1. Last Tech Topics
Tech Today Delivery Starts Tomorrow

This is the last Tech Topics that University Communications will publish. Starting this week, we will begin emailing a daily, web-based newsletter, Tech Today, to all MTU employees with email addresses and to others who have subscribed to Tech Topics.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
Our goal is to improve and simplify internal communication at Michigan Tech. Currently we publish Tech Topics weekly in email, web and paper editions and send out All Departments announcements periodically. Starting late Thursday afternoon, we will send all employees with email addresses a single daily email with a link to the latest Tech Today.

WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO GET TECH TODAY?
Tech Today will be sent out late in the afternoon. Most recipients will probably read it the following morning.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?
You probably won't have to. We have a list of the mtu.edu email addresses of all MTU employees, and we will use that as our mailing list. In the off chance that all your co-workers get Tech Today and you don't, go to the Tech Today website, http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/, click on "subscribe" and follow the directions.

I DON'T WANT TECH TODAY.
Well. Be that way. Go to the Tech Today website, click on "Subscribe" and follow the directions to unsubscribe.

I HEAR YOU'RE DITCHING ALLDEPTS-L.
Right. As part of this changeover, the All Departments list, aka alldepts-l, will disappear on Thursday, May 26. Those announcements, from MUB menus to seminars to free furniture, will instead be published in Tech Today.

HOW DO I GET ANNOUNCEMENTS IN TECH TODAY?
Email it to ttoday@mtu.edu. Our official deadline is noon the day we send it out, but we will do our best to accommodate you. If you send an announcement to alldepts-l@mtu.edu or ttopics@mtu.edu, our old addresses for submission, that’s OK. We’ll still receive it and put it in Tech Today.

ANYTHING ELSE?
We want to make Tech Today as useful as possible for MTU employees. So, every edition of Tech Today will have a link to the University Calendar. That makes it easy to check up on what's happening. We've also included links to the Arts and Entertainment page and to a special weather page where you can access weather forecasts.

We have a classifieds section, where you can post department furniture for sale etc. And we'd really like to resurrect the Bulletin Board feature, to help the faculty and staff at Michigan Tech connect with others who share similar interests.

If you'd like to round up a foursome for bridge, find a dancing partner, start a butterfly watching club, whatever, just email ttoday@mtu.edu with your phone number and/or e-mail address. We'll publish it in Bulletin Board. Note: Just in case you were wondering, Bulletin Board is not a dating service. No personal ads, please. But if you accidentally find the love of your life, it seems only polite to invite the Tech Today editor to your wedding.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS WILL WORK?
We began a pilot program for Tech Today on May 17, sending it out to selected offices around campus that have high numbers of AFSCME employees, who typically don't have computer access. Their co-workers have been printing and posting Tech Today, and so far, the program seems to be a success for everyone.

Tech Today is brand new, and while we don't expect a meltdown, we do anticipate the occasional bug to surface. Please email us at ttoday@mtu.edu or call 487-2343 if you have any problems, and we'll do what we can to address them.
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2. Campus Enhancement Committee Issues Report

The Presidential Committee to Enhance Campus and Community has released its interim report, which is available at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/pcecc/.

The report's recommendations include enhancing Michigan Tech's waterfront property, improving pedestrian safety and the visual appeal of the US 41 corridor through campus, encouraging the enhancement and preservation of residential neighborhoods near the Michigan Tech campus and reviewing the design of Michigan Tech classrooms.

The committee encourages any interested parties to access and comment on the interim report.

The CECC was appointed by President Glenn Mroz in December. In March, the committee unveiled a Web forum that allowed students, faculty and staff and the general public to offer suggestions and to comment on suggestions offered by others. After posting a list of preliminary ideas to this site, between March 16 and May 16, the committee received approximately 150 suggestions and 4,000 visits to its site.
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3. Staff Recognition List Posted

A list of those being honored at the Staff Recognition luncheon has been posted on the Staff Council web page. Those honored are staff with multiples of five years of service and those who retired in the past year.

The luncheon will be at noon on Tuesday, June 14. Tickets are available at the Memorial Union office. Any questions can be directed to Becky Christianson at 487-2416.
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4. Year End Closing June 30-July 1: Important Information for Account Managers

The latest information on closing MTU accounting records for this fiscal year is available at
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/acct/pdf/eoynotice.pdf.

The document includes information on key dates, faculty start up spending, purchase orders, credit cards, interaccount billing, expenditures, inventory, payroll reallocation and year-end split, and cash receipts, revenues and accounts receivable.

The Budget Transfer Request form can be found at
http://www.mtu.edu/planbudget/forms/budget_transfer.pdf.

Documentation for doing reallocations is located at
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/acct/dept/mtuonly/doc/s19_end_user/procard_reallocation.html.

For more information, contact Michael Hendricks, mfhendri@mtu.edu.
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5. Returnable Drive May 31

The Positive Psychology Class will hold a Returnable Drive/Collection from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.

The goal is to raise $500 to pay for the lunches of the elderly who will be attending the Senior Heritage Carnival at the Houghton County Arena June 7.

Students from the class will canvas the campus, stopping in main departmental offices seeking donations. There will also be a pickup truck located outside of the Memorial Union for donations.

Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated.

The Positive Psychology Class thanks you for your support of this project and the area elderly.
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6. Charlesworth Receives the Fredrick Williams Instructional Innovation Award

Associate Professor Paul Charlesworth (Chemistry) is the first recipient of the newly created Fredrick Williams Instructional Innovation Award.

The award’s namesake, retired Professor Fredrick Williams, taught the dauntingly large first-year chemistry course for many years. Williams is remembered fondly for his ability to simplify complex concepts and present the material in new and entertaining ways. He was famous for in-class pickle detonation and, most memorably, the chemistry limericks his students wrote for extra credit.

Charlesworth was selected largely for his efforts to introduce WebCT, initially in the first-year chemistry course and later throughout Michigan Tech. He was also cited for implementing the studio model of lab instruction, which strives to eliminate the boundary between lecture and lab.

“Introducing significant changes to any course is a challenge but doing so in the large first-year chemistry courses where the students, mostly non-majors (95 percent), are in their first college course is a monumental undertaking,” said Professor Pushpalatha Murthy (Chemistry), who nominated Charlesworth for the award. “Paul has shown the vision, dedication, energy and chutzpah to make the most significant changes in chemistry teaching in the last 50 years.”

Charlesworth was one of the first faculty members to use the WebCT course management system when it was introduced in 1999. “I was curious to see if it would work with 200-300 students,” said Charlesworth, adding that he likes a challenge.

WebCT allows students to access many learning tools from their computer including notes, quizzes and exams. "One clear advantage of this system is that it tracks every piece of work a student attempts and every lecture note that a student reads or prints,” said Charlesworth. “For an instructor who constantly worries about the progress of the students this is invaluable.”

Charlesworth also held workshops to teach other faculty how to use the WebCT system. WebCT is now used to help teach subjects ranging from general education to physics, and has also proved a useful tool for other projects, such as campus-wide surveys.

William A. Kennedy, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development, was especially appreciative of Charlesworth’s willingness to share his insights and skills with members of the academic community.

Charlesworth said he was surprised at the award. “I really didn’t expect any special recognition,” he said. “Not for something that I consider just part of my job at Tech.”

The honor includes a $2,500 cash award.
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7. Shelving Needed

The School of Technology is in need of 24 Republic Steel modular shelving pieces. Seven feet high by 2 feet wide end pieces are preferred. If your area has any to give away, contact Eric Smith at 7-2424 or ewsmith@mtu.edu.
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8. Free Surplus Property Available in School of Technology

The School of Technology has the following surplus items to give away to other departments on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact Eric Smith at 487-2424 or ewsmith@mtu.edu for more information or to view these items.

* Two 2 1/2 ft x 1 1/2 ft end tables
* Assorted hydraulic actuators (too many to list; come and pick what you want)
* Assorted sensors and lab instruments (temp sensors, pneumatic sensors, westphal balances, electric motors, etc.; too many to list, come and pick what you want)
* Eight drafting tables with machines
* 3 1/4 ft x 6 ft drawing table
* Two Steelcase fine cabinets (no locks)
* 3 ft x 1 ft beige bookshelf
* 1 1/2 ft x 3 ft metal storage rack
* 4 ft x 3 ft lighted map reading table
* 5 ft couch
* Digiac Fluid Power Trainer (has reservoir, pump, manifold and logic control
units on it)

As always, university property may only be transferred to other university departments. It may not be given or sold to individuals.
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9. Freshman Builds Her Own Dorm Room

As a freshman living in the halls, Nickie Barna wanted to be closer to home, but not necessarily under her parents’ roof. Her dad, Professor Bruce Barna (Chemical Engineering), had a huge pile of cedar logs and a plan to build a camp.

Thus was the genesis of what Nickie calls her cordwood dorm room. Started last summer, it is now nearly done and a darn site nicer than any student housing you are ever likely to see.

The two-bedroom cabin is just a short walk from her parents’ home on the Portage. It was built largely by Nickie, a mechanical engineering major, and Bruce, with lots of help from friends and relatives. Constructed in the cordwood style--17-inch logs mortared together side by side--each wall looks like an extremely tidy rick of firewood.

“I’d always been interested in log cabins, and many years ago I ran into some articles on cordwood,” said Bruce, explaining why they adopted the unusual construction method. Cordwood has a couple of big advantages over traditional log construction. “You don’t have to manhandle big logs,” he notes. “And the exterior maintenance is less, especially if you use cedar.”

Plus, he adds, “it was a chance to do something with my daughter.”

“My dad did the corners and windows, and I did the logs,” Nickie says. “Kids can do it. . . . You lay mortar on each side of the wall and plop a log on.” In the space in between, they poured vermiculite for insulation. The R-value is about the same as a well-insulated stick home, she said.

“It was something we could do together, it looks really nice, and it will last forever,” Nickie says. “And it’s kind of addictive. I’ve asked my dad if next we can build a sauna.”

Bruce got in shape mixing mortar and cutting logs. In addition to spearheading the log-laying effort, Nickie also did lots of the plumbing. “She’s gotten right into this construction stuff, which is a good experience for an engineer,” Bruce said. “The plumbing passed inspection. She learned how to solder copper pipe and put together a drain system.”

Cordwood construction is gaining a foothold in the Keweenaw. The preferred cedar logs are relatively inexpensive, and they fit in with the area’s rustic lifestyle. The Barna’s cabin used about eight cords, some of it logged on their own property.

Richard Flatau, a leading advocate of cordwood construction, visited the Copper Country recently and met the Barnas. He was impressed enough by their experience to ask Nickie to present at the Third Continental Cordwood Conference, to be held July 30-31 in Merrill, Wis.

So what’s it like to have your freshman daughter present a paper at a national conference?

“It’s exciting,” Bruce says. “They only hold this conference once every several years.”

As for having his daughter move back home but not under the same roof, “That seems OK to us,” he says. “Sometimes our hours don’t exactly coincide with those of the kids.”
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10. The End of the All Departments List

Starting Thursday, May 26, we will no longer forward messages emailed to alldepts-l to the list subscribers. Instead, we will incorporate them in Tech Today, the new web-based newsletter that will be emailed daily late in the afternoon to all faculty and staff.

We expect that this will benefit recipients, since they won't be getting a flurry of emails on topics that may be of marginal interest.

This should also benefit those who have been sending to alldepts, because now their announcements will go to most MTU employees, not just those who receive alldepts messages. We also encourage them to post events on the University Calendar, http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/events2/.

As of Thursday, the new address for sending announcements is ttoday@mtu.edu. If you send a message to alldepts-l by mistake, do not worry. We'll still get it, and it will get into Tech Today.

All MTU employees with email addresses will automatically be subscribed to Tech Today. For more information about Tech Today, including how to unsubscribe or subscribe to the list, visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/index.php.

If you have any questions, contact Marcia Goodrich, mlgoodri@mtu.edu.
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11. Braun Receives Donovan Award

Recent graduate Emily Braun has been chosen to receive the Clair M. Donovan Award for Outstanding Service, the Michigan Tech chapter of Blue Key International has announced.

The Blue Key National Honor Society presents the award annually to an MTU student, faculty or staff member for exemplary service during the preceding year. It honors MTU alumnus Clair M. Donovan, who through many years of service as national president of Blue Key made immeasurable contributions to Michigan Tech.

Braun, of Fond du Lac, Wis., graduated this spring with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering. She was selected largely for her contributions to student organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers and Blue Key.

A member of the Winter Carnival Queens Committee in 2004 and its chairperson in 2005, Braun was cited for her superior leadership. “She led her committee to a flawless performance with an exasperating amount of time put in,” said former Blue Key president Mark Callow, who nominated her for the award.

Braun showed that same commitment as president of the Society of Women Engineers. “Emily has brought SWE to a new level over the past year. She has shown an amazing level of energy, excitement and enthusiasm for SWE’s involvement. She is willing to put in the time to do whatever is necessary to make an event successful,” said a SWE member.

“On a personal note, I have known Emily for all four years here at Tech,” Callow said. “She always has a smile on her face and lights up the room when she walks in. She always puts others first and thinks of herself last.

“Emily is an excellent example of what the Donovan Award stands for.”

In addition, she is a former member of the Alpha Society and was a student employee in the Registrar’s Office.

Braun was surprised to learn she had been chosen to receive the Donovan Award. ”I felt very
honored because I know the award is open faculty and staff, not just students.”

All her extracurricular work has been its own reward. “Blue Key is an amazing group of hardworking and dedicated students,” she said. “I realized what a difference they make to the university, and I wanted to be an important part of that.”

“I became involved with the Society of Women Engineers after witnessing this wonderful and promising group of powerful women and seeing the great things they’d already done,” said Braun. “SWE has always been a significant organization at Michigan Tech, and I wanted to bring a new level of energy and excitement to the group.”

Braun, who will start work in August as a technical services engineer at Epic Systems in Madison, Wis., gave some of the credit for her success to her alma mater.

“Michigan Tech provided me not only with a great education, but also the opportunity to get involved with a variety of exciting activities, events and organizations,” she said. “I definitely feel my time spent at Michigan Tech has prepared me for my future endeavors, in and out of the workplace.”
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12. Benefits and Community Service Fair Winners Announced

The list of prize winners for the 2005 Benefits and Community Service Fair can be viewed at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/benefits/.

If there are any additions or corrections, please call the Benefits Office at 487-2517 or email Nancy at nabykkon@mtu.edu.
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13. Library Furniture Available

The library has the following items available:

Free:
*1 bulletin board, 72 inches by 42 inches
*3 large tables, 71 inches by 47 inches
*1 small table, 36 inches by 22 inches

$500:
*1 Smart Board

For more information, please call Evelyn at 487-2500 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

University property may only be transferred to other university departments. It may not be given away or sold to individuals.
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14. Folding Tables and Monitors Available

The Department of Mathematical Sciences has the following items to give away:

*12 folding tables, eight feet long by three feet wide
*31 working 15-inch Sun computer monitors

Contact Kelly at kjwenber@mtu.edu for further information.

University property may only be transferred to other university departments. It may not be given or sold to individuals.

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