1. THE NIGHT SKY: LIVE DAILY ON A COMPUTER NEAR YOU

If you lie on your back in one of the world’s best stargazing spots and you have better than perfect vision, you might see the firmament as portrayed on Robert Nemiroff’s Night Sky Live webpage.

The webpage, at http://www.nightskylive.net, is part of the CONCAM (for “CONtinuous CAMera”) sky monitoring project, which was started in in 1999 by physics professor Nemiroff and former graduate dean Bruce Rafert. “We wanted to record the night sky for posterity,” Nemiroff says.

The page displays photos taken by cameras with fisheye lenses at some of the world’s major observatories. The images are then sent via computer and posted on the website, creating a continuous record of the night sky.

CONCAMs, which fit in briefcase-size plastic cases, may be the world’s smallest astronomical observatories. Unlike big, high-powered telescopes, they show the entire sky from sites scattered all over the world, so the CONCAM network is much more likely to capture unusual cosmic events than a large telescope narrowly focused on, say, a distant galaxy that’s invisible to the naked eye.

Nemiroff and Rafert deployed their first CONCAM in April 2000, and the project has grown bigger and more sophisticated ever since. Currently, they have 10 CONCAMs at major observatories in Hawaii, California, Arizona, Florida, Chile, the Canary Islands, South Africa, Israel and Australia.

Night Sky Live isn’t just for astronomers. It brings telescopic images to anyone with curiosity and access to a networked computer. “If you are in Australia and you can’t see the lunar eclipse happening on the other side of the world, you can see it on Night Sky Live,” Nemiroff says. Then, if you want, you can ask questions and post comments on the Night Sky Live bulletin board.

Scientific American honored Night Sky Live with a 2004 Science & Technology Web Award (see http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000A801B-3EE7-115C-BEE783414B7F0000 ). The page also got a mention in the Oct. 15 edition of Science in its NetWatch section.

Night Sky Live has received funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA and Michigan Tech, and is maintained with the help of several undergraduates and two graduate students, Tilvi Vithal and Lior Shamir.

With Night Sky Live and his other web endeavor, Astronomy Picture of the Day (see http://apod.nasa.gov/), Nemiroff has accidentally found himself managing two great sites for anyone with an interest in the cosmos.

“The Night Sky Live project was not originally intended to be an outreach tool,” he says. “Its primary purpose remains scientific discovery, although we feel it does have significant outreach potential.”

When they created the Astronomy Picture of the Day site in 1995, Nemiroff and his co-author, Jerry Bonnell of the Universities Space Research Association, aimed to stem what Nemiroff calls “the rising tide of unannotated and bizarrely misunderstood astronomy images from flooding the web.”

Bad astronomy is still alive and well on the web, but the Astronomy Picture of the Day has been good for other things, including providing source material for Nemiroff’s 2003 coffee table book, “The Universe: 365 Days.” And thousands of Internet users find plenty of good science every day at Night Sky Live and APOD.

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2. WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS SHORTENED

The official university hours during Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 27-29, will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Offices must be staffed during these hours. During the remainder of the work day, employees may work, take vacation, or take time off without pay. As usual, vacation and time off without pay require a supervisor's approval.

The university will be closed on the Christmas and New Year's holidays, Dec. 23-24 and Dec. 30-31.

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3. CHEN RECEIVES NIH GRANT TO HELP FIND DISEASE-CAUSING GENES

The newly mapped human genome is providing scientists vast amounts of data to mine for the genetic causes of complex diseases ranging from cancer to cystic fibrosis. Associate Professor Huann-Sheng Chen (Mathematical Sciences) has received a $142,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, to help search for disease-causing genes.

To track the genetic causes of disease, researchers study the DNA of individuals in families or unrelated individuals in large populations and identify which genes pop up among those individuals who develop a certain disease. Scientists then use that information to determine the likelihood that those carrying that gene will actually get the disease.

It's a tricky business. Most complex diseases aren't inherited as simply as brown eyes, Chen notes. Many genes may come into play before an individual actually becomes sick. Plus, environmental factors ranging from what you eat to the quality of the air you breathe can also influence the course of disease development.

To add to the confusion, many healthy individuals are carriers of a gene predisposing them to the disease, Chen says, making it that much harder to narrow down which genes may be the culprits. For example, a perfectly healthy child may have a gene predisposing them to come down with Alzheimer's disease in 70 years.

With the support of the NIH grant, Chen aims to develop statistical methods that will take a major factor in disease, its age of onset, into account.

For example, some people may have the gene for a disease but die before they develop it," he says. "So, if we incorporate information on age-of-onset in our analysis, we should be able to better identify which genetic markers are linked to a given disease."

Once the statistical methods are validated, they can be applied to DNA analysis in larger populations, allowing researchers to better understand the genetic underpinnings of many age-related conditions, from heart disease to prostate cancer.

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4. LEGO ROBOT CHALLENGE COMING TO TECH

If you remember using LEGOs to build walls or little houses, you haven't seen LEGOs lately. Think robots. Think programmable movement.

Elementary and middle school teams from all over the western and central U.P. will converge on the Michigan Tech campus Nov. 13 to show what they can do with these 21st-century LEGOs.

It is part of the nationwide FIRST LEGO League. Each September, all teams receive the challenge, which changes each year. The teams use the LEGO Mindstorms robotic invention system to make a robot capable of completing the challenge's various missions. They have eight weeks to do so.

The 2004 challenge is called "No Limits," with robots performing missions related to technology to help people with disabilities.

Each team also does a research project on how robot technology can help people with disabilities. Students use LEGO bricks and other elements--such as sensors, motors and gears--to gain hands-on experience in engineering and computer programming.

The event will draw 36 teams from all over the U.P. and is the second largest regional tournament in the state. Michigan Tech's Robotics Systems Enterprise and the Western U.P. Center for Math, Science and Environmental Education will host the regional. Regional sponsors are Michigan Tech's Engineering Fundamentals Department, the Michigan Tech College of Engineering and McGann Building Supply.

The action starts at 8 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, at the varsity gym at the Student Development Complex. Teams will continue with their robot competitions and their presentations until 3 p.m. Closing ceremonies will take place at 3:30 p.m.

"This is a great way for these students to take what they are learning in math and science classes and apply it to a real problem," said Shawn Oppliger, director of the Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.

FIRST means "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." The organization was formed to interest high school students in science by sponsoring a competition with full-sized robots. FIRST LEGO League is the farm system for the FIRST competition.

For information about the competition, contact Oppliger at 482-0331 or sopplige@ccisd.k12.mi.us. For more information about FIRST LEGO League, visit http://www.firstlegoleague.org and http://www.michiganfll.org.

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5. DINING SERVICES TO HOLD PUMPKIN PIE SALE

Residential Dining Services will be holding their fourth annual pumpkin pie sale. The nine-inch homemade pumpkin pies sell for only $2.95 each. Pies can be ordered by calling 487-2664 and asking for Nate or by e-mailing nrkental@mtu.edu. The pies must be ordered by 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19. Pumpkin pie pick up will be in the Wadsworth Hall cafeteria from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

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6. WRITING CENTER DEMONSTRATES INNOVATION AT CONFERENCE

Michigan Tech’s writing center coaches turned heads with their innovative approach to coaching at the Midwest Writing Centers Association Conference in St. Cloud, Minn., Nov. 4-6. The five undergraduates presented two posters for the research fair that showcased their work with MTU’s International GTA Assistance Program (IGTAAP) and the World Cultures Study Teams.

The IGTAAP consists of weekly meetings for international GTAs with writing coaches. The GTAs work on their English skills, and the writing coaches get to learn about the cultures of the GTAs. The World Cultures Study Teams meet twice a week to do supplemental exercises for the World Cultures course in a group with a coach.

“The posters were extremely well-received,” said Assistant Director of the MTU Writing Center Sylvia Matthews. “They made MTU proud. They worked hard on [the posters]; they were really works of art.”

The students who attended include Jill Heltunen (Humanities), Jenelle Holloman (Biological Sciences), Maribeth Powers (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Rachel Vonck (Chemistry) and Madie Xiong (Computer Science). Lori Rogers (PhD student Humanities), Learning Specialist Jill Arola (Humanities) and Matthews also participated in a panel presentation with the coaches.

The panel presentation, "Responding to the New London Call for Multiliteracies Pedagogy: Transforming Our Institutions Through Ethical Designs,” touched on their direct, hands-on approach, which is quite opposite from the common minimalist approach used in most university writing centers.

“The audience was really receptive,” said Holloman. “What we do in our center is very different from what other centers are doing, and people were interested in our technique.”

Vonck said, “We sort of ruffled some feathers; people were surprised to hear how we spend time developing relationships with students and were surprised at how much work we put in with them.”

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7. PER DIEM RATES CHANGE

Effective Oct. 1, the IRS has changed the meal per diem rates for some key cities. The website at http://www.policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/travel.htm should be consulted for the new rates when completing travel vouchers. Although the standard per diem rate remains at $31 per day, Houghton has now been added as an IRS key city with a per diem rate of $35 per day. This per diem rate must be claimed on the day returning home.

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8. TRAVEL REMINDERS

Travel advance forms for airline tickets must be sent to Accounts Payable as soon as reservations have been made at the local travel agency. This includes e-tickets.

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9. GOLF COURSE PRO SHOP OPEN FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

The Portage Lake Golf Course ended the golfing season on Oct. 26, but the Pro Shop will remain open through Dec. 23. The hours are Monday and Wednesday, 2-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Please visit to buy or order Christmas gifts. For more information or special requests, call 487-2641 or email golfcourse@mtu.edu.

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10. LIBRARY FRIENDS ASK YOU TO COLLECT ECONO RECEIPTS

Again this year the Friends of the Van Pelt Library are asking everyone on campus to collect receipts from Econo Foods. Econo donates 1 percent of the value of each receipt toward computer purchases for the library’s public areas. Last year's collections resulted in a $570 donation from Econo.

Receipts may be dropped off in the box at the circulation desk in the library. If you want to be a real friend, you can set up a collection box in your work area and collect Econo receipts from your colleagues. Receipts may be sent by campus mail to Mary Marchaterre (Administration Computing Services) in the Administration Building. Any questions can be directed to Faith Morrison at fmorriso@mtu.edu.

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11. TEACHING AT TECH--GRADING BY OBJECTIVE

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

If you enroll in Blair Orr's FW4080-Forest Economics and Finance course, your final course grade will be determined by your demonstrated mastery of some portion of the stated objectives associated with the course. Early in the course, students are presented with a substantial list of objectives grouped according to desired grade level. To earn a D in the course, for example, you would have to demonstrate mastery of a dozen fundamental course-related skills such as calculation of present net worth, soil expectation value, relevant discounting and compounding formulae, real and normal interest rates, financial rotation lengths, cutting cycles and managed forest values, and a mastery of a variety of course-related spreadsheet and writing objectives.

To earn a C, you still demonstrate mastery of those skills in the D list and add those contained in the C list. Mastery of skills is demonstrated in many ways. "Most of the graded work comes in the form of computer lab exercises, announced quizzes and the completion of take-home worksheets," says Orr. The C objectives require mastery of auction theory and application, cost/benefit calculations, market segregation, risk and valuation, taxation issues, sensitivity analysis and a number of more complex data management and writing tasks.

To earn a B in the course, students must demonstrate mastery of the D and C objectives, plus provide evidence of a working grasp of regional economics, perform an economic analysis of three counties, and write a five-page paper discussing the Society of American Foresters Code of Ethics or submit two short papers reviewing scholarly articles from specified scientific journals.

To earn an A, students must complete all course objectives and submit and orally defend an eight-page paper on an approved topic relating to aesthetics, economics and the morality of economic and financial decisions. Alternatively, students may elect to produce and defend an essay discussing the relationship of this course to the broader curriculum.

Many demonstrations of skill mastery require repeated displays of performance. Orr believes that repeated retrievals and applications are necessary to firm up new concepts that will be used again and again. Completion of most course objectives is not associated with particular due dates, with the obvious exception of the timely submission of early drafts of papers.

In general, lower grade level objectives are associated with basic knowledge, theory and application. Achievement of higher course grades requires that students develop and display more integrated understandings of higher-order course material.

While the system is not perfect, Orr thinks it's an improvement over grading exams and assigning grades based purely on test performance. During the semester, he keeps track of student progress on a spreadsheet and regularly updates students on their progress along the way.

Some students are put off by the rigor of Orr's standards in certifying that they have, indeed, completed one of the course objectives. Poor quality work doesn't get an objective checked off in this course. "If you were working for a company, C-level work wouldn't keep you employed," Orr observed.

Initial impact of the system? Average students seem to learn more with the new system while the impact on the learning of students who would probably have earned As using a more traditional course design is less noticeable. In general, most students seem to like the system, especially its flexible due dates that allow them to budget their time with other courses.

Orr developed this system after attending a conference program that presented a similar protocol. He is still fine tuning his version and is willing to share his insights with colleagues.

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12. DIWALI NIGHT: INDIAN FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT NOV. 18

Michigan Tech's Indian Student Association is holding its annual Diwali Night dinner and performance Thursday, Nov. 18, at Houghton High School.

The dinner, featuring a variety of dishes from India, including chicken curry and the popular potato-filled bread pockets known as samosas, is from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the performances from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Diwali, or Festival of Lights, is India's most extravagant celebration, not unlike Christmas in the U.S.

Tickets for the general public are $12 for the dinner and performance, $10 for the dinner only, and $5 for the performance only. The family plan for families with children under age 10 is $24. For families with at least one child over age 10 the price is $30.

For more information or to get tickets, contact Maruthi Devarakonda at 370-6073, mndevara@mtu.edu. More information on Diwali Night is available at http://www.sos.mtu.edu/isa/diwali.html .

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13. WIND SYMPHONY PLAYS SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FRIDAY

Michigan Tech's premier band, the Wind Symphony, will showcase rhythms and melodies from around the world in the Rozsa Center on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., assisted by the MTU International Club. Expect high spirits, excellent musicianship, a flair for entertainment and a few surprises from director Nick Enz and the more than 40 outstanding student musicians in the Wind Symphony.

"A Taste of Music From Around the World" features arrangements inspired by folk melodies of Europe, Asia and America by some of the finest composers of the last century. From Ireland to Korea, from Mexico to Cajun Louisiana, Arkansas to Russia, the Wind Symphony will capture the colors and emotions distilled in the music of many different lands.

All tickets are $4 for this concert, available from the Rozsa Center Box Office and at the door.

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14. VIENNA CHOIR BOYS MAKE MUSIC AT THE ROZSA

For over 500 years, the Vienna Choir Boys have been making music for the crowned heads of Europe. Now on their annual tour of the U.S., they’re visiting Houghton to present a concert at the Rozsa Center on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Rozsa Box Office, 487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., or online at http://tickets.mtu.edu. The concert is sponsored by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment, TIAA-CREF, and the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The rich tradition of Vienna’s musical life lives on with the remarkable Vienna Choir Boys. Their repertoire includes music from medieval times to the present, and their programs are always great audience pleasers. It’s difficult not to be moved by those angelic voices and the beautiful arrangements of secular and sacred classics as well as new pieces from around the world. They charm audiences with their skill and their enthusiasm and joy in the music.

In 1498 the Emperor Maximilian I of Austria moved his court and his court musicians from Innsbruck to Vienna, marking the official foundation date of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle (the Vienna Boys’ Choir). The institution is a living heritage that traces its roots to great names in the history of music. Musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri and Anton Bruckner worked with the choir. Some were choristers themselves, such as composer Franz Schubert and conductor Hans Richter. Until 1918, and the end of the Hapsburg empire, the choir sang exclusively for the court, at Mass, at private concerts and functions, and on state occasions. In 1921 the former court choir boys became the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Choir Boys), and the imperial uniform was replaced by the sailor suit. Since then they have toured all over the world. When not on summer break or on the road they continue the centuries-old tradition of singing Mass every Sunday in the Imperial Chapel.

Today 93 gifted choristers, who have been rigorously auditioned for their places in the choir, live, rehearse and attend school in the Augartenpalais, the choir school. On tour the group divides into four separate choirs who enjoy putting on a show as much as audiences enjoy hearing them.

The visit of the Vienna Choir Boys is coordinated by the MTU Great Events Series Office, 487-2844.

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15. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SEMINAR THURSDAY

The Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics will host a graduate seminar presented by Professor Steven Collicott of Purdue University. The presentation, "Capillary Fluids Topics in Zero and Finite Gravity," will take place Thursday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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16. CHEMISTRY COLLOQUIUM FRIDAY

Graduate students Sonali Jog and Barry Garchow (Chemistry) will present a chemistry colloquium, "Purification and Biochemical Characterization of an Alkaline Phytase from Lily Pollen," Friday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m. in Chem Sci 101. For more information, contact Haiying Liu, hyliu@mtu.edu, 487-3451.

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17. LEARN ABOUT THE ENTERPRISE PROGRAM TUESDAY

Learn about MTU’s Enterprise Program, in which students work on real-world projects sponsored by industry Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. in M&M 610. Students from several automotive-related Enterprise teams will describe their projects and give laboratory tours. This event is free and all are invited; light refreshments will be served. The event is sponsored by the Keweenaw Chapter of MTU Alumni & Friends. For more information, call 487-2400.

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18.PHYSICS COLLOQUIUM NOV. 18

Professor Dillip Kanhere of the University of Pune, India, and presently a visiting professor at MTU, will present a physics colloquium, "Melting in Finite Size Systems” on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 4 p.m., in Fisher 139. This talk will introduce the topic of melting in finite-sized systems and will examine the fundamental issues associated with melting of these nanoscale clusters. The results obtained by using ab initio density functional molecular dynamics will be presented to explain the observed higher-than-bulk melting in gallium and tin.

Kanehere is the director of the Center for Simulations and Modeling at the University of Pune. He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Science, a senior associate of the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, and a recipient of the prestigious Meghnath Saha award in theoretical science. For more information, contact Yoke Khin Yap at ykyap@mtu.edu or 487-2900, or Ranjit Pati at patir@mtu.edu or 487-3193.

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19. LUNCH AND LEARN-- HEALTHY HOLIDAY CHOICES

A lunch and learn titled “Warning! Holidays Ahead--How to Safely Navigate Through with Healthy Choices” will be held Thursday, Nov. 18, at noon in MUB Red Metal Room 105 A&B. The presenters are Terry Smythe, director of fitness at Keweenaw Memorial Rehab and Fitness Centers, and Tammy Hall, nutritionist, Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center.

The talk is free and open to all members of the Michigan Tech community; show your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Group 55248 identification card and be eligible to win some great prizes. Bring your lunch, soft drinks and water will be provided.

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20. CELEBRATE HENRY DAVID THOREAU

The Eco-Lit Reading Group will be hosting an evening of film and discussion on the life, times, relevance and contemporary significance of Henry David Thoreau and “Walden” Monday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the U. J. Noblet Forestry Building. Admission and refreshments are free; all are welcome.