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1. Sustainability: at the University, in Town, and around the World |
by John Gagnon, promotional writer
Somewhere in Honduras, in a little village, on a white wall, there is this graffiti:
Ingenieros Sin Fronteras
That's Spanish for "Engineers Without Borders."
And the graffiti is signed, in a bold black stroke, Michigan Tech, USA.
That's how far afield Michigan Tech takes its message--and makes its name known—as students reach out to help people in developing countries—all with an eye on sustainability.
That ethic, practiced locally or worldwide, was the subject of a gathering of 20 people in the Memorial Union Tuesday.
Several students and staff described their efforts to achieve the sensible use and reuse of material.
Dave Taivalkoski, manager of energy in Facilities, is in the thick of developing sustainable ideas and practices on campus.
"I just want to give you a flavor of what’s going on," he told the audience, "and the flavor is green."
Jim Schultz, also of Facilities, has coordinated the University's sustainability program for 18 months. He feels fortunate to be at a University where there is "a formalized program" that is growing steadily. "Many people don't how much has happened on campus," he said. Tuesday's gathering was meant to spread the word.
Some of the numbers cited were impressive. The Sustainable Futures Institute alone is comprised of nine groups, 90 faculty and staff, 21 departments and 90 graduate students. Overall, on campus, there are 41 sustainability groups.
The list of their projects on campus and in the community are ambitious. Scores of recycling containers; firewood sales; solar water heating; using carpets and furniture with recycled components; harnessing wind energy; using biomass to make diesel fuel; planting herbs; protecting wetlands ("Dump no waste. Drains to Portage").
Bill Hall, of Dining Services, said that his operation recycles water bottles, metal, and cardboard. "Cardboad is huge," he says (60 tons since October). One initiative in his operation--he tries to buy foodstuffs locally: apples, milk, strawberries and potatoes. “How about avocados!” one jester interjected.
Joan Chadde, education program coordinator, also spoke. She wears many hats, and she has a list of collaborators as long as her arm, particularly when it comes to educational programs for youngsters. "We're working on the next generation," she reported. She advocates "simple things"—like gardens that elementary students plant, care for and harvest.
Zak Page, a fourth-year environmental engineering student from Macomb Township, is a member of the Society for Environmental Sustainability.
"I was inspired by their basic idea--a responsible way of living and the responsible use of materials." He wants to be a part of "changing attitudes and morals about consumption." He worries about the well-being of other people, especially those less fortunate.
This was the second annual gathering about campus sustainability. "It just gives people an opportunity to share their excitement," Schultz said. "I share their enthusiasm, their interest, and their love of doing it. We just have to think about the wise use and impact of what we're doing for our University, our town, and our world. When it comes to sustainability, a lot of it doesn't involve cost. It's just common sense. People pulling together and making a difference. If one person does it, it's no big deal. Put ten people doing it, and then 100, and it means something." |
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2. Know Any Interesting Grads Walking at Commencement? |
submitted by Marcia Goodrich, senior writer
Commencement is a perfect opportunity to get good publicity for our students and the University. Local reporters attend the ceremony and are eager to interview graduates about their experiences at Tech and their plans for the future. If the graduate is from the Keweenaw or the UP, so much the better, since the reporters like to interview students from the local area.
If you know any interesting graduates with a good story to tell who will attend Spring Commencement, please let me know. Send their names, some information about what makes them interesting, and contact information if you have it to me, Marcia Goodrich, at mlgoodri@mtu.edu . Thanks for your help! |
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3. Run/Walk Fundraising Event for Japan |
Students, faculty and community members from Tech's Japanese Conversational Club have joined with American Red Cross to raise money for the disaster relief in Japan.
The public is encouraged to participate in a fundraising "Walk/Run for Japan" at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 16. Registration for the event is located at the Rozsa parking lot from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.
The 5K run and 3K walk will begin and end on campus, looping through downtown Houghton. There is no registration fee, but the suggested donation is $10. Proceeds will go via the American Red Cross to those who have suffered from the multiple disasters in Japan, including the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear reactor incidents.
Registration forms are available at: http://tinyurl.com/runforjapan . For more information or to volunteer, contact Kazuya Tajiri at ktajiri@mtu.edu . |
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4. A New Scoop on Snow and Ice Removal |
In the fall of 2009, Andy Niemi, of Facilities, attended a conference in Madison, Wis., on winter road maintenance. Participants there discussed "snow events." "I had no idea what they were talking about," Niemi recalls. He asked around. It turned out that these people were talking about the few snowfalls they have over the course of a winter--so few that they stand out as singular events. Niemi says, "Coming from this area, that seemed comical."
As Tech's grounds manager, Niemi takes care of "everything outside and underground" on campus. Those duties include clearing snow and ice from parking lots, roads, and sidewalks during Upper Michigan's six-month-long snow event.
He came away from that Wisconsin conference with a new way to deal with all that snow--salt brine, a mixture of rock salt and water.
He learned how to produce it--"It's as simple as making Kool-Aid"--and he tried it. He has just finished using it for the first full winter. "I wanted to see if it would work in our environment," he says. He's "one hundred percent" sold on it. "It's simple, inexpensive, and fast."
Not only does it work well, he uses less material. In the past, to take care of the sidewalks, he went through ten truckloads of beach sand and 30 tons of salt over the course of a winter. Now he uses only one truckload of sand and 15 tons of salt.
A drop of salt brine is better than a kernel of rock salt for preventing or removing ice and snow, Niemi says. "A pound of salt brine goes much farther than a pound of rock salt."
Niemi began this new process by fabricating a setup to mix the salt and water. It worked, but "the pinch point was the productivity." He couldn't produce what he needed fast enough. Therefore, he purchased a new mixing unit. His production went from 600 gallons a day to 3,000 gallons a day.
There are added benefits: Salt brine gets down to bare pavement and lessens the need for sand. That means less cleanup of mud on the sidewalks, less sand tracked into the buildings, and less sand plowed onto the lawns.
He uses sprayers on pickups to apply the material. He has begun with sidewalks; he has his eye on campus parking lots and roads.
He concludes, "We're always looking for new ways to do projects more effectively and more efficiently." |
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5. Career Services Planning for Fall |
Spring Semester is quickly coming to a close, but Career Services is busy planning the annual Fall Career Fair. Be sure to mark your calendars for noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27.
To see what companies are coming and to learn about our Academic Information "Meet the Faculty" Fair, visit www.career.mtu.edu . |
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6. Reminder: Dance and Dinner Hosted for Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund |
Two events will be held to honor Betty Chavis, and proceeds will benefit the new Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund.
Chavis came to Michigan Tech as an admissions officer in the 1980s; directed multiethnic programs; and then recruited students on behalf of the Graduate School. The community knows Chavis in part through her leadership in spearheading the annual Parade of Nations.
The first event on behalf of her scholarship fund is "So You Think You Can't Dance: We'll Show You How," which will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 16, in the Memorial Union Commons. Admission is by donation.
The event, hosted by the students and alumnae of the Society of Intellectual Sisters, is in conjunction with their 20-Year Reunion festivities during Spring Fling Weekend.
For more information, contact Darnishia Slade at dslade@mtu.edu .
The second event will be a banquet held at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at the Magnuson Franklin Square Inn.
Tickets are $50 and are available at www.tickets.mtu.edu , by calling 487-2073, or at the SDC Box Office.
To give directly to the Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund, call the Michigan Tech Fund at 487-2310, or mail a check to the Betty Chavis Scholarship Fund, c/o Michigan Tech Fund, or visit www.mtu.edu/giving .
For more information, contact Chris Anderson at csanders@mtu.edu , or Carol Argentati at 487-2474 or caargent@mtu.edu . |
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7. Biological Sciences Seminar |
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Assistant Professor Joseph Bump (SFRES) will present a seminar, "Moose Herbivore in Aquatic Ecosystems," at 2 p.m., Friday, April 15, in ChemSci 101. |
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8. Lunch and Learn on Customer Service |
submitted by Student Affairs Professional Development Committee
Can you describe the best customer service you have ever had?
How about customer service that did not live up to your expectations?
What was the impact of these two experiences on you?
How did they affect your opinion of the organizations where they occurred?
Walt Disney said, "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."
His prescription is the backdrop of a Lunch and Learn that will take you on a journey through Disney's World Class Customer Service. Tech’s Mike Abbott, who has attended the program, will explore ways you can leave each customer with the lasting spell associated with great service.
The session will be held from noon to 1 p.m., Monday, April 18, in Memorial Union Ballroom A.
Whether you're interested in "refreshing" your office with new service ideas--or want some creative "seeds of service" to plant in your area--you won't want to miss this fun and entertaining look at how to leave a trail of smiles behind each interaction.
Please RSVP to Lynda Heinonen at lheinone@mtu.edu by Thursday, April 14.
Bring you own lunch. Coffee, snacks and sweets will be provided.
For more information, contact Heinonen at 487-1832 |
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9. MSE Seminar |
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Vladimir Shapovalov, adjunct professor at the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine and senior researcher at the Materials and Electrochemical Research Corp. of Tucson, Ariz., will present a seminar, "The Main Types of Gasar Structure and Production Methods," at 1 p.m., Monday, April 18, in M&M 610. For more information, contact Beth Ruohonen at beth@mtu.edu . |
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10. Presentation from Director of Student Activities Candidate |
Jeffrey Pal, a candidate interviewing for the Director of Student Activities position, will present "How Current Trends in Student Activities Impact My Vision of Student Activities at Michigan Tech" at 10 a.m., Monday, April 18, in Memorial Union Ballroom B2. The presentation will be 20 minutes, with a 25-minute question-and-answer session following.
Pal has extensive experience in Student Affairs and also as a consultant in leadership and student development.
For more information, contact Mary Ann Struthers, COMPASS, at 487-3558. |
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11. Reynolds Talks About Researching Michigan Iron |
Professor Terry Reynolds (SS) will give a presentation, "The Survivor: Cleveland-Cliffs and Michigan's Iron Ore Industry, 1847-2006," at 4 p.m., Thursday, April 21, in the East Reading Room of the Library.
Reynolds's presentation will look at the history of the only surviving independent iron mining company in the US.
"In the late 19th century," Reynolds noted, "there were well over a hundred companies in the Lake Superior basin whose primary focus was iron ore mining. Today there is only one: Cliffs." His new book, "Iron Will: Cleveland-Cliffs and the Mining of Iron Ore, 1847-2006," is coauthored with Virginia Dawson and published by Wayne State University Press.
The April 21 presentation will explore the importance of Michigan's iron ore mining industry both to the Upper Peninsula and to the nation, the historical factors behind Cliffs' survival, and the sources on which the study was built. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
The event is part of the library's events series "Nexus: the Scholar and the Library," which illuminate ways scholars and scientists productively use libraries and archives.
It is open to the public and is sponsored by Friends of the Van Pelt Library, the Social Sciences, and the Library.
Free refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Library at 487-2500, library@mtu.edu , or www.mtu.edu/library . |
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12. Reminder: "Organic Foods, What is Organic?" |
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Benefit Services and the Western UP District Health Department will host a lunch and learn--"Organic Foods, What is Organic?"--from noon to 1 p.m., today, in ROTC 101. Health Educator Arnie Kinnunen, at the Health Department, will present. Everyone is welcome; HuskyPAW members earn 200 points for attending. Bring your lunch; beverages will be provided. |
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13. New Funding |
Assistant Professor Yue Li (CEE/SFI) has received $17,655 from the National Science Foundation for a one-year project. "Planning Visit for US-Australia Collaborative Research on Climate-Related Infrastructure Adaptation for Natural Hazards."
Codirector Robert Shuchman (MTRI) has received $13,342 from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for a one-year project, "Habitat Inventory and Change Detection--North Slope Lakes."
Associate Professor Robert Froese (SFRES/ESC) has received $10,000 from the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region for a one-year project, "Optimal Energy Crop Production in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan." |
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14. On the Road |
Two Tech faculty members and a PhD student participated at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Convention this past week in Tampa, Fla.
Assistant Professor Devin Harris (MTTI/CEE) moderated the session, "Reaching Out to the Next Generation," highlighting the University's efforts in K-12 outreach and workforce development.
Chris Gilbertson (CEE PhD student/UTC-MiSTI) presented an overview of Michigan Tech's National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program, which is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. Michigan Tech will host Michigan's only NSTI program for the third consecutive year, July 24 to Aug. 5.
Professor Larry Sutter (MTTI), director of the University Transportation Center for Materials in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (UTC-MiSTI), presented the Center's initiatives to engage youth in STEM learning while introducing them to concrete as a civil infrastructure material. These programs included the 4th Grade Concrete Stepping Stone Initiative, Michigan's Construction Career Days, and the AASHTO TRAC Program. In addition to presenting, Sutter began a three-year term as a member of the ACI Educational Activities Committee. |
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