|
|
1. Michigan Tech Alum Shares Nobel Peace Prize |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
Susann Nordrum knew that her work with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was important to a safe and healthy future for the world. She didn’t know that it was going to win a Nobel Prize.
After Nordrum graduated from Michigan Tech summa cum laude in chemical engineering in 1986, she went to work for Chevron. There, she led development of the SANGEATM Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimating System, a software tool for estimating greenhouse gas emissions. When the American Petroleum Institute, a trade organization for the petroleum industry, took on the task of developing methodologies for greenhouse gas emissions estimating, Nordrum spearheaded their effort. Then she worked with the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association on their greenhouse gas inventory guidelines.
So, when the US State Department asked the API and the IPIECA to nominate an American to help update the IPCC’s Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Nordrum was their logical choice.
Working with the IPCC was an eye-opener, says Nordrum. “I’ve spent my career in industry, and it was very interesting to see things from the perspective of government regulators. There are different challenges when you’re on the outside looking in and trying to understand something as complex as a petroleum refinery.”
Nordrum served as lead author on a chapter of the 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories that examined “fugitive emissions”—the emissions produced by oil production and refining to make petroleum products. She was a contributing author on another chapter that looks at the capture and containment of carbon dioxide, which is the focus of her current work at Chevron.
“I started by figuring out how big the problem is, and now I’m working on solving it,” she explains.
The 2006 guidelines were part of the IPCC’s work that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. The award recognized their efforts to compile and disseminate information about man-made climate change, to lay the groundwork for rational policy-making.
The day the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, Nordrum arrived at her Chevron office in Northern California to find an email from Taka Hirashi, chair of the IPCC Guidelines effort, congratulating the authors and editors of the guidelines. “You all are winners of this prize,” he said.
Nordrum praised the IPCC for reaching out to the petroleum industry to help develop the greenhouse-gas guidelines. She also had high praise for R. K. Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, for the effort he made to promptly notify and thank every one of the several hundred scientists who worked on the report.
The chemical engineering alumna credits her Michigan Tech education for preparing her to do Nobel Prize-winning work. “The practical part, the hands-on experience in the unit operations lab, was priceless,” she says.
Nordrum now is working on new and better ways to capture the carbon dioxide from petroleum emissions and sequester them, which means putting them far below the surface of the Earth.
“At the moment it is prohibitively expensive to capture the carbon dioxide,” she explains. She hopes to help find more-efficient and cost-effective methods, such as oxygen-firing of heaters and boilers. “It’s a neat solution,” she remarks, “because the oil came from under the ground, and we are putting the carbon back where it came from.”
Nordrum hopes that her work with the IPCC will help convince the world to take climate change and greenhouse gases seriously and to work together to solve the problem. |
|
|
2. TechSelect Forms Due Today |
The deadline for submitting TechSelect forms without paying a late fee is 5 p.m. today.
Under the TechSelect plan, covered Michigan Tech employees choose their medical, dental and vision coverage, as well as their life insurance, flexible spending accounts and other benefits.
For more information, see www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/benefits/index.shtml or call the Benefits Office at 487-2517.
|
|
|
3. Reminder: SBE Dean-Candidate Open Forum Dec. 10 |
The open forum for the next School of Business and Economics dean cadidate, Douglas Hensler, will take place Monday, Dec. 10, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Rehki G005.
All open forums will be taped and available for viewing at the search website. They are open to the entire University community, and everyone is encouraged to attend.
Feedback can be provided using the comment form at http://deansearch.sbe.mtu.edu or by emailing any of the committee members. All comments should be submitted by noon on Thursday, Dec. 20.
For more information, contact Dana Johnson, SBE Dean Search Committee chair, at dana@mtu.edu . |
|
|
4. Reminder: Tech-Talks Research Session Today |
The second Tech-Talks Research session on computer and information studies will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge. Everyone is invited to join in, learn about this topic and participate in the discussion. There will be a cash bar, and munchies will be provided.
The Tech-Talks Research series is sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
|
|
|
5. Flags Lowered for Pearl Harbor Day |
Flags will be flown at half-staff today, Friday, Dec. 7, to observe Pearl Harbor Day.
"On Pearl Harbor Day, we honor the lives lost in the attack 66 years ago and remember that we enjoy freedom thanks to their supreme sacrifices," Governor Jennifer Granholm said. "This year, we also salute the men and women stationed around the world, including those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are defending and protecting our freedom today." |
|
|
6. 12 Days of Christmas Sale Begins Dec. 10 at University Images, Campus Bookstore |
The countdown to Christmas has begun, and University Images and the
Campus Bookstore are ready with the 12 Days of Christmas Sale: take 50 percent off selected merchandise Dec. 10-21. Something different will be featured each day, such as selected men's and women's hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats and kids' wear.
During the sale, University Images will be open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 16, 12-5 p.m. The Campus Bookstore will be open Monday, Dec. 10, through Friday, Dec. 14, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 15, 12-4 p.m.; closed Sunday, Dec. 16.; and open Dec. 17-21, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Happy Holidays from Michigan Tech Merchandising! |
|
|
7. Holiday Decoration Safety Guidelines |
Holiday decoration safety guidelines can be found in section 2.5.1 of the Michigan Tech safety manual and can be viewed at www.sas.it.mtu.edu/fm/oshs/section2.htm .
Please note that candles are forbidden from use on campus.
Remember the following guidelines:
* Decorated artificial trees may be set up indoors and displayed now through the end of the calendar year.
* The use of cut natural trees is only permitted with approval from Occupational Safety and Health Services.
* Electric lights and lighted decorations must bear the Underwriters Laboratories seal and must be turned off when the room or space is not occupied.
* Decorations must be located so that they do not obstruct any exits, hallways, stairs or fire-fighting equipment from view or use. No lights or lighted decorations may be placed on or near an exit sign.
* Electric lights may not be placed on an all-metallic tree or other metallic structure.
* Combustible decorations may not be placed in stairwells and should be kept to a minimum in corridors.
* Lighted candles are not permitted, except in supervised dining areas provided they are securely supported on a noncombustible base and the flame is protected.
Additional holiday decorating safety information for work and home is available on the Michigan Fire Marshal webpage at www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154--156880--,00.html . |
|
|
8. Staff Making a Difference Award Winners Announced, Reception Dec. 12 |
Everyone is invited to attend the reception for the Making a Difference award recipients and nominees on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 3-5 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A. The award ceremony will be held at 4 p.m.
Awards and their winners follow: Rookie Award, Eddie Jean Johnson (Accounting Services); Unsung Hero, Lois Blau (Chemistry); Serving Others, Pat Hopp (IT-SAS) and Bill Roberts (Admissions); Bringing Out the Best, Shane Sullivan (ITS); Outstanding Supervisor, Ramona Backman (Rozsa); Innovative Solutions, Sheri Thomas (Financial Aid); Fostering Community, Joan Pastore (COMPASS); and Creating Connections, Ruth Kramer (MSE).
Nominees for this year's awards follow: Andrea Barry (SBE), Kristine Bradof (GEM Center), Kathryn Carter (WUPCSMEE), Shellie Crisman (Enrollment Services Information Systems), Jennifer Donovan (Marketing and Communications), Emmett Golde (IT-AIS), Lynn Heil (Ed Opp), Jarrod Karau (ITS), Judy Klutts (Campus Dining Services), Pete Larsen (Office of VP for Research), Jeff Lewin (Biological Sciences), Karen Maki (ITS), Tanya Maki (Alumni Relations), Rose Martell (Ed Opp), Patti Myllyoja (Rozsa Center), Renee Ozanich (ME-EM), Aparna Pandey (Chemistry), Janey Pindral (IPS), Lorri Reilly (Chemistry), Robert Rowe (ME-EM), Chuck Schaefer (IT-AIS), Shalini Suryanarayana (Ed Opp), Danielle Treadeau (Alumni Relations), Katherine Wells (Research Accounting), Phyllis Williamson (SBE) and Paula Zenner (ME-EM).
Please join Staff Council and President Glenn Mroz in celebrating the contributions of these and all staff to the mission and vision of Michigan Tech.
Please direct any questions to Becky Christianson, 487-2416 or
rwchrist@mtu.edu .
Profiles of five award winners follow. The remainder will appear in Tech Today on Monday, Dec. 10.
Rookie of the Year
Eddie Jean Johnson, administrative aide, joined the Accounting Services staff in February 2006. “She has looked for ways to improve communication and decrease the workload for herself and others that provide necessary information,” says a nomination.
Johnson has collaborated on projects with the goal of creating a paperless office, including implementing document imaging solutions that allowed the department to eliminate 10 file cabinets. A project coworker commented that although Johnson is a relatively new employee, she has been an essential member of the team, contributing a fresh, broad perspective. She has also been testing a new online project management system to improve communication and productivity within Accounting Services. A nomination says Johnson took the project above and beyond, searching for new ways to generate useful data with the software and that she has “actively embraced technology and process improvements.” Another project, organizing the University Space Inventory, has required that Johnson “keep the lines of communication open and the information flowing to people that need it.” Because she problem solves and follows through with her work, “I have seen results in a matter of days instead of the weeks that I have been accustomed to,” says a coworker. Another nomination adds that Johnson “has made a big difference in the project that we have been working on together, and that makes a difference at Michigan Tech.”
Johnson was also involved in approving the Information Security Plan and increasing ecommerce. She was also designated as one of the initial four University employees who would become a “train-the-trainers” for other departments.
Unsung Hero
“I have been at Michigan Tech since 1997…and Lois Blau has had the greatest contribution toward my professional development concerning teaching and dealing with students in the Department of Chemistry,” begins the first Unsung Hero’s nomination.
“On the surface, Lois is recognized as the Chemistry Learning Center coordinator, but the reality is that this represents just one of her many roles in the (department),” said another letter. “Lois is not only the first line of communication for our perspective students; she appears to organize all of the departmental events once they arrive. Lois is the front line for all of our open-house activities, regardless of whether they are during normal hours or weekends. Whenever students…have problems Lois is always the first person we call on for assistance.”
A learning-center coach says Blau fosters a welcoming, homelike atmosphere for the center, such as bringing food to coaches on exam-grading days, while preserving order and adds “Lois handles all problems with ease and a pleasant disposition. It is a pleasure to see a student suddenly understand something and have them slowly see their grades improve. None of that would be possible without the work that (Blau) does for the department.”
Serving Others
This award is a tie between Pat Hopp and Bill Roberts.
Pat Hopp
Hopp, senior systems administrator, manages staff and student system administrators that provide network and desktop support for all of Michigan Tech’s administrative departments and hundreds of other computers in buildings on and off the main campus.
Although Systems Administration Services is about serving others, Hopp “takes it to an elevated level,” said one nomination. “The quality of service and efficiency that comes from SAS is outstanding, thanks to Pat. On a number of occasions, I have emailed SAS with a problem, not expecting an immediate response; the phone is ringing before I can move on to my next task, and it’s usually Pat.” She says he also places follow-up calls to make sure everything works.
Another nomination said Hopp and his staff organized laptops for orientation in the Rozsa, staying on a Friday night to make sure they would function and opening the doors Saturday.
“Staff who have interacted with Pat…praise his ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels and his ability to solve computer and network technical problems,” continues the first nomination. He has been described as patient and understanding; having a positive attitude, ability to lead and excellent work ethic; respectful of others; and customer oriented. “Pat’s most important contribution to the university is his ability to handle the technical needs of the staff who do not have much technical expertise,” echoed another nomination. “He does this with infinite patience and skill and has passed that talent on to his staff.”
“Imagine the affect on business if a server went down and wasn’t tended to immediately. We most often don’t even know Pat and his team are there, silently serving us,” one nomination concludes.
Bill Roberts
Roberts, associate director of admissions, “is an exemplary model of a staff member who provides consistent and exceptional service to everyone he interacts with—campus visitors, alumni, faculty and staff,” begins one nomination. “He is a tireless worker who does what needs to be done to get the job done right. Getting the job done right requires someone who knows how to not only offer service that is expected, but service that is above and beyond traditional expectations. Bill’s commitment to excellence is evident through his interactions with visitors. Bill is always willing to help…from walking a visitor to the accounting office, to driving a family to Wadsworth Hall to meet up with a student…to helping a student shovel their car out…Bill goes the extra mile.”
Another nomination says, “Bill’s spine must be hinged both ways, making efforts to bend over backwards for others seem effortless and natural. I see current students who are three to four years removed from the admissions process come back to the Admissions Office seeking Bill out for major (career advice)…because they felt they found a friend and advisor when they first met him.”
Bringing Out the Best
Shane (Sully) Sullivan, senior systems administrator, oversees the Auxiliary Technology area of Information Technology Services. “Shane is always on top of his game, looking for the best solution to a problem and foreseeing outcomes. As someone who has worked for Shane for the last two years, I have found that through his attitude and commitment to work, you want to do more and do it better. This is not something that he (demands) of you,” says one nomination.
Sullivan has been involved in implementing new point-of-sale systems throughout campus, ticketing systems in the Rozsa and implementing card swipes on vending machines. “Throughout these projects, Shane has researched, tested and foreseen problems and done all this with a smile,” the nomination continues.
Another nomination says Sullivan embodies three major leadership qualities: attitude, example and competence. “Sully brings a helping and caring attitude to work each day. Even on projects that do not go well, Sully is able to build relationships and smooth the problems (to ease everyone’s) work load.” It continues, “Sully inspires and leads through his example. When a supervisor is working so hard to make everyone around him successful it inspires everyone to match his effort and willingness to sacrifice for the good of the department and University.” The nomination says his competence is demonstrated by his knowledge, judgment and professionalism. “Sully has the knowledge to overcome most technical difficulties and the wisdom to know when outside help is needed. When the problems are the hardest and the stakes are the highest, Sully is at his best.”
“If Michigan Tech had more supervisors like Shane Sullivan, productivity and morale on campus would improve tenfold. (Sullivan) has certainly brought out the best in me, and I know he does the same for the other staff and students that work with him.” |
|
|
9. Teaching At Tech: Inspiring Students to Pursue Technical Disciplines |
by William Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development
The trend lines are sobering. Fewer and fewer high school students express interest in pursuing careers in science and technology. Pundits suggest the situation is likely to get worse as the economic realities of the increasingly common practice of globally sourcing technical work become more broadly understood by American high school students and their parents. At the same time, Asian universities are churning out five times the numbers of engineering graduates and various levels of technicians as their American counterparts. China is doubling the number of engineering PhDs every five years while US PhD production remains stagnant. The United States currently produces less than 8 percent of the world’s engineers and that percentage is falling.
Yet, in the face of all of this gloom and doom, four recipients of the Professors of the Year Award, given by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, proudly displayed their brand of pedagogical innovation designed to engage and inspire this generation of technical students.
Rosemary Karr, professor of developmental math at Collin County Community College, took on the challenge of reckoning with her students’ deep rooted fear of mathematics. To counter their fear of failure and of falling behind, she created a program called “Passport” that allows her students to learn what each of them needs at their own pace. Recognizing that individual students tended to have an adequate grasp of most mathematical concepts along with significant gaps or areas of misunderstanding of other concepts, Karr and a colleague produced a series of recorded mini-lectures that would allow students to hone in on those specific areas where they had weak understanding rather than risking the stupefying effects of dragging all the students through all the concepts associated with the course. Using her methods, students had 15 percent higher success rates than those who were enrolled in the traditional courses.
Engineering Professor Glenn Ellis of Smith College says he really learned to teach during his tenure as a public school teacher at both the primary and secondary levels. These formative experiences had convinced him that hour-long lectures just don’t work. Now, Ellis uses the first five minutes of the class period to pose a provocative question. He recently began a class by asking students if they thought they could walk across a Styrofoam bridge that he placed across the top of two widely spaced classroom tables. The students universally responded no. Ellis then embarked on a discussion of how they arrived at their conclusion and what kind of knowledge and experience was required to make determinations about the suitability of materials.
Ellis also helped develop the first engineering curriculum designed specifically for female students. The design encourages his students not only to learn foundational concepts, but also to make connections between disciplines. His class on artificial intelligence brings in a discussion of philosophy and the nature of language. In his mechanics class, for example, students worked in teams to produce educational videos that focused on how students learned this material.
Mathematics Professor Carlos Spaht, at Lousiana State-Shreveport, learned to teach as an Army intelligence officer. Spaht is known on campus for his high-energy classes, full of enthusiasm and personal motivation. He’s been known to give $1 bills to students who make a breakthrough in understanding in class. Spaht has developed several programs to help inner-city middle and high school students to gain the skills and knowledge to get into college and teaches them how to succeed once they get there. His advice to teachers: “Communicate with your students, and build a nurturing relationship with them. Learning will follow.” If the heart’s engaged, the head’s engaged.
Physics Professor Christopher Sorenson at Kansas State rounds out this group of award recipients. Sorenson has adopted a sort of Phil Donahue style of interacting with his large physics classes. He routinely treks up and down the auditorium aisle, attempting to eliminate the feeling that the teacher is up there and the students are out there somewhere. He consciously aims his teaching toward students who have little interest or experience in the subject rather than focusing his teaching on high-performing students in the major. In a two-semester engineering physics sequence, Sorenson designed 130 dramatic lab demonstrations to bring the science in the textbook to life.
In his Physics 101 course, Sorenson replaces 1/3 of textbook readings with carefully selected excerpts from the actual works of Galileo, Newton, Faraday and Einstein. He finds having students interact with bits of these primary texts makes the science more visceral and authentic. “It doesn’t matter if it’s about being a dorky physicist or about studying art history, I want to show them that it’s OK to be passionate about something and display that in public.”
Learning to re-engineer technical education may be one of the keys in reversing the decline in interest in these fields. |
|
|
