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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE EXPERT TO TALK ON GATHERING, PROTECTING INFORMATIONAn expert in the cat-and-mouse strategies of business intelligence will be visiting Michigan Tech on Tuesday, Feb. 24. William DeGenaro, president of DeGenaro and Associates, of Sarasota, Fla., will give two presentations in Dow 641. The first, at 2 p.m., will focus on how major corporations play the intelligence game. The second, at 3:15 p.m., will deal with counterintelligence. Both talks are open to the public, and faculty members are invited to ask their students to attend. DeGenaro uses ethical methods to gather information that helps entrepreneurs make sound business decisions. He also helps businesses identify and correct security weaknesses that could result in the loss of proprietary information. "Anyone interested in intellectual property protection will find the sessions very informative and provocative," said James Frendewey, associate dean of the School of Business and Economics, which is sponsoring DeGenaro's visit. DeGenaro is co-founder and principal of the Centre for Operational Business Intelligence and the former managing director of an international consulting firm in strategic planning and business intelligence. He was previously director of strategic countermeasures planning in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Counterintelligence and Security, under the auspices of the Presidents Executive Exchange, and was director of business research and analysis (intelligence) for 3M Company. DeGenaro holds a management degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed advanced studies at the Joint Military Intelligence College in Washington DC, Harvard University, Columbia University and University of Minnesota. He is an active member of the Operations Security Professionals Society, the Security Affairs Support Association, the Strategic Leadership Forum, the National Military Intelligence Officers Association and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He has been elected to the board of directors of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals and is a Fellow of the society. For more information on DeGenaro and Associates, visit http://www.biz-intel.com/counterintelligence.htm ____________ 2. QUEERZINE SEEKS WRITERS, ARTISTSsubmitted by Pat Hopp Keweenaw Pride is seeking contributions from Michigan Tech students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Upper Peninsula community for the spring issue of Queerzine. This opportunity is open to all people regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age or relationship to the university. "We want a Queerzine that is as diverse as possible including stories and articles from people regardless of their 'closetedness' or 'outness,'" organizers said. "Straight allies are strongly encouraged to participate. Articles can be published anonymously, and only the editor must know the identity of the author or artist." Nonfiction articles of 500-1,000 words, poetry and black-and-white artwork that is reducible to around half or a quarter of a letter-sized page are currently being accepted. Some suggested themes are being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) on campus or in the Upper Peninsula; straight ally experiences such as coming out or dealing with homophobia from friends or family; parent experiences; and post-graduation, work-related GLBT experiences. These submissions, along with statistics and GLBT-related news and media will be combined into a magazine that is supportive of GLBT issues, educational for the campus and community and can be used as a resource for all. The Queerzine will be printed in mid-April as part of Keweenaw Pride's Pride Week rollout. It will also be available via the web. Submissions must be GLBT-supportive and appropriate to the intended audience. All submissions must be sent to pride@mtu.edu by March 19 to be considered. All contact information will be kept confidential. To view last year's Queerzine, visit http://www.sos.mtu.edu/pride/docs/queerzine03.pdf . For submission questions or more information, e-mail pride@mtu.edu or any of the staff advisors or officers listed on Keweenaw Pride's Web site at http://www.sos.mtu.edu/pride/ . ____________ 3. REMINDER: BOB AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE FEB. 27Nomination forms for the BOB Awards were sent out to departments and are also available at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/staff_council/. Nominations are due at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. ____________ 4. TEACHING AT TECH: WHY ARE THERE SEASONS ON EARTH?by William Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development Undoubtedly, some of you may have seen the short film "A Private Universe." It begins with footage shot on graduation day on the campus of Harvard University. In these opening scenes, a number of Harvard graduates and faculty members are interviewed and asked some basic questions about science and astronomy. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it online at http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html The first question posed to the graduates is why seasons occur on Earth. The overwhelmingly most frequent answer? These graduates from one of the finest institutions of higher education, many with extensive course work in physics and astronomy, say that seasons happen on Earth because its orbit about the sun is profoundly elliptical. When the Earth is farther away from the sun, the Earth has winter. When it is closer, we get summer. Isolated case of misunderstanding? Twenty-one of 23 randomly selected students and faculty members interviewed on the Harvard campus that day offered almost-identical, erroneous explanations for the seasonal changes. On another question about the phases of the moon, most graduates responded that the moon's phases observed on Earth are caused by the Earth's shadow routinely obscuring the light from the sun from reaching some portion of the moon's surface. The film then explores the reasons for these widely shared misconceptions. Clearly, these graduates hadn't learned these things in college courses. So the filmmakers set out to verify that the graduates probably brought these misconceptions with them into the college classroom. Cut to interviews with ninth grade students wrestling with these very same questions. Sure enough, these students offered almost identically flawed explanations about seasons and phases of the moon. These students had little or no exposure to scientific training, but carried the very same set of flawed explanations as those graduates from Harvard. Why did the students think that the orbit of the Earth around the sun is so elliptical that the great changes in the distance from the Earth to the sun cause seasonal variations? Investigators think it may be because of a common misinterpretation of two-dimensional renderings of planetary motion in textbooks that are frequently drawn in perspective. The hypothesis is that many students might misinterpret these drawings to be top-down views of strongly elliptical orbits rather than round orbits drawn in perspective. Why do students think the phases of the moon are caused by the Earth's shadow obscuring various portions of the surface of the moon? Simplest explanation? Common sense? Could it be because people routinely experience shadows obscuring things or that they don't properly conceive of the size and distance relationships among the sun, the moon and the Earth? In fact, the moon falls in the Earth's shadow a minimum of two and a maximum of five times per year. That's why a lunar eclipse deserves a mention on the Weather Channel. Toward the end of the film, the announcer states, "Every time we communicate, new concepts compete with the preconceived ideas of our listeners. All students hold these ideas, but they are unaware of their private theories. We must make them aware. Only then can we enable them to learn and free them from this private universe." * Makes you wonder what misconceptions remain in the minds of our graduates, regardless of their majors. Students don't come to us with blank slates. They come to us with slates filled with a mixture of personal insights, "common sense" guesses, superstitions, prejudices and a host of valuable insights, as well. Durable and profound learning may require well-informed unlearning. Carefully assessing what our students believe when they enter the classroom may be more important than measuring what they know when they leave. * A Private Universe, produced by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Science Education Department, Science Media Group. 5. ACROBATIC STARS FROM CHINA PERFORM AT THE ROZSAsubmitted by University Cultural Enrichment Chinese acrobats have always been a favorite attraction on the Great Events Series. This year Chi, a 40-member company from Shanghai, China, comes to the Rozsa Center on their first North American tour. Bringing a fresh new look to this ancient art, these stars of the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. The show is presented by the Student Entertainment Board, and 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 With their high-energy tumbling and juggling and formidable feats of daring and balance, these Shanghai acrobats transform 2,000-year-old traditions of dexterity and grace into a show that enthralls audiences worldwide. Performing acrobatics that have their roots in ancient China, these amazing artists take the longest-running folk art form in history into the 21st century. "Chi" means "energy" or "breath" in the Taoist philosophy, and these amazing athletes use their chi to focus on getting their minds and bodies to work together in perfect harmony. Chinese acrobatics combine both physicality and spirituality. Years of rigorous training are necessary to achieve the excellence required by this demanding art form. An acrobat must have immense athletic strength and impeccable balance and timing. Training starts early, as toddlers watch their parents. Then sometime between the ages of five and seven, the children are taught the basics of balancing, tumbling, dancing, flexibility and strength. As they grow older, the students practice five hours a day, six days a week. The show's subtitle is "A New Era in Acrobatics" and although many of the routines remain traditional, the staging, costumes, lighting and music are more theatrical and dramatic than we have seen with previous troupes. The show looks more like the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil than traditional Chinese acrobat companies. But the traditional warning to the audience remains in place--don't try this at home! The Student Entertainment Board is funded by the student activity fee. For more information call the Great Events Series Office (487-2844). ____________ 6. JAZZ GREAT WENDELL HARRISON TO PERFORM WITH JAZZ LAB BANDRenowned jazz clarinetist Wendell Harrison headlines this year's Black History Month Jazz Concert with the award-winning Jazz Lab Band, directed by Mike Irish, on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. "Wendell is a truly dynamic performer, and the wealth of experience he brings to us is priceless," Irish says. "We are truly in for a treat." A prolific recording artist, performer, popular teacher, author and jazz innovator, Harrison received the Arts Midwest Jazz Masters Award and toured with Africa and the Middle East with an an all-star ensemble, the Michigan Jazz Masters. He also soloed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in performances of his suite Something for Pops. His instruction book, "The Be Boppers Method Book," is an essential aid for young musicians. Harrison will play his own innovative pieces for clarinet jazz ensemble, commissioned by Chamber Music America in 2002, joined by local musicians Adam Kasczynski, Robyn Johnson, Debra Zei, Jan List and Chad Habermehl, accompanied by guitarist Pat Valencia, pianist Charles White, Jack Matheson on bass and Andy Wynn on drums. The unique ensemble features all the members of the clarinet family (three B-flat clarinets, contra bass and bass clarinets, alto clarinet and E-flat clarinet) plus rhythm section. Friday night's show also features the premiere of two pieces arranged by Irish from his seven-part suite for jazz ensemble and symphony orchestra, "Scenes from the Keweenaw." The first, "Bear Chase I: The Start," was composed by and will feature veteran jazz pianist/vibist Charles White, who will also be featured on the Irish arrangement of Kristin Duchateau's "Snow Shower." Harrison will be featured on a variety of pieces played with the Jazz Lab Band, from Gershwin classics to Matt Harris's haunting arrangement of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and the driving blues tune "Groovin' with Bradley." Harrison's career began at Northwestern High School in Detroit, where he and a number of other future jazz stars studied with legendary pianist Barry Harris. He also attended the Detroit Conservatory of Music. At age 18, he moved to New York, where he worked with many famed artists including Lou Rawls, Kenny Dorham and his big band, Grant Green, Sun Ra, Hank Crawford and Betty Carter, before returning eventually to Detroit. He has shared the stage with the greatest jazz stars of our time, including Eddie Jefferson, Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald. As a band leader, Harrison has 22 releases to his credit on American and international labels. Tickets for Wendell Harrison with the Jazz Lab Band are available from the Rozsa Center Box Office for $10 general, $5 students. ____________ 7. CONCERT CHOIR EXPLORES A FANTASIA OF SOUNDMichigan Tech's Concert Choir presents a novel concert exploring the many dimensions of sound on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. The choir will divide into a variety of groups, including women's and men's choruses, and also sing together in eight-part harmony for an in-depth celebration of the sound of the human voice. Adding to this "fantasia of sound" are the popular percussion ensemble Five Percent Skill, composed of five outstanding student musicians playing mallet percussion instruments, and flutist Bryan Suits. Milton Olsson, chair of the Department of Fine Arts, will conduct, assisted by two associate conductors, Amanda Plummer and Scott Veenstra. The music will span the widest possible range of choral sound using arrangements of traditional songs, ballads and spirituals, as well as a drinking song by Bach. The program includes Olsson's setting of Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" as well as two particularly beautiful selections for full choir, "Musica Dei donum" by the modern British composer John Rutter (which Olsson describes as "a lush, sonorous duet for flute and eight-part chorus") and the final movements of "Peaceable Kingdom," written by American composer Randall Thompson for the full complement of men's and women's voices. Five Percent Skill has earned raves from local audiences for the past three years. The rich music of their mallet instruments, including xylophone, marimba and vibraphone, provides a unique contrast to the vocal ensembles. Tickets are available from the Rozsa Center Box Office, 487-3200 and http://www.tickets.mtu.edu, for $8 general, $4 students.
8. FREE VIDEOCONFERENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO START A BUSINESSsubmitted by Paul Nelson A two-hour videoconference, "Developing a Marketing Plan," for faculty, staff, students and people from the community interested in starting a business will be held Wednesday, Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m. in EERC B-11. The videoconference will cover the basics of developing a marketing plan for a new business. Topics covered will include market segmentation, alternate strategies, identifying your competitive advantage, strategic thrust and market positioning. Examples will be given. This is the third in a series of five videoconference training sessions offered during spring semester for the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest. These sessions are sponsored by the Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization, CenTILE and the School of Business and Economics, along with the Enterprise SmartZone and the Keweenaw Industrial Council. For further information, contact Paul A. Nelson at 487-2809. ____________ 9. STUDENT AFFAIRS BAG LUNCH FOLLOW-UP FEB. 18The Student Affairs Professional Development bag lunch follow up to "Unhealthy Personality Characteristics/Borderline Personality" will take place Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Fisher 101 from noon to 1 p.m. The counseling staff will present information related to typical behaviors and interventions for dealing with difficult students. Feel free to bring scenarios or concerns from interactions you have encountered. For more information, contact Sue Dilsworth at smdilswo@mtu.edu. ____________ 10. MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAYJames M. Boileau of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering will present a MEEM graduate seminar, "The Effect of Solidification Time on the Mechanical Properties Fatigue Behavior of a Cast 319 Aluminum Alloy," Thursday, Feb. 19, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112. ____________ 11. FIRST BIZNET MEETING FEB. 26The inaugural meeting of BizNet will be held Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. in the UPPCO Building Community Room. The meeting will include two short research presentations as well as a question-and-answer session and networking opportunities. Visiting Associate Professor Burhanettin Altan (MEEM) will present "Research into the Medical Applications of Diatoms," and Keith Johnson of ThermoAnalytics will present "Applications of Thermoanalysis." Everyone is welcome to attend, and suggestions for future topics are encouraged. BizNet is a network of university and local entrepreneurs, businesses and interested parties supporting the commercialization of technology in the U.P. BizNet's mission is to facilitate connections between the university and local research and development activities, to foster strategic thinking, to create networking opportunities and to promote deal-making and professional skills development. BizNet is sponsored by the Michigan Tech Enterprise SmartZone. For information, please contact Alan West at 487-7000 or awest@mtecsmart.com, or visit http://www.mtecsmart.com .
NEW STAFFNancy Gjertson has joined Residence Life as a residence hall coordinator. She was previously employed as a quality assurance analyst at The Noel Group. She has also worked for residence life at UW-Stevens Point and Augustana College in Illinois. Gjertson holds a BA and an MA in Communications from UW-Stevens Point. She lives in Houghton. ____________ NEW FUNDINGAssistant Professor Igor Kliakhandler (Mathematical Sciences) has received a $70,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for his project, "Rayleigh-Tayler Instability, Non-Newtonian Rheology and Chain of Bubbles in Polymer Solutions." Assistant Professor Lyon B. King (MEEM) has received a $74,468 grant from the National Science Foundation for his project, "CAREER: Electron Fluid Dynamics in a Hall-Effect Accelerator: Using Fundamental Research to Enhance Education and Technology." ____________ PROPOSALS IN PROGRESSResearchers, their proposals and their potential sponsors are Terry S. Reynolds, Patrick Martin (Social Sciences), "Calumet & Hecla Stamp Mill--Land Use History," Houghton County Historical Society William Rose, Lizzette Rodriguez (GMES), "US/Argentina/Chile Collaborative Research on Volcano Remote Sensing," NSF Terry McNinch (CEE-MTTI), "Scholarship Program--Intersection Safety for Non-Engineers," Michigan State Police-OHSP Joseph H. Holles (Chemical Engineering), "Direct Synthesis of Small Mixed-Metal Oxide Clusters for Selective Oxidation of Light Alkanes," ACS-Petroleum Research Fund and "Pseudomorphic Overlayer Catalysts for Hydrodesulfurization to Minimize Sulfur Dioxide Emissions," University of Michigan--Michigan Space Grant Consortium Jason Keith (ECM), "Fundamental Analysis of Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration for Reduced Emissions and Improved Human Health," University of Michigan--Michigan Space Grant Consortium Gregg Bluth, Matthew Watson (GMES/RSI), "Practical Remote Sensing of Volcanic Hazards: A New Program for Female and Minority Graduate Students," MSGC Dae S. Young (MEEM/IMP), "Satellite Image Analysis for Landslides and Slopes: Engineering Assessment, Forecasting and Mitigation," NSF John van de Lindt, Bill Bulleit (CEE), "Reliability of Residential Structures Subjected to Combined Lateral and Gravity Loads," NSF Jian Liu (Chemistry), "Development of Light-Powered Bio-Nano-Enzymes for Carbon Dioxide Reduction," MSGC Haiying Liu (Chemistry), "Highly Sensitive Chemical Nanosensors Based on Modification of Carbon Nanotube Electrodes with Functional Conjugated Polymers," University of Michigan--MSGC Gregg Bluth (GMES/RSI), "Virunga Volcanic SO2 Emissions Research (VISOR) Project," University of Maryland Matthew Watson (GMES), "Using Recently Developed Mini-UV Spectrometers to Determine Sulfur Oxidation State Ratios in Volcanic Emissions," MSGC Byung K. Choi (Computer Science), "Automated Fast Software Component Migration for Dependable and High-Performance Computing," University of Michigan--Michigan Space Grant Martin Thompson (Chemistry), "Deciphering the Histone Code," University of Michigan--Michigan Space Grant Patricia A. Heiden (Chemistry), "Biopolyester/Cellulose Nanocomposites: Nanoscale Reinforcement with Designed Surfaces," Michigan State University ____________ BULLETIN BOARDLOOKING TO PLAY EUCHRE if three others are interested. I haven't played since college so I'm a little rusty. Contact Lynn at murph@mtu.edu DO YOU LIKE PLAYING CARD GAMES such as euchre, hearts or spades? Do you like to spend evenings socializing with friends? Are you looking for something to break up the monotony of your week? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then the Community Bridge Club just might be what you've been looking for. We have weekly on-campus games Tuesdays from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the MUB Peninsula Room. If you have any questions, contact Michael at mgmiller@mtu.edu. We hope to see you around the table! ____________ CALENDAR: February19--Thursday 5:30 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Lake Superior State at MTU--SDC Gym 7:30 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Lake Superior State at MTU--SDC Gym 20--Friday 7:05 p.m.--Hockey, Denver at MTU--MacInnes Student Ice Arena 7:30 p.m.--Wendell Harrison with Jazz Lab Band--Rozsa Center 21--Saturday 1 p.m.--Women's Basketball, Saginaw Valley State at MTU--SDC Gym 3 p.m.--Men's Basketball, Saginaw Valley State at MTU--SDC Gym 7:05 p.m.--Hockey, Denver at MTU--MacInnes Student Ice Arena 7:30 p.m.--Chi--Rozsa Center 22--Sunday 7:30 p.m.--Concert Choir, "Sonorities"--Rozsa Center ____________ MICHIGAN TECH POSITIONS AVAILABLEJob descriptions will be available at 1 p.m. on Friday, or by e-mail at <JOBS@MTU.EDU>. The following positions will be posted Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, at 1 p.m. through noon, Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, in the Human Resources Office or at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/ Food Service Helper--Memorial Union (AFSCME internal posting only) Assistant Director for Greek Life, Leadership and Service--Office of Student Affairs/Student Activities Interim Budget Director--Budget Office Assistant Professor--Electrical and Computer Engineering University employees are reminded to apply in writing prior to noon, Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, 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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