Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Graduate School

Fall 2013 Nominations for Finishing Fellowships Sought

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Applications for fall 2013 finishing fellowships are now being accepted, and are due no later than 4pm, June 20, 2013 to Dr. Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School. Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online.  Please note that the required form and materials requested have changed slightly for this cycle of competition.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish during the semester supported as a finishing fellow.
  3. Must have submitted no more than one previous application for a finishing fellowship.
  4. Must be eligible for or in Research Only Mode at the time of application.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan. The Graduate School anticipates funding up to ten fellowships with support ranging from $2000 to full support (stipend + tuition). Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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Zinc: The Perfect Material for Stents?

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Patrick Bowen, PhD in Materials Science and Engineering
Stents can be lifesavers, holding open coronary arteries to allow a healthy supply of blood to flow to the heart. But they can also cause problems, because they stay in the body for a lifetime.

Researchers have been trying to solve the problem by designing a stent that will hold an artery open and then dissolve harmlessly after the blood vessel heals. Traditional metals have not had the right properties, however.

Now a team of scientists at Michigan Tech is experimenting with a novel material that may lead to a new generation of bioabsorbable stents: zinc.

For the full story, click here.

Published in Tech Today by Marcia Goodrich, magazine editor

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Facilitators Sought for Fall Graduate School Orientation

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Facilitators are an important part of the Graduate School’s orientation.  They lead discussion at a table with seven new graduate students, and help to answer their questions.  Faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to participate this fall and help mentor the next group of scholars at Michigan Tech.

New facilitators will attend a training session on either August 22, 10 a.m.-noon, or August 26, 1-3 p.m.  The training will ensure everyone is comfortable and confident with the material being presented.

All facilitators will participate in orientation, 1-4:30 p.m. on August 28.  Please note that this is a time change from previous years, designed to accommodate students’ requests for an afternoon start.

To participate, please register online so we can include you in reminders and important notices as we get closer to the day:
http://www.gradschool2.mtu.edu/registration/events/index.php?session_id=171 .

Do you have questions?  Contact Deb Charlesworth (ddc@mtu.edu) or Kristi Isaacson(kris@mtu.edu) for more information.

Published in Tech Today

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New Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) Patent Law Affecting Research Commercialization

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The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act ( AIA), also known as the Patent Reform Act of 2011, went into effect on March 16, bringing with it significant changes to the US Patent system.  The most important change from the AIA law moves the United States to a first-to-file system from the previous first-to-invent system.  Whereas the old system provided inventors with a mechanism to prove they were the first to invent and secure patent protection, the new system is essentially a race to the patent office.  If two independent researchers came up with the same invention at the same time, the first one to file a patent application will be awarded the patent.  In the past you could rely on dated lab notebooks and notes to prove you were the first one to invent.

The old system also provided a one-year grace period to file a US patent from the time the invention was publicly disclosed. Until the new patent laws are clarified through future court case rulings, researchers should consider any public disclosure a patent-barring event.

The increasingly stringent requirements for patents to include a complete and enabling written description, compounded with the effective loss of the one year grace period, makes it more important than ever to prepare and submit invention disclosure documents to the Office of Innovation and Industry Engagement well in advance of any planned public disclosures.  Early submission of invention disclosure documents will assist in the timely development of strategies related to technology validation and related patent-filing activities before conference presentations, manuscript publications, thesis/dissertation defenses, or other events.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Michigan Tech’s Innovation and Industry Engagement Office at 487-2228.

Published in Tech Today

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GTA’s at Tech – Coffee Chat

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Thursday, April 11 at 3:00 PM the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Graduate School will co-host a “Coffee Chat” called “GTAs at Tech” in the Library East Reading Room.

We’d like to give GTA’s a forum to discuss the instructional support they are being given and additional needs.  We hope to improve GTA orientation and support by the Center next fall.

Coffee and snacks will be provided to those who register by April 8.   We hope you’ll come and share your experiences so we can make being a GTA at Tech better for you and better for our students!

To register, call 487-2046 or register online.

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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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Michigan Tech Graduate Engineering Programs Climb in US News Rankings

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By Jennifer Donovan

Four Michigan Technological University graduate engineering programs rose in the latest US News & World Report graduate school rankings, released today.

Chemical engineering’s graduate program moved up to 60th in the nation, from 91st last year.  Electrical engineering’s ranking rose from 102nd to 89th.  Computer engineering was ranked 80th this year, compared to 91st last year.  And Materials engineering rose to 50th from 51st.

“Chemical engineering is definitely a program on the rise and it’s nice to get the external recognition we deserve,” said Komar Kawatra, chair of chemical engineering.

Dan Fuhrmann, chair of electrical and computer engineering was pleased with the higher rankings of both his programs. “We are delighted to see that our graduate programs in electrical and computer engineering are receiving this recognition,” he said. ” It is a reflection of our deliberate efforts over the past decade to increase the size and improve the quality and visibility of our graduate and research activity.  In particular, we are seeing renewed interest at the master’s degree level in our power programs, which have always been excellent.”

The new graduate school rankings place Michigan Technological University’s graduate engineering programs overall in the top 100 nationwide. The magazine’s latest rankings, released today, list Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering graduate programs at 89th

“This year’s rankings of Michigan Tech’s programs will help some of our programs get the national attention and recognition they deserve,” said Jackie Huntoon, dean of the Graduate School. “The increased ranking of chemical engineering and electrical and computer engineering are particularly notable. These rankings, while dismissed by some as highly imperfect measures of quality, are important because students and their families use the rankings to estimate the potential return on an investment in a Michigan Tech education.“

Michigan Tech’s other engineering programs are ranked as follows in the new report:

Tech’s Biomedical engineering graduate program was not ranked.

“We’ve seen some success in the short time that I’ve been here, and I’m glad for that,” said Bill Worek, dean of the College of Engineering. “The increase in some of the disciplines is encouraging, but there is more work to be done to further enhance the visibility of our graduate programs.”

US News says its rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical measures of the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. Graduate programs are reviewed annually in engineering, business, law, medicine and the sciences. This year, 199 engineering schools that offer graduate degrees were evaluated.

Statistical data considered includes the ratio of students to faculty, acceptance rate, average Graduate Record Exam score, the school’s total research expenditure and research expenditure per faculty member, graduate enrollment and number of PhDs granted.

Peer assessment data comes from deans of engineering schools, program directors and senior engineering faculty.

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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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Fall 2012 Finishing Fellowships Announced

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the recipients of the fall 2012 finishing fellowships. The fellowships were made available by the support of the Graduate School.

The recipients were:

  • Qi Gao, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Pradeep Kumar, PhD candidate in Engineering Physics
  • Kenny Ng, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering
  • Le Xin, PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering
  • Mimi Yang, PhD candidate in Chemistry
  • Xiaoliang Zhong, PhD candidate in Physics

Finishing fellowship applications for summer 2013 are due no later than 4pm on March 6, 2013. Application procedures and photographs of recent recipients can be found online.

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Online Grad Programs Ranked by US News

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The MBA online program in Michigan Tech’s School of Business and Economics placed 47th of 197 online graduate business programs in new rankings released today by US News & World Report.  Tech’s online master’s degree program in engineering also made the magazine’s 2013 national rankings, earning 41st place among 66 online graduate programs in engineering that were ranked.

“The Tech MBA Online program was created to provide an innovative curriculum guided by experienced and knowledgeable business faculty,” said Gene Klippel, dean of the School of Business and Economics.  “Professionals looking to advance their career, even in a challenging economy, can benefit from learning and understanding technology and innovation within organizations.  A ranking in the top 50 from US News confirms that our program is on track for continued success for students, our School and Michigan Tech.”

Bill Worek, dean of the College of Engineering, said: “The master’s program in the College of Engineering continues to be highly ranked with other premiere engineering schools.  This online program gives students with full-time jobs the ability to complete an advanced degree.  This is essential for the state of Michigan to further enhance the quality of the engineering work force in the state.”

US News defines an online education program as one for which all the coursework can be completed via distance education courses that incorporate Internet-based learning technologies.  Among criteria evaluated were graduation rate, class size, one-year retention rate, time to degree, graduate entrance exam scores and grade point averages of students, percentage of PhD and tenured faculty, and technologies and services available to students.

For the first time this year, US News added a peer assessment survey of deans and top distance learning higher education academics employed by schools ranked in 2012.

“It is a wonderful testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff that we have achieved these rankings,” said Graduate School Dean Jackie Huntoon. “I am happy to see that both the business and engineering online programs are getting the positive attention they deserve.”

“Michigan Tech’s online MBA program is really quite young, and already it is ranked in the top third of all ranked programs nationwide.  This is a remarkable achievement,” Huntoon went on to say.  “The number and quality of offerings in engineering continues to grow each year. I am continually impressed by the comments I hear from students and employers who tell me that they chose Michigan Tech because of our focus on real-world applications and because of the quality and commitment of our faculty.”

Posted in TechToday by Jenn Donovan, Public Relations Director
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