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1. Young researcher and his mentor team up on lake inquiry |
by John Gagnon, promotional writer
Scientists at Tech are known for their expertise in lake restoration and management, much of it applied to pristine Lake Superior. Now two researchers, an old hand and a budding scholar, are working on a small UP lake that is nearly choked to death.
Iron Mountain's Crystal Lake, once a place for swimming and fishing on the southwest side of the city, doesn't live up to its name anymore. A beautiful little lake has become a blight.
"People didn't know where to begin to address the situation," says graduate researcher Jarron Hewitt, a master's student in environmental engineering. As part of a Senior Design project when he was an undergraduate, he and his fellow students helped out.
This 50-acre lake is fed by groundwater and has no natural inlets or outlets; but it receives storm-water discharges, which have proved to be its nemesis.
Storm water often has high levels of coliform bacteria from fecal pollution originating from animal waste (dogs and geese) and, potentially, humans. Following storm-water discharges, coliform levels in the lake exceed public-health standards for swimming.
Storm water also carries phosphorous-rich lawn fertilizer that stimulates algae growth. In the winter, when the lake freezes over, algae die off, sink to the bottom, decompose and turn into muck. "The history of the lake is in the muck," Hewitt says, and there's a lot of it--11 feet and counting. Historically, the lake was 20 feet deep; now it is 9 feet deep. The difference is muck. Core samples show that almost all of it is dead algae and other plant material, which, in the process of decomposing, use up oxygen. Telltale, then: lots of dead fish--mostly perch, bullheads, and minnows--in the spring. "The lake can't provide a healthy environment for fish in its current state," Hewitt says.
The charge for him and his fellow Senior Design students was: assess the condition of the lake and propose ways to restore it to beauty and "beneficial uses"--like recreation. The students started their inquiry in January and came up with three recommendations:
* Divert storm water, the source of the coliforms and fertilizer, from the lake.
* Aerate the lake to make sure there's more oxygen for fish.
* Dredge the lake to get rid of the muck that recyles phosphorous and consumes oxygen.
Hewitt, who works under the guidance of Professor Marty Auer, is now refining the project on his own and coming up with an engineering plan to restore the lake. The work will be the basis for what Auer calls "a shovel-ready" restoration plan. "You can't look for money unless you have a plan," Auer says. So Hewitt is addressing more design detail and estimating the cost of the three fixes.
Hewitt is getting a taste not only of research and engineering, but also the shaping of public policy. He outlines the issue for public discourse this way: how good do you want your lake to be? "What we would like them to do is a complete restoration of the lake," Hewitt says.
However, he confronts a reality of all enterprise: money to do the job. The biggest job, dredging, would cost several million dollars. It’s not an all-or-nothing situation. One possibility is to dredge part of the lake to improve the beach area. Also, diverting storm water would start the fix.
Auer's time in this effort is pro bono; Hewitt needs to find money. "He’s bootstrapping this," Auer says. "He's supporting himself by delivering pizzas."
Tech got involved with this issue when a Tech alumnus, who is a consulting engineering working with the City of Iron Mountain, asked Auer for help. "They're a neighbor," Auer says. "They're part of our regional community. So it's appropriate that we help them."
He likes the job of mentoring students like Hewitt. "It's huge for me. It's what keeps me in it. Bringing experience to bear in partnership with students is really exciting and rewarding. It's a great part of my job."
He deflects attention, though, and says Hewitt "is the face of this project" who has "carried a lot of the responsibility," including working with the city council and other civic leaders.
For his part, Hewitt is excited to help the people of Iron Mountain perhaps improve their community. Back in his hometown of Gwinn, before he ever came to Tech, he never imagined such a "hands-on, real-world opportunity."
"I feel like I'm giving something back," he says.
In late August, Hewitt and Auer visited Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to assess another lake severely polluted by storm water.
Auer is energized by these opportunities—what he calls "the excitement of being in a chase and pursuing mysteries." He likens them to Sherlock Holmes, who, on learning of a new mystery, said, "Come quickly, Watson, the game is afoot."
These days, then, Auer is inclined to say, "Come quickly, Hewitt…." |
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2. Reminder: New Hours for Library Cafe |
Starting today, the hours at the Library Cafe are being expanded.
The venue will now be open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday. |
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3. Flags Lowered |
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Flags will be at half-staff on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in honor of PFC Eric W. Hario of Monore, Mich. |
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4. Tennis Teams Gain ITA All-Academic Status |
The 2008-09 Michigan Tech tennis teams have been honored for their academic success by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Both the men’s and women’s teams earned ITA All-Academic Team status, and four student-athletes from each squad were named ITA scholar-athletes.
Brandon Ellefson, Brett Girard, Chris Verhulst and Tim Viola helped the men’s team become one of 21 Division II teams nationwide to gain ITA All-Academic honors.
Samantha Jang-Stewart, Silvia Oliveros, Asel Otunchieva and Danielle Stoll helped the women’s team become one of 40 ITA All-Academic Teams in the country.
The awards recognize a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All eligible student-athletes whose names appear on the eligibility form and who have competed in one or more varsity matches must average into the GPA.
ITA scholar-athlete award winners must be a varsity letter winner and have a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the academic year. |
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5. Reminder: Eve 6 Rocks the Rozsa! |
The Rozsa Center welcomes the iconic punk-pop band Eve 6 on Friday, Sept. 11, at 9 p.m., as part of the Michigan Tech K-Day.
The band made its mark with the self-titled platinum debut in 1998. Its chart-topping hits include “Inside Out,” “Promise,” “Here’s To The Night” and “Think Twice.”
Ticket prices for the general public are $25 and $20; student prices are $20 and $15 (student ID required). To purchase tickets contact the Rozsa Box Office at 487-3200, the Central Ticket Office (SDC) at 487-2073, Tech Express (Memorial Union) at 487-3308 or go online at tickets.mtu.edu. No refunds, exchanges or late seating.
This event is sponsored by the James and Margaret Black Endowment. |
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6. Reminder: Free Showing of “Waterlife" |
The Center for Water and Society is sponsoring a free showing of the documentary, "Waterlife," at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9, in Dow 641.
The film follows the flow of the water in the Great Lakes from the Nipigon River to the Atlantic Ocean and explores its impact on people and ecosystems.
The public is welcome.
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7. Library Offers Web of Science Training Workshop |
The Van Pelt and Opie Libary will offer a free workshop for electronic information resources from 12 to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the library instruction room (244).
Don Sechler, manager of customer education for Thomson Reuters, will cover basic and advanced functionality of the "Web of Science" information resource tool. The session will include information about end-user tools, such as personalization, alerting, ResearcherID and using EndNote Web to store references and track citation activity. The workshop will include live demos of the products and time for questions from participants.
Web of Science provides access to some of the world's leading scholarly literature in the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, including proceedings of international conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops and conventions. Web of Science comprises several key electronic tools, including Science Citation Index Expanded (1973-present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1973-present) and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975-present).
Although time will be limited, the session will also touch on shared searching and citation aspects with the Medline life sciences database and Inspec, an index to journal and proceedings literature in physics, electrical/electronic engineering, computing, control engineering and information technology. Medline and Inspec are part of the larger Web of Knowledge resource package available from Thomson Reuters through the library.
Preregister at 487-2507 or at reflib@mtu.edu . |
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8. Seminar Set for Funding Proposals |
Do you plan to submit a proposal to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program?
Are you looking for other external funding opportunities?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, join the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Council for a lunch-and-learn seminar at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Learn tips and tricks for external funding.
Register online at:
www.gradschool2.mtu.edu/registration/events/ .
Once you register, you will receive confirmation with the location and a reminder of the date and time. Space is limited, so register early!
If you are unable to attend, see our online seminars that were presented in June:
www.mtu.edu/gradschool/administration/academics/resources/ .
For more information, contact Jodi Lehman at 487-3513 or at jglehman@mtu.edu . |
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9. Proposals in Progress |
John Sutherland, Jeffrey Naber (ME-EM/SFI), Chandrashekhar Joshi (SFRES/BRC), Jacqueline Huntoon (Graduate School/SFI) and Susan T. Bagley (Biological Sciences/SFI), "Wood-to-Wheels (W2W): Center for Sustainable Forest-Based Biofuels Transportation Systems," NSF
Gregory P. Waite, Simon Carn (GMES/RSI) and Jose L. Palma-Lizana (GMES), "An Integrated Analysis of Seismicity, Infrasound and High-Resolution SO2 Measurements to Determine the Source of Low-Frequency Seismicity at Villarrica Volcano, Chile," NSF
John Forsman (SFRES/ESC) and John Erickson (SFRES), "Manufacturing Eighty Full-Size Four-Foot by Eight-Foot Corrugated Strandboard Panels," Clemson University
Yue Li (CEE), "Advancing Performance-Based Design of Resilient Wood-Frame Structures: Development and Assessment of Multi-Hazard Performance Objectives," Clemson University; and "CAREER: Performance-Based Engineering for Residential Construction Subjected to Multiple Hazards Considering the Potential Impact of Climate Change," NSF
Joseph H. Holles (Chemical Engineering), "Metrology Atomic Layer Precision of Surface to Subsurface Electronic Properties in Multicomponent Catalysts for Energy Applications," Georgia Tech Research Corporation
Seth Donahue (Biomedical Engineering/BRC), "Calcium Regulation and Skeletal Integrity in Mammalian Hibernators," NSF
Judith Perlinger and Paul Doskey (CEE/RSI), "Direct-Sampling Gas Chromatograph for Rapid Analyses of the Molecular Composition of PM2.5," NIST
Thomas Pypker and Andrew Burton (SFRES/ESC), "Earthworms as Ecosystem Engineers: Integrating Effects of Altered Hydrology, Nutrient Cycling and Microbial Communities on Forest Carbon Cycling," NSF-Ecosystem Science
Gregory M. Odegard (ME-EM/MuSTI), "Multiscale Modeling of Polymer Matrix Composites for High Voltage and High Temperature Applications Subjected to Extreme Environments," University of Denver
Ali Ebnenasir and Steven Seidel (Computer Science), "EAGER Towards the Model Checking of the Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) Applications," NSF
William J. Endres (ME-EM/SFI), Susan Bagley (Biological Sciences), Daniel Crowl, Julia King (Chemical Engineering), and Seong-Young Lee (ME-EM), "Quantifying Process Efficiencies and Intermediary Product Properties to Facilitate Optimizing the Value Chain of Cellulosic Hydrocarbon Biofuels Production," NIST
Brad B. King (ME-EM), "Michigan/AFRL Center of Excellence in Electric Propulsion," University of Michigan
Victoria L. Bergvall (Humanities), "International Gender and Language Association Group Travel to Japan," NSF
Chang-Kyoung Choi (ME-EM/MuSTI), "CAREER: Space-Specific Cellular Attachment and Adhesion Using Bio-Inspired Surfaces Made of Vertically Aligned Periodic Nanoscale Post Arrays," NSF
Eugene Levin (School of Technology), "CAREER: GeoEyeScope--An Interactive Geospatial Image Interpretation and Training Environment," NSF
Ryan Gilbert (Biomedical Engineering/BRC), "CAREER: Injectable Hydrogel-Fiber Composite for Nerve Repair," NSF
Wayne Weaver (ECE/PERC), "CAREER: Optimal Electro-Thermal Control in Power Electronic Energy Conversion," NSF
Amlan Mukherjee (CEE), "CAREER: A Complex Systems Framework for Supporting Sustainable Decisions in Planning, Construction and Maintenance of Transportation Infrastructure," NSF
Yu Wang (MSE/IEM), "CAREER: Kinetic Pathways of Martensitic Transformations to Modulated Phases," NSF; and "Domain Microstructures and Mechanisms for Large, Reversible and Anhysteretic Strain Behaviors in Phase Transforming Ferroelectric Materials," DOE
Yu Cai (School of Technology/CISSIC), "CAREER: Green Computing," NSF
Zhijun Zhao (ECE), "CAREER: Detection and Coding for Discrete-Input Two-Dimensional ISI Channels," NSF
Ossama Abdelkhalik (ME-EM), "CAREER: Developing a Relativistic Framework for Satellite Dynamics Engineering Problems," NSF
Bo Chen (ME-EM/APSRC), "CAREER: Towards Self-Diagnostic and Adaptive Structural Health Monitoring," NSF
Barbara K. Lograsso (School of Technology), "CAREER: Microstructure Crystal Orientation Basis for Fracture," NSF
Keat Ghee Ong (Biomedical Engineering/BRC), "CAREER: Development of a Passive, Environment-Responsive Coating," NSF
Rupak M. Rajachar (Biomedical Engineering/BRC), "CAREER: Basic Phenomena Guiding Nano-Mechanics and Materials Properties that Control Cell Behavior," NSF
Fernando Ponta (ME-EM/APSRC), "CAREER: Dynamics of Fluid-Structure-Control Interaction in Rotating Aerodynamic Bodies," NSF
Christopher T. Middlebrook (ECE/CISSIC), "CAREER: High Frequency THz Waveguide/Transmission Lines for Visible and Infrared Radiation," NSF
Shiyan Hu (ECE), "CAREER: Integrated Research and Education in Physical Design Automation for Nanotechnology Interconnect and VLSI Interconnect Co-Design" and "CAREER: Modeling Atmospheric Transmission of Microorganisms and Impacts from Climate Change," NSF
Yun Hang Hu (MSE), "CAREER: Synthesis of Carbon Nitrides from Carbon Dioxide and Exploration of their Novel Properties," NSF
Ralph J. Hodek (CEE/MTTI), "Regional CO2 Sequestration Technology Training Program Cold Climate Consortium--University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Calgary, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Michigan Technological University," University of Alaska Fairbanks
Hairong Wei (SFRES/BRC), "CAREER: Network-Guided Gene Selection Strategies for Augmented Stress Tolerance and Sustainability in Populus Trees," NSF
Audrey Mayer (Social Sciences), "CAREER: Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Real Life Using a 'Second Life' Model," NSF
Le Zhang (Mathematical Sciences), "CAREER: A Multiscale Predictive Brain Cancer (Glioma) Model," NSF
Reza Shahbazian-Yassar (ME-EM/MuSTI), "CAREER: Fundamentals of Electro-Mechanical Coupling in Flexible Nanoelectronics," NSF
Ali Ebnenasir (Computer Science), "CAREER: Algorithmic Correction of Livelock Failures in SPMD Parallel Programs: A Foundation," NSF
Scott Miers (ME-EM/APSRC), "CAREER: Dynamic Conjugate Multi-Mode Heat Transfer with Gas and Soot Radiation under Combusting Conditions," NSF
Wenzhen Li (Chemical Engineering), "CAREER: Integrated Research and Education on Nanoengineered Architectures for Solar-Assisted Fuel Cell Catalysts," NSF
Spandan Maiti (ME-EM), "CAREER: A Concurrent Multi-Resolution Framework for Deformation and Failure Analysis of Heterogeneous Materials," NSF
K. M. Gibson (Biological Sciences), "Behavioral Pharmacology and GHB Physical Dependence," Johns Hopkins University
Chris Roussi (MTRI), "Trichotillomania Awareness Enhancement and Warning Device," Sentry Medical Technologies
Seth Donahue (Biomedical Engineering/BRC), "RCN: Integrating Hibernation Research: Ecology through Molecular Biology," NSF
Rod Chimner (SFRES/ESC), "Ecological and Biogeochemical Response of Peatlands to Environmental Change," USFS-Northern Research Station
Terry McNinch (LTAP/MTTI-TDG), "MERL 2010" and "TAMC Activities 2010," MDOT
Gordon Parker, Fernando Ponta, Jeffrey Allen, Jason Blough (ME-EM/APSRC) and Leonard Bohmann (College of Engineering/PERC), "Michigan Tech Wind Turbine Efficiency and Reliability (WindTER) Consortium," Department of Energy |
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10. New Funding |
Chris Roussi, Michigan Tech Research Institute, received $3,746 from the Michigan Department of Transportation for work on an energized crane.
Lynn Mazzoleni (Chemistry) received $39,659 from the National Science Foundation for the first year of a three-year collaborative project, totaling $125,437, "Hygroscopic Properties of Aerosol Organics."
David Watkins (CEE) received $9,991 from the US Environmental Protection Agency for a project, "Enhancing Performance and Social Acceptability of the Ventilated Improved Pit Toilet."
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