Michigan Tech: Tech Topics Online

The university is reorganizing its administrative departments to provide better coordination of services for all members of the MTU community, Interim President Glenn Mroz told the University Senate April 14.

The goal of the reorganization is to better focus Michigan Tech on achieving the goals of its strategic plan, he said. "We looked at how the administration is serving the needs of faculty, staff and students," he said, and determined that changing the structure could improve cooperation and productivity.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to work together to solve problems," he said.

Services for students will be consolidated under the direction of Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Les Cook. His new responsibilities will include Educational Opportunity, Student Records and Registration, Alumni Relations, University Relations, Enrollment Management and International Advancement.

Adding Educational Opportunity to the Office of Student Affairs will enhance one of the university's main priorities. "This will be a good way to infuse diversity into everything we do," Mroz said. The change also puts all services for students, from before they apply until after they graduate, in one area to encourage collaboration and improve enrollment. "Our main push has to be to attract new students," Mroz said.

Ellen Horsch, director of human resources, is the new vice president for administration. New areas reporting to her are Facilities Management, the Seaman Mineral Museum, Information Technology and the Athletic Department and Auxiliary Services, as well as Human Resources. Cultural Enrichment will report to Auxiliary Services. The new director of human resources will be Marilyn Haapapuro.

Many of these areas had reported to CFO Dan Greenlee. The change allows his area to return its focus to financial concerns. "This is extremely important at this time," Mroz said.

Residential Services and portions of Accounting Services continue to report to the CFO, including the Controller's Office and Student Business Services (formerly Accounts Receivable) and the General and Auxiliary Fund.

Research Accounting has been transferred to Vice President for Research David Reed, a change that brings the research functions together in one area. "This provides a seamless service center for pre-award to post-award processes for faculty, staff and students," Mroz said.

Remaining with the vice president for research are Research Services, Corporate Services, Sponsored Education Programs and the Keweenaw Research Center.

Provost Kent Wray continues to supervise the academic areas, including the colleges and schools, the Graduate School, the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development, International Education and the J. R. Van Pelt Library.

Institutional Analysis now reports to Vice President for Government Relations Dale Tahtinen. Other offices in his area include Risk Management, Internal Audit, and Occupational Safety and Health.

Mroz noted that Vice President for Advancement and Marketing Fred Hensley had resigned; three areas formerly reporting to him, University Relations, Alumni Relations, and International Advancement, now report to the vice provost and dean of student affairs.

After the announcement, senators talked informally with two members of the Board of Control, Chair David Brule and Mike Henricksen.

"I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you folks," Brule said. "There's nothing wrong with a little dialog between the board and the senate," particularly as the university undertakes significant changes. "Change can be a good thing," he said. "We want to see it move the university forward."

While some may view direct board involvement with the senate and other areas of the university as micromanaging, Henricksen said such visits can be beneficial for the whole organization. "We're trying to break down barriers," he said.

In his business, he routinely talks with employees at all levels to head off potential problems. "I want the customer to be happy," he said.

Most members of the Board of Control are business people and face a learning curve as they assume the responsibility of governing the university, Brule said. Senator Erik Nordberg (Library) asked how they could fulfill that responsibility, considering that they know little of academia.

"The only area we don't know about is academics," Brule said. And, with guidance and experience, those intricacies can be learned as well. "Some people think that the guys that run businesses don't know anything," he observed.

Business acumen can be an advantage. "The great equalizer is money," Henricksen said. As it began to face financial difficulties, "all of a sudden the university has to be run like a business, because we have to pay our bills," he added.

"I don't know what's true anymore," Senator Debra Bruch (Fine Arts) said, calling financial reports "smoke and mirrors" and saying that people fear for their jobs.

"We shouldn't be feeding on fear," Brule said. "The fact that people are in fear of their jobs is an issue. At some point, however, decisions will have to be made and then we'll get on with life."

The board members asked the senate for feedback on the search process for the university president, saying that it had appeared cumbersome to some members of the Board of Control. "I've served on search committees," Senator Becky Christianson (Human Resources) said. "That procedure seems cumbersome, but it works." The search guidelines allow for ownership among the campus community and assure all constituents are represented. "It lends credibility to the process," she said.

Senator Jim Pickens (SFRES) thanked Brule for his "thoughtful and moderate leadership" on the Board of Control. He supported the existing presidential search procedures as defined in MTU policy as inclusive and representative. "It would also be good to have the board involved in all steps" of the search, he said.

Pickens also asked that the university's financial information be presented in a consistent format. "We're moving in that direction," Brule said.

"What I hope you take away from this meeting is that this is a new beginning," he told the senators. While Michigan Tech is not facing a true crisis, crises can be beneficial. "It motivates people to change, and good things can happen."

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2. MICHIGAN TECH ADMINISTRATION TAKES GOVERNOR'S TUITION PLEDGE

Michigan Tech's administration will recommend that the university "take the governor's pledge" and cap next year's tuition increase at 2.3 percent.

The recommendation will be considered by the Board of Control May 7.

While the state has cut this year's appropriation to Michigan Tech by 5 percent, from $49.7 million to $47.2 million, Governor Jennifer Granholm has promised to restore 3 percent, or $1.5 million, if the university holds any increase in next year's tuition to the rate of inflation, now estimated at 2.3 percent. In addition, Granholm has promised not to cut appropriations during the upcoming fiscal year for public universities that observe the tuition cap.

"We hope this will remove some uncertainty for students and their parents as they make their financial plans for next year," MTU Interim President Glenn Mroz said.

If the university were not to take the pledge, it would have to hike tuition 11 percent to raise an equivalent amount of revenue.

The cap should also allow parents of MTU students to take a special state tax credit reserved for those attending universities that keep their tuition

3. WALKER FOUNDATION DONATES $20,000 TO MICHIGAN TECH

The L. C. and Margaret Walker Foundation has donated $20,000 to Michigan Tech to update and replace outdated components in McArdle Theatre, located in the Walker Arts and Humanities Center.

This is the latest in a number of gifts from the Walker Foundation that underwrite programs in the College of Sciences and Arts. The foundation's support has made it possible to install new carpeting, upgrade classrooms and create multimedia rooms, as well as to develop a costume workshop and a 3-D sculpture studio within the Department of Fine Arts.

In addition, these donations allowed the department to replace old projectors, computers and other media-support accessories. Also, the Department of Humanities has sent several undergraduates to a national conference with foundation support.

"We are very grateful for the support the L. C. and Margaret Walker Foundation has provided over the years to Michigan Tech and the College," Dean of Sciences and Arts Max Seel said. "The Walker Arts and Humanities Center is a wonderful facility, one that we are all proud to work in and be part of."

In 1982, the foundation's $1.5 million gift launched a fund drive, supported by hundreds of Tech graduates and friends, that resulted in the dedication of the Walker Arts and Humanities Center in August 1985.

4. MEETING FEATURES AUCTION OF MINING PARAPHERNALIA

The public is welcome to a silent auction of mining artifacts, collectibles and specimens set for Wednesday, April 21, as part of the 85th annual Technical and Business Meeting of the U.P. Chapter of SME, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.

The meeting, including the auction, will be held at the Ramada Inn, in Hancock. From 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., more than 100 items will be up for bid, including old maps, mining and milling artifacts, company reports, stock certificates, photos, postcards and signs, fine mineral specimens, geologic compasses, Skillings Mining Review subscriptions, survey equipment, mining books, a replica of a Civil War-era Quincy Mine copper ingot, float-copper bookends and more.

The auction is open to the public, and bidders need not be present to win. The auction raises funds for SME scholarships. If you have an item you would like to donate, contact Al Johnson at amj@mtu.edu, 482-9097.

The meeting features several seminars on mining and mineral processing. Joe Maki of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will give a talk, "Current Exploration and Mining Activity in the U.P."

Heidi Sherman, a master's candidate in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Science, will discuss "Occurrence of Elevated Uranium Levels in Jacobsville Sandstone Aquifers."

"Project Eagle: Nickel-Sulfide Deposit, Marquette County, Michigan" will be presented by John Cherry of Kennecott Exploration Company.

The awards banquet begins at 6 p.m., and is preceded at 5 p.m. with a reception and cash bar.

The guest speaker at the banquet will be attorney Mark Savit, a partner in the legal firm Patton Boggs LLP, practicing out of its Washington, DC, office. His speech, "You Know You're in Trouble if . . . " is based on his experiences practicing mine health and safety law. Before entering private practice, Savit headed the special investigation program in the U.S. Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration.

The registration deadline is Friday, April 16. To register for the meeting or the banquet, contact MTU Conferences and Institutes, 487-2263, lori@mtu.edu . The cost is $25 for SME members, $40 for nonmembers. Students may attend for free. Tickets for the banquet are $5 for students, $20 for everyone else.

5. BOB AWARDS LUNCHEON APRIL 28

Please join Staff Council in honoring the nominees for the BOB Awards (Best Of the Best of Michigan Tech staff) at a luncheon at noon on Wednesday, April 28. All nominees will be recognized and presented with certificates. Framed certificates will be presented to BOB Award recipients.

Over 75 nominations were received in categories such as Best Customer Service, Cleanest Building, Spark Plug and Best Supervisor. Employees from the following departments were nominated: Admissions, Affirmative Programs, Auxiliary Services--MUB, Biomedical Engineering, Building Custodial Services, Career Center, Central Ticket Office, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Computer Science, DHH, EERC, Electrical and Computer Engineering, First Year Programs, Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Graduate School, Human Resources, Instructional Resource Services, IT-EERC, Mathematical Sciences, MEEM, Office of Student Records and Registration, Rozsa Center, School of Business and Economics, SDC, Student Affairs, University Relations, Van Pelt Library, Vice Provost for Instruction, Walker and the Writing Center. A complete list of nominees is available on the Staff Council web site at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/staff_council/ .

Tickets for the luncheon are $6 and can be purchased from any Staff Council representative or alternate, or you can contact Becky Christianson at 370-4976 or rwchrist@mtu.edu . Tickets must be purchased by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 22. No tickets will be sold at the door. The luncheon will feature the Memorial Union's Mexican buffet.

6. BROKAW RECEIVES FULBRIGHT

Professor Alan Brokaw (SBE) has received a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant in business administration at the University of Tartu in Estonia.

Brokaw will be working on the development of case courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, on brand equity research and on curriculum design.

The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program offers two- to six-week grants to leading U.S. academics and professionals to support curricular and faculty development and institutional planning in academic institutions in 140 countries around the world. Created to complement the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program which was started in 1946, the Senior Specialists Program aims at increasing the number of faculty and professionals who have the opportunity to go abroad on a Fulbright.

For more information on the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program, visit the CIES Web site at http://www.cies.org .

7. UNDERGRADUATE EXPO AND MEEM SENIOR DESIGN DAY APRIL 22

Undergraduate Expo 2004 and Mechanical Engineering Design Day will feature dozens of senior design, Enterprise and undergraduate research projects on April 22. Projects will be on display 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Additional MEEM projects will be displayed 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Cuskie Design and Creativity Center on the second floor of the MEEM.

Students will give oral presentations during the day, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., in rooms 111, 112 and 1021 of the ME-EM building.

8. BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT FEATURES STUDENT PROJECTS

Back to School Night will be hosted by the Keweenaw Chapter of Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends in conjunction with Undergraduate Expo 2004 on Wednesday, April 21, 7-9 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballrooms.

There is no charge for this event and no registration is necessary. Light refreshments will be provided by the Michigan Tech Alumni Association.

9. BANQUET HONORS GRADUATING HAANA MEMBERS

The fifth annual "Honoring Today's Achievers and Tomorrow's Leaders" banquet for graduating members of HAANA (Hispanic, African American, Native American) will be held Friday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Franklin Square Inn's Superior Room.

The public is welcome to attend. The buffet menu will include pistachio chicken, roast beef, shrimp and mixed vegetables, steamed and fried rice and vegetarian egg rolls. Reservations are required and must be made by April 21. Tickets for the buffet are $20. A dessert reception to meet the presenter and celebrate with the graduates will be held from 8 to 8:30 p.m. at no cost. You may call 487-2920 for more information or reservations.

Keynote speaker Darnishia L. Slade will address the graduates. She received her BS in Business Administration from Michigan Tech in 1997 and earned an international business certificate with an emphasis on global business management from Jyvaskyla Polytechnic in Jyvaskyla, Finland. She also attended the Up With People Leadership Program. In 1997 she was the recipient of the Michigan Tech and Dow Corporation Percy Julian Leadership Award.

She has been the youth support director with the Mosaic Youth Theatre in Detroit since 2002. She emphasizes academic success, emotional health and well-being in her work with approximately 140 young artists.

HAANA will also be hosting the presentation of this year's Percy Julian Award, which recognizes an MTU undergraduate who has demonstrated leadership in the promotion of social equality and racial/ethnic and cultural understanding. It commemorates chemist and civil rights activist Percy L. Julian (1899-1975).

Outreach and Multiethnic Programs and the Office of Student Affairs sponsor the event along with a generous contribution from the Dow Chemical Company Foundation.

10. TRAVEL REMINDER FROM ACCOUNTING

All travel on university business outside the U.S. and Canada must have the prior written permission of the president. International travel expenses include expenditures incurred for travel, meals, lodging, passport fees, airport taxes, exchange rate fees and fluctuations and other items necessary for the conduct of university business. The source of the currency exchange rate used to complete the travel expense voucher (such as the date, bank or web site used) must be indicated on the voucher. One currency converter can be accessed at http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic .

No foreign travel reimbursements will be made until the presidential approval is received by Accounting.

11. MTU PRESCHOOL OPEN ENROLLMENT HAS BEGUN

MTU Preschool open enrollment for fall classes for children ages 3-5 has begun. All interested families are welcome. MTU Preschool is a non-profit, community preschool located in the Daniell Heights Community Building. Space is limited. Call 487-2720 for enrollment forms and information.

12. TEACHING AT TECH: THREE VIEWS OF LEARNING

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

Watson, Pavlov, slobbering dogs, mice and rats running through mazes pressing levers for rewards is the stuff of behavioral psychology. In education, behaviorism gave rise to teaching machines, measurable learning outcomes, computer-assisted instruction and multiple guess tests.* Behaviorists believed that learning is governed by a small set of immutable principles that are effectively beyond the conscious control of the learner. So-called "complex" human behaviors were to be understood as amalgamations of smaller bits of behavior inculcated in learners through a carefully designed series of rewards and punishments. Carrot-and-stick inducements gained their rightful place in a teacher's toolbelt as did the notion of the university as a learning factory providing appropriate stimulations, rewards and punishments to encourage the orderly creation of educated people. Failure means inadequate or malfunctioning mental apparatus; hence the unquestioning valuing of IQ, SAT, ACT.

Cognitivism shifted the emphasis from maneuvering a limited set of stimulus-response patterns to understanding the role of a much larger array of internal mental processes that may mediate human experience. Learning is achieved by those internal mental processes by which one repeatedly reorganizes one's world of concepts, memories and ideas in response to new experiences. Some cognitive psychologists emphasized the idea that individuals vary greatly in their manner of processing and focused their study on understanding this individual and developmental variability. Learning style and learning preference schemes rest on the notion that individuals tend to exhibit a limited number of identifiable patterns of mental functioning that largely determine their capacity and affinity for certain modes of mental stimulation.

Other cognitive psychologists, seeking to describe this wider array of mental processes while ignoring individual differences, have likened human brains to computers and compare elements of human thinking to the various sorts of schemes that programmers employ to feign human decision making.

Many contemporary educators subscribe to another school of thought that emphasizes the overwhelmingly individualistic nature of human cognition. Constructivists characterize human learning as a process that involves individuals constantly crafting and recrafting a working mental draft of reality out of their highly-interpreted and very different life experiences. Constructivists suggest that any body of knowledge actually involves a group of people temporarily agreeing to a common interpretation of some shared phenomenon. Like-minded people may reach agreement primarily because their interpretation favors their own cause. One person's truth is quite often another's heresy. The most extreme expression of this view is termed solipsism; the notion that each of us lives in our own private world in which all shared understandings may be comforting but, by definition, are fundamentally only illusory.

Lingering vestiges of these schools of thought may color our present views of human learning and teaching. If training the brain is like strengthening the body, then carefully crafted lectures (stimulations) followed by repeated mental exercises (homework and classroom drills) culminating in demonstrations of mastery or failure (exams) would do the trick. If, however, teaching requires creatively engaging highly variable mental processes, then more active learning modes might prove more effective and equitable for the individuals who populate our classes.

If, however, profound and lasting learning first involves students choosing to value the insights of others over their own, then effective teaching, as Aristotle observed long ago, might rest on winning of the heart as well as challenging the mind.

*Donovan, M., Bransford, J., & Pelligrino, J. (Eds.) How people learn: Bridging Research and Practice. Washington, DC: National Research Council, US Dept. of Education, 1999.

13. MICHIGAN TECH PRESENTS "CABARET"

The Department of Fine Arts dinner theater production of the hit musical "Cabaret" opens April 15 for six performances in McArdle Theatre. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. with a German buffet dinner featuring a variety of dishes inspired by the musical's setting in 1930s Berlin. "Cabaret," with an all-student cast of actors and dancers, is directed by Associate Professor Richard Blanning (Fine Arts), with music directed by Tony Locatelli and choreography by Lindsay Springer.

"Cabaret" became famous both as a ground-breaking Broadway show and as an Oscar-winning 1972 movie directed by Bob Fosse, starring Liza Minelli. It's the story of young expatriates caught up in the tawdry glamour of 1930s Berlin, the grand old capital brought low by World War I and the Depression, at the time of the Nazis' rise to power. The musical brings that world to life through the eyes of Sally Bowles, an aspiring singer-dancer in one of Berlin's seedy nightclubs. Sally's would-be sophistication and naiveté in dealing with an Old World full of sinister secrets frame the show's compelling story. The script by Joe Masteroff, and the well-known score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, full of rousing songs, dances and fun, capture both the gaiety and the hidden desperation of artists living on the fringes of a wounded society.

Michigan Tech's "Cabaret" stars Erin Kauppila as Sally, Andy Baltensperger as Cliff, Matt Lutze as the Emcee, Patrick Watza as Ernst, Angelina Mulzer as Fraulein Schneider, and Patrick Mucha as Schultz, with two dozen cast members featured in a variety of supporting roles. In "Cabaret," even the stage band, directed by Locatelli, takes on its own role in the Kit Kat Club.

The set, costume, sound and lighting designs for "Cabaret" are the work of students in the technical theatre program under the supervision of faculty advisors Assistant Professor Christopher Plummer and Assistant Professor Mary Carol Friedrich (Fine Arts). The costume designer is Elizabeth Allec-Dupret and the sound designer Matt Black.

The audience is part of the show in "Cabaret" and will be seated at tables of two, four and eight, plus a special section of 12 "bar" seats adjacent to the stage. Tickets, including food, beverages and the show, are $30, and will be available only until 5 p.m. the day prior to each performance. Meals for those on special diets can be arranged by calling the Rozsa Box Office (487-3200). Tickets are available at the Rozsa, http://www.tickets.mtu.edu , and other Michigan Tech ticket outlets. "Cabaret" is intended for an adult audience.

14. PRIDE WEEK 2004 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Keweenaw Pride is holding several events to commemorate Pride Week, April 19-24, and promote awareness and education on gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other queer topics and issues. "Our ongoing hope for Pride Week is also to show students that GLBT people are not in any way different than anyone else and we do have a presence at Michigan Tech," organizers said.

On Monday, there will be free pizza and bowling from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Memorial Union Lanes.

A roundtable held in conjunction with the Keweenaw chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, "Same Sex Marriage vs. Civil Unions," will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom B1. Discussion will include differences between civil unions, civil marriage and religious marriage.

On Wednesday, everyone is invited to observe National Day of Silence by remaining silent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in order to reflect what might happen if a friend or loved one's life were taken in an act of violence because they were perceived as being a member of the GLBT community. For more information, visit http://www.dayofsilence.org .

On Wednesday evening, a comedy night with Elvira Kurt and the Troupe will be held at 9 p.m. in the Memorial Union Commons. Kurt has been featured on "Comedy Central Presents," Showtime, HBO and the Oxygen Network and was nominated by college students as the U.S. College Comedian and Entertainer of the Year. The Troupe will be closing the evening with their classic improvisational comedy and skits.

"Guess the Straight Person" will be in the West McNair Lounge at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Join Residence Life in a exercise in breaking down stereotypes. A panel of students, faculty and staff will give details about themselves and allow the audience to ask simple questions. The audience then votes for whom they determine to be straight or gay on the panel. A discussion about stereotypes will follow.

The Fourth Annual Drag Show with Amateur Competition will be held Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The show will feature lip syncing by five professional drag queens as well as an amateur competition in which MTU students will compete.

On Saturday, "Pride Rocks," a concert featuring local bands, will be held at 9:30 p.m. at ExUrban Exchange.

Kurt's visit is cosponsored by Keweenaw Pride and N.I.T.E. and is funded by the student activity fee.

15. FUN RUN APRIL 25

MTU students are inviting everyone to "Go for a jog and help a dog" on Sunday, April 25.

The Alpha Society is sponsoring a Fun Run to support the Copper Country Humane Society's effort to construct a new shelter.

The two-mile loop run starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center parking lot. The entry fee is $5. You can register in advance at the front desk of any of the MTU residence halls by Friday, April 23, or at 1 p.m. on race day at the parking lot.

Checks may be made out to the Alpha Society. This run is open to all Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff as well as members of the Keweenaw community. "Please come out to join us, it will be a fun time," Alpha Society member Dany Peavy said.

16. BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES SOLD OUT

"Einstein of the banjo" Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, the two Wooten brothers, come to town for one performance only at the Rozsa Center on Sunday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m.

"Judging by the roar of greeting from the sold out crowd when they came on stage in 1994, they were already well known and they gave a dynamite concert. We're sold out this time too, but it's worth putting your name on the waiting list at the box office if you failed to get a ticket," says Valerie Pegg, director of Great Events at the Rozsa. "Béla and the Flecktones' fame has rocketed since they were first here."

Popular shows often sell out early. If there's a show you don't want to miss, consider buying your tickets as soon as they are available or purchasing a subscription to the Great Events series. To be put on the waiting list for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, contact the Rozsa Center Box Office at 487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

The visit of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones to Michigan Tech is sponsored by the James & Margaret Black Endowment and is coordinated by the MTU Great Events Series Office (487-2844).

17. TALK APRIL 20 ON "DARWIN'S DILEMMA"

In 1859, in "On the Origin of Species," Darwin pointed to what he viewed as the greatest challenge facing his theory of evolution: the lack of a rich fossil record predating the rise of shelly invertebrate animals that marks the beginning of the Cambrian Period of geological time, about 550 million years ago.

Science now has the tools to address this challenge, says J. William Schopf, director of the Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life at the University of California at Los Angeles. He will present "Earth's Earliest Fossils: Solution to Darwin's Dilemma" on Tuesday, April 20, at 4 p.m. in Dow 641.

Darwin stated that the lack of such a record could be "truly urged as a valid argument" against his theory. And, for more than 100 years, the missing Precambrian history of life has stood out as one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in natural science.

In recent decades, however, life's early history has finally begun to be unearthed as the fossil record has been extended to some 3.5 billion years ago, an age more than three-quarters that of the planet itself. An immense early fossil record now reveals a microbe-dominated evolutionary progression that stretches seven times farther into the geologic past than had previously been imagined.

As this new science has matured, hundreds of ancient fossils have been discovered. Two techniques have been devised to help determine whether the alleged fossil is indeed the remnant of a living organism.

First, ion microprobe spectroscopy can now measure the carbon isotopic composition of microscopic fossils, which provides evidence of their ancient physiologies.

Second, laser-raman imagery can determine the chemical-structural composition of such fossils, which can confirm the biological origin of the carbon-based matter in their petrified cell walls and demonstrates the presence of cell lumina, the cellular spaces that define biological systems.

In addition to directing the Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life, Schopf is a professor of paleobiology at UCLA and a member of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, the Molecular Biology Institute and the National Academy of Sciences.

For more information on Schopf's visit, contact James Wood, 487-2894, jrw@mtu.edu

18. LECTURE APRIL 19 ON ETHICS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Ethics and technology expert Rosalyn W. Berne will present a public lecture, "The Ethical Dimensions of Nanotechnology," on Monday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in Dow 641.

Berne is an assistant professor of technology, culture and communication in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia. She studies the systems of ethics and belief inside the development of nanotechnology. Recently her research has focused on the societal implications of nanotechnology.

She earned all of her degrees at the University of Virginia, beginning with a BA in Rhetoric and Communication Studies in 1979; an MA in the same field in 1981, and her PhD in Religious Studies (Ethics) in 1998. Her academic career spans 22 years of administration and teaching.

Berne is supported by a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. She received a Teaching and Service Award in 2003 from University of Virginia School of Engineering. Berne has numerous publications to her credit, including "An Intergenerational Experience in Engineering Education," which appeared in spring 2003 Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society; and "Human-Machine Co-Evolution: Recognizing Mythology in Visions of New Technology," in the spring 2003 edition of IEEE, Technology and Society Magazine.

Berne's talk is the latest in a series of public lectures on various aspects of nanoscale science and technology. They are made possible by support from the National Science Foundation, from the College of Engineering, College of Science and Arts, and Office of Educational Opportunity.

19. EARTH WEEK FEATURES WOLF, MOOSE, BAT TALKS

Professor Rolf Peterson (SFRES) will speak on his longstanding research on wolves and moose Monday, April 19, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Commons.

Graduate student Laura Kruger (SFRES) will give a presentation on bats in abandoned mines on Wednesday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to noon in the ROTC Blue Room.

Two more wolf talks are set for Thursday, April 22. DNR wildlife biologist James Hammill will speak at noon in the ROTC Blue Room, and Adrian P. Wydeven of the Wisconsin DNR will speak at 5:30 p.m. in Noblet G002. Both will discuss their experiences studying wolves.

20. IMMIGRATION LAW SEMINAR APRIL 19

Attorney Todd Wagenmaker is sponsoring a free immigration law seminar, "How to Become a U.S. Citizen," Monday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge B.

Wagenmaker has served as an immigration attorney for six years and has won over 90 percent of his cases. He is a member of the Michigan and Missouri Bar Associations and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He earned his bachelor's degree from Calvin College and his master's degree from Westminster Theological Seminary.

21. TALKS APRIL 21 ON BURNOUT, CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY

Inspirational speaker Michael Scott Karpovich will give two free talks at Michigan Tech on Wednesday, April 21, "Avoiding Burnout" at 3 p.m. and "The Art of Taking Care of Your Community," at 7 p.m. Both will be in Fisher 135.

Karpovich discusses the effects of burnout on both a personal and professional level and how obligations and a loss of perspective promote burned out feelings in people. Karpovich will introduce and demonstrate specific skills that prevent burnout.

He is known for his presentations that guide employers and employees in how to take care of themselves during periods of change. Highlights include the six stages of burnout and setting healthy boundaries. Audiences learn how to maintain perspective and set boundaries that empower the individual as well as positively affect their company, colleagues, employees, friends and family.

Karpovich has no depth perception and is dyslexic. At age four, doctors diagnosed him with brain damage, but his parents refused to accept this evaluation. Finally, a psychologist said that "he is either retarded or a genius." Karpovich says that he opted to be a genius. By the age of 30, he had worked as a farmer, high school drama coach, radio disc jockey, counselor and college instructor.

Karpovich is often asked to keynote state, regional and national conventions across the United States and Canada. He is best known for his work as an inspirational keynoter for educational professionals, health care associations and mental health professionals.

He is the youngest person ever to be president of the Professional Speakers Association of Michigan and is one of only four honorary lifetime members of the New England Speakers Association. In 1994, the National Speakers Association granted him the Certified Speaking Professional credential, making him one of fewer than 400 people worldwide and the second youngest to receive this prized credential.

Karpovich's visit is sponsored at Michigan Tech by Student Affairs and Educational Opportunity.

22. SUSTAINABLE FUTURES INSTITUTE WORKSHOP APRIL 21

The MTU community is invited to attend a Sustainable Futures Institute (SFI) workshop to explore its activities and potential collaborative sustainability research and educational opportunities. The workshop will be held in conjunction with Earth Week activities on Wednesday, April 21, at 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Peninsula Room.

Participation from the entire MTU community, including faculty, staff and students, is encouraged.

The mission of the newly formed SFI is to create and disseminate new tools, methods, knowledge and technologies that promote environmental, economic and societal sustainability.

23. GREAT LAKES PLASTICS PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS ENTREPRENEURSHIP

George Kronschnabel, president of Great Lakes Plastics, will speak on his experiences as an entrepreneur at the Entrepreneurs and Inventors Club meeting Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in EERC 100.

Kronschnabel served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, earned a BS in Physics from St. Thomas University, and studied at the Graduate School of Sales and Marketing at Syracuse University. He rose to the position of president at Union Brass Co., and currently is President of Great Lakes Plastics Corp.

He received the Manufacturer of the Year award in 1984 from the Association of Industry Manufacturers and serves on the Small Business and Labor Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

24. "TAKING CARE OF STUDENTS" WORKSHOP APRIL 22

A workshop, "Taking Care of Students," will be hosted by the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development Thursday, April 22, from noon to 1 p.m. Lunch will be available at 11:45 a.m. to those who register by Monday, April 19.

Michael Scott Karpovich will discuss how instructors can effectively connect with students in trouble. He will identify symptoms of students experiencing burnout for a variety of causes. Karpovich struggled with a host of difficulties including dyslexia and other neurological challenges. He will share insights to assist educators and support staff in helping students to succeed in school and in life.

To register for this workshop, please contact the CTLFD, 487-2046, by Monday, April 19.

25. MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY

Eric T. Baumgartner of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will present a MEEM graduate seminar, "Driving Rovers on Mars: Challenges and Opportunities Associated with Robotic Planetary Explorers," Thursday, April 15, 3-4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

26. THOMAS LYNCH TO PRESENT WORKSHOP ON DEATH AND DYING APRIL 26

Author and poet Thomas Lynch will present a workshop, "The Good Death, Good Grief and Good Funerals," on Monday, April 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Rozsa Center, preceded by a book signing at 5 p.m.

Grief management, the meaning and value of funeral rites that transport both the living and the dead to the borders of changed reality, and end-of-life will be discussed. Lynch will also employ readings, lecture and discussion to place human mortality within social, cultural, medical and spiritual contexts.

He is the author of three collections of poetry and his essay collection, "The Undertaking--Life Studies from the Dismal Trade," won The American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, Harper's, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Times of London.

Lynch is currently a funeral director in Milford. A graduate of Wayne State University's Department of Mortuary Science, he holds an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Oakland University. He regularly presents to professional conferences of funeral directors, hospsice and medical ethics professionals, clergy, counselors, educators and business leaders.

For more information on the workshop, contact Rich Featherly of Portage Health at 483-1152 or Tim Ryan at 337-2220. For information on free busing from Mohawk and Calumet, contact Ryan.

This workshop is sponsored by Phi Kappa Theta, Portage Health Systems, BCM, Portage Lake Hospice, AARP of Michigan, Keweenaw Home Nursing & Hospice, Community Coalition on Grief and Bereavement, Tim Collison, Brown Wilbert, Batesville and Manger & Son.

NEW STAFF

Chadd Braine has joined the Athletic Department as assistant football coach, line backers. He was previously employed as assistant football coach, defense backers, at the University of South Dakota. Braine received his BS and ME from East Stroudsburg University. He lives in Houghton.

IN THE NEWS

Research Assistant Professor John Vucetich and Professor Rolf Peterson (SFRES) are featured in a Sciencenews.com article about their research on wolves and ravens on Isle Royale. They've discovered that ravens may have a significant effect on the size of wolf packs since they may steal wolves' food. The study was coauthored with with Tom Waite of Ohio State University. To read the article, visit http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040327/fob6.asp

NEW FUNDING

John Lehman, Youth Programs coordinator, has received a $4,710 award from DAPCEP for his project, "DAPCEP--ITEST/MTU Engineering Enterprise."

Professor David Nelson (Biomedical Engineering) received a $25,783 award from the Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative for his project, "Market Analysis and Development Plan for Non-Contact Skin Blood Flow Meter."

IN PRINT

Assistant Professor Dana Johnson (SBE) published "Adaptation of Organizational Change Models to the Implementation of Quality Standard Requirements" in the International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 21, No. 2.

ON THE ROAD

Special Assistant to the Provost and Associate Professor Mary Durfee (Social Sciences) participated in "Roundtable on Teaching International Law in an Age of Hegemony" at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association in Montreal in March. Her remarks were titled "Strangepower: Or How I Stopped Worrying about American Hegemony and Came to Love Teaching International Law."

CALENDAR: April

6 p.m.--Pride Week: roundtable, "Same Sex Marriage vs. Civil Unions"--Memorial Union Ballroom B1

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 906-487-2280. More information regarding employment opportunities is available by calling the Job Line at 487-2895 or visiting http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/ . Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.

1. MROZ PRESENTS REORGANIZATION TO SENATE