College of Sciences and Arts Newsblog

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Bell Gives Voice to the History of Talking Machines in Nationally Recognized Book

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The cover of Vox Ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines by Sarah Bell

Sarah Bell, associate professor of digital media in the College of Science and Arts gained national recognition recently when her book Vox Ex Machina was listed on the New Yorker’s “Best Books We’ve Read This Week.” The book details the development of key voice synthesis technologies across the 20th century and factors that influenced their creation.

Bell’s exploration of the topic goes far deeper than a simple history of how these technologies were created, also exploring public response to the tech and asking whether talking machines are good for us.

“We were already primed for voice assistants before Siri and Alexa, but that doesn’t mean they work very well for us.”

Sarah Bell

Vox Ex Machina is as much about the people creating and using voice synthesis as it is about the technology itself, and this research concept began very close to home for Bell.

“I became interested in voice synthesis because of my kids, who, as teenagers, were using voice synthesis software to create music,” she said. “This was before Siri. I was interested in how this group of American kids related to the Japanese character of the software and expressed themselves through its voice.”

Sarah Bell, author of Vox Ex Machina
Sarah Bell, author of Vox Ex Machina

The original concept has gone through several iterations, originally as Bell’s PhD dissertation. Rather than explore the use of voice synthesis in music, Vox Ex Machina ultimately focuses on broader consumer deployments of voice synthesis.

“I study sociotechnical systems, usually from a historical perspective, and I tend to be interested in technologies when they are introduced to a consumer market. At that point they are rarely the ‘ideal’ that early developers had in mind,” said Bell.

Bell was “stunned” at the book’s mention in the New Yorker’s “Best Books” list, and delighted when historian Jill Lepore discussed it in her article about chatbots earlier this month.

“She’s one of my favorite writers, so I’m still pinching myself that she liked the book,” Bell said.

The College of Sciences and Arts is a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for a technological world. Our teacher-scholar model is a foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences, chemistry, humanities, kinesiology and Integrative physiology, mathematical sciences, physics, psychology and human factors, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. We are home to Michigan Tech’s pre-health professions and ROTC programs. The College offers 24 graduate degrees and certificates. We conduct approximately $12 million in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.

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

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Physicist’s Search for a New Project Leads to Discovery and Publication

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View of the HAWC Observatory with mountains in the background
Data from the HAWC Observatory, shown here, was central to the research project. (Image credit: Jordan Goodman/HAWC Collaboration)

When postdoctoral scholar Xiaojie Wang of the Michigan Technological University Physics Department went looking for her next research topic, she found a previously unexplored region and a path to publication.

Wang is lead corresponding author of the article, “Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Bubble around Microquasar V4641 Sgr” recently published in Nature journal. The findings highlighted in the article offer new insights into how microquasars might contribute to the cosmic-ray energy spectrum—a long-standing puzzle in astrophysics.

“While reviewing the sky maps in search of my next project, I noticed a region five degrees away from our galactic plane with bright emissions that had not been visible in previous datasets,” said Wang, who works with Petra Huentemeyer, a distinguished professor of physics at Michigan Tech. “No gamma-ray source has been identified nor analyzed in this region—so I seized the opportunity and led the analysis.”

Xiaojie Wang
Xiaojie Wang, who describes the project as both groundbreaking and challenging, relied on collaboration with the close-knit physics community, including other researchers from Michigan Tech.

Huentemeyer’s group focuses on high-energy astrophysical phenomena and low-level data analysis at the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-ray Observatory (HAWC). The map that caught Wang’s attention was produced by Dezhi Huang, a ’23 Michigan Tech alumnus and previous graduate student in Huentemeyer’s group. Huang was responsible for producing the maps from newly available datasets. Now a postdoc at the University of Maryland, Dezhi continues to work closely with HAWC.

“I shared the discovery with Dezhi and Dr. Huentemeyer, and we were all excited about the potential significance of this new source, especially since no other gamma-ray instruments had reported it. This made the project both groundbreaking and challenging,” said Wang.

“Dr. Huentemeyer has been very supportive, and with the guidance of Dezhi’s current supervisor, Dr. Jordan Goodman, they have contributed greatly to the project’s success,” said Wang. “My role has been central in analyzing the HAWC data, interpreting the results, and collaborating with colleagues from UM-Madison and the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences. Together, we’ve worked to better understand the high-energy emissions from this fascinating source. This project provides new insights into particle acceleration mechanisms in binary systems, and I’m thrilled to have played a key role in this groundbreaking research.”

High-Energy Emissions from a Newly Sighted Microquasar

Wang said the most exciting aspect of the results is the discovery of ultra-high-energy gamma-ray emissions from the microquasar V4641 Sgr. “Microquasars are systems where a black hole or neutron star is pulling material from a nearby star, creating intense radiation and shooting out jets of particles at nearly the speed of light. They’re smaller versions of quasars but still incredibly powerful,” Wang explained. “This is something no other gamma-ray instruments had detected before and marks a major leap in our understanding, as V4641 Sgr is now the first microquasar to show emissions above 200 TeV.” TeV is the abbreviation for teraelectronvolts, a unit of energy equal to one trillion electron volts.

Wang said the discovery pushes the boundaries of what is known about particle acceleration in such systems. “The fact that we detected this using HAWC’s unique capabilities—its wide field of view and continuous sky monitoring—raises new questions about how particles are accelerated in extreme environments like this one,” she said.

Wang said a peanut-shaped emission region researchers observed was another surprising aspect of the findings. “When we analyzed the two parts of this shape, we found nearly identical energy spectra, which strongly suggests they share a common origin—likely the jets or lobes of the microquasar. The photon energies are incredibly high, exceeding 200 TeV, challenging existing models of particle acceleration in microquasars and opening new possibilities for understanding these systems.”

The most current discovery follows previous revelations, including HAWC’s detection of the first discovered microquasar, SS 433, in 2018. That discovery was also led by a Michigan Tech physics research group.

Tracing the Trajectory of the Study

The study started with data from HAWC, the gamma-ray observatory that continuously scans the sky to pick up signals from objects in space, including cosmic rays. When the rays reach Earth’s atmosphere they collide with particles in the atmosphere and create showers of smaller particles known as EAS, or extensive air showers. “Our detectors—large tanks filled with pure water—capture the “Cherenkov lights” produced by these particle showers,” said Wang. “By recording the time and charges, and using advanced techniques like neural networks, we can figure out the type, direction, and energy of the original particles. Once all this is done, tools developed by our team at HAWC help create sky maps, showing where the signals came from and how strong they are. The people responsible for making these maps in HAWC are called map-makers, and Dezhi is one of them.”

Discovering a region in the sky where no gamma-ray studies had been conducted was both exhilarating and challenging. “I applied different statistical models to get a better understanding of the region, estimating how powerful the signal might be. I also spent a significant amount of time searching for possible counterparts—other objects or signals detected in wavelengths like radio, X-ray, and infrared. After carefully reviewing all available data, the microquasar V4641 Sgr emerged as the most likely source responsible for the emissions,” said Wang.

She noted that collaboration was crucial throughout the process. Researchers worked closely with theoretical experts including Huang, Brenda Dingus and Goodman, from the University of Maryland; Ke Fang from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Sabrina Casanova from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences sharing data and insights to refine their interpretations.

Wang was recently a guest on the Nature podcast. Listen to the episode “Star-eating black hole could power cosmic particle accelerator.”

“Our findings highlight how collaborative efforts and cutting-edge observational tools can push the frontiers of astrophysics,” said Wang. “But we definitely encountered a few surprises and challenges along the way.”

One of the biggest surprises was the extreme energy of the gamma-ray emissions from the microquasar. Wang said it forced researchers to rethink their understanding of how particles are accelerated and transported in such systems. “On the challenge side, the complexity of the emission region was a major obstacle,” she said. Researchers needed more data in order to confidently determine the best-fit statistical model for the peanut-shaped emission. “The HAWC outrigger array—an upgrade to the current detector—or the future SWGO observatory could provide the additional data needed.”

Impact of the Findings Now and In the Future

“Our findings contribute a new piece to the cosmic-ray puzzle, offering valuable insights into how particles are energized and transported across vast distances,” said Wang. “Understanding these processes is crucial not only for advancing astrophysics but also for unraveling the origins of cosmic rays, which have intrigued scientists for over a century.

“While we don’t see immediate real-world applications, the discoveries we make could have long-term and unforeseen impacts. Often, breakthroughs in basic science lead to technological innovations in surprising and unpredictable ways.”

– Xiaojie Wang, Michigan Tech physicist

Next steps for the research include more detailed physical modeling of V4641 Sgr’s emissions, using multi-wavelength data from X-ray, radio, and gamma-ray observatories. “I successfully proposed follow-up observations with the APEX radio telescope in Chile and am now working on another proposal for follow-up observations using NASA and ESA’s X-ray instruments. We also plan to analyze more extensive observation data with the HAWC outrigger array,” said Wang. “These efforts will help refine our understanding of the source’s emission mechanisms and bring us closer to answering long-standing questions about the origins of the universe’s highest-energy particles.”

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, LinkedIn,  X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

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Five Alumni Inducted Into College of Sciences and Arts Academy

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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, LinkedIn,  X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

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New Institute Brings Keweenaw Time Traveler to the World—And New Researchers to Keweenaw

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Two children viewing the time traveler demo with an researcher

Deep-mapping projects like Keweenaw Time Traveler can engage communities in meaningful, multi-generational explorations. (Image courtesy KeTT)

An advanced institute in the spatial and digital humanities is coming to Michigan Tech.

Don Lafreniere, a professor of geography and geographic information science (GIS) in Tech’s Department of Social Sciences is leading a team of researchers, staff, and students from Michigan Tech and Wayne State University on project that will develop the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Community Deep Mapping Institute. The project is supported by a $250,000 NEH grant.

Don Lafreniere
Michigan Tech’s Don Lafreniere, who will lead the Institute, said available fellowships are designed for early career to senior scholars, and professionals in history and heritage who work with public audiences.

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.

Co-hosted by Tech and Wayne State University, the Institute will bring 40 people from around the world to Houghton and the surrounding region to learn about deep mapping and the other technologies used in the award-winning Keweenaw Time Traveler and the subsequently developed Hamtramck Explorer.

The grant is further evidence of the power and potential of deep maps like the Keweenaw Time Traveler, which enables citizen researchers to both explore history and add the layers of their own historical community knowledge to the interactive platform, providing a model that can be adapted anywhere where people are interested in how their communities developed.

“This institute will teach people around the world how to integrate spatial technologies together with historical information about their local places to help communities learn more about their geography, history, and cultural heritage,” said Lafreniere.

The Deep Mapping Institute was one of four projects in the nation awarded funds totaling $963,499 as part of the NEH’s Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities. The intent of the four projects in this category center on providing scholars, advanced graduate students, and practicing professionals with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of advanced technology tools and methodologies relevant to the humanities and social sciences and to increase the number of scholars using digital technology in their research. The institutes are part of the recent NEH funding cycle that included $37.5 million in grants overall for 240 humanities projects.

A Collaboration Between Two State Universities

The project springs from a collaboration between MTU and Wayne State University that began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, MTU and WSU faculty and students started working together on the Hamtramck Spatial Archaeology Project, another NEH-funded initiative focused on the small industrial city within the boundaries of Detroit.

Project co-directors include Sarah Scarlett, associate professor of history, Mark Rhodes, assistant professor of geography, and Dan Trepal, senior geospatial research scientist, all from Michigan Tech, and Krysta Ryzewski, professor of anthropology at Wayne State University.

Confronted by the challenge of restricted access to archival, museum, and archaeological resources, Ryzewski, Trepal, and Lafreniere were inspired to partner with Hamtramck Historical Museum to construct the explorer prototype. The Hamtramck Explorer includes more than 130 digitized historic maps cross-linked to historical museum collections, along with related archaeological data.

“This deep map has since grown into an invaluable research, preservation, and storytelling resource that makes historical information accessible to the public and encourages community dialogues around the themes of preservation, immigration, and local history,” said Ryzewski. “Today, the team continues to work on expanding the Hamtramck Explorer to cover the entire area of the two-square-mile city, and to equip it with capabilities that allow the public to contribute content.”

The newly funded NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute takes the dual-university collaboration to an expanded level. Starting in January 2025, dozens of Michigan Tech and Wayne State students, faculty, and staff will participate, alongside 40 social science, humanities, and heritage-focused professionals from around the world.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to share the benefits of our state-level collaboration with more colleagues as we create new digital resources and amplify the impacts of deep mapping internationally,” said Ryzewski. “Institute fellows from across the US and around the world will develop projects that increase public access to historical data, advance community engagement, and foster innovation in the digital and spatial humanities.”.

The NEH Community Deep Mapping Institute in-person component will take place July 7-18, 2025 at Michigan Tech, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula.

Fellowship Application Deadline is November 22

The Institute seeks to fund fellows or teams of fellows who wish to learn the range of skills necessary to create their own public-facing deep map. “The intent is to create a diverse group of fellows including students, early career to senior scholars, and professionals in history and heritage who work with public audiences including public historians, interpreters, and those who work in museums, parks, and historic sites and houses.

Lafreniere said fellows will “learn a wide range of technical and professional skills that are needed to successfully develop their own deep mapping projects including basic GIS skills, digital spatial storytelling, public engagement strategies, and how to integrate deep maps with augmented and mobile technologies.”

Fellows will also benefit from developing new partnerships with other deep- mapping scholars and public-facing professionals. “They will have access to a team of experts in a wide variety of fields, including the digital and spatial humanities, archaeology, geography, GIS, history, heritage interpretation, library and archives, public history, and experts in community-based researchers,” Lafrieniere said
Applicants selected to be fellows will receive a stipend to support travel to and from the Keweenaw and meals Fellows will be in residence at the Laurium Manor Inn during their time in the region.

You can learn more about the criteria and apply for a fellowship on the Deep Mapping Institute website.

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, LinkedIn,  X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

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Michigan Tech Mathematical Sciences Department Invites Campus and Community to Kliakhandler Lectures

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Sun shining over the exterior of Fisher Hall.

A leading researcher in numerical analysis will share the history and relevance of computational mathematics in a public lecture October 3 in Fisher Hall.

Dr. Susanne C. Brenner will deliver the seventh Kliakhandler Public Lecture at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 3 in Fisher 139. The title of her lecture is “Computational Mathematics.”

The campus community and general public are invited. Admission is free.

Susanne Brenner
Dr. Susanne Brenner comes to campus in early October.

Brenner, a Boyd Professor and associate director for academic affairs at Louisiana State University, has served as president of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and is a leading researcher in numerical analysis. “This is a general talk about computational mathematics,” said Brenner. “We will trace its fascinating history from ancient time to modern day in terms of people, machines and algorithms. We will discuss the goals and practice of computational mathematics, and the challenges and opportunities that it provides.”

Brenner’s numerous awards and honors include the Humboldt-Forschungspreis Award, a Humboldt Re-invitation Research Award, and the AWM-SIAM Sonia Kovalevsky Lecture Prize. In addition to being named a SIAM Fellow, she is also an American Mathematical Society, American Association for Advancement of Science, and Association for Women in Mathematics fellow, and serves on several editorial boards.

“We’re excited for both the public and our department to take part in this very special event,” said Melissa Keranen, professor and interim department chair. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to hear and be inspired by a leading-edge researcher in the field of mathematics, which is more relevant than ever to our daily lives.”

During her visit, Brenner will also deliver a research colloquium to the Department of Mathematical Sciences at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 4. The presentation is titled “Novel Finite Element Methods for Elliptic Optimal Control Problems with Pointwise State Constraints.”

“Elliptic distributed optimal control problems are infinite dimensional least-squares data fitting problems where the models are defined by second order elliptic boundary value problems,” Brenner explained. “In the presence of pointwise constraints on the state variable, the traditional approach of reducing this problem to a minimization problem involving only the control variable becomes more challenging due to the reduced regularity of the adjoint state. In this talk, I will explain how to adopt finite element methods originally designed for fourth-order elliptic boundary value problems to this class of optimal control problems and present a unified framework for their analysis.”

About the Kliakhandler Lectures

The Kliakhandler lecture series, which began in 2015 through the generosity of former faculty member Igor Kliakhandler, brings a top mathematician to the Michigan Tech campus each year to deliver two lectures—one for the community and one for the mathematical sciences department. 

Past lecturers include Richard Stanley of MIT and Nick Trefethen, professor of numerical analysis at Oxford University and Global Distinguished Professor at New York University.

About the Mathematical Sciences Department

Mathematicians at Michigan Technological University conduct research and guide students, applying concepts to fields like business, engineering, healthcare, and government. The Mathematical Sciences Department offers undergraduate degrees in business analytics, mathematics, mathematics and computer science, and statistics and graduate programs with degrees in mathematical sciences, applied statistics, and statistics. Students supercharge their math skills at Michigan’s premier technological university. They graduate prepared for successful careers in academia, research, and tomorrow’s high-tech business environment.

Questions? Contact us at mathdept@mtu.edu. Follow us on Facebook or read the Mathematical Sciences news blog for the latest happenings.

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Two CSA Faculty Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Michigan Tech

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Brick two story building with concrete walkways in front, surrounded by green grass, shrubs, and trees.
The Social Sciences Department, home department of University Professor Kathy Halvorsen is housed in the AOB Building on the Michigan Tech campus.

Kathy Halvorsen and Quiying Sha have been honored for their substantial contributions to teaching, research, and service and are among seven professors recognized through Michigan Tech’s Distinguished and University Professorships. They represent a small percentage of faculty recognized with these awards by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

University Professors represent no more than two percent of the total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty at Michigan Tech. Since its inception in 2020, four of the seven University Professors have hailed from the College of Sciences and Arts, including three from the Department of Physics. Halvorsen is the first recipient from the Department of Social Sciences.

Distinguished Professors represent no more than 10 percent of the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty in a specific college or school. Since its inception in 2018, four of the 11 Distinguished Professors have been chosen from the College of Sciences and Arts. Sha is the first recipient from the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Image of Kathy Halvorsen has been named a 2024 University Professor for outstanding contributions to the university
Kathy Halvorsen has been named a 2024 University Professor for outstanding contributions to the University.

This is the second time Halvorsen has been honored as a University Professor. She first received the award in 2019. Halvorsen serves as the University’s associate vice president for research development and a professor in the Department of Social Sciences and College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. The nomination materials commended Halvorsen’s ability to maintain an active research program while holding an administrative position. Halvorsen has published more than 55 papers.

Image of Qiuying Sha has been named a 2024 Distinguished Professor for outstanding contributions to the university
Qiuying Sha has been named a 2024 Distinguished Professor for outstanding contributions to the University.

Sha, named a 2024 Distinguished Professor, is a professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. The nomination materials commended Sha’s excellence in teaching, research, and service. Sha is an internationally recognized leader in statistical genetics, developing statistical methods for understanding the genetic basis of human diseases and traits. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has published over 70 papers. Sha has also been previously selected as a member of NIH’s review panel and an editorial board member for Scientific Reports. She has served on early career management committees and many other committees at Michigan Tech.

Learn more about Sha’s recognition on the Michigan Tech Mathematical Sciences Blog.

Learn more about Halvorsen’s recognition on the Michigan Tech Social Sciences Blog.

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, LinkedIn,  X and the CSA blog. Questions? Contact us at csa@mtu.edu.

Steve Mintz is the marketing and communications manager for the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech.

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Tech’s Workshop Brass Band Gets a Musical Education in New Orleans and on the Road

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Earlier this year, members of Michigan Tech’s Workshop Brass Band got a taste of the jazz musician’s life on the road.

Preston Dibean performs a solo, showcasing musical education with MTU’s Workshop Brass Band at the Broadway Oyster Bar in Saint Louis.
 Preston Dibean blows a solo in front of MTU’s Workshop Brass Band at the Broadway Oyster Bar in Saint Louis. (All photos courtesy of Michigan Tech’s Workshop Brass Band)

Huskies tested their mettle by embarking on a five-day road trip to New Orleans. Even more than that, they discovered — through practice, through performance, through instruction — how to be a musician’s musician by being faithful to the original music, open to learning and willing to make mistakes.

Adam Meckler, associate professor and director of jazz studies, and visiting instructor Drew Kilpela led 16 jazz students on a 2,000-mile odyssey that began on New Year’s Day 2024. Meckler coordinated gigs, workshops with jazz legends and opportunities for Tech students to teach high school band students. The journey began with a rehearsal before the musicians set out. What they learned on the road can’t be taught in a classroom.

Learning By Ear

Workshop Brass Band members gain musical education as they pose after a gig at 3 Sheeps Brewing Company in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Workshop Brass Band members pose for a photo after a gig at 3 Sheeps Brewing Company in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

With Meckler “driving the bus,” the Workshop Brass Band couldn’t have been in better hands. A master musician and teacher with an extensive background in classical and jazz education, he’s the quintessential band leader, with 20 years of experience playing nationally and internationally as a top-call trumpeter with Youngblood Brass Band, Cory Wong, the Hornheads, and Steve Cole. A prolific songwriter, he leads the Adam Meckler Orchestra, an 18-piece big band.

At Tech, Meckler encourages his students to learn music by ear. For many first-year band students, this concept can be daunting.

Understanding that many of his students have come to Tech from small, underfunded music programs, Meckler encourages his first-years to join the Workshop Brass Band in order to gain confidence and experience. In the band, he introduces them to Black American music, or BAM, a term advanced by contemporary trumpeter Nicholas Payton. “Black American music is wildly expressive music,” Meckler said, and this expressivity helps his students learn to “jump off a musical cliff” and not worry about how they land. Many of his Workshop Brass Band students go on to join larger bands at Tech and become leaders in their sections. Meckler said one of his students, Haylah Buell ’24, is a perfect representation of this musical growth mindset.

Buell has been a part of Tech’s band program her entire undergraduate career. A senior electrical engineering technology student, she’s the lead alto saxophone player and works part-time as the Michigan Tech Jazz program’s jazz librarian. “Haylah has been a huge part of building community through a jazz broomball team, after-hour hangs and other events,” said Meckler.

Buell said the New Orleans trip taught her what it’s really like to be part of a band on tour, describing two-hour gigs played after six hours of driving: “Everyone was exhausted and running on pure adrenaline, but it was all worth it.”

Of New Orleans, Buell described sitting at Café Du Monde eating beignets as a brass band played out front. While she intellectually knew she was going to see live bands perform on the streets of New Orleans, a moment that first morning brought it powerfully to life. Playing a solo, the band’s saxophone player walked down the middle of the group of Huskies, “looking at each of us in a way of talking to us through his music,” she described.

Workshop Brass Band members provide musical education by teaching high school students from Biloxi, Mississippi, to play a song by ear.
Workshop Brass Band members teach high school students from Biloxi, Mississippi, to play Rebirth Brass Band’s “Hurricane George” by ear.

As the days went on, the students met the founder and leader of the Stooges Brass Band, Walter Ramsey, performed new songs such as Ramsey’s “Wind It Up,” and discovered how the culture of New Orleans is a lifestyle, Buell said. “The music we play is more than fun and exciting. It has history and meaning. It’s how people make a living; it’s how they worship.”

Learning By Heart

Meckler makes sure his students understand the cultural and historical roots of New Orleans brass band music, explaining how it started in funeral music. “Brass band music historically started with a dirge,” he said. “It was somber. Meditative. But the second line (when the casket is lowered) is celebratory.” This is why the celebratory nature of today’s New Orleans jazz music doesn’t belie its funereal roots to the average listener. Bands like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Rebirth Brass Band were among the first to take it from street parades to the stages of festivals, bars and rock venues.

Bass drummer Jos Olson ’26 perceived this connection deeply. Olson recalls the Workshop Brass Band playing their show at the Oyster Bar in St. Louis, Missouri, driving back from New Orleans. He felt it was his first real gig as a musician. The feedback from the crowd made the audio production and technology major feel both intensely proud of the band and grateful for the opportunity to play for the crowd. What’s more, the show happened to fall on Jan. 6 — marking the three-year anniversary of his grandfather’s passing. “My grandpa was a jazz drummer and my biggest inspiration,” Olson said. “It felt like that show was for him.”

And Olson is right. Jazz music is all about legacy, hard work and heart. On the trip, he experienced how New Orleans culture is heavily rooted in music. “Whether it’s traditional jazz, brass band music or any other type — everywhere you go there is music. And if there’s music, there’s a crowd,” he said. “No matter where the bands were, what time it was, what the weather was like — there were people out listening to the bands, singing along, making it clear that they love the music and the culture.”

Play Michigan Tech Workshop Brass Band — Grazing in the Grass (live on the street in New Orleans) video
Preview image for Michigan Tech Workshop Brass Band -- Grazing in the Grass (live on the street in New Orleans) video

Michigan Tech Workshop Brass Band — Grazing in the Grass (live on the street in New Orleans)

Watch Jos Olson’s video of Michigan Tech’s Workshop Brass Band playing “Grazing in the Grass” on the streets of New Orleans.

Many traditional brass band songs — like “I’ll Fly Away,” “Lord, Lord, Lord,” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” —are rooted in gospel music. “If you had told me two years ago I’d be listening to religious music regularly today, I would have never believed you,” Olson said. “You don’t have to be religious to understand the importance of music … it still touches you in a way that nothing else can.”

Learning By Doing

Workshop Brass Band trombone player Ethan Deur ’25, a senior majoring in human factors, said his favorite part of the trip was playing on the streets of New Orleans. “For the last four years I’ve been a part of this band, and playing on the street has always been described as this major event for brass bands,” said Deur. “Back when I started, I never figured I’d get the chance to play there, so to see that come true was crazy. There’s a different energy from playing concerts to playing the streets.”

Miles Lyons enhances the band's musical education by working with the Workshop Brass Band on new harmonies and parts.
Grammy-award-winning multi-instrumentalist Miles Lyons (New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Youngblood Brass Band) works with the Workshop Brass Band on adding new harmonies and parts to their songs.

Deur was grateful for the chance to learn from legends of the NOLA scene. “We met with Walter Ramsey (the band leader of Stooges Brass Band), Eric Gordon (trumpet player for Rebirth Brass Band), and Miles Lyons (sousaphone player for Youngblood Brass Band),” he said. These players taught the group “a lot about the backstory of their music and how they came up in the city and culture. They also taught us some ways to make our music more authentic.”

Part of this authenticity was learned by rebuilding songs. The students had already learned these traditional brass band gospel hymns from the early 1900s, and even some 1960s Temptations songs, but Lyons taught them how to restructure them. The students later demonstrated these new arrangements by performing on Frenchman Street and Washington Square. Meckler said the locals were surprised to see Midwestern college students playing their music, but the pleasure of and acceptance by the crowds confirmed what Meckler believes to the highest goal of performance: honoring the music and its roots. “We were there in good faith to learn,” he said. “We were there because we love this music.”

Respecting Black American music is paramount to Meckler and his students. One of Meckler’s proudest moments was when Ramsey, a jazz legend, held up his cell phone and recorded the band playing his Stooges Brass Band songs “Old Man” and “Bourbon Street Parade” in his studio to share with fellow musicians.

Workshop Brass Band trumpeters Gabe Smit, Michael Tarske, Sydney Nelson, Robby Pause, and Reid Beckes highlight their musical education by striking a pose.
Workshop Brass Band trumpeters strike a pose. From left: Gabe Smit, Michael Tarske, Sydney Nelson, Robby Pause and Reid Beckes.

“Our playing on the street the day before, though extremely fun and enjoyable in real time, sparked quite the discussion online,” said Meckler, referring to a since-deleted Facebook post by an unknown person at their Frenchman Street performance, in which commenters debated who should and should not be performing New Orleans brass band music. But when the Huskies left Ramsey’s studio that day, Meckler got a message from Gordon thanking him for spreading the culture of New Orleans music to his students. Meckler continues to remind and reassure his students that “real brass band musicians in New Orleans are glad we love their music and want to learn it. ‘The internet isn’t real life’ is something I’ve been saying a lot to them since then,” he said.

Learning By Teaching

During their journey, the Huskies taught jazz workshops at two schools in Wisconsin and Biloxi High School in Mississippi. At Biloxi, the students met Mark Mitchell, a Tech alum and jazz program donor. Mitchell rehearses with the Biloxi High School Band, which has a robust jazz program because of strong donations from Tech jazz alumni. “Workshop Brass Band played for Biloxi High’s students first, then we taught them to play a tune by ear,” said Meckler. They taught “Hurricane George” to the high school students in both Wisconsin and Mississippi.

At the Oyster Bar in St. Louis, the Workshop Brass Band students jammed with a local drummer from the Funky Butt Brass Band. This was yet another exhilarating moment for Meckler and Kilpela, as they watched their students make connections with St. Louis musicians who also love New Orleans music. 

After returning from their epic musical journey, Workshop Brass Band students showcased their new skills and educated the wider Michigan Tech community about New Orleans music at this year’s jazz Mardi Gras event on Feb. 8 at the Rozsa Center. Lessons learned through practice, performance and life on the road gave each band member a new appreciation of their responsibility as musicians: to mindfully honor the cultural heritage of the music they love to play.

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

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Meet the Winners of the 2024 Songer Research Award for Human Health

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Exterior of the H-STEM building on the Michigan tech campus, with the husky statue and yellow and red flowers in the foreground.
Michigan Tech’s H-STEM Complex offers state-of-the-art teaching and research labs for human health studies.

Two outstanding PhD candidates were recognized for their research as co-recipients of the seventh annual Songer Research Award for Human Health.

Xinqian Chen, majoring in Integrative Physiology, received the award for her project, “Exploring the role of brain-derived extracellular vesicles in salt-sensitive hypertension.” Biological Sciences major Vaishali Sharma received the award for her project titled, “Antiviral efficacy of amino acid-based surfactants: A proposal for advancing human health by breaking the chain of viral infection.”

“Chen and Sharma proposed innovative, medically oriented research projects in human health,” said College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) Dean LaReesa Wolfenbarger. “Their projects are exciting, with the potential to improve human life and health outcomes. I look forward to learning more about their findings in the coming months.”

Xinqian Chen

Xinqian Chen Focuses on Hypertension Research

Chen’s research focuses on brain extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid layers that are released by cells and carry proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites to transmit signals between cells. Chen’s proposal exhibits promising connections to human health. Her hypothesis is that injection of EVs collected from rats with salt-sensitive hypertension will result in hypertension with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular control regions of otherwise healthy rats. 

Strong preliminary data isolating and characterizing brain EVs and their influence in cultured cells and in cardiovascular control regions of the brain demonstrate a high likelihood of success. Jenny Shan, professor in Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology serves as Chen’s advisor.

Vaishali Sharma

Vaishali Sharma Seeks to Eliminate Harsh Chemicals

Sharma’s research aims to identify sustainable and effective amino acid-based antiviral surfactants that have minimal negative effects on human health and the environment. Her proposal has the potential to lead to a more ecologically friendly surface disinfectant. Stephen Techtmann, associate professor of Biological Sciences, and Caryn Heldt, chemical engineering professor and director of Michigan Tech’s Health Research Institute, serve as Sharma’s advisors.

Sharma also participated in a recent US-Africa Frontiers Fellowship, partnering with visiting research biologist Bellicia Kamwanya on vaccine production.

Watch a video of Vaishali Sharma’s work on the collaborative project, which took place in summer 2024.

Xinqianchen Chen working in the lab

Xinqianchen Chen working in the lab

Vaishali Sharma working in the lab

Vaishali Sharma working in the lab

About the Songer Research Award

Biological sciences alumni Matthew Songer ’79 and Laura Songer ’80 have supported the competition in support of innovative student-led research projects that center on human health for seven years. The Songer Research Award for Human Health provides two $6,000 graduate awards that make it possible for students to pursue their projects in consultation with College-affiliated faculty researchers. Any student interested in exploring a medically related question were able to apply by submitting a research project statement. 

The Songers, who recall their own excitement to engage in research, established the award to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students.  “I appreciate the generosity of the Songers for making these research opportunities possible for our exceptional graduate students,” said Dean Wolfenbarger.

About the College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for a technological world. Our teacher-scholar model is a foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences, chemistry, humanities, kinesiology and Integrative physiology, mathematical sciences, physics, psychology and human factors, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. We are home to Michigan Tech’s pre-health professions and ROTC programs. The College offers 24 graduate degrees and certificates. We conduct approximately $12 million in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.

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

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Search Launched for New Dean of Michigan Tech’s College of Sciences and Arts

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Michigan Tech campus at sunset
Our Mission: We cultivate a sustainable, inclusive, and equitable world through transformative leadership, scholarship, education, and outreach.

Michigan Technological University invites applications for the position of dean of the College of Sciences and Arts. 

Building upon our strengths, the dean should be a forward-thinking, innovative, and collaborative leader who provides strategic leadership. The dean is the chief academic and administrative officer in the CSA, reports directly to the provost, and shapes the vision for the role of the College within the University, the State of Michigan, higher education, and society at large.

Located in Houghton, in the heart of Upper Michigan’s scenic Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan Tech is the state’s flagship technological university with more than $102 million in research expenditures and 16 unique research centers and institutes. The university is home to more than 7,200 students from 69 countries around the world. The university attracts world-class faculty who enrich the educational experience of smart, motivated, and adventurous students. The Wall Street Journal named Michigan Tech the nation’s second most influential public university for salary impact — how much a college boosts salaries earned by students after graduation. Tech also made the Journal’s list of Best U.S. Colleges in 2024, ranking 16th overall among U.S. public universities.

The College of Sciences and Arts is the second-largest college on campus, with nine departments 1,147 students (3.2% increase over the prior year), 152 faculty, 54 professional staff, and 180 PhD students. The College welcomed its largest incoming class in years, 255 undergraduates, up 27% from the prior year, building on many years of undergraduate growth. Not only does the College offer outstanding classroom instruction to undergraduates, it conducts world-class research and creative activities. Its faculty brought in $8.7 million in new external research awards last year, up 17% over the previous year!

The successful candidate will be committed to promoting a sense of belonging and an inclusive environment throughout the college and university. Learn more at mtu.edu/diversity.

Michigan Tech is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

For additional information, contact the search committee chairs, Dean Johnson at dean@mtu.edu and Don Lafreniere at djlafren@mtu.edu.

To apply, visit employment.mtu.edu/cw/en-us/job/493403.

To review the College of Sciences and Arts’ current vision, mission, and strategic plan, visit https://www.mtu.edu/sciences-arts/about/mission-plan/.

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Fall Semester 2023 Heats Up in October

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Greetings from the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech!

Michigan Tech trees with yellow foliage
October and fall foliage arrive

As I write today the temperatures are soaring into the upper 80s with humidity that would make any orchid happy. Unprecedented! The colorful foliage is making its ascent up the vibrancy charts. And those are not the only things that have been elevated around the Tech campus. 

Large Class Enrolls for Fall Semester 2023

The College of Sciences and Arts welcomed its largest incoming class in years, 255 undergraduates, up 27% from the prior year, building on many years of undergraduate growth. Total College enrollment stands at 1,147, a 3.2% increase, and our first-time transfer increase is 48%, mostly thanks to the nursing program. This is in line with the university welcoming the largest class of new first-year students since 1983.

More Accolades for Michigan Tech

On top of these numbers, The Wall Street Journal named Michigan Tech the nation’s second most influential public university for salary impact — how much a college boosts salaries earned by students after graduation. Tech also made the Journal’s list of Best U.S. Colleges in 2024, ranking 16th overall among U.S. public universities.

We pride ourselves in CSA on our outstanding classroom instruction and on our world-class research and creative activities. CSA faculty brought in $8.7 million in new external research awards last year, up 17% over the previous year! We do have 2 faculty members in a million-dollar club in external research spending, Raymond Shaw who makes his own clouds in a cloud chamber, and Stephen Techtmann who converts plastics to food via microbes. 

Ravindra Pandey and Neetu Goel
Dean Pandey and Neetu Goel

Research Highlights for Fall Semester 2023

And there are new developments in the College when it comes to research, too.

  • Professor Neetu Goel is a Fulbright senior scholar from Panjab University, India visiting my physics research group to investigate the interaction of biomolecules with quantum materials.
  • Yan Zhang (Biological Sciences and Health Research Institute) received a $469,500 R&D grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study the impacts of high levels of urinary phosphate in polycystic kidney disease.
  • Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova (Chemistry) received a $427,001 R&D grant from NIH looking into structure-function relationships of matrix metalloproteinase-1 from computational and experimental studies.

Other Items of Note For Fall Semester 2023

Jared Anderson and his faculty in Visual and Performing Arts continue to create a vibrant lineup of art shows, performances, and technical theatre, with students at the forefront as performers, designers, creators, audio producers, etc. This week it is New Music in the Mine.  Next week the opera The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage debuts in the McArdle Theatre and the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra plays in the Rosza Center. And at the end of the month, you can elevate your fright at The Haunted Smelter. There’s always something to do with the arts.

We welcomed three new inductees into our College of Sciences and Arts Academy. Emily Prehoda, Linda Kennedy, and Upendra Puntambekar. They have become successful leaders and practitioners in their chosen fields and have excelled in leadership roles. Their achievements and skillsets: Linda’s legal acumen, Emily’s energy policy and sustainability expertise, and Upendra’s technology and market leadership span across a number of diverse subjects. A diversity reflective of the variety of subjects housed within the College of Sciences and Arts here at Michigan Tech. They join the ranks of 65 distinguished members who have made a difference for their communities—professional, academic, or geographic, or sometimes all 3. 

Thanks for reading! I am sure the first snowfall is just around the corner. Ah, the snowfall total for the winter! Another thing many of us look forward to seeing grow on the Tech campus over the course of this academic year.

Best wishes.

Ravi Pandey

Dean – College of Sciences and Arts

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