Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Environmental Engineering

First In Series of Federal Funding Workshops – Sept 15th and 16th.

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A federal fellowship/scholarship writing workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 15th  and Thursday, September 16th at 4:00 in Fisher 135.

You will only need to attend one of the workshops, as they are the same workshop, different days and time.

During the workshop we will review 3 samples of NSF GRFP personal statement essays. Tips will be given on how to organize your essay, utilize wording, and meet the merit criteria expected by reviewers

Prepare for the workshop by:

1. Understanding how NSF defines “broader impacts”

2. Brainstorming answers to NSF “personal statement” questions


    If you (or someone you know) plan on attending, please RSVP to Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu).

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    New Theses and Dissertations Available in the Library

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    The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations from the following programs:

    • Civil Engineering
    • Electrical Engineering
    • Environmental Engineering
    • Environmental Policy
    • Forest Ecology and Management
    • Forest Science
    • Industrial Archaeology
    • Mathematical Sciences
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

    are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library.

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    New theses and dissertations in Library

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    The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations from the following programs:

    • Applied Ecology
    • Applied Natural Resource Economics
    • Biological Sciences
    • Chemistry
    • Civil Engineering
    • Electrical Engineering
    • Environmental Engineering
    • Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
    • Geology
    • Mineral Economics
    • Rhetoric and Technical Communication

    are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library.

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    Jennifer Heglund represents Michigan Tech for MAGS Distinguished Thesis Award

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    Jennifer Heglund
    Jennifer Heglund
    The Graduate School is pleased to announce that Jennifer Heglund was Michigan Tech’s nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award.  Ms. Heglund was nominated by her advisor, Dr. B. Barkdoll of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.  Her thesis, “Effects of Climate Change Induced Heavy Precipitation Events on Sediment Transport in Lower Michigan Rivers” modeled the potential effects of climate change, particularly heavy rainfall, on sediment transport in rivers.  Increased sediment transport could have an effect on erosion along rivers, and the models Ms. Heglund developed could be used for planning and land management. Ms. Heglund is currently employed by Northeast Technical Services in Virginia, Minnesota.

    Fifty-one theses in the midwest were nominated for the award, and although her work was not recognized as the award recipient, it was well received by the reviewers.  One reviewer commented, “I enjoyed reading this thesis – it’s a pleasure to see such a complete approach to a problem.”

    Seth DePasqual was also nominated by his advisor, Dr. T. Scarlett, on behalf of the Social Sciences Department.  His advisor described his thesis as, “…a study of the evolution of an early 20th century mining system in Spitsbergen as applied by Boston-based Arctic Coal Company.”

    The committee to evaluate the nominees consisted of graduate faculty representing a broad range of graduate programs:  M. Neuman (Biomedical Engineering), S. Martin (Social Sciences), R. Froese (School of Forestry Resources & Environmental Science), B. Davis (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, 2009 and September 30, 2010.  An application consists of a recommendation letter from the advisor and an electronic copy of the thesis.  Please consider nominating your MS students next year.

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    Six fellowships awarded from The DeVlieg Foundation

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    The Graduate School is pleased to announce the awarding of six fellowships made possible by the generous support of The DeVlieg Foundation.  This years recipients will tackle a wide range of research problems from osteoarthritis in the knee to comparing the cost and effectiveness of two water treatment technologies.  Recipients are:

    • Darrell Cass, Civil Engineering, MS Candidate
    • Colin Gurganus, Physics, PhD Candidate
    • Alexandru Herescu, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, PhD Candidate
    • Megan Killian, Biomedical Engineering, PhD Candidate
    • Jarod Maggio, Environmental Engineering, PhD Candidate
    • Ashlee Vincent, Environmental Engineering, MS Candidate

    See our web page for details about the nomination process, and for photos of our recipients.

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    Michigan Space Grant Consortium Funds 27 Projects at Michigan Tech

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    The Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has awarded approximately $375,000 to nine Michigan universities with aerospace, engineering and space- science-related programs. Michigan Tech submitted 40 proposals, and 27 received funding totaling $105,000.

    Of that, $20,000 supports undergraduate fellowships, $30,000 is for graduate research fellowships, $30,000 provides seed grants for faculty, and $25,000 is designated for outreach, including K-12 and teacher training programs.

    Undergraduate students receiving $2,500 research fellowships include Andrew Ramsey (ME-EM), Phil Hohnstadt (ME-EM), Peter Solfest (Physics), Stephen Schweitzer (Biomedical Engineering), John Visser (ME-EM), Samantha Wojda (Biomedical Engineering), Patrick Bowen (MSE), William Grant (Chemical Engineering) and Ben Gerhardt (ME-EM).

    Graduate students receiving $5,000 fellowships include Christopher Schwartz (Biological Sciences), Elisabet Head (Geology), Jarod Maggio (Environmental Engineering), Adam Abraham (ME-EM), Matthew Barron (Biomedical Engineering), Megan Killian (Biomedical Engineering) and Amalia Anderson (Physics).

    Faculty members receiving $5,000 seed grants included Shiyan Hu, Jason Carter, Audrey Mayer, Qingli Dai, Ashok Goel and Claudio Mazzoleni. Faculty and staff members receiving $5,000 for outreach, precollege and teacher training programs include Douglas Oppliger, Shawn Oppliger, Joan Chadde and Kristi Isaacson.

    One student receiving an undergraduate fellowship is Samantha Wojda. She plans to use her grant to study how hibernation affects the bones of marmots. Disuse osteoporosis is a common problem faced by astronauts in microgravity. Hibernating mammals are also at high risk for the condition, and many have developed adaptive ways of dealing with it. Wojda plans to study hibernating marmots to see how they are affected by or protected from disuse osteoporosis. What she learns may help researchers find ways to prevent human astronauts and others who are immobilized for long periods of time from developing the debilitating condition.

    NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in 1989 to provide funding for research, education and public outreach in space-related science and technology. The program has 52 university-based consortia in the United States and Puerto Rico. As part of the Michigan Consortium, Michigan Tech has been an active participant in MSGC for over fifteen years.

    “The MSGC offers faculty, staff and especially students opportunities to develop ideas and submit competitive proposals,” said Chris Anderson, special assistant to the President for institutional diversity and the University’s MSGC liaison. “For undergraduates, the process of developing a proposal and then doing the research allows them to apply what they’re learning in the classroom, get hands-on experience and work closely with faculty.” She added, “The Consortium allows us to do more of this, as well provide graduate fellowships, seed grants and program support.”

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    Four Michigan Tech Graduate Programs Rank in Top 50 Nationwide

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    Graduate school rankings released by US News and World Report today rank four of Michigan Tech graduate engineering programs in the top 50 nationwide. The annual rankings evaluated graduate programs in 192 schools of engineering.

    Michigan Tech’s ranked engineering programs included:
    • Environmental engineering–28th
    • Mechanical engineering–48th
    • Materials science and engineering–48th
    • Civil engineering–49th

    Tech’s College of Engineering overall ranked in the top 100, at 86th.

    For the first time this year, US News and World Report also ranked biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics and physics. Earth sciences at Michigan Tech ranked in the top 100, at 81st. Physics ranked 122nd, and biological sciences, 207th.

    “This year’s rankings really show that competition for the ‘top 50′ is increasing. We are neck-and-neck with some very strong programs” said Jackie Huntoon, dean of the Graduate School.

    Each year, US News and World Report ranks graduate schools of engineering, business, the sciences, the humanities and social sciences, medicine and other health specialties, law and education. They base these rankings on two types of data: expert opinions by the programs’ peers and statistical indicators of program quality. The data come from surveys conducted in the fall of 2009 of more than 12,400 academics and professionals and more than 1,200 graduate programs.

    Engineering specialties are ranked solely on the basis of assessments by department chairs in each specialty. The American Society for Engineering Education recommends the department chairs to be surveyed.

    The rankings will be featured in the May 2010 issue of US News and World Report, scheduled to be on the newsstands on April 27. A guidebook called “America’s Best Graduate Schools” will be available for purchase on April 20.

    Information is also available online at www.usnews.com/grad .

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    New Theses and Dissertations in the Library

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    The Graduate School is pleased to announce the arrival of new theses and dissertations from our recent graduates in the J. R. Van Pelt Library and John and Ruanne Opie Library.  The names of our graduates, their degrees, advisors, and titles of their research are listed below.

    Brian Beachy
    Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Science
    Advisor: Andrew J Storer
    Dissertation title: Impacts of the Exotic Beech Bark Disease Complex in Michigan

    Jessica Beachy
    Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Science
    Advisor: Andrew John Storer
    Dissertation title: The Development of Trapping, Survey and Educational Tools for the Exotic Invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilusplanipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

    Luke Bowman
    Master of Science in Geology
    Advisor: William I Rose
    Thesis title: Community Perceptions of an NGO’s Impact on Disaster Preparedness in Los Planes de La Laguna, Santa Ana Volcano, El Salvador

    Venkat Donuru
    Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry
    Advisor: Haiying Liu
    Dissertation title: Design and Synthesis of Novel BODIPY Polymeric Dyes, and Redox-active Tetrathiafulvalene-Carbohydrate Conjugates for Potential Biosensing Applications

    Chad Fortin
    Master of Science in Applied Ecology
    Coadvisors: Christopher Raymond Webster and David James Flaspohler
    Thesis title: Floristic Quality as a Potential Driver of Vegetative Diversity-Productivity Relationships and Arthropod Habitat in Restored Grasslands

    Bryan Franklin
    Master of Science in Computer Science
    Advisor: Steven R Seidel
    Thesis title: Analysis and Performance of a UPC Implementation of a Parallel Longest Common Subsequence Algorithm

    Valerie Fuchs
    Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering
    Coadvisors: John S Gierke and James R Mihelcic
    Dissertation title: Nitrogen Removal and Sustainability of Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands for Small Scale Wastewater Treatment

    Alex Joseph Varghese
    Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
    Advisor: Paul L Bergstrom
    Thesis title: Fabrication of Piezo Resistive Strain Sensor for Orthopedic Fracture Implant System

    Jodi Lehman
    Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric and Technical Communication
    Advisor: Patricia J Sotirin
    Dissertation title: International Teachers in the American Classroom: Deposing the Myth of Monolingualism

    Ruben Otoniel Matias Gomez
    Master of Science in Geology
    Advisor: William I Rose
    Thesis title: Volcanological Map of the 1961-2009 Eruption of Volcande Pacaya, Guatemala

    Julian Mills-Beale
    Master of Science in Civil Engineering
    Advisor: Zhanping You
    Thesis title: New Test Procedures for Aggregate Specific Gravities and Absorption

    Srichand Pendyala
    Master of Science in Computer Science
    Advisor: Robert Louis Pastel
    Thesis title: Sketch Recognition through Shape Based Interaction

    Ratul Saha
    Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences
    Advisor: Susan T Bagley
    Dissertation title: UV Disinfection of Metalworking Fluids: Analysis Using Molecular Tools

    Steven Vormwald
    Master of Science in Computer Science
    Advisor: Steven M Carr
    Thesis title: Predicting Remote Reuse Distance Patterns in Unified Parallel C Applications

    Fuyu Xu
    Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
    Advisor: Chandrashekhar Pralhad Joshi
    Dissertation title: Molecular Mechanism of Cellulose Biosynthesis in Plants

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    Hydro Fellowship Program

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    The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a 3-year, $3 million grant to the Hydro Research Foundation.  Approximately 25 fellowships will be awarded  as early as June 2010 and will continue for two academic years.

    Fellowship includes: Up to $26,000 living stipend, $2,000 annual honorarium for professor supervising fellow’s work, up to $16,900 allowance for tuition & university-sponsored health insurance, and attendance at 3 Hydro Fellows Roundtables.

    Eligibility: Students who are American citizens and who will complete their Master’s by June 2012 or their Doctorate degree by June 2013 are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted from students who will be conducting research directly related to hydropower in the fields of engineering, environmental and biologic science, or regulatory/economics.

    Details available at www.hydrofoundation.org

    If interested in applying please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu).

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    Dow Chemical Hong Kong – Michigan Scholarship Program 2010-2011

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    U.S. doctoral students or recent Ph.Ds from a Michigan university who are studying in the
    following areas Environment, Energy, Sustainability, Education,
    Transnational Relations, Science and Technology and policy issues
    related to these topics.  are eligible for the Dow Chemical Hong Kong- Michigan Scholarship Program.

    The award is for the 2010-2011 academic year
    to engage in dissertation research while affiliated with Hong Kong
    University of Science and Technology.

    Only U.S. citizens and permanentresidents (Green Card holders) are eligible.

    The scholarship is modeled along the lines of a Fulbright Grant in Hong
    Kong as it provides approximately $17K stipend, $5K travel, and $13K
    living allowance, plus health insurance.  The total value is over
    US$35,000.

    For more information about the scholarship opportunity please visit:  Dow Chemical Hong Kong Program Information

    If you are interested in applying, please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu)

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