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1. Five Teams--Including Michigan Tech's--Complete Clean Snowmobile Endurance Run |
It takes more than a few days of sunshine to melt 260-plus inches of snow, which turned out to be a St. Patrick's Day blessing for contestants in the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge.
The trails were too boggy for sleds in the Challenge's internal combustion division to make the planned trek to Baraga. Nevertheless, the successful contestants managed to travel 65 miles, 30 on the Keweenaw Research Center track and 35 on snowmobile trails to Twin Lakes.
Five teams completed the Endurance Run: the University of Idaho, Clarkson University, Michigan Tech, the University of Maine and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Set for March 16-21 at the Keweenaw Research Center, the Clean Snowmobile Challenge is a collegiate design competition of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Engineering students from participating schools take a stock snowmobile and reengineer it. Their aim: to reduce emissions and noise while maintaining or boosting performance.
This year, the sleds are running on flex-fuel, anything between 10 percent and 85 percent ethanol. They did not know what was poured into their tanks before they took off this morning, but the finishers said it didn't matter.
"There were no problems," said Mike Lovett of the University of Maine. "It ran better on flex-fuel."
"It went great," Dylan Dixon of the University of Idaho agreed. "The trails were missing snow in spots, but it was a good ride."
Matthew Mastro, who drove the Clarkson snowmobile, called the trails "pretty decent."
"The only problem was cooling the sled," he said.
Jason Blough, an associate professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics and advisor to the Michigan Tech team, noted before the Endurance Run that keeping snowmobiles cool with temps rising into the 50s can be a hurdle. "But we have more miles on our machine than we did in the past," he said. "We'll see. Our hopes are high."
They were well founded. "It ran great," said Tech driver Andrew Wicklacz after a successful arrival at Twin Lakes. The only problem was a little mud: "Our sled is as dirty as can be."
Event co-organizer Jay Meldrum said the Endurance Run went well, despite the route change. "Twin Lakes has the best snow this time of year," he said. While road crossings were essentially bare, the participants picked up plenty of snow for a successful ride.
Nick Rakovek of UW Madison couldn't agree more. "It was nice to get onto the trails," he said. "Our snowmobile ran tip top, better than my sled," he added.
Gage Products, a major sponsor of the Challenge, provided fuel for the run, which also tests the entries for fuel economy. Organizers are particularly grateful this year because Gage is providing three times as much fuel. Throughout the competition, sleds will be fueled by any of three mystery blends, each with a different concentration of ethanol.
The public is welcome at several events during the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. On Wednesday, March 18, between 6 and 8 p.m., all the teams will have their snowmobiles on exhibit at the Copper Country Mall. Everyone is invited to stop by and chat with the students about their strategies and innovations.
On Saturday, March 21, the public is welcome at the Polaris Acceleration and Handling event, set for 10 and 11 a.m. at the KRC test course, near the Houghton County Memorial Airport. Dress warmly; no seating is provided, and visitors must walk in to the course from the road.
This is a great opportunity to see the ultra-quiet, zero-emissions entries in action. These battery-powered snowmobiles are specially designed for use by researchers studying pollution in remote arctic terrain. The teams receive support from the National Science Foundation.
Tickets for the awards banquet on Saturday are $25. For more information, call 487-2750.
The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge is sponsored at Michigan Tech by the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics and the KRC.
For more information on the Challenge, visit www.mtu.edu/snowmobile/ . |
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2. Getting People Talking about Bioenergy |
by Jennifer Donovan, director of public relations
More than 100 people from across the UP spent a day last week in Marquette learning and talking about forest-based bioenergy. The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) sponsored the workshop with a grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts.
Participants included foresters, loggers, equipment manufacturers and scientists from Michigan Tech, Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, as well as representatives of conservation districts, government agencies, forest products companies and conservation organizations. Congressional staff and a representative of US Sen. Carl Levin's office also participated.
"There is substantial underutilized potential in Michigan forests," said Robert Froese, a SFRES assistant professor and a speaker at the workshop. "We only harvest one-third to one-half of the biomass that grows in our forests each year."
The workshop was meant to provide information, raise awareness and clarify the rapidly changing bioenergy landscape. "We want to inform people and to get them talking with each other," said Maria Janowiak, an SFRES research scientist who organized the workshop.
This coming fall, the Biomass Utilization and Restoration Network for the Upper Peninsula (BURN-UP) will sponsor biomass harvesting demonstrations, Janowiak said.
More information from the workshop can be found at www.nrs.fs.fed.us/niacs/tools/ . |
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3. Tech Exposes High School Students to Future Fuels |
UP high school students have an opportunity to learn about forest biofuels from scientists who are engaged in cutting-edge research at the University.
Beginning today, Wednesday, March 18, the students will visit the Tech campus and examine the multiple issues associated with the development of transportation fuels from forest-based biomass in the UP.
The program is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation that provides round-trip mileage and teacher fees to participating schools. Students may enjoy lunch in a residence hall, compliments of the Admissions Office.
After today, other field trips will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 20, 25 and 27.
The participants include:
* 16 physics students from Lake Linden-Hubbell High School
* Eight students from Hancock High School's PEAK (Partnership for Environment and Academics in the Keweenaw) class
* 24 chemistry students from L'Anse High School
* 12 chemistry students from LL Wright High School, in Ironwood
* 12 math students from Johnston High School, in Bessemer
* 24 science students from Horizons High School, Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw School District
The program is sponsored by the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and coordinated by the Western UP Center for Science, Math and Environmental Education.
For more information, contact Joan Chadde at 487-3341 (Dillman 105), 369-1121 (cell phone) or email her at jchadde@mtu.edu .
Chadde is the coordinator of the K-12 education and outreach program for the Western UP Center. |
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4. Michigan Tech Archives Awards Research Travel Grants |
submitted by the J. R. Van Pelt and Opie Library
The Michigan Tech Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections has selected two recipients for the 2009 Research Travel Award: Peter Krats, assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario, and James Seelye, doctoral candidate at the University of Toledo.
Since its inception over 10 years ago, the grant has enabled more than 20 researchers to travel to Houghton from the United States, Canada and Europe to examine the unique social and cultural resources in the Archives collections.
This year's grant recipients take a fresh approach to the rich array of material housed in the Archives. Krats will look at the effects of an international border on ethnic identity in industrial communities as part of his ongoing research into the evolution of mining regions in the US and Canada. Seelye comes to the Archives for an in-depth look at Slovenian life in Michigan, including the long-term impact of Slovenian missionaries on 19th-century Native American communities.
Past grant recipients have studied a wide variety of topics, including the use of images and models by mining engineers to manage complex work sites above and below ground; the role that fraternal orders have played in Lake Superior mining communities; and the adoption of the English language by European transplants to Michigan's Copper Country. This year's awards continue a tradition of supported research using the manuscript collections curated by the Michigan Tech Archives.
The grant program is financially supported by the Friends of the Van Pelt Library. This year's award committee included Professor Larry Lankton (Social Sciences); Professor Terry Reynolds (Social Sciences), of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library; and Archivist Erik Nordberg and Assistant Archivist Julia Blair, representing the Michigan Tech Archives. For further information about the awards program or about the collections of the Michigan Tech Archives, call 487-2505. |
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5. Staff Council Meets Thursday |
The next meeting of Staff Council is set for noon, Thursday, March 19, in Memorial Union Alumni Lounge A. Theresa Coleman-Kaiser, director of the Memorial Union and Rozsa operations, will be the guest. All staff are welcome. Questions can be directed to Becky Christianson at 487-2416 or rwchrist@mtu.edu .
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6. Keep Up on News about Benefits |
There is a new email system for employees to stay abreast of news about benefits.
An email list of updates and announcements provides up-to-date information on health plans, retirement and more.
To join, click on this webpage and follow the instructions: www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/benefitsemaillist.html . Or, to be added to the list, email Renee Hiller at rlhiller@mtu.edu .
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7. Reminder: Nomination Deadlines Approaching for Instructional Innovation, Clair M. Donovan Awards |
Fredrick D. William Instructional Innovation Award
Friday, March 20, is the deadline for nominations for the Fredrick D. Williams Instructional Innovation Award.
Information about the award and the nomination form can be found on the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development's web page:
www.admin.mtu.edu/ctlfd/awards/williams_nomination_form.php .
Clair M. Donovan Award
Nominations for the Clair M. Donovan award are due in the Blue Key Office (Memorial Union 106) by 5 p.m. today, Wednesday, March 18. Nomination forms can be picked up from the office between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information on the award, visit www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/previous.php?issue=20090304#8 . |
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8. Shelter Home Event Postponed |
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The Women's Music Night fund-raiser for the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, originally set for Thursday, March 19, has been postponed because of a scheduling conflict, and a new time and date will be announced. |
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9. Students Sponsor Earth Week |
Two Earth Week programs are scheduled for this week.
On Wednesday, March 18, from 8 to 11 p.m., there will be a free showing of "WALL-E" in Fisher 135. The movie offers a whimsical view of what the earth might be like in the future when it is inundated with garbage. After the movie, Adjunct Assistant Professor Stephen Pluhacek (Humanities) will lead a discussion of the movie's themes. The event is sponsored by Students for Environmental Sustainability (SfES).
On Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m., there will be a program on Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK) in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The event is sponsored by SfES and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.
Donny Dowd, Doreen Blaker and Pauline Spruce, of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, will present traditional views of nature. TEK is a body of knowledge regarding the diversity and interactions among plants and animals, land forms, watercourses and other aspects of the biophysical environment.
Dowd will speak on the traditional Native American medicine man; Blaker will talk about contemporary Native American environmental issues; and Spruce will speak on the importance of water in the Native American community. This event will involve short presentations by the speakers, followed by a question-and-answer session. |
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10. Motivational Speaker Visits Campus for DiversiTea and Other Presentations |
Howard G. Adams, a leader of personal and professional development services, will be the featured speaker at the next DiversiTea, at 4 p.m., Thursday, March 19, in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge.
Adams, president and founder of H. G. Adams and Associates, offers services to individuals, as well as educational, governmental and business institutions.
He will give a talk, "Being an Effective Mentor--Ways to Build Alliances."
Adams, who has a doctorate in higher education administration from Syracuse University, has extensive experience in teaching and student affairs, and he was the founder and former executive director of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science at the University of Notre Dame.
He will give several presentations at Tech over the next two days.
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, March 18, he will give a talk, "Career Management 101: A Primer for Career and Life Goal Planning," in Memorial Union Ballroom B. All students are welcome; the first 40 will receive a free book.
From 8:30 to 10 a.m., Thursday, March 19, he will give a talk, "Get Up with Something on Your Mind: Strategic Thinking Tips for Achieving Academic and Career Success," in Memorial Union Ballroom A2. Graduate students and advisors are welcome.
From noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, he will give a talk, "Networking: A Required Life Skill," in Memorial Union Alumni Lounge B. The session is hosted by Women in Science and Engineering. |
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11. Reminder: Guest Artist in Residence Annie Morgan to Visit Campus March 19-22 |
Michigan watercolor and collage artist Annie Morgan will present four open lecture-demonstrations: two on Thursday, March 19, and two on Friday, March 20, in McArdle Theatre.
A signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the International Society of Experimental Artists, Morgan comes to Michigan Tech as this year's guest artist in residence. The lecture-demos start at 2 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, with each scheduled to last approximately two hours. A limited amount of parking will be available in Lot 8.
Mary Ann Beckwith, residency coordinator, hopes students, faculty and staff will take this opportunity to see a renowned Michigan artist in action, whether they're art mavens or not. "She's a wonderful teacher, and there's something for everyone in her presentations. She opens up new worlds, inspiring everyone to think about their own creative abilities in new ways," Beckwith says.
Annie Morgan's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout North America and Europe, most recently in the traveling show of the National Watercolor Society. She won the coveted "Gracie Award" for best of show from the International Society of Experimental Artists. A well-known teacher, Morgan presents workshops in her studio in Grand Haven and throughout the US.
On Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22, Morgan will also present a two-day workshop for artists, "Stretching the Limits with Painting and Collage," for which a few seats are still available. Registration forms are available from Visual and Performing Arts, 487-2067, and on the web at www.vpa.mtu.edu . |
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12. SOT Candidate Seminar Scheduled for March 26 |
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Ying Wang, from the Industrial Automation Lab at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, will give a one-hour talk, "Vision-Based Autonomous Grasping of Unknown Objects Using Mobile Robots in an Unstructured Environment," at 1 p. m., Thursday, March 26, in EERC 315.
Wang is a candidate for a faculty position in electrical engineering technology.
He received his PhD in Robotics and Automation from the University of British Columbia in January 2008. He received his BS and MS degrees from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests are in robotics, controls, mechatronics and automation.
For more information, contact Nasser Alaraje at 487-1661 or at alaraje@mtu.edu . |
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13. Physics Colloquium Thursday |
Donald Daavettila, physics faculty emeritus, will present a colloquium, "A Review of the Physics Fundamentals of Nuclear Power," on Thursday, March 19, 4 p.m. in Fisher 139.
Daavettila received an MS degree in Engineering Physics from Michigan Tech in 1958 in cooperation with the Argonne National Laboratory. After teaching with the International School of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Argonne and spending some time at the Enrico Fermi nuclear reactor, he joined Michigan Tech's Department of Physics in fall 1964. He retired in February 2000 but continues to teach part-time at Tech.
For more information, contact Ranjit Pati, patir@mtu.edu or 487-3193, or Claudio Mazzoleni, cmazzoleni@mtu.edu or 487-1226. |
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14. Job Postings |
Staff job descriptions are available in Human Resources 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 Position 03/18/09
Staff Assistant (Level 6)
Electrical and Computer Engineering
UAW Internal Posting Only
Faculty Position
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
Social Sciences
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer. |
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15. On the Road |
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Interim Department Chair Heidi Bostic and Adjunct Assistant Professor Stephen Pluhacek (Humanities) presented invited lectures, respectively "Ser en relación: Amor e identidad en la obra reciente de Luce Irigaray" and "Epochal Thinking: Sharing in the Work of Luce Irigaray," and participated in roundtable discussions on the work of French philosopher Luce Irigaray at the Facultad de filosofía of the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico, during the week of March 9. |
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