WHAT
ARE THE CHANCES?
PINELIS USES PROBABILITY TO SOLVE EVOLUTIONARY MYSTERY
The origin of species may be
almost as random as a throw of the dice.
For the last two years, Iosif
Pinelis, a professor of mathematical sciences at Michigan Technological
University, has been working on a mathematical solution to a challenging
biological puzzle first posed in the journal "Statistical Science"*:
Why is the typical evolutionary tree so lopsided?
In other words, why do some
descendants of a parent species evolve hundreds of different species,
while others produce so few they seem to be practicing family planning?
To a certain extent, the answer
lies in simple probability, Pinelis explains. Say you have two species
of fish swimming in a pond, the carp and the perch, and it might be equally
likely that one of them will evolve a third species. Say the goldfish
evolves from the common carp, and suddenly you have three fish species
in your pond.
Assume again that it is equally
likely for the carp, the goldfish, and the perch to split into two distinct
species. The chances that the carp branch will develop a new species are
now double that of the perch branch, because the carp family now has two
members.
And so it may go, until the
pond is overrun with carp and their descendant species.
"If one branch has more
species, the chances are greater that it will speciate," Pinelis
explains. "The rich get richer; money goes to money."
In real life, evolutionary
trees are even more unbalanced than simple probability would predict.
To explain this, Pinelis supposed that there must exist a significant
number of species that change very slowly over time. His supposition is
borne out in reality: Biologists have long puzzled over such species,
which are sometimes called "living fossils."
A typical example of the living-fossil
phenomenon is the coelacanth, a species of fish first identified by scientists
after being caught in deep water off the coast of Africa in 1938. Scientists
had believed it had gone extinct 80 million years earlier, but the discovery
showed the unusual fish instead had survived unchanged for over 340 million
years.
In the fish evolutionary tree,
the coelacanth branch is pretty straight. Other branches have thousands
of limbs and twigs.
"In the beginning, I just
speculated that such species existed, and that they are what cause many
evolutionary trees to be so unbalanced," he said. "I'd practically
finished the model when I discovered about 150 papers by biologists for
whom the existence of such living fossils was a given; they were only
trying to explain this phenomenon.
"That was a pleasant surprise."
Pinelis had originally intended
to publish his findings in a mathematics journal, but then decided to
submit it to the scrutiny of specialists in another field, biology. His
model is described in an article recently published in the Proceedings
of the Royal Society, Series B.**
So far, the reaction has been
mixed. Some biologists are skeptical; others have expressed "great
interest." However, Pinelis says, his model holds up under rigorous
analysis and may have practical applications, such as better understanding
and control of the evolution of various microorganisms, including viruses
and bacteria, which have especially high rates of change.
* Aldous, David J., Stochastic
models and descriptive statistics for phylogenetic trees, from Yule to
today. (English. English summary) Statistical Science Vol. 16 (2001),
no. 1, 23-34.
** Pinelis, Iosif, Evolutionary
models of phylogenetic trees. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London,
Ser. B, Vol. 270, 1425-1431
____________
WADS
BONDING ON BOARD OF CONTROL AGENDA
The Board of Control is scheduled
to act Oct. 7 on a proposed bond issue to fund $31.3 million in renovations
to Wadsworth Hall.
The $35.2-million bond, which
also covers bond insurance and other expenses, would fund improvements
to the electrical and fire-protection systems in the 1,160-bed residence
hall. The renovation also includes extensive modernization of the hall's
living facilities.
If the board approves the bond
issue, the renovation would begin in May 2004 and take two years to complete.
Wadsworth Hall was originally constructed in 1955, with additions in 1961
and 1966. The renovations will be completed in several phases so that
no more than 200 beds will be taken out of use at any given time.
The meeting begins 9
a.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Board of Control meetings are open
to the public, and all members of the MTU community are welcome.
____________
DAIMLERCHRYSLER
GIVES MTU OVER $100,000
A DaimlerChrysler representative
and MTU alumna stopped by President Curt Tompkins' office Sept. 29 on
her way to Career Day to present $103,000 to the university.
Jennifer Nelson, a senior engineer
in DaimlerChrysler's truck vehicle packaging division, presented the check
on behalf of the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund. The gift supports the
PRISM Enterprise, the College of Engineering, the German Program Grant,
the Society of Women Engineers and a number of Educational Opportunity
programs.
Nelson got her start in engineering
in the Women in Engineering Program, while she was still in high school.
"It sold me on Michigan Tech and mechanical engineering," she
said. "After I graduated from high school, I came straight here."
She earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1996.
She said she was pleased to
come to her alma mater bearing gifts, particularly since the WIE program,
which had meant so much to her, receives DaimlerChrysler support. "I'm
happy to be the messenger," she said.
DaimlerChrysler benefits from
its generosity to MTU by the skills Tech alumni bring to the company.
"There are lots of Michigan Tech alumni at DaimlerChrysler,"
Nelson says, and they stand out from graduates of other universities in
terms of their technical skills and their teamwork abilities.
Because of this, Michigan Tech
is among the 12 schools from which DaimlerChrysler is recruiting students
in a tough job market, said Nelson, who is captain of her company's recruiting
team. In rosier times, the company visited 40 universities.
Tompkins said he was grateful
for DaimlerChrysler's continuing support of Michigan Tech and hoped it
will grow. "I am pleased that DaimlerChrysler has designated Michigan
Tech as one of its top 12 university partners, and look forward to strengthening
the relationship," he said.
____________
FACULTY
EXPERTISE TO BENEFIT MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSES: MICHIGAN TECH, WESTERN U.P.
CENTER COLLABORATE ON DEQ GRANT
Michigan Tech faculty will
take their skills to middle school classrooms as part of a program to
develop science-based environmental curriculum materials.
The university plays a key
role in a $188,302 grant awarded to the Western U.P. Center for Science,
Mathematics and Environmental Education. The center is a partnership of
Michigan Tech and both the Copper Country and Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate
School Districts.
With the award, funded by the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Western U.P. Center
will develop three curriculum units: energy and resources, ecosystems
and water quality. The grant includes funds for developing and piloting
the units in classrooms statewide, and developing interactive web-based
activities.
The Western U.P. Center staff
will draw on Michigan Tech faculty scientific and research expertise to
write the environmental units. Center staff regularly conduct professional
development programs for K-12 teachers and design after-school science
classes and ecology field trips for K-12 students.
"We are very pleased with
the Western U.P. Center's proposal to establish a collaborative approach
to the curriculum development process--bringing Michigan Technological
University faculty together with a team of Michigan's teachers to develop
the curriculum," said Thomas Occhipinti, environmental education
coordinator at the DEQ.
The DEQ is also funding development
of one middle school curriculum unit by Western Michigan University and
one by Grand Valley State University. Central Michigan University will
coordinate dissemination of all five units to more than 3,000 teachers
statewide.
____________
UNDERGRADUATES
TO EXPLORE NANOTECHNOLOGY
by Megan Gilge, Tech Topics
editorial assistant
A $100,000 grant from the National
Science Foundation is helping Michigan Tech undergraduates explore nanotechnology.
Researchers from 11 departments
are working together on Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education to provide
classes, seminars and research experience.
The grant will fund a new one-credit
special topics course, "Fundamentals of Nanoscience and Engineering,"
which will be offered next spring. The class, geared toward first- and
second-year students, will hear presentations by faculty who are researching
nanotechnology. An additional five lectures will be given by researchers
from outside the university and will cover topics as diverse as biotechnology,
ethics and medicine. The grant will also support several full-time undergraduate
research positions next summer.
Nanotechnology modules will
be added to the existing fundamentals of engineering curriculum to make
sure that all students are exposed to the the basics of nanoscale work.
The Michigan Tech Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education web page, at
http://www.phy.mtu.edu/nue/index.htm
, provides information on the modules, courses and lectures. The site's
public gallery features a new animation that compares orders of magnitude
to illustrate how small nanoscale work actually is.
In addition to the scientific
perspective, Bruce Seely, chair of the Department of Social Sciences,
emphasized the importance of considering social consequences of technology
as it is developed instead of dealing with its effects afterwards. For
example, genetically engineered foods have become very controversial in
Europe. Though there are many benefits to the technology, public protest
is making it very difficult to put it into use.
"Visionaries, researchers
and agencies that fund research think that nanotechnology will be the
next revolution in society, similar to the information revolution we're
in now," said Associate Professor John Jaszczak (Physics), a principal
investigator on the NSF grant. "I think it's pretty exciting we're
getting students exposed early."
____________
DOW FOUNDATION
AWARDS $50,000 TO CLASS ACTS PROGRAM
submitted by University Cultural
Enrichment
The trustees of the Herbert
H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation recently announced that they have awarded
$50,000 to the 2004-05 Class Acts Series at the Rozsa Center. The series
is an annual outreach program, coordinated by the Great Events Office
at the Rozsa, and serves area K-12 schools featuring special daytime performing
arts events at the Rozsa.
The 2000-01 season saw the
beginning of the Class Acts program, which was initially funded by the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Since that first year, when the
series included 11 events at the Rozsa as well as several in-school visits,
an average of six programs have been offered each year, funded by the
Friends of the Rozsa, the Copper Country Intermediate School District,
the Heartland Arts Fund and the Michigan Council for the Arts.
Students have been treated
to performances given by nationally and internationally known artists
who are performing in the Great Events Series, as well as to theater pieces
designed specifically for young audiences. The Guthrie Theater Company,
the Nigerian band Lagbaja, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Saint Paul
Chamber Orchestra and many more have performed concerts for school audiences.
The current season includes Laura Ingalls Wilder: Growing Up on the Prairie,
All that Jazz, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, the Paul Taylor Dance
Company, and Young Artists Perform.
"The award comes at a
time when state and regional funding for the arts has been cut by 50 percent,"
says Valerie Pegg, director of the Great Events Series at the Rozsa. "We
can now look forward to continuing the program and enhancing the quality
and number of events offered."
"It couldn't have come
at a better time," said Wanda Frimodig, coordinator of the program.
For further information about
the Class Acts program, call the Great Events Series office at 487-2844.
____________
POSTAL
PROBLEMS? MAIL SERVICES CAN HELP
If you've ever endured paper
cuts or staple pokes stuffing envelopes for a big mailing (or spent way
too much on postage), then Mail Services has a deal for you.
Using PostalSoft software,
Mail Services can address and sort your large mailings, eliminating the
need for hand labeling. The office can also stuff your envelopes, eliminating
the need for band-aids.
"No one should still be
spending time on hand labeling and stuffing," says Emily Betterly,
manager of mail services.
PostalSoft can sort your mailing
to U.S. Postal Service specifications, so your department can realize
massive savings in postage and, in many cases, delivery time. On standard
mailings, you can easily cut your bill in half. The usual first-class
delivery charge of 37 cents can go down to 16.5 cents or less. You'll
save $205 or more on a 1,000-piece mailing.
Even if you want first-class
delivery, Mail Services can help you cut expenses. The cost to mail a
presorted, first-class piece of mail is usually about 31 cents or less,
a savings of 16 percent or more. Plus, Mail Services does all the work.
On a 15,000-piece mailing, that's a savings of $900.
If you are planning a large
mailing, the staff in Publications and Design Services can design envelopes
and self-mailers that meet all the U.S. Postal Service requirements for
saving on your postage bill. Mail Services works with them to assure that
your piece is perfect for mailing.
Nancy Rehling, director of
admissions, is a satisfied customer. "They are great," she said.
Until recently, Admissions
shipped their mailings off campus for processing. Then, they began working
with Design and Publication Services and Mail Services, which are both
in University Relations, to redesign their pieces and make them more automation-friendly.
"We saved money and shortened
the delivery time," she said. Plus, prospective students responded
to the mailings in higher numbers.
"University Relations
was very accommodating," Rehling said. "They helped us plan
our piece so the mailing could be completely automated."
So far, Admissions has sent
out three mailings totalling 50,000 pieces with the help of University
Relations.
Her advice? "You need
to start working with University Relations right in the beginning, to
allow them to advise and work with you." Mailing specifications can
change at any time, and if you develop a piece yourself that doesn't lend
itself to automatic processing, it's like shooting yourself in the wallet.
For more information, call
Mail Services at 487-2348 or Design and Publication Services, 487-2360.
____________
UNITED
WAY CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF SEPT. 30
This year's MTU United Way
campaign officially started at breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 30. All departmental
solicitors were invited to hear President Curt Tompkins talk about his
years of experience with the United Way, and to hear Copper Country United
Way Chairperson (and MTU basketball coach) Kevin Luke inspire everyone
with a style all his own.
System Administrator and Theatre
Shop Foreman Ted Soldan (Fine Arts) and Nancy Seely, assistant director
of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development, are co-chairing
this year's campaign. This year the allocation form has changed slightly
to reflect new options that have been implemented. Soldan welcomed the
reform. "I am pleased that we can now designate one agency to receive
our full donation or choose one agency that we want none of our money
to go to," he said. Soldan also said that this year, all checks must
be made out to the CC United Way. "Unfortunately, we'll have to return
checks made out to individual agencies."
This year's campaign goal is
$40,000, which MTU can reach if participation rates go up.
"We are just below 30
percent participation at MTU, and I know we can do better," Soldan
said. "Choosing to Care" is this year's campaign slogan.
____________
IEEE
XPLORE AVAILABLE FROM THE LIBRARY
This fall semester, Michigan
Tech students, faculty and staff can access one of the world's premier
research tools--the IEEE/IEE Electronic Library (IEL), also known as IEEE
Xplore. It contains over 800,000 documents published from 1988 onward
in the official IEEE and IEE societies' publications, proceedings, newsletters,
etc. In addition, IEEE added select historic content to Xplore‚
including journal articles and conference proceedings from as far back
as 1950. Thirteen IEEE societies provided historic content, adding over
85,000 documents to the database.
You can access IEEE Xplore‚
or any one of its individual journals, by visiting the J. R. Van Pelt
Library's E-Resources (see http://www.lib.mtu.edu/eresources/eressearch/eressearch.aspx
). If you are unfamiliar with IEEE Xplore‚ and you want to learn
more, check out the online tutorial at http://www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/Xplore2000v3_files/frame.htm
.
The library will soon offer
some introductory workshops. Watch for upcoming announcements.
____________
HONORS
HOUR ANNOUNCED FOR TUESDAY, OCT. 14
Mary Durfee, special assistant
to the provost, will be hosting an informational meeting on the various
"major" national and international scholarships for undergraduates
and graduate students on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. in the MUB Alumni
Lounge. The target audience will be students. Faculty who are interested
learning more about these opportunities, so that they can better mentor
students for these highly prestigious awards, are warmly invited to attend.
____________
MTU PRESCHOOL
HOLDS RUMMAGE SALE SATURDAY
MTU Preschool will hold its
annual rummage sale on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the
Daniell Heights Community Center. From noon to 1 p.m., all items will
be half price. From 1 to 2 p.m., fill a grocery bag for $1. Donations
are welcome and will be accepted Friday, Oct. 3, 3:30-7 p.m. at the preschool.
All proceeds will benefit MTU Preschool's programs for kids. For more
information, call 487-2720.
____________
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISAL FORMS FOR NONREPRESENTED STAFF DUE OCT. 31
Performance appraisals for
non-represented staff should be completed by Friday, Oct. 31. Please forward
all completed and signed forms to Becky Christianson in Human Resources.
Instructions for the form are
located at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/mtuperfinstr.pdf
. The form is at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/mtuperf071803.doc
. It is in Microsoft Word format so it can be completed and saved.
If you have any questions,
contact Becky Christianson at rwchrist@mtu.edu
or 370-4976.
____________
TEACHING
AT TECH: INNOVATIONS IN PREPARING TOMORROW'S SME TEACHERS
by William Kennedy, director,
Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development
Our culture's present penchant
for science and math literacy in our K-12 educational systems has created
a critical need for highly qualified primary and secondary teachers in
these areas. To meet this need, the University of Texas at Austin has
developed an innovative teacher training program in the natural sciences.
The program, like the education programs we offer at Michigan Tech, results
in students completing a BS degree in their major subject area as well
as receiving a teaching certificate.
What makes the UT program different
is its approach to teacher preparation. It involves students in hands-on
teaching as early as their first semester. The program extensively utilizes
the mentoring services of retired master science teachers from the Austin
area. As students proceed through the program, they compile a teaching
portfolio which allows them to represent themselves more successfully
to potential employers.
Program director Mike Marder
says that students entering the program tend to have an insufficient grasp
of fundamental scientific principles. Marder and his associates encourage
the students to design their own scientific experiments, give presentations
on fundamental concepts, prepare lessons and then practice teaching these
ideas in local schools. These practices make use of the principle that
preparing for teaching and actually presenting ideas to students are very
powerful learning tools.
The UT program has been very
successful in attracting a wide variety of very able students and retaining
them through graduation. Twice as many UTeach students stay with their
science major through graduation than traditional science majors. The
program also attracts and retains a significantly higher percentage of
women and minority students than UT's traditional science programs.*
Many other schools are also
working to provide undergraduate students with a more robust preparation
for K-12 teaching. The University of Washington in Seattle requires
students who want a certificate to teach physics to successfully complete
"Physics by Inquiry." Students in this course build their understanding
of physics by making their own observations, developing basic physical
concepts, using and interpreting different forms of scientific representations
and "constructing explanatory models with predictive capability."**
Program director Professor Lillian McDermott says the students go through
a relearning process that prepares them for the pitfalls they are likely
to face in the K-12 classroom.
Education Secretary Rod Paige
recently praised the UTeach program for its innovative approach to teacher
education. He noted that "the College of Education completely restructured
their courses from scratch . . . Now they are all closely tied and linked
to the courses in the College of Natural Sciences. The sequence of courses
now includes early experiences in the classroom, three methods courses,
a course on scientific research, a course on the history and philosophy
of mathematics and science and a semester of student teaching."
* Powell, Kendall, "Those
Who Teach Learn," Nature, Vol. 425, September 18, 2003, p. 236.
** http://www.phys.washington.edu/groups/peg/pbi.html
ODD OBJECTS
ON THE ROZSA STAGE
submitted by University Cultural
Enrichment
Sickles, hatchets, meat cleavers,
torches and other odd objects will be flying around on the Rozsa stage
when The Flying Karamazov Brothers arrive in town to provide the entertainment
for Michigan Tech's Family Weekend. The fun begins on Saturday, Oct. 4,
at 7:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center with "Catch," the Karamazovs'
new extravaganza, a wild and wonderful celebration of their best selections
from their most successful shows--in other words, the best of the best.
Members of this amazingly wacky
troupe of inspired entertainers are neither brothers nor are they Russian,
but they do come close to flying with their rapid-fire juggling of everyday
items. They also sing, play instruments, joke with each other and the
audience and delight the crowd with hilarious gags and wise guy clowning.
In their trademark audience
participation segment called the "Gamble," the Karamazov champ
juggles the three most extraordinary "unjugglable" objects the
audience can provide. Past challenges have included computers, Slinkys
and, on one occasion, a very large dead octopus. This is a unique challenge
for the audience and one that needs careful advance planning. There are
strict specifications: the object must be no larger than a bread box and
no heavier than ten pounds, no lighter than an ounce, absolutely no live
animals, and absolutely nothing that will prevent the champ himself from
continuing to be a live animal. According to the company road manager,
they have always been given very interesting and imaginative objects at
tech schools. The champ must keep the objects in the air for at least
10 counts. If he is successful, the audience has to give him a standing
ovation, and if he fails, he gets a pie in the face.
The Karamazovs have taken their
unique brand of humor all over the world and across the United States,
including six runs on Broadway, numerous appearances on television ("Seinfeld,"
"Ellen," "Jay Leno," PBS's "Great Performances,"
the Disney Channel special "The New Vaudevillians," all the
late night talk shows and more) and in film (most notably "The Jewel
of the Nile").
The Flying Karamazov Brothers
performance was made possible by funding from the James and Margaret Black
Endowment.
____________
RELAX
AND ENJOY AT LIVE IN THE LOBBY
submitted by University Cultural
Enrichment
Campus and community are once
again invited to take a relaxing midday break at Live in the Lobby, a
series of free noontime mini-concerts in the Rozsa lobby during the week
of Oct. 6-10. Scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, there
will be light refreshments and entertainment each day.
Monday
Singer-songwriter Bill Caskey
performs some bluesy and beautiful songs with an interesting group called
Little Yellow Moons. Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Cori Beth
Somers adds the voice and texture of her violin and fiddle, and veteran
jazz musician and composer Mike Irish joins in with guitar and bass.
Tuesday
Momentum is one of the top
jazz combos at Michigan Tech. This upbeat sextet will perform on Tuesday,
offering a wide range of small group jazz, ranging from classics of the
bop era to current Latin, funk and world music.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, Coyote Moon,
a group of four local songwriters, performs original music, including
a wide mix of rock, country and blues. Dave Rulison, Floyd Henderson and
Joel Tepsa play guitars and percussion with John Beck on bass guitar,
Tom Collins on saxophone, Paula McKaig on keyboards and Denny McKaig on
drums.
Thursday
Batucobre, the Houghton group
of Brazilian percussion drummers, will be familiar to anyone who has watched
local parades recently. They'll bring a little of Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval
to the Rozsa lobby on Thursday. Large surdos drums, syncopating caixas
(side drums) and tamborims (small hand-drums), the pandeiros (jingled
tambourines), the agogo bells and chocalhos (racks of jingles) contribute
to the exciting, complex rhythms of this lively group.
Friday
The week's finale on Friday
is provided by the colorful Andean band Kausay, which performs music of
the Andes, the traditional music of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. This is
a return invitation for this group, which has appeared twice before on
the series. The music is lively and upbeat, ranging from traditional pre-Hispanic
tunes to more contemporary variations.
The week's acitivities are
funded by the Friends of the Rozsa, and all are welcome to attend.
____________
DAVID FRUM
TO GIVE FREE LECTURE AT THE ROZSA
submitted by University Cultural
Enrichment
Equal time will be given to
Democrats and Republicans at two free lectures on the Michigan Tech campus
during the month of October. David Frum, who served as special assistant
to President Bush for economic speechwriting from January 2001 to February
2002, visits Tech on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The title of his lecture--"The
Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush"--is also the
title of his New York Times best-selling book. Democrat Leon Fuerth arrives
in Houghton on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Fuerth, who has served in the State Department,
the House, the Senate, and the White House where he was a National Security
Advisor during the Clinton administration, will deliver a lecture titled
"The Future of U.S. Foreign Relations." Both lectures are free
and open to the public and will be held in the Rozsa Center at 7:30 p.m.
Described as "one of the
leading political commentators of his generation" by the Wall Street
Journal, David Frum is considered one of America's top political and social
observers. In 2001 Judge Richard Posner's study of public intellectuals
listed Frum as one of the 100 most influential minds in the United States.
A compelling speaker, he delivers extraordinary commentary on the national
and international social and political issues of the day.
Frum's first book, "Dead
Right" (1994), was described by William F. Buckley as "the most
refreshing ideological experience in a generation" and by Frank Rich
of the New York Times as "the smartest book written from the inside
about the American conservative movement." "The Right Man"
is the first inside account of a historic year in the Bush White House.
Frum worked with President Bush in the Oval Office, traveled with him
aboard Air Force One and studied him closely at meetings and events. He
describes how Bush thinks--what this conservative president believes about
religion, race, the environment, Jews, Muslims and America's future. Frum
believes that President Bush has been transformed from a president whose
administration began in uncertainty to become one of the most decisive,
successful and popular leaders of our time.
Frum is currently a resident
fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a contributing editor to
National Review, a columnist for Canada's National Post newspaper, and
a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph in Great Britain and to National
Public Radio.
He was born in Toronto, and
he received a simultaneous BA and MA in History from Yale in 1982. He
was appointed a visiting lecturer in history at Yale in 1986. In 1987,
he graduated cum laude from the Harvard Law School, where he served as
president of the Federalist Society.
The visit of David Frum is
made possible by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment.
____________
"BANDARAMA"
COMES TO THE ROZSA
Michigan Tech's annual Bandarama,
a fast-paced musical showcase featuring three outstanding bands, takes
the stage at the Rozsa Center on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m. It's a tour-de-force
featuring the Huskies Pep Band, Jazz Lab Band and Wind Symphony, nearly
200 musicians in all, playing their best stuff in quick rotation.
Hearing the nationally known
Huskies Pep Band in an excellent auditorium, away from a hockey rink or
football field, is a rare treat. With their usual zest, the Pep Band will
play many of their all-time favorites along with their newest numbers.
Meanwhile, the 50 members of the Wind Symphony will present band classics
with a high-spirited flair, while the Jazz Lab Band sets the Rozsa swinging
in its own award-winning style.
Conducting Bandarama this year
are Karisa Roell and Michael Melvin, student directors of Huskies Pep
Band, Alton Thompson, Michigan Tech's new director of bands and orchestra,
and Charles White, interim director of jazz bands.
Bandarama tickets are available
from the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200), http://www.tickets.mtu.edu
and at the door for $8 general, $4 students.
FOUNDATION
CENTER COLLECTION TRAINING SCHEDULED
Training on the use of a valuable
foundation funding search tool, the Foundation Center Collection, will
be offered on Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Library Classroom
located in Room G044 of Douglass Houghton Hall. The training session is
open to everyone.
Attendees will learn a) how
to conduct searches on the Foundation Center Collection computer database,
b) about the resources of the Foundation Center Collection and c) about
support for the foundation application process available through the Foundation
function at Michigan Tech. The range of financial support offered by foundations--including
research, programming, scholarships/fellowships, curriculum development,
construction and operating expenses will be discussed.
Each participant will have
their own computer. The training is free but advance registration is required
by calling 487-2228 or sending an email message to cweissba@mtu.edu
by Oct. 10.
Corporate Services hosts the
Foundation Center's Cooperating Collection, which features a computer
database and publications that list thousands of foundations by subject
area, funding criteria and application requirements.
The Cooperating Collection
is one of hundreds nationwide affiliated with the Foundation Center that
facilitate grant seekers' efforts to obtain foundation funding. The Cooperating
Collection is located on the Garden Level of the Harold Meese Center and
is open Monday-Thursday, 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. and on Friday from
8 to 11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.
For additional information,
please contact Carolyn Weissbach, associate director for foundation development,
who supervises Michigan Tech's Cooperating Collection, at 487-2228 or
at cweissba@mtu.edu .
____________
MEEM
GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY
Mark A. Spalding, a research
scientist with Dow Chemical Company, will present a MEEM graduate seminar,
"Problems in Solids Conveying of Polymers in Single-Screw Extrusion,"
Thursday, Oct. 2, 3-4 p.m., MEEM 112.
____________
PHYSICS
COLLOQUIUM FRIDAY, OCT. 3
Professor David Tománek
from Michigan State University will present a physics colloquium, "Carbon
Nanotubes and the Nanotechnology Revolution," Friday, Oct. 3, 2-3
p.m., Fisher 139.
ated on Quincy Hill, just below
Pat's IGA. As you enter the building, the training center is just up the
stairs and to the left.
NEW
FUNDING
Assistant Research Engineer/Scientist
John Forsman (SFRES) has received a $2,200 award from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, for his project,
"An Exploratory Study to Evaluate the Potential of Producing Solid
Sawn Web Stock for I-Joists from Red Maple." He has received a $25,000
grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture--Forest Service, Northeastern
Area State and Private Forestry, for his project, "Recycling Value-Added
Components from Panel Manufacturing Residue."
Professor Alex Mayer (GMES)
has received a $29,904 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for
his project, "ExCit: Expanding Cities--People, Water and Infrastructure."
Assistant Professor Howard
Wang (MSE) has received a $17,325 award from the U.S. Department of Commerce,
National Institutes of Standards and Technology, for his project, "Develop
Metrologies and Fundamental Understandings for Processing Carbon-Nanotube/Polymer
Composites."
Geographic Information Systems
Analyst Michael Hyslop (SFRES) has received $40,000 from the U.S. Department
of the Interior, National Park Service, for his project, "GIS Services
for ISRO and KEWE National Parks."
____________
IN PRINT
Professor Barry Solomon (Social
Sciences) published a review of the book "Dead Heat: Global Justice
and Global Warming," by Tom Athanasiou and Paul Baer, in the September
issue of Ecological Economics.
Assistant Professor Dana M.
Johnson and Associate Professor Paul A. Nelson (SBE) published an article,
"Incorporating Strategic and Environmental Objectives Into the Equipment
Justification Process," in Environmental Quality Management Journal,
Vol. 13, No. 1.
Associate Professor Ulrich
H. E. Hansmann (Physics) published a paper, "Solution Effects and
the Folding of an Artificial Peptide," in the Journal of Physical
Chemistry B, Vol. 107:10284-10291. His coauthor was Nelson A. Alves (FFCLRP,
University of Sao Paulo).
____________
ON THE
ROAD
Assistant Professor Debra Wright
(Biomedical Engineering) presented an invited talk, "Composite Biomaterials
in Orthopedics: New Materials and Characterization Methods," at Notre
Dame's Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department on Sept. 23.
____________
Calendar:
October
3--Friday
7:05 p.m.--Men's Hockey,
Waterloo at MTU--MacInnes Student Ice Arena
4--Saturday
7:30 p.m.--The Flying
Karamazov Brothers--Rozsa Center
7--Tuesday
7:30 p.m.--David Frum
Lecture--Rozsa Center
10--Friday
7 p.m.--Women's Volleyball,
Hillsdale at MTU--SDC Gym
11--Saturday
1 p.m.--Football, Ferris
State at MTU--Sherman Field
4 p.m.--Women's Volleyball,
Wayne State at MTU--SDC Gym
7:05 p.m.--Men's Hockey,
Silver/Gold Intrasquad Game--MacInnes Student Ice Arena
____________
MICHIGAN
TECH POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Job 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, Oct. 3, 2003, at 1 p.m. through noon, Friday, Oct. 10,
2003, in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/
Assistant Professor--Biological
Sciences
Lecturer--Biological Sciences
University employees are reminded
to apply in writing prior to noon, Friday, Oct. 10, 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.
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