Graduate School Newsblog

Author: Debra Charlesworth

Inaugural Ada Lovelace Day Celebration at Michigan Tech

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Michigan Tech will hold its inaugural celebration of Ada Lovelace Day, an annual event held to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of women to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Tech’s celebration will be a two-day series of events beginning at 7 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, in Fisher 139 as Professor Martha Sloan (ECE) and guest speakers Mary Long and Michelle Eggart discuss their experiences as women working in STEM fields.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 8 to 10 p.m., in Fisher 135 there will be a film screening of “The Gender Chip Project” followed by a panel discussion featuring female faculty and graduate students from departments across campus, including Sarah Green, Nina Mahmoudian, Laura Brown, Patty Sotirin and Kaitlyn Bunker, who will discuss their experiences as women in STEM disciplines of academia.

Both events are free and open to the public, and concessions will be provided free of charge for the film screening. To view the event flyer, visit Ada Lovelace.

In addition, there will be a display on the first floor of the J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library featuring books and articles by women in STEM.

For information about upcoming diversity-related events, contact Renee Wells at rrwells@mtu.edu to subscribe to the weekly Diversity Programs listserv.

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Research Opportunities at National Laboratories

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Opportunities for Undergraduates, Post-Baccalaureates, Graduate Students, and Faculty

Please contact Cheryl Brown at Cheryl.brown@orau.org or Cheryl Terry at Cheryl.terry@orau.org for additional information on the Higher Education Research Experiences (HERE) or Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis Programs (NESLS)

  • Want to complete a hands-on research project?
  • Want to gain a competitive advantage?
  • Want to be mentored by top nationally acclaimed scientists?
  • Want to use state-of-the-art equipment and facilities
  • Want to interact with a national community of peers?

General Information

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a long history and interest in providing hands-on research experiences to students at all academic levels. Over the years, these research experience programs have enhanced students’ academic curricula and at the same time have helped the Laboratory (1) develop its own workforce and (2) contribute to the national vision for excellence in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. ORNL is a multi-program science and technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department (DOE) by UT-Battelle, LLC. Scientists and engineers at ORNL conduct basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation’s leadership in key areas of sciences, engineering, mathematics, and technology. ORNL scientists are also fully supportive of their responsibility to help mentor the next generation of scientists.

Eligibility

You must meet the qualifications of all programs if you would like to complete an application. You can find the eligibility requirements on the program postings.

Selection

Applicants are selected based on academic achievements, scientific interests, and career goals.

Stipend

Participants will receive a stipend based on academic level. Plus some programs provide a housing allowance, and one round trip to and from the lab from your university or home. Certain eligibility requirements will need to be met in order to be eligible for the housing and travel. See information provided on web site.

Application

Please visit http://www.orau.org/ornl and click on your academic level to learn more about educational programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Complete your profile in the Talent and Opportunity System (TOppS) system and then apply to one or all of the program postings. Applications must be submitted visa the TOppS system. See the programs web sites for deadline dates.

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NSF GRFP Workshop Series

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Assistant Professor Caryn Heldt (ChE), NSF GRFP reviewer, will present “Broader Impacts…huh?” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

Topics will include:

  • How to address broader impacts
  • What activities and projects reflect clear interdisciplinary initiatives or implications, benefits to society, engagement with diverse groups, strong collaborations and partnerships, current and consistent outreach, ability to publish and present and future plans to do so.

Bruce Seely, dean of the College of Science and Arts and NSF panel reviewer, will present “How to Write Exceptional NSF GRFP Letters of Recommendation” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

He will discuss tips for writing exceptional letters that result in funding for graduate students.

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ESC Graduate Travel Grants Awarded for Fall

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The Ecosystem Science Center is pleased to announce the eleven graduate student travel grant awardees for fall travel to conferences within the United States and Canada.

  • Ruth Bennett (SFRES) awarded $500 to attend a workshop on the Winter Habitat Conservation of the Golden-winged Warbler in Washington, DC, Oct. 27–31 (Joe Bump, advisor)
  • Ashley Coble (Bio Sci) awarded $500 to present a talk at the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., Dec 3-7 (Amy Marcarelli, advisor)
  • Stacy Cotey (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., Oct 13-18 (Audrey Mayer, advisor)
  • Ram Deo (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Silvilaser Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Sept 16-18 (Mike Falkowski, advisor)
  • Anna Hess (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Entomological Society of America Annual Conference in Knoxville, Tenn., Nov 11-14 (Andrew Storer, advisor)
  • Lilli Kaarakka (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Andy Burton, advisor)
  • Bryan Murray (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., Oct 13-18 (Chris Webster, advisor)
  • Nan Pond (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Robert Froese, advisor)
  • Karl Romanowicz (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., Dec. 3-7 (Erik Lilleskov, advisor)
  • Luis Verissimo (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Silvilaser Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Sept 16-18 (Mike Falkowski, advisor)
  • Anio Virtanen (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Audrey Mayer, advisor)
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2013-2014 IAF Fellowship Competition Announcement

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Fellowships are available to currently registered students who have advanced to candidacy (by the time research begins) for the Ph.D. in the social sciences, physical sciences, technical fields and the professions as related to grassroots development issues. Applications for clinical research in the health field will NOT be considered.

Awards are based on both development and scholarly criteria. Proposals should offer a practical orientation to field-based information. In exceptional cases the IAF will support research reflecting a primary interest in macro questions of politics and economics but only as they relate to the environment of the poor. The Fellowship Program complements IAF’s support for grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and preference for those applicants whose careers or research projects are related to topics of greatest interest to the IAF. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Organizations promoting grassroots development among poor and disadvantaged peoples;
  • The financial sustainability and independence of development organizations;
  • Trends affecting historically excluded groups, such as African descendants, indigenous peoples, women, people with disabilities and young people;
  • Transnational development;
  • The role of corporate social responsibility in grassroots development;
  • The impact of globalization on grassroots development;
  • The impact on the quality of life of the poor of grassroots development activities in such areas as sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, housing, health care, education, urban development, technology transfer, jobs creation, and marketing and small-enterprise development.

Funding is for between four and 12 months. Research during the 2013-2014 cycle must be initiated between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014.

IAF’s Fellowships provide support for Ph.D. candidates to conduct dissertation research in Latin America and the Caribbean on topics related to grassroots development. The Inter-American Foundation expects to award up to 15 Doctoral Field Research Fellowships in 2012.

Complete proposals include:

  • A complete research prospectus – an application statement, a field research prospectus, a Curriculum Vitae (custom), and a Personal Statement;
  • A letter of University Certification;
  • A letter of affiliation from at least one host organization;
  • Statement of IRB Status or proof of submission or approval;
  • Graduate transcripts;
  • Three academic letters of reference, one which must be from the chair of the applicant’s dissertation committee;
  • A Language Proficiency Report.

Selected candidates must present proof of candidacy and IRB exemption or approval prior to receiving funding or entering the field.  Complete application information and instructions are available at www.iie.org/iaf.

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Savvy Entrepreneur Workshop: Intellectual Property (IP) Protection: It’s more than an NDA (non-disclosure agreement)

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If you have a business idea that you want to protect but don’t understand all the issues, next Tuesday’s Savvy Entrepreneur session is for you. The series features best practices sharing via 2-Way Interactive Web Conferencing. At this event you’ll learn key Strategic Intellectual Property Management Practices, including how to navigate through the dreaded Non-Disclosure Agreement with customers and partners. Learn why and how to protect one of your business’s most valuable assets affordably from local leading entrepreneurs and specialists. Bring your questions to this program to advance your technology entrepreneurship skill set.

A panel of successful entrepreneurs, investors and subject matter experts will share the best practices and experiences dealing with one of the biggest challenges and biggest critical success factors to launch or grow your company. The forum will include insights from the panelists followed by a moderated question and answer session to address your specific start-up commercialization or growth questions.

The event is sponsored by Michigan Tech’s office of Innovation and Industry Engagement, School of Business and Economics, and the Houghton SmartZone and the Keweenaw Alliance For Economic Development.

This event will take place at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the conference room of Michigan Tech’s Advanced Technology and Development Center at 1402 E. Sharon Avenue, followed with a panel discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information on the workshop, contact Mike Morley 487-3485 or mcmorley@mtu.edu

Published in Tech Today

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New dissertations available in the Library

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

  • Biological Sciences
  • Computational Science and Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering Physics
  • Forest Science
  • Geology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication
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