Graduate School Newsblog

Sustainability: at the University, in Town, and around the World

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Somewhere in Honduras, in a little village, on a white wall, there is this graffiti:

Ingenieros Sin Fronteras

That’s Spanish for “Engineers Without Borders.”

And the graffiti is signed, in a bold black stroke, Michigan Tech, USA.

That’s how far afield Michigan Tech takes its message–and makes its name known—as students reach out to help people in developing countries—all with an eye on sustainability.  The Sustainable Futures Institute alone is comprised of nine groups, 90 faculty and staff, 21 departments and 90 graduate students. Overall, on campus, there are 41 sustainability groups.

The list of their projects on campus and in the community are ambitious. Scores of recycling containers; firewood sales; solar water heating; using carpets and furniture with recycled components; harnessing wind energy; using biomass to make diesel fuel; planting herbs; protecting wetlands (“Dump no waste. Drains to Portage”).

See Tech Today for the complete news story highlighting the second annual gathering on campus sustainability that was held this week.

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Reminder: Dance and Dinner Hosted for Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund

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Two events will be held to honor Betty Chavis, and proceeds will benefit the new Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund.

Chavis came to Michigan Tech as an admissions officer in the 1980s; directed multiethnic programs; and then recruited students on behalf of the Graduate School. The community knows Chavis in part through her leadership in spearheading the annual Parade of Nations.

The first event on behalf of her scholarship fund is “So You Think You Can’t Dance: We’ll Show You How,” which will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 16, in the Memorial Union Commons. Admission is by donation. The event, hosted by the students and alumnae of the Society of Intellectual Sisters, is in conjunction with their 20-Year Reunion festivities during Spring Fling Weekend.

For more information, contact Darnishia Slade at dslade@mtu.edu .

The second event will be a banquet held at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at the Magnuson Franklin Square Inn.

Tickets are $50 and are available at www.tickets.mtu.edu, by calling 487-2073, or at the SDC Box Office.

To give directly to the Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund, call the Michigan Tech Fund at 487-2310, or mail a check to the Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund, c/o Michigan Tech Fund, or visit www.mtu.edu/giving. For more information, contact Chris Anderson at csanders@mtu.edu, or Carol Argentati at 487-2474 or caargent@mtu.edu.

Posted in Tech Today.

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MSGC Awards Announced

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Faculty and students have received awards totaling $72,500 through the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Michigan Tech submitted 30 proposals, 16 of which received funding.  See the Tech Today posting for all awardees.

Graduate students receiving $5,000 fellowships are:

  • Dulcinea Avouris (Geology, GMES): “Triggering of Volcanic Activity by Large Earthquakes”
  • Baron Colbert (Civil Engineering, CEE): “Using Nonmetals Separated From E-Waste in Improving the Mechanical Properties of Asphalt Materials”
  • Sarah Gray (Mechanical Engineering, ME): “Bear Parathyroid Hormone as a Treatment for Osteoporosis in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy”
  • John Moyer (Mechanical Engineering, ME): “Effect of Simulated Low Gravity on Compressive Material Properties of Porcine Meniscus”
  • Alicia Sawdon (Chemical Engineering, ChE): “Production of Astaxanthin by Haematococcus pluvialis for Astronauts”
  • Christina Ylitalo (Biomedical Engineering, BME): “Controlling Inflammation Following Traumatic Injury Will Help Prevent Osteoarthritis”
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New Theses and Dissertations Available

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Policy
  • Forestry
  • Geology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication
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David Clark Represented Michigan Tech for MAGS Teaching Award

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David Clark represented Michigan Tech for the MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award
David Clark was selected by the Dean’s Advisory Panel to represent Michigan Tech as a nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate School’s Excellence in Teaching Award.  David was nominated by his department, Mathematical Sciences.

In his nomination letter, Dr. Gockenbach noted that, “Mr. Clark is a dynamic and innovative classroom teacher, and he has been a leader among both graduate students and faculty in promoting a thoughtful approach to teaching improvement.”

David is a PhD candidate in mathematical sciences, and is advised by Professor Vladimir Tonchev.

This is the inaugural year of this award. Full details on the nomination procedure are available online.

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Library Offers Copyright Workshop

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Do you need permission every time you use someone else’s work? Can you show an entire movie in your class? What is Educational Fair Use? The answers to these copyright questions and more will be explored by copyright librarian Nora Allred.

The workshop will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, and repeated at 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, in Library 244.

The Library offers weekly workshops all semester on different resources that will give you an academic edge or save time. Workshops take place on alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1 p.m., in Library 244. Each workshop is offered twice to accommodate class schedules.

Published in Tech Today

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“South Pacific”: an Epic Musical Extravaganza at the Rozsa

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The Tech Theatre Company, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra and a large cast of local actors, students, faculty and production crew bring Rodgers and Hammerstein’s epic musical “South Pacific” to the Rozsa Center stage at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 14-16.

James A. Michener’s exotic “Tales of the South Pacific” come to life in this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic. The musical takes audiences on a romantic journey to two islands in the South Pacific during WWII. The song “Bali H’ai” sets a mysterious tone, “Cockeyed Optimist” will charm one and all, and “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame” will get everyone’s toes a’ tapping.

According to Patricia Helsel, production director, “This is the first large-scale musical we’ve done at Michigan Tech for some time.” Choral Director Jared Anderson is the vocal coach and music director. Assistant Professor Joel Neves will conduct the KSO pit orchestra. Students and faculty have committed their talents to the design and production of what promises to be a phenomenal musical spectacle.

Mark Oliver, a seasoned community actor, is playing Emile. Chemistry senior Tanya Johnson plays Nellie. Christopher Schwartz, PhD candidate in biological sciences (research area: exercise science), plays Lt. Cable. Michigan Tech student Kiersten Birando, also a graduate of Houghton High School, plays the role of Liat. Alesha Fumbanks, a chemical engineering major, plays Bloody Mary. Chip Rohrer, a theatre and electronic media performance major, takes the role of Luther Billis.

1940’s haircuts are courtesy of Hairsmiths Inc. Bicycle props are from the Bike Shop. Portage Health sponsors the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Ticket prices are $15 for the general public, $7 for students, and free for Tech students with ID. To purchase tickets, contact the Rozsa Box Office at 487-3200, the Central Ticket Office (SDC) at 487-2073, or go online at www.tickets.mtu.edu .

No refunds, exchanges or late seating, please.

submitted by Visual and Performing Arts
Published in Tech Today

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Michigan Tech Tops the Nation in Peace Corps Master’s International Volunteers Again

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Michigan Tech once again has more Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) graduate students actively serving as Peace Corps volunteers than any other college or university in the nation. The University has 32 PCMI students currently on assignments. There are also a number of students on campus fulfilling the academic portions of their master’s degrees.

The national Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., announced today that the University has earned the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. Tulane University placed second, and the University of Washington was third.

“Michigan Tech’s PCMI program is successful because it spans such a wide range of opportunities that Tech has available,” said Professor Blair Orr (SFRES), director of PCMI programs. “We have a large international community on campus and a wide range of activities that complement the Peace Corps. Groups like Engineers Without Borders, NOSOTROS (a Hispanic-Latin cultural organization) and Global City add breadth across campus and make this a good place to be in a Peace Corps Master’s International program.”

Tech has many faculty and staff actively involved in the eight PCMI programs, as well as community members and the graduate students themselves, Orr continued. “The students are interested in more than one academic discipline, and we see them taking classes outside their home departments. They know those courses will benefit them while they are in the Peace Corps and over the course of their entire careers.”

Michigan Tech became a PCMI partner in 1995, eight years after the program began. Offering eight distinct programs in eight different departments, Tech also has the largest number of Master’s International programs in the country. They include applied natural resource economics, biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering, forest resources and environmental science, mechanical engineering, natural hazards mitigation (geology), rhetoric and technical communication and science education.

Over the Peace Corps’s 50 years, 185 Michigan Tech alumni have served as volunteers, more than half from Michigan. PCMI graduate students have served all over the world, including Armenia, Belize, Bulgaria, Fiji, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay and Zambia, to name a just few.

The Peace Corps partners with more than 80 colleges and universities across the nation to enable graduate students to earn a master’s degree while serving in the Peace Corps. PCMI students begin their graduate studies on campus, serve overseas for two years, doing volunteer work on projects related to their graduate studies. Then they return to school to complete their graduate work.

PCMI programs attract top-notch students and help the Peace Corps meet the worldwide demand for highly skilled professionals by providing countries in need with qualified volunteers.

“Every year, hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers pair meaningful service with graduate studies through Peace Corps’ Master’s International and Fellows/USA programs,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams. “After completing Peace Corps service, volunteers return to the United States as global citizens, with leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and language and technical skills that position them well for a successful graduate school experience.”

Fellows/USA is a program that provides scholarships, academic credit and stipends to volunteers who have already completed Peace Corps service when they decide to enroll in a graduate program.

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. Throughout 2011, Peace Corps is commemorating 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world. Historically, more than 200,000 Americans have served to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of 139 host countries. Today, 8,655 volunteers are working with local communities in 77 countries.

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

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How to turn off image compression in Word

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Microsoft Word has a “feature” that compresses your images to 220ppi after saving.  This saves file space for your documents, but images at this resolution do not meet Graduate School requirements for printing.  This tutorial will show you how to turn off this feature for a single document.

We recommend doing all image editing in a program dedicated to that purpose, such as Photoshop, before inserting images into your Word document.  Images must be at least 300ppi unless they are screenshots.  Screenshots are only allowed when absolutely necessary to convey the information.  All images must also be clear and readable.  Increasing the resolution of a low resolution image to 300ppi will not be acceptable.

First, click on the File Button and select “Options” from the left hand menu.

Click on File option at the top left corner.
Click on File option at the top left corner
Select Options from the pop up menu.
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