Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Physics

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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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
  • Applied Natural Resource Economics
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Forest Ecology and Management
  • Forest Science
  • Geophysics
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Physics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication
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US Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships

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U.S. Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships

The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for students in their first or second year of graduate study in the fields of physical, engineering, computers, mathematics and life sciences. The fellowships are renewable up to four years. Students receive about $31,000 a year, as well as a $1,000 annual academic allowance for travel, research activities and attending conferences. Some students may also get matched funds for computer support up to $2,475.

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Nominations open to attend the 62nd Meeting of Nobel Laureates

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Nominations are now closed for students to attend the 62nd Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, July 1 to July 6, 2012.

To be eligible, a student:

  • Must have completed by June 2012 at least two years of doctoral study
  • Must be studying physics or a related discipline
  • Must not plan to complete a dissertation prior to December 31, 2012
  • Must be a US citizen
  • Must be a full-time graduate student
  • Must be participating in a research project
  • Must be nominated by the student’s advisor

Advisors may nominate a student by submitting the following items to Debra Charlesworth no later than 4pm on November 4, 2012:

  • One page resume of the student
  • One page statement by the student on why participation in the meeting is important for the student’s graduate education
  • One page letter of reference by the student’s mentor

ORAU will select students based on the following criteria.  Students must:

  • Show a genuine interest in science and research
  • Show a strong commitment to their principal field of studies and to interdisciplinary work
  • Have a strong letter of recommendation
  • Be in the top of their class
  • Show excellent academic accomplishments
  • Have produced some very good research work.

Michigan Tech may forward two nominations to ORAU for consideration.   Learn more about the meeting online.

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Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship nominations open

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The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOW NNSA SSGF) program is currently soliciting for applications.  It is open to students pursuing a PhD in areas of stewardship science, such as properties of materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics, nuclear science, or high energy density physics.  The fellowship includes a 12-week research experience at either Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory or Sandia National Laboratories.

Benefits:

  • $36,000 yearly stipend
  • Payment of all tuition and fees
  • $1,000 yearly academic allowance
  • Yearly conferences
  • 12-week research practicum
  • Renewable up to four years

Apply online at www.krellinst.org/ssgf – applications are due January 18, 2012.

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Department of Defense SMART

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The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Eligibility:

  • a U.S. citizen at time of application,
  • 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2012,
  • able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories,
  • willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD,
  • a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by the SMART application) and,
  • pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the About SMART page.

Benefits:

  • Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
  • Cash award paid at a rate of $25,000 – $41,000 depending on prior educational experience (may be prorated depending on award length)
  • Paid summer internships
  • Health Insurance reimbursement allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
  • Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
  • Mentoring
  • Employment placement after graduation
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Winners of Rath Award for Research Announced

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Chee Huei Lee

For groundbreaking work in nanotechnology, Yoke Khin Yap and Chee Huei Lee have received the University’s Bhakta Rath Research Award.

The award, endowed by 1958 alumnus Bhakta Rath and his wife, Shushama Rath, recognizes a Michigan Tech doctoral student and advisor for “exceptional research of particular value that anticipates the future needs of the nation while supporting advances in emerging technology.”

Yap, an associate professor of physics, and then-PhD student Lee (he graduated in 2010) invented a technique for synthesizing boron nitride nanotubes. Compared to their carbon-based cousins, boron nitride nanotubes have alluring qualities but, before Yap and Lee’s pioneering work, had been notoriously difficult to grow.

The researchers created veritable nano-carpets of boron nitride nanotubes and discovered they possessed a number of interesting properties: They are perfect insulators, which means they could be doped to form designer semiconductors for use in electronics that operate at high temperatures. They are among the strongest materials known and can be dispersed in organic solvents, properties that could be useful in making high-strength composites and ceramics. Plus, they shed water like a duck’s back. This quality, known as superhydrophobicity, holds at all pH levels, which means they could be used as protective coatings to shield against the strongest acids and bases.

Yap said Lee played an important role in their collaboration. “I enjoy working with Chee Huei, as he is willing to listen, think and work hard on an idea, and then he comes back to tell you much more than what you were expecting,” said Yap. “My initial ideas mature and flourish with his feedback.”

Lee has authored or coauthored 12 peer-reviewed journal papers on their nanotube research, as well as three chapters and review articles and three papers in peer-reviewed proceedings. As recipients of the Rath Award, Yap and Lee will share a $2,000 prize. Their research work is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

To find out more, visit the Michigan Tech News Site .

by Marcia Goodrich, senior writer
Published in Tech Today

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Tech Students Receive NSF Awards for Grad Study, Research

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The National Science Foundation has selected three Michigan Tech students and a recent graduate to receive highly competitive awards that support their research and graduate study. Another student, now at Northern Michigan University, will use his award to pursue an advanced degree at Michigan Tech.

Master’s student Chris DeDene and recent graduate David Schaeffer have received NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. DeDene will pursue a PhD in Civil Engineering at Michigan Tech. Schaeffer will continue work on his PhD in Psychology at the University of Georgia.

Fellowship recipient Erich Petushek is completing his master’s at Northern Michigan University and will be coming to Tech, where he expects to pursue a doctorate degree in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors focusing on Biomechanics.

Graduate Research Fellowships support students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based degrees. Each fellow receives a three-year annual stipend of $30,000, a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance and access to the TeraGrid supercomputer network. The NSF selected 2,000 fellows from more than 12,000 applicants.

An additional 2,064 applicants received honorable mentions. Among them are Tech students Eric Peterson, a physics PhD student; Eric Wesseldyke, an environmental engineering PhD student; mechanical engineering student Andrew Tulgestke; and Jonathan Ebel, a master’s student in biological sciences. Anieri Morales of the University of Puerto Rico, who plans to pursue a graduate degree at Michigan Tech, also received an honorable mention.

Tech students Erin Thomas and John Lyons, who are earning PhD degrees in mathematical sciences and geophysics, respectively, were selected to participate in NSF’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes. The institutes place US graduate students in research labs throughout East Asia and the Pacific, to help students initiate scientific relationships that will lead to future international collaborations. The awards include airfare, lodging, living expenses and a $5,000 stipend.

Thomas will be conduct research in Beijing, while Lyons will travel to Japan.

To learn more about federal funding opportunities for graduate students, attend an information session at 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, in Fisher 131. Faculty, advisors, undergraduates and graduate students are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Jodi Lehman at 487-2875 or at jglehman@mtu.edu.

Published in Tech Today.

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National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) F31 Predoctoral Fellowships

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Deadline: 2011 deadlines: 4/8, 8/8, and 12/8

The objective of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards programs is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists are available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to address the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.

The purpose of the predoctoral fellowship (F31) award is to provide support for promising doctoral candidates who will be performing dissertation research and training in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes during the tenure of the award. The Kirschstein-NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellows will provide up to five years of support for research training which leads to the PhD or equivalent research degree, the combined MD/PhD degree, or another formally combined professional degree and research doctoral degree in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences.

Applicants for the Kirschstein-NRSA F31 award must propose a dissertation research project and training program that fall in a research area within the scientific mission of the participating Institutes. The proposed predoctoral research training must offer an opportunity to enhance the fellow’s understanding of the health-related sciences and extend his/her potential for a productive, independent research career. The training should provide the applicant with the opportunity to interact with members of the scientific community at appropriate scientific meetings and workshops (including NIH-sponsored meetings, where available). The application should document the need for the proposed research training and the expected value of the proposed fellowship experience as it relates to the individual’s goals for a career as an independent researcher.

Each NIH Institute and Center (IC) has a unique scientific purview and different program goals and initiatives that evolve over time. Prospective Fellowship Applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant NIH staff for IC-specific programmatic information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.

Citizenship: By the time of award, the individual applicant must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

Degree Requirements: A Fellowship Applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., EngD, DNSc, Dr PH, DSW, PharmD, PsyD, ScD), a formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral (e.g., DDS/PhD) in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences at an accredited domestic or foreign institution. With the exception of the combined degree programs described above, the Kirschstein-NRSA F31 may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional training (e.g., DC, DMD, DNP, DO, DPM, DVM, ND, OD, AuD). Neither may these awards be used to support the clinical years of residency training.

Students seeking support for pursuit of a combined degree program (e.g. MD/PhD, or DO/PhD, or DDS/PhD) may be eligible to apply for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellows (F30) (PA-09-207).

Duration of Support: Individuals may typically receive up to 5 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level.

Participating Institutes & Centers:

National Institute on Aging (NIA), http://www.nia.nih.gov/
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), http://www.nida.nih.gov/
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), http://www.nimh.nih.gov
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), http://www.ninds.nih.gov
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), http://www.nccam.nih.gov
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), http://ods.od.nih.gov/

Estimated Stipend: $21,180.  (Note: The sponsoring institution is allowed to provide funds to the fellow in addition to the stipends paid by the NIH in accordance with its own formally established policies governing stipend support.)

Application Procedure: To submit an application, applicants should access the FOA via http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow Steps 1-4.  Applications must be submitted electronically.

Application Guidelines: SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide

Contact Information: Applicants should refer to the Table of Institute and Center Contacts to obtain participating NIH Institute scientific/research contact information.

Url: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-208.html


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Spring 2011 Finishing Fellowship Recipients Announced

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The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following students have earned Finishing Fellowships to help complete their doctoral studies:

  • Amalia L. Anderson, Physics
  • Ning Chen, Chemistry
  • Linsheng Feng, Chemistry
  • Heather L. Jordan, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
  • Partha P. Pal, Physics
  • Radheshyam Tewari, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Helen E. Thomas, Geology
  • Wenjie Xu, Electrical Engineering

The fellowships are made possible by the support of the Graduate School.

Details on the summer 2011 competition may be found online, as well as photographs of our recipients.

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THE NASA GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS IS APPROACHING

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THE DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 23, 2011 FOR THE NASA GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS IS APPROACHING.

Only two weeks remain to submit graduate student applications for NASA’s new Space Technology Research Fellowships. Applications are due by February 23 for the new NASA grants.

Applications are being accepted from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of graduate students interested in performing space technology research beginning this fall.

The fellowships will sponsor U.S. graduate student researchers who show significant potential to contribute to NASA’s strategic space technology objectives through their studies. Sponsored by NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist, the fellowships’ goal is to provide the nation with a pipeline of highly skilled engineers and technologists to improve America’s technological competitiveness.

NASA Space Technology Fellows will perform innovative space technology research while building the skills necessary to become future technological leaders. Information about the fellowships, including how to submit applications, is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_stage_innovation/grants/NSTRF.html

To learn more about NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist and the crosscutting space technology areas of interest to NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/oct

If you plan to submit an application please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu) in the Sponsored Programs Enhancement Office.

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