2015 PTI Student Scholarship Opportunities- Applications due Dec 1

The Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) is pleased to announce the continuation of its scholarship program in 2015.  PTI is offering scholarships to full-time engineering and architectural students in the U.S. or Canada. The program is open to senior- or graduate-level students whose area of study includes concrete structures, with an emphasis on structural design, materials, construction, or any combination thereof.

Two scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded for the Winter/Spring 2015 school term.  
 
Details of the program and application form can be found on PTIs website at  http://post-tensioning.org/student_competitions.php
 
Applications are due December 1, 2014 with the awards to be announced on January 8, 2015.   Award recipients will be honored at an award ceremony that will be held in conjunction with the Post-Tensioning Institute’s Annual Technical Conference that will be held in Houston, Texas on April 27, 2015.

EndNote workshops announcement

The J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library is offering introductory EndNote workshops. EndNote is a citation management software that helps you easily create and manage bibliographic information and incorporate references into your writing.

Upcoming sessions will be held:

EndNote Basic I – Tuesday, September 16 , 5:00 p.m.

This workshop will introduce users to creating and managing references using the citation management software EndNote. No prior knowledge of EndNote is necessary. In this workshop participants will learn how to construct an Endnote Library in order to effectively organize references and create custom and smart groups to efficiently manage references.

EndNote Basic II – Thursday, September 25, 6:15 p.m.

This workshop will introduce users to incorporating EndNote Library citations into a written document (MS Word). Attending EndNote Basic I or prior knowledge of building and managing an EndNote Library is recommended. In this workshop participants will learn how to successfully incorporate Endnote Library references into their writing process (MS Word), and locate, identify, and import specialized output styles.

Seating for these workshops is limited and registration is required. To register please visit the library’s Workshops calendar.

Our instruction rooms have EN X7 on Windows workstations. Attendees may bring their own laptops with EN X7 downloaded prior to the session. Visit the library’s Citation Support page to download.

GSG’s Lunch n Learn on Information Technology & Library Services

GSG’s first Lunch and Learn of the Fall semester will be held on Monday, September 8th.   This lunch-n-learn session will focus on various services provided by Information technology and Van Pelt and Opie Library on campus. The event is followed by a brief questionnaire session.

Where: MUB Ballroom A
When: Monday, September 8th
Time: 12:00PM -1:00PM
 
MUB catered lunch will be provided for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians
 

No RSVP required.

 

 

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Seminar Series – Request for Top/Competitive Students

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) solicitation has been published and a new website launched (http://www.nsfgrfp.org/. Michigan Tech students have historically done well with a 20% success rate (national average) of being funded through the GRFP.  With a goal of reaching 30% success rate, the Research Development Office will be sponsoring a series of workshops and seminars aimed at advising current or prospective Michigan Tech graduate students in developing competitive GRFP application packages.

NSF provides a stipend of $32,000 (potentially $34,000 for 2015) to the Fellow and a cost-of-education allowance of $12,000 to the graduate degree-granting institution for each Fellow utilizing the fellowship support in a fellowship year.

Please encourage faculty and advisors to forward me (nichopp@mtu.edu) names of your top students for our office to invite to participate in our NSF GRFP workshops/seminars.  More specifically, our office will send out a special/individual invite letting students know they have been identified by a faculty/chair/dean (name inserted) as “a competitive candidate” for the NSF GRFP.  The invite is often received as recognition in itself, as it should be.  In the past, this type of invitation has given students the confidence and motivation to put the time and effort into applying.  And of course, it is also a strategic move to maximize faculty and our office’s time in advising students most likely to succeed.  In addition, NSF has made it clear that the practice of requiring all students to apply to the NSF GRFP for the purpose of gaining proposal development experience is not a practice the agency endorses or encourages.

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.

Middle, High School Students: Sign Up for Free Computer Programming Lessons

The Department of Computer Science is offering local students free, hands-on instruction in the basics of computer programming and computer science.

Starting Sept. 13, Copper Country Programmers meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays during the academic year at the Van Pelt and Opie Library.  Computer science faculty and students will teach the fundamentals of programming, starting with simple languages like HTML and BASIC and progressing to the well known and widely used Java language.

September First Friday Social at the Administration Building

First Friday Socials are back for 2014-15.  Faculty, staff, graduate students and retirees are invited to attend this year’s opener from 4 to 6 p.m., Sept. 5, in the parking lot outside the Administration Building and on the fourth floor. Complimentary soda, beer and wine will be served along with some great appetizers, and raffles will be held throughout the event.

The Graduate School and Graduate Student Government (GSG) are once again sponsoring this month’s event. Come and mingle with your colleagues and see the Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center and GSG offices.  Along with the Graduate School and GSG, the conference center was funded by a donation by the late Patricia Nelson, wife of Michigan Tech chemical engineering alumnus Charles J. Nelson ’36 (deceased).

Seminar on Submitting your Dissertation, Thesis, or Report

Students planning on finishing a dissertation, thesis, or report in fall 2014 or spring 2015 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.

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.

Michigan Tech Approved as Test Site for the Graduate Record Exams

Michigan Tech has been approved as an official test site for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), an entrance exam required by most graduate programs around the country. This will enable students from this area to take the GRE at Michigan Tech’s Testing Center, part of the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

Previously, Michigan Tech students and locals had to travel four hours or more to take the standardized exam. The closest test sites were Sault Ste. Marie and Duluth, Minn.

“We have been working for years to get approved as a GRE test site,” said Margaret Landsparger, coordinator of the Michigan Tech Testing Center. “Now we have this beautifully equipped center and the capability to administer secure exams, and this time we were approved.”

The Michigan Tech Testing Center opened in October 2013. It is also certified to give Pearson Vue exams, including the popular Fundamentals of Engineering exam and the GMAT, a graduate entrance exam for business schools.

Tech joins 10 other GRE test sites in Michigan. The Testing Center can administer up to 10 tests at a time. The center has four test dates scheduled between now and the end of the year: the first is on Sept. 26, and there will be two in October and one in December.

“I am delighted that the GRE test will be offered at Michigan Tech in the future,” said Jacqueline Huntoon, dean of the Graduate School. “We have all been working on this for a very long time. The hard work done by the Jackson Center staff made it all possible. Staff members in the Graduate School have also been working to educate individuals in leadership positions at GRE, to help them understand the realities of our geographical location.”

For more information, see GRE.

Michigan Tech, Central Michigan University Launch Collaborative Physical Therapy Doctoral Program

With a purposeful pun—“an exercise in partnership”—Bruce Seely, dean of the College of Sciences and Arts, marked the launch Monday of a unique partnership between Central Michigan University (CMU) and Michigan Tech. The program will offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from CMU to students at both campuses.

“This partnership is a signal of Michigan Tech’s commitment to strengthening its education and research initiatives in the life sciences,” said President Glenn Mroz. “We are thrilled to mark the beginning of this cooperative endeavor by dedicating this wonderful space designed for physical therapy education.”

The space, including a technologically cutting-edge remote classroom that will be shared in real time by students at CMU and Tech, is in the Advanced Technology Development Complex. A student lounge there was furnished by a gift from the family of Roy and Ruth Jurva.

A cohort of 12 students is starting the program at Michigan Tech. Another 48 are enrolled on the CMU campus. The Michigan Tech students attended the dedication of their program space, cheering and clapping. Several of their fellow students at CMU attended remotely through a direct video link between the two classrooms.

For the full story, see Michigan Tech News.

EPSA Fellowship Opportunity – CLOSES SEPTEMBER 1

CLOSES SEPTEMBER 1!

U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Climate, Environment and Energy Efficiency – EPSA Fellowship Program

Now Accepting Applications for BS, MS or PhD Graduates and recent Alumni (within the last 5 years) in Physical Sciences,

Environmental Sciences, Environmental Policy, Public Policy, Economics or related degrees.

Application closes Monday, September 1, 2014, midnight EST – visit http://orise.orau.gov/epsato get started NOW! 

Opportunity in Washington, DC for a full-time, one-year or more commitment, starting in September or October 2014 to conduct climate/environmental research.

Applicant must be interested in a multi-disciplinary, fast-paced environment focused on energy and climate policy. Prefer expertise in one or more major energy sector (e.g. electricity, oil, gas) with training/experience in climate science, climate impacts or other environmental areas. Strong quantitative analytical, research and communication skills are required. Experience with modeling and managing data outputs from models preferred.

Applicants must be U.S. Citizens – no exceptions.

Annual stipends are dependent on academic level, skills and experience. Additional allowances for travel to site, medical insurance or housing may be provided.

For more information, e-mail epsa.fellowship@orau.org.