Graduate School Newsblog

Author: Debra Charlesworth

Nominations open for the 2010 Distinguished Dissertation Award

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Nominations are now closed for the 2010 competition.

Nominations are now open for the 2010 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/University Microfilms International (UMI) Distinguished Dissertation Award. This year, nominations are being accepted from dissertations in the fields of:

  1. mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering
  2. social sciences

Michigan Tech may nominate one student in each field. PhD students who have completed all of their degree requirements between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, are eligible.

A nomination packet must include the following:

  1. a completed nomination form.
  2. a 10-page abstract of the dissertation, double spaced on white letter-sized paper. (pdf preferred)
  3. optional: abstract appendices containing non-textual material such as charts, tables or figures. (pdf preferred)
  4. a letter of reference from the dissertation advisor.
  5. a letter of reference from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee.
  6. a letter of reference from a person chosen by the nominee.

The letters of reference should address the significance and quality of the dissertation work.

Nominations should be delivered to Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m. on June 30.  Contact Debra (ddc@mtu.edu) if you have any questions about the competition.  See also the Council for Graduate School’s announcement page.

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New Theses and Dissertations in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the arrival of new theses and dissertations from our recent graduates in the J. R. Van Pelt Library and John and Ruanne Opie Library.  The names of our graduates, their degrees, advisors, and titles of their research are listed below.

Himanshu Bahirat
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Bruce Mork
Thesis title: Transient Recovery Voltages in Shunt Capacitor Bank Installations

Shu Wei Goh
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Advisor: Zhanping You
Thesis title: Development of Specifications for the Superpave Simple Performance Tests

Nicholas Peterson
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Michael C Roggemann
Thesis title: Pulse Polarization Radar for Determining Spatial and Material Information about a Target in Orbit

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New Theses and Dissertations in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the arrival of new theses and dissertations from our recent graduates in the J. R. Van Pelt Library and John and Ruanne Opie Library.  The names of our graduates, their degrees, advisors, and titles of their research are listed below.

Joshua Carlson
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Surendra K Kawatra
Thesis title: Effects of Particle Shape, Particle Size, Composition and Zeta Potential on Filtration at an Iron Ore Concentrator

James Diaz-Gonzalez
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Advisor: Gordon G Parker
Dissertation title: Closed Loop Docking with a Nearly Periodic Moving Target

Mark Griep
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Advisor: Craig R Friedrich
Dissertation title: Quantum Dot / Optical Protein Bio-Nano Hybrid System Biosensing

Cameron Hartnell
Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Heritage and Archaeology
Advisor: Patrick E Martin
Dissertation title: Arctic Network Builders: The Arctic Coal Company’s Operations on Spitsbergen and its Relationship with the Environment

Jill Jensen
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: David R Shonnard
Dissertation title: Cellulosic Ethanol: Optimization of Dilute Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Processing of Forest Resources and Switchgrass

Parimal Kar
Doctor of Philosophy in Physics
Advisor: Ulrich Hans Ewald Hansmann
Dissertation title: Proteins in Silico-Modeling and Sampling

Robert Lothschutz
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Advisor: Jacob Eskel Hiller
Thesis title: Back-Calculation of Effective Built-In Temperature Difference in Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement

Lisa Rouse
Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Advisor: Andrew J Burton
Thesis title: Early season ozone uptake is important for determining ozone tolerance in two trembling aspen clones

Tara Swanson
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Craig R Friedrich
Thesis title: Titanium Surface Morphologies and their Effect on Vancomycin Loading and Release Profiles for Orthopedic Applications

Xuexia Wang
Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematical Sciences
Advisor: Shuanglin Zhang
Dissertation title: Genetic Association Studies Considering LD Information and Genome-Wide Application

Wei Wang
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Timothy J Schulz
Dissertation title: Estimation of the Degree of Polarization through Computational Sensing

Andrew Willemsen
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Mohan D Rao
Thesis title: Objective Metric for Assessing the Perceived Annoyance of Impulsive Sounds

Ziyou Zhou
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Physics
Advisor: Miguel Levy
Dissertation title: Metal-Oxide Film and Photonic Structures for Integrated Device Applications

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BOC Commits to Financial Aid and Approves Online MBA

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The Board of Control has announced a significant increase in financial aid for students struggling to afford a college education.

In special remarks delivered at the Board’s regular meeting today, Finance and Audit Committee Chairman Steve Hicks said that Michigan Tech will increase financial aid by approximately 10 percent for next school year. Financial aid totals $38 million, 20 percent of the University’s budget. The board has asked President Glenn Mroz and his administrative team to include this increase in the fiscal year 2010–11 budget.

“The board members recognize the dramatic impact of the recent economic downturn on the ability of students and their families to pay for higher education,” Hicks said. “We empathize with them and decided to make an early commitment for next school year to ensure that students who seek a truly exceptional educational experience at Michigan Tech have that opportunity.”

Nationally, rising tuition costs and the economic recession have combined to force students to lower their educational sights and seek out lower-priced options. This is especially true in Michigan, where this year the state’s retraction of the Michigan Promise Grant left many students lacking sufficient support. Michigan Tech’s response was to pick up that commitment from the state and fund the Promise grants from its own coffers for the first semester.

Hicks emphasized the University’s resolve to help students. “We are making our own promise to prospective and current students who face rising financial pressure. Providing access to a Michigan Tech education at an affordable price is a top priority, and we are putting our dollars behind the promise. The State of Michigan needs our kind of graduates, proficient in science, engineering, and technology, to propel it to a stronger economic future.”

President Mroz affirmed that message. “People are our priority. We want every student who values what Michigan Tech offers to come here. Today the Board has sent a message that we will go out of our way to make it financially possible.”

The Board of also approved a program price of $38,000 for a new, two-year online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. It will make Michigan Tech’s MBA curriculum and faculty available to distance learners worldwide, starting with the fall 2010 semester.

Like the campus MBA program, the new online program will focus on innovation and technology management.

“Faculty, in our MBA programs on campus and online, understand scientists, engineers and others who work in similar areas,” said Ruth Archer, director of graduate business programs at the School of Business and Economics (SBE). “We want to help them gain a competitive edge and advance their careers.”

MBA online students will attend two extended weekends on campus and one weeklong international residency where they will learn about the development of technology-related businesses in another culture. The international residency will give students a global perspective on innovation and technology management.

“During the on-campus residencies,” said SBE Dean Darrell Radson, “students will develop a strategic perspective and reinforce collaboration and communication skills while interacting with their cohort and faculty members.” In a cohort program, students move through all classes and phases of the program together as a group, from beginning to graduation.

In other business, the Board

  • Voted to award the Melvin Calvin Medal of Distinction to Raymond L. Smith, sixth president of Michigan Tech. Smith, for whom the ME-EM building is named, is recognized as one of the most authoritative authors and lecturers on minerals and metals. The Melvin Calvin Medal is the highest honor that the University bestows on individuals who have exhibited truly distinguished professional and personal accomplishment and have been associated with Michigan Tech.
  • Approved residence hall and apartment room-and-board rates for the 2010-11 academic year, including increases ranging from 4.10 to 4.33 percent for the residence halls and 4.62 to 7.95 percent for Daniell Heights apartments. A single room in the new residential apartment building will cost $8,400 for the year, with a 50-meal per semester food plan.
  • Learned that the Graduate School is piloting a National Service Graduate Fellowship Program to better meet the needs of students who have provided significant service to the US. Active military personnel, honorably discharged veterans, military retirees, and Peace Corps and Americorps volunteers who have successfully completed their service are eligible for the fellowship.

Published in Tech Today

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Library Offers Workshop Series

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The Van Pelt and Opie Library will offer a series of workshops during the week of March 15 covering a variety of topics and disciplines. All of the workshops are free and will take place in library instruction room 242 at 1 p.m. each day. Preregistration is not required and anyone can attend. The workshop series will include five events:

Monday, March 15

Experience the New IEEE Xplore Digital Library

Last month, IEEE launched a substantial upgrade to the IEEE Xplore digital library. This workshop will demonstrate this new user interface with enhanced search and browse tools to make research easier, faster and more productive. This workshop will be taught by Reference and Instruction Librarian Amanda Binoniemi (abinonie@mtu.edu).

Tuesday, March 16

Humanities Resources and Project Muse

The workshop will feature Project Muse, a full-text database of scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences. Come and learn about other resources and services the library offers or request a guided tour to our new web interface. This workshop will be taught by Reference, Interlibrary Loan and Copyright Librarian Nora Allred (nsallred@mtu.edu) .

Wednesday, March 17

Chemical Engineering Resources

Learn how to access an online guide to chemical engineering information and receive an introduction to three e-book resources: Knovel Chemistry and Chemical Engineering full-text handbooks, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology and SpringerLink. This workshop will be taught by Reference Librarian and Coordinator for Library Instruction Dave Bezotte (dbezotte@mtu.edu) .

Thursday, March 18

Scientific Research Resources from Federal Agencies

Every year the US Government publishes the scientific findings of agencies like NASA, the Geologic Survey, the Transportation Board, the Department of Defense and more. The Michigan Tech library has access to these reports through Science.gov, developed by the Office of Science and Technology Information. This workshop will cover the Science.gov database and will field questions on any other government databases as requested. The workshop will be taught by Government Documents Librarian Rhianna Williams (rlwillia@mtu.edu).

Friday, March 19

Electronic Resources and HuskyFetch

This workshop will explain how HuskyFetch (SFX) works, how it interconnects with available resources and how to diagnose where breakdowns occur. Bring your questions and suggestions for an open discussion. This workshop will be taught by the Library’s Digital Resources Coordinator Mies Martin (miesmart@mtu.edu) .

These and other workshops are available to be repeated at departmental meetings, as graduate student training opportunities, and in support of research and publication.

More information is available by calling 877-2507, emailing reflib@mtu.edu, or by contacting the individual librarians listed above.

Published in Tech Today

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Nominations Open for Gustave O. Arlt Award in the Humanities

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Nominations for the Gustave O. Arlt Award in the Humanities are due by March 15th to Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School.  The award recognizes young scholars who have published an outstanding book in their field.  Fields eligible for nomination this year are classical studies or archaeology.

Eligible candidates can be alumni from Michigan Tech, or current faculty.  Michigan Tech may nominate one candidate.

See the CGS website for complete details on eligibility and the nomination process.

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Spring 2010 Travel Grants Available from the BRC

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The Biotechnology Research Center (BRC) announces its spring 2010 travel grants, which provide financial assistance to Michgan Tech’s undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to present their research at scientific meetings.

The grants promote research and achievement in the biotechnology field. The awards are merit-based and are offered in the spring and fall each year.

To apply, complete the application form . Send the application materials to Mary Tassava, staff assistant in BRC. The deadline is Thursday, April 15. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Published in Tech Today

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Radio Signals, Diabetes, and Beavers: Just Another Graduate Research Colloquium

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by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor

Graduate students from across campus trotted out their research and explained the unexplainable at the latest Graduate Research Colloquium held at the Memorial Union Building, with more 25 posters accompanying the two days of presentations.

Suryabh Sharma, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, discussed his work, which might not see the light of day for 20 to 25 years. His work is guided by Associate Professor Gerry Tian.

Realizing that the spectrum of open radio signals is finite, in both frequency and bandwith, there needs to be “cognitive radio networks” developed.

“These will be able to use a part of the spectrum at a certain time that is un-utilized or underutilized, based on time or space,” Sharma says.

Cell phones, for example, will have to be developed with enough computing ability to find these unused frequencies. Sharma’s project was to calculate the probability of success, with best and worst case scenarios, in an algorithm: “gathering data and making it meaningful data.”

His answer? “It is feasible.”

So, someday, we’ll never have to worry about not being able to connect to the wireless grid, in theory.

Nearby, physics graduate student Archana Pandey was describing how implantable nano-devices could be used as glucose sensors in diabetics. In addition to helping people stay healthy, Pandey has discovered an additional benefit.

“Miniature biofuel cells could also be implanted and convert glucose from the initial nanodevice into energy,” she says.

This could be especially helpful to diabetics, who sometimes lack energy, and that impacts their eating habits, Pandy adds.

One problem: the devices work fine when cooled, but body temperatures are too hot. But, she is still working on it with help from teammates Abhishek Prasad, Jason Moscatello and Abhay Singh, and advisor Yoke Kin Yap.

“I inherited my work,” says Mark Romanski of forest resources. And famous work it is: research on the habitants of Isle Royale, in this instance, beavers.

Continuing work of Rolf Peterson, John Vucetich and others, Romanski actually looked at how data is collected on the beaver populations. It is a classic research quandary: how do we know the numbers are accurate? Romanski looked at “double-count surveys,” where two researchers will both attempt to count the same population of a species. Beginning his work in 2006, he discovered a large discrepancy in numbers of beavers counted previously.

“We used smaller aircraft in later surveys than they did in earlier ones,” he said. “When our numbers came back much lower in the planes that should allow for more-accurate sightability–slower speeds and lower flights–we realized that sightability from the larger planes was grossly overestimated.”

More than a study of how to study, then, Romanski’s work helps complete the puzzle of the complicated ecosystem on the island.

He also included a couple of tidbits: moose and beaver have a similar appetite for foliage, and wolves have an appetite for beaver.

“They wait near their lodges until they come out,” he says. “They know where they live.”

Published in Tech Today.

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Dean’s Fellowship Recipients Announced

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce it’s inaugural group of Dean’s Fellows.  These students began their doctoral studies in 2009, and have received a supplement to their stipend and summer support.

The following PhD candidates have received a one-time award:

  • Carol A. Engelmann, Geology
  • Weston H. Thomas, Electrical Engineering
  • Michael D. Via, Chemical Engineering

The fellowships are made possible by the Graduate School and the Class of 1950.

Application procedures for the Graduate School fellowship programs and photographs of recent recipients can be found online.   Nominations are currently open for Finishing Fellowships and Dean’s Fellowships.

If you have any questions, contact Debra Charlesworth.

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Spring 2010 Finishing Fellowships Awarded

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The Graduate School has awarded its Finishing Fellowships for spring 2010.

The following PhD candidates have received a one-time award:

  • Shreehari Elangovan, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Margot J. Hutchins, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Aaron David LaLonde, Materials Science and Engineering
  • Sara Robinson, Forest Science
  • Yuejun Yin, Civil Engineering

The fellowships are made possible by the Graduate School.

Application procedures for the Graduate School fellowship programs and photographs of recent recipients can be found online. Nominations are currently open for Finishing Fellowships and Dean’s Fellowships.

If you have any questions, contact Debra Charlesworth.

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