Copyright Workshop

The Van Pelt and Opie Library is offering a workshop, “Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation.” on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 2:00pm.

This workshop will examine the role U.S. Copyright law plays in the thesis or dissertation writing and publishing processes. The use of copyrighted material, publishing agreements and the role of the Digital Commons at Michigan Tech repository will be explored.  

The workshop will be held in room 242 of the Van Pelt and Opie Library and is limited to 25 attendees. Visit at the library’s Workshops site and view the calendar to select and register.  For questions, please contact Nora Allred, Scholarly Communications and Copyright Librarian at nsallred@mtu.edu.

 

Graduate School Announces Summer 2014 Doctoral Finishing Fellowship Awardees

The Graduate School is pleased to announce that the following students have earned the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship:

  • Douglas Banyai, PhD candidate in Physics
  • Rasika Kishor Gawde, PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering
  • Ryan Lemmens, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
  • Seyedmehdi Morazavi Zanjani, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
  • Ranjeeth Naik, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
  • Ruiqiang Song, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering
  • Ehsan Taheri, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
  • Khrupa Vijayaragavan, PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering
  • Anqi Zhang, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
  • Yunzhu Zhao, PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering

Photographs and details of awards and fellowships coordinated by the Graduate School can be found online.

Nominations are currently being accepted for spring 2015 finishing fellowships. Nominations are due Oct. 21 by 4 p.m. to Debra Charlesworth. Please see the website for full details.

Registration Open for Safe Place Training

There is still room to register for the fall 2014 Safe Place training. The Michigan Tech Safe Place program is a comprehensive resource to better prepare faculty and staff to address the needs of students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (GLBTQ).

The training program addresses a wide range of terms that GLBTQ students use to define their identities, issues that they often deal with during the coming out process, concerns that they face both in and out of the classroom, ways that faculty and staff can create inclusive classroom and office environments, and refer students who need to report harassment, and the on-and off-campus resources available to students.

View the fall 2014 training times and register online.

Remembering Professor Richard Honrath: Memorial Lecture on Monday

The Richard E. Honrath Memorial Lecture is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. in M&M U115.

Richard C. Flagan, Irma and Ross McCollum/William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, will present “Much Ado About Almost Nothing—Atmospheric Nanoparticles.”

The lecture is sponsored by the Earth Planetary and Space Sciences Institute (EPSSI) and the Richard E. Honrath Memorial Fund.

Honrath was a professor in the Departments of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering, and he was the founding director of the atmospheric sciences program. He tragically died in a kayaking accident in 2009.

Accepting Graduate Student Teaching and Outstanding Scholarship Nominations

Nominations for the graduate student teaching award as well as the outstanding scholarship award as described below should be sent to me (nspr@mtu.edu) by
FRIDAY OCTOBER 17.
All students you name will be granted the award as long as they meet the guidelines.  A notation of the award will appear in the appropriate commencement program.

The scholarship award is limited to at least one and no more than 1% of enrolled students in the department/school.
For most departments/schools, this means 1 student (3-Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, 3-Electrical & Computer Engineering).  The requirement that students need to be graduating in Fall remains.

The teaching award is limited to at least one and no more than 2.5% of enrolled students in the department/school.
For most departments/schools, this means 1 student (8-Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, 7-Electrical & Computer Engineering, 3-Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2-Forest Resources & Environmental Science, 2- Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences)

Please have one person in your area contact me with the lists of nominee names following whatever decision process works best in your department/school.

For the student teaching award, the list should include the department/school and the nominee’s name,  the Semester and Year, course CRN and teaching evaluation score from Question 20 for all courses which were used in assessing the nominee for the award.  Remember the nominee must have essentially had sole responsibility for instruction for that course.  Students do NOT have to be graduating soon to be eligible for this award.

For the outstanding scholarship award, the list should include the nominee’s name and department/school.  Students should be finishing/graduating Fall 2014.
I realize that predicting who will finish/graduate will not be completely accurate but our intention is to honor as many students as you feel deserve the award, within some general limits.
NOTE –  This is not the same as the “Graduate Student Recognition Award for Exceptional Graduate Student Scholar” awarded by the Graduate Student Government.  That nomination process announcement will reach you separately.

I look forward to receiving the names of your outstanding graduate students.

ACEC Scholarships Available

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Michigan is planning to award $10,000+ to engineering and surveying students. To qualify for consideration for an Education Grant, an applicant must be a full or part-time student (sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student status) pursuing an engineering or surveying degree and enrolled in an ABET accredited engineering or surveying program.  Applications are available from the ACEC office or online at www.acecmi.org by clicking on Awards, then Scholarship Program.

Applicants will be judged on a written essay, their work experience, employer and faculty recommendations, community involvement and their GPA.

Applications are due to ACEC by December 19, 2014

Last year, ACEC Michigan awarded $13,000 in scholarships to deserving students.

2015 ACEC Scholarship Application

 

 

 

Completing Your Graduate Degree— Seminar

The Graduate School has recently launched improvements to our web page and MyMichiganTech that will help students, faculty and staff understand the steps required to complete a graduate degree.  Join us on campus or online to learn about these improvements and have your questions answered.

The seminar will be held Thursday, Oct. 2, from 4:05 to 4:55 p.m. Register online to receive the room location or instructions on how you can participate online.

The seminar will be taped and put on the web site for people who are interested in the topic, but unable to attend at that time.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Seminar

The Research Development Office has been holding NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) seminar sessions to those students who have expressed interest in applying for the NSF GRFP.
This Thursday, from 12:00 to 1:00 in Admin 404 (Pat Nelson Graduate Conference Center), Dr. Pushpa Murthy from the NSF GRFP office will be presenting a webinar session. She would like to invite any academic advisors or faculty members who help students with the NSF GRFP application process to attend for some helpful information.
Please pass this information along to those who may be interested.

Research Opportunity Description

Innovative Research Approaches in Climate Change, Next Generation Air Sensors, and Citizen Science
Research Participation Program
Office of Research and Development
Immediate Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC

EPA-ORD/IOAA-2014-01

Project Description:

A postgraduate or postdoctoral research project training opportunity is currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD). This appointment will be served with the Immediate Office (IO) in Washington, DC.

Joining ORD’s Chief Innovation Officer, the participant will be involved in analysis of research gaps and synthesis of new innovative research approaches to science and technical issues including next generation environmental sensors, climate change, and citizen science. The research participant may be involved in the following activities:

  • Analyzing gaps in current technology for low cost, portable air sensors for ozone, fine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, among others. Following the analysis phase, s/he will synthesize new research approaches for development and deployment of next generation air sensors.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of new innovation tools, including challenges and prizes, and adapting the most effective tools for use in maximizing ORD’s climate change research.
  • Assessing citizen science approaches at the national level, focusing on the feasibility of incorporating data collected and analyzed by citizen scientists into ORD’s research programs and future projects. Research will also include identifying and quantifying gaps in application or implementation of citizen science products and conducting research directed at uncovering innovative solutions that remedy the deficiencies in the citizen science approach.

The research participant will have latitude in exercising independent initiative and judgment in conducting the research. EPA will review completed research for adherence to EPA principles and policies, quality, and soundness of scientific conclusions. S/he will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers at EPA, as well as other federal agencies and non-profit and academic institutions. S/he will collaborate with scientists in all fields of environmental sciences, but will interact heavily with climate change and air sensor scientists.

Qualifications:

Applicants must have received a master’s or doctoral degree in geosciences within five years of the desired starting date, or completion of all requirements for the degree should be expected prior to the starting date.

U.S. citizenship is required. The program is open to all qualified individuals without regard to race, sex, religion, color, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, or status as a Vietnam era or disabled veteran.

The appointment is full time for one year and may be renewed upon recommendation of EPA and contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend. The participant must show proof of health and medical insurance. Funding may be made available to reimburse a research participant’s travel expenses to support field studies and to present the results of his/her research at scientific conferences. No funding will be made available to cover travel costs for pre-appointment visits, relocation costs, tuition and fees, or a participant’s health insurance. The participant does not become an EPA employee.

Technical Questions:

The contacts for this project are Peter Preuss (preuss.peter@epa.gov) and Kevin Kuhn (kuhn.kevin@epa.gov).

How to Apply:

An application can be found at http://orise.orau.gov/epa/applicants/application.htm. Please reference Project #EPA-ORD/IOAA-2014-01 when calling or writing for information.