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1. Car Site Names Tech Among Nation's Top Auto Engineering Schools |
Those motor heads at Edmunds.com, who know whereof they speak, have picked the best automotive engineering programs in the nation. Topping the list are Michigan Tech and two pretty-good downstate schools, the University of Michigan and Michigan State.
In "Top 10 Automotive Colleges and Universities in the US," writer Mac Demere lauded schools that produce engineers "with both practical experience and a passion for things motorized." In particular, the study rewarded universities where students are engaged in activities that emphasize the wrenching reality of engineering.
The study was based in part on interviews with representatives of several car companies and the results from vehicle-building competitions.
William Predebon chairs the Department of Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics, which contributes more graduates to the auto industry than any other program. He agrees that Tech's experiential approach does give graduates an edge. "One of the reasons our graduates succeed is our hands-on engineering education," he said. "They learn theory in the classroom and apply it in the lab immediately."
Engineering students also get their hands dirty in endeavors such as Challenge X, the Clean Snowmobile Challenge, and SAE's Formula and Baja competitions. "That ability to work in a team and produce a product with an engine is very valuable to employers," Predebon said. And as the US auto industry works its way though some hard times, the problem-solving skills Michigan Tech graduates bring to the workplace are more valuable than ever, he added.
To read the whole story (and find out who the other leading universities are), see www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/125218/article.html . |
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2. Nevada Barr's New Mystery Set on Isle Royale |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
Anna Pigeon, America's favorite park ranger/sleuth, joins Michigan Tech researchers' winter study in Nevada Barr's latest novel of the same name. "Winter Study," Barr's 14th Anna Pigeon mystery, is set on Isle Royale and is scheduled to be released April 1.
While researching her novel, Barr spent eight days with the Michigan Tech scientists during their real winter study in January 2007.
An editorial writer for the Detroit Free Press has reviewed the new mystery. See
www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/OPINION02/803270358/1070 .
When it's released, you can order Barr's new book from the Isle Royale Natural History Association, www.irnha.org . |
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3. VITA Tax Preparation Assistance Back at Tech This Year |
VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, is offered by the IRS on university campuses across the country each tax season. The School of Business and Economics sponsors Michigan Tech’s program.
To qualify as a VITA tax preparer, upper-division accounting students first complete an IRS self-study course, attend a tax seminar, and then must successfully complete the IRS's test. The students prepare basic, individual income-tax returns for other Michigan Tech students and for members of the local community who could not otherwise afford professional tax preparation services.
This free service is offered on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon and 4-6 p.m.; Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m.; and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon. VITA sessions are held in Academic Offices G010A. No appointment is necessary. You should bring your W-2s and other tax information, plus a copy of your last year’s tax return.
For further information about VITA, contact Joel Tuoriniemi, jctuorin@mtu.edu , or Anne Warrington, acwarrin@mtu.edu . |
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4. HR, AAO Closing Early Monday for Professional Development |
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The Human Resources and Affirmative Action offices will close at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 31, to take part in a professional-development opportunity and will re-open at 4:30 p.m. |
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5. Flags Lowered Today |
Flags will be lowered on Friday, March 28, in honor of Army Private First Class Antione V. Robinson, of Detroit, who died March 19 while on active duty in Afghanistan.
Pfc. Robinson, 20, died in Nawa from injuries he sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed. He was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. |
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6. Got Stacks of Inter-department Envelopes? Bring Them to Mail Services |
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Some departments are running low on the big manila envelopes used for inter-department mail. If you have stacks lollygagging around your office, please consider sending them back to Mail Services, where they can return to gainful employment. |
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7. Learn About the Sustainability Faculty Candidates’ Research |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
Six finalists for three Robbins endowed chairs and 12 finalists for seven new faculty positions under the first Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative (SFHI) will present seminars on their research over the next several weeks.
The University received 220 applications for the endowed chairs and the new faculty positions. A committee of faculty representatives from all departments, institutes and centers at Michigan Tech reviewed the applications and narrowed the pool down to 85.
These applications were screened by more than 70 University faculty members who were familiar with the candidates’ fields of research and scholarship. The top 30 were then reviewed by an SFHI subcommittee and grouped according to the strength of their applications. From that short list, so far 10 candidates for the sustainability positions have been scheduled for interviews.
Separately, a blue-ribbon committee of senior faculty evaluated the applications for the endowed chairs and developed a short list of six.
Four of the six finalists for the Robbins chairs are Michigan Tech faculty members: David Karnosky, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; James Mihelcic, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; David Shonnard, Department of Chemical Engineering; and John Sutherland, Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. External finalists are Robert Berrens from the University of New Mexico and Randy Vander Wal of the NASA-Glenn Research Center.
"I am enormously pleased with the teamwork that went into this,” said Provost Lesley Lovett-Doust. "I truly appreciate the willingness and creativity of my colleagues who developed new ways of engaging in a faculty search."
All candidates' research seminars will be at noon in Rekhi Hall, G05-06. They are open to anyone on campus.
The seminars will be recorded and available for viewing on an internal website, where the candidates’ curricula vitae (CVs) also can be found, at www.banweb.mtu.edu/pls/mtu/FAC_SFHI_FINL_INTVS.p_hmpag .
Website access requires logging in with your Michigan Tech ISO password. An online evaluation form is linked to each candidate’s name, where anyone with an ISO password can make anonymous comments and assessments of the candidates.
A list of semi-finalists, their current institutions and their research seminar schedule follows:
* Monday, March 31—Dibyendu Sarkar, University of Texas at San Antonio
* Tuesday, April 1—Scott Reed, Portland State University
* Thursday, April 3—Rupali Data, University of Texas at San Antonio
* Friday, April 4—Paul Doskey, Argonne National Laboratory
* Monday, April 7—Heidi Asbjornsen, Iowa State University
* Tuesday, April 8—Wenzhen Li, University of California
* Wednesday, April 9—David Shonnard, Michigan Tech
* Thursday, April 10—Robert Berrens, University of New Mexico
* Monday, April 14—Erik Nielsen, Alaska Pacific University
* Thursday, April 17—Shiliang Wu, Harvard University
* Wednesday, April 23—David Karnosky, Michigan Tech
* Thursday, April 24—Claudio Mazzoleni, Los Alamos National Laboratory
* Friday, April 25—Audrey Mayer, University of Helsinki (Finland)
* Tuesday, April 29—John Sutherland, Michigan Tech
* Wednesday, April 30—James Mihelcic, Michigan Tech
* Monday, May 5—Randy Vander Wal, NASA-Glenn Research Center
Two more candidates for the new faculty positions will be announced shortly.
The University expects the new faculty to be at Michigan Tech starting in the 2008-09 academic year. |
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8. Fashion Show Finale for Women's Week 2008 |
submitted by Educational Opportunity
Please join us for the finale of Women's Week 2008, a fashion show, today, Friday, March 28, in Memorial Union Ballroom B. Undergraduates from Michigan Tech will be modeling clothes and accessories from Rhythm, in downtown Houghton.
A free soup and salad bar luncheon will be served from noon to 1 p.m., during the fashion show. The theme of Women's Week 2008 is "Beautiful Just As You Are," celebrating women—just as they are.
Local vendors will be available between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. All Women's Week events are free and open to the public. Women's Week is sponsored by the Outreach and MultiEthnic Programs offices of Educational Opportunity. |
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9. Bio Sci Seminar Monday on Plant Hormone Auxin |
Michael Prigge of the Department of Biology at Indiana University will give a talk, "Auxin’s Regulation of Development in Diverse Land Plants and Its Implications in Plant Evolution," Monday, March 31, at 4 p.m. in Chem Sci 101 as part of the Biological Sciences Faculty Search Seminar Series.
A reception will follow in the Dow atrium. |
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10. Reminder: Cultural Competence, Hate Crime Training Sessions to be Held April 21, 22 |
Two professional development training sessions, "Building Cultural Competence" and "Hate Crime 101," will be held on campus by the Student Affairs Professional Development Committee on Monday, April 21, and Tuesday, April 22. Seating is limited to 50 at each session, so register early.
"Building Cultural Competence," a four-hour presentation concentrating on embracing cultural diversity in the workplace, will be offered at the following times in Memorial Union Ballroom A:
•Monday, April 21, 8 a.m.-noon
•Monday, April 21, 1-5 p.m.
•Tuesday, April 22, 8 a.m.-noon
For "Hate Crime 101," participants will specifically learn the definition of a hate crime and how to use available resources, including hate crime laws, to respond effectively within the community. The session will be held Tuesday, April 22, 1-3 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A.
If you would like to participate in one of these free training sessions, please visit the Student Affairs Professional Development website at www.sa.mtu.edu/vp/prof_dev/prof_dev.html for details and to register.
For more information, visit www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/previous.php?issue=20080130#13 . |
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11. RSI Seminar Monday |
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Research Scientist Tyler Erickson (MTRI) will present a Remote Sensing seminar, "Modern Methods for Web Distribution of Geographic Datasets," Monday, March 31, 4-5 p.m. in M & M U113. For an abstract or more information, contact Will Cantrell at cantrell@mtu.edu . |
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12. Teaching at Tech: Learning to Foster Learning |
by Bill Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development
It’s ironic, I suppose, that K-12 teachers receive more direct instruction in teaching than do most college professors. We expect our primary and secondary public-school teachers to be certified or licensed and recognize that it’s important that they not only know the content of the subjects that they teach, but also that they know and employ the best methods for conveying that material to a diverse classroom full of students.
At the university level, we seem to assume that the depth of learning of our faculty members virtually eliminates the need for direct instruction in pedagogy. I call it the "frequent flyer" defense. "Of course, I can land a fully-loaded 747 in an unpredictable crosswind. After all, I’ve been a passenger on one of these airplanes dozens of times." Of course, I can teach this course, I have a PhD in this discipline. But can you teach in a "crosswind?"
Most of us probably choose how to teach our courses by primarily emulating the kind of instruction that we preferred as a student. If we liked lectures and learned using that modality in our undergraduate experience, then we lecture. If we hated lectures and strongly preferred hands-on instruction and classroom exercises, then we’ll tend to incorporate more of them into our classes.
The Graduate Student Council recently invited me to speak to our graduate students about how they might best represent themselves as teachers if they choose to apply for a teaching position in a university or a research position that offers the opportunity for teaching. Put briefly, they wanted to know how to produce an acceptable statement of teaching philosophy that they might use in applying for a job.
Rather than complying with their request, I chose to introduce the students to some carefully selected resources that they might consult in order to actually learn something about contemporary thinking in university instruction. I introduced them to Bill McKeachie’s handbook on college teaching, "Teaching Tips," and MaryEllen Weimer’s pragmatic compilation of research-based pedagogy, "Learner Centered Teaching." On the cognitive neuroscience side, I suggested that they take the time to read a historical survey of learning and memory research such as Larry Squire and Eric Kandel’s "Memory: From Mind to Molecules" or the more applied and accessible "Art of Changing the Brain," by biologist and teaching center director James Zull.
Judging from the students' responses, I think that they might have preferred if I had just handed out some boilerplate statements of teaching philosophy that they could cut and paste into their vitae.
It’s interesting to me that some people seem to think teaching comes naturally but react violently to any similar notion applied to, say, experimental methods or procedures associated with their academic discipline.
There is no more complex object than the human brain. Crafting experiences that encourage a diverse group of students' brains to change in productive ways is no trivial undertaking. In fact, I can think of no task more daunting.
Learning to teach means learning how to encourage our students to learn. There is science to it, and there is art. Like all other worthwhile pursuits, it requires study, practice and extended reflection. It’s a journey worth taking. |
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13. In the News |
Railway Age magazine published a full-page article, "Michigan Tech Launches Undergraduate Rail Program," on page 13 of its March edition.
To view the issue, visit www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ra0308/ . |
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14. Reminder: Furniture Still Available in ETS |
Educational Technology Services has the following item available immediately:
• one Steelcase desk, measuring 5 feet wide by 30 inches deep
The following items will be available at end of the spring semester:
• modular seating sections with fold-up writing tablets: 49 total seats in 12 individual sections
Contact Jeff Toorongian at 487-1900 for information or to view the items.
University property may only be transferred between departments. It may not be given or sold to individuals. |
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