Graduate School Newsblog

Category: News

Interesting stories about and for our students.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship Recipients for Fall and Spring announced

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce Finishing Fellowship recipients for the fall and spring semesters. Finishing fellowships  provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan.

Recipients for fall 2011 were:

  • Irfan Ahmed, PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering
  • Surendar R. Dhadi, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences
  • Neluka K. Dissanayake, PhD candidate in Engineering Physics
  • Shu Wei Goh, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering
  • Amber M. Roth, PhD candidate in Forest Science

Recipients for spring 2012 are:

  • Zeyad T. Ahmed, PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering
  • Kefeng Li, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences
    Charles L. Lawton Endowed Fellowship
  • Saikat Mukhopadhyay, PhD candidate in Physics
  • Zhiwei Peng, PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering
    Doctoral Finishing Fellowship
  • Lindsey M. Shartell, PhD candidate in Forest Science
    Neil V. Hakala Endowed Fellowship

Nominations are currently open for summer 2012 finishing fellowships.  Materials are due no later than 4pm, March 14th.  See complete details online about the application and review procedure.

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More Accolades for Tech MBA Online

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The School of Business and Economics has another reason to cheer: SuperScholar, an online education and career information website, has named the Tech MBA Online among the top 25 in the nation, coming in at number 20.

Recently, Tech’s MBA Online was ranked among the honor roll programs in first-ever online rankings by US News and World Report.

The SuperScholar website singles out Tech’s program “for its emphasis on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship”–all prominent features of Tech’s online MBA program, which, like the School itself, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

School of Business and Economics Dean Darrell Radson said, “Our Tech MBA Online has once again been recognized as a top MBA program internationally. It also confirms that we are aligned with the changing trends in our global economy by offering a flexible, online learning environment focused on innovation and technology management with an international business perspective.”

The SuperScholar editors say they designed their “Smart Choice” ranking of online MBA programs to help fill a void of quality rankings and reviews of online degree programs, as well as provide prospective students with help in finding the best degree program for them.

After researching all online MBA programs accredited by AACSB or by regional accrediting agencies, SuperScholar ranked the top 25 schools based on quality, marketability and affordability–as determined by market reputation, admissions selectivity, accreditation and cost.

AACSB accreditation is considered the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Being AACSB-accredited means a business school is able to continuously pass a set of strict standards that are designed to ensure quality. The School of Business and Economics successfully completed reaccreditation requirements in spring 2011.

Published in Tech Today.

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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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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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Online MBA Makes US News Honor Roll

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The Tech MBA Online in the School of Business and Economics has been ranked among the honor roll programs in first-ever online rankings by US News and World Report.

Michigan Tech was ranked 24th in Admission Selectivity and 38th in Teaching Practices and Student Engagement among the 161 online graduate business programs honored. The Tech MBA Online was also ranked 82nd in Student Services and Technology.

“Our Tech MBA Online is focused on innovation and technology management and is perfect for emerging industries, fast-paced environments and traditional businesses facing change,” says Max Seel, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am very proud of the faculty and staff of our School of Business and Economics that our online degree is recognized in the honor roll lists of online programs by US News and World Report.”

Darrell Radson, dean of the School of Business and Economics, adds: “This recognition confirms that our program is successfully established as a quality online education. Through the Tech MBA Online’s innovative teaching methods and residency requirements, particularly our international residency, we are producing the type of student that employers demand.”

According to the US News press release, their new rankings “were created in response to today’s high demand for education provided in a flexible manner. With many distractions to detract from one’s schooling, online education has become increasingly popular due to its flexibility.”

There were no numeric rankings for overall program quality this inaugural year, US News said. Instead, they created non-numeric honor roll lists of online programs. There is one honor roll for online bachelor’s degree programs and one for the master’s degree programs. Each list includes programs that performed well across a series of numeric indicator rankings.

Published in Tech Today.

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Students Tackle Mining Controversy

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As they study their fields, graduate science students also need to learn to be good communicators about science. So says the National Science Foundation (NSF).

So Professor Alex Mayer, who has dual appointments in the civil and environmental engineering department and the geological and mining engineering and sciences department, developed a graduate fellowship program–funded by NSF–to help PhD students learn to communicate science to school children and the general public.

This year, PhD students Brenda Bergman, in forest science, and Valoree Gagnon, in environmental and energy policy, chose to develop a news release about the controversy over mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and around the nation. Here is their news release:

As mining is resurging in North America, debates across the continent over mines are simplified: “Do we prioritize jobs or the environment? Companies or communities?” These are worthy debates. Yet should the issue of mining really be reduced to “pro-con” statements?

Michigan Tech experts from a wide range of disciplines say no. “The worst type of communication has to do with the simplification of the mining issues. I think the biggest problem is creation of polar opposites so that one has to choose between employment or environmental and health protection” says Carol MacLennan, an environmental anthropologist who has studied mining communities for almost a decade. “Characterizing it that way is very destructive because you’re never forced to confront the complexity of the issue.”

How are members of the general public expected to understand such a complex issue? Answers from Michigan Tech scientists focus on two solutions: education and improved communication between scientists and the public.

According to Craig Waddell, an associate professor of humanities who has studied public participation in environmental disputes, “If you want to prepare a broader range of people to participate, they need to know how to address scientific arguments, how to assess disputes within the scientific community, what counts as evidence and how we evaluate whether or not that evidence is valid.”

MacLennan believes that scientists have an obligation to communicate with the public: “Too often, scientists think about things in terms of ‘furthering knowledge,’ and that, by implication, is a public good. It’s just that it’s often not clear–how is it a public good? How is it publically useful? And you have to always be thinking about different publics–and there are different publics–how are they interested or concerned in the particular work you’re doing?”

For the full story, see Mining.

CBS Detroit and the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report also featured the  story about Brenda Bergman and Valoree Gagnon.  See Mining Dispute to view the article.

Published in Tech Today.

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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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