Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Environmental Engineering

Michigan Tech Graduate Engineering Programs Move up One Position in US News Rankings

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The College of Engineering has moved up in the US News & World Report annual ranking of graduate schools. Tech’s graduate engineering program is ranked 85th in the nation in 2012 rankings released online this week. Last year the graduate engineering program overall ranked 86th.

Four graduate engineering specialties were ranked in the top 50 nationwide for the second year in a row. Environmental engineering ranked 28th; materials Science and Engineering and mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics each ranked 48th; and civil engineering ranked 49th. Their rankings were the same last year.

“We are pleased to be recognized among the nation’s best graduate engineering programs, and to continue to receive special recognition for our programs in environmental, mechanical, materials and civil engineering,” said Dean Tim Schulz (COE).

Dean Jacqueline Huntoon (Graduate School) said she was glad to see the positive change in the ranking of Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering. “The initiatives that are currently underway are beginning to pay off and will hopefully lead to even higher rankings in the future,” she observed. “I am also happy to see that the rankings of four of our programs remain in the top 50 again this year. We face strong competition and are holding our own.”

Each year, US News ranks professional-school programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine. The overall rankings of graduate schools are based on two types of data: the opinions from deans, program directors and senior faculty at more than 1,200 institutions, and statistical indicators of excellence, including percentage of faculty who are members of their most selective peer group (in the case of engineering schools, the National Academy of Engineering); the average Graduate Record Exam score; the ratio of PhD students to faculty; research expenditures; graduate enrollment; and PhDs granted.

The rankings of engineering specialties are based purely on assessments by department chairs in each specialty.

US News periodically ranks graduate programs in the other fields, including the sciences, social sciences, humanities, public affairs and public policy, fine arts, library and information science and health fields. Michigan Tech’s biological sciences, earth sciences and physics graduate programs were ranked last year. They were not evaluated this year.

The rankings can be accessed online at http://www.usnews.com/grad.

Published in Tech Today.

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Michigan Tech Graduate Student Wins a Spot in International Satellite Imaging Competition

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There is trouble in paradise. What used to be home to half a million people making a living farming, raising livestock or fishing, the land is becoming inhospitable to vegetation. The flocks of migratory birds that used to fill the skies are rarely seen.

The region used to be called the Garden of Eden. It’s located in a region of Iraq known as Mesopotamia, a formerly fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that is becoming increasingly arid due to rising salinity of the soil. Now a graduate student at Michigan Tech, originally from Iraq himself, has developed a plan to use high-resolution satellite imagery to analyze the salinity of the ground and–hopefully–find ways to make the Garden of Eden fertile again.

DigitalGlobe, a company that manufactures a high-resolution, 8-band sensor for satellite imaging, found the project so innovative and promising that they have invited Sinan Abood, a PhD student in environmental engineering, to participate in a worldwide competition called the 8-Band Challenge. More than 500 proposals were submitted; Abood’s is one of 10 that were accepted. The competition, open to graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows, is slated to be judged this spring.

See Tech Today for more about Sinan’s research.

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Udall Foundation – Environmental Public Policy & Conflict Resolution Dissertation Fellowship

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Deadline: 2/24/2011

The Udall Foundation awards two one-year fellowships of up to $24,000 to doctoral candidates whose research concerns U.S. environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution and who are entering their final year of writing the dissertation. Dissertation Fellowships are intended to cover both academic and living expenses from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.

Dissertation fellowships are open to scholars in all fields of study whose dissertation topic has significant relevance to U.S. environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution.  Previous fellows’ fields of study include political science; economics; government; anthropology; environmental science, policy and management; ecology; environmental justice; regional planning; geography; natural resource policy; and environmental analysis and design.

Each applicant must:

  • Have completed all Ph.D. coursework and passed all preliminary exams;
  • Have approval for the dissertation research proposal by February 24, 2011;
  • Be entering the final year of writing the dissertation;
  • Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or U.S. national

All complete and eligible applications are reviewed by an independent selection committee of past Udall Fellows and PhDs in the fields of environmental policy and/or environmental conflict resolution.

While scholarly excellence is of prime importance in selection of fellows, the Foundation is also seeking to identify individuals who have a demonstrated commitment to environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution, and who have the potential to make a significant impact in the real world.

Fellows will be selected on the basis of:

  • Commitment to national environmental public policy or environmental conflict resolution, as demonstrated through coursework, teaching experience, public and community service, field work, and career aspirations;
  • Quality of the dissertation project: project design, feasibility, originality, and scholarly significance;
  • Potential of applicant to make a significant contribution to the field;
  • Scholarly excellence;
  • The essay: quality of writing and critical analysis.

Cross or interdisciplinary projects are particularly welcome.

http://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/ECRFellowship/ECRFellowship.aspx

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National Water Research Institute Fellowships

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Deadline: 4/01/2011

The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) is pleased to offer the following fellowships to graduate students (Masters and Ph.D.) at U.S. universities conducting research in the areas of water resources, treatment, and policy:

* NWRI Fellowships (up to $5,000 a year for 1-2 years). Research must pertain to NWRI’s mission, which is to create new sources of water through research and technology and to protect the freshwater and marine environments.

* Ronald B. Linsky Fellowship for Outstanding Water Research (one fellowship of $10,000 a year for 2 years). Applicants must write an additional 1-page essay detailing their technical capabilities, interest in other fields beside the one they are studying, career goals, and where they hope to take their technical expertise and vision in the future.

* NWRI-AMTA Fellowships for Membrane Technology (two fellowships of $10,000 a year for 2 years). Research must pertain to the advancement of membrane technologies in the water, wastewater, or water reuse industries. Funding is provided by the American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA).

Url: http://www.nwri-usa.org/fellowship.htm

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New Theses and Dissertations Available in the Library

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following programs have new theses and dissertations available in the J.R. Van Pelt and Opie Library:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication
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Seventh Annual Student Research Forum Seeks Applicants

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The Ecosystem Science Center, Biotechnology Research Center and School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science invites graduate students conducting research related to ecology, the environment or biotechnology to submit titles and abstracts for poster presentation at the seventh annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum.

New this year, undergraduate researchers who are advised by BRC or ESC members are also welcome to participate in a separate division.

The forum will be held on the afternoon of Friday, March 25, in the atrium of the Noblet. Abstracts are due electronically by noon, Friday, Feb. 25, to esc@mtu.edu.

The forum allows graduate and undergraduate students an opportunity to present their research to peers and faculty. This will provide a valuable experience for students preparing for poster sessions at regional or national meetings, give students well-deserved recognition for their work and serve as an excellent setting for students to showcase new results and see what others are doing.

We invite student participants to present their research findings as a research poster. Students are welcome to present advanced or preliminary research (proposals or preliminary data). Prizes will include one grand prize and up to four merit awards for each center. Each student may present only one paper but may be included as a coauthor on others. For details, see http://ecosystem.mtu.edu/2011%20guidelines.pdf.

For questions, contact Jill Fisher (SFRES) at 487-3564 or jhfisher@mtu.edu.

Published in Tech Today.

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Research Associateship Programs

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The mission of the NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) is to promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U. S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

In these programs, prospective applicants select a research project or projects from among the large group of opportunities listed on this website.  Prior to completing an application, prospective applicants should contact the proposed Research Adviser to assure that funding will be available if their application is recommended by NRC panels.  Once mutual interest is established between a prospective applicant and a Research Adviser, an application is submitted through the NRC WebRap system.  Reviews are conducted four times each year and review results are available approximately 6-8 weeks following the application deadline.

There are four review cycles annually. Deadlines for 2011 are:

February 1

May 1

August 1

November 1

Click here for more information: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap/

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George L. Disborough Trout Unlimited Research Grant

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Scholarship Information

The research grant was established by the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KVCTU) for the purpose of recognizing and supporting studies of trout habitat or other projects consistent with the goals and objectives of Trout Unlimited. KVCTU’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars, and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists.
Eligibility Criteria

The grant will be awarded based on the merit of the proposed project and not on the financial need of the applicant. The project must be consistent with the mission of Trout Unlimited (see below) and take place in North America. The recipient must be a U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident Alien and a graduate student at an accredited college or university. Normally, the grant will be for one year. However, it is possible that the grantee may apply again providing the applicant is able to demonstrate the merit of another grant to the Advisory Committee and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

The mission of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is to preserve, protect and enhance cold-water resources. The Chapter’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists. In addition, members of Trout Unlimited monitor pollution and fight environmental abuse, work with state government agencies for better water resource management and work with congress and federal government agencies for the protection and wise management of America’s fishing waters.
Application Requirements

The following must be submitted to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation:

One copy of the application.

One copy of your research grant proposal that includes a description of your research project and addresses the following:

1. The location of your project.
2. The subject of your project.
3. The goal of your project.
4. The method(s) you will use to complete your project.
5. The unique talents or special abilities, if any, that will be required of you in order to complete
this project.

A description of anticipated project costs.

An explanation of why you believe you deserve this research grant.

One letter of recommendation from an individual who supports your application for a research grant.
Award

Varies
Deadline

February 15
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