Graduate School Newsblog

Author: Debra Charlesworth

Evan Anderson represents Michigan Tech in Distinguished Thesis Competition

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Evan Anderson, Michigan Tech’s MAGS nominee
The Graduate School is pleased to announce that Evan Anderson is Michigan Tech’s nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award.  Mr. Anderson was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Blair Orr of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.  His thesis, “The Impact of Balsamo (Myroxylon Balsamum L. Harms) on Coffee Yield and Household Income in El Balsamar, El Salvador,” investigated sustainable coffee production in El Balsamar.  His work was conducted during his time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and was developed in response to local community needs.  The thesis integrated the biological, social, and economic role of the tree in the community.  Evan is currently an urban forester with Davey Tree in San Francisco, California.

Three other graduate students were also nominated for consideration.  Jean DeClerck was nominated by her advisors, Dr. M. Ann Brady and Dr. Wendy Anderson of Humanities, and committee member Dr. Victoria Bergvall of Humanities.  Nathan Kelley-Hoskins was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Petra Hüntemeyer of Physics.  Andrew Orthober was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Carol MacLennan of Social Sciences.  All of the nominations were noteworthy for their scholarship, and the evaluation panel had a difficult task in selecting one nominee to represent Michigan Tech.

The Dean’s Advisory Panel, representing each college or school at Michigan Tech, evaluated the nominees.  The faculty on this panel represent a broad range of graduate programs:  J. Gierke (Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences), S. Martin (Social Sciences), D. Flaspohler (School of Forestry Resources & Environmental Science), X. Wang (School of Technology) and G. Campbell (School of Business and Economics).  Next year’s competition will consider applicants who have completed their degrees between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013.  An application consists of an abstract of the thesis, recommendation letter from the advisor, and an electronic copy of the thesis.  Please consider nominating your master’s students next year.

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Spring 2013 Professional Development Series

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce it’s spring seminar series.  Designed to help students prepare for careers as researchers in an academic community, attendees will learn about publishing, proposals, and project management.

Please join us on one or all of the following dates for a brown-bag lunch and learn (noon – 1pm).  Light snacks and beverages will be provided.  Seating is limited; please register to reserve a seat and receive the room location.  Students may also choose to view the seminar online (live streaming or recorded).

  • March 20 | Publishing, Presenting, and Building your Reputation
    • Learn strategies to build your professional reputation through writing and presenting your research
  • April 3 | The Art of Proposal Development
    • Learn from a panel of experienced proposal writers how to craft successful and compelling proposals to meet the requirements of specific funding opportunities.
    • Take-away tips will be applicable for a variety of proposals, including graduate fellowships, research proposals, outreach events, and related proposal opportunities.
    • Co-sponsored with the Sponsored Programs Office.
  • April 24 | Project Management
    • Learn time-tested strategies for steering research projects to successful completion within the context of a complex and demanding graduate student experience
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Fall 2012 Finishing Fellowships Announced

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the recipients of the fall 2012 finishing fellowships. The fellowships were made available by the support of the Graduate School.

The recipients were:

  • Qi Gao, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Pradeep Kumar, PhD candidate in Engineering Physics
  • Kenny Ng, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering
  • Le Xin, PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering
  • Mimi Yang, PhD candidate in Chemistry
  • Xiaoliang Zhong, PhD candidate in Physics

Finishing fellowship applications for summer 2013 are due no later than 4pm on March 6, 2013. Application procedures and photographs of recent recipients can be found online.

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New theses available in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Policy
  • Geology
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication
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New theses available in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering Science
  • Forestry
  • Geological Engineering
  • Geology
  • Geophysics
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Physics
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Nominations open for Dean’s Fellowships

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Nominations are now open for the Dean’s Fellowships.  They are due no later than 4pm on March 15, 2013 to Dr. Debra Charlesworth.  Dean’s Fellowships provide partial support for the recipient’s first year in a PhD program.  This primary goal of this program is to support Michigan Tech’s strategic plan goal of being an inclusive and welcoming campus for faculty, students, and staff who bring rich, diverse perspectives to our teaching, learning, and research.

In brief, students are eligible to be nominated for the fellowship if the following conditions have been met at the time of nomination:

  1. Student has applied to and been accepted into a PhD program at Michigan Tech.
  2. Student is a US citizen or permanent resident.
  3. Student has been offered at least three years of support by the accepting department or graduate degree program.
  4. Student has been assigned a faculty mentor who will provide guidance as soon as the student enters Michigan Tech.
  5. The department or program has a formal peer-mentoring program in place.

Please see our web site for full details on eligibility, nomination procedures, and evaluation.

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Summer 2013 Nominations for Finishing Fellowships Sought

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Applications for summer 2013 finishing fellowships are now being accepted, and are due no later than 4pm, March 6, 2013 to Dr. Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School. Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online.  Please note that the required form and materials requested have changed significantly for this cycle of competition.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish during the semester supported as a finishing fellow.
  3. Must have submitted no more than one previous application for a finishing fellowship.
  4. Must be eligible for or in Research Only Mode at the time of application.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan. The Graduate School anticipates funding up to ten fellowships with support ranging from $2000 to full support (stipend + tuition). Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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