Tag: Civil Engineering

UTC‐MiSTI Announces 2010 Student of the Year

The University Transportation Center for Materials in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (UTC‐MiSTI) has selected Darrell Cass as its 2010 “Student of the Year.”

Cass will receive a $1,000 award, travel and registration expenses to attend the 90th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference in Washington, DC, and a certificate from the US Department of Transportation.

The TRB conference annually attracts more than 10,000 participants, including university researchers and students, government officials and industry professionals.

Cass received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tech and will complete his master’s degree in May 2011.

His past research included sustainability applied to construction practices and transportation infrastructure. His current research involves quantifying greenhouse gas emissions associated with highway construction and rehabilitation for the Michigan Department of Transportation. This work will help develop tools to support transportation agencies in making more sustainable decisions in managing transportation infrastructure systems.

Cass, who is advised by Assistant Professor Amlan Mukherjee (CEE), has presented his research at the 89th Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in 2010; the 2010 Construction Research Congress; the 2010 National Local Technical Assistance Program Association Annual Conference; and the International Conference on Sustainable Concrete Pavements. In February of 2011 he will present his work at the Louisiana State Engineering Conference.

Expedition Grants

The Expeditions Council consists of representatives from National Geographic editorial divisions (magazines, television, books, and so on) who review and vote on grant applications and an advisory board of external consultants.

The Expeditions Council is editorially driven; projects must have the potential to yield compelling stories and images. Applications are also judged on the qualifications of applicants and their teams and on the merit and uniqueness of the project.

Major fields of study the Expeditions Council funds:
– Adventure
– Culture
– Mountains/Volcanoes
– Natural History and Conservation
– Underwater Exploration

In addition to financial support, the Expeditions Council offers its grantees the opportunity to work effectively with the National Geographic’s many divisions. Grantees are therefore able to share the results of their expeditions with National Geographic’s global audience.

Eligibility
International applicants are encouraged. However, submissions must be made in English if they are to receive timely consideration by the Expeditions Council.

Applicants are expected to have qualifications and experience pertinent to the expedition or project they propose, and advanced academic degrees are not required. Those planning work in countries other than their own should consider including at least one local collaborator as part of their expedition team.

Grant Amounts
Grants generally range from U.S. $5,000 to $35,000 and are to be used for direct field expenses: transportation, supplies, subsistence, and permit costs as well as other related fees (e.g., interpreters, guides, and porters).

The Expeditions Council does not provide fees for photography, videography, and writing. Such fees are negotiated separately with editorial units.

In order to generate the best story, coverage of the expedition may be assigned to National Geographic photographers, writers, and film crews.

Grant Requirements
Grant recipients must provide a full accounting of their expenditures on completion of the project. They are also required to submit a report summarizing their findings within two months of returning from the field.

National Geographic requires that grant recipients give right of first refusal for coverage to National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Television & Film, and all other publication and broadcast media of the National Geographic Society and its subsidiaries. This right specifically includes books, all other National Geographic Society magazines, lectures, exhibits, our Web site and other electronic media, as well as publicity about the project.

Grant Restrictions
National Geographic Society grants may not be used for indirect costs, overhead, and other expenses not directly related to the project. Fringe benefits are also excluded, as are salaries. Funds may not be used for travel to scientific/professional meetings or conferences, legal actions, land acquisition, endowments, construction of permanent field stations, or publishing research results. Grant recipients are expected to provide the National Geographic Society with rights of first refusal for popular publication of their findings.

Obtaining a Grant
Applying for a grant from the Expeditions Council is a two-step process.

Step 1: Pre-Application
Before receiving an application form, each team leader must submit a pre-application form online. There are a few things you should know before doing so:

  • The pre-application form can be completed in multiple sessions. You will be allowed to save your work and complete it at another time.
  • You will be asked to upload an electronic copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) while completing the form. Instructions will be provided.
  • Please make sure that your browser is configured to receive cookies.
  • This system works best on Internet Explorer 5.5 and Netscape 6.0 or higher.
  • If you have any questions about the online pre-application form, Please email ecouncil@ngs.org.
  • The Expeditions Council accepts pre-applications throughout the year. Please submit your pre-application at least six months before anticipated project dates.

Within eight weeks, the team leader will receive a decision. If the pre-application is approved, the council will send the team leader an email with a link to the full application online.

Fill out pre-application.

Step 2: Application
After receiving an application, the team leader must complete and submit their application online. There are a few things he or she should know before doing so:

  • The Expeditions Council accepts applications throughout the year. However, please allow six months from the receipt of your application for the Expeditions Council to formally review and consider it.
  • Previous National Geographic Society grantees must first comply with all prior reporting and financial-accounting obligations before submitting applications for additional support.
  • We strongly encourage electronic submission of all documents. If this is not possible, please submit your information to the following address:

Expeditions Council
National Geographic Society
1145 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
U.S.A.

SWE Graduate Fellowship Scholarship Postings

Society of Women Engineers has posted updated funding opportunities  for undergraduate and graduate level students majoring in any area of engineering.

For a complete listing of graduate scholarship see: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=264&Itemid=131

For a complete listing of undergraduate scholarships see:  http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=230&Itemid=128

Steinman Fellowship

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) awards this fellowship to a graduate from an ABET-accredited engineering program entering a graduate program in engineering. To be eligible for the fellowship, a candidate must be a senior in an undergraduate engineering program that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The candidate must also have taken and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and must have been accepted into a graduate engineering degree program at a school with an EAC-ABET-accredited graduate or undergraduate program. U.S. citizenship is required.

Application deadline: March 1st

Award amount: $10,000

For more information visit: http://www.nspe.org/Students/Scholarships/steinman.html

New Theses and Dissertations Available

The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Applied Ecology
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering Physics
  • Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Geophysics
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Indian and Turkish Food Featured at Khana Khazana

The international lunch called Khana Khazana (food treasure) will feature the cuisines of Turkey and India Friday in the Memorial Union Food Court.

International students Nassim Sabahfar and Komal Tayal will cook. Sabahfar, a graduate student in civil engineering from Iran, will make Turkish lamb kebobs, barley mushroom soup and jellied ice cream with fruit, a dish that is her specialty. Tayal, a graduate student in mechanical engineering from India, will make vegetable pulao, a traditional northern Indian vegetarian rice dish.

Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A full meal costs $6, and a la carte dishes costs $2.

Khana Khazana is a collaborative effort of international students and Dining Services.

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE
CSGF) application is now available online at
https://www.krellinst.org/doecsgf/application/ .

Students must be planning full-time, uninterrupted study toward a Ph.D. degree at a U.S. university.  Students in their first or second year of graduate study in engineering, mathematics, or the physical, computer, or life sciences are eligible to apply for the Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF).  Exceptional senior undergraduates who can meet all the requirements listed in this application may also apply.

The deadline to apply is January 11th, 2011.

DOD SMART Visit Canceled

Due to a family emergency, Dr. Knox Millsaps needed to cancel his visit to Michigan Tech next week.  He apologizes for any inconvenience and encourages anyone interested in the DOD SMART program to contact him directly (millsaps@nps.edu) with any questions or concerns. 

On Tuesday, October 19th there will still be a general presentation about the SMART scholarship by Jodi Lehman, which faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend.  The luncheon for Wednesday, October 20th has been canceled.  The presentation will be from 12:00-1:00 in the Memorial Union Ballroom B1. 

Jodi is also available to work with students to identify a national lab that fits with SMART applicants’ field of interest and to mentor students in developing a competitive proposal.  She is also available to present and answers questions about the SMART program to classes, departments, and student organizations.   

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for your interest and support in helping Michigan Tech students understand more about the DOD SMART program.  We also thank those individuals and departments who went above and beyond to provide Dr. Millsaps with a campus visit that highlights Michigan Tech’s unique attributes related to DOD SMART fields. 

The DOD SMART visit will be rescheduled for spring.  Please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu) with any questions. 

Inter-American Foundation (IAF) Grassroots Development Fellowship Program

IAF Fellowships are available to currently registered students who have advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. in the social sciences, physical sciences, technical fields and the professions as related to grassroots development issues. Applications for clinical research in the health field will NOT be considered.

Awards are based on both development and scholarly criteria. Proposals should offer a practical orientation to field-based information. In exceptional cases the IAF will support research reflecting a primary interest in macro questions of politics and economics but only as they relate to the environment of the poor. The Fellowship Program complements IAF’s support for grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and preference for those applicants whose careers or research projects are related to topics of greatest interest to the IAF.

IAF’s Fellowships provide support for Ph.D. candidates to conduct dissertation research in Latin America and the Caribbean on topics related to grassroots development. Funding is for between four and 12 months. The Inter-American Foundation expects to award up to 15 Doctoral Field Research Fellowships in 2011. Research during the 2011-2012 cycle must be initiated between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012.

  • Round-trip economy-class transportation to the field research site from the Fellow’s primary residence. Fellows must comply with the Fly America Act.
  • A research allowance of up to $3,000, pro-rated monthly.
  • A stipend of $1,500 per month for up to 12 months.
  • Accident and sickness insurance
  • Attendance at a required “mid-year” Grassroots Development Conference to discuss each Fellow’s progress with members of the IAF’s academic review committee and meet with IAF and IIE staff.

For more information please visit:

http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/IAF-Grassroots-Development-Fellowship-Program

Michigan Tech Names 2010 Sports Hall of Fame Class

by Wes Frahm, director of athletic communications and marketing

Michigan Tech will induct seven new members into its Sports Hall of Fame during induction ceremonies scheduled for Friday, Oct. 1.

The induction class of 2010 includes former hockey player Russ Becker, former men’s basketball and tennis player David Cvengros, former football coach Jim Kapp, former football player Walter Kyes, former volleyball player Rhonda Pruitt (Lockhart), former hockey player Jamie Ram and former men’s basketball player Matt Trombley.

The seven inductees will join the 179 members already in the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame, which was started in 1985.

Below is a brief biography of Russ Becker, an alumnus of the Graduate School.

Russ Becker

Becker played defense for the hockey team from 1984-88. He played in 83 career games. The Virginia, Minn., native was part of a fourth-place team in the WCHA as a senior with a 19-15-1 record. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering, Becker remained with the hockey program as a graduate assistant coach and gained a master’s in civil engineering. Since leaving the University, he has remained heavily involved in Tech hockey. His contributions to Michigan Tech have been significant, and his gift in 2004 allowed Tech to purchase a hockey treadmill. Becker made another pledge in 2009 to aid in other improvements to the Student Ice Arena. Becker resides in St. Paul, Minn., and serves as president and CEO of APi Group, Inc.

More details about the other inductees can be found in Tech Today:

    Excerpt from Tech Today.