Fall Professional Development Series

Poster for fall seminar series.
The Graduate School is pleased to announce its fall professional development series.  For our PhD students considering a career in academia, we are offering two seminars that will help them prepare to be competitive applicants for faculty positions:

  • November 7 | Introduction to Sponsored Programs
    • Learn how a university’s sponsored programs office can help you conduct sponsored research.
  • December 10 | Teaching Portfolios: Building Today for Your Career Tomorrow
    • Learn what needs to be in your portfolio, which technologies work best, and how to start building
      this important asset now.

Students who are looking for ways to balance their work with healthy activities for them and their families, or for guidance on the thesis and dissertation submission process will find the other seminars in our series helpful:

  • October 3 | Submitting your Thesis or Dissertation
    • Learn current procedures for formatting and submission.
  • October 24 | CANCELLED | Michigan Tech Community Programs
    • Discover new low-impact activities or high-impact recreational opportunities for you or your family.
    • Take advantage of great facilities—pool, fitness center, ice arena, and dance room.

Seating is limited.  Register online to reserve your seat and receive an e-mail confirmation of the location.

Please contact Dr. Debra Charlesworth with any questions about the seminar series.

Fall Career Fair Attracts Nearly 300 Employers

Michigan Tech’s Fall Career Fair has already attracted 279 registered employers, and more are registering every day. More than 3,000 Tech students are expected to visit the Student Development Complex to speak with potential employers from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2. Thousands of interviews for internships, co-ops and jobs are scheduled all over campus on Oct. 3 and during the days that follow.

“From Michigan Tech’s perspective, the job market looks great,” said Jim Turnquist, director of Career Services. “Companies are so eager to get their names in front of students that they are sponsoring unique events such as a picnic outside the MUB, boat rides and a Ride and Drive, an opportunity for students to test-drive some of the latest model cars. The salaries being offered are higher than last year’s already excellent salaries, too.”

Career Services sponsors a job fair twice a year, in the fall and spring. Last year, 243 employers came to the October event and 178 participated in one in February.

“Tech graduates are simply fantastic,” commented Jason Biehl, a senior manufacturing engineer at GM and a 1994 graduate of Michigan Tech. Biehl was on the GM recruiting team that participated in a recent Career Fair. “Tech’s reputation extends from Virginia to Texas, from the US to Europe,” he said. “That’s why we’re here,”

Julie Way, assistant director of career development education, said: “Career Services is excited to organize and host this valuable event, where our students are given the opportunity to work in internships and co-ops during their college careers, and also to begin a new chapter of their life in a rewarding full-time career upon their graduation. We want to extend our thanks to all those who have generously donated rooms and offices for all the interviews.”

Published originally in Tech Today.

NSF GRFP Workshop Series Continues

Mark Hopkins, an NSF Fellow and a PhD candidate, and Kara Sokol, director of integrated marketing for University Marketing and Communication, will present “Harness Your Brilliance: A Revision Process” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

Topics will include:

  • Why start early
  • Who needs to be involved in the revision process
  • Writing strategies and revision processes that worked

Parade of Nations This Saturday

It’s Parade of Nations time again. Brightly decorated floats and marching groups bearing flags of many nations will hit the streets of Hancock and Houghton at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, for the annual international celebration.

After the parade, come to the Dee Stadium for a multicultural festival starting at noon and featuring international foods at 26 booths and a gala show. Performers include the Michigan Tech Dance Team and Hip Hop Club, the Copper Country Cloggers, the Kivajat Dancers, songs by the Hassle Family, and a Chinese dance by Summer Gu. The Medievalist Club will also perform, as will the International Student Association. Admission is free.

Published in Tech Today

NSF GRFP Workshop Series

Jodi Lehman, coordinator of proposal and fellowship development at Sponsored Program Enhancement, will present “Pulling Together Competitive NSF GRFP Application Material” from noon to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20, in the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center on the fourth floor of the Administration Building.

Topics will include:

  • Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit
  • The Personal Statement: A five-point elevator speech
  • Previous Research Experience: Thinking outside the traditional lab experience
  • Proposed Plan of Research: A template for success
  • Exceptional Letters of Recommendation

Tech is Recognized as a Military Friendly School

Michigan Tech has been named a “military friendly school” for 2013 by G.I. Jobs magazine.

The recognition puts Tech among 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide. The schools are not ranked.

“The competition for our 2013 list was fierce, and as a result we raised the already stringent criteria to a higher benchmark,” a spokesman said. “Your school is among the elite.”

As part of the program, Tech will be listed in the “G.I. Jobs 2013 Guide to Military Friendly Schools,” and will be included online at Schools.

Michigan Tech offers an array of services for veterans.

Since 2008, Michigan Tech has offered in-state tuition to out-of-state students who are the offspring or spouse of a person on active US military duty. Tech is also a “yellow-ribbon school”–a federal designation for a program where the University commits $2,500, which the government matches, to help offset the tuition of nonresident students.

Tech also participates in the National Service Graduate Fellowship–an assistance program for graduate students. The University has a student veterans organization that helps veterans transition from military to civilian life, promotes camaraderie, and encourages community outreach, particularly with other veterans.

There is a component in Orientation that directs veterans to student services, as well as GI benefits, mental health providers and the veterans hospital in Iron Mountain. Tech alerts faculty to watch for PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), and, in a symbolic initiative: veterans wear red, white and blue honor cords at graduation.

Published in Tech Today

EndNote Workshops Sponsored by Library

The J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library presents a series of EndNote workshops.

EndNote is citation management software which allows anyone to easily collect, organize, and use their research references. Learn how EndNote can save you hours of time in your library research and document preparation process.

Seating for these workshops is limited and registration is required. Send an email to libraryworkshop@mtu.edu letting us know which session(s) you would like to attend. Please include your status (e.g. faculty or graduate student) and your department.

Note: Our sessions use EndNote X5 on PCs. Laptop users are encouraged to update their versions of EndNote prior to the session. See the library’s EndNote Download page. See also the Graduate School’s web page for links to output styles formatted for theses and dissertations.

Upcoming Sessions:

EndNote Basic I: Creating and Organizing an EndNote Library
In this 1 hour workshop participants will learn how to build a collection of citations (i.e. EndNote library) and manage an EndNote library.

  • September 26th @ 12:00 PM In room 242
  • September 28th @ 1:00 PM In room 242

EndNote Basic II: Cite While You Write (CWYW)*
In this 30 minute workshop participants will learn how to import specialized output styles.

* Attendance of EndNote Basic I or prior knowledge of building and managing an EndNote library is required.

  • September 26th @ 1:00 PM In room 242
  • September 27th @ 2:00 PM In room 242

EndNote Special Topics: Adding Graphics and Setting Preferences **
In this 30 minute workshop participants will learn how to add tables, charts and graphs to your library and include them in your writing process. You will also learn how to set your EndNote preferences to improve performance and learn short cuts.

** Attendance of our EndNote Basics I & II workshops or prior knowledge of creating an EndNote library and using CWYW are required.

  • September 27th @ 2:30 PM In room 242
  • September 28th @ 2:00 PM In room 242

Choose the session(s) that are best for you. Email: libraryworkshop@mtu.edu

BRC Travel Grants for Fall Semester

The Biotechnology Research Center is pleased to announce that fall 2012 Travel Grant applications are being accepted.

The BRC travel grants provide financial assistance to graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral scientists who present their biotechnology-related research at scientific meetings. The BRC travel grants work to promote biotechnological research and achievement.

To apply, complete the application form available at Biotech. Provide the necessary documentation as specified in the application instructions. Send application materials to Mary Tassava, mltassav@mtu.edu by Monday, Oct. 15.

The awards are merit-based and are offered twice per year. The spring 2013 deadline will be April 15. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Awards will be announced as near to the deadline as possible.

If you have questions, contact Tassava at 487-2959 or mltassav@mtu.edu .

Nominations open for Spring 2013 Finishing Fellowships

Nominations for spring 2013 Finishing Fellowships are now open. Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than 4 p.m., Wednesday, October 17th.
Students are eligible if the following criteria are met:
  • Must be a PhD student.
  • Must expect to finish in spring 2013.
  • Must have submitted no more than one previous request for funding.
  • Must be eligible for Research Only Mode.
Previous recipients of a Finishing Fellowship are not eligible.
For details on the application procedure, see Finishing Fellowships.
For more information about the application or review process, contact Debra Charlesworth, assistant to the dean, at 487-1989 or at ddc@mtu.edu .

Nominations sought for MAGS Thesis Award

The Executive Committee of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) is soliciting nominations for the 2013 MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.  Michigan Tech may nominate one candidate.

Eligible students will have earned a master of science degree between October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012.

Please see our web page for complete details on eligibility and application procedures.  Nominations are due no later than 4pm, October 9th to Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School.