Category: Academics

Bruce Seely, dean of Michigan Tech’s College of Sciences and Arts, has announced appointment of three new department chairs. Cary Chabalowski will join the Department of Chemistry as chair and professor of practice as of July 15. On July 1, Anne Beffel will assume chairmanship of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VPS), and Chandrashekhar Joshi will become chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.

All three new department chairs, Seely added, have had distinguished careers that demonstrate academic and administrative accomplishments and a commitment to education that promises success in their new roles. “I am deeply gratified at their willingness to take on one of the hardest roles in academic administration. But I am even more excited about the chance to work closely with these three energetic and enthusiastic new chairs,” the dean said. “I ask the campus community to help them feel welcome as they arrive in Houghton over the next month.”

Read more at Tech Today.

Three senior scholars in composition studies are retiring from the humanities department this year: Elizabeth Flynn, professor of reading and composition; Marilyn Cooper, professor of humanities; and Nancy Grimm, professor of Humanities. Grimm retired in December 2012, while Flynn and Cooper will retire in May 2013. All three contributed in major ways to the development and success of the graduate program in rhetoric and technical communication, which has graduated 88 doctoral and 139 master’s students to date.

To read more: http://blogs.mtu.edu/humanities/2013/03/07/humanities-department-retirements/

From Tech Today.

Congratulations to the following students, student organizations, and advisors for inspiring community, scholarship, possibilities, accountability and tenacity within Michigan Tech as well as our community.

Here are your 2013 Student Leadership Award recipients within the College of Sciences and Arts:

Undergraduate Students:

Melanie Hoffman, President’s Award for Leadership (Exercise Science)
Michael Adler, Provost Award for Scholarship (Physics)
Claire Meneguzzo, Vice President’s Award for Service (Clinical Lab Science)

Graduate Student:

Kevin Cassell, Exceptional Leadership in Student Governance (Rhetoric & Tech Communication)

Read more at Tech Today.

The Center for Teaching and Learning’s first Creative Canvas Course Contest (C-4) saw students nominate more than 100 different courses from almost every department. In the College of Sciences and Arts, the creative faculty recognized were:

Karin Schlenker (HU3280), Lecturer, Humanities
Richelle Winkler (SS3315), Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
Brigitte Zielinksi (BL2920) Instructor, Biological Sciences
Claire Zuraw (ESL0330), Instructor, ESL

View their video course tours.

From Tech Today.

BonzAI Brawl is an all-day artificial intelligence (AI) programming competition. “The competition has grown over 50 percent this year, with about 180 contestants on 75 teams,” says Jason Hiebel, a computer science graduate student and one of the organizers of this year’s event.

Read more at Tech Today, by Kevin Hodur.

Have you ever had to program your video game to play it? Well, on Saturday, about 200 students did just that for the 6th Annual BonzAI Brawl at Michigan Tech University; students played a computer game about ducks all day for the competition.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Beth Cefalu.

This battalion is called the Artic Warriors, and they’re certainly living up to their name as all 50 cadets complete field training in frigid rain and snow.

“We come out on Friday night, do land navigation,” explains Army ROTC Cadet Command Sgt. Major Christopher Sherrill. “Then Saturday we do tactical evaluations and Sunday we do rigorous training.”

Read more and watch the video at Upper Michigans Source, by Beth Cefalu.