Graduate School Newsblog

Fusion Energy Sciences Fellowship Program

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Description: Offers talented students the opportunity to engage in the study and research of fusion energy sciences and technology, while fostering practical work experiences at recognized research facilities. Provides incentive and support to students as they continue their education in graduate school and prepare for careers in fusion energy.

Discipline(s): physical sciences; engineering; mathematics; related scientific disciplines

Eligibility: U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents. Undergraduate seniors; bachelor’s recipients; and first and second year graduate students at the time of application

Location(s): Various locations across U. S. Participating universities with practicums at various U.S. Department of Energy research facilities

Duration: Maximum 36 months with annual renewal

Deadline(s): January 31

Benefits: $24,000 annual stipend and full payment of tuition and fees; $750 per month practicum allowance; opportunity to attend professional meetings and to participate in long-term graduate research ad DOE fusion research facilities.

Funding source(s): U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences

How to apply: Application materials available at http://www.orau.gov/fusion.

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Haitian Devastation Impacts Campus

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by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor

The recent earthquake in Haiti has been felt here at Michigan Tech.

At least two students and one faculty member have ties to Haiti, and they have received mixed news: some good, much bad, some the worst.

Roxane Gay, a PhD candidate in the humanities department who has lived in Port au Prince, learned that her parents left Haiti last Sunday, missing the earthquake by just a couple of days. Most of her family survived, but she has lost at least one great uncle.

“His wife is missing,” Gay said. “And the building in which my parents live is flattened. So is the National Palace. In fact most of Port au Prince is destroyed.”

Gay’s father, Michael, is in the construction business and has just completed the Digicell Center, which is one of the few structures still standing. He is rushing back to Haiti this Friday to help move debris with his construction equipment.

The problems in Haiti are myriad, according to Gay: there are no building codes and no real infrastructure: no sewage system, plumbing, or trash removal, “and the roads are not good.”

Thus, rebuilding efforts will be even more complicated. “This is what poverty does,” she says.

“Where do you put the people?” Gay asks. “And the debris? The country is the size of Maryland. They need water, food and hospital care. The good news is, although the control tower is down, the airport can still receive planes.”

Gay gets her news from Haiti via texting and satellite phones. She also gets information via the Facebook page of fellow Michigan Tech Haitian Fredline Ilorme, a graduate student in the civil and environmental engineering department.

Ilorme reports that most of her family is also well, but she is still waiting to hear from some additional family members and friends. Kette Thomas, assistant professor of diverse literature in humanities, also has Haitian ties.

Gay is not hopeful for the future. “There’s not enough money in the world to fix what’s broken,” she says.

However, if people do want to help, she suggests the well-established organizations such as the International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Yéle Haiti, which was established by musician Wyclef Jean and seeks to achieve long-term progress in the country.

“Haitians are resilient people,” Gay says. “My dad is a proud Haitian.”

That’s why Michael Gay is rushing back to help his fellow islanders and others are coming to their aid. There’s much work to be done.

Published in Tech Today

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Patrick Martin Leads International Preservation Effort

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by John Gagnon, promotional writer

Michigan Tech’s industrial archaeology program, which enjoys worldwide stature, now has even more distinction.

Patrick Martin, chair of Social Sciences, has been named the president of The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH), which has a hand in helping identify sites around the world to be added to the United Nations’ World Heritage List–a compilation of natural and cultural places around the world that have “outstanding, universal human value.”

Specifically, TICCIH calls attention to industrial heritage sites, for its charge is to conserve, investigate, document, research, and interpret industry and its material remains.

Martin has been involved with TICCIH for about six years and was the only board member from the US. Members number about 400; they range from Barcelona to Sydney, Cape Town to Taipei, Helsinki to Houghton.

Martin says that Tech will benefit from this association. “This raises our profile,” he says. “More people”–he means students and scholars–“will know about us as we engage on a world stage.” His appointment is for three years. TICCIH holds a world congress every three years. The last one, when Martin was made president, was in September in Freiberg, Germany.

The World Heritage List, which is maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), includes 890 properties in 148 nations. At present, there are no industrial sites in the US on the list, only natural entities like Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks and cultural sites like Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Industrial heritage is the stuff of railroads, textile mills, and mining. Martin calls the industrial revolution of the eighteenth century “one of the most profound social revolutions in human history.”

“Industry has created the modern world,” Martin says. “The shape of our country, including places like the Copper Country, and many of the relationships between global powers have been heavily influenced by industrialization. It makes us who we are. Why are you and I here? Why is Michigan Tech here? It’s not like we fell out of the sky. All this action going on around us today is because of copper mining in the nineteenth century.”

Industrial heritage sites, then, can be an inspiration and a lesson, he says. “If we don’t understand how we got the way we are, it’s very difficult to map a good path into the future.”

TICCIH was formed about 30 years ago. Most of its activity has been in Europe, which, Martin says, leads the US in industrial preservation efforts. Martin hopes to expand TICCIH’s influence and membership to the US, Africa, and Asia. “We need to be global,” he says. “This will require financial efficiency.”

Accordingly, he has already instituted cost-cutting moves by publishing the quarterly newsletter online and conducting some meetings online.

For years, Michigan Tech, with Martin’s lead, has been the headquarters for the Society for Industrial Archeology. He says of his new duties: “It’ll be interesting and challenging, and it’s a great opportunity.”

As well, he says, the work dovetails with the University’s strategic goal of achieving international engagement.

Published in Tech Today

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Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship Program

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The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is seeking nominations for its highly competitive Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship Program. The program, made possible by a generous grant from the Stanton Foundation, offers younger scholars studying nuclear security issues the opportunity to spend a period of twelve months at CFR’s offices in New York or Washington, DC, conducting policy-relevant research. I am hoping you can help us identify outstanding candidates for the fellowships.

CFR will award up to three fellowships in 2010. Candidates may be junior (non-tenured) faculty, post-doctoral fellows, or pre-doctoral candidates from any discipline who are working on a nuclear security related issue. The fellowships will be awarded on the basis of academic and professional accomplishments and promise, and on the merits of the specific research projects proposed. The fellows could work on a wide range of issues, including nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, nuclear force posture, and, as it relates to nuclear security, nuclear energy.

Deadline: February 15, 2010.

A complete description of the Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship Program and the application process can be found at: www.cfr.org/about/fellowships/StantonFellowship.html.

If interested, please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu).

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American Society of Naval Engineers Scholarship Program

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ASNE Scholarship Announcement

The purpose of the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Scholarship Program is to    improve and promote the profession of naval engineering. The Society’s goal is to encourage college students to enter the field of naval engineering and to provide valuable support to naval engineers seeking advanced education in the field.

Since the program was inaugurated in 1979, 421 ASNE scholarships have been awarded.  For the 2009-2010 academic year, ASNE scholarship awards supported 12 undergraduate students ($3,000) and 9 graduate students ($4,000).

Eligibility:  Applicant must be a U.S. citizen enrolled in or entering a graduate program in engineering or physical science

Deadline: Feb 12, 2010

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Predoctoral STEM Awards

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The Association for Women in Science offers $1000 awards for women pursuing PhDs in the STEM fields.  Four categories of awards are available:

  • Predoctoral Award
    For a female graduate student who has advanced to PhD candidacy studying in any STEM field except Physics (
  • Schutzmeister Award
    For a female predoctoral student who has advanced to PhD candidacy studying Physics
    The Schutzmeister Award has a separate application process managed by Dr. Gerald Hardie at Western Michigan University. Do not use the materials on this site. To request application forms contact Dr. Hardie at gerald.hardie@wmich.edu.
  • Satter Award
    For a female predoctoral student who has interrupted her career for three or more years to raise a family
    The Satter Award application includes an additional document provided by the applicant’s graduate department certifying that you meet the Satter criterion.
  • Filner Award
    New this year, this award honors Barbara Filner, a long-time active AWIS member who served as President of National AWIS, and as President of the AWIS Educational Foundation for ten years. This award is given to a predoctoral student who has advanced to PhD candidacy and has participated in activities, such as mentoring and organizing workshops, that encourage women to pursue careers in science and related fields. The application process includes an additional document (up to 700 words) reviewing activities to help women achieve their career goals.
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Thesis and Dissertation Submission Seminar

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Students planning on finishing a thesis or dissertation this semester or next semester are invited a seminar designed to help students understand current procedures, the new procedures, and answer student questions.

Join Debra Charlesworth on January 19th at 4:05pm to learn about the submission process from start to finish.

Faculty and staff who work with students completing a thesis or dissertation are also invited to attend.

Please register online for the event.

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation with the location and a reminder of the date and time. Space is limited, so register early!

If you are unable to join us, a taped version of this seminar is available online from our May 18th presentation.

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