Toward Smarter Underwater Drones

Nina Mahmoudian, second from right, and her team of student researchers on the Michigan Tech waterfront, prepare to launch their underwater drone, ROUGHIE, in Portage Lake.
With better brains, underwater drones would spend less time searching and more time finding what they’re looking for, including missing airliners believed lost at the bottom of the ocean.  If Michigan Tech’s Nina Mahmoudian has her way, the next generation of autonomous underwater vehicles will have a much better chance of getting it right.

The full story is available online.

Published in Tech Today by Marcia Goodrich, senior content specialist

LCA Post Doc at Argonne National Lab

Argonne National Lab (ANL) announces position in Vehicle Materials Life Cycle Analysis. ANL has been conducting assessments of advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation fuels over the last 25 years.  In recent years, ANL has worked closely with auto,and energy industries, as well as governmental agencies, to evaluate energy and environmental effects ofadvanced vehicle technologies and new transportation fuels.

Michigan Tech’s Industrial Research Gains Stature

Known for hands-on education and leading-edge research, Michigan Tech’s stature among institutions has earned another important distinction: its proportion of industry-sponsored research, compared to other schools in the state and nation.  According to National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) data, Michigan Tech ranked second in the state among public institutions and is in the top 15 percent in the nation among 650-plus universities.

Why is this important?

“It means that, in addition to finding some of the next greatest discoveries, we do research that is relevant,” said Jim Baker, executive director of Innovation and Industry Engagement at Tech “And these same industry partners hire our graduates.”

Read the full news story.

Published in Tech Today by Dennis Walikainen, senior content specialist

ORNL Graduate Opportunities

ORNL offers graduate students and recent graduates several distinct opportunities to stay engaged with research.  Students at ORNL are able to participate in short-term research appointments, internships, and get involved with the ORNL-UTK graduate program.  Whether you are seeking a short break after a master’s degree or looking for a cutting-edge graduate program to solve energy problems, ORNL has something for you.

OPPORTUNITIES
The Bredesen Center For Interdisciplinary Research in Graduate Education
“GO” ORNL Program
GEM Fellowship
Internships

Seminar on Submitting your Dissertation, Thesis, or Report

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

Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation – Second Workshop Offered

The Van Pelt and Opie Library will offering a repeat of our workshop, “Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation.” on Thursday, May 29, 2014 at 2:00pm.

This workshop will examine the role U.S. Copyright law plays in the thesis or dissertation writing and publishing process.   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.  Register at Copyright by Friday, May 22nd.  For questions, please contact Nora Allred, Scholarly Communication and Copyright Librarian at nsallred@mtu.edu.

U.S. Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office Fellowship Program

The US Dept of Energy is now accepting applications for a one-year CBFO appointment (with possibility of extension) in the field of environmental microbiology.  This appointment will be located at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center (university institute).

Applications for the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) Fellowship Program closes on Wednesday May 21 2014, midnight EDT.

Typical laboratory activities will include a wide variety of microbial characterization and analytical techniques (e.g., PCR, ion chromatography, cell counting techniques, microscopy, anaerobic methods, cell plating, and sample preparations for gene sequencing). Strong mentorship will be provided with the goal of developing research skills that contribute to publishable scientific results and prepare the CBFO Fellow for advanced studies.

The ideal candidate will have a BS or higher in microbiology, biology, or related degrees received within the last five years from an accredited U.S. institution and a strong desire to develop/apply their research skills. Strong analytical, research and communication skills are required.

Applicants must also be a U.S. citizen (no exceptions) and be available for a full- time commitment starting in June/July 2014.

Stipends are dependent on academic level, skills and experience. Additional allowances for round-trip travel to site may be provided.

For more information, e-mail cbfo.fellowship@orise.orau.gov.

Bridgat Scholarship for students from Asia

Bridgat Technology Limited announces Bridgat Scholarship is open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited institution in the United States.

The Scholarships are merit-based and four individuals will be designated each year and awarded a one-time scholarship of up to US$6,500.  Major selection criteria includes academic performance and demonstrated leadership in cross cultural activities.

The application for 2014 Bridgat Scholarship begins on October 1, 2014 and ends on December 31, 2014.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be full-time graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited institution in the U.S. and hold a valid student ID card.
  • Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to apply.
  • Applicants must be citizens of an Asian country.

More information and application materials, please visit http://www.bridgat.com/scholarships-graduate.html

Grad students co-authored research published in Scientific Reports

Graduate students Ankit Vora (ECE) and Jephias Gwamuri (EMSE) co-authored “Exchanging Ohmic Losses in Metamaterial Absorbers with Useful Optical Absorption for Photovoltaics, in Scientific Reports” with Anand Kulkarni, Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) and Durdu Güney (ECE). It is available online at Scientific Reports.

Published in Tech Today.

Michigan Tech Alumnus, Apps Turn Ordinary People into Hydrologists

Adam Ward’s got a lot of helping hands as he tries to determine stream and lake depths in Iowa. Through CrowdHydrology.org, anyone can read the water level off a ruler (more scientifically, stream stage off a staff gauge) and text the numbers to an online database.

The citizen scientists are helping researchers elsewhere, too—New York, Wisconsin, Utah and Michigan—and it’s all the brainchild of Ward’s colleague, Chris Lowry, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Buffalo.

“With budget cuts proliferating, I had to figure out how to measure streams in a cheap fashion,” says Lowry. “I got a giant ruler, laminated a sign at Kinko’s and set up the first gauge using Google voicemail and help from the USGS for the texts. It worked.”

For the full news story, see CrowdHydrology.

Published in Tech Today by Dennis Walikainen, senior content specialist