Donate to the “Graduate Student Conference Award” project. This is a collaborative initiative between the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Government to foster, encourage, and recognize graduate research. Professional and scholarly conferences are key avenues for presenting one’s research out to the larger community. In addition to sharing knowledge and learning more about the work done by fellow researchers, such conferences also play a key role in graduate students’ professional development.
Interesting stories about and for our students.
Kevin Waters
Physics
I came to Michigan Tech. in the Summer of 2013 after finishing my undergraduate degree in physics at Indiana State University.
My research focuses on quantum mechanical simulation of nanomaterials. Over the years I have investigated different potential functionalizations of boron-nitride nanotubes and monolayers with amino acids and gold clusters.
I would like to thank the physics department and the graduate school for funding my academic endeavor. The Finishing Fellowship helps me spend my full time on dissertation writing without any distraction from other duties. The university has provided me with great opportunities to grow professionally at Michigan Tech., at the Air Force Research Laboratory and at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Soroush Sepahyar
Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
I started my PhD in Michigan Tech in August 2013 in Mechanical Engineering. My PhD research is focused on developing and testing a new technology in cooling systems. The application of this new technology is on future generation computer cooling systems such as Data Centers and Supercomputers. It would make cooling systems working more efficiently and reduce the environmental impact and energy costs when implemented.
Along with the research activities, since Fall 2014, I have been working as Graduate Teaching Assistant and had the opportunity to teach two different labs in MEEM department which was a great experience for me.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the Graduate School at Michigan Tech for this financial support. This gave me an opportunity to focus on my research and also put all my efforts toward completion of my PhD degree this semester.
I am also grateful for the generous donations from MTU alumni and Friends who made this opportunity possible for me.
Lauren Schaefer
Geological Engineering
Lauren N. Schaefer received both an MSc in Geology (International Geological Masters in Volcanology and Geotechniques, 2012) and a PhD in Geological Engineering as a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow (2016) at Michigan Tech under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Oommen. Her dissertation investigated the potential for large-scale debris avalanches at Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala to optimize future monitoring and mitigation efforts. A combination of experimental rock mechanics, field investigations, remote sensing, and numerical modeling not only detected, but revealed the nature and mechanics of the largest landslide surge witnessed in a single event at a volcano. Her dissertation provided rare insight into precursory deformation prior to a potential future catastrophic collapse at an active volcano. Such an event was witnessed at Mount St. Helens in 1980, and is known to have occurred at over 400 volcanoes worldwide.
Currently, Lauren is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she continues to research landslide and volcanic hazards.
Erin Pischke
Environmental and Energy Policy
My dissertation research examines the public perceptions of socioecological impacts of oil palm production and the political ecology of environmental change in Tabasco, Mexico. I collaborate with natural, social and engineering scientists to study the impacts of bioenergy development projects to assess the sustainability of them. My work shows that past political and economic actions impact current environmental conditions and creates institutional and structural constraints in the region to which people are adapting. A multi-pronged, interdisciplinary approach tackles problems from various angles to, in a sense, make the problem smaller. My research also studies the challenges that international, interdisciplinary teams face when studying such impacts in international settings so that future research can be more successful.
The Graduate School would like to congratulate and recognize Lauren Schaefer and Erin Pischke for being nominated for the Council of Graduate Schools / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious honors for doctoral dissertations.
Two awards are given annually in two different broad areas (mathematics, physical sciences and engineering; and social sciences; and the biological sciences; and humanities and fine arts). The winners of the awards will be announced during the Fall 2018 Semester.
The 2018 fields of competition are:
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering
Mathematics and Social Sciences
Alexis Newton
Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
While in the Rhetoric, Theory and Culture Master’s program at Michigan Technological University, my thesis research focused on the relationships between hardware, software, and wetware – namely, looking at how video games virtually and physically effected the way we understand and engage with play. By defining and distinguishing between “gamespaces” (the virtual spaces players engage with to play a game) and “playspaces” (the physical spaces players inhabit while playing a game), I explored the various ways in which hardware constrains, encourages, and/or politicizes play. This research not only guided my work as a student, but also informs my work as an instructor of Rhetoric and Composition, where I focus on teaching students to be critical readers and writers of culture, both popular and otherwise. In the future, I plan to expand upon my thesis work and explore how these concepts apply to and flourish specifically in museum and gallery spaces.
Nadun Dissanayake
Mathematical Sciences
I’m a PhD Student in Computation and Applied Mathematics at MTU. I am also a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Mathematical Sciences teaching Pre-Calculus during fall and Calculus II during spring. Teaching is my favorite hobby because I enjoy being with students and helping them. Mathematics is a subject students often struggle with, and I love to teach mathematics in a way that makes sense to students. I interact with students in and outside of class and make them work hard. The students at MTU are very talented and smart, and I consider myself lucky to teach them. I want every student to reach their full potential. Teaching well raises the standards of my university and department, and I always keep that in my mind when I teach. We all have a responsibility to represent our university well and to produce successful students from our classes. I consider teaching to be not just a job, but the greatest service to the world.
Matthew Kilgas
Integrative Physiology
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Physiology at Michigan Tech. My line of research involves adapting new types of exercise to different clinical and healthy populations. I have worked on many projects including the development of a new exercise device for wheelchair users and creating a home-based rehabilitation program for those with ACL injury. I have been living in the Upper Peninsula for the past 9 years. When I’m not working on my research you can find me out exploring the Keweenaw with my wife and dog. We love hiking, skiing, and biking on the many trail systems in the area.
Janarjan Bhandari
Atmospheric Sciences
Before joining the Physics Department as a Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric Sciences, I earned my BS and MS in Physics from Tribhuvan University. My research with Dr. Claudio Mazzoleni focuses on the morphology and mixing state of absorbing aerosol particles in the atmosphere and their optical properties. The effect of absorbing aerosols on climatic forcing is large and highly uncertain. A detailed study on the morphology and mixing state of individual aerosols is necessary to reduce uncertainty in climatic forcing by these aerosols.
During my years at Michigan Tech’s Physics Department has provided me full support of my studies. I am thankful to the Michigan Tech Graduate School for the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship award that will help me finish my degree this summer. I am also very grateful to my advisor Dr. Claudio Mazzoleni, who not only mentored me since 2013 in research, but also allowed me opportunities to participate in a collaborative research campaign, and to participate in different conferences that provided a nice platform to interact with the community people and exposure to different instrumentations. I feel proud be a student in the Atmospheric Sciences program at Michigan Tech.