Graduate School Newsblog

University of Michigan Dow Sustainability Fellows Program – Postdoctoral Fellowships

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Applications due: December 15, 2012

The Dow Sustainability Fellows Program is designed to create a new generation of sustainability scholars who understand the necessity of collaborating across disciplines and sectors to address and solve complex sustainability challenges. The program seeks accomplished, connected, and motivated postdoctoral fellowship candidates working on sustainability issues at the interface of the social sciences/humanities and the natural/physical/engineering sciences.

Both the Request for Proposals and the program application can be found online at www.sustainability.umich.edu/postdoctoral-fellowship.

Questions may be submitted to dow-postdoc@umich.edu.

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Students Named to National, Regional SWE Posts

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Two members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech, Kaitlyn Bunker and Alicia Walby, have been elected to regional and national positions within the organization.

Bunker, an electrical engineering PhD student, is the new collegiate director of SWE and sits on its national board of directors. The collegiate director is the only student who sits on the board, and Bunker is responsible for giving the collegiate members a voice. “I’ll be the first graduate student in the position in quite a while. I also come from a smaller, but really active section, so I can bring a new perspective,” she said.

Bunker was the president of the Michigan Tech section for two years and served on a national-level committee focused on leadership coaching for SWE sections.

Bunker is enthusiastic about developing her leadership skills as SWE collegiate director. “I’m most excited about the connections and new people that I’ll meet from around the country. I’ll also be able to help guide the society forward as it develops its new strategic plan. This is a great opportunity for me to give back to SWE because I’ve gained so much from being a part of it.”

Walby, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, was elected one of the new regional collegiate representatives (RCRs) for Region H, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. It is the largest SWE region, with more than 2,800 members. She was inspired to serve as an RCR during her tenure as communications editor for Region H last year. In her new position, Walby now maintains the flow of information between the sections in her region and the national organization. Walby also works with sections that are not in good standing to help them get back on their feet.

Walby is looking forward to working with the presidents of the collegiate SWE sections in Region H. “There are so many great female leaders, and it’s awesome to see what kinds of things they’re doing with their sections. It’s motivation for me to keep pushing them to make their sections even better.”

Like Bunker, Walby has benefited from her involvement in SWE. “I’ve gotten to know so many people from around the nation from attending conferences. It’s great to go to a regional conference be able to say ‘Hey, how have you been?’ to some of the professional members,” she said.

Gretchen Hein, one of the SWE advisors, says that Bunker and Walby’s positions will benefit the SWE section at Michigan Tech. “This will increase our visibility, both at the regional and national levels over time. I also hope that their involvement will inspire other members to apply for regional and national positions as well.”

SWE focuses on the advancement of women in engineering, but the section at Michigan Tech is open to both men and women of all majors. The section meets every other Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Chemical Sciences and Engineering 101. More information about the SWE section at Michigan Tech is available at Michigan Tech SWE. To learn more about the national society visit Society of Women Engineers.

by Travis Gendron, student writer
Published in Tech Today

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Graduate Fellowships from Hertz

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The Hertz Foundation gives Graduate Fellowships and are looking for proposals emphasizing near-term application of applied sciences or engineering, including Earth Sciences.  If students have a new way of looking at an applied environmental or geo problem or hazard, the foundation may be interested.  The due date is next Friday,  Nov. 2, which is probably too late to write a proposal from scratch, but is possible if a student already has a proposal partially written.  Both two year and five year fellowships exist.

Web address is: http://www.hertzfoundation.org

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Two Tech Teams Chosen for Clean Energy Challenge

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Two teams from Michigan Tech have been chosen to join in the Michigan Clean Energy Venture Challenge. Twenty-seven teams were chosen from 71 teams that applied from across the state. Through the challenge, teams will learn the skills needed to start a successful company, through classroom and hands-on learning. The teams will also meet regularly with their on-campus mentors and venture capitalists and have access to a micro-grant program offering up to $2,500 for each team to move their business forward.

The Tech teams are GreenedIt!, a web-based application for energy auditing, and Aquaponics, for healthy, local food in urban communities.

GreenedIt! team members are physics students Travis Beaulieu, an undergraduate, and graduate student Abhilash Kantamneni. The team traveled to East Lansing for their initial training this past weekend. “The training we received through the challenge was incredibly useful,” said Beaulieu. “The whole point was to try and get young entrepreneurs into the mindset of finding a customer need and forming the idea around the customer’s feedback. Thankfully this training worked for our team, and we had a complete pivot during the weekend.”

The other team, Aquaponics, features indoor farming using water instead of soil, with a fish tank providing nutrients to plants. Team members include Robert Handler, post-doctoral environmental engineer in the Sustainable Futures Institute; Josh Krugh, economics undergraduate; and Jacob Bray, chemical engineering undergraduate. “Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics,” Handler said. “And we want to examine the potential for this type of agriculture to expand as a business opportunity in urban communities throughout the state.”

On the final day of the venture challenge, all participating teams will present their results, and a few teams will be awarded additional prizes and investments totaling $50,000 or more. The six-month challenge is run by the University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship.

Published in Tech Today.

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New Guide for Dissertations, Theses, and Reports

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The Graduate Student Government, Graduate Faculty Council, University Senate, and administration have approved the new “Guide to Completing a Graduate Degree and Preparing and Submitting a Dissertation, Thesis, or Report at Michigan Technological University.”

Because this Guide makes the submission process similar for all documents, and the formatting requirements are much simpler, the new requirements will be applied retroactively to all pending submissions and to all new submissions.

The web site has been updated to reflect changes for dissertations, theses, and reports.  Highlights are below:

New Deadlines

  • Deadlines to complete a degree have changed. The deadline to submit a final dissertation, thesis, or report to complete a degree in fall 2012 is December 17, 2012.
    • Students defending in fall 2012 may request an extension of this deadline in writing to Dr. Debra Charlesworth (dissertations or theses) or Ms. Nancy Byers Sprague (reports). Requests must be made prior to December 17, 2012.
    • There is no deadline to conduct a final oral examination (defense). Students are recommended to defend well in advance of the deadline to submit a final document to allow sufficient time to incorporate the technical changes required by their committee.

New Formatting Requirements

New Forms

New forms have been released, and only the new versions will be accepted.  A summary of the important changes is below:

  • Pre-defense form (this has been replaced with an online process and is no longer linked here. 3-17-21)
    • This form now only asks for the defense time & date along with committee information.
    • Students who have already submitted a Pre-defense form do not need to re-submit this form.
    • Beginning immediately, if an old Pre-defense form is submitted, the Publishing agreement that was in this form will be discarded.
  • Report on final oral examination form
    • New form for students completing a dissertation, thesis, or report.
    • Students who have already submitted a Verification of final degree requirements form do not need to submit this form.
    • Contains check-boxes for each member of the committee to provide examination results to the Graduate School.
  • Verification of final degree requirements form
    • This form will now only be required for coursework Master’s students and Master of Engineering students.
  • Approval of a final dissertation, thesis, or report [this form was replaced with a google form in summer 2021 and is no longer linked here]
    • New form for students completing a dissertation, thesis, or report.
    • Replaces the “signature page” in the dissertation, thesis, or report
    • Due before the final document is submitted to Canvas, but may not arrive earlier than one week before the final submission.
    • As the Graduate School works toward automating processes, this form will be replaced by an electronic approval process.
  • Degree completion form [this form no longer orders bound copies and is no longer linked here]
    • It updates the required number of bound copies for the Library (1 for dissertations, none for Master’s students)
    • Contains the Publishing agreement which was previously part of the Pre-defense form
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Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program

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Flye for Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program

Northeastern University invites nominations and applications from candidates in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields for the Northeastern University STEM Future Faculty Fellowship Program.

Northeastern University’s mission emphasizes translational research that addresses global challenges and enhances social well being.  Northeastern University strives to create a vibrant and diverse community, characterized by collaboration, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence and an equally unwavering commitment to exhibiting respect for one another.  Northeastern celebrates diversity in all its forms and fosters a culture of respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds community.

Consistent with Northeastern’s mission, vision and core values, the objectives of the STEM Future Faculty fellowship program are:

  1. to encourage and promote excellence and diversity in the pool of future faculty candidates in the STEM fields at Northeastern;
  2. to introduce to Northeastern’s academic community qualified postdoctoral researchers in the STEM fields who are considering faculty careers;
  3. to enhance opportunities for academic careers in the STEM fields for persons from diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated a commitment to an inclusive faculty and an inclusive academic experience for all students;
  4. to prepare Future Faculty Fellows for possible tenure-track appointments at Northeastern;
  5. to enhance the academic environment of Northeastern’s STEM fields by providing opportunities for students and faculty to gain experience in multi-cultural, broadly diverse and inclusive work settings and research collaborations that improve the capacity of all their members.

Information about eligibility, fellowship terms, and application information can be found online at:  http://www.northeastern.edu/advance/recruitment/northeastern-university-stem-future-faculty-fellowship-program/ The deadline to apply is January 15, 2013.

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Inaugural Ada Lovelace Day Celebration at Michigan Tech

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Michigan Tech will hold its inaugural celebration of Ada Lovelace Day, an annual event held to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of women to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Tech’s celebration will be a two-day series of events beginning at 7 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, in Fisher 139 as Professor Martha Sloan (ECE) and guest speakers Mary Long and Michelle Eggart discuss their experiences as women working in STEM fields.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 8 to 10 p.m., in Fisher 135 there will be a film screening of “The Gender Chip Project” followed by a panel discussion featuring female faculty and graduate students from departments across campus, including Sarah Green, Nina Mahmoudian, Laura Brown, Patty Sotirin and Kaitlyn Bunker, who will discuss their experiences as women in STEM disciplines of academia.

Both events are free and open to the public, and concessions will be provided free of charge for the film screening. To view the event flyer, visit Ada Lovelace.

In addition, there will be a display on the first floor of the J. R. Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library featuring books and articles by women in STEM.

For information about upcoming diversity-related events, contact Renee Wells at rrwells@mtu.edu to subscribe to the weekly Diversity Programs listserv.

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Research Opportunities at National Laboratories

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Opportunities for Undergraduates, Post-Baccalaureates, Graduate Students, and Faculty

Please contact Cheryl Brown at Cheryl.brown@orau.org or Cheryl Terry at Cheryl.terry@orau.org for additional information on the Higher Education Research Experiences (HERE) or Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis Programs (NESLS)

  • Want to complete a hands-on research project?
  • Want to gain a competitive advantage?
  • Want to be mentored by top nationally acclaimed scientists?
  • Want to use state-of-the-art equipment and facilities
  • Want to interact with a national community of peers?

General Information

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a long history and interest in providing hands-on research experiences to students at all academic levels. Over the years, these research experience programs have enhanced students’ academic curricula and at the same time have helped the Laboratory (1) develop its own workforce and (2) contribute to the national vision for excellence in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. ORNL is a multi-program science and technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department (DOE) by UT-Battelle, LLC. Scientists and engineers at ORNL conduct basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation’s leadership in key areas of sciences, engineering, mathematics, and technology. ORNL scientists are also fully supportive of their responsibility to help mentor the next generation of scientists.

Eligibility

You must meet the qualifications of all programs if you would like to complete an application. You can find the eligibility requirements on the program postings.

Selection

Applicants are selected based on academic achievements, scientific interests, and career goals.

Stipend

Participants will receive a stipend based on academic level. Plus some programs provide a housing allowance, and one round trip to and from the lab from your university or home. Certain eligibility requirements will need to be met in order to be eligible for the housing and travel. See information provided on web site.

Application

Please visit http://www.orau.org/ornl and click on your academic level to learn more about educational programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Complete your profile in the Talent and Opportunity System (TOppS) system and then apply to one or all of the program postings. Applications must be submitted visa the TOppS system. See the programs web sites for deadline dates.

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NSF GRFP Workshop Series

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Assistant Professor Caryn Heldt (ChE), NSF GRFP reviewer, will present “Broader Impacts…huh?” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

Topics will include:

  • How to address broader impacts
  • What activities and projects reflect clear interdisciplinary initiatives or implications, benefits to society, engagement with diverse groups, strong collaborations and partnerships, current and consistent outreach, ability to publish and present and future plans to do so.

Bruce Seely, dean of the College of Science and Arts and NSF panel reviewer, will present “How to Write Exceptional NSF GRFP Letters of Recommendation” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

He will discuss tips for writing exceptional letters that result in funding for graduate students.

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Center for Diversity and Inclusion Hosts Social Justice Lecture Series

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Waziyatawin, a Dakota teacher, author and activist, will present two seminars at Michigan Tech today, part of a Social Justice Lecture Series. The speaker holds the Indigenous Peoples Research Chair in the Indigenous Governance Program at Victoria University in British Columbia, Canada.

Her free seminars will be:

  • Activism with People of Color, 4 to 5 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom B1
  • What Does Justice Look Like? The Struggle for Liberation in Dakota Homeland, 7 to 8:15 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom B1

Published in Tech Today.

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