Category: Biological Sciences

Five Alumni Inducted Into College of Sciences and Arts Academy

From left, Leann Nitschke, Carly Robinson, Ping Yang, CSA Dean LaReesa Wolfenbarger, Gary Karicky, and Kimberly Hilton
at the College of Sciences and Arts Academy induction ceremony on Sept. 19. (Image courtesy Kelly Steelman).

Earlier this fall, the Michigan Tech College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) gathered to celebrate the induction of five remarkable and accomplished alumni into the CSA Academy.

Dean LaReesa Wolfenbarger hosted the ceremony honoring these alumni and their contributions to a better tomorrow, which run the gamut from advancing scientific discovery to serving the nation and their communities through defense readiness, healthcare, education, and public engagement.

This year’s CSA Academy inductees are Kimberly Hilton; Gary A. Karicky M.D.; Leann Nitschke, M.D.; Carly Robinson; and Ping Yang.

Kimberly Hilton, '91
Kimberly Hilton, ’91

Hilton, a professor of chemistry at Southwestern Florida State College, is a distinguished science education influencer known as Chemical Kim. Hilton, who makes frequent media and TV appearances, has amassed a following of millions on social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Chemical Kim is dedicated to enhancing chemistry education at community colleges and high schools, leveraging technology in science education, and fostering inclusion within the field. Hilton, who earned a BS in chemistry and secondary education certification at Michigan Tech in 1991, was featured in the 2024 issue of Tech Magazine.

Learn more about Hilton in her Michigan Tech Alumni profile.


Gary Krasicky, ’77
Gary Krasicky, ’77

Dr. Gary Krasicky, M.D., graduated from Michigan Tech with high honors, earning a BS in chemistry in 1977. Krasicky went on to complete his studies at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he took specialty training in radiology and nuclear medicine before a four-year Air Force tour as chief of nuclear medicine at Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center in the Washington, DC area. A Michigan Tech Alumni Board of Managers member from 1982-86, Krasicky entered private practice in 1990, starting a nuclear medicine service at Inova Fairfax Hospital in the radiology practice at Fairfax Radiological Consultants in Northern Virginia. He served as director and radiation safety officer until his retirement in 2004.
Learn more about Krasicky in his Michigan Tech Alumni profile.


Leann Nitschke, ’84
Leann Nitschke, ’84

Dr. Leann Nitschke, M.D., graduated from Michigan Tech in 1984 with a BS in biological sciences. She and fellow ’84 alum Matthew Nitschke married three weeks after graduation and were together for nearly 31 years before Matthew’s passing in 2015. 

She joined the Army National Guard in 1987, serving as a company commander and assistant state surgeon/acting deputy commander of the Illinois state health directorate.

Nitschke earned her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1988 and a master’s of business administration from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2004. After completing her general surgery residency in 1994, Nitschke became board-certified in general surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a certified physician executive, and a fellow in the American College of Physician Executives.

Nitschke entered private practice in Effingham, Illinois, serving as chief of surgery and chief of staff. She was on active duty from 2003-2008 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and Fort Drum, New York.

Nitschke retired as a soldier in 2008 with the rank of colonel and entered civil service as a Department of the Army civilian employee. Her civil service career started at Fort Drum, New York as medical director of the Warrior Transition Unit and Medical Evaluation Board service. Next, she served at Fort Carson, Colorado as director of the integrated disability evaluation service, and then at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, Washington as a physician adjudicator for the Physical Evaluation Board. During her tenure at Fort Carson, she served as a member of Rapid Process Improvement / Lean Six Sigma project combining assets from the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA), and Department of Defense (DoD) to develop, test, and fully implement the new integrated disability evaluation process which became the standard across the Army and Veteran Affairs.
Learn more about Nitschke in her Michigan Tech Alumni profile.


Carly Robinson, ’07
Carly Robinson, ’07

Dr. Carly Robinson graduated from Michigan Tech in 2007 with a BS in applied physics. Robinson is the assistant director for information products and services in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information. She leads multiple teams, including those overseeing the management of DOE research and development (R&D) search tools; curating DOE-funded R&D results and associated information; and providing persistent identifier services for DOE and other federal agencies. Robinson was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Robinson continues to co-author publications on open science practices and gives invited talks in the US and internationally about open science.
Learn more about Robinson in her Michigan Tech Alumni profile.


Ping Yang, ’05
Ping Yang, ’05

Dr. Ping Yang earned her PhD in chemistry at Michigan Tech in 2005. The deputy director of the G.T. Seaborg Institute for Transactinium Science and a staff scientist in the Physics and Chemistry of Materials group of the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Yang has extensive experience in computational approaches to modeling electronic structure and reactivity of actinides, surface chemistry, and nanomaterials in solution environments. She has published more than 140 papers and given over 90 invited presentations.

Learn more about Yang in her Michigan Tech Alumni profile

The inductees join a distinguished group of alumni selected as members of the Michigan Technological University Academies. The honor acknowledges their extraordinary achievements as educators, mentors, catalysts, visionaries, and creators that personify the University’s commitment to excellence.

Inductees, nominated by current and emeritus faculty, are selected by consensus based on noteworthy, impactful accomplishments including exemplary public service, outstanding leadership in civic affairs, leading-edge professional performance, and other outstanding contributions to the growth and development of their disciplines within the University and throughout the world.

About the College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts strives to be a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for an increasingly technological world. Our teacher-scholar model provides the foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees and 25 graduate degrees and certificates. The College conducts approximately $12,000,000 in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.

Follow the College on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInX and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

Abe Stone: Making a Difference and Making Headlines

Undergraduate researcher Abe Stone records inoculation data in his notebook.

Michigan Tech undergraduate researcher Abe Stone has been garnering headlines for his work. The ecology and evolutionary biology major demonstrates the adage that science isn’t done until it’s communicated. He also illustrates how the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program helps students conduct impactful interdisciplinary research.

Stone was most recently quoted by The Cool Down in a story about SuperPurp, his unconventional fungus-based treatment aimed at controlling the spread of invasive buckthorn trees that threaten to engulf forest landscapes in the Midwest. The story referenced the research’s debut on Michigan Tech’s Unscripted Research Blog, and was picked up by Yahoo! News. Stone was also interviewed by ABC-10 in Marquette.

Stone was a guest on the Mushroom Revival podcast in June to talk about his research journey to Michigan Tech, where he worked to develop a sprayable fungus as a more efficient way to propagate chondrostereum purpureum, the pathogen that causes silverleaf disease in trees. Nicknamed SuperPurp and developed in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science’s forest microbiology lab, it’s a locally sourced chemical-free alternative to control buckthorn that could help to slow the spread of invasive buckthorn without harming nearby species.

Stone received the 2024 Provost’s Award for Scholarship. He was recognized for both exceptional academic success and his depth of research involvement.

Stone, a state-certified expert in mushroom identification, has been communicating his research and sharing information to help others understand issues surrounding native species almost since he arrived at Tech. Back on Aug. 12, 2022, Stone was interviewed by Michigan Daily for a column about morality and philosophy surrounding invasive species. And, along with other students he has worked with one of his advisors, Sigrid Resh, coordinator of to Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA), to co-author articles for the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette that help citizens identify and help to address invasive species in their own backyard.

The Institute will run for one year, beginning in January 2025. It will operate virtually throughout the year and also includes an immersive, two-week on-site component that will take place at Michigan Tech in July 2025.

Winner of the 2024 Provost’s Award for Scholarship, Stone has been a principal investigator (PI) on six awarded proposals and was a co-PI on a Michigan Space Consortium Grant. His most recent research adventures have taken him to Isle Royale. The recipient of the Garden Club of America Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany, Stone surveyed invasive yellow hawkweeds encroaching on the island’s unique bedrock glades. His 2024 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium entry “A Botanical and Ecological Profile of Isle Royale’s Invasive Hawkweed Complex,” earned an excellence in presentation acknowledgement.

As Stone shares his research, he also shares his proactive approach to the challenges posed by invasive species. “There are few miracle fixes in the world, so when we are presented with no alternative other than working on the stuff in our own backyards, then we have to take what we are given and make the most of it.”


About the College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts strives to be a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for an increasingly technological world. Our teacher-scholar model provides the foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees and 25 graduate degrees and certificates. The College conducts approximately $12,000,000 in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.

Follow the College on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn,  X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

Happy New Year, 2023!

Happy New Year from the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech!

Campus Abuzz With Activity

large snow sculpture of building
Phi Kappa Tau’s winning sculpture from Winter Carnival 2022
Broomball player in the snow
Broomball under the lights

Despite the short, cold days, campus is buzzing with activity, both inside and out! Outside my office window, the broomball season just kicked off after a brief postponement due to some unfortunate rain that also wreaked temporary havoc on the ski hill. Scaffolding and plywood have invaded campus as the month-long snow sculpture competition is underway in advance of Winter Carnival 2023 February 9-11. This year’s theme is “Tasty foods for wintry moods”.

Our incredible Rosza Center for the Performing Arts had its first sold out show since before the pandemic. We were fortunate to welcome the national touring Broadway show Hairspray. We rely on donor and foundation support to help bring these national shows to the UP and keep ticket prices affordable.

Xiaoqing Tang
Associate Professor Xiaoqing Tang
Paul Goetch
Assistant Professor
Paul Goetsch
Stephen Techtmann
Associate Professor Stephen Techtmann

Biological Science Excellence

I want to highlight this month the amazing performance of our Biological Sciences department both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Last semester 70 instructors from across the university were recognized for having teaching evaluations in the top 10% of comparable sized classes. Out of these 70 spread across 25 departments, a whopping 12 came from Biological Sciences (better than 1-in-3!). Department-wide the average score was 4.47/5.

Meanwhile in the laboratory, three faculty scored big grants this month. Steve Techtmann received another $2 million from DARPA, bringing his total funding on the project to $6.6 million. Steve is an environmental microbiologist who is studying ways to use microbes to help turn plastic waste into edible proteins. Paul Goetsch received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. This approximately $1 million grant is the most prestigious award the NSF has for pre-tenure faculty. Paul is an expert in molecular genetics and biochemistry, including the use of the famous CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool. And finally, Xiaoqing Tang received her third large grant from the National Institutes of Health. Xiaoqing studies the role of MicroRNA with applications to diabetes research. We pride ourselves in CSA on excellence in both research and teaching, and biological sciences exemplifies that!

Alumni and Donors Key To Success

Critical to everything we do are our alumni and friend donors. All your donations to our departments, scholarships, and the general fund are vitally important to our success. Thank you so much for supporting Michigan Tech! For CSA giving opportunities please visit: https://www.mtu.edu/sciences-arts/giving/

If you are ever back in town I hope you will stop by, say hello, and share with me your MTU story. Please do not hesitate to email me any time at djhemmer@mtu.edu to share your MTU experience or offer suggestions.

Best wishes,
David Hemmer
Dean- College of Sciences and Arts

PS: You can always follow us on social media.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Greetings and Happy Veteran’s Day from the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech!

SSgt Shaniqua S. McKnight, Dean Hemmer, and Lt. Col. Joseph C. Pulliam ready to take flight

November 11, 2021

One of the interesting parts of my job is that the College of Sciences and Arts includes our departments of Military Science and Aerospace Studies, i.e. our Army and Air Force ROTC programs. While our cadets hail from majors across the university, for academic purposes the programs are housed in CSA and the commanders, Major Gwosch from Army and LTC Pulliam from Air Force, bring a unique perspective to our College Council.

A flight out with Air Force and Army ROTC

On October 28 they invited me to join a large group of Air Force cadets and cadre, and a smaller group of Army cadets, on an “incentive flight” that rewards them for their performance. The Michigan Air National Guard flew in two KC-135 Stratotankers to Marquette. We had planned to refuel F16s and an A-10 that would take off from Wisconsin but, to my surprise, they were unable to take off due to icing conditions! (“The F16s are great in the desert,” quipped LTC Pulliam) Undaunted, we had a wonderful flight, circling Mackinac Island at low altitude, flying all the way back to campus, and then back to Marquette. Our plane hit a flock of birds just before we landed, sending the other plane screaming back up in the air to circle around and leaving the crew stranded in Marquette for the night until the engines could be inspected. The co-pilot was a great Tech alum who currently flies for Delta airlines.

The wonderful support we give to our military was one of the things that drew me to Michigan Tech, and our cadets continue to make us proud. Most recently business student Caleb Brulke was named the number one Army cadet in the nation! Read more here: https://bit.ly/3C6I4d7

Dr. Datta receives major grant to research toxin reduction

With everyone back on campus, I have resumed my efforts to hear about each of our faculty member’s research. I recently visited the lab of Biology Professor Rupali Datta. Dr. Datta is one of the stars of our department, an expert in plant biochemistry and molecular biology. She recently received a $700,000+ grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to continue her incredible research on using various plants to absorb toxic metals like lead and arsenic in the soil. Her work has been applied in settings ranging from backyards in New Jersey to former mine sites in the Southwest and, closer to home, to the land where the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community grows wild rice.

Dr. Datta recently received a large grant from HUD

Thank You for your support

Critical to everything we do, including the success of our ROTC programs, are our alumni and friend donors. All your donations to our departments, scholarships, and the general fund are vitally important to our success. Thank you so much for supporting Michigan Tech! For CSA giving opportunities please visit:  https://www.mtu.edu/sciences-arts/giving/