All posts by Dr. Morrison

WISE Lunch: Making STEM Presentations that Resonate

On Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 11:45 am in Ballroom A1, we will feature Nancy Barr, Director of the Engineering Communications Program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, and Amy Marcarelli, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences.  Nancy will provide practical tips on developing conference and faculty talks that resonate with audiences.  She will lead participants in exercises that help them think about the needs of their audiences and engage with them beyond the typical PowerPoint template and sage-on-the-stage format.  Amy will speak on how to find/make time for your professional writing.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Barr, Dana Johnson, or Norma Veurink, co-directors of WISE.

WISE Lunch: Title IX

On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 11:45 am in 404 Administration Building, we will feature Kirsti Arko and Beth Lunde-Stockero, to learn about how Title IX applies to faculty, staff, and students here at Michigan Tech.  Kirsti Arko has recently moved into the Title IX position.  Lunch will be served to those who attend. Please RSVP by Monday, February 19.

WISE lunch: How did I get WISE?

Please join WISE for a luncheon on Wednesday, November 1 to connect with colleagues. The topic is “How did I get WISE?”  We’ll share lessons learned from experience as a faculty member, graduate student advisor, or a STEM researcher, at Michigan Tech or elsewhere.
Date and time: November 1, 2017, Wednesday, 11:45am-1:15pm.
Location: Alumni Lounge B

We hope the new school year is off to a great start for all of you. For our new colleagues, WISE stands for Women in Science and Engineering. It is an informal networking and support group of faculty and staff working in science or engineering fields. Here is more on who we are and what we do:

  • We are a grass roots group that focuses on the issues around under-representation of women in STEM fields (examples include recruitment, retention, and working toward success in predominantly male fields).
  • We frequently have sessions that include all women faculty working together on the issues coming from being a woman (examples include implicit bias, workplace bias, and growth mindset).
  • We have luncheons or coffee&tea hours during the semester and discuss issues that will help us with our professional and personal lives. Common topics include research, tenure, promotion, teaching, service, work-life-balance, and getting support during tough times.
A common question that is asked by both male and female colleagues is “We all know that there are no intrinsic differences between men and women. Why should women get special treatment?” The answer is that women’s groups are not about getting favors for women but rather preventing fair and equitable practices from being taken away from women. We feel that everyone can identify with this mindset and warmly welcome you to our group.
We have a couple items where we need your help:
  • Our e-mail list needs to be updated. Please ask female colleagues in your unit if they have received this message. Let us (nilufer@mtu.edu) know if they want to be included in the list.
  • We are seeking topics that are of interest to you. Please bring or e-mail your suggestions and preferences.

The WISE co-directors are Dana Johnson, Norma Veurink, and Nilufer Onder. We are looking forward to seeing you next week.

WISE co-directors

Michigan Tech Pre-School

From their website:

Michigan Tech Preschool is a non-profit, cooperative preschool serving children ages 3-5. It is a fully-licensed preschool, and the teachers meet all state certification requirements for early-childhood educators. Michigan Tech Preschool is open to all interested families. Non-English speaking children are welcome.

Women Faculty, Staff Help Female Students Dress for Success

From Tech Today 17 February 2015:

More than two dozen women students will be attending today’s Michigan Tech Career Fair and the job interviews that follow dressed as the professionals they will soon become, thanks to a brainstorm by a couple of women faculty members at Tech.

When Amy Lark, an education instructor in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences, discovered that the Campus Bookstore does not sell women’s business attire, she and Susan Amato-Henderson, chair of cognitive and learning sciences, discussed alternatives. They came up with the idea to ask faculty and staff to donate women’s business clothing that female students could wear.

With just two days’ notice, approximately 15 people donated, and academic advisers were invited to let their women students know that clothing in sizes 4 to 20 was available.

“On Sunday between 1 and 3 p.m., we were able to outfit about 25 students,” Amato-Henderson said. “We had clothes left over, and a few more donations came in Monday morning, so we still have students coming in to get  business clothing. The students were so grateful. It was a wonderful experience.”

 

Conversation-Community-Collegiality, C3 University Lunches Scheduled

See also Tech Today, 9Feb2015
“We thought it would be nice to provide an opportunity for relaxed interaction across campus,” says Faith Morrison, member of the Steering Committee for the C-Cubed (Conversation-Community-Collegiality University Lunches) group. Norma Veurink adds “In our teaching and support roles with students, we always seem to be in discharge mode. We need a venue to recharge with colleagues.” Nilufer Onder contacted Theresa Coleman-Kaiser, who, it turns out, was already working with a pair of University Senators on a related idea. It all came together for Thursdays and Fridays this semester.

“It,” that came together is the C-Cubed University Lunches set to start February 12 and 13 in MUB B001 (ground floor; former billiards room). Faculty, staff, and their guests are invited to buy lunch (buffet will be offered) or bring their lunch to room MUB-B001 on Thursdays and Fridays and to share conversation and lunchtime with colleagues. “We’re providing the invitation, table cloths, a cash buffet, and Theresa has arranged for the university provide a few perks (complimentary coffee, tea, cookies, and fruit),” says Morrison. “All the attendees need to bring is conversation, community, and collegiality (C3)!”

The committee hopes that the seed planted through these twice-weekly C-Cubed lunches will develop into an ongoing congenial setting for informal gatherings. For now, the lunches will be offered on Thursdays and Fridays through the end of the spring semester. The price of the buffet lunch will be $10 and the menu will vary. Brown-baggers are welcome, as are those who wish to purchase lunch from the MUB Commons or the Khana Khazana on Fridays. The lunch event is from 11:30-1:30 both days. All faculty and staff and their guests are welcome.

Contact any member of the steering committee if you have questions or suggestions.
C-Cubed Steering Committee:

  • Tess Ahlborn (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Sherry Anderson (College of Engineering)
  • Jennifer Biekkola (Annual Giving)
  • Theresa Coleman-Kaiser (Assistant Vice President for Administration)
  • Stefaan De Winter (Mathematical Sciences)
  • Sarah Green (Chemistry)
  • Audrey Mayer (School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and Social Sciences)
  • Faith Morrison (Chemical Engineering)
  • Nilufer Onder (Computer Science)
  • Norma Veurink (Engineering Fundamentals)
  • Adam Wellstead (Social Sciences)

 

New WorkLife Programming Advisory Committee Formed

The Michigan Tech V. P. for Administration Ellen Horsch has formed a new committee, the WorkLife Programming Advisory Committee.   According to their website, the committee came into existence at the end of 2014.  The WorkLife Programming Advisory Committee is charged with:

  • Regularly assessing WorkLife quality at the University.
  • Reviewing and providing input on University policy to support WorkLife blending.
  • Benchmarking other institutions’ WorkLife programs.
  • Providing programming and resources to the campus community that support a high quality of WorkLife blending for all.

Persons interested in participating in the Committee’s work are invited to get in touch with the Committee chair, Ann Kitalong-Will, who can be reached at amkitalo@mtu.edu. Subcommittees are being formed on the following topics (per blogposting 29Jan2015):

  1. Childcare and eldercare issues and concerns
  2. Policies that support a good work-life blend for University employees
  3. Mentoring opportunities
  4. IT service, software, and technology infrastructure needs that support worklife quality and flexible work options
  5. Professional and career development needs and interests

There is also a survey link posted on their blog, inviting community members to express their priorities with regard to work-life issues.

The committees, task forces, and groups formed by the V.P. for Administration’s office “research, analyze, and recommend ways to improve administrative operations at Michigan Tech to help enable a pleasant, productive, and safe work environment.”  These groups (as of 8Feb2015) are:

  1. Benefits Liaison Group
  2. Health and Safety Task Force
  3. Incident Command Team
  4. Memorial Union Vision Purpose Group
  5. The Tech Community Wellness Committee
  6. Reengineering Personnel Management Systems Task Force
  7. WorkLife Programming Task Force

 

 

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