Graduate School Newsblog

Author: Debra Charlesworth

Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship nominations open

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The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOW NNSA SSGF) program is currently soliciting for applications.  It is open to students pursuing a PhD in areas of stewardship science, such as properties of materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics, nuclear science, or high energy density physics.  The fellowship includes a 12-week research experience at either Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory or Sandia National Laboratories.

Benefits:

  • $36,000 yearly stipend
  • Payment of all tuition and fees
  • $1,000 yearly academic allowance
  • Yearly conferences
  • 12-week research practicum
  • Renewable up to four years

Apply online at www.krellinst.org/ssgf – applications are due January 18, 2012.

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Richard Honrath Memorial Lecture

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Michael Hoffmann, professor at James Irvine of Environmental Science-Caltech, will present “Chemical Reactions at the Air-Water Interface of Aqueous Microdroplets,” at 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 3, in M&M U115.

The Honrath lecture is in memory of Richard Honrath, professor in Environmental Engineering and Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, who passed away in 2009.

The lecture is supported by EPSSI and the Honrath Memorial Fund, which also funds undergraduate and graduate students whose major and/or research demonstrate a commitment to protecting the environment and/or the pursuit of knowledge about our earth’s natural forces.

Lecturers are internationally recognized scholars in atmospheric sciences who also interact substantially with students during their visit.

For more information about the Honrath fund, see Memorial.

Hoffmann will be on campus for the day on Oct. 3. If you would like to meet with him, contact Associate Professor Will Cantrell (Physics) at cantrell@mtu.edu .

Published in Tech Today.

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Geology Graduate Student Honored

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Graduate student Patrick Manzoni (GMES) received the platinum corporate sponsor award for his outstanding student abstract at the 54th annual meeting of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists, held in Anchorage, Alaska.

Manzoni was selected as one of the three awardees based on his abstract, “Slope Stability Analysis of the Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala, Using Limit Equilibrium and Finite Element Method.” A review committee of three AEG members selected Manzoni’s abstract from more than 30 student abstracts. The fieldwork forming the basis of the research was conducted as part of the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project.

Published in Tech Today

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Tech Reseachers Honored for Great Lakes Research

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The International Association for Great Lakes Research has honored five Michigan Tech faculty members and students.

The Chandler-Misener Award for the outstanding article published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research (JGLR) in 2010 was given to coauthors Professor W. Charles Kerfoot, PhD student Foad Yousef (Biological Sciences), Professor and Chair Sarah A. Green (Chemistry), former faculty member Judith W. Budd (GMES), and David J. Schwab and Henry A. Vanderploeg of NOAA.

Their paper, “Approaching Storm: Disappearing Winter Bloom in Lake Michigan,” documented the disappearance of a “doughnut” of phytoplankton in southern Lake Michigan associated with the proliferation of quagga mussels.

The award was presented to Kerfoot at the 54th International Conference on Great Lakes Research in Duluth, Minn. The Chandler-Misener Award acknowledges the most notable paper based on originality, contribution and presentation.

Cory McDonald, a recent PhD graduate in environmental engineering, received the JGLR/Elsevier Young Student Award. This award is given to “emerging young scientists with a JGLR article ranked in the top 10, as determined by the IAGLR Chandler-Misener Review Committee.” Recipients receive a complimentary one-year IAGLR membership and a $750 cash prize.

Published in Tech Today

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Tech-trained Teacher Meets President Obama

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Lorentyna Baldus, a science teacher in Grand Rapids who went through special training with Michigan Tech faculty and graduate students in a National Science Foundation-funded program MiTEP (Michigan Teaching Excellence Program), was laid off this summer by Grand Rapids Public Schools. After being recommended by Graduate School Dean Jacqueline Huntoon, Baldus was chosen by the National Science Teachers Association to meet President Barack Obama and tell her story.

“I was able to stand on the steps of the Rose Garden during President Obama’s speech!” she wrote to Huntoon. “What an experience to meet the president and vice president!”

The dean, who described Baldus as “awesome,” said that MiTEP promotes not only better science education, but leadership among teachers.

Michigan Tech’s $4 million grant was one of only four awarded nationwide to establish math and science teacher institutes. The institutes are part of a larger NSF program called Math and Science Partnership.

Baldus said she is hoping to be called back to work soon.

by Jennifer Donovan, director of public relations
Published in Tech Today

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Prestigious Scholarships Workshops/Informational Meetings Announced

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A series of workshops and informational sessions for prestigious scholarships are free and open to students and faculty. Here are the details:

  • Who am I? Writing about yourself on essays.
    5 to 6 p.m., today, Sept. 20, Fisher 125
    Bring your resume.
  • The Fulbright Scholarship
    3 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22, Fisher 132
    US citizens and permanent residents only.
  • Writing the Essays
    7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 29, Fisher 101
    Either bring one you’re working on or sample questions will be provided. Bring paper and pencil/pen.
  • Reference Letters
    Noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct 12, ME-EM 405

For more information, contact Associate Professor Mary Durfee (SS) at 487-2112, or at mhdurfee@mtu.edu .

Published in Tech Today.

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Spring 2012 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Open

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Nominations for spring Finishing Fellowships are now open. Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than 4pm on October 26th.

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

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

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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AAHHE/USDA-NIFA/TAMUCC Outstanding Thesis Competition

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This competition is open to any Hispanic who has completed a thesis that focuses on Food and the Agricultural Sciences, between December 2010 and August 30, 2011.  Theses are eligible if they are in domains related to the USDA priority areas, including

  • Food Safety
  • Climate Change
  • Sustainable Energy
  • Childhood Obesity

The top three winners will be invited and sponsored to attend the 7th Annual AAHHE National Conference (March 8-10, 2012) in Costa Mesa, California to present their theses and receive their award, as well as participate in a Career Preparation Institute. The first place winner will receive an award of $3,000, the second place winner will receive $2,000, and the third place winner will receive $1,000.

Deadline to submit a thesis abstract for the competition:  September 30, 2011, 5pm CST.

For additional details concerning the requirements and regulations, please refer to the AAHHE website.

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Tech’s Enrollment Tops 7,000

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With well over 7,000 students, enrollment is at its second-highest point since 1983.

Data reported to the State Budget Office on Wednesday, Sept. 7, show total enrollment at 7,031, a 1 percent increase over fall 2010’s official figure of 6,976.

Female enrollment is up for the sixth straight year to an all-time high of 1,837, or 26.1 percent of the student body.

Graduate enrollment increased approximately 5 percent, with a record 1,303 students seeking master’s and PhD degrees, up from 1,256 in fall 2010. “We broke through 1,300 for the first time and processed 3,000 applications, another record number,” said Jacqueline Huntoon, dean of the Graduate School. “Graduate enrollment continues to increase in accordance with our strategic-plan goal of having 3,000 grad students by 2035.”

“Of our on-campus enrollment, growth is strongest among international students, and we are very pleased that students are drawn here from all over the world to pursue a graduate degree,” she said. Many are self-supporting or are supported by their employers or home countries, she noted. “They provide an economic boost both to the University and to the local community.”

Another area of growth is distance learning. The number of students seeking a graduate degree online is up markedly, from 58 to 106.

Undergraduate enrollment is up as well, with 5,728 students compared to last year’s 5,720. The number of new first-year students grew from 1,115 to 1,161, an increase of approximately 4 percent. The freshman class will also include more women: 288 as compared to 273 in 2010.

In addition, the academic credentials of the entering freshman class are up for the sixth straight year, with a record-setting average ACT composite score of 26.4, compared to last year’s 26.1.

“Smart, adventurous students want to study with other smart, adventurous students,” explained John Lehman, assistant vice president of enrollment services.

The enrollment count also reflects the fact that more students are staying at the University. The retention rate from undergraduates’ first to second year of study has risen to 83.3 percent, approximately 2.5 percent higher than 2010’s 80.9 percent.

The COMPASS program employs a variety of strategies to improve student retention. “Our orientation program helps new students acclimate to the community and learn about the resources that can make them successful,” said Director Susan Liebau. The office offers special services for transfer and commuter students, along with the ExSEL program, which combines leadership development with tips for improving academic performance.

In addition, the University tracks first-year students’ mid-term grades and has stepped up efforts to reach out to those who are struggling. “That’s been one of our most effective efforts to ensure the success of students,” Liebau said.

Published in Tech Today
by Marcia Goodrich, senior writer

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