Graduate School Newsblog

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 – Yunsheng Su

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Yunsheng Su sitting outside on rock wall with waterway behind
Yunsheng Su – Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

I am honored to have the opportunity to apply for the final finishing fellowship to gain further support and guidance in my doctoral research. I am a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Tech University, and I have been pursuing my Ph.D. since 2019. Over the past five years, I have focused on research in the field of mechanical fault diagnosis.

My research aims to leverage advanced data analysis techniques and machine learning algorithms to enhance the health monitoring and fault diagnosis capabilities of mechanical systems. In my doctoral research, I have explored theoretical models and algorithms and validated their effectiveness through experimental and engineering application.

Obtaining this fellowship is significant to me as it will provide the support and resources needed to complete the final steps towards my Ph.D. I look forward to collaborating with mentors and fellow researchers to further refine my research and translate it into practical applications.
In the future, I aspire to secure a position in either industry or academia, continuing my research and application work in mechanical fault diagnosis and predictive maintenance.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for considering my application, and I assure you of my commitment to fully utilize the opportunities provided by this fellowship. I want to thank Dr. Zequn Wang and my advisor Dr. Shangyan Zou for their support with my PhD research and preparing me for an academic career.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Swapan Chakrabarty

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Swapan Chakrabarty standing outdoors
Swapan Chakrabarty – Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology

In the summer of 2021, I joined as a Ph.D. student in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology and started working as a Graduate Research Assistant on a USDA-NIFA project at the Kuelheim Lab at the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech. By this time, I completed Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics and Data Science Foundations. I am going to complete a course-based M.S. in Data Science with bioinformatics domain in Spring 2024.

My research interest includes the study of the genetic basis of plant evolution and adaptation in changing climate using genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics approaches. In my Ph.D. dissertation “Novel methods of tree improvement in the genomic era”, I performed a meta-analysis to find out the suitable tree genetic improvement methods appropriate for different contexts and provided a framework for future tree genetic improvements. Through doing a comparative genome-wide association studies using a reference genome of Eucalyptus grandis, an in vitro generated Eucalyptus polybractea pseudo-reference, and a hybrid assembled E. polybractea reference genome, I am investigating if we can use pseudo-references or even just related genome as the reference genome for tree genetic studies. I am also investigating the transcriptomic regulation of foliar terpene-related genes in Eucalyptus camaldulensis to understand how transcriptional variation in E. camaldulensis influence terpene production and local adaptation. I also working on de novo assemblies of Quercus ellipsoidales genome to investigate structural variation between Q. ellipsoidales and Quercus rubra genome to identify the specific genomic regions related to climatic adaption and species diversification in oaks. Overall, my research provides an overview of trends of using tree genetic improvement methods and how the advanced methods and technologies help in achieving the goal of tree genetic improvement program.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and Dean for awarding me the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship. This fellowship has been a tremendous source of inspiration and support for me, and it has marked an important turning point in my academic and professional career. My sincere appreciation to my advisor Dr. Carsten Külheim for his invaluable guidance, support and expertise which has been instrumental in shaping me for my future profession. I would also like to extend sincere gratitude to my committee members Dr. Victor Busov, Dr. Stephen Techtmann, Dr. David Kainer, and program coordinator Dr. Molly Cavaleri as well as lab members, friends and family, whose continuous support and help have been vital for my accomplishment during my studies at Michigan Tech. I am excited for the learning and growth that awaits me, which I know will greatly influence my future pursuits.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Nithin Allwayin

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Nithin Allwayin – Physics

My journey at Michigan Technological University began in 2019 when I joined the Ph.D. program in the Physics department. My research focuses on the physics of clouds, where I work on understanding processes happening at the individual droplet scales. These processes play an important role in determining the observable properties of clouds and their inadequate representation contributes substantially to the uncertainties in global climate model predictions. To do this, I’ve utilized data from our novel holographic cloud imaging instrument developed at Michigan Technological University. My research spans computational, field, and laboratory studies. Our work highlights the importance of local small-scale processes and could potentially open new ways to represent clouds in global climate models.

I extend my since gratitude to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship. A special acknowledgment goes to my advisor, Prof. Raymond Shaw, for his motivation, guidance, and support throughout my journey. Additionally, I am grateful to the Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena for their support, enabling me to share my research findings at multiple conferences. I would also like to express my gratitude to, Dr. Gowtham and the High-Performance Computing facilities at MTU, my collaborators and colleagues, and faculty and staff at the Department of Physics for their support and assistance. This fellowship will play a crucial role in helping me to complete my dissertation and publish my research findings.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Tiffany DeGroot

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Tiff DeGroot standing on a tree branch overlooking a wooded area below
Tiff DeGroot – Forest Science

Tiff DeGroot is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Brzeski and Wolfe Laboratories at MTU, where she investigates mammal diversity and distribution across Equatorial Guinea in central Africa. Her research leverages noninvasive techniques such as remote trail cameras, known as “camera trapping,” and DNA metabarcoding of carrion flies to study environmental DNA (eDNA). Carrion flies consume tissue from various mammals, providing a window into local biodiversity. This can be especially effective at detecting rare or arboreal species not typically captured by camera traps.

Tiff focuses on how human activities influence wildlife, with a particular interest in developing and applying conservation measures to mitigate negative interactions between humans and wildlife. Her work helps researchers and local wildlife managers to understand mammal populations in Equatorial Guinea, informing conservation efforts that aim to preserve the region’s unique biodiversity. Her research along with other work has led to the designation of a new protected area in Equatorial Guinea.

Tiff earned a B.S. in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of New Hampshire in 2015, and has worked in the global wildlife conservation nonprofit space since 2017. When she is not coding or in the lab, she enjoys hiking with her rescue dog and creating ceramic art.

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Matt Beals Receives NSF GRFP Honorable Mention

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Matt Beals ’22 ’24 (B.S. M.S. Mechanical Engineering), a Michigan Tech graduate student, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention.

The oldest STEM-related fellowship program in the United States, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is a prestigious award that recognizes exceptional graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines early in their career and supports them through graduate education. NSF-GRFP fellows are an exceptional group; 42 fellows have become Nobel Laureates and about 450 fellows are members of the National Academy of Sciences.

The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including a $37,000 stipend for each fellow and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for the fellow’s institution. Besides financial support for fellows, the GRFP provides opportunities for research in national laboratories and international research.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Mohanish Kishor Chandurkar

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Mohanish Kishor Chandurkar – Biomedical Engineering

As I approach the culmination of my graduate studies, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to express my deepest gratitude for being selected as a recipient of the Graduate Finishing Fellowship. This award not only signifies a recognition of my academic achievements but also serves as a testament to the invaluable support and encouragement I have received throughout my journey.

Being inspired by the healthcare researchers and professionals and my background in engineering motivated me to pursue my career in Biomedical engineering to contribute to healthcare innovation. My PhD work focuses on the fundamentals of mechanobiology to understand cardiovascular health and disease conditions. Specifically, it focuses on the role of blood flow profiles in tuning the vascular function on cell level to better understand cardiovascular diseases.

Throughout my time in graduate school, I have been fortunate to work alongside my mentor Dr. Sangyoon Han, my committee and colleagues who played an important role in shaping my academic and professional development. The continued support from Biomedical engineering department, graduate school and HRI played a significant role in pursuit of my educational experience.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the selection committee for their confidence in my ability and for their investment in my future. Thank you for believing in me and for empowering me to pursue my dreams.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Brilynn Janckila

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Brilynn Janckila indoors
Brilynn Janckila – Rhetoric, Theory and Culture

My PhD journey began at Michigan Tech began in August 2020 in the Department of Humanities. Although it was difficult to find my footing while feeling so isolated in a new place, the Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture program welcomed me with open arms. This program, the faculty and staff, and especially my connection to my committee, has shaped my growth as a scholar, teacher, and learner. As a girlhood studies scholar, my research has focused primarily on how the figure of the girl is created—both through media and toys and by girls themselves. In other projects or coursework at Michigan Tech, I’ve focused on feminist methodologies, fan culture, dollhouses, social justice and usability in technical communication, interdisciplinary curriculum, and writing program or writing center administration. Through the support of my advisor, I received the G. Rollie Adams Research Fellowship at The Strong Museum of Play to study dollhouses, girls, and play at their library.

My dissertation explores how girls aged 5-9 view teen girls, and what they think of becoming teen girl. Themes from focus groups include girls’ maturity and self-expression. My study also reviews the Barbie Vlogs and analyzes themes evident throughout the series, including self-expression, self-disclosure, and friendship. This project offers a methodological contribution to girlhood studies and importantly considers little girls’ opinions and ideas. The discussion of media for girls and how media impacts them is largely adult-mediated and I endeavor to begin to recover the voice of girls and ask what they are actually doing with the media and toys they engage with.

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my committee, Sarah Bell, Patricia Sotirin, and Andrew Fiss, for their support, knowledge, and guidance throughout this project. I also want to thank the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for granting me this award—according to other scholars, this dedicated time to write will be one of the most exciting and fruitful times of my life!

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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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