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1. Ranking Conservation Biology Research |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
Oregon State University tops universities in the United States and Canada in the first-ever ranking of conservation biology research, published in the current issue of the journal Conservation Biology. The University of California at Santa Barbara ranks second. Michigan Tech is 30th among 315 institutions.
“Conservation biology is a young but quickly maturing scientific discipline with a rapidly increasing number of scientific researchers. The field is in need of a ranking system that can be used by students, researchers and applied conservation biologists,” said Jacqualine B. Grant, an assistant professor in SFRES. Grant is first author of the paper that proposes a scientific yardstick for measuring the conservation biology research productivity of universities.
In the first comprehensive ranking of the strength of US and Canadian academic institutions’ conservation biology research, Grant and co-authors Julian D. Olden and Joshua J. Lawler of the University of Washington, Cara R. Nelson of the University of Montana and Brian R. Silliman of the University of Florida, measured the publication rates in six leading conservation journals of conservation biologists at 315 colleges and universities from 2000 to 2005. They also measured the number of times the published papers were cited by other researchers.
The 40 highest-ranked universities were located primarily in the western regions of both countries. Researchers at each of the top-ten institutions published more than 50 papers that were cited more than 500 times.
Why rank conservation biology research? A ranking system provides a way to evaluate a university’s research performance, Grant explained. It also would be useful to students seeking a good conservation biology education and to conservation groups, federal agencies and employers of conservation biologists, she said.
However, Grant pointed out, the publication record of universities is only one measure of a conservation biology program. “It can by no means fully reflect the quality of education in conservation biology that institutions with dedicated teaching faculty can provide,” she said.
According to the Conservation Biology paper rankings, the top 10 universities in conservation biology research are
Oregon State University
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Davis
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of California, Berkeley
University of Washington
Colorado State University
Duke University
Stanford University |
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2. UAW Approves Contract |
UAW Local 5000 has ratified a one-year, full contract with Michigan Tech. Approved on a 113-12 ballot, the terms of the agreement include a 3-percent pay increase for the 170 represented office professionals at the University.
The contract also includes an equity component that recognizes the growing level of professionalism within the union membership. The high standard of customer service and the computing and business skills brought to these positions contribute substantially to the mission of the University, said Director of Labor Bill McKilligan.
"The UAW leadership really does look at all the angles on an issue," McKilligan said. "Their emphasis on professionalism and equity benefits not only their membership, but also the University as a whole."
"We appreciate that the University recognizes our professionalism and our loyalty to Michigan Tech," said Barbara Ruotsala, president of UAW Local 5000. "The UAW membership continues to value the students as our customers and to meet their needs with care and respect."
Michigan Tech and AFSCME will negotiate this fall. A contract with the POA was completed this summer. Negotiations with the AAUP continue. |
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3. Joshi Named Director of Biotechnology Research Center |
Associate Professor Chandrashekhar P. Joshi (SFRES) has been named director of the Biotechnology Research Center.
Joshi was elected by BRC members to a three-year term, starting this semester. He replaces Professor Chung-Jui Tsai (SFRES), who has served as the BRC director since August 2004 and as the interim director since December 2002.
"I am excited to lead this outstanding group of individuals who have come together to further research and education in the field of biotechnology," Joshi said. "Under Dr. Tsai's direction, BRC has come a long way, and I hope to continue that momentum."
Joshi's research focuses on cellulose biosynthesis in trees and has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, the USDA National Research Initiative, and the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research. He has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on $6 million in grant funding at Michigan Tech and served as the SFRES graduate program director for last three years. He has also been a panel member on three NSF and DOE review panels and served on 45 graduate-student committees at Michigan Tech.
Under Tsai’s leadership, the center has grown from a forest biotechnology-oriented group of three faculty members (formerly known as the Plant Biotechnology Research Center) to a 23-member unit that includes faculty from across campus.
The BRC has seen significant growth in research productivity and is currently housing approximately 30 projects funded by major federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. BRC’s annual research expenditures have consistently ranked in the top five among all research centers and institutions at Michigan Tech, averaging $2 million annually.
Tsai credited the BRC’s success to its members. “This is a highly collegial and productive group of researchers to work with," she said. "They are among the best teachers on campus too, mentoring trainees at all levels.”
For more information on the BRC, visit www.biotech.mtu.edu .
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4. Archives to Reopen Today |
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The University Archives will reopen today, Monday, Sept. 17. The staff appreciates your patience. |
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5. MTU Credit Union: Yes, You Got Paid. No, Deposits Not on the Web Yet |
submitted by Michigan Tech Employees Federal Credit Union
Many of our Michigan Tech payroll deposits that posted last night failed to create a transaction history item online. The deposit is in your account balance; however, it does not yet appear in your account history.
We are working to resolve this problem; the account histories should be current by Saturday, Sept. 15. Please accept our apology for this inconvenience.
If you have any questions or need further information, contact the credit union at 482-5005. |
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6. Michigan Tech to Host Fourth YES! Expo |
Michigan Tech is hosting the fourth YES! Expo on Thursday, Nov. 8, at Ford Field in Detroit. This unique career-awareness event targets middle and high school students, mostly from urban Detroit, to inspire them to pursue education and careers in engineering and science. Nearly 60 companies, 25 universities and colleges, and many other organizations provide and staff exhibits to show students the interesting careers available in technology fields and the educational pathways to those careers. To date over 16,000 students have registered to attend.
“YES! Expo is a great opportunity for Michigan Tech to show leadership in promoting education and careers in engineering and science”, said Pete Cattelino, director of YES! Expo. “There are many benefits to the University, including recruiting, building corporate relationships and assisting in diversity and youth programming goals." Visit www.yes.mtu.edu for complete details and event day information.
Michigan Tech's own display at the YES! Expo will continue to grow this year. "We look forward to hands-on representations of Michigan Tech's distinctive programs and opportunities in exercise science, nanotechnology, computer science, business, sound design, psychology, surveying, forestry, Advanced Motor Sports, Alternative Fuels Group, Engineers Without Boarders, and a number of Enterprise teams featuring their work on the data acquisition cube, aerospace engineering, and the CPR mattress," Cattelino said. The K-12 Outreach office is organizing experiential learning centers where teachers can watch students learning about STEM-related topics and then receive classroom activities packages to help recreate the experience in their classrooms with other students.
More than 50 students are expected to represent Michigan Tech, with significant representation from the local Society of Women Engineers and National Society of Black Engineers chapters.
The YES! Expo keynote speaker will be Stephen Squyres, chief scientist on NASA’s Mars Rover Mission. In addition, students will be treated to a special video appearance by Rob Coleman and John Knoll, responsible for the visual effects and animation on "Star Wars" I, II and III and "Pirates of the Caribbean" I, II, and III.
All Michigan Tech students, faculty and their families are invited to attend. There is no cost, but please contact Pam Hannon (487-2393, prhannon@mtu.edu ) if you would like to attend. A block of rooms has been reserved for those attending YES! Expo 2007 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center—a short distance from Ford Field. The rate is $114 per night plus tax and the cut-off date for this rate is Oct. 18. There is a group code for YES! Expo. Click on this link for reservations; the code will automatically be entered: http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/dtwdt?groupCode=yesyesa&app=resvlink .
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7. Save Your Econo Foods Receipts: Fund Library Computers |
submitted by the Friends of the Van Pelt Library
Time to collect your receipts from Econo Foods to benefit the J. R. Van Pelt Library. Through its Computers for Kids program, Econo Foods donates one percent of the sum of all Econo receipts collected to the Friends of the Van Pelt Library. These funds are used to pay for computer systems in the library. In 2006-07, the Friends of the Van Pelt Library collected Econo receipts that totaled $33,552.38. As a result, Econo Foods donated $355.23 to the Friends.
Many thanks to those who participated last year, and a big "keep it up" to all collecting receipts for 2006-07.
Want to help?
Please collect your receipts from Econo Foods and send them to us or drop them in the collection box at the circulation desk of the library. Econo will accept receipts dated from the end of August 2007 through the beginning of June 2008. Please send your receipts by inter-campus mail to either Mary Marchaterre, in Administration 209, or Faith Morrison, in Chem Sci 304A.
Want to help more? Put out a collection box in your area and encourage your coworkers to bring in their receipts for our library. There are drop boxes in the Chemical Engineering office (Chem Sci 203), the Chemistry office (Chem Sci 607), at the library circulation desk, in the coffee room on the second floor of the Administration building and in the basement of the EERC. Every little bit helps. |
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8. Pep Band Outgrowing Its Overalls |
The Michigan Tech Pep Band, beloved at home and notorious away for its irreverent game-side antics, is outgrowing its britches and its instruments.
At 259 members, it has more than tripled in size since 2003, when 80 students filled its ranks.
The band's popularity reflects well on its director, Nick Enz, whom Roger Held calls "a wonderful, brilliant, energetic man."
Enz and the Pep Band are a rallying point for Michigan Tech spirit and fun and lend vibrancy to campus life, said Held, chair of visual and performing arts. In particular, the band gives student musicians a chance to strut their stuff with wild abandon.
With so many students, however, shortages have developed. Sixty more pairs of the characteristic striped overalls are needed, along with many new instruments, from baritones to tubas (cost of one tuba: $8,000 . . . honest).
If you'd like to help all members of the Pep Band continue to make their own brand of beautiful music, and if you support those students for whom the band has become a key part of the Michigan Tech experience, you can. Allocate your Michigan Tech Fund donation to the Pep Band. Send your checks to the Michigan Tech Fund, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931-1295, making sure to indicate "Pep Band" on the check. |
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9. MEEM Graduate Seminar Thursday |
Professor Subrata Mukherjee, from Cornell University, will present "BEM/FEM Analysis of MEMS With Thin Features" on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. in MEEM 112.
Mukherjee received a PhD in Applied Mechanics from Standford University. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and of the American Academy of Mechanics. His primary field of research is computational mechanics.
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10. Webinar on Responding to Troubled Students Oct. 9 |
Student Affairs will host a professional development webinar, "How to Respond to Troubled and At-Risk Students," on Oct. 9, 1:30-3 p.m. at the Ford Conference Room Suite of the Advanced Technology Development Complex (ATDC).
Paul E. Joffe, University of Illinois-Chicago, and Gary Pavela, University of Maryland-College Park, will highlight innovative practices in responding to potentially troubled and violent students. The webinar will also cover the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign model of “Coordinated Community Engagement." Presentations will feature troubled-student profiling, mental health and violence, how to conduct threat assessment, role of campus security, policy guidelines and relevant laws like FERPA and the ADA.
To learn more about this webinar, please visit:
www.naspa.org/events/detail.cfm?id=273%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20 .
To attend, RSVP to Elizabeth Pollins at epollins@mtu.edu . |
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11. New Funding |
Karla Korpela (Educational Opportunity) has received $36,000 from the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program for "DAPCEP Two-Week Summer 2007 Program."
Thomas Van Dam (CEE) has received $8,641 from the Michigan Department of Transportation for "Efficient Use of Recycled Concrete in Transportation Infrastructure."
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12. Job Posting |
Staff job descriptions are available in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings . For more information regarding staff positions, call 487-2280 or email jobs@mtu.edu .
Faculty job descriptions can be found at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/facpers/facvac.htm . For more information regarding faculty positions, contact the academic department in which the position is posted.
Staff Job Posting 09/17/07 - 09/21/07
Custodian
Facilities Operations
AFSCME internal posting only
Third shift
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer. |
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13. In Print |
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Professor Barry Solomon (Social Sciences) reviewed Constance Perin's book, "Shouldering Risks: The Culture of Control in the Nuclear Power Industry," in American Anthropologist, Vol. 109, No. 3, September 2007. |
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14. Memorial Union Menus |
Monday, Sept. 17
The Grill--Breakfast, Sunrise Special $3.95 (two eggs any style, hash browns, toast and coffee); Lunch, Denver Sandwiches $2.95 (Make it a value meal with a small fry and a 20-ounce soda for $2)
Home Style Entrees--Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Jicama Salad and Hot Bread Sticks $4.95, Casserole only $2.95, Jicama Salad $1.50, Two Bread Sticks $1
The Wok About International Display Cooking all entrees $4.75--Shredded Beef Taco Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--Tomato and Minestrone Soup
Mubsterz Pizza--Mubsterz Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--This Week's Featured Sandwich, California Chicken Salad Subs $3.50
Tuesday, Sept. 18
The Grill--Breakfast, Meat Lovers Omelet, Toast and Coffee $3.95 (Ham, sausage, bacon and cheese; Lunch, Tuna Melts $2.95 (Make it a value meal with a small fry and 20-ounce soda for $2)
Home Style Entrees--Beef Lasagna $3.95, Veggie Lasagna $3.95, Full Meal Deal $5.95 (includes two sides), Caesar Salad $1.50, Garlic Bread $1
The Wok About International Display Cooking all entrees $4.75--Thai Peanut Chicken, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--Chicken Noodle and Beef Barley Soup
Mubsterz Pizza--Philly Cheeze Steak Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Hot Campbell's Soup Served Monday thru Friday, $2.99 per Cup
Wednesday, Sept. 19
The Grill--Breakfast, Breakfast Pizza $2.99; Lunch, Hot Wing Basket $4.25 (includes hot wings, fries and coleslaw), Hot Wings only $2.95
Home Style Entrees--Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing and Chef's Vegetable $5.95, Turkey Only $3.95, Mashed Potatoes $1.50, Stuffing $1.50, Chef's Vegetables $1.50
The Wok About International Display Cooking all entrees $4.75--Chinese Fried Rice, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--Cream of Mushroom and Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
Mubsterz Pizza--Hawaiian Delight Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Try one of our low-carb-friendly wrap sandwiches, $3.99
Thursday Sept. 20
The Grill--Breakfast, Breakfast Burritos (filled with eggs, peppers, green onions, cheese and your choice of sausage, ham or bacon) $2.95; Lunch, French Dip Sandwich $3.50 (delicious roast beef on grilled French bread served with Au jus; make it a value meal with a small fry and 20-ounce soda for $2)
Home Style Entrees--Carved Beef Eye of Round with Scallion Caper Sauce, Ranch Potatoes and Zucchini $5.95, Beef Only $3.95, Cream Cheese Ranch Potatoes $1.50, Zucchini $1.50
The Wok About International Display Cooking all entrees $4.75--Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--New England Clam Chowder and Vegetable Garden Soup
Mubsterz Pizza--Mushroom and Olive Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Make any sandwich a value meal and get a 20-ounce fountain soda, chips or a jumbo cookies for just $2
Friday, Sept. 21
The Grill--Breakfast, Chocolate Chip Pancakes $2.95; Lunch, Cilantro Beef Soft Tacos $4.50 (cilantro-seasoned roast beef, bell peppers, onions and sour cream, served with tortilla chips and salsa)
Home Style Entrees--Fish and Chips $5.95 (crispy beer-battered Pollock served with fried red potatoes, coleslaw, malt vinegar and lemon), Fish Only $3.95, Coleslaw $1, Fried Red Potatoes $1.50
The Wok About International Display Cooking all entrees $4.75--California Chicken Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--Cheesy Vegetable Medley and French Onion Soup
Mubsterz Pizza--Greek Chicken Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Try this week's featured sandwich, Tuna Wraps $3.99 |
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15. Free Furniture |
The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences is giving away the following:
*one black metal desk with woodgrain top
*one large table, measuring approximately 4 feet by 7 feet
If interested, contact Deb Meyers at dmmeyers@mtu.edu .
As always, university property may not be given or sold to individuals. It may only be transferred between university departments.
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16. More Free Furniture |
The Department of Mathematical Sciences is giving away the following:
*two black, two-shelf metal bookcases
*one tan, three-shelf metal bookcase
*two wood, six-shelf bookcases
*two four-drawer file cabinets
If interested, contact Jeanne Meyers at jemeyers@mtu.edu by Thursday, Sept. 20.
As always, university property may not be given or sold to individuals. It may only be transferred between university departments. |
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