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STUDENTS GET NASA GRANT TO BUILD SATELLITEStudents in the Aerospace Enterprise are teaming up with Calumet High School students to build their own satellite, thanks to a $125,000 grant from NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The students will construct a small satellite that could play a role in the ongoing effort to model the Earth's climate. And even if the "nanosat" doesn't get off the ground, the project can still be counted a success. Michigan Tech is among 10 universities to receive grants under the University Nanosat Program, so named because the satellites will be pretty small, less than half a meter (about 20 inches) across and weighing under 50 pounds. "They've given us support to do a high-risk, high-payoff demonstration of several untested technologies," said Brad King, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. "But our educational objective is really the key." Their project, named "Nanosatellite Technology Demonstrator for Earth Remote Sensing," has as its goal inspiring students to pursue careers in space flight. Plus, it provides an extraordinary project for students in the Aerospace Enterprise, for which King is the advisor. The satellite will be designed to detect manmade electronic pollution. "The only way to model climate is to figure out where the water is and where it's going," King explains. "Climate is strongly influenced by the water cycle. It's the most important process on Earth." But while scientists have been able to track the flow of water in the air and on the Earth's surface, a small but significant reservoir remains unmeasured: the water contained in the first few feet of soil. That's changing. "A pioneering way to measure soil moisture is by looking at the microwave radiation it gives off," King said. However, the frequencies are so low (between 1 and 3 GHz) that, in the past, a satellite needed an antenna at least 10 feet across to pick up the emissions. New wireless technologies now permit the development of a smaller antenna, but the industry may also have inadvertently made detection more difficult. The problem is electronic pollution. With the massive growth in wireless communications, such as cell phones, the low-frequency bandwidth that was once the province of remote sensing could now be contaminated by manmade radiation. Enter the Michigan Tech nanosat. It will be designed to measure variations in radio wave emissions that would show how much, if any, manmade radiation is seeping into the frequencies characteristic of soil moisture. The data gathered by the MTU nanosat could then be used as part of the effort to collect good data on soil moisture and weave it into models that help us understand and predict the Earth's climate. Two companies are donating technology to the project. Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation, of San Leandro, Calif., is providing the components to make microthrusters, used to keep the satellite up in orbit. ILC Dover, of Frederica, Del., will develop and donate a balloon-like arm on which to mount the antenna. In addition, Jeffrey Piepmeier of NASA's Microwave Instrument Technology will design a radiometer to measure the microwave radiation. The Aerospace Enterprise, with help from the Calumet High School students, will put it all together. Why Calumet High? They have a great engineering design program, along with state-of-the-art fabrication facilities for industrial arts, King says. Some of the nanosat parts will probably be designed and constructed there. And it's one of the top schools in the state, says King, who, as a member of CHS Class of '89, knows whereof he speaks. __________ AEROSPACE ENTERPRISE RECRUITING STUDENTSThe Aerospace Enterprise is holding an informational session to recruit potential members on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. in MEEM 112. If you know any students who might be interested in participating, please encourage them to attend. __________ ASCE PRESIDENT-ELECT TALKS ON WOMEN AND ENGINEERINGMen are the largest minority group in most colleges. If you're studying law or medicine, chances are 50-50 you're a woman. Yet only one in five engineering students is female. The disparity is even starker in industry, says Patricia Galloway, the president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the first woman ever to hold that post. Fewer than 10 percent of mechanical or civil engineers in the workforce is a woman. Galloway, on her first visit to a university since her election, spent several days at Michigan Tech last week talking with faculty, administrators and students. On this afternoon, she's guest of honor at a small reception. While the students swarm the buffet table, Galloway sips her coffee and sits down to talk about gender. So why aren't women going into engineering? It isn't because we can't do the math. "For one thing, there are no role models," Galloway said. Female engineering faculty, while less scarce than in the past, are still rare in many departments. And women with engineering degrees are more likely to be syphoned off into careers in sales and management, Galloway believes. "Women are smart and aggressive and want to excel," Galloway said. But in her experience, they bear one significant handicap. "A major barrier I've seen is that they don't have enough confidence in themselves," she said. "They are easily intimidated by the older generation; they don't question them." She scoffs at the idea that women are held back by family obligations. "I think that's a white male excuse to sweep the problem under the rug," Galloway said. "I hired one engineer when she was pregnant with her first child. She now has four children, and she's doing marvelous." Not that everything is always the guys' fault. "Many wonderful men have helped break down barriers for women," she says, including her husband. Kris Nielson is chairman of the board of the engineering-management consulting firm Nielsen-Wurster. He does the laundry, sews on his own buttons and splits the cooking and clean-up obligations with Galloway. This domestic collaboration is all the more noteworthy because Galloway is president and CEO of Nielsen-Wurster. "See? It's possible," she smiles. "This isn't something I invented. There are men who appreciate what it takes for a woman to be a professional." Galloway excuses herself, stands for official photographs and mingles with the crowd. Soon, however, she's seated again and talking. Every other chair at the table is taken by nine young women. They lean forward on their elbows, rapt, all faces turned toward the first ASCE president-elect who, like them, is not a man. The role-model shortage has eased, at least for today. __________ GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLEIn five years, 50 percent of federal employees will be eligible for retirement. Growing concern about these potential vacancies prompted the formation of "Call to Serve," a program to recruit people to fill the positions. In response, the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars has created a new Diversity in Government Initiative to increase the representation of minority populations in the federal workforce. In particular, the U.S. government is seeking interns of Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native American and African-American descent. Plus, a number of internship programs are open to all qualifying students, regardless of minority status. Eligible students interested in spending this summer or next fall in Washington working for a federal agency can visit the center's web site at http://www.twc.edu/diversity.htm or email government@twc.edu. Students will find details and a special, abbreviated pre-application. They should fill this simple form out by Feb. 28, and fax it to 202-336-7609 to be considered for the summer term and by June 1, for fall term consideration. If a student is accepted by the federal agency through the preliminary application, the student must have their full application signed by the campus liaison, Career Center Director Jim Turnquist, or their faculty sponsor in order to get academic credit for the program. The program accepts second semester sophomore students or higher with a minimum GPA of 2.75, and is open to all majors. Undergraduate students must receive academic credit. Those who will graduate this spring or are recent college graduates can also apply. They will be placed in the College Plus One program, which does not require credit or a campus signature. "This will be a great opportunity for students to be involved in public service and to consider it as a possible career," Turnquist said. __________ COME TO THE SPRING STUDY-ABROAD FAIRsubmitted by Beth Taylor Interested in learning more about the study abroad options at Michigan Tech? Then consider attending the Spring Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballrooms. Applications are still being accepted for the summer 2003 semester. Summer study abroad programs include sites in China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Thailand. Fall and spring semester sites include these countries and many more. Why Study Abroad? *Employers want people with international experience. *You can satisfy general education requirements. *You can earn credits toward graduation in your major or minor. *It costs about the same as a semester at MTU. *Most financial aid can apply. *You can learn a foreign language. *You can enhance your self-confidence, independence and leadership skills. *You can make new friends and visit interesting places. *You can learn more about yourself and the world. *You can have the time of your life. Current exchange students, past study abroad students and representatives from the Financial Aid Office will be available to answer your questions. We will also have a representative from Curtin University of Technology in Australia. A presentation on Curtin University of Technology in Australia will be held at 9 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 30, in the ROTC Blue Room. The campus community is invited to come and learn more about our most popular study abroad site. We will have 21 students studying abroad at Curtin for this spring semester. __________ CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.The Black Student Association has organized a number of events this week to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An evening of ethnic books and movies will be held on Thursday Jan. 23, at 6:30, in Memorial Union Alumni Lounge B. A skit and concert by the Echoes from Heaven Gospel Choir and performance by Praise in Effect will be held on Friday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m., in the McArdle Theatre. "Please come out in support of the man whose life helped make ours a little easier to live," organizers said. __________ LOOKING FOR WINTER CARNIVAL ROOMS?If you, your friends or family are looking for a place to stay for Winter Carnival, try the Ford Forestry Center on US-41 just south of L'Anse. The cost is $20 per night per person and includes a continental breakfast each morning. For information and reservations, call 524-6181. __________ FACULTY RECEIVE FUNDINGAssociate Professor Lyon B. King (MEEM) has received $90,000 for the first year of a three-year project totaling $285,031 from AFOSR for his project "A Vaporizing Liquid-Metal Anode for High-Power Hall Thrusters." Research Assistant Professor Nancy Auer (Biological Sciences) has received $56,700 from Little River Bank of Ottawa Indians for her project, "Evaluation of Recruitment Success, Habitat Preference, and River Retention of Young Lake Sturgeon in the Manistee River." __________ TEACHING AT TECH: IS LEARNING A GAME?by William Kennedy, Director Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development Marc Prensky, author of Digital Game-Based Learning and corporate courseware training guru, argues that contemporary college students, substantially reared on the Internet, mp3 players and video games, approach acquiring knowledge in fundamentally different ways than do most of their college instructors.* He dubs the students "digital natives" and most folks over 40 "digital immigrants." Digital immigrants speak a very different dialect from the digital natives, according to Prensky. The digital immigrants feel that learning should be slow and methodical, using outlines to understand the structure of new ideas, reading the background of the material to be mastered, and using the library as a primary resource. Most digital immigrants favor the teacher-centered "tell and test" method of instruction. Digital natives prefer what might be termed "sink or swim." According to Prensky, digital natives think and process information differently.** Young folks are perplexed as to why their digital immigrant elders insist on lecturing in a heavily accented, nearly unintelligible, outdated language foreign to their life experience. Digital natives enjoy the real-time ferreting out of information that they need at the moment. They don't like manuals or following the instructions. They prefer to jump in and immerse themselves. They prefer parallel processing and multi-tasking over a measured, serial approach to learning. They download new music from the Internet while they are beaming instant messages to friends and family and listening to their favorite mp3 file (hopefully) on headphones. When they enter a lecture hall, they feel as though they are entering some neolithic burial chamber, full of ritual and boredom. They hunger, Prensky says, for instantaneous stimulation, frequent gratification and regular rewards. Digital natives have spent thousands of hours improving their "twitch speed" for video games. Listening to an ancient instructor lecture from yellowed notes causes all the blood to drain from their hyperstimulated heads. Prensky argues that instructors must take the initiative in bridging the growing divide between the preferred learning styles of the digital immigrants and the natives. First, he suggests we need to pick up the pace, worry less about sequencing and more about providing adequate stimulation to increase engagement and to allow parallel processing and random access. Second, we need to reduce what he terms unessential "legacy" content from our courses, what we might call historical richness and depth. Third, we should emphasize current practices and procedures associated with the disciplines we teach as students hunger for what can be applied immediately. Prensky's company tries to bridge the gap in the corporate training world by employing artifacts from the digital natives' experience. In English, that means he uses computer games to train young employees. For example, his company recently developed a "shoot-em up" video game to quickly train employees to use a radically new CAD interface. This software, dubbed "Monkey Wrench Conspiracy," has been widely used by engineering students with over a million copies in print. Educators who assisted Prensky's group in developing "Monkey Wrench" struggled to work in this new medium. When the professors suggested making 10-minute movies to illustrate key concepts, Prensky insisted on 30-second bytes. When the professors suggested that the students do the learning tasks in a certain order, Prensky insisted on random access. He also purged all educational language artifacts such as objectives, lessons or mastery from the software. After the academics had completed their work, Prensky hired a Hollywood script writer to add drama, speed and urgency to the software. Even if most of Prensky's speculations are wrong, he does raise a good question. Have computers changed the way our students learn? *McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000 ** Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, On the Horizon, NCB University Press, Vol. 9, No. 5, October 2001 MYSTERIES OF THE MIND AT THE ROZSA CENTERSpend a hilarious evening at the Rozsa with two talented guys who will, each in his own way, take you on a fascinating tour through the mysteries of the mind. Fred Winters, who is celebrating his 10th year at Michigan Tech, goes in for hypnotic high jinks, while ESP practitioner Chris Carter astounds the audience with psychic stunts. Presented by the MTU Student Entertainment Board, this fun-filled double bill is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) or online at http://www.tickets.mtu.edu. "People reader" Chris Carter opens the show with fast-paced humor and some truly astonishing mind-benders. At his performance last year, he used people from the audience as volunteers on stage and completely mystified everyone as he guessed Social Security numbers, license numbers and even numbers on a dollar bill in one person's pocket. Carter says it's a talent that he's been developing since the age of eight, when he was allowed to sit in on an uncle's poker game. Carefully observing body language, he realized that people can subconsciously broadcast their thoughts. Fred Winters' show varies from year to year. He keeps it fresh by carefully recording each "scenario" that he "suggests" to the volunteers. If you're a Fred fan and a regular attendee, you may have a favorite part, but you may not see it again for five years. Fred can persuade his volunteers to forget their own names or how to tie shoe laces, think they're on another planet or at the beach, believe they're two years old, or that the entire audience is naked. Whatever he chooses to do, it's always a wild and wonderful journey to an alternative reality. It's great entertainment and a fascinating demonstration of the powers of the mind. And if you've talked to anyone who's been a volunteer, you'll know why they fall out of their seats to catch Fred's eye to be chosen to do it again. Although the audience is usually predominantly students, the show has lots of appeal for the "over 20" crowd, which seems to increase in numbers each year. There's no doubt that hypnotism is fascinating, and watching a master like Fred Winters is a great experience. The Carter/Winters performance is sponsored by the MTU Student Entertainment Board with funding from student activity fees and is coordinated through the MTU Great Events Series Office (487-2844). __________ SAM BUSH AND BAND AT THE ROZSA CENTER"Absolutely one of the finest musicians to exist in the history of the world," says Alison Krauss of legendary mandolin player Sam Bush, who brings his band to the Rozsa Center on Sunday, Feb. 2. There will be one performance only at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) or online at http://www.tickets.mtu.edu. Perhaps best known as the 19-year-old founder and driving force behind the legendary New Grass Revival (NGR) band back in the '70s, triple-Grammy Award-winner Sam Bush is now considered to be the best mandolin picker in America. His genius on this instrument, a breathtaking blend of virtuosity and velocity, has been recognized with numerous awards for Best Mandolin Player of the Year by IBMA, Frets Magazine and a host of others. NGR lasted for 18 years, developing and redefining traditional bluegrass. The band achieved a seamless fusion of a wide range of styles that included gospel, rock, pop, reggae, jazz, country and bluegrass, and they were frequently the stars at the famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival. For 26 out of its 27 years, Sam Bush has been a fixture at the festival, where he's called "King Sammy" and sometimes the "Mayor of Telluride" as a result of his huge popularity. His latest release on Sugar Hill Records--"Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride"--features 16 of his latest songs from the festivals of the '90s. He's joined on the album by America's acoustic royalty, his great friend Bela Fleck, as well as John Cowan, both former members of NGR, and dobro master Jerry Douglas. "Ice Caps" summarizes the last 10 years of Sam's career, which included a five-year stint as leader of Emmylou Harris' Grammy-winning Nash Ramblers. He also played regularly for many outstanding bluegrass projects, including those with Lyle Lovett and Dolly Parton. After the NGR breakup, the band was often credited for influencing the very diverse talents of stars like Garth Brooks (who made a hit out of NGR's "Calling Baton Rouge"), Phish, Leftover Salmon, Hootie and the Blowfish and Alison Krauss among others. Sam plays mandolin, fiddle and guitar, and is also a fine vocalist. He has recorded and performed with many "names," including Alison Krauss, Leon Russell, Doc Watson, Steve Earle, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Ricky Skaggs. He also records and tours with Bela Fleck and recently made a guest appearance with Ringo Starr, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends." Sam Bush's visit to Michigan Tech is made possible by the Michigan Tech Committee for Campus Enrichment and the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and is coordinated through the MTU Great Events Series Office (487-2844).
MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR JAN. 23Associate Professor Amitabh Narain (MEEM) will present a seminar, "Direct Computational Simulations for Internal Condensing Flows," on Thursday, Jan. 23, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112. __________ REMOTE SENSING INSTITUTE SEMINAR JAN. 27John Merrill of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island will present a seminar, "Techniques and Applications of Trajectory Analysis," on Monday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m. in Dow 642. The seminar is part of the Remote Sensing Institute seminar series. __________ CPDQI ANNOUNCES SPRING SEMESTER OFFERINGSThe Center for Professional Development and Quality Improvement is offering the following sessions for the spring semester. All MTU employees are eligible to attend. Registrations are limited to 14 participants for each session. A minimum of six participants are required for a session to be held. Registration deadline is five working days prior to the workshop. You will be notified immediately after the deadline if the session has been cancelled. Due to tight budgets across campus, there is no charge for any sessions this academic year. Take advantage of these professional development opportunities. January Assertive Communication Skills will be offered Wednesday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-noon. Topics will include assertiveness versus other behaviors, do you have a right to be assertive, when and where to assert yourself, the importance of self-confidence, asking for what you need, the importance of listening, overcoming the stress barrier, preparing for a change in yourself, learning to say no, giving feedback, and being assertive at work. February Coping with Workplace Change and Job Burnout will be offered Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1-3 p.m. Topics for the session include why is everything changing, what is the impact of all this change, predictable vs. unpredictable change, understanding resistance and stress, developing a support network, maintaining your perspective, clearing the way for creativity, understanding transitions, and new beginnings. March Improving Workplace Relationships will be offered Tuesday, March 11, 10 a.m.-noon. Topics will include getting everything on the table, listening to understand, who needs to change, understanding body language, dealing with people problems, and dealing with problem people. April Dealing with Office Politics will be offered Wednesday, April 2, 1-3 p.m. Topics will include the inevitability of office politics, analyzing the politics of your situation, understanding and supporting your boss, gaining the support of co-workers, showing loyalty, networking, and the power of positive relationships. May Improving Performance Feedback will be offered Tuesday, May 6, 10 a.m.-noon. Topics for this final session will include purpose of performance appraisals and feedback, ideal vs. reality, planning for your appraisal meeting, establishing clear goals, making feedback discussions productive, performance diagnosis and improvement, ongoing performance communication and counseling, what to do when things aren't working, documentation, and legal issues with performance appraisals. To register for any sessions, contact Becky Christianson at rwchrist@mtu.edu. Include your email address and phone number. You will receive confirmation of your registration via email. The confirmation notice will include the location of the session.
NEW STAFFAlbert M. Erkkila has joined the staff of the Memorial Union as a custodian. He was formerly employed as a counter person at Superior Auto Parts. Erkkila graduated from Calumet High School. His interests include old cars and antiques. He lives in Calumet. __________ MTU NOTABLESAssociate Professor Judith A. Perlinger (Civil & Environmental Engineering) was appointed to a three-year term on the International Joint Commission's Science Advisory Board beginning Jan. 1. Canada and the United States created the International Joint Commission in 1909 because they recognized that each country is affected by the other's actions in lake and river systems along the border. The two countries cooperate to manage these waters wisely and to protect them for the benefit of today's citizens and future generations. __________ IN PRINTElwin "Mick" McKellar (Information Technology) published an article, "Solo: Fifteen Steps to Help One Support Many," in the Winter 2002 ACUTA Journal of Telecommunications in Higher Education. Associate Professor Ulrich H. E. Hansmann (Physics) authored a review article for general audience, "Protein Folding In Silico: An Overview," in Computing in Science and Engineering, vol. 5 (January 2003). Research Scientist II Dana Richter (SFRES) authored a chapter "Profile of Copper Country Audubon," featured in the November-December 2002 issue of the "Jack Pine Warbler," the official publication of the Michigan Audubon Society. The article presents a brief history of the chapter, pinpoints local birding hot-spots and outlines current activities of Copper Country Audubon, of which Richter is president. For a copy of the article contact Richter at dlrichte@mtu.edu. __________ ON THE ROADLecturers Peg Balachowski and Shari Stockero (Mathematical Sciences) presented a poster, "Developing the Educator: A Program for Graduate Teaching Assistants,"at the Annual Joint Meetings of the MAA/AMA on Jan. 15. __________ CALENDAR: JANUARY23 Thursday 3-4 p.m.--Seminar, "Direct Computational Simulations for Internal Condensing Flows"--MEEM 112 5:30 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Northwood at MTU--SDC Gym 6:30 p.m.--An evening of ethnic books and movies sponsored by the Black Student Association--Memorial Union Alumni Lounge B 7 p.m.--Fourth Thursday in History, "Isle Royale Fish Tales"--Hesterberg Hall, Noblet Building 24 Friday 6:30 p.m.--Skit and Echoes from Heaven Gospel Choir concert--McArdle Theatre 7:05 p.m.--Hockey, Alaska Anchorage at MTU--SDC 25 Saturday 3 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Northwood at MTU--SDC Gym 7:05 p.m.--Hockey, Alaska Anchorage at MTU--SDC 8 p.m.--Porgy and Bess--Rozsa Center 27 Monday 4 p.m.--Seminar, "Techniques and Applications of Trajectory Analysis"--Dow 642 5:30 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Northern Michigan at MTU--SDC Gym 7:30 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Northern Michigan at MTU--SDC Gym 29 Wednesday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.--Spring Study-Abroad Fair--Memorial Union Ballrooms 30 Thursday Noon--faculty seminar, "Teaching at Tech: Encouraging the Development of Higher Thinking Systems" 31 Friday 7:05 p.m.--Hockey, St. Cloud State at MTU--SDC 8 p.m.--Fred Winters and Christopher Carter--Rozsa Center __________ MICHIGAN TECH POSITIONS AVAILABLEJob descriptions will be available at 1 p.m. on Friday, or by e-mail at <JOBS@MTU.EDU>. The following positions will be posted Friday, January 24, 2003, at 1 p.m. through noon, Friday, January 31, 2003, in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/ Assistant to the Dean--Graduate School Admissions Representative--Admissions (Regular, full-time; nine-month position) University employees are reminded to apply in writing prior to noon, Friday, January 31, 2003, to be considered as internal candidates for bargaining unit positions only. Applicants from the recall pool will be given first consideration for non-bargaining-unit positions only. Vacancy announcements are normally posted every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Human Resources Office. Complete job descriptions are available in the Human Resources Office or by calling 487-2280. More information regarding employment opportunities is available by calling the Job Line at 487-2895. Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer. News | Entertainment and Enrichment | Seminars and Workshops | Regular Features | Calendar | Top |
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