Graduate School Newsblog

Graduate School Announces Summer Seminar Series

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Summer Seminar Series
Summer Seminar Series

The Graduate School is pleased to announce its summer seminar series, where graduate students can learn new skills in an hour.  Register online to reserve your seat and receive confirmation of the time and location.

MAY 16 | SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS OR DISSERTATION

  • Learn how format a thesis or dissertation and submit it to the Graduate School

JUNE 6 | INTRODUCTION TO ADOBE ACROBAT

  • Learn tips and tricks for using Adobe Acrobat to create a PDF of a thesis or dissertation

JUNE 20 | TECHNOLOGY FOR A PAPERLESS OFFICE

  • Learn about current technology that can digitize notes
  • Use the power of an iPad for research

JULY 10 | SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH

  • Join a panel discussion of faculty as they share their secrets to research success

For more information, email Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School at ddc@mtu.edu

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Tech MBA Online Rated a Best Value

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The accolades continue to accumulate for the Tech MBA Online program. It is now rated a top-25 best value nationally, according to the Business MBA website (www.businessmba.org). The School of Business and Economics’ program is ranked number thirteen among some impressive institutions. Florida, Florida State, Auburn, UMass, Colorado State, Georgia and Arizona State are all on the list.

Of the Tech MBA Online, the website stated that the School of Business and Economics is “known for its commitment to the business of technology as well as the technology of business education.”

The Tech program earned high marks for being accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), the fact that it can be completed in two years, and its focus on the integration of technology and business.

“This recognition comes at a critical time as the cost of education continues to increase,” said Associate Dean Tom Merz. “Our goal is to provide a high-quality education while not sacrificing learning and professional development in an online learning environment.”

The website also stated that “. . . we’re confident that the combination of high quality and low cost offered by the programs on our list gives students looking to get the biggest bang for their MBA buck a great place to start their search.”

Previously, the Tech MBA Online was honored by US News and World Report in its first-ever online rankings. Michigan Tech was ranked 24th in Admission Selectivity and 38th in Teaching Practices and Student Engagement, among the 161 online graduate business programs honored.

by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
Published in Tech Today

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SACNAS Travel Grants and Abstracts

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Attending the 2012 SACNAS National Conference in Seattle, Washington from October 11-14 is another way for you to expose yourself to incredible resources and the validating and inspiring environment of SACNAS where you have the unique opportunity to engage with science, culture, and community.

The deadline  to apply for a travel scholarship and/or submit an abstract is April 26th.  For more information about the national conference visit the SACNAS website.

Abstracts
Undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to present their research to a national audience of peers and professionals while practicing their presentation skills in a supportive and nurturing environment.

For more information visit: Student & Postdoc Research Presentations

Travel Scholarships
SACNAS offers travel scholarship awards for students to attend the National Conference.  The award includes round-trip airfare to/from Seattle, Washington and lodging through the conference dates.

For further details visit: Travel Scholarships

NOTE: Abstract submissions and travel scholarship applications are independent of each other. If you are interested in submitting only a travel scholarship you do not need to submit an abstract and vice versa.

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DOE and EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards

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The DOE-EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards support innovative research in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. The objective of these awards is to create the next generation of scientific leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies. The research programs supporting these awards include:

  • Energy Efficiency
    • Buildings Technologies Program
    • Vehicles Technologies Program
  • Renewable Energy
    • Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Program
    • Geothermal Technologies Program
    • SunShot Initiative
    • Water Power Program

Each award will provide an annual stipend, allowances for health insurance and research-related expenses, and limited reimbursement for relocation expenses. An Annual Research Meeting for participants will be organized and hosted by EERE. The application deadline is May 1, 2012.  More information and application materials can be found at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/postdoctoral/

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Students Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

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Four Michigan Tech students have received graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Six other Tech students received honorable mentions in the competition. Nationwide, the NSF awarded 2,000 fellowships and 1,835 honorable mentions.

Mark Hopkins, (graduate student) mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics; Brennan Tymrak, mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics and Peace Corps Master’s International; Jennifer Fuller, civil and environmental engineering; and Liz Cloos, electrical and computer engineering, received NSF fellowships for graduate study. Bryan Plunger (graduate student, mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics), Alan Olds, Evan Lucas, Hilary Morgan (graduate student, geology), Byrel Mitchell (graduate student, mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics) and Patrick Bowen (graduate student, materials science and engineering) earned honorable mentions.

NSF graduate research fellowships recognize and support outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees. The fellows receive a $30,000 annual stipend for three years, plus international research and professional development opportunities and supercomputer access. Each fellow’s institution receives a $12,000 allowance.

“This group is exceptional and well deserving of the awards and honors,” said Jodi Lehman, coordinator of sponsored programs enhancement. Lehman worked closely with the NSF graduate research fellowship applicants. “Their success is also largely due to faculty and administrators who are committed to providing our students with the challenging academic experiences, innovative research, leadership training, and local and global outreach opportunities that make Michigan Tech applicants competitive.”

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

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It’s Boom Time in Small-town Wisconsin

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What’s causing the booms in Clintonville? Residents of the small Wisconsin town have been hearing deep, rumbling sounds from time to time since March 18. To find out why, a professor and his grad students are lending their expertise.

Greg Waite, assistant professor of geology, along with graduate students Josh Richardson and Kathleen McKee, installed four seismometers and eight sound sensors around Clintonville, with help from City of Clintonville workers. They are trying to record anything that could relate to the booms that began last month.

“These types of noises have been reported for small shallow earthquakes in many places worldwide,” Waite said. “However, the noises in Clintonville were somewhat difficult to explain, because earthquakes are uncommon in Wisconsin, and most of sounds were not accompanied by felt earthquakes.”

For the full story, see Boom.

by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
Published in Tech Today

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Michigan Tech Remains the Nation’s Top Peace Corps Master’s International Graduate School

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Michigan Tech ranks as the No. 1 Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) university nationwide for the seventh consecutive year. With 31 PCMI graduate students currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers, Michigan Tech has earned top spot in the 2012 rankings of Peace Corps’ Master’s International and Paul D. Coverdell Fellows graduate schools.

The Peace Corps’ Master’s International program allows students to incorporate Peace Corps service as credit toward their graduate degree. The Coverdell Fellows Program provides returned Peace Corps volunteers with scholarships, academic credit and stipends to earn an advanced degree after they complete their Peace Corps service.

“The heart of the program is the students we attract, not just in numbers, but in quality,” said Professor Blair Orr (SFRES), PCMI director. “They bring an interest in the world at large and the desire to help others. They return from two years in a different country with stories of new friends, new ideas and a different perspective on how things do work and should work. They have succeeded professionally and personally in a different culture. Many of the skills and traits they acquire along the way are also the skills that employers are looking for.”

Michigan Tech became a Master’s International partner in 1995. Offering eight distinct graduate programs affiliated with Peace Corps, Michigan Tech has the largest number of Peace Corps Master’s International programs in the country. They include Applied Science Education, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, Biological Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Applied Natural Resource Economics, and Forestry.

Michigan Tech’s PCMI graduate students have served in many countries, including Armenia, Belize, Bulgaria, Fiji, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Paraguay, Uganda and Zambia. More than 190 Michigan Tech alumni have served in the Peace Corps overall. There are also students enrolled in the program who are on campus fulfilling the academic portions of their master’s degree, including Megan Abbott, who recently returned from Belize, and Colin Casey, who is back from Uganda.

2012 Top Peace Corps Master’s International institutions:
(The number in parenthesis is the number of students enrolled in the program and serving overseas as of Sept. 30, 2011.)

  • Michigan Technological University (31)
  • Tulane University (27)
  • University of Washington (26)
  • Monterey Institute of International Studies (26)
  • University of South Florida (22)

About the Master’s International Program
Peace Corps partners with more than 80 colleges and universities nationwide to enable students to earn a master’s degree while serving in the Peace Corps. Students begin their studies on campus, serve overseas for two years, then return to school to finish graduate work. As part of the service, volunteers work on projects related to their master’s studies. The program began at Rutgers University–Camden in 1987 and since then, more than 1,000 volunteers have participated. For more information, visit Master’s Program.

About the Peace Corps
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment, and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. For more information, visit Peace Corps.

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

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Visiting Women and Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series

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The School of Business and Economics hosts Rebecca Gonzales, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, for two events that are open to the campus community.  Gonzales will be on campus Thursday, April 12, and Friday, April 13, as part of the Visiting Women and Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series.

She will address a class, Economic Decision Analysis, at 12:05 p.m., Friday, April 13, in Dow 641.

She will give a research presentation, “Credit and Finance Perceptions in Latino Community Enclaves,” at 1:30 p.m., Friday, April 13, in AOB 101.

“This is an excellent networking opportunity,” organizers say. For more information, see Scholar Visits. Gonzales’ visit is funded by the President’s Office and a grant to the Office for Institutional Diversity from the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.

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Students take first-place in New Venture Competition

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Baisikeli Ugunduzi
Wade Aitken-Palmer (far left) and Ben Mitchell (second from right) show their winnings at the New Venture Competition.

Some ideas just stick in your mind. At the Bob Mark Memorial Elevator Pitch Competition last November, Ben Mitchell presented his idea for fixing bicycle tires in Africa, so villagers could make a living. It was simple and meaningful, and we were floored. Six months later, so was everyone else.

He and Wade Aitken-Palmer took first-place in the New Venture Competition held recently at Central Michigan University. Their idea, called Baisikeli Ugunduzi (Swahili for “modern bicycle”), captured $30,000 for first prize and another $10,000 for Best Social Venture, for sustainability and social impact, among other reasons. Their invention is a tube that eliminates flat tires.

Mitchell, a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, and Aitken-Palmer, a student in the Applied Natural Resource Economics Peace Corps Master’s International program, have been working on the business idea since last year, and Mitchell said the inspiration began with his stint in the Peace Corps a couple of years before that. Thanks to the big win, he is planning a trip to Kenya in May to begin with more market testing.

“We are working with bicycle taxi drivers, who can go through many tubes in a month,” Mitchell said. “The tubes will have to be produced in Taiwan, as there are no production facilities in Kenya.” Assembling will take place in Africa, however, and that will create some jobs. “Our first hire will be a mechanic,” he said. “And he could do some modifications as well.”

When they began, Mitchell said he had some catching up to do on the business side of things, but they did have a more thought-out design and a more developed prototype than most, thanks to their engineering backgrounds. And he has high hopes for the future. “Some 50 million sub-Saharan Africans depend on bicycles,” he said. “As our mission says, we work with mechanics and bicycle taxi unions to design, produce and distribute products that add value to working bicycles and improve the livelihoods of bicycle taxi drivers, messengers and those who earn a living on their bicycles.”

Mitchell also pointed out Central Michigan’s role in hosting the event. “They did a tremendous job coordinating the whole event, with all the judges and student teams,” he said. “It was very well orchestrated.” Central has also invited Baisikeli Ugunduzi back to talk about how it all develops in the future.

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ESC/BRC Research Poster Forum Winners Announced

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The Ecosystem Science Center and the Biotechnology Research Center announced the award recipients of the eighth annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum, held March 30.

Graduate students received four grand prize awards and six merit awards. They were selected from among the 59 posters and abstracts about research related to ecology, the environment and biotechnology.

Each center also awarded a grand prize to an undergraduate researcher in a separate division of 17 submissions.

Posters are on display in the atrium of the Forestry building through April 13.

For more information, see ESC/BRC.

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