Graduate School Newsblog

ORAU Presentation August 20

Published August 19, 2013

Announcements

Steve Roberts, university partnership specialist from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), will give a presentation, “Value through Partnerships,” Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 2:30 p.m. in GLRC 202.

ORAU is a consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 105 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry.

Michigan Tech has participated in ORAU-administered programs such as the Powe Junior Faculty Award, DOE Office of Science Graduate Fellowship, ORNL Postdoctoral Research Associates, and the NETL, DOE and EPA Research Participation Programs.

For additional information: ORAU

This presentation is hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Forestry Recognizes Outstanding Alumni

Published August 19, 2013

By Debra Charlesworth

News

The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science has honored four SFRES alumni. Francisca (Panchita) Paulete ’06 and Aaron M. Everett ’01 were named 2013 Outstanding Young Alumni. David Myrold ’77 received the School’s 2013 Outstanding Alumnus Award, and Jacob Hayrynen ’81 was inducted into the SFRES Honor Academy.

Paulete is a graduate of the Peace Corps Master’s International program at Michigan Tech. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gambia, West Africa, from 2003 to 2005. She now is district planning and environmental coordinator for the Eugene District of the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon.

Read more about the alumni awards in Tech Today.

Tom Drummer Passes Away

Published August 19, 2013

By Debra Charlesworth

News

Fisher Hall will no longer resonate with the hearty laughter of Tom Drummer. The 59-year-old professor of mathematical sciences passed away over the weekend at his home in Chassell.

“It is a big shock,” said Department Chair Mark Gockenbach. “Tom was such a great guy.”

Drummer joined the math faculty in 1985, after completing an MS in Applied Statistics from Bowling Green State University and a PhD in Statistics from the University of Wyoming. He served as interim chair of the department for several months during the 1996–97 academic year and at the time of his death was the department’s graduate program director. He was a member of the Academy of Teaching Excellence, composed of faculty who are finalists for the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Geology Grad Student Helps Indonesians Understand Their Volcanoes

Published July 23, 2013

By Debra Charlesworth

News

Jay Wellik, left, installs a new seismometer near Raung volcano.

Nine thousand miles is a long way to go for research. But, if you are studying volcanoes, Indonesia is the place to be.

For Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) student Jay Wellik, it became even more than a place to study volcanoes. It became home, as he worked in Java, mostly near the Raung volcano.

As the first Michigan Tech student to work in Indonesia, Wellik endeared himself to the local governments and people, for his risk perception and mitigation, as well as for his willingness to jump into community life.

He researched two relatively active volcanoes, Raung and Ijen, working from observatory posts there, while also teaching English and coaching basketball in a “madrasah,” a state Islamic school. Wellik says he appreciates the different perspective he gained from the classroom and basketball courts. More.

by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
Published in Tech Today

PCMI alumna joins Peace Corps National Association Board

Published July 22, 2013

By Debra Charlesworth

News

Peace Corps Master’s International alumna Kristina Owens, who has joined the Peace Corps National Association board, was interviewed in the Peace Corps Connect newsletter. See online.

Travel Grant Recipients for Summer 2013 Announced

Published July 16, 2013

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News

The travel grants for summer 2013 have been awarded. Travel grants are awards that help subsidize the cost of attending and presenting at conferences [sponsored by the Graduate Student Government and Graduate School], for more information of travel grants please check out the website.

The file includes the full list of winners and the statistics. Please note that there are still 10 students that would receive travel grants once their advisor confirms the eligibility. If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate Student Government Treasurer, Jenn Winikus (jawiniku@mtu.edu). Congratulations to all graduate students receiving travel grants.

Published in Tech Today.

Women in STEM

Published July 15, 2013

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News

“Colleges Work to Retain Women in STEM Majors,” a US News article that appeared online July 1, includes an interview with Kaitlyn Bunker, a PhD student in electrical engineering. As an undergraduate, she lived in an all-female residence hall, giving her contact with other women that she was missing in her engineering classes. Read the full story at US News.

Published in Tech Today.

Superior: Best Known Practices Tuesday

Published July 15, 2013

By

Announcements

Information Technology Services will be offering an hour-long training session–11 a.m., Tuesday, July 16, in EERC B45, to help researchers, faculty, post doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students–get the best out of Superior, Michigan Tech’s newest high-performance computing cluster.

Owing to limited seating, RSVP (to g@mtu.edu) is required. A listing of subsequent training sessions is available online.

Little Huskies Scholarship Available

Published July 12, 2013

By

Announcements

Little Huskies Child Development Center has scholarships available to preschool age families through the Access to High Quality Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund.

The purpose of the scholarship fund is to remove financial roadblocks so as to allow Michigan Tech’s most needy families access to high-quality early childhood education at Michigan Tech’s Little Huskies Child Development Center. The focus demographics are undergraduate, graduate, and low-income employee families. Their success at Michigan Tech is a guiding principle. Please go to www.mtu.edu/childcare for more information and an application.

A completed application and all required materials must be submitted and received no later than August 1, 2013 for the 2013-2014 academic year. Materials may be sent electronically to eva-marie.hatfield@gretchenshouse.com or mailed to: Eva-Marie Hatfield, Little Huskies Child Development Center, 500 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI 49913.