Graduate School Newsblog

Category: News

Interesting stories about and for our students.

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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Donald Yerg, former Graduate Studies Dean and Physics Faculty Member, Dies

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Donald G. Yerg, 86, died July 23 in Minneapolis. He was born in Lewistown, Pa., and received a PhD in Physics/Meteorology from Pennsylvania State University. He joined the faculty of Michigan Tech in 1955, after several years of conducting research and teaching at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and in Puerto Rico.

At Michigan Tech, he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the physics department and was the University’s first Dean of Graduate Studies (now the Graduate School), helping to build Tech’s master’s and doctoral programs.

Professor emeritus Don Daavettila recalled working with Yerg as a graduate student before they became colleagues in the physics department.

“He was very helpful to us as students, always explaining what he was doing,” Daavettila said. “I enjoyed that. He was a fine person. He loved to talk physics, and he loved to talk politics, too.”

Yerg remained active in upper atmosphere research by publishing and presenting at various national scientific and academic conferences. For several years, he hosted a program on Michigan Tech’s radio station, WGGL, where he interviewed scientists on how their research impacted everyday life.

An avid reader of political, social and foreign journals, and historical works; a student of the Spanish language, the recorder and acoustic guitar; and a writer of progressive letters to the press–he was a man of inquisitive mind and critical thinking.

He was happiest on the shores of Lake Superior or on backwoods trails of the Keweenaw, whether it was sailing, hiking, biking or skiing. His ashes will be spread over Lake Superior in a family ceremony.

He is survived by wife, Mary Jane, children George, Mark, and Suzanne Yerg, and four grandchildren. Cards can be sent to Dare’s Funeral Home, 805 Main Street, Elk River, Minn. 55330, or visitors can sign the guest book at daresfuneralservice.com .

by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
Published in Tech Today

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New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Forest Ecology and Management
  • Geological Engineering
  • Geology
  • Geophysics
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
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Department of Defense SMART

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The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Eligibility:

  • a U.S. citizen at time of application,
  • 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2012,
  • able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories,
  • willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD,
  • a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by the SMART application) and,
  • pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the About SMART page.

Benefits:

  • Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
  • Cash award paid at a rate of $25,000 – $41,000 depending on prior educational experience (may be prorated depending on award length)
  • Paid summer internships
  • Health Insurance reimbursement allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
  • Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
  • Mentoring
  • Employment placement after graduation
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Graduate School Dean Reappointed, New Titles Announced

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After a highly favorable review of her second three-year term as dean of the Graduate School, Jacqueline Huntoon has been reappointed to another three-year term, Provost Max Seel announced. She will have a new title: associate provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. The new title highlights the role of the graduate dean as advocate for quality graduate education across campus and brings the title in line with other graduate deans at peer institutions, Seel explained.

At the same time, Christa Walck’s title has been changed from assistant provost to associate provost. Her new title reflects expanded responsibilities. In addition to leading the on-going accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, Walck will be chairing the Assessment Council and directing outcome assessment, as well as chairing the Advising Council, working with academic advisors, COMPASS and ExSEL to coordinate and assess academic advising. She also will have responsibility for coordinating and assessing faculty mentoring and serve as liaison to IPS.

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

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Huskies Teams Announce Ticket Kickoff

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The Huskies are hosting their first-ever, community-wide Season Ticket Kickoff to get ready for an exciting year of athletics from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the SDC. Some activities include:

  • purchasing tickets
  • meeting players and coaches
  • enjoying free food and beverages
  • winning prizes–season tickets, Huskies gear, gift certificates and more
  • bringing the family and playing games against your favorite Huskies

For hockey fans, the Kickoff includes the first-ever, Select-a-Seat event, where you can check out the view from a seat before you reserve it for the season. There are special, new ticket options for all sports, too. If you can’t make it, reserve your seat by calling 487-2073.

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Princeton Review Rates Tech Highly Again

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Michigan Tech is one of the best universities in the Midwest, according to the Princeton Review. It is one of 153 institutions recommended in the “Best in the Midwest” section of the “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” on the Princeton Review website.

“We’re pleased to recommend Michigan Tech to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degree,” says Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher. “We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs.”

For this project, the Princeton Review asks students to rate their own schools on several issues–from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food–and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. Comments from surveyed students are quoted in the university profiles on the Princeton Review site.

“Michigan Tech has always fared well in these types of surveys because our students are candid about their experience,” said Les Cook, vice president for student affairs. “Our students appreciate the value of a Michigan Tech degree, but they also embrace the distinctive culture and environment in which it is earned. This year’s comments truly capture this spirit and sense of adventure.”

Student comments in the profile include: “Michigan Tech provides an atmosphere that nurtures learning” and “puts students first when it comes to their learning experience by providing hands-on experience.”

The profiles also contain a list of topics about which students surveyed at the school were in highest agreement, and for Michigan Tech that included “great computer and athletic facilities,” “great career services,” and “students get along with the local community.”

The 153 colleges that the Princeton Review chose for its “Best in the Midwest” list are located in twelve midwestern states. The Princeton Review also designated colleges in the Northeast, West, and the Southeast as best in their locales. Collectively, the colleges named “regional best” constitute about 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

“From several hundred schools in each region,” Franck said, “we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what students at the schools reported to us about their campus experiences on our eighty-question student survey for this project. Only schools that permit us to independently survey their students are eligible to be considered for our regional ‘best’ lists.”

Michigan Tech also appears again in the Princeton Review’s “The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition.”

The Princeton Review is headquartered in Framingham, Mass., and has editorial offices in New York City and test preparation locations across the country and abroad.

Published in Tech Today.

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Alumni Reunion Features Tech Talks, Tours, Singing and More

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The annual Alumni Reunion is set for Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 4-6. Everyone is invited to enjoy the wide variety of activities and get reacquainted with old friends and former students.

The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) is hosting a number of events to mark its 75th anniversary. Other special reunion groups include the Varsity/Jazz Singers; the classes of 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991 and 2001; the Golden Ms, volleyball, cross country, track and Nordic skiing alumni; and the Sigma Rho, Theta Tau and Kappa Delta Psi fraternities.

The Alumni Reunion registration area opens on Wednesday, Aug. 3, in the Memorial Union. You can get your tickets there for the reunion events listed below, unless otherwise indicated.

A full schedule of events is available on the Alumni Relations website.

Thursday, Aug. 4

Alumni Relations Director Brenda Rudiger will review reunion activities at the Welcome Breakfast, which begins at 8:30 a.m. A guided campus walking tour follows. Tickets for the breakfast are $12.

Two faculty members will discuss their work during two Tech Talks, to be held in Fisher 139. At 10 a.m., Professor Ann Maclean (SFRES) will present “Wood to Wheels: A Working Example of Interdisciplinary Research at Michigan Tech.” Associate Professor Tim Scarlett (SS) will follow at 11 a.m. with “Mining, Smelting and Mills, Oh My!”

At noon, you can join alumni reliving their dining hall experiences in Douglass Houghton Hall. Lunch tickets are $12.

The dedication ceremony for the Seaman Mineral Museum begins at 1:30 p.m. The new building is located on Sharon Avenue near Garnet Street, adjacent to the Advanced Technology Development Center.

At 3 p.m., the dedication ceremony for the Paul and Susan Williams Center for Computer Systems Research will be held on the fifth floor of EERC.

The Pasty Picnic begins at 4 p.m. on the campus green between EERC and Chem Sci. The meal includes salads, dessert, beverages and three things Tech alumni hold dear: pickled eggs, pasties and beer. A keg of Keweenaw Brewing Company product will be available. Tickets are $14.

At 5 p.m., the Keweenaw Alumni and Friends Chapter is hosting a free social at the Keweenaw Brewing Company. All alumni and friends are welcome.

SFRES is hosting Outdoor Movie Night, featuring the Tom Hanks movie “Big.” The movie begins at 9:30 p.m. in the forestry building parking lot. Bring a lawn chair if you have one.

Friday, Aug. 5

President Glenn Mroz will present an update on the University at the All-Class Alumni Breakfast, set for 8:30 a.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Tickets are $12.

The Ford Forestry Center in Alberta will hold an open house from 9:30 a.m. to noon, including tours of the historic sawmill.

The Class of 1961 Golden M Pinning Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom B. Also at 10 a.m., class year gatherings for the other recognized classes will be held in the Memorial Union’s Keweenaw Commons.

You can join students for a casual lunch in Wadsworth Hall between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The cost is $8.

Most University departments and the J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library are holding open houses Friday afternoon, starting at 1:30 p.m.

At 2 p.m., Admissions will lead guided campus tours, starting at its office on the ground floor of the Administration Building.

SFRES will present its alumni awards at 3 p.m., followed by a tree-planting ceremony honoring Gene Hesterberg. The former department head passed away in September.

At 6 p.m., see volleyball alumnae battle it out during a reunion game in the SDC.

The annual Alumni Reunion Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., following class pictures. Tickets are $30.

Saturday, Aug. 6

This is the day to get away from campus and see the Keweenaw. First, you can canoe the Sturgeon River, hosted by the Outdoor Adventure Program. It’s a nice, easy paddle with some great scenery. Tickets, including snacks, transportation and all necessary gear, are $25. Participants meet at the Memorial Union at 9 a.m. and return about noon.

SFRES will hold an open house at the Otter River Cabin from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Directions to the cabin, located southeast of Tapiola, are posted on the School’s reunion website.

At noon, tour the historic Quincy smelting works, located in Ripley on M-26. Hard hats are provided for this fascinating 45-minute visit to an historic industrial complex. Cost is $5, payable at the site.

The Alumni Reunion Golf Outing begins at 12:30 p.m. This four-person scramble is supported by the School of Business and Economics and open to all. The top three teams receive cash prizes, and all golfers get a swag bag. The cost is $45 per person, $25 for students. To register, email golfouting@mtu.edu or call Rebecca Middlebrook at 487-2788.

Visit some of the area’s famous waterfalls with the Outdoor Adventure Program. Participants meet at the Memorial Union at 2 p.m. and head out to see Hungarian Falls, Jacob Falls, Eagle River Falls, and more. After the 2-1/2-hour tour, enjoy a lakeside cookout, which is included. Tickets are $30.

At 5 p.m., alumni from the Jazz and Varsity Singers gather in the Rozsa for an open mic session. Everyone is invited, and the event is free.

Published in Tech Today.

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Researcher Discovers Bacteria that “Fertilize” Copper-Contaminated Soil

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When miners abandoned Michigan’s Copper Country, they left a lot of the red metal behind, and not in a good way. Waste from the mining operations still contains a high fraction of copper, so high that almost nothing can grow on it—and hasn’t for decades, leaving behind moonscape expanses that can stretch for acres.

Now, however, Assistant Professor Ramakrishna Wusirika (Biological Sciences) and his research team may have discovered how to make plants grow in the mine-waste desert and soak up some copper while they are at it.

Wusirika began his research using several species of Pseudomonas bacteria from the sediments of Torch Lake. In the region’s copper-mining heyday, the lake was used as a dump for mine waste. “We found bacteria that are resistant to high levels of copper,” he said. “We thought we might be able to use them to help plants grow better on contaminated soils.”

So Wusirika’s research team added copper to soil samples and then inoculated them with a copper-resistant strain of Pseudomonas. Finally, they planted the samples with maize and sunflower seeds and waited.

As expected, seeds planted in copper-free soil thrived, and seeds planted in the copper-tainted soil without bacteria were stunted. But seeds planted in the coppery soil enriched with bacteria did much better; some were nearly as vigorous as plants grown without the toxic metal.

“The bacteria seem to help with plant growth, and they also help maize and sunflower uptake copper,” said Wusirika. That means some kinds of naturally occurring bacteria could make soil more fertile and, in concert with the plants, remove at least some of the copper, a process known as rhizoremediation.

Their work, coauthored by PhD student Kefeng Li and Wusirika, was published online March 1 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. For their next project, Wusirika’s team has been testing how well their technique might work in a real copper-mining desert. They are in the process of using these bacteria to promote plant growth in stamp sands collected near the small UP village of Gay, where the copper-processing byproduct covers about 500 acres.

Published in Tech Today.

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