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Session on Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award

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Just a reminder that tomorrow, March 15th from 12:00 to 1:00 in Ballroom A-1 of the Memorial Union Building, is the session on the NIH Individual Graduate Fellowship Opportunity (Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award NRSA).

Dr. Tammy Donahue, who has served on the NIH study section for NRSA awards 5 times, and Dr. Jason Carter, who has active research support from NIH and a comprehensive understanding of the NRSA, will provide insight and explanation on the different NRSA funding mechanisms, an understanding of the role of institutes in funding decisions, and how to determine if NIH is a good fit for interested applicants or if NSF or others are better.  Specific proposal development tips will be given on the four main proposal components: candidate qualifications, training plan, mentor statement, and research plan.

Graduate students and faculty will gain an understanding of who should apply,  what is involved in preparing an application, specific tips for writing a successful NRSA, and an inside perspective on the criteria which reviewers use to evaluate applications.

Register for this event at:   http://www.admin.mtu.edu/research/vpr/registration/

Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu) at 487-2875 with any questions.

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NASA Summer Internships for Graduate Students

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NASA offers paid undergraduate and graduate level internships in a variety of disciplines from business and finance to biology, chemistry, physics, earth and life sciences, and engineering.  The deadline has recently been extended to March 1, although offers may begin going out February 2nd.  Students are encouraged to apply by February 1st.

Please visit http://intern.nasa.gov to complete your application and apply for up to 15 opportunities with a single application.  There are currently over 200 opportunities available.

For tips on the internship application: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4saIcVc62-8

For tips on searching for and applying to internships and fellowships:
https://intern.nasa.gov/solar/web/public/main/index.cfm?solarAction=video

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Fulbright Opportunities

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The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study, conduct research or be an English teaching assistant abroad for one academic year. In addition, Critical Language Enhancement Awards are available to grantees for study of critical need foreign languages before or concurrently with their grant period. More than 1,500 Americans receive grants to study, research or teach abroad with either full or partial support from the Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers three kinds of grants: study/research, English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) and travel-only grants.

Applying: The application for all grants (except the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship and the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship) in academic year 2012-2013 is now closed.  The application cycle for 2013-2014 grants will open in spring 2012 with a due date in mid-October 2012.  All participants must have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent by the start of their grant. Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university must apply through the Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) on campus, whose deadline may be earlier. Prospective applicants who are not enrolled students may apply at-large or though their alma mater’s FPA. Visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website for complete application, eligibility and program details.

Study/Research Grants

These fellowships offer up to one academic year of support for study and/or research in academic fields and the creative and performing arts. Applicants propose their own research and/or graduate study project and find their own host affiliation. Grants to study at specific universities are also available for some host countries.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA)

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program places recent college graduates and young professionals as English teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools or universities overseas, thus improving foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while increasing the U.S. student’s own language skills and knowledge of the host country. ETAs may also pursue individual study/research plans in addition to their teaching responsibilities.

Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health

Offered in partnership with the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institute of Health, Fulbright-Fogarty fellowships grant medical students and graduate students interested in global health the opportunity to conduct research in public health and clinical research in resource-limited settings.  Fellows spend nine months in one of twelve countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia or South America.  Applying: The application for awards that begin in the 2012-2013 academic year is now closed; the application cycle will open again in spring 2012 for 2013-2014 academic year grants. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and may apply only to one country; applicants for Fulbright-Fogarty fellowships should apply to the general Fulbright Student program in the field of Public Health. Visit the Fulbright-Fogarty webpage for complete application, eligibility and program details.

Travel-Only Grants

Grants for international travel are available to Germany, Hungary and Italy to supplement other fellowships that do not include travel costs or to supplement a student’s own funds for study/research.

Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship

The Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship is a special opportunity for up to four U.S. students to pursue projects around an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression. Applying: The application cycle is open from December until March each year for grants in the following academic year; the application and selection are separate from those of the other Fulbright U.S. Student Program opportunities described above. Visit the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship website for complete application, eligibility and program details.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship

The new Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship affords participants the opportunity to serve in professional placements in foreign government ministries or institutions and gain hands-on public sector experience while also carrying out an academic research/study project. The application for awards for the 2012-2013 academic year is now open; all application materials must be submitted by February 1, 2012.

Fulbright Canada Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Award

The Fulbright Canada STEM Award offers U.S. students support for three years of doctoral study at one of six leading Canadian research universities (McGill University, Université de Montéal, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and University of Waterloo) in both basic and applied fields of science, engineering and mathematics. Applying: The application for awards that begin in the 2012-2013 academic year is now closed; the application and selection are separate from those of the other programs described above. Visit the Fulbright Canada STEM Award website for complete application, eligibility and program details.

Application Advice

Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassador Program

Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassadors represent the program’s rich diversity and play a key role in increasing knowledge about Fulbright opportunities to prospective applicants. They provide testimonials about their Fulbright experiences at conferences and campus presentations and offer application tips in written articles, video and podcast interviews, Webinars, and at special events throughout the United States.

Meet the Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassadors

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Blog

U.S. Student Program applicants can read testimonials and application tips from current grantees and alumni on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Blog.

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Seminar on Competitive Fellowships

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Many federal agencies solicit highly competitive graduate fellowship/scholarship applications. In particular, Michigan Tech students have had success with the following:

The Sponsored Program Enhancement office is offering a series of seminars/workshops to help eligible domestic first-year graduate students and senior undergraduate students understand what opportunities are available and help them develop a competitive application.

  • Overview of Funding Opportunities
    Sept. 8, 4 to 5 p.m., Memorial Union Peninsula Room
  • Writing the Personal Essay and References
    Sept. 15, noon to 1 p.m., Memorial Union Peninsula Room
  • Tips from Real Panel Reviewers
    Sept. 22, noon to 1 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom B3
  • Writing Research Essays
    Sept. 6, 4 to 5 p.m., Memorial Union Peninsula Room
  • Peer Review Workshop
    Sept. 13, 4 to 5 p.m., Memorial Union Peninsula Room
  • Peer Review Workshop
    Sept. 20, noon to 1 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom A2

For more information, contact Jodi Lehman at jglehman@mtu.edu .

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Spring 2013 Professional Development Series

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce it’s spring seminar series.  Designed to help students prepare for careers as researchers in an academic community, attendees will learn about publishing, proposals, and project management.

Please join us on one or all of the following dates for a brown-bag lunch and learn (noon – 1pm).  Light snacks and beverages will be provided.  Seating is limited; please register to reserve a seat and receive the room location.  Students may also choose to view the seminar online (live streaming or recorded).

  • March 20 | Publishing, Presenting, and Building your Reputation
    • Learn strategies to build your professional reputation through writing and presenting your research
  • April 3 | The Art of Proposal Development
    • Learn from a panel of experienced proposal writers how to craft successful and compelling proposals to meet the requirements of specific funding opportunities.
    • Take-away tips will be applicable for a variety of proposals, including graduate fellowships, research proposals, outreach events, and related proposal opportunities.
    • Co-sponsored with the Sponsored Programs Office.
  • April 24 | Project Management
    • Learn time-tested strategies for steering research projects to successful completion within the context of a complex and demanding graduate student experience
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How to use the Edit Text Tool

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Adobe Acrobat has a Edit Text & Images Tool for content editing. This tool can be used to do minor text edits, such as deleting a small amount of text, or fixing a spelling mistake.

Open your pdf file, and select Edit Text & Images by clicking on “Tools” and selecting it from the “Content Editing” section as shown in the screen shot below.  If you use the tool a lot, right click on the tool to “Add to Quick Tools” and it will appear on your toolbar.

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Maintain Your Lit Review, Maintain Your Sanity

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A good literature review is one of the foundations of your thesis or dissertation.  Most students complete a thorough literature review as part of their Research proposal examination, but the final dissertation might be a year or more away in the future.

This article from the Gradhacker blog has some tips on how to keep your literature review up to date using technology to automate as much of the process as possible.  Learn how to:

  • Keep track of search terms
  • Use Google Reader to stay up to date
  • Use the media to stay current
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Military Man Addresses Leadership through Service

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Published in Tech Today

by John Gagnon, promotional writer

“Service is the rent we pay to occupy the earth,” said Otha Thornton Tuesday night when he addressed about fifty people on an ethic of leadership that focuses on helping others.

“Take care of your people,” the popular military man counseled the group of mostly students. “Listen to your people.” Such service, he said, “can lead to great things.”

It was Thornton’s first trip back to Tech since helping lead the Army ROTC program from 1999 to 2001, when he also earned a master’s degree in rhetoric and technical communication. He will return to campus in May as Spring Commencement speaker.

He is visiting Tech in part to participate in Black History Month. He is scheduled to speak at noon today, Thursday, Feb. 26, about what the military means to African Americans. The session is at noon in the Memorial Union Red Metal Room. The King-Chavez-Parks Visiting Scholars Program, through the Office of Institutional Diversity, supported Thornton’s visit, as did Omicron Delta Kappa, the national student leadership society.

Thornton, a lieutenant colonel, joined the army simply to serve his country for four years. He says that the opportunities have stretched that stint to 20 years. “No regrets,” he said.

His duties have taken him from Hawaii to Upper Michigan, from Germany to Washington DC, where he now works as a presidential communications officer in the White House Communications Agency, located in the Executive Office Building. The agency numbers 1,200 people. He supervises 26.

He has had such duties as traveling to Arizona as part of an advance team to set up all the communications for a fundraising visit by former president Bush on behalf of John McCain during the run for president. In his two years in his current position, he has worked directly on four presidential events.

Asked how he felt about a black president, Thornton responded: “If you work hard and have your things in order, America is a great land of opportunity.”

When he was stationed in Texas, Thornton, a native of Georgia, was overjoyed to get orders for the ROTC program at Georgia Tech. At the last minute, his assignment switched to Michigan Tech.

He looked up Upper Michigan on the web and found out the winter would be the same as he had encountered in northern Japan: cold and snow, which he hated. He begged, “I’ll go to Kuwait. I’ll go to Korea–anyplace but northern Michigan.” His pleas were unanswered, and he was bummed. Then he came to Michigan Tech. “I’m glad I did. It was wonderful. The people are so friendly.” He singled out Associate Professor Patricia Sotirin and Professor Robert Johnson.

Early in his career, Thornton was in intelligence. Lately, he has been in human resources. In May he will go to Afghanistan as a personnel officer, basically helping to direct the “flow of people” who are being deployed there as part of the surge in the number of troops being sent to that country. He will leave behind two children, one in high school and one in college, and his wife, Caryn, a high school administrator.

It’ll be his first posting in a war zone, if you don’t count anti-drug and anti-human trafficking operations in Latin America.

He takes his new duty in stride, for he believes that where he is, is where he’s supposed to be.

His community service includes the National Board of Directors of the Parent Teacher Association and the Boy Scouts.

He told the students that, despite the ailing economy, there are many job opportunities in government and the military. He personally knows a dozen Tech alumni who work in the National Security Agency.

One student at Thornton’s speech definitely got message. Joe Scheinkoenig, a senior in electrical engineering from Waukesha, Wis., and a member of ODK, summed up the gist of the presentation: “You should put your workers first, then what you need from them will come.”

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Nominations Open for Bhakta Rath Award and the Michigan Tech Research Award

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The Vice President for Research Office is accepting nominations for the Bhakta Rath Research Award. The award offers an opportunity to promote and reward excellence in scientific and engineering research in the fields of physical and natural sciences and engineering. For complete submission guidelines, see Rath Research Award.

The Vice President for Research Office is also accepting nominations for the Michigan Tech Research Award, which offers an opportunity for an individual to be recognized for outstanding achievements in research. For complete submission guidelines, see Michigan Tech Research Award.

Nominations should be submitted electronically in PDF format per the guidelines on the web pages no later than 4 p.m. on Mar. 10. All nominations should be sent to Cathy Jenich at cmjenich@mtu.edu.

by Cathy Jenich

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“South Pacific”: an Epic Musical Extravaganza at the Rozsa

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The Tech Theatre Company, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra and a large cast of local actors, students, faculty and production crew bring Rodgers and Hammerstein’s epic musical “South Pacific” to the Rozsa Center stage at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 14-16.

James A. Michener’s exotic “Tales of the South Pacific” come to life in this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic. The musical takes audiences on a romantic journey to two islands in the South Pacific during WWII. The song “Bali H’ai” sets a mysterious tone, “Cockeyed Optimist” will charm one and all, and “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame” will get everyone’s toes a’ tapping.

According to Patricia Helsel, production director, “This is the first large-scale musical we’ve done at Michigan Tech for some time.” Choral Director Jared Anderson is the vocal coach and music director. Assistant Professor Joel Neves will conduct the KSO pit orchestra. Students and faculty have committed their talents to the design and production of what promises to be a phenomenal musical spectacle.

Mark Oliver, a seasoned community actor, is playing Emile. Chemistry senior Tanya Johnson plays Nellie. Christopher Schwartz, PhD candidate in biological sciences (research area: exercise science), plays Lt. Cable. Michigan Tech student Kiersten Birando, also a graduate of Houghton High School, plays the role of Liat. Alesha Fumbanks, a chemical engineering major, plays Bloody Mary. Chip Rohrer, a theatre and electronic media performance major, takes the role of Luther Billis.

1940’s haircuts are courtesy of Hairsmiths Inc. Bicycle props are from the Bike Shop. Portage Health sponsors the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Ticket prices are $15 for the general public, $7 for students, and free for Tech students with ID. To purchase tickets, contact the Rozsa Box Office at 487-3200, the Central Ticket Office (SDC) at 487-2073, or go online at www.tickets.mtu.edu .

No refunds, exchanges or late seating, please.

submitted by Visual and Performing Arts
Published in Tech Today

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