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The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

Published December 12, 2016

Fellowship Opportunities

Scoville Fellows work with one or more than two dozen participating public-interest organizations. They may undertake a variety of activities, including research, writing, public education and advocacy on a range of security issues, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, non-proliferation, missile defense, weapons trade, environmental and energy security, and peacekeeping, that support the goals of their host organization, and may attend coalition meetings, policy briefings and Congressional hearings. Fellows are supervised by senior level staff and often have the opportunity to publish articles, blogs, or reports. The program also arranges meetings for the fellows with policy experts. Many former Scoville Fellows have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in international relations and taken prominent positions in the field of peace and security with public interest organizations, the Federal Government, academia and media.

The 6-9 month fellowship in Washington D.C. is open to recent undergraduate and graduate alumni with an excellent academic record and a strong interest in issues of peace and security. Deadline to apply is January 6th, 2017. For more information visit scoville.org.

The DHS HS-STEM Summer Internship Program

Published November 9, 2016

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The Department of Homeland Security sponsors a 10-week summer internship for students majoring in homeland security related science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

The program provides students with quality research experiences at federal research facilities located across the country and allows students the opportunity to establish connections with DHS professionals. The ultimate goals of the program are to engage a diverse, educated and skilled pool of scientists and engineers in HS-STEM areas and to promote long-term relationships between students, researchers, DHS and research facilities to enhance the HS-STEM workforce.

Undergraduate students receive a $6000 stipend plus travel expenses and graduate students receive $7000 plus travel expenses.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers this program through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ORISE is managed by ORAU for DOE. ORISE will be responsible for the application and review process, notification and implementation of the program. Deadline to apply is December 7th, 2016.

Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows Program

Published November 3, 2016

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The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows program is a competitive five week long summer leadership program that takes place just outside of Washington, D.C. at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The program offers a small, select group of rising college juniors unparalleled opportunities in the nation’s capital and on the famous estate of the first President of the United States. The program is fully funded and offers a $500 weekly stipend plus room, board and transportation expenses. During your five week fellowship you will engage in dynamic leadership education curriculum, interact with nationally recognized corporate, government, and military leaders in the nation’s capital, and discover how to change the world through self-reflection, exciting experiential activities, and a community service-focused capstone project.

Apply today and take advantage of this amazing opportunity to develop a network of professional contacts and become a lifelong member of an engaged community of fellowship alumni. This year’s program runs from June 4th, 2017 – July 14th, 2017. Please visit the application site for more information and deadlines.

DOE Scholars Internship Program

Published November 2, 2016

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Scholars Program offers unique opportunities that introduce students or post-graduates to the agency’s mission and operations. Participants in the DOE Scholars Program gain a competitive edge as they apply their education, talent and skills in a variety of scientific research settings within the DOE complex.

Areas of focus may include energy security, nuclear security, scientific discovery and innovation, environmental responsibility, and management excellence.

Applications are open through December 15th, 2016. Students from all academic levels of study are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more and apply.

Society of Women Engineers Team Shines at WE16

Published November 2, 2016

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By Electrical and Computer Engineering

Michigan Tech’s Blue Marble Security (BMS) Enterprise team CAT/SWE took first place in the WE16 Team Tech Competition (sponsored by Boeing) in Philadelphia over the weekend. Members of the Blue Marble Security team include: Ester Buhl, Sandra Cvetanovic, Cody Kovar, Johnathan Boik, Andrew Tallman, Alex Gall, Alexis Dani and Eman Jazayeri.

The team’s project “Wheel Tractor Scraper Bowl Optimization System,” a joint venture between BMS and Consumer Product Manufacturing Enterprise, was sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc. The Consumer Product Manufacturing team members include: Anna Marchesano, Brianne Anderson, Johnathan Quinn, Jennifer Dzurka and Harley Colburn.

Blue Marble Security is a virtual company of undergraduate students focused on securing the future through thoughtful use of technology. The student-led company combines a rich educational experience in engineering design, team building, project management and original product development.

Blue Marble Security’s win wasn’t the only good news for Tech at the conference. Elizabeth (Cloos) Dreyer, BSEE 2011, was selected SWE Outstanding Collegiate Member for outstanding contribution to SWE, the engineering community and their campus. Dreyer is an electrical engineering PhD candidate at the University of Michigan.

WE16 is the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology. Hosted by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and a number of corporate sponsors, WE16 provides inspiring and invaluable ways to connect, discover career opportunities and pursue professional development.

The SMART Scholarship for Service Program

Published October 25, 2016

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The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion with a Department of Defense facility. The Program will pay for all educational expenses for a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. degree, and then provide scholars unique opportunities to work as research scientists or engineers on cutting edge technology in world class Department of Defense facilities.

SMART Scholars receive:
• Full tuition and educational fees
• Generous cash stipend ranging from $25,000 – $38,000 per year
• Paid summer internships, health insurance, and miscellaneous allowance
• Employment with Department of Defense facilities after graduation

Students pursuing degrees in the following fields are encouraged to apply:
o Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
o Biosciences
o Chemical Engineering
o Chemistry
o Civil Engineering
o Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
o Computer, Computational Science, and Computer Engineering
o Electrical Engineering
o Geosciences
o Industrial and Systems Engineering
o Information Sciences
o Materials Science and Engineering
o Mathematics
o Mechanical Engineering
o Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
o Nuclear Engineering
o Oceanography
o Operations Research
o Physics

Basic eligibility requirements are as follows:
o a U.S. citizen at time of application (some exceptions apply),
o 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2017,
o able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories,
o willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD,
o a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and,
o pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed above

The application is currently open and the deadline to apply is December 1st, 2016. For more information and to apply please visit http://smart.asee.org.

Meet Brad Turner…

Published October 17, 2016

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By Amy Karagiannakis

Brad works part-time as a product designer for Handshake, the Michigan Tech start-up that is now headquartered in San Francisco. He started as an intern while the company was still located in Houghton in 2014. David Shull, Michigan Tech alumni and Director of University Growth at Handshake, related, “I’ve had the chance to work with Brad on a few different teams now. At Handshake, Brad crafted major redesigns of the student on-boarding process. Over three months, Brad’s inquisitive nature enabled him to learn about the company, the team, and the users to create a new student experience that has been used by hundreds of thousands of students across the country. From day one, Brad was treated as a full time team member and impressed the entire team with his work ethic, design skills, and technical approach to problem solving.” Brad’s biggest challenge since working at Handshake is trying to involve more actual users in the design process. He’s currently leading many student-focused projects that will help to redesign the job search experience for all of Handshake’s users.

With the new Michigan Tech Makerspace set to open in a little over a week, Brad has been busy trying to get The Alley ready. Next week, Silicon Valley alum will be visiting campus to take part in the Makerspace grand opening. As the Student Director, Brad incorporated a design thinking process to turn the old Michigan Tech bowling alley into a multi-functional makerspace that the entire University community can benefit from.

Preliminary floor plans courtesy of makerspacemtu.github.io/updates.html

Brad is a fourth year student graduating in the Spring with a Bachelors degree in Software Engineering. A Custom Pathways Innovation student, Brad sits on the Pavlis Honors College (PHC) Undergraduate Student Advisory Board and is very involved with Michigan Tech’s new Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship (ICE). During Homecoming week, Brad gathered a team to construct a cardboard boat for the Pavlis Honors College to compete in the annual races. Dr. Meadows may have captained the boat, but Brad led the charge. The well constructed design stayed afloat, and PHC came in second in their race.

Named University Innovation Fellow in 2015, Brad continues to bring the entrepreneurial mindset to Tech by increasing engagement on campus through innovation, design thinking, and creativity. He facilitates student workshops and coordinates the Maker Coach training. Brad is also putting what he learned through his involvement with UIF, to use at Handshake, as he develops personas to better understand the students using the platform.

UIFs in Silicon Valley for Epicenter Training

One of Brad’s favorite memories while working in San Francisco this past summer was marching in the Pride parade with a group called the Trevor project, which is a suicide hotline for LGBT youth. Outside of class, Brad enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, skiing, and taking pictures. Self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd, Brad bought the new book this summer on the day of its release and read it all in one day. He also loves volunteering at the Humane Society in his spare time to hang out with the cats.

Brad Turner is redefining what it means to be an Honors student. Have a passion for innovation? Find out how you can get involved with the Pavlis Honors College. Applications are due October 23rd.

Learning How to De-Stress

Published October 12, 2016

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PHC Students

By Amy Karagiannakis

We all encounter stress in our daily lives, but some of us are able to cope with it better than others. Dave is on the football team, USG representative, serves as project manager for his Enterprise team, works part-time as an intern, stays active in his fraternity, serves on the MUB Board, is a member of the Pony Brigade, maintains a 3.97 GPA, and is probably one of the most laid back, got-it-together people you’d ever meet. Ok, ok, Dave is not a real person, but for the record, the Pony Brigade is a real Michigan Tech Student Organization. The point is that all of us know someone like Dave or have encountered someone like him in our past. How do they not have daily nervous breakdowns?

Picture from: http://www.theplaidzebra.com/it-turns-out-that-selflessness-is-the-easiest-way-to-save-you-from-stress-and-extend-your-life-2/

Understanding how our body deals with stress is a good first step to managing it, so let’s review 8th grade science. Our nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. We will focus on the former. The sympathetic nervous system regulates what Walter Bradford Cannon called our fight-or-flight response. When this process is stimulated, your blood pressure rises, your heart begins to race, muscles tense up, and your breathing intensifies. If your typical day-in-the-life is consistently stressful, you may be conditioning your sympathetic nervous system to stimulate the fight-or-flight response for every minor circumstance. Experiencing this reaction multiple times a day can really wreak havoc on your mind and body. Finding ways to bring your heart rate down and relax your mind is important to managing stress and the triggers that cause it.

Picture from: http://users2.unimi.it/fens_stress/index.html

I find the most effective way to deal with stress is meditation. Meditation can be practiced by anyone. There is no wrong way to meditate, but here are some guidelines that can help you benefit from it. Finding a place for meditation during the day can sometimes be a difficult task. However, these are when our stress levels are highest. If you can’t be at home and you are looking for a place to meditate, consider the following options around campus: library study room, an empty classroom, Counseling Services Relaxation Room, empty common areas in the residence halls, or even outside in the warm sun on a nice day. Your meditation spot doesn’t necessarily need to be quiet. Some people prefer background noise or music to complete silence. Once you have your spot, get comfortable. Despite popular belief, you do not have to sit in full lotus position to meditate. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Men-and-meditation — Jagged rocks, on the edge of a cliff, in full lotus? Not my idea of comfortable, but to each their own…

Close your eyes and slow your breathing. Focusing on your breathing will help eliminate the negative thoughts and feelings that triggered your stress. If you are still having trouble freeing your mind from negativity, try focusing on an object or image that relaxes you. Others may find that the repetition of a single word said softly and slowly helps to relax them. Whatever you choose, the point is to find something that doesn’t require a lot of thought, but enough that your mind is able to focus on that instead of the negative thoughts and stressors. As you continue to breathe slowly and deeply, your heart rate will begin to slow, your muscles will relax, your mind will clear. Meditate for as long as it takes to reach this point of tranquility.

Statistics show that stress among college students is on the rise. The demand to be involved in multiple extracurriculars, getting internships and/or co-ops, keeping that GPA up, applying for graduate school, exams, getting a job, the availability of immediate communication via email, text, and social media all contribute to the stresses of today’s generation of college students. Recurrent, long-term stress and anxiety can lead to a long list of physical and emotional ailments.

Photo courtesy of Flickr contributor Lee Winder

If you feel stressed and need help, remember that you are not alone. Michigan Tech offers one-on-one and group counseling services that are free to all Michigan Tech students. If you find meditation or other relaxation techniques to be unhelpful and you are experiencing physical and/or emotional symptoms of stress, please seek help from a counselor or doctor.

Filling the Pool…

Published October 5, 2016

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PHC Students

By Lorelle Meadows, Dean Pavlis Honors College

For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to find time to read a book that was recommended to me by a PHC student. It’s called Crucial Conversations. It’s about developing the skills for engaging in the day-to-day conversations that affect your life. But not just any conversation – crucial ones: the kind when opinions vary, the stakes are high and emotions run strong. Yikes!! Sounds like something we like to avoid!

One of the first things the authors mention is the importance of the free flow of relevant information – the open and honest sharing of perspectives and ideas – because only then will the best decisions be made and only then will everybody buy in to and respect the decisions. The authors call this filling the pool of shared meaning. I like this analogy and the image that it takes all of us to fill this pool. It also fills much quicker if we are all pouring in our thoughts and ideas.

When people have a chance to share their ideas – no matter how controversial they might appear at first glance, no matter how challenging to others beliefs – people feel valued and engage in making meaning together – in understanding. Even though not everybody is guaranteed to be completely happy with whatever decision is made, the deeper the pool, the better the choice and the stronger the belief in the decision and the understanding of why the decision was made.

What I hope to always remember as I continue to meet and work with others, is that in that instant when I feel challenged or faced with controversy, and my heart begins to race and I start to think about running or hiding, that I am engaging in the beginning of filling that glorious pool of shared meaning. And, soon, that pool will be overflowing with unique perspectives, amazing ideas and all I have to do is dive in!!

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

Published September 19, 2016

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Fellowship Opportunities

Scoville Fellows work with one or more than two dozen participating public-interest organizations. They may undertake a variety of activities, including research, writing, public education and advocacy on a range of security issues, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, non-proliferation, missile defense, weapons trade, environmental and energy security, and peacekeeping, that support the goals of their host organization, and may attend coalition meetings, policy briefings and Congressional hearings. Fellows are supervised by senior level staff and often have the opportunity to publish articles, blogs, or reports. The program also arranges meetings for the fellows with policy experts. Many former Scoville Fellows have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in international relations and taken prominent positions in the field of peace and security with public interest organizations, the Federal Government, academia and media.

The 6-9 month fellowship in Washington D.C. is open to recent undergraduate and graduate alumni with an excellent academic record and a strong interest in issues of peace and security. Deadline to apply is January 6th, 2017. For more information visit scoville.org.

Tag: undergraduate students