Graduate School Newsblog

Submission and Formatting 101: Master the Dissertation, Thesis, and Report Process

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Students who are completing a dissertation, thesis, or report are invited to join the Graduate School to learn about the resources available to them to assist in scheduling their defense, formatting their documents, and submitting their documents.  In one afternoon, you can learn everything you need to be successful and complete your degree in a timely fashion!  Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend.  Attend the entire event, or stop in for the seminar that interests you.

  • When: Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 2 – 4pm (see detailed schedule below)
  • Who: Students completing a dissertation, thesis or report; faculty and staff who assist students with submission
  • Where: Virtual and in-person (Admin 404 – limit for room is 30); (register to attend online and receive participation instructions)
  • Registration: Please register to receive handouts via email or attend online. The seminar will be available online as well as on campus.

If you are unable to join us, the event will be taped and available online after the event. The previous semester’s seminars are always available online.

Information on submitting, formatting, and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

Detailed schedule

  • 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Submission 101
    Learn what is required to submit your document to the Graduate School and the deadlines for the upcoming semester.  Best for students who are completing their degree this semester or next semester.
  • 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Formatting 101-103
    Learn about templates, checking your document with Adobe Acrobat, and how to use copyrighted materials. You’ll also learn where resources are on the web page so you can learn more about the topics that interest you.
  • 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. – Questions
    Have a question that hasn’t been answered yet? We’ll be available to answer any additional questions you have

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Fall 2024 CSCHF Graduate Assistantship Nominations Open

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Pre-proposals for Fall 2024 CSCHF Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due no later than 4pm, May 21, 2024 to the Graduate School. Students who best meet the foundation’s criteria will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due on June 25, 2024.  Instructions on the pre-proposal, full application, and evaluation process are found online. Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, and Ontonagon communities.
  2. Must be 2 years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
  3. Must not be a prior recipient of a PHF or CSCHF Graduate Assistantship.
  4. Preference will be given to applicants with long-standing local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, or Ontonagon county.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, or Ontonagon counties. Non-resident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

  • health research and technology development
  • health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
  • rural healthcare access, informatics, and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a CSCHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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Nominations open for the 2024 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

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Nominations are now open for the 2024 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Please submit nominations to the Graduate School no later than 4pm, May 30, 2024, following our online instructions. This year, nominations are being accepted from dissertations in the fields of:

  1. Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering
  2. Social Sciences (note: history is classed within the humanities and is not a field of competition in 2024)

Michigan Tech may nominate one student in each field. PhD students who have completed all of their degree requirements between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, are eligible. The fields of competition for 2025 will be Biological/Life Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts (including history).

A nomination packet must be submitted by the department chair or college dean to our google form no later than 4 p.m. on May 30, 2024. Contact Debra Charlesworth (gradschool@mtu.edu) if you have any questions about the competition.

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Fall 2024 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Open

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Applications for Fall 2024 finishing fellowships are being accepted and are due no later than 4pm on June 26, 2024 to the Graduate School. Please email applications to gradschool@mtu.edu.

Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online. Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish during the semester supported as a finishing fellow.
  3. Must have submitted no more than one previous application for a finishing fellowship.
  4. Must be eligible for candidacy (tuition charged at Research Mode rate) at the time of application.
  5. Must not hold a final oral examination (“defense”) prior to the start of the award semester.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan. The Graduate School anticipates funding up to ten fellowships with support ranging from $2000 to full support (stipend + tuition). Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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Outstanding Awards – Spring 2024 Recipients

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The Graduate School announces the recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship and the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award for the Spring 2024 semester. Congratulations to all recipients.

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship

The following recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship have demonstrated academic or professional qualities that set them apart within their academic program.

Rishi Babu – Physics
Utkarsh Shailesh Chaudhari – Chemical Engineering
Komal Chillar – Chemistry
Felix Cottet-Puinel – Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Austin DePottey – Materials Science and Engineering
Siyuan Fang – Engineering-Environmental
Gaurish Gokhale – Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ujwal Goulikar – Mechatronics
Samuel Hervey – College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Brilynn Janckila – Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Samuel Kinne – Business Administration
Revanth Mattey – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Abhishek Patil – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Mostafa Rezaeitaleshmahalleh – Biomedical Engineering
Peifeng Su – Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering
Morgana Wilke – Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award

The following recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award are recognized for their excellence in teaching. 

Harikrishnan Changarnkothapeecherikkal – Computational Science & Engineering
Reid DeVoge – Humanities
Tiff Degroot – College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Gita Deonarain – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Larry Dilworth – Electrical and Computer Engineering
Thomas Draper – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Joshua Gindt – Electrical and Computer Engineering
Olivia Hohman – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Abhishek Keripale – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Anandhu Krishnan – Chemistry
Miaomiao Li – Civil Engineering
Zongguang Liu – Computational Science & Engineering
Theresa Meyer – Applied Ecology
Anwar Mohammed – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Ukasha Mohammed – Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering
Ryan Munter – Physics
Abel Reyes Angulo – Computational Science & Engineering
Zazil Santizo Huerta – Mathematical Sciences
Goutham Viyyapu – Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Brennan Vogl – Biomedical Engineering
Kyle Wehmanen – Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Aimee Zimmerman – Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

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MAGS / ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Award – 2024 – Honorable Mention – Isaac Lennox

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Isaac Lennox, M.S. in Kinesiology, 2023

I am grateful to be recognized as an honorable mention for the MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. The completion of my project: “Exercise Is Medicine® on Campus: A National Analysis and Assessment of Community Impact” would not have been able to happen if not for my advisor Dr. Steven Elmer, my committee members Dr. Kamm and Dr. Petushek, as well as support from my lab members and the KIP department. As I work towards my dream of earning a medical degree and becoming a rural physician, Michigan Tech and Houghton will forever have a place in my heart.

Dr. Elmer and his lab introduced me to the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) initiative, which calls upon colleges and universities to promote physical activity on their campuses as a vital sign of health. This immediately became the forefront of my master’s thesis, as I was able to perform a national analysis of the distribution and impact of this 15-year initiative, while concurrently promoting physical activity on Michigan Tech’s campus and the surrounding Houghton County. Collectively, the findings from my thesis may help direct EIM-OC efforts to combat physical inactivity and improve health on campuses and their surrounding communities.

I would like to thank Dr. Elmer and the KIP Department for supporting me as a graduate student and providing me with opportunity to travel across the country to disseminate my work at regional and national conferences, as well as on campus and within the local community. Furthermore, I would like to thank the Houghton community for allowing me to contribute to local youth initiatives by teaching junior golf at Portage Lake Golf Course, and volunteer assistant coaching for the Houghton Gremlins JV hockey team. These are memories that I will never forget and I will be forever grateful for.

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Let’s Talk About it: Facilitating Difficult Conversations for Graduate Students

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Are you a graduate student interested in developing skills that will assist you in facilitating difficult conversations? Please join us on March 5, 2024 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. for a Facilitating Difficult Conversations workshop.

This in-person workshop is open to all graduate students and includes instruction, practice, and discussion with your peers. If you’ve ever wondered how to approach a difficult conversation with your advisor, a peer, or roommate, we’ll discuss tips and strategies for getting started in a respectful and professional manner.

​The number of participants is limited to facilitate discussion, so please complete the registration form to save your spot. When you register, you’re expected to attend or let us know if your plans change. You will receive an email reminder before the event which will confirm the location. 

For more information, contact the Graduate School (gradschool@mtu.edu).

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Nominations Sought for KCP Future Faculty Fellowships

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Applications are being accepted for the KCP Future Faculty Fellowship, a program funded by the State of Michigan.  The purpose of the King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program is to increase the pool of academically and economically disadvantaged candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in post-secondary education.  

Funding may begin in fall of 2024. Complete applications received by 4pm on April 9, 2024 will receive priority for consideration. Pending availability of funds, applications received will be considered on a rolling basis until the state’s application portal closes on April 30, 2024. Applicants are highly encouraged to submit well in advance of the portal closing.

Applicants will complete the following steps:

KCP fellowships provide students up to $20,000 (MS students) or $35,000 (PhD students) to pursue their degrees.  Funds may be used to support students, including faculty and staff, pursuing degrees at Michigan Tech.  For Michigan Tech students, the Graduate School and nominating department must also contribute matching funds to help support the student.

Complete information about eligibility criteria and materials needed for an application is available on our web page. Please note that applications will be submitted through the MILogin Citizens Portal. Questions about eligibility or the application procedure can be directed to Dr. Debra Charlesworth.

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MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award – Spring 2024 Recipient – Scott K Pomerville

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Scott Pomerville in a grassy valley with mountains behind
Scott Pomerville, Computer Science

Learning is hard, and it takes effort, but it can be easier when you’re having fun and feel like there is someone there helping you along. My name is Scott Pomerville, and I’m a PhD candidate in the department of Computer Science working on Architectural design of computer processors under Dr. Soner Önder. I did my undergraduate degree here, and decided that I loved both the area of Computer Science and the University enough to continue getting my Doctorate here.

I have found my voice in the classroom in trying to be openly energetic, passionate, and excited to hear what students say. I want to let my personality and passion bleed into the classroom. By being relatable and demonstrating excitement over the material, I think I can help students connect with the same topics that I personally also find fun. My objective as a teacher isn’t to just convey information, but to also show how exciting the field can be, from my lectures down to the assignments I give them.

My mentors and fellow colleagues have been instrumental in shaping me as both a researcher and as a teacher, and I am very thankful to each and every one of them for helping inspire both a love of research and a love of teaching. I am thankful for the nomination, and I am humbled and honored to be representing the university for Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Excellence in Teaching Award for 2024.

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Let’s Talk About it: Facilitating Difficult Conversations for Graduate Students

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Are you a graduate student interested in developing skills that will assist you in facilitating difficult conversations? Please join us on January 31, 2024 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. for a Facilitating Difficult Conversations workshop.

This in-person workshop is open to all graduate students. The workshop will provide foundational information and practice for handling uncomfortable work and/or peer situations in a respectful and professional manner.

​The number of participants is limited to facilitate discussion, so please complete the registration form to save your spot. You will receive an email reminder before the event which will confirm the location. 

For more information, contact the Graduate School (gradschool@mtu.edu).

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