Graduate School Newsblog

Nominations sought for 2016 MAGS Thesis Award

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The Executive Committee of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) is soliciting nominations for the 2016 MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.  Michigan Tech may nominate one candidate in each disciplinary category.

Eligible students

  • will have earned a master of science degree between July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 in the field of Biological/Life Sciences or the Humanities
    • Michigan Tech may nominate one thesis in each category
    • The 2017 competition will seek nominees in the fields of Social Sciences and Physical Science/Engineering
  • will have completed an original thesis that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline
  • will not have earned a PhD (or comparable research degree) in any discipline prior to the writing of the master’s thesis

Please see our web page for complete details on eligibility and application procedures.

Nomination packets are due by 4pm, October 14, 2015 to the Graduate School via e-mail (gradschool@mtu.edu) or campus mail (address to Debra Charlesworth). Eligible students with a complete nomination packet will be evaluated by a panel of faculty from the University.

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Fall 2015 Formatting Help Sessions

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Are you working on formatting corrections for your dissertation, thesis, or report? Do you need help? Join Harriet King (gscap@mtu.edu), coordinator of the Graduate School Communications Assistance Program for group work hours. These workshops are provided at no charge to students working on a dissertation, thesis, or report. Harriet is skilled with MS Office, Open Office, and Adobe Acrobat Pro. These rooms are equipped with PCs with University software, or you may bring your own laptop. If you need additional help or prefer one-on-one assistance, please contact Harriet to arrange for times and inquire about the services available.

Except for the event on November 20th, all workshops will be held in Dillman 213.

  • Tue Sep 22 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Tue Oct 27 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Tue Nov 3 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Tue Nov 10- this session has been cancelled
  • Thu Nov 12 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Mon Nov 16 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Tue Nov 17 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Wed Nov 18 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Thu Nov 19 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Fri Nov 20 1:00pm – 3:00pm – EERC 723 (note the room change)
  • Mon Nov 30 10:00am – 4:00pm
  • Tue Dec 8 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Tue Dec 15 1:00pm – 3:00pm
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The Laws of Herman – advice for graduate students

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Written in a (slightly) humorous fashion, and recommended by Dr. Andrew Storer, these “laws” for graduate students provide an overview of some of the guiding principles of being a graduate student.

For example, “Your vacation begins after you defend your thesis,” and “Your adviser wants you to become famous, so that he/she can finally become famous.” remind me that it is hard work to complete a thesis, and that your advisor really does want you to succeed – even if it might be for selfish reasons!

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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Overview Session

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The Research Development Office will be sponsoring a  NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) overview session on Thursday, September 17 at 6:00 pm. in Admin 404.

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, students must:

  • be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
  • intend to pursue a research-based Master’s or Ph.D. program in a STEM field (see Solicitation (NSF 15-597) for eligible fields of study.  Many areas of Social Sciences, STEM education and learning research, and Economics are eligible)
  • be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution, with a US campus, by fall 2016
  • have completed no more than twelve months of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent) as of August 1, 2015, or meet the criteria for the extenuating circumstance described in Section IV of the Program Solicitation.
  • meet all other eligibility requirements as set forth in the current Program Solicitation

To be competitive we encourage students to apply who have:

  • a 3.5 GPA or higher
  • research and outreach experience
  • strong faculty references – letters of recommendation need to be exceptional

Award benefits:

  • a three year annual stipend of $34,000
  • $12,000 cost of education allowance for the cost of tuition

Note – students who already have internal University/department funding are strongly encouraged to apply.  This in turn will free up internal funds for less competitive students.

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Spring 2016 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Open

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Applications for spring 2016 finishing fellowships are now being accepted, and are due no later than 4pm, October 21, 2015 to Dr. Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School. 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 or in Research Mode at the time of application.

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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Seminar on Submitting your Dissertation, Thesis, or Report

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Students planning on finishing a dissertation, thesis, or report in fall 2015 or spring 2016 are invited a seminar designed to help students understand the submission process and answer questions about it. Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. We will introduce changes to the submission process in the fall to make it easier for students to submit, including eliminating the binding services offered through the University, so please plan to attend if you are completing your degree in the fall.

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation with the location and a reminder of the date and time, or information on how to join us online.

If you are unable to join us, this seminar will be taped and available online after the event.

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

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Graduate School Orientation!!

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Michigan Tech looks forward to welcoming our new graduate students. All new degree seeking students will be invited to orientation on August 26th. 

Registration is currently full, we will fill slots to students on a first-come, first-served basis that day (if you have not already registered):

Schedule and Description

  • 11:00am – 1:00pm: Registration Check-In and seating assignments for students on the Wait List in the Memorial Union Commons (1st floor).
  • 11:00am – 1:00pm: Use your lunch ticket to purchase food in the Commons, and meet with Graduate Student Government representatives and staff from the Human Resources Department (Student Insurance) and Michigan Tech IT. You might even get to meet Blizzard T. Husky!
  • 1:00 – 4:30pm: Orientation program in the Memorial Union Ballroom (2nd floor)
    Attend to learn about Michigan Tech policies, and obtain the required Basic Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training

Students not able to attend orientation can complete their RCR training online or choose to attend Spring orientation.  More information will be sent to those students by email during the Fall semester.

In addition to the orientation session sponsored by the Graduate School, students may also be required to attend sessions sponsored by:

Questions about Graduate School orientation may be directed to Debra Charlesworth or Nicole Rubino.

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Graduate School Announces Award Recipients for Fall 2014 and Spring 2015

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following students have earned:

Doctoral Finishing Fellowships:
Spring 2015
Adam Coble, PhD Candidate in Forest Science
Khanh Cung, PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Jie Zhou, PhD Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering
Fall 2014
Yaoxian Huang, PhD Candidate in Environmental Engineering
Gary Kaunonen, PhD Candidate in Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Sandra Owusu, PhD Candidate in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Venkata Ramana Pidatala, PhD Candidate in Biological Sciences
Jingtuo Zhang, PhD Candidate in Chemistry
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.

Council of Graduate Schools/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award
Azad Henareh Khalyani, PhD Candidate in Forest Science

Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Distinguished Thesis Award
Xu Yang, PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering

Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Award
Elaheh Gorgin, PhD Candidate in Mathematical Sciences
Amanda Shaw, MS Candidate in Physics

??Dean’s Fellowships

??DeVlieg Foundation Fellowships

??King-Chaves-Parks Future Faculty Fellowships

Recipients for fall 2011 were:

Irfan Ahmed, PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering
Surendar R. Dhadi, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences
Neluka K. Dissanayake, PhD candidate in Engineering Physics
Shu Wei Goh, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering
Amber M. Roth, PhD candidate in Forest Science

Recipients for spring 2012 are:

Zeyad T. Ahmed, PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering
Kefeng Li, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences
Charles L. Lawton Endowed Fellowship
Saikat Mukhopadhyay, PhD candidate in Physics
Zhiwei Peng, PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering
Doctoral Finishing Fellowship
Lindsey M. Shartell, PhD candidate in Forest Science
Neil V. Hakala Endowed Fellowship

Nominations are currently open for summer 2012 finishing fellowships. Materials are due no later than 4pm, March 14th. See complete details online about the application and review procedure.

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