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1. Code Warriors Gear Up for Battle of the Brains |
After triumphing over hundreds of code warriors from across the Midwest, a team of computer science majors from Michigan Tech has earned a coveted slot in the worldwide 2008 Battle of the Brains.
Officially known as the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, the IBM-sponsored competition began this fall. Six thousand, seven hundred teams representing 1,821 universities in 83 countries competed at 213 sites worldwide.
The 100 survivors (including Michigan Tech) qualified for the World Finals, set for April 6-10 in Banff and hosted by the University of Alberta.
The contest will be held at the century-old Fairmont Banff Springs, which was modeled after a Scottish baronial chateau.
“I’m pretty ecstatic,” said team member Ryan Richards. “Banff is going to be ridiculously fun, and I’m excited about staying in a castle.”
While many universities identify team members competitively, Michigan Tech’s approach is a little more laid back. David Poplawski, the team’s advisor and an associate professor of computer science, fired off an email asking if anyone was interested.
“They just came out of the woodwork,” he said.
Members of the qualifying team, undergraduates Mikola Lysenko, Nick Smolinske and Richards, are all good students, but they also have an additional gift that doesn’t necessarily reveal itself in the classroom.
“It’s a strange talent,” says Poplawski. “Usually, the programmer’s goal is to write good, larger software programs, and there’s a whole planning and design process involved.
“This contest is the antithesis of that. You get something to work as fast as you can.”
Indeed, at the North Central North America Regionals, dozens of teams from eight states and western Ontario tried to solve nine problems in five hours, and for much of the contest, it seemed as if the team from Tech would come out on top. “We were solving a problem every 20 minutes,” Richards said.
As time was running out, several teams were tied at seven problems solved, with Michigan Tech leading with the best time. However, at the last minute, the University of Wisconsin at Madison finished an eighth problem, edging Michigan Tech out of first place.
Fortunately, because the North Central regionals are so competitive, officials awarded Tech a wild-card berth at the finals.
How will they do in April? “Well, between the three of us, we have a lot of muscle,” said Richards. “All of us have been programming for over 10 years.”
That said, teams from other counties, particularly Russia and China, train like maniacs for the competition and often take the gold.
By contrast, the night before the regionals, the Michigan Tech team relaxed at a local bowling alley. And for luck, they gave a ceremonial bath to a statue of the Buddha.
“For teams in other countries, it’s their Olympics,” Richards explained. “For us, just going is the honor.”
Tech teams have gone to the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest finals three times before, in 2003, 2004 and once in the 1980s.
For more information, visit http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/ . |
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2. Dyl Retirement Party Tuesday |
submitted by the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum
Join us at the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 3 to 5 p.m., to celebrate the retirement of Stan Dyl. Stan has served the museum and University for 32 years as assistant curator, curator and director. Through his efforts, the Seaman Mineral Museum is now recognized as one of North America's finest mineral museums. Snacks and refreshments will be available as we wish Stan the best in his retirement. |
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3. Predebon Named ASME Fellow |
William Predebon, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics, has been elected a fellow of ASME (formerly the American Society of Mechanical Engineers).
The fellow grade recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering professions.
"It was long overdue," said Donna Michalek, the assistant provost and an associate professor of mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics. "He deserves to be recognized for all his contributions."
ASME accepts fellow nominations in a number of categories, and Predebon was nominated by Michalek and others in the department for his contributions to education.
Predebon came to Michigan Tech in 1976 and was named department chair in 1997. He has earned a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University and helped establish the department’s Engineering Learning Center.
He led efforts to establish distance-learning MS and PhD programs in Mechanical Engineering, and since becoming chair, Predebon has seen his department achieve national recognition in U.S. News & World Report's "America’s Best Graduate Schools" and "America’s Best Colleges" editions. In addition, the National Science Foundation ranks the department 21st in the nation in terms of research expenditures.
When the University moved from the quarter to the semester system, Predebon spearheaded a revamped mechanical engineering curriculum emphasizing hands-on learning, an improvement that reverberates nationwide. "We are such a large ME department that those activities impact the broad community of mechanical engineers," Michalek said.
He has also made a strong effort to support new faculty members, coordinating mentor relationships within the department. And he has been recognized by the University’s Black Students Association for his support of diversity initiatives.
Predebon has held a number of positions within ASME and is currently secretary of the Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Executive Committee.
Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a nonprofit professional organization that promotes the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences throughout the world. The core values of ASME are rooted in its mission to better enable mechanical engineering practitioners to contribute to the well-being of humankind. |
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4. Survey for Students: Computing Support Needs |
A team of students in BA2700 is conducting a survey of undergraduates to help determine the need for computer technical support and provide a reference for computer use trends.
All students are encouraged to fill out the 18-question survey, located at http://itpolling.nfshost.com/limesurvey/index.php?sid=49957&lang=en .
The team expects to submit the survey results to the Association of Information Technology Professionals and System Administration Services. |
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5. Tech-Talks Research: “Infrastructure and the Built Environment” Feb. 29 |
by Assistant Provost Donna Michalek
The next Tech-Talks Research session will focus on infrastructure and the built environment and will take place on Friday, Feb. 29, 4-5 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A. There will be a cash bar, with the first pop, wine or beer on the house, and munchies will be provided.
The built environment encompasses the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity. Typically, it is considered to include structures such as roads, buildings and bridges. In some circumstances, the built environment may appear to be natural, such as Central Park or Mont Ripley, but it is at least in part built and therefore distinct from the natural environment.
Infrastructure can be either part of the built environment, support its existence, or support human activity. While the vast majority of the infrastructure we have created resides on Earth, some, such as our telecommunications infrastructure, is moving beyond the confines of our planet and into space in the form of satellite networks. Possible topics of research, but certainly not an exhaustive list, include
* critical infrastructure protection
* space systems
* sustainable transportation infrastructure
* environmental psychology
* LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
* human factors
* water and sanitation infrastructure
* social networks and innovation systems
* telecommunication infrastructure
* impact on human health
* green buildings
All faculty and staff members who feel they can make a contribution to research within this focus or who want to learn about the efforts of others are strongly encouraged to attend. In addition, if you are interested in giving a short presentation, send your two slides to Donna J. Michalek, donna@mtu.edu , by Thursday, Feb. 28.
The Tech-Talks Research series is sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of the Vice President for Research. |
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6. Senate Seeks Candidates to Serve on Research Integrity Committee |
The University Senate is soliciting nominees to serve on a proposed Graduate Research Integrity Committee. The committee is expected to deal with suspected research plagiarism.
This committee will only be involved in conducting investigations viewed to have merit by the preliminary fact-finding committee, so it will convene very infrequently.
Any faculty member interested in serving as a committee member or alternate is asked to contact their senator. |
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7. Sweden's Transition to Renewable Fuels: Hear How It's Being Done |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
In 1996, the southeastern Swedish city of Växjö pledged to become free of fossil fuels by 2050. Realizing that it couldn't reach such a lofty goal in one leap, the town established intermediate steps, such as halving carbon emissions per capita by 2010. So far, the city has reduced carbon emissions to 3.5 tons per person (a 25 percent reduction) and has the lowest level of any urban area in Europe. Sweden now produces 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources (the United States is at 3 percent).
How did Växjö do it?
On Tuesday, Feb. 26, Michigan Tech and Michigan State University’s Renewable Fuels Working Group is hosting a delegation from Sweden at a public seminar in Escanaba. Representatives of Sweden's energy, forest and bioenergy agencies, as well as private industry, will talk about "Sweden’s Remarkable Transition to Renewable Fuels: Can It Happen Here, Too?"
The seminar will be at Bay de Noc Community College, 2001 North Lincoln Road, Escanaba, from 10 a.m. to noon.
"Sweden has been actively working on developing biorefineries for more than 10 years and is getting ready to build commercial-sized facilities," says Raymond Miller, MSU Upper Peninsula forest properties manager. "The United States has built some simple corn ethanol plants, but only now has begun to consider what it will take to build biorefineries. Michigan has the fifth largest forested area of any state, a vital agricultural sector and a broad manufacturing industry. Learning from and collaborating with Swedish scientists and industry can help Michigan be a bioeconomy leader."
Vice President for Research David Reed was instrumental in arranging a Michigan delegation visit to Swedish biofuel facilities last summer. Says Reed, “In Sweden, they have made great progress in diversifying their energy sector and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. They are world leaders in this area that is also of critical importance to the United States. Working together, we can take advantage of their experience and adapt it to our own circumstances as we strive to increase our renewable energy sources.”
Växjö's wood-burning combined heat and power plant is a large part of the reason for the city's miniscule carbon output. Fueled by woodchips and other wood waste from area sawmills, the plant provides heat, hot water and electricity to 95 percent of the city's homes. The plant is highly efficient, and almost no wasted power goes up the smokestack in the form of chemical gas. As a result, there's no odor and only a wisp of steam.
"Everything relevant to the bioenergy chain can be found in and around Växjö, from the forest equipment to the combined heat and power plant," says Hans Gulliksson, project manager of the Energy Agency for Southeast Sweden, who is one of the presenters. "We firmly believe in what we are doing and are happy to talk to people about what we have achieved and how we have done it.”
Both Reed and Miller were part of the Michigan contingent that traveled to Sweden last August with Gov. Granholm and Michigan Economic Development Corporation officials and other MSU and Michigan Tech scientists. The group met with Gulliksson several times while in Sweden.
In November, Michigan State and Michigan Tech formalized an agreement to work together to support the developing renewable fuels industry in the state.
There is no fee to attend the seminar, and no reservations are required. For more information, contact the Upper Peninsula Tree Improvement Center at 906-786-1575 or uptic@msu.edu . |
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8. Tech Arts Festival This Week |
The annual Tech Arts Festival sponsored by the Memorial Union Board will be held in the Memorial Union the week of Feb. 25.
Art Show: Art will be on display in the Peninsula Room all week, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop by and vote for the People's Choice award.
Workshops: Each day at 5 p.m. a workshop is offered. All but Tuesday's will be in the Keweenaw Commons.
Monday—Juggling Workshop by Bob Evans and Jason Cattelino
Tuesday—Chain Saw Carving Demonstration by Chad Denkins (outside the Memorial Union)
Wednesday—Wire Wrapping Jewelry Workshop by Kristy Walden
Thursday—Wine Tasting and Food Pairing Workshop by Travis Pierce and Eric Karvonen
Friday—Spoken Word Workshop by internationally recognized spoken word artist Amir Sulaiman
Lunchtime Crafttime: Each day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., a craft project will be offered in the Keweenaw Commons. Crafts will include spin art, finger painting, dream catchers, Gak and Playdough, and recycled art.
Tech Arts Festival will conclude on Saturday, March 1, with Poetry Slam, co-sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers and the Memorial Union Board. Poetry Slam will be emceed by Amir Sulaiman in the Memorial Union Ballroom at 7 p.m. |
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9. Communication Skills Workshop Feb. 23 |
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society is hosting an on-the-job communication skills workshop Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. in Fisher 129. Interactive exercises will be led by a trained instructor. The workshop is free and open to everyone, and lunch will be provided.
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10. New Staff |
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Charles D. Mott has joined the Michigan Tech staff as coordinator of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute. Mott was previously employed by the Tauri Group as a program analyst under contract with NASA headquarters, and he has been a transportation consultant and a gold miner in Alaska. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Michigan Tech and an MS in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota. He is married to Pattie and lives in Rockland. |
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11. On the Road |
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Associate Professor William Breffle (SBE) presented "The Optimal Design: A Guide for Choice Experiment Practitioners" at the Western Regional Science Association Annual W-2133 Meeting, Benefits and Costs of Natural Resources Policies Affecting Public and Private Lands, on Feb. 18 in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. |
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12. Memorial Union Menus |
Monday, Feb. 25
The Grill--Breakfast, Two-pancake Breakfast $3.50 (two buttermilk pancakes with two eggs, cooked to order with a small coffee); Lunch, Grilled Turkey and Swiss Value Meal $5.50 (includes a 20-ounce soda and a small fry) Sandwich Only $3.50
Home Style Entrees--Hot Turkey Sandwich Meal $5.25, Creamy Mashed Potatoes $1.50, Buttered Peas $1.50, Sandwich Only $3.25
The Wok About International Display Cooking--all entrees $4.75; Thai Red Curry Beef, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup $2.99--Creamy Onion, Chicken and Dumpling
Mubsterz Pizza--Mubsterz Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Try this week's featured sandwich, Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps $3.99.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
The Grill--Breakfast, The Barn Buster (three fresh eggs cooked to order, four sausage or bacon, hash browns, toast and coffee) $4.95; Lunch, Two-Fer-Tuesday (two cheeseburgers, small fries and a 20-ounce fountain soda) $3.95
Home Style Entrees--Sheboygan Grilled Brats $2.50, German Potato Salad $1.50, Sauerkraut $1.50, Side of Coleslaw $1.25
The Wok About International Display Cooking--all entrees $4.75; Philly Cheeze Steak Wraps, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup--$2.99; Cream of Coconut with Shrimp, Beef Barley
Mubsterz Pizza--Philly Cheeze Steak Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Hot Campbell's Soup Served Monday through Friday, $2.99 per cup
Wednesday, Feb. 27
The Grill--Breakfast, Breakfast Pizza $2.99; Lunch, Pita Wrap Cheese Steak Griller (delicious grilled beef, peppers and cheese served in a pita) $3.99
Home Style Entrees--White Chicken Chili Meal $4.99 (delicious chicken chili served with two corn muffins and southwestern chickpea salad), Chili Only $2.99, Side Salad $1.50, Two Corn Muffins $1
The Wok About International Display Cooking--all entrees $4.75; Chicken Lo Mein, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup--$2.99; Golden Mushroom, Cheesy Vegetable Medley
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, Feb. 28
The Grill---Breakfast, Western Omelet (filled with bell peppers, onion and ham), Toast and Coffee $3.95; Lunch, Zesty Ranch Chicken Wraps $3.99
Home Style Entrees--Roast Beef in Mushroom Gravy, Full Meal $5.50, Entree Only $3.50, Fresh Vegetables $1.50, Cream Cheese Ranch Potatoes $1.50
The Wok About International Display Cooking--all entrees $4.75; Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup--$2.99; Tomato and Broccoli, Split Pea with Bacon and Ham
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 cookie for just $2.
Friday, Feb. 29
The Grill--Breakfast, 1,2,3 Breakfast $3.95 (one pancake, two eggs, three sausage and a coffee), Lunch, Pepperoni Pizza Burgers $2.50 (Make it a value meal and get a small fry and a 20-ounce soda for just $1.95)
Home Style Entrees--Lemon Herb Roasted Pollack $5.95 (tender, flavorful white-fleshed fish served with parslied potatoes and coleslaw); Fish Only $3.95, Coleslaw $1, Parslied Potatoes $1.50
The Wok About International Display Cooking--all entrees $4.75; Shrimp Caesar Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad
Soup by the Cup--$2.99; Cheeseburger, Minestrone
Mubsterz Pizza--Greek Chicken Pizza, by the slice $2.99
Peppers & Pickles Deli--Try this week's featured sandwich, Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps $3.99. |
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