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1. ADVANCE Initiative Kicks Off Friday with Diversity Author |
by Jennifer Donovan, public relations director
Want to learn how the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools and societies? Hear it from the man who wrote the book.
Scott Page, mathematician and author of a book called "The Difference," which documents the benefits of diversity in complex problem solving, will be speaking from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, in the Memorial Union Ballroom.
His public presentation and specialized sessions for faculty and administrators who are working on diversity issues are part of Michigan Tech's ADVANCE program.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, Michigan Tech's ADVANCE initiative is designed to help improve the recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty. Its goal is to attract a larger and more diverse pool of applicants for tenured and tenure-track faculty positions at Michigan Tech and to facilitate the success of those hired.
Deans, department and search committee chairs, and faculty interested in serving as "Colleagues for Equity and Procedures" in the ADVANCE initiative will also be attending a lunch, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and a workshop, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., on Friday.
For more details on the workshop, contact one of the members of the ADVANCE Training Subcommittee, which includes Mary Carol Friedrich, Bill Kennedy, Patty Lins, Lesley Lovett-Doust, Bill Predebon, Anita Quinn and Christa Walck.
For more about Scott Page and his book, see www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/previous.php?issue=20090206&id=7199&nav=1#9 . |
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2. Reminder: Research Proposals Due Feb. 26 |
Proposals for the Research Excellence Fund awards for fiscal year 2009 are due no later than 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26. The program is under the auspices of the vice president for research.
Details about the proposals--a description, the proper format, review criteria and procedure, award procedure and reporting requirements--can be found at www.mtu.edu/research/references/awards-management/internal-awards /research-excellence-fund/ .
Incomplete proposals, or proposals received after the deadline, will not be considered. Newly funded REF awards will begin on July 1.
Submit your proposal to Cheryl Gherna, coordinator, Research Integrity and Compliance, Administration 317B. |
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3. CCUW Campaign to Conclude Feb. 28, Needs Late Push |
With just three weeks to go, the Copper Country United Way is still some $21,000 short of its $150,000 goal.
CCUW President Karin Van Dyke reports contributions of $129,000, or 86 percent of goal, and said while a few payroll deduction units have yet to report, more individuals need to step up.
"The campaign concludes Feb. 28, and a few major benefactors and many additional smaller gifts will be needed to reach goal. Some 15 area agencies are the direct beneficiaries of your gifts, and we need your support now," Van Dyke said.
Donations to the CCUW through the Michigan Tech Campus Campaign are still welcome. Please contact Nancy Seely, nsseely@mtu.edu or 487-2046, for a contribution form.
Van Dyke urged those who have yet to contribute to do so now. "Your contribution changes, improves and supports the people of the Keweenaw, and the money you give stays here to make our community a better place."
Organizations receiving United Way funding include American Red Cross, Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Catholic Charities of the UP, Child and Family Services of the UP, Dial Help, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Keweenaw Family Resource Center, Phoenix House, Salvation Army, UP Library for the Blind and People with Disabilities, UP Emergency Medical Services and Vocational Strategies. |
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4. Mideast Conflict Addressed at Discussion Saturday |
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A discussion, "Gaza and Israel: Behind The Conflict," is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14, in the Red Metal Room of the Memorial Union. Rabbinical student Daniel Bogard, of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, will speak. He has lived in Israel and was in Jerusalem when the most recent conflict began, and he will provide both an historical and an insider's perspective. Admission is free, and the public is welcome. For more information contact Susanna Peters at speters@mtu.edu . |
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5. Kansas State Music Man to Direct Superior Wind Symphony Wednesday |
Frank Tracz, professor of music and director of bands at Kansas State University, will conduct the Superior Wind Symphony at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Rozsa Center.
Tracz, who administers and guides five bands at K-State, is on campus this week polishing the skills of the area's best high school and college musicians, as well as the Superior Wind Symphony.
A graduate of Ohio State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tracz has won numerous awards and brings his expertise to campus not only for the Wednesday performance, but also for three days of intensive workshops in the Rozsa.
The program for Wednesday's performance includes "Gavorkna Fanfare" by Jack Stamp, "Blues for a Killed Kat" by Jack End, "Prelude and Fugue in G Minor" by J.S. Bach, Eric Whitacre's "October," "Four Scottish Dances" by Malcolm Arnold, and "The Klaxon" by Henry Fillmore.
Tickets for Wednesday's concert are available from the Rozsa Box Office at 487-3200 or at www.tickets.mtu.edu . Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for students, and free for Michigan Tech students.
Tracz is at Tech at the invitation of Nick Enz, director of bands, and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. |
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6. Mathematical Sciences to Host Seminars on Emerging Computational Tools |
The Department of Mathematical Sciences is holding weekly seminars to develop and share expertise in emerging computational tools being developed by the Center for Experimental Computation (CEC).
The CEC is building a small prototype computing cluster equipped with NVIDIA graphics cards and managed with the standard Rocks scheduling and management tool. The seminars will focus on programming Graphical Programming Units (GPU) using the NVIDIA application programing interface (CUDA) and the standard Message Passing Interface (MPI) communication protocol.
The seminars will be held every Thursday, until the end of the semester, from 10 to 11 a.m. in Fisher 222. The first seminar will be held Thursday, Feb. 12, and will provide an overview of the following:
* GPU computing;
* CUDA programming extensions;
* Rocks cluster management tools;
* initial cluster design (24 CPUs and 1296 GPU stream processors); and
* cluster access to prototype/test/develop CUDA computations.
The seminar will end with a conversation to establish the most useful topics for following sessions.
Further information and a calendar are available from the seminar wiki, available at www.mathlab.mtu.edu/CUDA .
All levels of expertise are welcome, and donuts will be provided. Funding is provided by the CEC, the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Professor Ulrich Hansmann (Physics).
For further information, contact Allan Struthers (Mathematical Sciences) at struther@mtu.edu . |
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7. Seminar Friday on Freight Railway Decline |
Anybody interested in learning more about the freight railroad industry is invited to participate in a webinar on Friday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. in Dillman 301J.
Jim Giblin, a Chicago-based transportation consultant, will speak on "Train Versus Trucks: Who Shot the Freight Train?"
Giblin is expert on the decline of the American rail freight industry. Having worked in both the rail and trucking industries, he offers the perspective of both operator and competitor.
The webinar is offered by the Grainger Engineering Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as part of its Railroad Engineering Seminar Series.
Light refreshments will be provided for the webinar. For more information, contact Pasi Lautala, ptlautal@mtu.edu or 487-3547, or access the UIUC website: http://sftp.cee.uiuc.edu/research/railroad/CEE/seminar.asp . |
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8. ME-EM Graduate Seminar to Feature Purdue Expert Thursday |
Professor Paul Sojka of Purdue University will be the guest speaker at the ME-EM Graduate Seminar, 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, at ME-EM 112.
His presentation is entitled "Secondary Atomization: The Aerodynamic Breakup of Drops."
Sojka received his BS, MS and PhD degrees from Michigan State University and has done extensive research on spray and atomization. |
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9. Student Affairs to Offer Microsoft Word Training--for Free! |
The Professional Development Committee of Student Affairs invites all faculty and staff to a hands-on training session in Microsoft Word 2007.
The session will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, in Fisher 232. Instructor is Travis Pierce, director of Housing and Residential Life.
The training will cover drop-down menus, hidden features and shortcuts, as well as answer any questions.
Space is limited. Contact Lynda Heinonen ( lheinone@mtu.edu ) to reserve a seat. Let her know specific questions or areas that you want to explore. |
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10. In the News |
The journal Environmental Health Perspectives published an article on biochar, a slow-burning charcoal-creation process that can vastly improve soils for growing food and other plants, which quotes undergraduate Amanda Taylor (Chemical Engineering). Taylor, and other students under the direction of instructor Michael Moore (Humanities), established a research group to study the production and use of biochar.
To read about it, click here. |
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11. Job Postings |
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 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
2/10/09-2/16/09
Operator/Dispatcher (Level 4)
Public Safety
UAW internal and external posting
Regular, 12-month, part-time position; variable hours, may include weekends and holidays
2/10/09
Assistant Grant Accountant
Sponsored Programs Accounting Office
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer. |
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12. Sports in Brief |
What's Happening This Week in Athletics
All times are Eastern, and home events are italicized.
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Huskies Drive Time, 7:30-8 a.m. on Mix 93.5 FM
Thursday, Feb. 12
* No. 8 Women's Basketball at Ferris State, 6 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
* Men's Basketball at Ferris State, 8 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
Friday, Feb. 13
* Men's Tennis hosts Lewis, 6 p.m.
* Hockey at St. Cloud State, 8:07 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
Saturday, Feb. 14
* Women's Tennis hosts Minnesota Duluth, 9 a.m.
* Nordic Skiing at CCSA Championships (at Camp Ripley, Minn.)
* Men's Tennis hosts Lake Superior State, 1 p.m.
* No. 8 Women's Basketball at Grand Valley State, 1 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
* Men's Basketball at Grand Valley State, 3 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
* Hockey at St. Cloud State, 8:07 p.m., live on Mix 93.5 FM
Sunday, Feb. 15
* Women's Tennis hosts Minnesota Duluth, 9 a.m.
* Nordic Skiing at CCSA Championships (at Camp Ripley, Minn.)
Last Week's Results
Hockey (5-19-6, 1-15-6 WCHA)
Feb. 6: at Michigan Tech 2, Colorado College 2, OT
Feb. 7: Colorado College 4, at Michigan Tech 1
Women's Basketball (18-3, 15-1 GLIAC)
Feb. 5 — No. 8 Michigan Tech 72, at Tiffin 63
Feb. 7 — at Ashland 80, No. 8 Michigan Tech 77, OT
Men's Basketball (11-10, 8-8 GLIAC)
Feb. 5: Michigan Tech 63, at Tiffin 46
Feb. 7: Michigan Tech 72, at Ashland 70
Men's Tennis (1-0, 0-0 GLIAC)
Feb. 7: Michigan Tech 9, at St. Scholastica 0
Nordic Skiing
Did not compete
Top News of the Week
Men's Basketball Goes 2-0 on the Road
The men's basketball team was happy to be back on the road last week as it won both of its games after having lost its previous four contests at home. Robby Springborn scored 25 points in a 63-46 win at Tiffin Thursday, Feb. 5, before pouring in 17 more--all in the second half--in a 72-70 win at Ashland Saturday, Feb. 7. Tech gained season sweeps of both opponents and will stay on the road this week looking to avenge losses to Ferris State and Grand Valley State.
Perfect GLIAC Run Finally Over
The Michigan Tech women's basketball team's quest for a perfect season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference came to an end last Saturday, Feb. 7, with an 80-77 overtime loss at Ashland. The No. 8-ranked Huskies are now 18-3 overall and 15-1 in league play. They won 10 straight games from Jan. 3-Feb. 5.
Winter Carnival Title Goes to Colorado College
After a 2-2 tie on Friday, the Huskies hockey team was unable to claim the Winter Carnival title, as they fell to Colorado College 4-1 Saturday. The win was the first for the Tigers in Houghton since a 5-1 win on Jan. 29, 2005. Sophomore Deron Cousens and freshman Brett Olson each extended their point streaks to four games, the longest of both of their careers.
Men's Tennis Team Opens 2009 Calendar
The men's tennis team defeated St. Scholastica to open its spring season last Saturday, Feb. 7. The Huskies have 15 matches on their regular season schedule, culminating with the GLIAC Championships in Midland on April 18. Senior Brett Girard is beginning his fourth season at the top of Tech's lineup. He won his No. 1 singles match 6-4, 6-2.
Skiing Back in Action This Weekend
The Michigan Tech ski teams will fight for valuable NCAA qualifying points at this weekend's Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships in Camp Ripley, Minn. The races will be the second-to-last opportunity to earn qualifying points for the NCAA Championships. Tech currently has eight men and six women ranked in the top 20 of the Central Region. Nine men and 11 women will earn spots to the NCAA Championships in Rumford, Maine, March 11-14. |
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13. In Print |
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Shalini Suryanarayana, executive director of Educational Opportunity, and undergraduate Nelly Moreno (Northern Illinois University) contributed a story to the online forum for NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, available on the foundation's website here. |
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