Sue McDaniel, Tech Topics, editorial assistant, 906-487-2343

You can reach us via e-mail at ttopics@mtu.edu The deadline for submitting information for Tech Topics is 5:00 p.m. the Friday before anticipated publication.

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HIRING HOLD IN EFFECT

Because the state appropriation for the upcoming fiscal year is still uncertain, Provost Kent Wray has instituted a hold on all new hiring.

The action stems from a shortfall in tax revenues to the State of Michigan, which is expected to result in funding cuts to many state organizations, including universities. "Consequently, I believe it is prudent to place a hold on filling any vacant positions until next year's budget situation is settled," Wray said.

The hold applies to all faculty and staff positions, regardless of their funding source.

There are some exceptions. In general, if an offer has been made to a prospective employee by Feb. 14, that individual may still be hired.* Departments that are in the midst of a search process may continue the search, but they must get the approval of their vice president.

Lastly, if a vacancy occurs after Feb. 14, in a position that a department believes is critical, the department must receive approval through the position review process to begin a continue the search.

"However, we are likely looking at cutting as much as $5.5 million from our budget for next year, so the probability of getting a vacant position filled will be minimal," Wray said. "The position must be truly critical."

For more information, contact Human Resources, 487-2280.

* Hiring may proceed in the following cases: 1) If an offer was made and written acceptance received from the new employee on or before February 14, 2003; 2) if any written offer was tendered on or before February 14, 2003, but not yet accepted by the new employee as presented; or 3) if any verbal offer was tendered and was accepted verbally by the new employee prior to February 14, 2003 (but a written offer and a returned acceptance have not yet been received). Any written or verbal offer tendered but not accepted by the potential new employee as presented will be held in abeyance and negotiations cease until the hiring hold is removed.

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SORBY NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN

Sheryl A. Sorby has been named the associate dean for academic programs in the College of Engineering.

She was previously chair of the Department of Engineering Fundamentals and was responsible for the new First-Year Engineering Program.

Sorby served as a co-principal investigator on a grant from the National Science Foundation that provided funds for the program and chaired the committee that developed its implementation plan. She oversaw the renovation of high-tech classrooms and was responsible for hiring and training faculty for the first-year engineering classes.

Sorby has also been a leader on two projects to improve precollege math and science instruction. The first project entailed placement of MTU graduate students in local schools to help teachers develop math and science activities in keeping with state and national standards. In the second project, she has been working with colleagues at Michigan Tech and Michigan State University to include engineering applications in math and science education for teachers.

Sorby received a BS in Civil Engineering, an MS in Engineering Mechanics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, all from Michigan Tech. Sorby has a well-established research program in spatial visualization and is actively involved in the development of various educational programs. She has published more than 60 papers in journals and conference proceedings and is the author of six textbooks. She was the recipient of the Dow Outstanding New Faculty Award in 1996 and the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1998, both for the North Midwest Section of the American Society for Engineering Education. She was inducted into the Michigan Tech Council of Alumnae in 1997.

She has played an active role in the American Society for Civil Engineers, serving as the secretary and then the chair of the Committee for Faculty Development. In addition, she was chair of the Education Special Interest Group for the I-DEAS Users' Group, and the chair of the Women in Academia subcommittee of the Society for Women Engineers. She currently serves as the chair of the Engineering Design Graphics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

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MTEC HIRES ALAN WEST AS SMARTZONE CEO

The Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) has announced the hiring of Alan I. West as the MTEC chief executive officer. "The SmartZone is fortunate to have someone as qualified as Alan West to serve as its CEO," stated Phil Musser, MTEC board chairman. "We are excited to have him on board and think he is the right individual to help us create a high technology sector in the Keweenaw. He understands the needs of technology firms, having been both an entrepreneur and a management consultant to tech companies. And he has university experience," added Musser.

West has a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and an MS in Design Engineering from Tufts University. His employment experience includes serving as senior project engineer for Johnson and Johnson, marketing manager for Advanced Mechanical Technologies, Inc., vice-president for research and development at Boston Scientific Corporation, vice-president and business manager for Vision Sciences, Inc., and president and CEO for Assurance Medical, Inc., a start-up medical device company which West founded. Most recently, he has worked as a strategic business consultant to a number of small and start-up companies, helping to develop strategic and business plans, to identify financing strategies, negotiate strategic agreements and introduce companies to potential investors. He was also a part-time lecturer at Tufts University.

West, who currently resides in Hopkinton, Mass., will be relocating to the Keweenaw to begin employment on March 10. "During my two trips to the Keweenaw as part of the interview process," stated West, "I was both pleasantly surprised and extremely impressed by the scope of the technology and research at Michigan Tech and by the fact that a significant portion of the patent activity at the University comes from students. The Keweenaw has all the ingredients for success: exciting new technologies, a population of entrepreneurial students and faculty and a community that wants to make things happen," stated West.

"I am very excited about establishing MTEC as an organization that will work with the Keweenaw Industrial Council, Michigan Tech, Finlandia University and the community to foster entrepreneurial success," stated West. "And, in spite of getting stuck in the snow twice during a recent weekend visit, my wife, Cindy, and I are thrilled about joining the Keweenaw community. It takes a lot to uproot a New England Yankee, but this opportunity and the Keweenaw environment represent the fulfillment of a dream," he added.

MTEC was created in 2001 by the Cities of Houghton and Hancock, Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw Industrial Council to work with faculty and students at Michigan Tech to commercialize technologies, to work with existing Keweenaw technology companies to help them grow, and to attract technology companies to the Keweenaw. MTEC works closely with the Local Development Finance Authority of the Cities of Houghton and Hancock which is authorized by state legislation to capture local taxes that would normally go to the state for use in financing local SmartZone activities.

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GOT A COLLEGE STUDENT HOME FOR THE SUMMER? CHECK OUT MTU'S SUMMER SCHOOL

Do you have a son or daughter attending another college or university? Chances are they'll be coming home for the summer. While they're here, they can also pick up a course or two from Michigan Tech.

Credit for many MTU courses is transferable to other schools, so attending summer session is a great way for students to catch up or get ahead. Plus, with Michigan Tech's 50 percent tuition discount to employees and their dependents, attending summer session may be the best education deal of the year.

If your daughter or son is a student in good standing at another university, they can be admitted to Michigan Tech for one session. The deadline for enrolling is April 19, and online registration is set for March 11-30. Students should check with their universities to make sure the course they are interested in is transferable.

For more information on summer session, visit https://www.admin.mtu.edu/em/summer/ .

To apply for the TRIP benefit, which qualifies your child to receive a 50 percent tuition discount, contact the Benefits Office at 487-2517. To have the TRIP benefit appear on your child's billing statement, submit your application by April 1.

"Michigan Tech is a great place to study in the summer, and the Keweenaw is a wonderful place to explore," said Tim Collins, dean of technology and coordinator of summer session. "In fact, National Geographic Adventure magazine* selected Houghton as one of the top 10 'Adrenalin Outposts' in the nation for out-of-doors summer activities, so students have lots of reasons to attend Michigan Tech in the summer."

* http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0107/trips_5.html

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RETIREMENT PARTY FEB. 27 FOR MINA GRUDNOSKI

Everyone is invited to a retirement party for Mina Grudnoski, the assistant to the dean of the graduate school.

It will be held Thursday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 5 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom B. Refreshments will be served.

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SECOND ANNUAL "CHUCK THE PASTY" COMPETITION FEB. 23

Gravy or ketchup? That's the typical debate when it comes to pasties.

But that's when you eat them. Not when you chuck them. As in propel them. On Sunday, Feb. 23, the question will be, "How far can you chuck a pasty?"

In celebration of Professional Engineering Week, the Michigan Tech Alumni Association and the Michigan Tech Student Foundation are inviting teams of MTU students to design a device to chuck a pasty. The competition will take place in the Wood Gym of the SDC.

Each five-student team will be provided a kit of materials. Construction will begin at noon, with judging at 4 p.m. The device that throws a pasty the farthest will be declared the winner. The competition is limited to 15 teams of five members, and each member must be a full-time undergraduate or master's student. First prize is a free MUB pasty and pop for the remainder of the semester. Second prize consists of five parking vouchers for Lot 27. Other prizes include gift certificates to the Library Restaurant, Armando's and the Lode Theater. Co-sponsors of the competition include the Memorial Union, Student Development Complex, MTU Public Safety, Library Restaurant, The Lode Theater and Armando's.

Registration materials are available on the second floor of the Meese Center. Registration packets must be turned in to this same location by Feb. 21 at noon. Jody Scheffler (jascheff@mtu.edu) or Kim Klender (ksklende@mtu.edu) can be contacted for further details.

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TIAA-CREF CONSULTANT ON CAMPUS FEB. 25-27

A TIAA-CREF consultant will be on campus Feb. 25-27, to meet with individual participants and give personalized planning guidance on your retirement and financial goals.

You can register for a consultation either on line or by calling Kandyce at TIAA/CREF 800-842-2044. To make an appointment, go to http://www.tiaa-cref.org Click on "Counseling" at the top of the page, select "Michigan" and then scroll down to the Michigan Tech schedule. All times for one-on-one counseling are currently reserved. If you wish to add your name to a waiting list, you can do that at this TIAA-CREF web site.

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FACULTY AND STAFF RECEIVE FUNDING

Executive Director Chris Anderson (Educational Opportunity and special assistant to the provost for institutional diversity), Department Chair Brad Baltensperger (Department of Education) and Shawn Oppliger (Copper Country Intermediate School District) have received $100,000 from the Michigan Department of Education for their project, "Educators' Science and Mathematics Institute Series--Continuation Proposal for Science Institutes" (ESMIS).

The program targets teachers from high need rural schools in the Upper Peninsula and the GRACEP consortium of Grand Rapids area schools. The goal of the summer sessions is to establish a key group of teachers who engage students in science, serve as role models and mentors, and have a positive impact on the achievement and interest of K-12 students in these areas.

 The summer institute will consist of intensive, graduate-level professional development courses of study with a focus on the sciences. Courses will include Ecology of the Great Lakes, Physics and Space Science, Geology of Utah and Artistic Expression Explored through Science and Mathematics Institutes.

The outcome of ESMIS will be improved science teaching and learning. "The program will make credit opportunities available for teachers all over the state," said Baltensperger. "It will enable them to strengthen their area and content knowledge."

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TEACHING AT TECH: THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION

by William Kennedy, Director

Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development

 In his 1990 book "Fifth Discipline," Peter Senge, change and leadership senior lecturer at the Sloan School of Management at MIT, argues that in the face of continuing change and challenge, contemporary institutions must become learning organizations if they are to thrive in the new economy. Learning organizations are places "where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together."

According to Senge, innovative organizations must learn to engage in 1) systems thinking, 2) personal mastery, 3) mental models, 4) building a shared vision, and 5) team learning. "Systems thinking" involves viewing the organization as a dynamic, ever-evolving, very complex series of interconnected processes. Senge suggests that most traditional organizations tend to focus too much effort and time on finding short-term solutions to problems that endlessly appear on their radar screens. Such locally developed, ad hoc solutions very often carry significant hidden costs and adversely affect other processes of the organization in unforeseen ways. If organizational units put their immediate needs first, the broader organization almost inevitably suffers.

Senge says organizations only have the potential to learn when the individuals that make up the organizations are learning. He argues that consistently nurturing employees and encouraging their development helps them to find fulfillment in their work. Top-down, mass manufacturing models of management, on the other hand, tend to create cadres of subservient employees who begrudgingly go through the motions at work and then look for real fulfillment outside of the workplace.

Senge argues that members of learning organizations need to examine the mental models they bring to the workplace. Organizational change requires that employees reinvent their understanding of who they are, who they might become and what it means to contribute to the evolution of the organization. The game playing, posturing, and internal politics of traditional organizations work against personal reflection and reinvention.

For an organization to evolve, members of the learning organization must share in the vision of what that organization might become. Senge writes, "When there is a genuine vision (as opposed to the all-too-familiar 'vision statement'), people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to . . . The practice of shared vision involves the skill of unearthing shared 'pictures of the future' that foster genuine commitment and enrollment rather than compliance."

Team learning requires that members of an organization are encouraged and feel safe to talk to each other about what the future might hold for their organization. This talking requires honest dialogue with individual members suspending personal assumptions and learning to think and trust as a group.

Being a leader in a learning organization requires a different brand of leadership. According to Senge, the traditional leadership model "is based on assumptions of people's powerlessness, their lack of personal vision and their inability to master the forces of change, deficits which can be remedied only by a few great leaders." In a learning organization, leaders are architects, trustees and facilitators of institution-wide learning.

Our graduates will be tomorrow's leaders. To be effective leaders in this increasingly complex and challenging world, not only will they need to "know their stuff," they will need the sensitivity, integrity and courage to challenge, inspire and build up those that they are chosen to lead. Can we prepare them to meet this challenge?

*The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.

"SHIRLEY VALENTINE" AT CLUB INDIGO

by Joe Kirkish

Mu Beta Psi music fraternity is a bit late for Valentine's Day, but they're offering a great Club Indigo all the same. It's a Brit flick called "Shirley Valentine."

Shirley shares a sentiment with humorist Sam Levinson, who once lamented, "When I was a kid, they told me to do what my parents wanted. When I became a parent, they told me to do what my kids wanted. When do I get to do what I want?"

Shirley feels very much the same; she decides it's finally time for her to do what SHE wants. The perky Liverpool housewife's life isn't just in a rut; it IS a rut and she's fed up with it.

This perky lady was born an original--a rebel at school, a dreamer, and now a housewife. She carries on conversations with her kitchen wall, and often to us, with a cocked eyebrow, alternating between a sigh and a saucy, philosophical smile. "Marriage," she says, "is like the Middle East--no solution."

 For excitement, she feeds her husband's steak to a dog and she cheekily tells lies about imagined infidelities to the neighbors. All this to conceal from herself the fact that she has permitted her smothering life to dampen her earlier hopes and dreams.

So, trapped in a humdrum existence, isolated and lonely, she talks to the wall--and to us. There is no support from her demanding husband, her snooty neighbor or her self-absorbed grown children, so she asks, what to do about it?

Ah ha! Providence provides a solution when a friend wins a two-week vacation to Greece and asks Shirley to accompany her. The spunky housewife leaves her husband behind and heads off to a sun-drenched island for the dream of her life. The experience is a continuous wonder and while she even has a romantic tryst with a charming Greek tavern owner, the real thrill is her journey toward self-renewal. The movie concludes with a tender, heart-warming surprise that leaves the viewer feeling equally renewed.

"Shirley Valentine" has been lifted from a successful comedy by Willy Russell; it not only played happily for months in London, but came to the United States for an unforgettable extended run. While everyone was excellent, the major part of the buoyant comedy is due to its leading lady, Pauline Collins, who earlier gained fame for her role as Sarah, the high-spirited parlor maid in PBS's "Upstairs, Downstairs," and who subsequently won a coveted Tony for her performance in "Shirley Valentine."

There's no doubt about it, both the play and the movie are Ms. Collins' show, and our post-Valentine's Day treat as she wins us over, whether she's spouting off directly to us, squaring off against the master of the house, responding to her daughter's put-downs, experiencing the dizziness of sex, or telling off some boorish British tourists. Collins' Shirley is a woman to be reckoned with, to cherish with delight as she faces, then learns, her own private facts of life. She draws you into her story and while you sit back and listen she chats about her small, sad life; and then you laugh and even cheer for her as she does something positive about it.

This happy comedy is the next Club Indigo movie; it will be shown next Friday, Feb. 21, at 7:15 p.m. for $3.50. The buffet preceding it, at 6 p.m., is $9.50 with a special discount for children in both cases.

And the buffet? Once again, it promises to be something special. Everyone familiar with that noticeable restaurant on the Kearsarge curve, The Hut, should be aware that it will open an adjunct just down the highway in the old Log Cabin Inn location. It will be known as a combination sportsmen's bar and pub--informal and innovative. While most of us are familiar with The Hut and the great variety of foods offered there, this Club Indigo buffet will feature a combination of British and Greek food from The Hut's larder as well as a "preview of coming attractions" for the upcoming place.

This Club Indigo is sponsored by Pat from The Hut, and is also made possible in part by Mu Beta Psi music fraternity.

No reservations are needed for the movie, which, as always, is opened to all, while a phone call to the Calumet Theatre will assure a place at the buffet (337-2610).

Continuing into into its 11th season, the next Club Indigo brings the charming popular musical "Gigi" on Friday, March 14.

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JAZZ CABARET COMES TO MICHIGAN TECH

submitted by Fine Arts

McArdle Theatre becomes a jazz club on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, presenting intimate, small-group jazz in a relaxed club setting with low lights, tables, snacks and soft drinks. MTU's "Jazz Cabaret" provides a perfect setting for Tech's excellent student combos, said Mike Irish, director of jazz studies. "In a jazz club, musicians tend to experience the perfect blend of intense focus and deep relaxation," Irish said, "so that's where the best jazz is often heard." Music starts at 8 p.m. both evenings.

The jazz cabaret will feature two student combos, Jaztec and Momentum, plus RealTime, a Houghton-based quartet with Irish on bass, Charles White on keyboards, Mark Lucier on drums and Kristin White on trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals. Jaztec and Momentum feature outstanding student musicians including keyboardist Kristin Duchateau, Ray Francis on bass, Jeff Sandoval on sax and percussion, and vocalist Christina Pienkos in Jaztec; and Momentum's Alan Cross on trumpet, Brian Barr and Paul Johnson on sax, Andy Knust on bass, Dave Dube on guitar, and Andy Wynn on drums.

"It's such a treat to experience jazz in a venue where the vibes are right," Irish said. And it's not just seasoned artists who do their best work in a club setting. "Young and growing improvisers tend to experience their lives from a much more open, less rigid and jaded perspective. When the audience is relaxed and tuned into each musician's efforts, and the players are focused, yet stretching and taking risks, lightening strikes!"

The musical menu for the jazz cabaret includes tunes from across the spectrum, from Gershwin to Charlie Parker and Chick Corea, popular ballads, Jamaican rhythms and spicy Cuban fare. Irish hopes the cabaret will provide a rewarding, memorable evening for the audience, and perhaps even some magic moments. "The audience is an integral part of the atmosphere in which these special times occur," Irish said.

Tickets are available from Rozsa Center Ticketing Services (487-3200 and http://www.tickets.mtu.edu) and at the door for $8 general, $4 students. For more information, contact the MTU Fine Arts office, 487-2067.

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JAZZ CABARET PRE-SHOW GATHERING SATURDAY

The Michigan Tech Alumni Association and the Department of Fine Arts will present an evening of jazz, beverages and desserts on Saturday, Feb. 22.

The pre-show gathering includes refreshments and desserts and a chance to hear from jazz studies director Mike Irish and meet some of the student performers. It begins at 6:45 p.m. in Douglass Houghton Hall.

The cost is $10 for the pre-show gathering and a ticket to the show. For more information, contact the alumni relations office at 487-2400 or e-mail mtu_alumni@mtu.edu

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A MARVELOUS MUSICAL MIX FROM MOSCOW COMES TO THE ROZSA

submitted by University Cultural Enrighment

The audience at the Rozsa on Sunday, Feb. 23, is in for a marvelous musical mix from Moscow, a splendid treat presented by one of the world's great chamber orchestras. Founded in 1956 by the renowned Rudolf Barshai, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra (MCO) has been led since 1991 by the brilliant pianist and conductor Constantine Orbelian, who replaced the retiring Barshai and brought the orchestra into a new era of international activity and recognition. Each year the MCO performs more than 80 concerts abroad and 40 in their homeland as well as undertaking an extensive series of recordings on the Delos label. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert 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.

The concert program spans three hundred years and, according to Le Figaro, Paris, "The flexibility with which they change style [from one period to the next] is astonishing." Alexander Zagorinsky, winner of numerous international awards and an "Honored Artist of Russia" (a highly coveted designation presented to only the most distinguished artists in the country), performs a collection of Russian short pieces arranged for cello. Constantine Orbelian, the orchestra's conductor and also a brilliant pianist, performs the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke's dynamic Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra. Orbelian's interpretation of this work, which he conducts from the piano, has been described by the Times Union of Albany, N.Y. as "sensational and intensely moving." The program will also include Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins, featuring some superb talent from the first violin section; Mozart's Serenade No. 6,and Haydn's Symphony No. 45, the famous Farewell Symphony. This interesting piece of music was written in January 1772 and was conceived and performed as a gesture of protest. It is an unusual work that has to be seen, as well as heard, to be fully enjoyed. Haydn's employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, had decreed that orchestra members and their families could no longer live on the grounds of his estate. Sadly the protest misfired, and the musicians found themselves out of work the day after the work's premier performance.

Conductor Orbelian is the first American to become musical director of a Russian ensemble. The appointment, which came at a time when he was a successful award-winning concert pianist, was a breakthrough in cultural relations between the two countries. The son of Armenian and Russian émigré parents, Orbelian was born in San Francisco. Following his debut at age eleven with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, he went to study in the Soviet Union, and then the San Francisco Conservatory, eventually graduating from Juilliard in New York. The MCO has performed in some of the great concert halls in Europe and America, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York City, to name a few.

The visit of the MCO to the Rozsa Center is made possible by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment with additional funding from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and is coordinated by the MTU Great Events Series Office (487-2844).

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BEETHOVEN CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES CONTINUES AT MICHIGAN TECH

submitted by Fine Arts

The Department of Fine Arts will present this year's second all-Beethoven chamber music concert on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. in McArdle Theatre, featuring Jon Poupore on violin and viola, with pianist Neil Paynter.

Jon Poupore has performed frequently in the Keweenaw area during the past five years, and was concertmaster of the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra during the 2000-02 seasons. He currently resides in Baltimore, Md. Neil Paynter is the accompanist for the Michigan Tech Concert Choir, Copper Country Chorale and Studio North Opera, and is an active performer in the area.

Sunday's program will consist of three Beethoven pieces, the Notturno for Viola and Piano, Opus 42, the Sonata for Violin and Piano, Opus 23, and Variations on a Ukrainian Folk Song, Opus 107, No. 3. Poupore recently performed the same program in a Johns Hopkins University recital series in Baltimore.

This is the second of three all-Beethoven concerts to be presented this year. Admission is $6 general, $3 students, with tickets available from Rozsa Center Ticketing Services, 487-3200, http://www.tickets.mtu.edu, and at the door. The third concert will be presented on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in McArdle Theatre. More information is available from the Fine Arts office, 487-2067.

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ECO-LIT TO MEET FEB. 24

The next meeting of the Eco-Lit group will be held on Monday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in Fisher 135.

The group is currently reading Annie Dillard's classic "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." The book is available at Northwind Books in Hancock, in an affordable paperback edition. Be sure to mention that you are with the Eco-Lit Group and you will receive a 20 percent discount on your purchase.

According to scholar Don Scheese, it was the ecocritic Lawrence Buell who argued that the "ideology of pastoralism defies easy categorization as conservative or liberal. "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" testifies to the truth of this claim. On one hand it is conservative in that it represents a throwback to the 17th century, when natural theologians such as John Ray wrote primarily to prove the existence of God. On the other hand, it is liberal in its postmodern view of nature as a verbal and psychological construct. All of her work, including "Pilgrim," reveals Dillard's desire to use the pastoral retreat to explore spiritual issues. Investigating the nonhuman world is for a Dillard a religious experience, a way to communicate with God. In "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek," Dillard confirms her Christian Mysticism by blending or synthesizing both old and new traditions in her discovery of the natural world. "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" is an incredible and ground breaking work of nature literature. In recognition of the this work, Dillard received the Pulitzer Prize.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend Eco-Lit meetings. Having read the book is not a necessity or requirement.

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"GREEK DANCES" TO FEATURE WIND SYMPHONY AND MTU DANCE COMPANY

submitted by Fine Arts

Music, poetry and dance join together in "Greek Dances," an unusual performance featuring Michigan Tech's Wind Symphony and the Michigan Tech Dance Company, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. in McArdle Theatre. A performance of Nikos Skalkottas' "Greek Dances" interpreted by the Dance Company, plus other Greek- and dance-inspired music, highlight the program, which includes readings from classic Greek literature (Sappho, Homer, Aristophanes and others) and poems by Keats and Rilke.

The concert, with 50 musicians, 21 dancers and 10 readers, is directed by Alton Thompson, visiting assistant professor of music. Laura Aneshansel is director and choreographer of the Michigan Tech Dance Company. The concert also features pianist Tiffany Yang, flutist Beth Blessing, and guest conductor Whei-May Lee.

Nikos Skalkottas seldom heard his music played during his lifetime (1904-49), but is now regarded as a leading figure in the music of modern Greece. His "Greek Dances," the first of his compositions to gain widespread recognition, was transcribed for wind orchestra by conductor Gunther Schuller. The program also presents Erik Satie's "Gymnopédies" (1888) as transcribed by Claude Debussy and arranged for wind symphony by Alfred Reed, choreographed and performed by Laura Aneshansel. "Satiric Dances" by acclaimed American composer Norman Dello Joio, renaissance dances by Tylman Susato, and the lively "Russian Sailor's Dance" by Reyngol'd Glier, featuring the Dance Company, complete the musical part of the program.

Tickets are available for $8 general, $4 students from Rozsa Center Ticketing Services, http://www.tickets.mtu.edu, and at the door.

MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY

Professor Ghatu Subhash (ME-EM) will present a seminar, "Brittle Fracture During Indentation and Scratch Processes: Experiments and

Numerical Modeling," on Thursday Feb. 20, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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STAFF COUNCIL TO SPONSOR LUNCH 'N' LEARNS

Staff Council will be sponsoring two Lunch 'n'Learns. The first will be regarding the SmartZone on Thursday, Feb. 27, from noon to 1 pm. Speakers will be Dave Reed (Research Services) and Terry Monson (SBE).

The second Lunch 'n'Learn will be on Thursday, March 6, from noon to 1 p.m. The speaker will be Emily Betterly from Mail Services, who will talk about how departments can save time and money with mailings, concentrating on our Mail Processing Center. With as little as 200 pieces to mail, the postage per envelope can be reduced by half. Betterly will also be talking about how inserting capabilities can save time if designed correctly. All topics of Mail Services will be open for discussion (including mail delivery, business reply and postage due mail, UPS, FedEx, etc.).

Staff Council Lunch 'n' Learns are open to all members of the campus community. Reservations should be made by contacting Becky Christianson at rwchrist@mtu.edu or 487-2416. Cookies and water will be served. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch.

NEW STAFF

Emely J. Jackson has joined the staff of the J. R. Van Pelt Library as a library assistant 3. She lives in Calumet with her husband, Bruce.

Jeff Duvendeck has joined the staff of the Athletics Department as an assistant football coach. He was previously employed as a graduate assistant football coach at Grand Valley State University.

Duvendeck received a BS in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation from Central Michigan University. He lives in Atlantic Mine.

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ON THE ROAD

Assistant Professor Tim Scarlett (Social Sciences) presented a poster, "Toward an Archaeology of the Mormon Economy: Insights from Science and History," at the annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology in Providence, R.I., in January.

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CALENDAR: FEBRUARY

20        Thursday

            Noon--Faculty workshop, "Teaching at Tech: Problem Based Learning"

            3-4 p.m.--Seminar, "Brittle Fracture During Indentation and Scratch Processes: Experiments and Numerical Modeling"--MEEM 112

            5:30 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Grand Valley State at MTU--SDC Gym

            7:30 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Grand Valley State at MTU--SDC Gym

21        Friday

            6/7:15 p.m.--Club Indigo dinner/movie, "Shirley Valentine"--Calumet Theatre

            8 p.m.--Jazz Club Cabaret--McArdle Theatre

            8 p.m.--Aquila Theatre, "The Importance of Being Ernest"--Rozsa Center

22        Saturday

            1 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Ferris State at MTU--SDC Gym

            3 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Ferris State at MTU--SDC Gym

            8 p.m.--Jazz Club Cabaret--McArdle Theatre

23        Sunday

            4 p.m.--All-Beethoven Chamber Music Concert --McArdle Theatre

            7 p.m.--The Moscow Chamber Orchestra--Rozsa Center

24        Monday

            4 p.m.-- Seminar, "Atmosphere-Forest Interactions"--Dow 642

            7 p.m.--Eco-Lit Meeting--Fisher 135

25        Tuesday

            8 p.m.--"Greek Dances," Wind Symphony and MTU Dance Company--McArdle Theatre

27        Thursday

            Noon-1 p.m.--Lunch'n'Learn, SmartZone with Dave Reed and Terry Monson

28        Friday

            7:05 p.m.--Hockey, Wisconsin at MTU--SDC

__________

NO NEW POSITIONS THIS WEEK

For a complete listing of available jobs, visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/index.shtml

No new positions are posted this week at Michigan Tech. 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.

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