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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SENATE ADOPTS TWO EMERGENCY PROPOSALS

The University Senate Wednesday night passed policies on consensual relationships and conflict of interest, then discussed the budget situation. By the end of the meeting, senators had passed two emergency proposals dealing with layoffs and reorganization.

After conducting its regular business, the meeting moved into a committee of the whole to allow for a wide-ranging discussion on Michigan Tech's current budget situation. Two emergency proposals emerged, one dealing with benefits for employees facing a lay-off and one concerning any reorganization plans.

The senate passed a proposal to provide certain benefits to laid-off employees.

"When the university declares a financial emergency, there are some benefits to faculty and staff that are laid-off," said Bob Keen, senate president. "In the current situation, however, a financial emergency has not been declared and these benefits are not in place."

The proposal calls for continuing health insurance for two months and participation in the TRIP (Tuition Reduction Incentive Program) for three years. It will be forwarded to the administration as a recommendation.

Senator Don Beck (physics) introduced an emergency proposal for a referendum on reorganization. The proposal states that no unit may be reorganized in any way without the assent of a majority of the individuals involved. The proposal also calls for a referendum of senate constituencies (faculty and professional staff) with the results forwarded to the administration.

Senators passed the proposal, with the referendum to be held as soon as possible.

As part of its regular business, the senate passed a policy on consensual relationships. The policy generally prohibits a faculty or staff member from participating in decisions related to employment or education of a person with whom they have a consensual relationship.

If a faculty or staff member becomes involved in such a consensual relationship, he or she must disclose the circumstances to the unit supervisor.

The senate also passed the conflict of interest procedures, which outline the types of activities that do and do not constitute conflicts. The procedures, listed as proposal 2-03, are listed on the senate's web site, www.sas.it.mtu.edu/usenate/propose/03/2-03.htm

Three new proposals were introduced and will be considered at the next meeting.

A teaching effectiveness proposal is a restatement of current policy, clarifying a number of modifications made over the last decade. The only change involves providing those who supervise general education courses, called core course coordinators, access to teaching evaluations for those courses.

A second new proposal, put forward by the computer science department, would create a new BS program in software engineering. The third proposal revises transfer credit evaluations for undergraduates.

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COMMITTEE, PROVOST WILL NOT FORWARD REORGANIZATION PLAN

Michigan Tech's budget reduction committee will not consider the proposed reorganization for academic areas at the university. Provost Kent Wray, who made the reorganization proposal, agrees with the decision.

Wray said it has become obvious that budget reductions and reorganization will need different timetables. He said that budget reductions must occur before the fiscal year begins on July 1 and that it be very difficult to reach consensus on a reorganization plan by then.

The Budget Reduction Advisory Committee voted unanimously to not consider the current reorganization plan. "Priority should be given to budget reduction planning," the motion said. "Any reorganization discussion must take place in a deliberate fashion."

Committee members made clear that this action does not preclude considering other reorganization plans, but that they are on a tight timetable to develop a budget reduction plan for 2003-04.

The committee was formed to give the university president a recommendation on both budget reductions and tuition increases for 2003-04. The proposed state budget includes a 10 percent cut in appropriations to the university. The committee will hold an open forum on April 16 and have a first draft report completed by May 1. After another time period for comments, the final report is due June 3.

For more information, see www.mtu.edu/budget

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VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF STUDENTS CANDIDATE TO VISIT

On Monday, April 14, and Tuesday, April 15, the first of three candidates for vice provost and dean of students, Sharon Lynn George, will be on campus for interviews. The itinerary for her visit can be found at http://www.mtu.edu/deanofstudents/

George will be giving a university-wide presentation followed by an open forum on Monday at 5:15 p.m. in Dow 641. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend any of the open meetings.

Her vita and letter of application are available for review in the Office of Human Resources.

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BUDGET REDUCTION OPEN FORUM APRIL 16

The Budget Reduction Advisory Committee (BRAC) will hold an open forum April 16, from 3-5 p.m., in Fisher Hall 135. The committee will make a brief statement about its deliberations thus far, then take public comment. If you have specific proposals or ideas, please get them to the committee ahead of time, either by e-mail (brac-l@mtu.edu) or through the comment form on the Web (www.mtu.edu/budget).

The BRAC is charged with making a recommendation to the president on budget reductions, in the wake of the state appropriations cut. The committee will make a draft report public on May 1, and take public comments through May 21. The final report is due to the president by June 3.

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LOCAL ROBOTICS TEAM QUALIFIES FOR THE NATIONALS

A team of high school students from the Copper Country Intermediate School District are going to Houston after finishing among the top 10 of the Great Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, held March 20-22 at Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti.

They will be traveling with their coaches and mentors, 13 engineering students from Michigan Technological University.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international competition that brings together experts and young people to solve an engineering design problem. In 2003 the competition will reach more than 20,000 students on over 800 teams in 24 competitions. The local team is one of a small minority that rely on college students, not professional engineers, to coach the high school participants.

The competition actually began six weeks before the regionals, when the local group received their instructions. Teams were to build robots to compete in a game named "Stack Attack."

As in doubles tennis, teams worked in pairs. The object of the game is to get as many boxes on your side of the court as possible. The robots grabbed boxes from a ramp in mid-court and then, for extra points, stacked them on their side.

The team approach allowed competitors to design a robot for a specific task, e.g., pushing boxes, stacking them, or knocking down an opponent's boxes. The CCISD-Michigan Tech team changed its approach after two rounds, replacing its stacker with an attachment that allowed it to guard a stack and also sweep boxes out of the opponents' scoring zone.

The team finished ninth in a field of 68 and will compete in the nationals April 10-12.

Team members are Nick Grast, Rodger Hongisto, Ben Kempke, Jordan Marlor, Jay Meldrum, Becky Miller, Alex Nitz, Emily Olson, Laura Olson, James Rivard, Sid Thangaraj, Bill Rosemurgy and Kyle Thornton, from Houghton High School; and John Pastore, from Jeffers High School.

Michigan Tech students advising the team are Kathleen Bendick, Mark Garver, Matt Gilson, Gared Halverson, Lucas Keller, Adam Krajewski, Anthony Lapp, Carrie Markesino, Jason Markesino, John Nielson, Joe Plowe, Tiffany Pesta and Zach Smith. The team advisors are engineering lecturer Doug Oppliger and Mary Raber, MTU's industrial projects coordinator.

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MICHIGAN TECH STUDENTS FINISH HIGH IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Members of the Michigan Tech chapter of Phi Beta Lambda placed highly in the organization's statewide Spring Leadership Conference, held April 5 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Future Business Leaders of America--Phi Beta Lambda is a national organization of students planning a career in business. MTU competed in the Wisconsin conference because Michigan does not have a state chapter.

Approximately 50 students participated, representing the University of Wisconsin campuses at Madison, Eau Claire, Whitewater and Stout, as well as Michigan Tech.

Business major David Beaudette, of Lake Linden, took first place in four events, Computer Applications, Information Management, Networking Concepts and Visual Basic.

Ryan Layton, of Whitewater, Mich., placed first in Human Resources Management and Management, second in Hospitality Management, and third in Impromptu Speaking.

Diana Slick, of Eau Claire, Wis., earned a first place in the International Business and Finance events and finished second in both Economics and Quantitative Methods.

Tim Bailey, of Chelsea, Mich., placed second in the International Business and Professional Accounting events. He was also elected vice president of the Wisconsin chapter of Phi Beta Lambda.

In addition, the MTU team's Web site, http://www.sos.mtu.edu/pbl, took first place at the conference.

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ORDER GOWNS FOR PRESIDENT'S CONVOCATION

Faculty should watch for a memo from Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Kent Wray inviting them to participate in the President's Convocation which will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. It will be preceded by a faculty march in academic garb from the Memorial Union to the Rozsa Center.

Those faculty who need to rent academic garb should contact Mike DeCaesari at the Campus Store with their order (mjdecaes@mtu.edu or 487-2410) by Friday, April 18. Gown orders cannot be placed next fall, except those for new faculty.

Feel free to contact the Special Events Office (487-2284) if you have any questions.

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MEMORIAL UNION EASTER WEEKEND HOURS

The Memorial Union Building will close Friday, April 18, at 10 p.m. and reopen at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 19. The building will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday and reopen at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 20.

The Manager's Office and Tech Express will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 18. They will be closed Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

The Food Mall will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 18. They will be closed Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

The Corner Store will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 18. They will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

The Campus Store will close at 5 p.m., Friday, April 18, and remain closed Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20.

The Bowling Alley and Billiards Room will be closed Friday-Sunday, April 18-20.

Twenty-four-hour operation will resume on Sunday, April 20, at 5 p.m.

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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS:
FACULTY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

The Faculty Distinguished Service Award Committee is now seeking nominations for the 2003 award. The deadline for nominations is April 25.

The award is open to all full-time faculty, including lecturers and research faculty. Those who hold restricted appointments (e.g. adjunct, visiting, temporary or part-time faculty) are not eligible. Faculty who hold positions with a significant administrative component (e.g. deans, associate deans, department chairs etc.) are also not eligible. The award will be presented at President's Convocation in the fall.

The Faculty Distinguished Service Award recognizes service to the University community that has significantly improved the quality of some aspect of campus life. The work could have resulted, in part, from compensated efforts, but it must have been of a quality that distinguishes itself above and beyond the normal execution of those tasks. The award is intended to recognize exceptional service in one area rather than integrated service. It is not a lifetime achievement award.

Nominations will be accepted from any member of the University community including staff, students and alumni and should be received by the committee by April 25. To make a nomination, fill out the nomination form (available at http://www.fa.mtu.edu/2003fdsa_form.pdf) and submit it together with any applicable supporting material to Kathleen E. Halvorsen, Faculty Distinguished Service Award Committee, Department of Social Sciences. Include a description of the specific work for which the candidate is being nominated; an explanation of why the work merits the award, including a description of how the University has changed as a result of this work; a model inscription to be placed on the award; and any appropriate supporting materials.

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MICHIGAN TECH BUILDINGS: FINANCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY GREEN?

The third in a series of five on sustainability efforts at Michigan Tech
submitted by Angela Arpke on behalf of the Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC)

Michigan Tech will soon see two significant renovation and construction projects on campus. Wadsworth Hall, the largest dorm, will be modernized, with fire sprinklers and laundry facilities on each floor, as well as several other building updates. The J. Robert Van Pelt library and Fisher Hall will be expanded into the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology. Planning is also underway for an expansion of the Memorial Union.

As with all building projects, minimizing cost without sacrificing quality or the intended use of the building is important. However, these are not the only important factors. Today, campuses across the United States are integrating sustainability into building projects. A prime example is the Dana building at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. (See http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/0102/Nov19_01/10.htm).

Although the definition of an environmentally sustainable building may spark some discussion, the United States Green Building Council has established a rating system that categorizes levels of building sustainability. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a 69-point rating system comprised of five categories--sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental air quality. In order for a building to receive a LEED rating, a certain number of points must be earned. The ratings, in order of increasing sustainability, are certified, silver, gold and platinum. The USGBC has concluded that sustainable design is also cost effective in many cases.

What does LEED have to do with Michigan Tech? The Center for Integrated Learning design is expected to meet the silver rating. Some of the green design considerations include high efficiency lighting with daylight sensors, substantial use of natural cooling and ventilation and the use of some recycled building materials with post-consumer content. Other features include water-efficient landscaping, carbon dioxide monitoring and substantial reuse of existing building construction. The result will be a remodeled and expanded facility that better matches Michigan Tech facility standards for efficient operation. These standards have produced the lowest campus building operation costs of all the publicly supported universities in Michigan. (In a climate that has twice the number of heating degree days as Detroit, this is not easy.)

Not convinced? Do you want to know more about green buildings and green design practices? Check out the following and participate in the following Earth Week

Events:

• Habitat for Humanity Zero Energy Homes video and presentation by Dave Bach and Merle Kindred, Tuesday, April 22, at noon and 1 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom B
• Natural Building Materials Presentation by Yana Weglarz, Monday, April 21, 6-7 p.m., in conjunction with the Earth Week Fair, 5-8 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A
• Local Energy Efficient Homes Tours, Saturday, April 26, 1-5 p.m. Look for more information as Earth Day approaches.
• Visit the United States Green Building Council's website at http://www.usgbc.org
• Join the Green Buildings sub-committee of the ESC. Send an e-mail to mtugreen-l@mtu.edu

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TEACHING AT TECH: TIME FOR A NEW TEACHING PARADIGM?
(Part One)

by William Kennedy, Director
Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development

Professor John Tagg initiates his call for an educational paradigm shift by asking a most basic question, "What are colleges for?"* He then presents evidence of a growing disconnection between the sort of education we provide and the sort of education that contemporary students need.

In 1984, the Study Group on the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education suggested that institutions with undergraduate programs look at demonstrably attained learning outcomes rather than attempting to defend current practices by repeatedly pointing to institutional inputs as "proxies for educational excellence." This gave rise to the beloved assessment movement and shifted the attention of accreditors from examining the adequacy of drivers to reviewing educational outcomes. At least, that was the theory.

In 1985, a select committee of the American Association of Colleges and Universities concluded that there was a profound "loss of integrity in the bachelor's degree" and that "evidence of decline and devaluation was everywhere." Institutions responded to this and similar reports by redesigning degree programs.

In 1991, Professors Pascarella (U of Illinois) and Terenzini (Penn State) compiled an enormous body of research which examined the various ways four years of college actually impact students. They concluded that "there is little consistent evidence to indicate that college selectivity, prestige or educational resources have any important net impact on students in such areas as learning, cognitive and intellectual development, other psychosocial changes, the development of principled moral reasoning or shift in other attitudes and values." In response to this and other associated reports, many leading institutions reexamined and redesigned their general education programs.

In 1993, Sandy Astin, director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, concluded that America's undergraduate educational programs appeared to be more concerned with balancing their books than improving their educational offerings. Also in 1993, the Wingspread Group on Higher Education concluded that "a disturbing mismatch exists between what American society needs of higher education and what it is receiving. Nowhere is the mismatch more dangerous than in the quality of undergraduate preparation provided on many campuses." The academy responded to these challenges with a host of reform activities including continuing reexaminations of assessment, pedagogy, course design, advisement and the very structure of undergraduate programs.

Tagg asserts that the 1990s could thus rightfully be dubbed the Decade of Innovation in higher education. However, a 1999 study of many such contemporary reform efforts conducted by the Center for the Study of Innovations in Higher Education concluded that "many educational innovations were relatively short-lived because they were unable to compete for scarce resources with vested practices or were unseated by the forces of conventional wisdom." Ted Marchese, executive editor of AAHE's Change magazine observed, for example, that the much ballyhooed assessment movement "produced widely observed rituals of compliance on campus, but these have had only minor impacts on the aims of the practice--to improve student learning and public understanding of our contributions to it."

We'll continue our review of Tagg's argument next week.

*John Tagg, The Learning Paradigm College, Anker Publishing, Boston, 2003

MICHIGAN TECH ROTC TO HOST DRILL COMPETITION

Michigan Tech's Army and Air Force ROTC programs will host a drill competition for three high school teams Saturday, April 12.

Junior ROTC units from Ironwood, Calumet and Hancock will compete in the Husky Challenge, set for 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Student Development Complex.

"Everyone is welcome to watch and support the future leaders of America's armed services," organizer Chad St. Arnauld said. St. Arnauld is a student in Michigan Tech's Air Force ROTC program.

The Challenge includes color-guard and drill competitions and an exhibition event. More than 200 cadets and their family members are expected to attend.

The Husky Challenge is made possible by the support of Favorite Silk Screening and Embroidery in Houghton; Miller's Jewelry, Coca-Cola, Vollwerth's, American Legion Post 186 and Jim's Pizza in Hancock; and University Images.

For more information, contact St. Arnauld at castarna@mtu.edu or 483-6230.

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TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY AT THE ROZSA CENTER

submitted by University Cultural Enrichment

The colors of their traditional Irish costumes flash brilliantly as the precise lines of dancers fill the stage, stitching intricate and crackling footwork patterns. The Trinity Irish Dance Company, the company that started the current craze for Irish dancing, performs accompanied by live music at the Rozsa Center at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, as the main event for the Memorial Union Board's Tech Arts Festival. The dancers will also meet the audience in the lobby for an informal reception following the performance. 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

The program is varied, but the joy and exhilaration of flashing feet is always present. Some numbers are performed in hard-toed jig shoes, others in soft, fancily laced ones. In some, the torsos are straight and rigid, arms remaining firmly at the dancers' sides and no dancer touching another. Other numbers break out of the mold--hands are clasped and movements are more fluid, with costumes to match. Company principal dancer Darren Smith, 1997 world champion step dancer, delivers his impeccable rapid-fire rhythms gravely, saving his grins for the finish. Dancing since the age of three, he follows in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother, who danced in County Derry, Ireland.

Irish/English Mark Howard founded the company so that competition champions could continue to dance and make the crucial transition from the traditional skilled craft to art, drama and stagecraft. Although stretching the form and sometimes fusing it with other styles, the company is clearly rooted in tradition. Howard has changed the scope and direction of Irish dance, creating the progressive Irish dance style on which the commercial productions Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and others are based. Dance critics throughout America agree that Trinity, flourishing long before Riverdance came along, was the true birthplace of progressive Irish dance, opening up the artistic pathways for others. Chicago dance critic Sid Smith writes, "While other shows aimed for commercial success, Trinity's model all along has been that of a smaller, artier, serious dance troupe. They want Irish dance not just to entertain, but to matter." Based in Chicago, Trinity is now the largest dance program in the world, and has won an unprecedented 18 world titles for the U.S. at the annual World Irish Dance Championships in Ireland. They have toured all over the U.S. and abroad.

The visit of Trinity Irish Dance Company is sponsored by the MTU Memorial Union Board through funding from the MTU student activity fee. Additional funding has come from the James and Margaret Black Endowment and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

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LECTURE TO EXAMINE ETHNICITY AT CALUMET & HECLA

submitted by Erik Nordberg

The changing ethnic makeup of the work force at the Calumet & Hecla copper mining company will be the topic of a public presentation at the MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15.

Stephen LeDuc will report on his research into immigrant groups that settled in the Calumet and Laurium area between 1870 and 1920. LeDuc recently completed an MS degree in geography at Penn State University, and his thesis was entitled "Managing People and Place in a Mining Community: The Rise and Decline of Industrial Paternalism in Calumet, Michigan." He plans to begin a doctoral program this fall.

LeDuc has carried out extensive analysis of federal census records from Michigan's historic copper mining district, including a specific review of population statistics for the Calumet Township area. His research has confirmed that the work force became increasingly multiethnic over time, but also provides richer detail for the positions held by different ethnic immigrants. In 1910, for instance, Cornish workers comprised the largest number of skilled miners underground, yet were not in the majority as shift bosses. And although Finns initially arrived to unskilled positions of trammer or laborer, the 1900 census indicates that more of this ethnic group were actually employed as miners in the Calumet area.

LeDuc's presentation comes in the middle of a three-week research visit to the Copper Country, sponsored through a travel grant from the Friends of the Van Pelt Library. He plans to use the resources of the Michigan Tech Archives to examine the reasons for changes in the ethnic makeup of the work force. Corporate records preserved at the archives from the Calumet & Hecla, Quincy and Copper Range mining companies include employment records, ethnic data and detailed correspondence reflecting the attitudes of company executives to issues of ethnicity.

This presentation is part of Michigan Tech's Archival Speakers Series, which is designed to highlight current research utilizing the Archives' collections. The MTU Archives, hosts a wide variety of researchers and research topics--everything from genealogical investigations to book and magazine publications--engaging students, staff and faculty, as well as local citizens and other off-campus researchers. The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Van Pelt Library.

For further information contact the MTU Archives at 487-2505 or via e-mail at copper@mtu.edu.

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SME AUCTION, CONFERENCE APRIL 16

The public is invited to participate in a silent auction of mining and geological artifacts on Wednesday, April 16, at the Memorial Union.

The auction is part of the UP Section of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration's (SME) annual conference. Secret bids can be placed throughout the day on donated mining, mineral and surveying memorabilia. Winners will be announced at SME's evening banquet; you need not be present to win.

The proceeds help to support the MINE (Mineral Industry Education) scholarship program. SME is accepting donations of items to auction.

In addition, the conference includes presentations on geology, mining and mineral processing.

If you have questions or items to contribute to the auction, contact Allan Johnson at 482-9097 or alj@chartermi.net.

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NATIVE AMERICAN LECTURER AT MICHIGAN TECH APRIL 16

Michigan Tech will host Native American lecturer, storyteller and poet Bobby Gonzalez on Wednesday, April 16, at noon in the Memorial Union Red Metal Room. Gonzalez will present a slide show that looks at the interaction between the indigenous peoples from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The event is free and open to the public.

Some of the topics to be covered are the "Black Seminoles," the theory that Africans arrived in America centuries before Columbus, Hispanicized natives and discrimination against native peoples of Latin American or African American origin.

Gonzalez is based in New York City and has given presentations at many institutions including Carnegie Hall, the National Museum of the American Indian and the University of Houston. He is the author of a book of poetry titled "Song of the American Holocaust," and is the master of ceremonies of the annual Native Harvest Festival held in Riverdale, N.Y.

The event is supported by Outreach and MultiEthnic Programs, a division of the Educational Opportunity Department, and Dow Chemical.

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GLASSBLOWING DEMONSTRATION APRIL 17

submitted by Fine Arts

The fine arts department will host a demonstration of glassblowing by Michigan Tech senior Aaron Meyette on Thursday, April 17, noon-3 p.m. in McArdle Theatre. The event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in seeing how art glass is created by the lampworking technique is welcome to attend any part of the event on a drop-in basis.

Lampworking is an ancient technique which is used to create intricately wrought beads, pendants, jars, candle holders, vases and goblets. A variety of finished work will be on display (and for sale) throughout the demonstration.

Meyette will graduate in May with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He became interested in creating glass objects with the lampworking technique after seeing it demonstrated two years ago. After saving enough money to buy his first torch, Meyette gradually learned the skills involved in creating a variety of beautiful, multi-layered glass objects. The technique utilizes solid glass, both clear and colored, plus colorful inclusions and surface decorations to create sparkling, light-diffracting effects.

More information on the demonstration is available from the fine arts department, 487-2067.

MUSHROOMS OF MEXICO" TALK AT MICHIGAN TECH

Miguel Armando Lopez Ramirez, professor of mycology at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico, will give a talk, "The Mushrooms of Mexico," on Thursday, April 10, at noon in Room G002 of the U. J. Noblet Building. The public is welcome to attend.

Armando's current research is in the taxonomy and classification of mushrooms in eastern Mexico. He has also worked on the application of fundamental mycological research to the current problems in Mexico. He has promoted mushroom cultivation to improve health and income in poor rural communities and has worked in the conservation of mushrooms and their habitat in the mountains of Mexico.

Armando also teaches the Applied Mycology course in the MTU/Universidad Veracruzana semester study abroad program. Information on the study abroad program can be obtained at http://forest.mtu.edu/xalapa or by contacting Beth Taylor (bjtaylor@mtu.edu) in the MTU Center for International Education or Blair Orr (bdorr@mtu.edu) in the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.

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WEIGHT WATCHERS WEEKLY MEETING APRIL 10

Weight Watchers will hold their regular weekly meeting on Thursday, April 10, noon-1 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom B3.

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MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY

Associate Professor Miguel Levy (Physics) will present a seminar, "Flexural Actuation in Freestanding Single-Crystal Relaxor Ferroelectric Films," on Thursday, April 10, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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GMES SEMINAR APRIL 15

Arthur B. Weglein, Cullen distinguished professor of applied seismology at the University of Houston will present a seminar, "A Perspective on the Evolution of Processing Seismic Primaries and Multiples for a Complex Multidimensional Earth," on Tuesday, April 15, at 4 p.m. in Dow 642. Refreshments will be served.

The seminar is part of the GMES 2002-03 Seminar Series.

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GSC GRADUATE STUDENT GRANT WORKSHOP APRIL 17

Graduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to attend the GSC Graduate Student Grant Workshop on April 17 from 3-5 p.m. in ROTC 101.

This is a hands-on workshop designed to help graduate students identify and successfully submit proposals for fellowships, individual grants and other types of external funding.

Speakers include Instructor Valorie Troesch (Social Sciences), Department Chair Bruce Seely (Social Sciences), graduate student Rebecca Petteys and Assistant Dean Marilyn Urion from the Graduate School. Refreshments will be served.

FACULTY AND STAFF RECEIVE FUNDING

Assistant Professor Linda Nagel (SFRES) has received $40,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service for her project, "Integrating Fire Breaks into an Ecological Framework for Forested Ecosystem Management at Seney National Wildlife Refuge."

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MTU NOTABLES

Graduate student Michael L. Larsen, who is working on his PhD in Physics, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2003-04 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. This three-year fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Defense through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office, and is administered by the American Society for Engineering Education.

Larsen works with his advisor, Professor Alex Kostinski (Physics), to study a wide range of phenomena related to the stochastic nature of the atmosphere.

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IN PRINT

An article written by Theresa Coleman-Kaiser, assistant director of the Memorial Union, was published in the March issue of "The Bulletin," a bimonthly magazine of the Association of College Unions International, Vol. 72, No. 2. The article was part of a Point/Counterpoint feature on outsourcing vs. self-operating. Coleman-Kaiser's article took the Counterpoint View--self-operating auxiliary services is a better option than outsourcing them to a corporate contractor for many college unions.

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ON THE ROAD

Assistant Professor Adrian Sandu (Computer Science) presented a lecture at three separate conferences, the SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering held Feb. 10-13, in San Diego, the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing in Melbourne, Fla., March 9-12 and the SIAM Conference on Mathematical and Computational Issues in the Geosciences, March 17-20, in Austin, Texas.

Associate Professors Steven Carr and Ching-Kuang Shene (Computer Science) presented a tutorial at the Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education in Reno, held Feb. 19-23. Associate Professor David Poplawski also attended the symposium in support.

The tutorial presented the curriculum materials developed for multi-threaded programming.

Assistant Professor Charles Wallace (Computer Science) presented two papers, "A Unified Formal Specification and Analysis of the New Java Memory Models," with graduate student Varsha Awhad, and "Teaching with ASMs: Opportunities in Undergraduate Education," with Assistant Professor Jean Mayo (Computer Science) and James Huggins in Taomina, Italy, for the Abstract State Machines--Advances in Theory and Applications 10th International Workshop.

Assistant Professor Brent J. Lekvin (SBE) presented a paper, "Some Evidence Concerning the Economic Value of Software Portability: A Real Options Approach," at the Midwest Finance Association annual meeting in St. Louis, March 26-29.

The paper was co-authored with Dean Johnson (SBE) and James Northey (LaSalle Technology Management Group, Inc.).

Associate Professor Mary Durfee (Social Sciences) was an invited speaker to the First International Forum on the Social Management of Water Basins held in Hermosillo, Mexico, April 3-5. Her speech was on "The Management of Binational Waters between the United States and Canada."

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CALENDAR: APRIL

10 Thursday
Noon—Talk, "The Mushrooms of Mexico"—Room G002, U. J. Noblet Building

Noon-1 p.m.—Weight Watchers meeting—Memorial Union Ballroom B3

3-4 p.m.—Seminar, "Flexural Actuation in Freestanding Single-Crystal Relaxor Ferroelectric Films"—MEEM 112

12 Saturday
10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.—ROTC Drill Competition—SDC Multipurpose Room

7:30 p.m.—All-Beethoven chamber Concert Series—McArdle Theatre

8 p.m.—Trinity Irish Dance Company—Rozsa Center

15 Tuesday
4 p.m.—Seminar, "A Perspective on the Evolution of Processing Seismic Primaries and Multiples for a Complete Multidimensional Earth"—Dow 642

4 p.m.—Lecture, "Examining Ethnicity at Calumet & Hecla"—MTU Archives, J. R. Van Pelt Library

17 Thursday
Noon-3 p.m.—glassblowing demonstration—McArdle Theatre

__________

NO NEW POSITIONS THIS WEEK

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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