Graduate School Newsblog

Special Flag Day

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A special flag was flown over the ROTC building for the last 24 hours.  The flag was sent to President Mroz from Lt. Col. Otha Thornton, a former faculty member and graduate of the Rhetoric and Technical Communication program at Michigan Tech.  Lt. Col. Thornton is currently serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

The flag has previously flown over Al Faw Palace on September 14, 2009.  The flag, which will be lowered and given back to President Mroz today, will be carried by the color guard at spring commencement.

“It’s a reminder how small our world is and how interconnected we all are,” Mroz said.

Published in Tech Today

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Ferguson Fellowship Program for Minority and Women’s Health

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ferguson Fellowship Program

The Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Disease Fellowship Program provides educational and experiential opportunities for racial and ethnic minority medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary and public health graduate students in a broad array of public health activities. Ferguson Fellows are engaged for eight weeks in a rigorous program of public health research and/or intervention, which they summarize in a scientific presentation at the end of the session. Ferguson Fellows’ travel and housing expenses are paid, and they receive a stipend for the summer.

The Ferguson Fellowship Program is administered by the Minority Health Professions Foundation, one of CDC’s key partners. For more information or to request an application, contact the Minority Health Professions Foundation at 404-756-8931, or go to their website at http://www.minorityhealth.org.

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Highly Competitive Fulbright Student Programs

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The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year. In academic year 2008-2009, more than 1,500 Americans are studying abroad with either full or partial support from the Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) Program, an element of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, places U.S. students as English teaching assistants in schools or universities overseas, thus improving foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while enhancing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. ETAs may also pursue individual study/research plans in addition to their teaching responsibilities.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to research and study in the United States for one year or longer. Approximately 1,700 new awards are awarded to foreign graduate students for support at U.S. universities, and some 1,350 renewal awards are also made annually.

The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program, a component of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, provides young teachers of English as a Foreign Language the opportunity to refine their teaching skills and broaden their knowledge of American culture and customs while strengthening the instruction of foreign languages at colleges and universities in the United States.

The International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, a component of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, is for doctoral study at prestigious U.S. institutions in science, technology, engineering or related fields for approximately 40 outstanding foreign students per year.

The International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, designed to be the most prestigious international scholarships in science and technology, provides talented students with an opportunity to pursue Ph.D. study at top U.S. institutions in areas of science, technology or engineering. The 2009 competition will be officially announced world-wide in the coming months. Students interested in pursuing doctoral study in the following fields are eligible to apply:

What are the eligible fields?

  • Aeronautics and Astronomics/Aeronautical Engineering
  • Agriculture (theoretical or research-based focus only)*
  • Astronomy/Planetary Sciences
  • Biology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Sciences/Engineering
  • Energy
  • Engineering (electrical, chemical, civil, mechanical, ocean, and petroleum)
  • Environmental Science/Engineering
  • Geology/Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Information Sciences/Engineering (engineering focus only; business-focused study is not eligible)
  • Materials Science/Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Neuroscience/Brain and Cognitive Sciences
  • Oceanography
  • Physics
  • Public Health (theoretical or research-based focus only)

*While agriculture tends to be a fairly applied field of study, those wishing to pursue theoretical and research-based study in such areas as entomology, plant biology, plant pathology, and soil science are eligible for this Award.

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Global Health Corps Fellowships

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Several Fellowship Applications are still open for the Global Health Equity Fellow Program.

Fellows must be:

  • Under age 30 at the time of application
  • Graduating or have graduated from undergraduate University studies
  • Proficient in English

No specific background or technical experience is necessary, as each individual Fellowship assignment will require different specific skills. Look at the Fellowships to learn about the specific assignments and the skills that our placement organizations are looking for.

For all Fellowships, we value three qualities: strength of character, relevant skills and experience, and leadership.

Apply

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TogetherGreen Conservation Fellowships

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TogetherGreen, an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota, is accepting applications for its Conservation Fellowships and Innovation Grants.

Through TogetherGreen Conservation Fellowships, forty promising individuals (half from the Audubon network and half from external organizations) will be chosen for their leadership potential, skills, and commitment to engaging people of diverse backgrounds in conservation action. Fellows receive a $10,000 grant, assistance launching a conservation action project, and specialized training. They also become part of an alumni network of conservation professionals from across the country. Fellowship candidates must have at least six years’ experience in some aspect of the environment.

TogetherGreen Innovation Grants annually provide funding that enables the Audubon Society and its partners to support activities that engage people in conservation action and create healthier communities. Grant funds will be awarded to Audubon’s broad national network — including Audubon chapters, programs, centers, sanctuaries, and independent Audubon groups — each working in partnership with one or more external organizations. Recipients will be chosen based on their innovative ideas for achieving conservation results focused on habitat, water, and energy. Selected grants will also need to demonstrate how they are reaching new and diverse communities and helping people get engaged in local conservation action.

Audubon will select a minimum of forty proposals and provide more than $1 million in total support. Grants will range from $5,000 to $80,000 each, with the majority averaging roughly $25,000.

Visit the TogetherGreen Web site for complete application information.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

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Michigan Space Grant Consortium Funds 27 Projects at Michigan Tech

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The Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has awarded approximately $375,000 to nine Michigan universities with aerospace, engineering and space- science-related programs. Michigan Tech submitted 40 proposals, and 27 received funding totaling $105,000.

Of that, $20,000 supports undergraduate fellowships, $30,000 is for graduate research fellowships, $30,000 provides seed grants for faculty, and $25,000 is designated for outreach, including K-12 and teacher training programs.

Undergraduate students receiving $2,500 research fellowships include Andrew Ramsey (ME-EM), Phil Hohnstadt (ME-EM), Peter Solfest (Physics), Stephen Schweitzer (Biomedical Engineering), John Visser (ME-EM), Samantha Wojda (Biomedical Engineering), Patrick Bowen (MSE), William Grant (Chemical Engineering) and Ben Gerhardt (ME-EM).

Graduate students receiving $5,000 fellowships include Christopher Schwartz (Biological Sciences), Elisabet Head (Geology), Jarod Maggio (Environmental Engineering), Adam Abraham (ME-EM), Matthew Barron (Biomedical Engineering), Megan Killian (Biomedical Engineering) and Amalia Anderson (Physics).

Faculty members receiving $5,000 seed grants included Shiyan Hu, Jason Carter, Audrey Mayer, Qingli Dai, Ashok Goel and Claudio Mazzoleni. Faculty and staff members receiving $5,000 for outreach, precollege and teacher training programs include Douglas Oppliger, Shawn Oppliger, Joan Chadde and Kristi Isaacson.

One student receiving an undergraduate fellowship is Samantha Wojda. She plans to use her grant to study how hibernation affects the bones of marmots. Disuse osteoporosis is a common problem faced by astronauts in microgravity. Hibernating mammals are also at high risk for the condition, and many have developed adaptive ways of dealing with it. Wojda plans to study hibernating marmots to see how they are affected by or protected from disuse osteoporosis. What she learns may help researchers find ways to prevent human astronauts and others who are immobilized for long periods of time from developing the debilitating condition.

NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in 1989 to provide funding for research, education and public outreach in space-related science and technology. The program has 52 university-based consortia in the United States and Puerto Rico. As part of the Michigan Consortium, Michigan Tech has been an active participant in MSGC for over fifteen years.

“The MSGC offers faculty, staff and especially students opportunities to develop ideas and submit competitive proposals,” said Chris Anderson, special assistant to the President for institutional diversity and the University’s MSGC liaison. “For undergraduates, the process of developing a proposal and then doing the research allows them to apply what they’re learning in the classroom, get hands-on experience and work closely with faculty.” She added, “The Consortium allows us to do more of this, as well provide graduate fellowships, seed grants and program support.”

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Four Michigan Tech Graduate Programs Rank in Top 50 Nationwide

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Graduate school rankings released by US News and World Report today rank four of Michigan Tech graduate engineering programs in the top 50 nationwide. The annual rankings evaluated graduate programs in 192 schools of engineering.

Michigan Tech’s ranked engineering programs included:
• Environmental engineering–28th
• Mechanical engineering–48th
• Materials science and engineering–48th
• Civil engineering–49th

Tech’s College of Engineering overall ranked in the top 100, at 86th.

For the first time this year, US News and World Report also ranked biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics and physics. Earth sciences at Michigan Tech ranked in the top 100, at 81st. Physics ranked 122nd, and biological sciences, 207th.

“This year’s rankings really show that competition for the ‘top 50′ is increasing. We are neck-and-neck with some very strong programs” said Jackie Huntoon, dean of the Graduate School.

Each year, US News and World Report ranks graduate schools of engineering, business, the sciences, the humanities and social sciences, medicine and other health specialties, law and education. They base these rankings on two types of data: expert opinions by the programs’ peers and statistical indicators of program quality. The data come from surveys conducted in the fall of 2009 of more than 12,400 academics and professionals and more than 1,200 graduate programs.

Engineering specialties are ranked solely on the basis of assessments by department chairs in each specialty. The American Society for Engineering Education recommends the department chairs to be surveyed.

The rankings will be featured in the May 2010 issue of US News and World Report, scheduled to be on the newsstands on April 27. A guidebook called “America’s Best Graduate Schools” will be available for purchase on April 20.

Information is also available online at www.usnews.com/grad .

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Online Power Engineering MS Marks 10th Anniversary

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A decade ago, Cooper Power asked Michigan Tech to provide its engineers with additional distance-learning training in power engineering. Since then, the electrical and computer engineering faculty have developed a full-fledged online MS in Electrical Engineering that focuses on power systems, as well as two certificate programs.

Dozens of students, both on and off campus, are now enrolled, and many more have graduated. The program’s strength reflects a renewed awareness of the importance of electrical power, says Professor Bruce Mork, director of Michigan Tech’s Power and Energy Research Center.

“Energy has become a national security issue,” he says. “It’s more important than ever to have infrastructure that is robust and reliable.”

The full release is available at the Michigan Tech News site.

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Graduate Students Showcase Their Research in Lansing

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capitolFour graduate students from Michigan Tech have gone to Lansing to talk with legislators about their graduate studies and future plans. Participating in an observance of Graduate Education Week in Michigan, they are joining more than 70 others from universities across the state, meeting with their hometown legislators and displaying posters in the Capitol.

Michigan Tech students include Michael Brodeur-Campbell of Lake Linden, who is working on his PhD in chemical engineering; Megan Killian from LaSalle, an interdicisplinary PhD student in biomedical and mechanical engineering; Melanie Kueber, a PhD student in civil engineering from Munising; and Christopher Morgan of Jenison, who is working toward a PhD in mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics.

Brodeur-Campbell, who is originally from Port Huron, earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and business administration at Michigan Tech. His research focuses on improving the enzymatic breakdown of cellulose to glucose, a vital step in the production of ethanol from plants. This step has proved a major hurdle to commercial production of this kind of ethanol, which does not compete with the food supply, due to the high cost of the enzymes and the length of time they take to work.

Killian’s research focuses on how mechanical loads applied to the meniscus–cartilage in the knee–affect the behavior of this tissue at the microscopic and cellular levels, with the aim of eventually improving tissue engineering of replacements. She is also studying osteoarthritis produced by injuries to the knee, in hopes of developing better treatments and rehabilitation strategies.

Kueber, who also earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Michigan Tech, went on to earn her master’s in project management at Northwestern University. Back at Tech for her doctoral studies, she is working to modify specifications and test methods for coal fly ash used in highway concrete, to make coal ash more useful as a supplementary material in concrete.

Morgan, a member of the Advanced Internal Combustion Engines research group at Michigan Tech, has been using gasoline direct- injection studies to compare ethanol to pump-grade gasoline in a combustion vessel. Now he is working on building a mobile hybrid electric vehicle learning laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy and helping undergraduate senior design students build a hybrid electric vehicle for educational use.

Graduate education is a key to a prosperous future for Michigan, said Jacqueline Huntoon, dean of Michigan Tech’s Graduate School. Michigan ranks ninth in the US for the number of research-based doctorates awarded, with 2,720 awarded in 2008-09. Of those, 47 were awarded at Michigan Tech.

all-attendees

Photos courtesy of Randy Mascharka and Eastern Michigan University

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Two Tech Students Awarded Scholarships

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Two Michigan Tech students have been awarded scholarships from the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) Michigan chapter.

Erin Bertocchi, an undergraduate civil engineering student from Gwinn, MI, received the Sharon D. Banks Memorial Scholarship awarded specifically for women pursuing an undergraduate degree related to the field of transportation. Erin discovered her interest in the design and construction of roads through two previous summer internships with MDOT’s Technical Service Centers in Newberry and Escanaba.

Mary Christiansen, a graduate student from Shelby, MI, pursuing her PhD in Civil Engineering, was selected to receive the Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship awarded annually to a graduate student pursuing a degree related to the field of transportation. Mary is a scholar in the University Transportation Center for Materials in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (UTC-MiSTI), working on the development of geopolymer cement concrete with Larry Sutter and Karl Peterson.

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