Tag: Rhetoric Theory and Culture

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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:

  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering Science
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Distinguished Alumnus Voted National PTA President-Elect

Otha Thornton, who earned a Master of Science in Rhetoric and Technical Communications in 2001, has been voted president-elect of the National PTA. He will take office in 2013.

The National PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools.

Thornton was stationed at Michigan Tech from 1999 to 2002, serving as an Army ROTC recruiter, public affairs officer and assistant professor of military science. He received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2003 and was Commencement speaker in 2009, when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.

Thornton is the former director of human resources and presidential communications officer for the White House Communications Agency, where he handled technical communications for the presidential team. He served more than 20 years in the military, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 2009 he became chief of personnel plans and operations in Iraq, earning the Bronze Star Medal for exceptional performance in combat operations. He has retired from the Army and now lives in Smyrna, Ga.

Published in Tech Today.

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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 Natural Resource Economics
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Forestry
  • Geology
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication

NSF Docotral Dissertation Grants in Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

NSF is soliciting applications for the Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate’s Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (SBE DDRIG) program. An estimated 200-300 grants will be awarded from a pool of approximately $2.5 million available annually across all programs. Grants are awarded to “doctoral students to improve the quality of dissertation research. These grants provide funds for items not normally available through the student’s university. Additionally, these grants allow doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus that would not otherwise be possible.”  According to the notice, “the proposal must be submitted by the dissertation advisor(s) on behalf of the graduate student who is at the point of initiating or already conducting dissertation research.” Among the programs that support dissertation research are:  archaeology, cultural anthropology, documenting endangered languages, economics, political science, and sociology.  For a full list of eligible fields, as well as detailed information on application deadlines, please see the solicitation at:  nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11547.

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

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:

  • Chemistry
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering Mechanics
  • Forest Science
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Colina Dutta
Master of Science in Chemistry
Co-advisors: Dario J Stacchiola and Gerard T Caneba
Thesis title: Ultrasonic Dispersion of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Cellulose

Yinfei Fu
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Zhi Tian
Dissertation title: Multi-Target Tracking and Localization in Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks

Nicholas Mastricola
Master of Science in Engineering Mechanics
Advisor: Ossama Omar Abdelkhalik
Thesis title: Quantification of Relativistic Perturbation Forces on Spacecraft Trajectories

Sara Robinson
Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Science
Advisor: Peter E Laks
Dissertation title: The Scientific, Artistic, and Practical Implications of Sub-lethal Fungicide Levels in Wood Exposed to Fungi

Cynthia Weber
Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Advisor: Jennifer Daryl Slack
Dissertation title: In Defense of a Liberal Education: The Language and Politics of Academic Freedom

Open House for the Humanities Digital Media Zone this Friday

The renovated Humanities Digital Media Zone (HDMZ) will host an open house at 1:30 p.m., Friday, April 29. Members of the Michigan Tech Board of Control and the administration are expected to attend, and the public is also welcome. The HDMZ is located on the first floor of Walker. The project cost $550,000 and was funded by departmental resources, student fees and donor contributions.

“The HDMZ is designed to create a flexible and sophisticated technological work and social environment,” said Erin Smith, director of the project and senior lecturer in humanities. “The new HDMZ serves a broad range of humanities-centered educational goals and technology practices. It represents the consolidation of the former Center for Computerized Language Instruction (CCLI) and the Modern Language Lab, as well as a classroom and a number of other discrete spaces.”

The new HDMZ includes:

  • a commons area with PC and Mac computing and comfortable seating for work on laptops and other mobile devices
  • a digital media studio with Macintosh computers and software for media development
  • a laptop classroom with Smartboard and projection systems
  • two private recording and listening rooms
  • a new multipurpose seminar space for a range of activities and research, including language cafés, gaming and video-conferencing
  • a centrally located resource desk staffed by student consultants with specialties in foreign languages and/or media development
  • director and support staff offices
  • offices for Cin/Optic Enterprise and student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication

Other resources available to students include digital SLR and video cameras, voice recorders, smart pens, graphics tablets and other language and media resources.

“In addition to improving the services and technology that we offer to students and faculty, the renovation makes visible the interdisciplinary and global nature of the research, teaching and work done by humanities faculty and students,” Smith said. “With its open floor plan, range of technology resources and opportunities for interaction and collaboration, the HDMZ strives to situate technology use as a complex human practice undertaken in a global context.”

Published in Tech Today.

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:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Policy
  • Forestry
  • Geology
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication