advancing education in skilled trades, active safety and robotics programs, student vehicle teams, learning labs and more.

In addition to the Foundation’s efforts, DENSO also supports students one-on-one with its expertise through mentorship, connecting students with DENSO experts to give them a better idea of what being an engineer or technical professional means. DENSO supports programs around the country and the world such as FIRST Robotics, Project Lead the Way and Society of Automotive Engineering Collegiate Design Series as a part of this mentoring effort. DENSO also has an extensive co-op student program where students are given a high level of responsibility and gain real-world experience.

Women in Engineering Camp

Published June 28, 2016

By College of Engineering

HOUGHTON — Roller Coasters, automobiles, aqueducts, they are all products of ambitious engineering and these high school girls are learning about it hands-on.

Roughly 140 young women are taking part in the weeklong Summer Youth Program from Michigan Tech called Women In Engineering.

Program Residence Counselor, and 3rd year Michigan Tech Civil Engineering major, Megann Dykema said, “Our camp helps the student to be able to see all the different kinds of engineering and it’s really a great insight into exploring what they might want to do.”

Detroit Students Learn About Natural Resources

Published June 27, 2016

By College of Engineering

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) Bruce Ross was once a field coordinator for the Michigan DNR downstate.

Since then, he’s left the profession to reach out to the urban youth.

“I remember when I started in college I was the only African American in my class,” said Ross. “There’s a real shortage of people actually going into natural resources.”

Ross and other organizers are trying to increase minority representation in natural resources.

Michigan Tech organizations helped raise $12,000 for these students to travel and stay in the U.P.

NSF Video Showcase features Geoheritage Field Education

Published May 23, 2016

By Kim Geiger

photo by Jim Belote — photo by John Belote

Dr. Erika Vye, who earned her PhD in Geology at Michigan Tech just last month, together with her PhD advisor Professor Bill Rose, have created interpretative videos about the geological underpinnings of the Keweenaw. One such video, “Geoheritage Field Education in Michigan’s UP”, which features beautiful aerial drone imagery, is live now on the NFS Video Showcase, http://videohall.com/p/791 #stemvideohall. Please watch and vote. Public choice voting will end at 8:00 pm Monday, May 23. 2016, but the video will remain online.

Vye and Rose aim to connect people more personally to the the science of Keweenaw geology. Learn more at geo.mtu.edu/KeweenawGeoheritage.

Congratulations Sarah Rajala ’74 – Recipient of the 2016 AAES National Engineering Award!

Published April 21, 2016

By Kim Geiger

News

Dr. Sarah Rajala, Dean of the Iowa State University College of Engineering, has earned the National Engineering Award from the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) – representing 17 multidisciplinary engineering societies from industry, government and academia. Rajala received the award on April 18 at a ceremony in Washington D.C. Rajala earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technological University in 1974 and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Rice University.

The AAES National Engineering Award recognizes Rajala’s outstanding service in three key areas: 1) inspirational leadership at the institutional, national and international levels; 2) innovations in engineering education and assessment; and 3) her tireless efforts to promote diversity in the engineering field.

“It is indeed appropriate that Sarah Rajala receive the AAES National Engineering Award,” said Joseph J. Rencis, president of the American Society for Engineering Education, one of the AAES member societies. “She is a trailblazer and embodies the criteria of inspirational leadership and devotion to engineering education, advancement of the engineering profession and promotion of public policies.” Rencis also praised Rajala’s diversity efforts, adding “Sarah has recognized the engineering profession cannot achieve full success without full participation of the rich diversity of talent in our global population.”

From Michigan Tech, Rajala received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008; was inducted into the Electrical and Computer Engineering Academy in 1997; became a charter member of the Presidential Council of Alumnae in 1997; and earned the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1986.

Rajala joined Iowa State in 2013, after having served as the first female dean of the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. Before she became dean, Rajala was the first female tenure-track professor in the engineering department at North Carolina State University, where she organized networking activities for the college of engineering women faculty and helped create a maternity leave policy for tenure-track faculty members where none had existed.

In the classroom and through professional organizations, Rajala has worked to improve engineering education for students. She has received numerous teaching awards, provided key leadership related to reform engineering education, and was elected president of the American Society for Engineering Education [ASEE] in 2008-09.

The focus of Rajala’s research is the analysis and processing of images and image sequences and engineering educational assessment. She has directed numerous master’s theses and doctoral dissertations, authored and co-authored nearly 200 publications, and secured a patent on image sequence compression.

Dr. Denise Sekaquaptewa: Strategies to Strengthen Inclusion

Published April 20, 2016

By Kim Geiger

Visiting Women and Minorities Lecturer/Scholar

All are welcome at an upcoming presentation by Dr. Denise Sekaquaptewa, University of Michigan Professor of Psychology, Associate Chair, and Associate Director, ADVANCE. Dr. Sekaquaptewa’s presentation will take place this Thursday, April 21, from 3:30-4:30 pm in MUB Ballroom B2. Afterwards there will be an open forum discussion on advancing a positive climate at Michigan Tech.

Dr. Sekaquaptewa’s experimental research program focuses on implicit stereotyping, prejudice, stereotype threat, and effects of category salience on test performance and academic motivation. Her current projects include studies of how environmental factors influence women students in math and science, and how stereotypes affect interracial communication.

This event is hosted by Michigan Tech Women in Science in Engineering (WISE) and the Pavlis Honors College. It is partially sponsored by the Visiting Women and Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series (WMLS) which is funded by a grant to Institutional Equity and Inclusion from the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez Parks Initiative. Refreshments will be served.

RSVP http://goo.gl/forms/Nw3zBFT5ZK

Greenhouse gas emissions vary by region – GE alumnae Deborah Huntzinger

Published March 11, 2016

By Kim Geiger

News

Deborah Huntzinger, who earned her BS and PhD in Geological Engineering at Michigan Tech, is now an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ.

During her post-doc at the University of Michigan, Huntzinger was involved in research recently published in the journal Nature, “The terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.” Huntzinger is a coauthor in the research, which for the first time ever quantifies how greenhouse gas emissions vary by source sector and region.

“The comprehensive approach used to compile, synthesize, and interpret the data has led to results that bolster the understanding of human contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and point to regions where more attention is needed to manage emissions,” notes John Gierke, Huntzinger’s graduate advisor and chair of the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Tech.

The group’s research suggests that a reduction in agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions, particularly in Southern Asia, may help mitigate climate change.

Read more at Eurekalert.org: “Greenhouse gas bookkeeping turns on its head”, and Nature: “The terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere”.

Huntzinger’s research interests focus on improving the understanding of complex environmental systems and our ability to forecast their future variability. Her current research interests are in the integration and comparison of environmental remote sensing products, model estimates, and in situ data to advance the understanding of biospheric contributions, both spatially and temporally, to land-atmosphere carbon exchange.

Category: News

New Model Designed to Promote Collaboration and Communications

Visiting Women and Minorities Lecturer/Scholar