Graduate School Newsblog

Thesis/Dissertation/Report Formatting Workshops – Summer 2018

Published
By

Are you working on formatting corrections for your dissertation, thesis, or report? Do you need help? Are you unsure where to submit your dissertation, thesis, or report?

Join the Graduate School (gradschool@mtu.edu) for group work hours. These workshops are provided at no charge to students working on a dissertation, thesis, or report. Staff will able to help with the changes required by the Graduate School for these documents in MS Office. Assistance will also be available for converting documents to PDF from Word and how to make simple corrections and check your document in Adobe Acrobat. The workshops will be in rooms with PCs with University software, or you may bring your own laptop. Distance students may contact gradschool@mtu.edu about remote assistance during these times via web conferencing.  If you need additional help outside of these times, please contact the Graduate School.  On a limited basis, one-on-one assistance may be available.

 Last day to submit a post-defense document to successfully complete your degree in summer is August 6 by 4pm EST!

All workshops will be held from on the following dates at the mentioned time:

  • Friday, July 20, 2018 | 3:00-5:00pm | EERC 0723
  • Thursday, July 26, 2018 |3:00-5:00pm | EERC 0723
  • Thursday, August 2, 2018 | 2:00-4:00pm |EERC 0723
  • Tuesday, August 21, 2018 |10:30am-12:00pm |EERC 0723
Continue Reading →

Nominee for 2018 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award: Lauren Schaefer

Published
By

Lauren Schaefer
Geological Engineering

Lauren Schaefer 2018Lauren N. Schaefer received both an MSc in Geology (International Geological Masters in Volcanology and Geotechniques, 2012) and a PhD in Geological Engineering as a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow (2016) at Michigan Tech under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Oommen. Her dissertation investigated the potential for large-scale debris avalanches at Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala to optimize future monitoring and mitigation efforts. A combination of experimental rock mechanics, field investigations, remote sensing, and numerical modeling not only detected, but revealed the nature and mechanics of the largest landslide surge witnessed in a single event at a volcano. Her dissertation provided rare insight into precursory deformation prior to a potential future catastrophic collapse at an active volcano. Such an event was witnessed at Mount St. Helens in 1980, and is known to have occurred at over 400 volcanoes worldwide.

Currently, Lauren is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she continues to research landslide and volcanic hazards.

Continue Reading →

Nominee for 2018 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award: Erin Pischke

Published
By

Erin Pischke
Environmental and Energy Policy

Erin Pischke 2018My dissertation research examines the public perceptions of socioecological impacts of oil palm production and the political ecology of environmental change in Tabasco, Mexico. I collaborate with natural, social and engineering scientists to study the impacts of bioenergy development projects to assess the sustainability of them. My work shows that past political and economic actions impact current environmental conditions and creates institutional and structural constraints in the region to which people are adapting. A multi-pronged, interdisciplinary approach tackles problems from various angles to, in a sense, make the problem smaller. My research also studies the challenges that international, interdisciplinary teams face when studying such impacts in international settings so that future research can be more successful.

Continue Reading →

Nominees for 2018 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

Published
By

The Graduate School would like to congratulate and recognize Lauren Schaefer and Erin Pischke for being nominated for the Council of Graduate Schools / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious honors for doctoral dissertations.

Two awards are given annually in two different broad areas (mathematics, physical sciences and engineering; and social sciences; and the biological sciences; and humanities and fine arts). The winners of the awards will be announced during the Fall 2018 Semester.

The 2018 fields of competition are:

Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering

Mathematics and Social Sciences

Continue Reading →

EndNote Workshop at the Library

Published
By

Save time by using EndNote software to manage your citations. No prior knowledge of EndNote is required for this workshop. The session will cover: how to create and build an EndNote library, how to add references from online databases and PDFs, best practices for organizing your citations and incorporating references into a Microsoft Word document using EndNote’s “cite while you write” tool. The workshop is at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 10 in Library 242 Register here.

Continue Reading →

Important Communication from the Graduate School

Published
By

Dear Students,

As we’re sure you’re aware, Houghton County experienced extreme weather this weekend.  Although much of campus and the surrounding area is back to normal, the Administration Building is closed for an undetermined amount of time.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our community members impacted by this disaster.

For the short term, here is how you can communicate with the Graduate School:

  • Graduate School staff will be operating in rooms 112 and 113 of the Library.  Please go to room 112 for assistance beginning at 1pm on Tuesday, June 19th. Not all staff will be present at all times, but we will be able to direct you appropriately.
  • Current students with forms to submit should scan them and upload them to Canvas.  If you need assistance, we have an online tutorial.  Please only use Canvas to upload forms; do not also email and/or submit paper copies.
  • Current students should email gradschool@mtu.edu with any questions they have about their degree.  Please do not copy other staff; one email will alert everybody.  Graduate directors and assistants with questions about current students should also use this email.
  • If you call the Graduate School, messages will go to voicemail.  Staff will respond as they can.
  • Diploma pickup and diploma mailing will not be available this week.
  • Transcript submission is not available this week.  Students with a missing degree hold may request a waiver using our form.
  • Students who need assistance with housing can contact Housing or Public Safety.  Rooms, meals, and showers are available.

Michigan Tech will be updating the emergency website  with information important to our community.  Please monitor that website for ways that you can contribute to the relief effort and stay in touch with other offices on campus that are displaced.

Sincerely,

The Graduate School

Continue Reading →

Tips for success in starting a new class

Published
By

Graduate students and faculty teaching their first course will find this recent post from Tomorrow’s Professor a quick and interesting read.  It offers practical advice on how to set up your class for success from day one, and gives advice on how to balance teaching with research responsibilities.  It’s important to have balance in our careers, and advance planning is one part of it.  Although everything about teaching a class can’t be planned in advance, the more advance planning you can do, the smoother your semester will be.

Continue Reading →

MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Award 2018 Nominee – Alexis Newton

Published
By

Alexis Newton
Rhetoric, Theory and Culture

Alexis Newton 201708While in the Rhetoric, Theory and Culture Master’s program at Michigan Technological University, my thesis research focused on the relationships between hardware, software, and wetware – namely, looking at how video games virtually and physically effected the way we understand and engage with play. By defining and distinguishing between “gamespaces” (the virtual spaces players engage with to play a game) and “playspaces” (the physical spaces players inhabit while playing a game), I explored the various ways in which hardware constrains, encourages, and/or politicizes play. This research not only guided my work as a student, but also informs my work as an instructor of Rhetoric and Composition, where I focus on teaching students to be critical readers and writers of culture, both popular and otherwise. In the future, I plan to expand upon my thesis work and explore how these concepts apply to and flourish specifically in museum and gallery spaces.

Continue Reading →

MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award 2018 Nominee – Nadun Dissanayake

Published
By

Nadun Dissanayake
Mathematical Sciences
Nadun Dissanayake 201801

I’m a PhD Student in Computation and Applied Mathematics at MTU. I am also a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Mathematical Sciences teaching Pre-Calculus during fall and Calculus II during spring. Teaching is my favorite hobby because I enjoy being with students and helping them. Mathematics is a subject students often struggle with, and I love to teach mathematics in a way that makes sense to students. I interact with students in and outside of class and make them work hard. The students at MTU are very talented and smart, and I consider myself lucky to teach them. I want every student to reach their full potential. Teaching well raises the standards of my university and department, and I always keep that in my mind when I teach. We all have a responsibility to represent our university well and to produce successful students from our classes. I consider teaching to be not just a job, but the greatest service to the world.

Continue Reading →

Portage Health Foundation Graduate Assistantship Summer 2018 Recipient – Matt Kilgas

Published
By

Matthew Kilgas
Integrative Physiology

Matt KilgasI am a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Physiology at Michigan Tech. My line of research involves adapting new types of exercise to different clinical and healthy populations. I have worked on many projects including the development of a new exercise device for wheelchair users and creating a home-based rehabilitation program for those with ACL injury. I have been living in the Upper Peninsula for the past 9 years. When I’m not working on my research you can find me out exploring the Keweenaw with my wife and dog. We love hiking, skiing, and biking on the many trail systems in the area.

Continue Reading →