Tech Bucks National Trend in Graduate Enrollment

Across the United States, enrollment of new graduate students has declined somewhat, while the overall graduate school enrollment has increased only slightly (1.1 percent). However, those newest numbers, reported by the Council of Graduate Schools, are not reflected at Tech.

Bucking the national trend, graduate student enrollment here has increased nearly everywhere on campus. Total graduate enrollment sits at a new record of 1,303, while new master’s students have increased 6.9 percent, and new doctoral students have increased 4.3 percent.

So, why the difference?

“Students are interested in coming to our campus because of the quality of our faculty,” says Graduate School Dean Jackie Huntoon. “Many hear about us from friends and relatives who tell them that we provide great education opportunities in a wonderful place.”

According to Jacque Smith, director of graduate marketing and advancement for the Graduate School, there are other reasons.  “Of course, we provide a quality education,” he says, “and we combine a lot of resources with smaller numbers, so it’s a highly personalized graduate education.”

And research experiences at Tech are different, according to Smith. “We’ve always been known for hands-on, real-life research and lab experiences.” Less debt and more job offers are also incentives for students to seek education beyond the bachelor’s degree, he says.  “And, although it’s especially true for the STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] disciplines, we are experiencing growth in most areas,” he says.

See enrollment for further breakdown of program enrollment data for fall.

Story originally published in Tech Today.

GSG Travel Grants

Congratulations to the following students who received Fall Travel Grants from Graduate Student Governement (GSG):

Presenting

  • Abhishek Prasad
  • Alicia Sawdon
  • Amber Roth
  • Anieri Morales
  • Anne Pond
  • Aytug Genioglu
  • Bo Zhang
  • Boyi Hao
  • Carley Kratz
  • Chris DeDene
  • Chungja Yang
  • Colin Gurganus
  • David Clanaugh
  • Elisa Piispa
  • Emily Gochis
  • Eric Wessel Dyke
  • Erika Vye
  • Felicia Chong
  • Hans Lechner
  • Hilary Morgan
  • Jianqiu Zheng
  • Joe Licauoli
  • Joshua Richardson
  • Justin Olson
  • Kaela Leonard
  • Kassidy Nikolf Yatso
  • Kevin Cassell
  • Kevin Kruse
  • Khatereh Vaghefi
  • Lauren Schaefer
  • Lisa Watrous
  • Michael Tikivisulu
  • Miguel Carbonell Munoz
  • Natasha Hagadone
  • Nathan Carpenter
  • Nishantha Eleneligoda
  • Patricia Nadeau
  • Qiaoyn Lu
  • Ram Deo
  • Rosa Flores
  • Saikat Mukhopadhyay
  • Sarah Shaun
  • Tayloria Adams
  • Wen Hee Yeo
  • Wilfred Previant

Attending

  • Amberlee Haselhuhn
  • Andrew Baker
  • Helen Ranck
  • Karl Warsinski

The Spring Travel Grant submissions are now open.  Students traveling to a conference during the Spring semester are encouraged to submit an application.

Nominations open to attend the 62nd Meeting of Nobel Laureates

Nominations are now closed for students to attend the 62nd Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, July 1 to July 6, 2012.

To be eligible, a student:

  • Must have completed by June 2012 at least two years of doctoral study
  • Must be studying physics or a related discipline
  • Must not plan to complete a dissertation prior to December 31, 2012
  • Must be a US citizen
  • Must be a full-time graduate student
  • Must be participating in a research project
  • Must be nominated by the student’s advisor

Advisors may nominate a student by submitting the following items to Debra Charlesworth no later than 4pm on November 4, 2012:

  • One page resume of the student
  • One page statement by the student on why participation in the meeting is important for the student’s graduate education
  • One page letter of reference by the student’s mentor

ORAU will select students based on the following criteria.  Students must:

  • Show a genuine interest in science and research
  • Show a strong commitment to their principal field of studies and to interdisciplinary work
  • Have a strong letter of recommendation
  • Be in the top of their class
  • Show excellent academic accomplishments
  • Have produced some very good research work.

Michigan Tech may forward two nominations to ORAU for consideration.   Learn more about the meeting online.

GLBTQ Workshops Scheduled

Robyn Ochs, writer, speaker and activist, will present two free lectures on Tuesday, Oct. 18, as part of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (GLBTQ) history month.

The first workshop, “Loosening the Gender Girdle: How Gender Affects You,” will be held at 3 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A. Ochs will discuss the cultural implications of gender and the ways gender helps shape our perception of the world.

The second workshop, “Beyond Binaries: Identity and the Sexuality Spectrum,” will be at 7 p.m. also in Ballroom A. Ochs will explore sexual identity–its construction, our own self-perceptions and perceptions of others.

GLBTQ history month is sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Keweenaw Pride, oSTEM, the Michigan Tech Safe Place Program, the Tech Parents Annual Fund, Housing and Residential Life, the Affirmative Programs Office and the Arcus Foundation.

For more information, contact Renee Wells, coordinator of GLBTQ outreach, at 487-2920 or at rrwells@mtu.edu.

Boren Awards for International Study

Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 to U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships support study and research in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.  For a complete list of countries, click here.

Boren Fellows represent a variety of academic and professional disciplines, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Swahili. For a complete list of languages, click here.

IBM PhD Fellowship Awards

The IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Awards Program is an intensely competitive worldwide program, which honors exceptional Ph.D. students who have an interest in solving problems that are important to IBM and fundamental to innovation in many academic disciplines and areas of study. These include: computer science and engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, physical sciences (including chemistry, material sciences, and physics), mathematical sciences (including analytics, statistics, operations research, and optimization), public sector and business sciences (including urban policy and analytics, financial services, risk management, marketing, communications, and learning/knowledge management), and service science, management, and engineering (SSME). Additionally, IBM pays special attention to an array of focus areas. For details on the focus areas, see frequently asked questions.

Preference will be given to students who have had an IBM internship or have closely collaborated with technical or services people from IBM.

Students must be nominated by a faculty member. The faculty member is encouraged to contact an IBM colleague prior to submitting the nomination to assure mutual interest. They must be enrolled full-time in a college or university Ph.D. program, and they must have completed at least one year of study in their doctoral program at the time of their nomination. (Eligibility in Europe and Russia is described below.) Students from U.S. embargoed countries are not eligible for the program. Award Recipients will be selected based on their overall potential for research excellence, the degree to which their technical interests align with those of IBM, and their academic progress to-date, as evidenced by publications and endorsements from their faculty advisor and department head. While students may accept other supplemental fellowships, to be eligible for the IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Award they may not accept a major fellowship in addition to the IBM Ph.D. Fellowship.

NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program

The Aeronautics Scholarship Program (ASP) offers our nation’s research leaders of tomorrow exceptional funding:

Undergraduate Students

  • $15,000 awarded for each school year, to be used for educational related expenses
  • $10,000 Summer internship at a NASA Research Center
  • 2 years of support

Graduate Students

  • $35,000 stipend
  • $11,000 awarded each year, to be used for educational related expenses
  • $10,000 Summer internship at a NASA Research Center
  • 2 years of support, with an option for a 3rd year

The NASA ASP online application is now open. Click here to apply. 

Application Instructions

EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship Deadline Approaching

Deadline is November 8th, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline is November 8, 2011 at 4:00 PM ET for receipt of paper applications, and November 8, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications via Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 80 new fellowships by July 31, 2012. Master’s level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship.

Eligibility Information:

  1. Students must attend a fully accredited U.S. college or university (located in the U.S. or its territories) for their graduate studies.
  2. Applicants must also be citizens of the U.S. or its territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. Resident aliens must include their green card number in their application (you must have your green card at the time of application to be eligible for this Fellowship opportunity). EPA may verify this number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of the Department of Homeland Security.

Application Materials:
The following application materials must be submitted:

    • Education & Relevant Experiences
      Publications & Presentations
      Course Work
  • Item 1. Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form (SF) 424 (for electronic submissions via Grants.gov) or Standard Form (SF) 424 I-Individual (for paper submissions)

    Item 2. EPA Key Contacts Form (5700-54)

    Item 3. Front Page

    Item 4. Personal Statement

    Item 5. Proposal Description

    Item 6. Background Information:

    Item 7. Letters of Recommendation (sent by referees)

National Physical Science Consortium

The National Physical Science Consortium is a partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry, and higher education. NPSC’s goal is to increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool including women and minorities.

The NPSC Graduate Fellowship is unique in being: open to all American citizens; lasting for up to six years; providing a $20,000 annual stipend; covering tuition; including one or two paid summer internships with a government agency; providing a mentor and the opportunity for a lasting relationship with the sponsor.

The application is easy to complete, requiring the same information as other national fellowships. The online application typically opens August 25 and closes November 30.

If you have interned, have been employed or are employed by a government agency or laboratory, ask your mentor/research supervisor to nominate you directly for an NPSC fellowship. Contact NPSC for details.

NPSC offers two programs, each using the same online application (opens August 25):

The Traditional NPSC Fellowship provides support for up to six years, depending on degree sought and employer funding. Students may apply during their senior year in college, or in the first year or two of graduate school, as long as they are not eligible for the program below.

The Dissertation Support Fellowship provides support while a graduate student conducts dissertation research. Students should apply in the year of graduate school prior to the beginning of their dissertation research program, but not before they can describe their intended research in general terms.

DOD NDSEG – No Service Requirement

NDSEG Information

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is a highly competitive, portable fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in one of fifteen supported disciplines.

There are four eligibility requirements: citizenship, discipline, academic status, and the ability to accept the full benefit. You must meet all four requirements in order to be eligible.

The DoD will pay the fellow’s full tuition and required fees (not to include room and board). In addition, fellows receive a stipend for 12-month tenures.

Apply online now by clicking here or below.