Graduate School Newsblog

Author: Debra Charlesworth

Research Forum Invites Students to Display Their Work

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The Ecosystem Science Center, the Biotechnology Research Center and the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science invite graduate and undergraduate students conducting research related to ecology, the environment or biotechnology to submit titles and abstracts for poster presentations at the 8th Annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum.

The event will be held on the afternoon of Friday, March 30, in the Atrium of the UJ Noblet Forestry Building.

The forum allows students working in these fields an opportunity to present their research to their peers and faculty. Graduate and undergraduate researchers participate in separate divisions.

The forum provides valuable experience for students preparing for poster sessions at regional or national meetings, as well as gives them recognition for their work. The forum also is a setting for students to showcase new results and see what others are doing.

We invite student participants to present their advanced or preliminary research findings as a research poster. Cash prizes will include one grand prize and up to four merit awards for each center in the graduate student division and one grand prize for each center in the undergraduate student division. Each student may present only one paper but may be included as a coauthor on others.

For more information, see Forum.

For more information, contact Research Associate Jill Fisher (SFRES) at 487-3564 or at jhfisher@mtu.edu .

Published in Tech Today.

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Alumnus Designated a Fellow for His Work and Leadership

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The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected Bhakta Rath to the rank of Fellow, honoring him for his “outstanding contributions in materials science and engineering and for leadership in advancing research and technology to support national security.”

Rath, who graduated from Michigan Tech in 1958 with a master’s in metallurgical and materials engineering, is the associate director of research and the head of the Materials Science and Component Technology Directorate of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

He was speaker at the 2007 Midyear Commencement, when he was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering.

The AAAS honor will be bestowed at a ceremony at the organization’s annual meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada, later this month.

The mission of the AAAS is to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs and science education.

A native of India, Rath has also been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and is a fellow of the Minerals and Materials Society, the Materials Research Society of India, and the Institute of Materials of the United Kingdom.

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Place Your Cap and Gown Rental Orders

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Spring Commencement will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 28, in the MacInnes Ice Arena.

Faculty who need to rent a cap and gown should be measured at the Campus Bookstore in the Memorial Union.

In order to avoid shipping costs, orders for caps and gowns need to be placed by March 2. Any order placed after March 2 will be assessed a shipping fee. After 4 p.m., April 13, cap and gown rental is not guaranteed, and you will be responsible for any applicable shipping fees.

To coordinate your rental, contact Beckie Belanger, Campus Bookstore, at 487-2410 or bmbelang@mtu.edu .

You may also order online from the Campus Bookstore at Cap and Gown.

Published in Tech Today.

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2012 Geothermal Student Competition

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The US Department Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is pleased to announce the 2012 Geothermal Student Competition. The Competition is designed to support, inspire, and promote innovation, exploration, and entrepreneurship among the nation’s emerging young thinkers. The Competition platform focuses on developing and advancing the next generation of geothermal energy exploration technology that can potentially unleash an infusion of reliable, cost-effective, and clean geothermal energy into the US energy economy.

The Challenge

Undergraduate and graduate student teams, guided by a faculty member in the role of mentor, are challenged to conduct a professional-quality assessment of the Snake River Plain site in Idaho using innovative exploration technologies. Research should be based on the case study analysis provided using one or more of the following exploration technologies:

  1. geophysics,
  2. geochemistry,
  3. remote sensing; and
  4. geology.

Please note: faculty should be providing limited support. This is intended to be a student competition.

Who Should Apply?

The Competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students in science, engineering and business programs of study.

Where do I Apply?

The Competition application, guidelines, and copies of the case study can all be found on the Competition website http://orise.orau.gov/geothermal

How does the Competition work?

The Competition is divided into two phases:

Phase I

Student teams, comprised of up to four students with the faculty mentor serving in the capacity of project advisor and coach, will submit an application through the website detailing their project plan. The top ten competitive applicants are selected and the winning teams, their mentors, and their schools are notified and advanced into Phase II of the competition. Teams entering Phase II all receive a $10K stipend to defray the cost associated with equipment purchase, travel and other expenses incurred during the research cycle.

Phase II

The teams are required to participate in monthly review meetings and submit regular reports documenting their progress. Phase II is completed when the Teams submit the required technical paper and present their findings to the team of expert judges at the Geothermal Council Capstone event. ORISE will manage all aspects of the competition including recruitment, program promotion, conducting an application review and coordinating Capstone judging panels, for the selection and award process.

Please contact by email geothermalstudentcompetition@orise.orau.gov or Dr. Desmond Stubbs, Program Manager at (865) 603-2461.

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Khana Khazana Returns to India

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Indian graduate student Abhinav Sharma will cook tasty dishes from his homeland for Khana Khazana (food treasure) on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Memorial Union Food Court.

The ethnic lunch cooked weekly by international students will feature Jabalpuri alu bonde, which is fried spiced mashed potato balls; tawa pulao, a street-food favorite in Mumbai, combining spicy and aromatic rice and vegetables; chicken jalfrezi, a Chinese and Pakastani recipe; and paneer kofta, cheese-stuffed balls in a sweet and spicy sauce.

A full lunch, including a beverage, costs $6. Individual entrees are available for $2 each.

Khana Khazana is a collaborative effort of international students and Dining Services. It is open to the community as well as the campus.

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Summer 2012 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Open

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Nominations for summer 2012 Finishing Fellowships are now open. Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than 4pm on March 14th.

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

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish in summer.
  3. Must have submitted no more than one previous request for funding.
  4. Must be eligible for Research Only Mode.

Previous recipients of a Finishing Fellowship are not eligible.

Please see our application page for details on the application procedure. Please direct any questions you have about the application or review process to Debra Charlesworth

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United Nations Internships

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The United Nations provides opportunities for students enrolled in a graduate programme to undertake an internship at its Headquarters in New
York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Santiago, Arusha, and The Hague.

Eligible candidates interested in doing an internship at the United
Nations Headquarters in New York or any of the mentioned countries can
apply.

The objective of the Internship Programme is threefold:

  1. To provide a framework by which graduate and under graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds may be assigned to United Nations Offices where their educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments.
  2. To expose them to the work of the United Nations.
  3. To provide UN offices with the assistance of highly qualified students specialized in various professional fields.

The United Nations Headquarters Internship Programme is offered on a
two-month basis three times a year:

  • Mid January to mid March (Spring Session): The vacancy announcement is posted mid May, the deadline for applications is end of September.
  • Early June to early August (Summer Session): The vacancy announcement is posted mid September, the deadline for applications is end of January.
  • Mid September to mid November (Fall Session): The vacancy announcement is posted end of January, the deadline for applications is mid May.

To qualify for the United Nations Headquarters Internship Programme, the
following conditions must be met:

  1. Applicants must be enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school (second university degree or higher) at the time of application and during the internship; or
  2. Applicants pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages must have completed at least four years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a degree.
  3. Development-related fields such as economics, international relations, anthropology, sociology, public or business administration, or environmental studies. Other fields of study may be considered depending on the type of assignment;

Any work produced by interns during their internship within the framework
of the duties assigned to them should be used for academic purposes
exclusively. All economic and moral rights (copyright) pertaining to such
work will remain the exclusive property of the United Nations.

Interested undergraduate or graduate students should write via EMAIL ONLY addressed to the :

Ad Hoc Internship Coordinator,
Human Resources Operations Section,
Human Resources Management Service,
United Nations Office

Applications (in English) should include the following:

  1. A covering letter stating the grounds for their application;
  2. Recent curriculum vitae (CV);
  3. Copies of their university degrees or a list of courses attended or attending;
  4. Abstracts of academic papers they have written if any.

All applicants must be currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate
programs. No phone calls, please.

After careful consideration of all documents submitted, only successful
candidates will be notified of their selection.

Kindly send the requested applications documents to the following email
address: intern@un-uncrd.org

No application will be accepted after a deadline!

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NASA Summer Internships for Graduate Students

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NASA offers paid undergraduate and graduate level internships in a variety of disciplines from business and finance to biology, chemistry, physics, earth and life sciences, and engineering.  The deadline has recently been extended to March 1, although offers may begin going out February 2nd.  Students are encouraged to apply by February 1st.

Please visit http://intern.nasa.gov to complete your application and apply for up to 15 opportunities with a single application.  There are currently over 200 opportunities available.

For tips on the internship application: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4saIcVc62-8

For tips on searching for and applying to internships and fellowships:
https://intern.nasa.gov/solar/web/public/main/index.cfm?solarAction=video

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Seminar: Submitting your Thesis or Dissertation to the Graduate School

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Students planning on finishing a thesis or dissertation spring or summer 2012 are invited a seminar designed to help students understand the submission process and answer questions about it.

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation with the location and a reminder of the date and time.

If you are unable to join us, a taped version of this seminar is available online from our May 19th presentation.

Students who are interested in learning more about the formatting requirements and resources available to assist them should visit our formatting web page and refer to our January 27, 2011 seminar.

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Gagnon to represent Tech for MAGS Competition

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Valoree Gagnon

The Graduate School is pleased to announce that Valoree Gagnon is Michigan Tech’s nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award.  Ms. Gagnon was nominated by her advisor, Dr. C. MacLennan of the Department of Social Sciences.  Her thesis, “Fish Contaminants through the Tribal Perspective: An Ethnography of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Tribal Fish Harvest,” conducted an ethnographic inquiry on natural resource issues in indigenous communities.  Native American communities are vulnerable to    toxic substances   present in the water they fish, despite the warnings of negative impacts this could have on human health.  Her work could help policy-makers better understand the history and culture behind this dilemma, and allow them to make policies that take into account their traditions.  Her work is being discussed among professionals in the Michigan government responsible for making policies, at the International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes, and is being prepared for presentation at a conference.  She is currently continuing her education as a doctoral student at Michigan Tech with Dr. MacLennan, and is currently funded by an NSF GK-12 Global Watershed Fellowship.

Matthew Van Grinsven

Matthew Van Grinsven was noted by the panel as a nominee of distinction.  He was nominated by his advisor, Dr. A.S. Mayer, who holds a joint appointment in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences.  Mr. Van Grinsven’s work examined the relationship between groundwater inflows and coaster brook trout spawning sites.  This work will impact the coaster brook trout conservation efforts within the Salmon Trout River and the Lake Superior basin.  He is currently pursuing a PhD in Forest Science at Michigan Tech.

Three other graduate students were also nominated for consideration.  Lijun Chen was nominated by her advisor, Dr. B. Barkdoll of Civil and Environmental Engineering.  Nayyer Islam was nominated by his advisor, Dr. W. Pennington of the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences.  Jillian Schubert was nominated by her advisor, Dr. A. L. Mayer, who holds joint appointments in the Department of Social Sciences and School of Forest Resources and Environmental Policy.  All of the nominations were noteworthy, 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, 2011 and September 30, 2012.  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.

A complete list of former nominees may be found online.

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