Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Awards

ESC/BRC Student Research Forum Winners Announced

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The Ecosystem Science Center and the Biotechnology Research Center announced award recipients of the Ninth Annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum, held March 27.

For the graduate students, two Grand Prize Awards and six Merit Awards were presented. They were selected from among the 59 posters and abstracts submitted by graduate students conducting research related to ecology, the environment and biotechnology at Michigan Tech.  Posters will continue to be on display in the atrium of the Forestry building through April 12.

Graduate Research
$500 Grand Prizes
Biotechnology Research Center
Ramkumar Mohan (SBL) for, “miR-483, a Novel MicroRNA Expressed in Pancreatic Beta Cells but not in Alpha Cells,” Advisor: Xiaoqing Tang

Ecosystem Science Center
Adam Coble (FFS) for, “Comparison of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Leaf Morphology in a Closed-canopy and Canopy Gap,” Adviser: Molly Cavaleri

$100 Merit Awards
Biotechnology Research Center
Komal K. Bollepogu Raja (IBMB) for, “The Role of Toolkit Genes in the Evolution of Complex Wing, Thorax, and Abdominal Color Patterns in Drosophila guttifera,” Advisor: Thomas Werner

Maria Tafur (ECM) for, “Reduction of Porcine Parvovirus Infectivity in the Presence of Protecting Osmolytes, ” Advisor: Caryn Heldt

Ecosystem Science Center
Brian Danhoff (SBL) for, “Manistee River Tributaries as Potential Arctic Grayling Habitat,” Advisor: Casey Huckins

Anthony Matthys (SBL) for, “Estimating Physical Habitat Characteristics and Fish Habitat Preference within Streams: A Tool for Restoration Monitoring,” Advisor: Casey Huckins

James Olson (SBL) for, “Evaluating the Impact of Culvert Designs on Hydrologic Connectivity and Nutrient Uptake in Northern Wisconsin Streams,” Advisor: Amy Marcarelli

Julie Padilla (EEN) for, “An Evaluation of the Proposed MDEQ Water Quality Standard for Copper in the Upper Peninsula Using Two Multimetric Approaches,” Advisor: Noel Urban

Published in TechToday

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Evan Anderson represents Michigan Tech in Distinguished Thesis Competition

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Evan Anderson, Michigan Tech’s MAGS nominee
The Graduate School is pleased to announce that Evan Anderson is Michigan Tech’s nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award.  Mr. Anderson was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Blair Orr of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.  His thesis, “The Impact of Balsamo (Myroxylon Balsamum L. Harms) on Coffee Yield and Household Income in El Balsamar, El Salvador,” investigated sustainable coffee production in El Balsamar.  His work was conducted during his time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and was developed in response to local community needs.  The thesis integrated the biological, social, and economic role of the tree in the community.  Evan is currently an urban forester with Davey Tree in San Francisco, California.

Three other graduate students were also nominated for consideration.  Jean DeClerck was nominated by her advisors, Dr. M. Ann Brady and Dr. Wendy Anderson of Humanities, and committee member Dr. Victoria Bergvall of Humanities.  Nathan Kelley-Hoskins was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Petra Hüntemeyer of Physics.  Andrew Orthober was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Carol MacLennan of Social Sciences.  All of the nominations were noteworthy for their scholarship, and the evaluation panel had a difficult task in selecting one nominee to represent Michigan Tech.

The Dean’s Advisory Panel, representing each college or school at Michigan Tech, evaluated the nominees.  The faculty on this panel represent a broad range of graduate programs:  J. Gierke (Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences), S. Martin (Social Sciences), D. Flaspohler (School of Forestry Resources & Environmental Science), X. Wang (School of Technology) and G. Campbell (School of Business and Economics).  Next year’s competition will consider applicants who have completed their degrees between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013.  An application consists of an abstract of the thesis, recommendation letter from the advisor, and an electronic copy of the thesis.  Please consider nominating your master’s students next year.

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BRC Graduate Travel Grants Awarded for Fall 2012

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The Biotechnology Research Center Announces the Recipients for its Fall 2012 Travel Grants

Graduate Recipients include:

  • Tayloria Adams (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Felix Adom (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (podium)
  • Zainab I. Alshoug (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Ran An (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Xiaochu Ding (SCH); POLY-ACS 9th Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium (poster)
  • Stephanie Hamilton (EBE); American Society of Biomechanics Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Sean Hopkins (EBE); BMES 2012 Annual Conference (poster)
  • Robert Larson (SBL); SLEEP 2012 26th Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Venkata Ramana R. Pidatala (SBL); ASA, CSSA and SSSA Annual Meetings (poster)
  • Aparupa Sengupta (SBL); Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (poster)
  • Maria Tafur Agudelo (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (podium)
  • Khrupa S. Vijayaragavan (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (podium)
  • Shuaicheng Wang (SMAG); The Genetic Analysis Workshops (podium and poster)
  • Xu Xiang (SCH); 245th ACS National Meeting (poster)
  • Chungja Yang (ECM); 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Huan Yang (SBL); SLEEP 2012 26th Annual Meeting (poster)
  • Jingtuo Zhang (SCH); 244th ACS National Meeting (poster)

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Call for GRC Abstract Submissions and Nominations for GSG Merit Awards

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On Thursday and Friday, Feb. 21 and 22, the Graduate Student Government (GSG) will sponsor the Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) which will feature sessions that include both oral and poster presentations by grad students from departments across the University in an environment that simulates a professional conference.

There are prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners from each session (oral and poster) and all participants will be given certificates of appreciation. In addition to these prizes, merit awards will also be presented to one outstanding student scholar, an exceptional graduate student leader, and a faculty mentor at an awards banquet at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb 22. Certificates of recognition will be presented to graduate students nominated by their departments for teaching excellence and distinguished scholarship.

The GSG would like to invite all graduate students, faculty and staff to attend the GRC and talk with presenters about their work. Students who would like to present their work can submit an abstract between now and Dec. 20 at the GSG website.

In addition, grad students should know that they may nominate a faculty member for the Outstanding Graduate Mentor award as well as fellow grad students for the Outstanding Student Leader award and Outstanding Student Scholar award. Graduate faculty may also nominate a student of theirs for the student awards. The nomination deadline for merit awards is Jan. 18, 2013. For abstract submission and nomination guidelines, please visit the Graduate Student Government website.

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Graduate Student awarded Predoctoral Fellowship

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Patrick Bowen, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering, has been awarded a Predoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association.

Bowen will receive $52,000 over two years to support his research on the development of bioabsorbable, zinc-based stents. Stents are typically made of magnesium and are inserted in blood vessels that are blocked or nearly blocked to restore blood flow.

Professor Jarek Drelich (MSE) is Bowen’s advisor, with Associate Professor Jeremy Goldman (Biomedical Engineering) proving additional direction to his research.

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Simons Award for Graduate Students in Theoretical Computer Science

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The Simons Foundation Division for Mathematics and the Physical Sciences invites applications for the Simons Award for Graduate Students in Theoretical Computer Science program. These awards will be made to graduate students with an outstanding track record of research accomplishments.

To be eligible the applicant must be a graduate student who has completed two, three or four years at a U.S. or Canadian institution of higher education. A track record of outstanding results in theoretical computer science is the key criterion.

There is a limit of two applications per university. Please coordinate with the department chair. There are no citizenship requirements.

A Simons Award for Graduate Students is awarded for a period of two years for up to $24,000 per year. An awardee must be a graduate student for the duration of the award. Each award will provide support for the following:

  • Student Discretionary Funds: up to $8,500 per year for the awardee to use at his/her discretion (e.g., travel to summer research locations or to conferences, equipment, books, personal computer).
  • Summer Support: up to $9,000 per year for up to three months of summer salary support for awardee.
  • Department Funds: $2,500 per year to the awardee’s department to enhance the research atmosphere of the department; these funds should be expended at the discretion of the student’s advisor.
  • Overhead: $4,000 to the institution for administrative expenses.

Click here to apply.   The deadline to apply is February 7, 2013. Please coordinate submission of the proposal with the appropriate officials in accordance with institution/university policies. Please see the Application Instructions for further information.

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ASA 2013 Graduate Student Research Award

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Are you working on remarkable research on issues pertaining to aging? If so, submit your research paper to the American Society on Aging to be considered for the graduate student research award!  The winner will gain the recognition of peers and thousands of professionals in the field.

The graduate student research award is given to spur academic and clinical interest in the field of aging, and rewards the best unpublished graduate research paper on a completed project relevant to aging and applicable to practice. Membership in ASA is not a requirement, but is a consideration.

Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate-degree program or have completed their studies less than one year before submission, and be sponsored by a faculty member. The winner will receive a $500 honorarium, an opportunity to present their paper at the 2013 Aging in America conference (March 12-16 in Chicago), complimentary one-year student ASA membership and registration for the Aging in America conference.

The deadline to submit research papers has been extended to November 30. Call 415-974-9600 if you have any questions, or click here for more information.

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Students Named to National, Regional SWE Posts

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Two members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech, Kaitlyn Bunker and Alicia Walby, have been elected to regional and national positions within the organization.

Bunker, an electrical engineering PhD student, is the new collegiate director of SWE and sits on its national board of directors. The collegiate director is the only student who sits on the board, and Bunker is responsible for giving the collegiate members a voice. “I’ll be the first graduate student in the position in quite a while. I also come from a smaller, but really active section, so I can bring a new perspective,” she said.

Bunker was the president of the Michigan Tech section for two years and served on a national-level committee focused on leadership coaching for SWE sections.

Bunker is enthusiastic about developing her leadership skills as SWE collegiate director. “I’m most excited about the connections and new people that I’ll meet from around the country. I’ll also be able to help guide the society forward as it develops its new strategic plan. This is a great opportunity for me to give back to SWE because I’ve gained so much from being a part of it.”

Walby, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, was elected one of the new regional collegiate representatives (RCRs) for Region H, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. It is the largest SWE region, with more than 2,800 members. She was inspired to serve as an RCR during her tenure as communications editor for Region H last year. In her new position, Walby now maintains the flow of information between the sections in her region and the national organization. Walby also works with sections that are not in good standing to help them get back on their feet.

Walby is looking forward to working with the presidents of the collegiate SWE sections in Region H. “There are so many great female leaders, and it’s awesome to see what kinds of things they’re doing with their sections. It’s motivation for me to keep pushing them to make their sections even better.”

Like Bunker, Walby has benefited from her involvement in SWE. “I’ve gotten to know so many people from around the nation from attending conferences. It’s great to go to a regional conference be able to say ‘Hey, how have you been?’ to some of the professional members,” she said.

Gretchen Hein, one of the SWE advisors, says that Bunker and Walby’s positions will benefit the SWE section at Michigan Tech. “This will increase our visibility, both at the regional and national levels over time. I also hope that their involvement will inspire other members to apply for regional and national positions as well.”

SWE focuses on the advancement of women in engineering, but the section at Michigan Tech is open to both men and women of all majors. The section meets every other Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Chemical Sciences and Engineering 101. More information about the SWE section at Michigan Tech is available at Michigan Tech SWE. To learn more about the national society visit Society of Women Engineers.

by Travis Gendron, student writer
Published in Tech Today

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ESC Graduate Travel Grants Awarded for Fall

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The Ecosystem Science Center is pleased to announce the eleven graduate student travel grant awardees for fall travel to conferences within the United States and Canada.

  • Ruth Bennett (SFRES) awarded $500 to attend a workshop on the Winter Habitat Conservation of the Golden-winged Warbler in Washington, DC, Oct. 27–31 (Joe Bump, advisor)
  • Ashley Coble (Bio Sci) awarded $500 to present a talk at the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., Dec 3-7 (Amy Marcarelli, advisor)
  • Stacy Cotey (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., Oct 13-18 (Audrey Mayer, advisor)
  • Ram Deo (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Silvilaser Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Sept 16-18 (Mike Falkowski, advisor)
  • Anna Hess (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Entomological Society of America Annual Conference in Knoxville, Tenn., Nov 11-14 (Andrew Storer, advisor)
  • Lilli Kaarakka (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Andy Burton, advisor)
  • Bryan Murray (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., Oct 13-18 (Chris Webster, advisor)
  • Nan Pond (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Robert Froese, advisor)
  • Karl Romanowicz (SFRES) awarded $500 to present a talk at the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., Dec. 3-7 (Erik Lilleskov, advisor)
  • Luis Verissimo (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Silvilaser Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Sept 16-18 (Mike Falkowski, advisor)
  • Anio Virtanen (SFRES) awarded $500 to give a poster presentation at the Society of American Foresters in Spokane, Wash., Oct 24-28 (Audrey Mayer, advisor)
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