Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: University

Graduate Dean Review Process Begins

Published
By

A committee has been appointed to conduct the required review of Graduate School Dean Jacqueline Huntoon. Members include Carl Anderson, Nancy Auer, Andrew Burton, Gerard Caneba, Rob Greenhoe, Jarod Maggio, Paul Nelson, Bruce Seely, Andrew Storer, Greg Waite and Yoke Kin Yap. As part of the review process, the committee has prepared a survey for the main constituencies with whom the graduate dean works and requests input from all constituencies on campus.

The surveys are being run through SurveyMonkey for graduate students, faculty and administrators, as well as academic and professional staff. The committee asks that members from each group log in using the appropriate link listed below.

Faculty and staff access will be automatically restricted to computers with an IP address for Michigan Tech. This means that each computer access the survey only once.

Because several graduate students may need to use the same computer, accesses to their survey requires a password log-in. That password is being distributed to all Michigan Tech graduate students via a message from the graduate student government listserv.

Anyone encountering access issues should contact Bruce Seely at bseely@mtu.edu .

The survey will be open until 5 p.m., Monday, March 21. Responses will be confidential and no information about users or computers is being tracked. The committee thanks everyone for their participation and assistance.

Following are the surveys.

Link to the graduate student survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Graddean_survey-grad_students .
Access is password protected

Link to the faculty and administration survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Graddean_survey_faculty-administration .

Link to the staff survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Graddean_survey-staff .

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

Annual Martin Luther King Week

Published
By

Michigan Tech celebrates its annual Martin Luther King Week. Events include King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech; a peace march in the spirit of the great peacemaker; actor Barry Scott’s tribute to his idol; and a closing banquet that features Charles Pugh, president of the Detroit City Council, a respected journalist turned popular civic leader.

Here is a schedule of events, beginning today:

Monday, noon–“I Have a Dream” speech, Memorial Union steps, followed by a candelight vigil and a peace march to the Rozsa Center.

Monday, 1 p.m.–Reception, Rozsa atrium.

Monday, 2 p.m.–Actor Barry Scott’s tribute to King, Rozsa Center.

Tuesday, noon–Traveling Trunk exhibit in the Van Pelt and Opie Library; includes photos, videos, speeches and background information.

Wednesday, noon–Blood drive, Van Pelt and Opie Library Reading Room

Friday, 4 p.m.–Basketball invitational, SDC Wood Gym

Saturday, 9 a.m.–Service Saturday at the Keweenaw Family Resource Center’s Tree House, where there will be stories and snacks for the children.

Saturday, 6 p.m.–Banquet, Memorial Union Ballroom, features Charles Pugh, president of the Detroit City Council. Admission is $15 a person.

For more information, contact the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at 487-2920.

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

US Rep. Stupak is Commencement Speaker

Published
By

Congressman Bart Stupak will address nearly 300 graduates at Midyear Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 11.  A total of 242 students will be receiving bachelor’s degrees. In addition, 26 master’s degrees and 18 doctorates will be awarded.

Stupak will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Environmental and Energy Policy. He is retiring in January after 18 years of service to Michigan’s 1st Congressional District.  He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and, as the ranking Democrat, chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.  Before his election in 1992, Stupak was a Michigan state representative and worked as an Escanaba police officer and Michigan State Police trooper. He also practiced law.   A graduate of Gladstone High School, he earned an associate degree from Northwestern Michigan College, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Michigan University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing.

Health care has been a priority for Stupak since he was elected to Congress, when he pledged not to accept the insurance that members of Congress receive until all Americans could have access to that same quality health care.  He has been a leader in the international effort to ban the sale and diversion of the Great Lakes and opposed the drilling for oil and gas beneath the Great Lakes.  Stupak founded and cochaired the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, a bipartisan organization that provides the law enforcement community with an avenue to participate in the legislative process.   He has been a leader in homeland security, particularly in connection with programs to train and equip local law enforcement officers and other first responders. In addition, Stupak cochairs the Congressional Northern Border Caucus.

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

World Usability Day Returns to Campus

Published
By

World Usability Day is returning for the third consecutive year. The event celebrates usability, when technologies or procedures make sense to us and when we can learn–and remember–how to use them, make few errors and feel satisfied with our experiences.

Last year, the annual, international celebration involved 150 events held in more than 43 countries around the world.

World Usability Day in the UP (WUDUP) takes place on campus, Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 10 to 12. This year’s theme is communication, and, according to the World Usability Day website, the hope is to create “greater awareness for designs, products and services that improve and facilitate communication.”

Three official events are planned at Michigan Tech.

Brown Bag Lunch
Wednesday, Nov. 10, noon to 1 p.m.
Memorial Union Ballroom B

“Does Sustainable Design Make Us Behave More Sustainably?”
Speaker: Professor Christa Walck (School of Business and Economics)
In this interactive session, Walck will discuss how sustainable design of the things we use in our lives can change our behavior, but can also lead to increased consumption and waste. The participants will look at the thinking behind a series of sustainably designed items and then try to design something that they would want to use and make them act more sustainably.

A Library2Go Demonstration
Thursday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Van Pelt and Opie Library lobby, in front of the information wall
Library2Go, a new, easy and fast way to find library information using mobile devices and smart phones, is now available. Users can quickly search the library’s catalog, view floor plans, find out what services the library’s staff offers, identify contact info, and more. During the session, library staff will demonstrate the new technology and help participants add the Library2Go service to their iPhone, iPod Touch or Android.

Interactive Webinar
Friday, Nov. 12, 4:30 p.m.
Walker 134
Sponsored by the Michigan Tech Chapter of the Society for Technical Communicators
Tim Kauffold, director of operations at Oneupweb, will discuss how attention to usability helps him in fraud detection, trademark monitoring, ad testing and keyword permutation. Kauffold’s ability to speak “techie” to clients and the public has made him a valuable asset to the client management team, working with some of the world’s leading brands. He is also a critical player in Oneupweb’s successful strategic partnership program and a sought-after speaker.

Some events are still in the planning stages, so, for late-breaking news, check the WUDUP website: www.mtu.edu/usability .

Or, for more information, contact Karla Kitalong at 487-3254 or at kitalong@mtu.edu .

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

Diwali Night

Published
By

The Indian Student Association (ISA) is sponsoring its annual Diwali Night this Saturday, Oct. 30. Activities begin with an Indian dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Memorial Union Commons. After dinner, there will be a show in the Rozsa Center at 8 p.m., featuring traditional Indian dance and songs.

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in India. It marks the victory of good over evil and light over darkness for the Indian people.  ISA President, Sachin Joshi (Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Student) has invited everyone to, “be a part of the biggest Indian festival and join us to celebrate this gracious night of delicious authentic Indian dinner, skits, drama, music, dance and lots of fun!”

The ISA is selling tickets in the Memorial Union Commons from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., today and Friday, Oct. 29. Dinner and the show costs $19 for the general public, $16 for Michigan Tech students, $13 for ISA members. Tickets for the performance only are $9. Children under the age of 8 are free.

The celebration is open to the community.

Continue Reading →

Khana Khazana Goes to India for Lunch

Published
By

This week’s Khana Khazana (food treasure), an ethnic lunch cooked by international students and served in the Memorial Union Food Court, will feature food from northern India. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15.

The menu includes Chole Bhature (Indian fried bread with chickpea curry), Paneer Tikka (chunks of juicy Indian cheese known as paneer, grilled with vegetables) and Punjabi Lassi (sweetened yogurt).

The chef is Jaspreet Nayyar, a graduate student from Northern India who is pursuing a dual master’s degree in electrical engineering and materials science and engineering.

A full meal costs $6. Chole Bhature or Paneer Tikka a la carte is $3, and Punjabi Lassi a la carte costs $2.

Khana Khazana is a collaborative effort of international students and Dining Services. The campus and the community are welcome.

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

Michigan Tech Kicks Off $200 Million Capital Campaign

Published
By

by Jennifer Donovan, director of public relations

Michigan Tech is kicking off the public phase of a $200 million multi-year fund-raising campaign, President Glenn Mroz has announced. And appropriately enough on its 125th anniversary, Michigan Tech has already raised more than $125 million, he said, taking the University more than halfway to its goal.

Called “Generations of Discovery,” the campaign will enable Michigan Tech to acquire the resources to raise its recognition as a premier research university. It will focus primarily on the University’s strategic plan goal of attracting and supporting the very best faculty, students and staff by increasing the number of endowed faculty positions and increasing endowed student financial aid.

Endowments are permanently invested gifts that generate spendable income annually while continuing to grow. Endowed faculty chairs and professorships, as well as scholarships and graduate fellowships, are of particular importance to Michigan Tech’s future.

“This campaign funding will help us attract bright students and world-class professors,” said Mroz. “It will give us the resources we need to drive innovation and be counted among the nation’s finest technological universities.”

Already the “quiet phase” of the campaign, which began in 2006, has helped Michigan Tech increase its endowed faculty positions more than fourfold–from 4 to 17–and has raised nearly $11 million in new scholarships and fellowships for students.

New Gifts

At a campaign kickoff dinner, Mroz also announced two new $1 million gifts, one from Tom Shaffner and the other from John and Ruanne Opie. He also reported that the General Motors Foundation has given Michigan Tech another $160,000, bringing its support for the University this year to $244,000 and the total support from the GM Foundation and GM over the past 35 years to more than $8.3 million. The gifts bring the campaign total to $127.4 million to date.

Shaffner, a 1957 Tech alumnus with bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and business engineering administration, is chairman of the board of Dearborn Precision Tubular Products. A highly specialized machine shop specializing in high alloy tubing, aircraft parts and oil field equipment, Shaffner’s company uses a technology he developed to produce exceptionally long, straight tubes. His company is credited with developing deep-hole drilled components for the first US Navy nuclear submarine.

Shaffner is also helping fund a new building to house the Seaman Mineral Museum. It will be built adjacent to the Advanced Technology Development Complex on Sharon Avenue.

John Opie graduated from Michigan Tech in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical and materials engineering. He spent most of his career with General Electric, retiring in 2000 as vice chair/executive director. He delivered Tech’s commencement address in 1987 and again in 2001, receiving Honorary Doctorates in Engineering and Business.

Opie and his wife, Ruanne, recently donated $1 million for the construction of ten new skybox suites in the Student Ice Arena. The new suites, all on the west end of the rink, can each accommodate eight to fourteen people, with three skyboxes for larger groups. The Opies previously funded a 54,000-square-foot addition to the library and established an endowment to support the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Other gifts have enabled the University to pursue excellence in many different areas. Thanks to various campaign donors, Michigan Tech has been able to establish the Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership, positioning students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. The University is expanding and improving facilities for its electrical and computer engineering and computer science and engineering programs, as well as humanities and the mineral museum. Other donors enabled Tech to install lights and artificial turf at Sherman Field and to bring varsity women’s soccer to Tech.

Alumni Role

Alumni play a key role in any capital campaign. Electrical engineering alumnus Dave House ’65, chairman of Brocade Communication Systems of San Jose, Calif., and a longtime executive at Intel, is chairing the national campaign committee.

“The nation’s best universities have grown their endowments, brought internationally recognized scholars to their labs and classrooms, and built topflight facilities where great ideas are fostered,” said House. “Michigan Tech is focused on being one of these great universities, and it needs your support to achieve this goal.”

House himself is a staunch supporter of Michigan Tech. The House Family Foundation has endowed several professorships, including one held by Tim Schulz, dean of the College of Engineering. A gift from the House Family Foundation enabled the University to purchase the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor in 2006. The House Family Foundation also is currently funding improvements in electrical and computer engineering labs and classrooms.

But a successful campaign depends on more than alumni. All of Michigan Tech’s partners–corporations and foundations, as well as friends on campus and throughout the community, state and nation–play a key role in helping the University reach its goal by 2013. Corporations and foundations are responsible for over $35 million of contributions in the campaign to date. Longtime corporate partner General Motors just gave the University $160,000 to support student enterprises, senior design projects, diversity programs and student groups, another in a string of multiple campaign contributions.

“While a robust endowment is essential if we are to continue moving forward, we also need ongoing support for non-endowed programs and student life initiatives,” said George Butvilas, chair of the Michigan Tech Fund Board of Trustees. “We want our alumni and friends to know that gifts of all sizes can make an enormous difference, for a single student or an entire program.”

Published in Tech Today

Continue Reading →

Parade and Festival: ‘What a Great Day’

Published
By

The Parade of Nations and the Multicultural Food and Music Festival graced the campus and community Saturday for the 21st time. It was a day on which different people did the same thing–celebrate diversity. The theme of the day: “Many Nations, One Heart.”

Bob Wenc summed up the doings, “It’s like a rainbow. So many different cultures, styles and stories.” He says Tech has about 700 international students from more than 70 countries, from Argentina to Zimbabwe. He worked on the event as a representative of International Programs and Services. He loves the work. “Exiting,” he said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something for the community and the University. We all want to matter. This is my way.”

The parade wove through Hancock and Houghton like a ribbon. Flags danced. The native attire was gorgeous. The weather was windy with a fall chill in the air; the mood was calm and warm. Amid all the pageantry, the music was a clarion call for getting along.

Curbside, the little children watched in wonder. “This is great,” a retired elementary teacher said. “It’s good for our children–that they grow up accepting other cultures and sharing them. It helps to promote understanding.”

Abhijeet Vaidya, an Indian graduate student in mechanical engineering, has only been here a month. “I like it here very much,” he said. “It’s a very good place. It’s like home.” What does he want people to know about his culture? “Sacrifice. And respect for everybody.”

The Pep Band showed up in rousing full force–a wonderfully gaudy spectacle, accented by the trademark goofy hats that ranged from a sombrero to a witch’s hat to a stovepipe Mickey Mouse affair. Eric Anderson, a fifth-year student in civil engineering, plays the trombone. He is unabashedly upbeat about the Pep Band. “It’s something unique,” he said. “Other universities have their marching bands. We have the Pep Band. We’re able to do more things, and we have more fun.” He likes going beyond sport events and getting exposure in the community.

Tech’s Chris Anderson has been involved with diversity on campus for more than 20 years. The event, she said, “is a chance to embrace life and the things that make us similar. And we do it through music and food–the best ways to celebrate. It’s fun. It feels good.”

“It’s one of the highlights of the year,” said another observer. “I enjoy the parade. I enjoy the music. But it’s the food after.”

That food was served up in Dee Stadium. Sanchai Kuboon, a PhD student in MSE, is from Thailand. He said food is a marked characteristic of Thai culture. “We are proud of the variety of food in Thailand.” He says it is especially spicy. He was serving up beef curry; a sweet drink made with the longan fruit; and stir-fried noodles.

Another salient feature of Thai life, he said, is martial arts. And a third is respect for others, manifested in part by the Thai way of greeting people: hands together, as in prayer, and a bow. Kuboon summed up these cultural characteristics as “riches.” He likes Tech and Houghton. “You treat us as we are at home.”

Iltesham Z Syed, an Indian PhD student in ME-EM, manned a food station set up by the Muslim Student Association. He was serving up haleem, a combinaion of wheat, meat, and Indian spices, and an “Arabian dessert”–baklava. Proceeds will be donated to the flood victims in Pakistan.

Syed is from Mumbai, a city of 16 million. “I love this place,” he said Houghton. “I love country life.” He’s been here three years. He spoke of his religion: “My message is clear. It’s peace. It’s equality. It’s friendship.” He laments extremism in the culture. “I feel sad about this. This is not what we believe in. This is not what we preach. What we want is for everyone to live together in complete harmony.” He wears a sherwani, a nearly full-length, tan tunic with a Nehru collar. He says he only wears it on special occasions.

The marching band of Cass Technical High School from Detroit had Dee Stadium throbbing. 30 band members, 11 energetic dancers. Sharon Allen, director, said it was an honor to be involved in “cultural sensitivity–all nations getting along peaceably.”

Madeline Mercado Voelker, coordinator of Hispanic/Latino Outreach, is from Puerto Rico and has worked on this event since 1999. “What a great day,” she exclaimed. Amid all the nations, the local community stands out, too, she said. “I never felt like a minority here,” she said. “This is home. It’s a beautiful place. I wouldn’t change it for anything.” She knows a graduate who moved back to Puerto Rico; his wife is having a hard time readjusting to city life. “The UP stays in your heart wherever you go,” she said.

by John Gagnon, promotional writer

Published in Tech Today

Continue Reading →

US House of Representatives Passes Resolution Honoring Michigan Tech

Published
By

US Rep. Bart Stupak’s office issued the following news release Tuesday:

The US House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Sept. 14 introduced by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) honoring Michigan Tech on its 125th anniversary and for its contributions to Michigan and the country.

“For 125 years, Michigan Tech has educated thousands of students in some of the areas most vital to the future success of our nation, such as science, engineering and mathematics,” Stupak said. “I thank my colleagues for joining me today to honor Michigan Tech and its students as they continue to be world leaders in innovative technological research and education.”

Michigan Tech was first chartered as the Michigan School of Mines in 1885, and in 1927 was renamed the Michigan College of Mining and Technology with the added responsibility to “promote the welfare of the industries of the State.” The school continued its educational mission, and in 1963 the state’s new constitution renamed the school Michigan College of Science and Technology, followed shortly in 1964 by the name it holds today.

The school’s mission is to create the future with the vision of continued growth as a premier technological research university of international stature, delivering education, new knowledge, and innovation for the needs of our world.

Michigan Tech hosts 7,000 students and provides an exceptionally high quality of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, graduating 83 percent of students in those disciplines.

In 1990, the school’s A.E. Seaman Mineralogical Museum was designated as the official “mineralogical museum” of Michigan with the second-largest holdings of any university mineralogical museum in the nation.

Michigan Tech’s students also enjoy success outside the classroom. The school’s athletic programs are highly successful competitively as well as academically. Michigan Tech’s student athletes are consistently among the top in the nation with the highest grade point averages, while performing exceptionally well in their respective sports led by the successes of the women’s basketball team, which for the last two years has made it to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

“I congratulate Michigan Tech on its 125th anniversary and look forward to watching it continue to play an important role in northern Michigan for years to come,” said Stupak.

Continue Reading →

Michigan Tech Enrollment Exceeds Expectations

Published
By

by Jennifer Donovan, director of public relations

The University enrollment has topped projected numbers for the fall semester. Data reported to the state last night show that the public research university’s enrollment totaled 6,957, including 5,716 undergraduates and 1,241 graduate students.

Last fall, Michigan Tech’s total enrollment was 7,132, including 1,189 graduate students.

“We planned for total enrollment this fall of 6,900 and we exceeded that goal,” said Michigan Tech President Glenn D. Mroz. “We’re particularly pleased that emphasis on graduate enrollment continues to raise graduate student numbers to their highest level ever at Michigan Tech.”

Since 2007, Michigan Tech has intentionally been working to increase its proportion of graduate students, from 13 percent to 18 percent of the student body.

“The main factors affecting our expected undergraduate enrollment this year included an unusually large graduating class last year and the discontinuation of the Michigan Promise Grant,” Mroz said.

Les Cook, vice president for student affairs, agreed. “We know students and their families are struggling with increased costs, and in particular, the loss of the Michigan Promise Grant,” he said. “We saw the effect on our students last year, and we made up the difference in financial aid, essentially keeping the promise. We’re working with students one-on-one this year to make up the Promise Grant where needed, but we are simply not able to do that for everyone. That, I’m sure, has affected some students’ decisions about their university enrollment.”

Another factor in undergraduate enrollment may be an increase in tuition, based on an expected drop in state support, but “we have promised our Michigan resident students that if the state comes through with more money than we anticipated in our budget, we will provide a rebate on a portion of tuition,” Mroz said.

The diversity of the student body at Michigan Tech, including minorities and international students, increased to 20 percent. “Despite a sluggish economy, which tends to affect lower-income and minority students disproportionately, our numbers are up,” said Mroz. “I think that’s a testament to the intensive efforts we make to expose students from different backgrounds to Tech and to encourage them to seriously consider the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degree programs that are in high demand in the job market.” He mentioned University initiatives such as summer youth programs that recruit urban high school students, particularly in the Detroit area, and increases in financial aid.

Female enrollment also rose, from 25 to 26 percent.

The enrollment report showed that Tech’s average ACT score has risen more than one entire point, from 25.1 to 26.1, since 2005. With ACT scores ranging from 1 to 36, moving up a whole point reflects a significant increase in numbers of high-scoring entering students. Michigan’s average ACT score statewide this year was 19.7, and the national average was 21.

“The average ACT score is significant because a higher score indicates that Michigan Tech is attracting more high-achieving students and a broader array of students,” said Vice President Cook. The ACT score is also an important factor in US News rankings of colleges and universities.

“The increase in our average ACT score shows that smart students are drawn to other smart students,” added John Lehman, assistant vice president for enrollment.

The English ACT score of first-year students entering Michigan Tech has shown the most significant change over the years, rising from 23.7 in 2005 to 25.1 this year. Lehman attributed the rise to increasing numbers of students in the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and the College of Sciences and Arts. “People are recognizing us for our strong programs in addition to engineering,” he said.

Published in Tech Today.

Continue Reading →