Graduate Education Week in Lansing

LansingFour graduate students are going to Lansing for Graduate Education Day, Tuesday, Feb. 19. Governor Rick Snyder has declared the week of Feb. 18 as Graduate Education Week, and more than 50 students from universities and colleges across the state will meet with legislators at the Capitol Building in Lansing.

Among the attendees is Melanie Talaga, a PhD candidate in chemistry from Negaunee, who is researching glycobiology and characterizing potential cancer biomarkers.

Read more at Tech Today.

ROTC Day of Challenges

ROTCMichigan Tech will be hosting its annual Day of Challenges for 5th through 12th grade students on Saturday, Feb. 23, sponsored by the Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Michigan Tech Army and Air Force ROTC programs. The event focuses on teamwork and mental and physical challenges, with events such as an obstacle course, a leadership reaction course and tests of swimming ability, all the while encouraging participants to learn and have fun.

Read more at Tech Today, by Kevin Hodur.

Confocal Microscope for Chemistry

Confocal MicroscopesLanrong Bi and her research group in the Department of Chemistry will be acquiring an Olympus confocal microscope, which uses lasers and high-end optics to take 3D images of cells, tissue and nanomaterials, without destroying the sample.

The scientists decided to do something about it. They began checking into equipment and rallied support from faculty, chairs and administrators, in particular the dean of sciences and arts.

“We are extremely appreciative of Dean Seely for being our strongest support in times of need,” Bi wrote in her Christmas missive. “His leadership and extraordinary ability to get things done are an inspiration to us all.”

Read more at Tech Today, by Marcia Goodrich.

New Faculty in the College of Sciences and Arts

Erika Hersch GreenJohn Durocher, Erika Hersch-Green, Loredana Valenzano, Myounghoon Jeon, Lauren Bowen, Jinguang Sun, Zeying Wang, Kari Henquinet, Emma Norman, Jonathan Robins, Steven Walton are new faculty and existing faculty who have now accepted tenure-track and lecturer positions in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Cognitive and Learning Sciences, Humanities, Mathematical Sciences, and Social Sciences.

Read more at Tech Today, by Travis Gendron.