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1. Of Berlioz and the Beatles: A New Director is on Campus |
by Dennis Walikainen, senior editor
If our new orchestra director's iPod is any clue, then the campus and community are in for a great mix of music.
"Tower of Power; Beatles; Berlin Philharmonic; Led Zeppelin; Earth, Wind and Fire; New York Philharmonic; Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass; Chicago Symphony; and Karen Carpenter," says Joel Neves, the newly appointed director of the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra.
Neves comes to Michigan Tech from Cedar City, Utah, where he directed jazz and music theater at Southern Utah University while conducting the Orchestra of Southern Utah. His PhD in Orchestral Conducting is from Arizona State and he followed his first love, the trumpet, through bachelor's and master's degrees at Brigham Young.
"I realized there wasn't a future in the hyper-competitive trumpet market," he says, "so I ironically decided to pursue a career in the even more competitive and exclusive conducting field!"
His dissertation was on Hector Berlioz, so he leans toward the Romantic, but "I love twentieth century music and jazz, too," he says.
He conducted his first concert with KSO recently and was "very proud of the group," he says. "We did Liszt's 'Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2,' Stravinsky, and Mendelssohn, and they really stepped up to the challenge. It was thrilling! We had a great crowd, too."
Neves said that the Mendelssohn Overture is a "tour de force" and is used as an excerpt for professional orchestra auditions.
"I gave the orchestra a challenge and they took it," he said. "Our rehearsals and performance were really electric."
The challenges continue with Handel's "Messiah" on Saturday, Dec. 5, when he continues a tradition begun by previous director Milt Olsson of combining the orchestra and choir for a major choral/orchestral work.
He's also aware of Olsson's penchant for trying something new, such as bringing in the Alan Parson's Live Project for a rock/orchestral concert.
"Absolutely! I'm in favor of playing new music and bringing in world-class artists. We have a lot of talent in the orchestra," Neves says, "and it's amazing that a small town and university can produce such a great group of instrumentalists with a wonderful attitude. They have professional-grade talent."
As for trying something new and appealing, he's considering bringing a guest concert guitarist to perform Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" with KSO next season.
"I love Classic and Romantic music, and we plan on doing a full symphony sometime soon," he says. "But there's also been some great music that wasn't composed 200 years ago that we have an artistic obligation to explore. I want to perform the music of our times; there's been some wonderful stuff that’s been written in the last few decades.”
He says there is even a "Concertino for Cell Phones and Orchestra," where each member of the audience is encouraged to "play" ring tones on their cell phones at specified times throughout the performance.
"Great, new music is out there that should sit side-by-side the classical favorites," Neves says. "Today's orchestras should be more than music museums."
Neves and his wife, Lara, a soprano soloist, have three daughters, Bria, Chloe, and Sophia. When he's not working, Neves is an avid golfer and football and basketball fan. |
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2. Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiatives Seek Energy, Health Faculty |
by Jennifer Donovan, director, public relations
A worldwide search is on for outstanding energy and health researchers to fill up to 20 new tenure-track faculty positions at Michigan Tech. The competitions are Tech's latest in a multi-year series of Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiatives, designed to enhance and expand the University's existing, cross-disciplinary research strengths.
One new initiative focuses on energy: next generation energy systems. The other is in health: basic sciences, technologies and medical informatics.
Over the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years, up to 10 faculty will be hired who specialize in multidisciplinary research in any aspect of 21st century energy, including smart transmission and distribution systems; cyber-security; renewable energy; improved combustion and hybrid technologies; distributed power systems; advanced battery technologies; energy conversion; and the regulatory, policy, legal, social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainable energy. One of the positions will be an endowed chair, the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Chair in Mechanical Engineering, with an emphasis in energy systems.
Up to 10 more faculty will be hired in health sciences and technologies, including biochemistry; bioengineering; bioethics; biomaterials; biomechanics; human factors; medical informatics; cell biology; physiology and statistical genetics. Of particular interest are applicants who use interdisciplinary and multi-scale approaches and new technological tools, said Max Seel, interim provost at Tech.
"We’re looking for people who can help us create the future of next-generation energy systems and health sciences," Seel explained. "We are seeking innovators in all facets of energy and health-related research and education, faculty who are prepared to establish vigorous, nationally competitive research programs and are also committed to excellence in both undergraduate and graduate education." In addition to the Henes Chair in Mechanical Engineering, there may be more endowed positions in the hiring initiatives.
Application review will begin on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The first Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative at Michigan Tech focused on the theme of sustainability. The second competition added new tenure-track faculty in computational discovery and innovation. After the energy and health initiatives, the next step is to focus on transportation.
For more information and application instructions, go to http://www.mtu.edu/sfhi/. |
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3. Technology Training Sessions on Microsoft Word, Twitter and Facebook |
The Student Affairs professional development committee will present two more technology training sessions. Travis Howard, computer specialist in Information Services, will discuss Microsoft Word at 10:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Nov.18, in Fisher 232. Brandy Tichonoff, director of new media in University Marketing and Communications, will present a session about Facebook and Twitter at 10:15 to 11:45 a.m, Tuesday, Jan. 12, in Fisher 139.
In each session, presenters will cover topics based on suggestions provided in advance. If you would like the sessions to address a certain question or concern about Microsoft Word, Facebook or Twitter, submit your ideas and plan to attend.
The deadline to submit topic suggestions and RSVP for both sessions is Nov. 11. Email Lynda Heinonen at lheinone@mtu.edu . |
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4. Speaker from CN Presents Seminar Today |
The William W. Hay Railroad Engineering Webinar Series in UIUC will present a seminar, "CN's Acquisition and Integration of the EJ&E Railroad." The speaker is Gordon Trafton, senior vice president of Strategic Acquisitions and Integration, at CN (formally Canadian National Railway). A live web feed will be set up at 1 p.m., today, in Dow 875.
You can also participate in the seminar from your office. The presentation can be downloaded at: http://ict.illinois.edu/railroad/CEE/seminar.asp .
Snacks and soda will be provided.
For more information, contact Andrew Langsner at arlangsn@mtu.edu . |
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5. Workshop on Adobe Connect Pro |
The Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development is conducting a workshop, "Getting Connected," from noon to 12:55 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. Lunch will be provided to those who register by Monday, Nov. 16.
Chad Arney, systems administrator for Educational Technology Services, will present an introduction to using Adobe Connect Pro. Attendees will experience a live Connect Pro conference, plus learn about licensing and getting started with online communication technology.
To register for this workshop, contact the CTLFD at 487-2046 or via our online registration website: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/ctlfd/workshops . |
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6. In the News |
SFRES faculty members Joseph Bump, John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson's latest wolf and moose research findings were featured in US News & World Report's science section and on the Science360 newswire.
To view the US News & World Report article, click here .
To view the Science360 story, see item three under "Latest News" at: http://news.science360.gov/archives/20091105 .
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7. Teaching at Tech: Stupid Questions? |
by William Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development
I always end each session of my College Teaching course by asking the teaching assistants how things are going in the classes that they are leading. In general, American graduate students freely share their concerns, frustrations and occasional triumphs, while students in the international College Teaching sections almost never do. There are exceptions, of course, but the trend is strong and consistent.
When I ask international students in my class to share with their fellow grad students their classroom experiences, rarely will they identify a concern or challenge. But, almost inevitably, two or three international students linger after class and then, after their classmates leave, approach me, one at a time, to talk about the students whom they are teaching.
Many international TA's comment that they are initially taken aback by the informality--and even the boldness and rudeness--of a few of the American undergraduate students they encounter. A group of visiting students from Saudi Arabia actually gasped out loud when I suggested that some of their American students might challenge the accuracy or utility of something that they would be teaching.
Although it's common in the American K-12 system to routinely encourage students to ask questions, this is clearly not the case in other systems around the world. As teachers in the US are saying things like, "The only stupid question is one that you don't ask," students in other countries believe any public display that may hint at a lack of preparation or mastery--like asking an ill-informed question--may signal their lack of suitability for future educational opportunities.
International students, once they do feel free to talk more openly about their experiences and ideas, readily admit that they are at times puzzled by some American students who seem to feel that a minimal amount of effort expended on a course should be rewarded with a grade of B or better. International students tell me they are mystified by students who have been admitted to university study and then don't bother to come to class, attend office hours or submit good work on assignments.
As well, many international TA's say they are amazed by the variability of the preparation of the students they work with. They are clearly more used to competing with a more homogenous group of classmates as a result of the educational titration process that typifies many educational systems around the world.
We ask a lot of these courageous young scholars. Teach in a second language with little or no "accent." Immediately pick up on and adjust to the cultural, economic and educational nuances of another educational system. And, do all of this with the same facility as your American counterparts. Welcome to America, classes start next week!
Sylvia Matthews and her dedicated crew of coaches in the International GTA Assistance Program do a wonderful job of helping our international TA's adapt to the multiple challenges that they will face in making this abrupt transition successfully. Their program has gained national attention as an exemplar of best practices. It's important work, for crafting a welcoming and affirming environment for all our international students and scholars is truly essential for a university striving to be "world class." |
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