1. PAC APPROVES NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS

The Presidential Advisory Committee approved four bachelor’s degree programs in fine arts and two in chemistry Feb. 9. If approved by the Board of Control and the State Board of Academic Officers, the programs will be instituted this fall.

The Department of Chemistry expects to offer BS degrees in Cheminformatics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The Department of Fine Arts anticipates offering its first degree programs: BS degrees in Theatre and Entertainment Technology and in Audio Production and Technology; and BA programs in Theatre and Entertainment Technology, and in Sound Design.

In addition, the PAC approved an interdisciplinary minor in nanoscale science and engineering and a certificate in actuarial science, based in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

In other business, the PAC
* approved a name change of the pre-law pre-professional program to Law and Society.
* voted to hold Homecoming 2005 one week earlier to avoid a schedule conflict with Family Weekend.
* heard that the evaluation of President Glenn Mroz was reasonably good, and that the evaluation instrument needs some work to facilitate analysis.
* began consideration of Proposal 22-05, Minor in Bioprocess Engineering, a joint proposal from the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biological Sciences.

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2. GERSHENSON TO RECEIVE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AWARD

John K. Gershenson has been selected by the Society of Automotive Engineers to receive a 2005 Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award.

Gershenson is being recognized along with 13 other recipients. He will receive the award on April 12 during the Honors Convocation at the SAE 2005 World Congress in Detroit.

This annual award recognizes outstanding engineering educators. The program underwrites the cost of bringing recipients to an SAE meeting to participate in industry tours and meetings with industry professionals, aquainting them with professional activities in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Established in 1965, this award is funded through a generous contribution by the late Ralph R. Teetor, the 1936 SAE president, who believed that engineering educators are the most effective link between engineering students and their future careers.

Gershenson is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics and directs the Life-cycle Engineering Laboratory. His research focuses on life-cycle product architecture and lean and sustainable design and manufacturing. His research interests include product and process architecture, product platforms, modular product design, lean manufacturing, lean engineering, life-cycle design and agile manufacturing processes. Research sponsors have included the National Science Foundation, General Motors, Ford, Lucent Technologies, SME and ALCOA.

Gershenson has advised some 135 capstone design groups over the last nine years. During his career, he has worked closely with industrial input to develop a suite of courses in manufacturing and a three-semester series in capstone design.

Gershenson has been honored with the National Science Foundation/Lucent Technologies Industrial Ecology Fellowship, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Leadership Development Award and the National Science Foundation Japan Institute Fellowship. He has served as the vice-chairman of the design theory and methodology committee within the ASME's Design Division and as a paper chair for the ASME IDETC conference, and has been a reviewer for the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence.

Gershenson is a graduate of Cornell University and Ohio State University and holds a doctorate from the University of Idaho.

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3. MICHIGAN TECH JOINS HACU

Michigan Tech has joined the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. As a HACU member, the university becomes part of a network of more than 390 colleges and universities in 31 states, Puerto Rico and seven countries in Latin America and Spain committed to Hispanic success in higher education.

"HACU is an outstanding association that will give us the chance to work with a new population of students, from pre-college to the graduate level and beyond," said Madeline Mercado Voelker, coordinator of Hispanic/Latino outreach. "In addition to enhancing recruitment opportunities, being part of HACU opens the door for us to work with the hundreds of universities in the U.S., Latin America and Spain that serve Hispanics."

MTU is one of three HACU members in the state, joining Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.

Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the U.S. and are expected to make up about 19 percent of the population by 2025.

HACU membership will help Michigan Tech provide additional scholarships for Hispanic students and enhance funding opportunities through the National Science Foundation's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant program.

In addition, MTU will be able to announce employment vacancies through HACU's newsletter publication, Voelker said, which should help the university's effort to diversify its faculty and staff.

Michigan Tech's membership in HACU is supported by the Office of Student Affairs.

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4. MICHIGAN TECH TO HOST HIGH SCHOOL MATH CONTEST

High school juniors from throughout the central and western Upper Peninsula are invited to participate in the MTU Math Competition, set for Saturday, April 16, at Michigan Technological University.

Participants will take an hour-long, multiple-choice test based on Michigan state standards for math education through the 11th grade. A $500 scholarship will be awarded to the highest-scoring participant who plans to major in math at Michigan Tech. A $250 scholarship will be given to the highest-scoring student planning to attend Michigan Tech, regardless of their major.

The competition is free and is open to any high school junior within the following intermediate school districts: Delta-Schoolcraft, Copper Country, Dickinson-Iron, Gogebic-Ontonagon, Marquette-Alger and Menominee.

"U.P. high schools are known for having strong math and science programs," said Professor Beverly Baartmans, the competition's director. "This is an opportunity for students who know they are good in math to find out that they are still good compared to students at other high schools."

"Our goals are to recognize and reward the U.P.'s 'mathletes' and outstanding high school math programs; to stimulate interest in mathematics; and to motivate high school students to pursue careers in mathematics, science or engineering," Baartmans said. "Last but not least, we're excited to be giving these mathletes a chance to have some fun being in a contest with prizes."

Trophies will be awarded to the schools of the top three teams, and the top 20 individual scorers will receive custom math T-shirts.

Up to 10 students from each high school can participate in the contest, and the top four scores will be totaled for the team score. Students in schools sending fewer than four students will compete as individuals.

Eleventh grade students who would like to participate in the MTU Math Competition should contact their math teachers. To register or for more information, schools should contact Baartmans by March 21 at bjgimmes@mtu.edu or 906-487-2908.

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5. STUDENT COMMISSION: PAVING THE WAY FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
(Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of articles on university initiatives that enhance recruitment and marketing.)

Going to school is a tough job all by itself. The Student Commission tries to make it a little easier.

"The Student Commission was formed to identify and eliminate potential barriers to student success," said Les Cook, vice president of student affairs. "It's a great group of faculty, students and staff, working collaboratively to address issues, define a plan and assist with implementation."

It's a broad area. The group has worked on projects ranging from installing more bike racks to supporting campus-wide wireless access.

The e-commerce initiative instituted this fall, allowing students to pay their bills online, was promoted by the committee. "Paper bills basically went away," Cook notes. And the absence of complaints seems to indicate that the new program is working smoothly.

The commission also looks for potential barriers in the classroom. Because some exams are being scheduled at times that are not in compliance with university rules, the commission has asked the University Senate's Instructional Policy Committee to take a look at the relevant policies and help develop solutions.

And the commission is looking at eliminating the requirement that both the instructor and the student's advisor approve class drops in the first week of the term, which may be excessively bureaucratic.

"We've also discussed returning to regular business hours a week earlier in the summer, since so many students and parents are in town then and they expect us to be open," Cook said.

Another key concern for students is recreation, including increasing opportunities on the main campus. "Because of the adventurous nature of our students and their interests in outdoor activities, we'd like to develop a more coordinated outdoor recreation program," Cook said. A subgroup of the commission is currently exploring different ideas.

Michigan Tech doesn't have a huge campus, but like any university, it can be hard for visitors (including prospective students and parents) to find their way around. So the Student Commission has spearheaded the installation of permanent maps. "We're in the process of identifying four or five 'you are here' locations," said Cook.

Besides the insights and ideas of its members, the Student Commission gathers hard data by surveying students on their likes and dislikes. Last year, they did a comprehensive student satisfaction survey of students, which pinpointed a few concerns but showed that, overall, students do have a high regard for their MTU experience. The plan is to make this an annual assessment, and the second survey will be sent to students online March 1. The commission is looking forward to its results.

"A goal of our Strategic Plan addresses the importance of being student friendly and helping students be successful both in and out of the classroom," Cook said. "That's what the Student Commission aims to do, to make things better for students. It's probably the most enthusiastic group I've ever worked with."

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6. TECHFIT BENEFITS PUMPED UP FOR ONE-YEAR TRIAL PERIOD

As if feeling good weren't enough, for a one-year trial period the Benefits Office is offering MTU employees even better incentives to get healthy.

The annual TechFit benefit has been raised to $150 for the employee and $85 for an eligible spouse or a dependent, up from $100 and $50, respectively.

More good news--choices: If you don't use your TechFit benefit to underwrite a fitness center membership, you can use it to cover organized exercise classes such as yoga, kickboxing, aerobics, karate, pilates, etc.

Even more good news--less red tape: If you use TechFit to help pay for an annual fitness center membership, you won’t have to visit a fitness center 72 times before you receive your discount. Just ask your center to bill MTU for your benefit when you sign up for an annual membership. However, since this new policy is for a trial period, you might want to keep track anyway in case you need the data for next year.

All annual fitness center memberships started or renewed after Jan. 1 are eligible for the new, bigger TechFit discounts. If your fitness center has billed the Benefits Office for the $100 discount already, it may bill the university for the remaining $50 and reimburse you or adjust your payroll deduction.

If you prefer, you can now use your benefit to pay up to $150 per year ($85 for a spouse or one dependent) for any of a variety of exercise classes instead of a fitness center membership. You do not have to sign up for an entire year of instruction. As with the TechFit fitness center memberships, the provider must be willing to bill the university directly. TechFit benefits will not be paid directly to employees.

"We want everyone to get out and enjoy themselves doing activities that they like," said Senior Staff Assistant Maryann Wilcox, who coordinates the TechFit program. "Our goal is to make exercise programs more accessible for the many people here on a tight budget."

So, you want to use TechFit to attend a beginning yoga class? Or low-impact aerobics? Bring a brochure or a newspaper ad describing the class to the Benefits Office to see if it's covered. (Under this new program, it's up to the Benefits Office to decide if your class qualifies for the TechFit discount. Sorry, seasonal classes such as golf or skiing lessons don't count.)

If your class qualifies, the Benefits Office will give you a statement to give the provider, including the amount the provider should bill the university.

When you register for the class, let the instructor know that you are eligible for TechFit and give them the statement. The provider can then bill the university.

"We hope that employees who haven't been motivated to join a fitness center will be interested in checking out other opportunities to improve their overall health and wellbeing," Wilcox said.

For more information, visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/benefits/index.shtml and click on "2005 TechFit Benefit," listed under Wellness. Or, contact Wilcox at 487-3309, mawilcox@mtu.edu.

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7. LAST DAY TO DROP FALL CLASSES MARCH 4

The last day to drop full-term spring semester classes is Friday, March 4, by 5 p.m.

All drops must be done in person in Student Records and Registration. Drops cannot be done via the web.

The last day to drop track B classes (those classes that began on Feb. 28) with a refund is Thursday, March 3, with no grade is Wednesday, March 16, and with a "W" grade is Friday, April 1.

According to the University policy on late drops, “After the eighth week of the semester, a student may request a late drop from the Office of Student Affairs, which will consider those requests that involve circumstances beyond the student’s control.” Extenuating circumstances considered are prolonged illness, serious accidents and death in the immediate family or of a close friend, or similar situations beyond the student’s control. All requests must be made in writing. Instructions for late drops are available in the First-Year Programs Office (Douglass Houghton Hall, G44) or the Office of Student Affairs (Administration 170). No late drops will be granted to avoid poor grades.

Again, only extenuating circumstances will be considered for granting a late drop.

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8. MTU'S MICUP PROGRAM GETS A BLUE RIBBON

Michigan Tech's Michigan College/University Partnership (MICUP) Unlock Your Future Program has been recognized by the King-Chavez-Parks Initiative within the state Department of Labor and Economic Growth as a Best Practice model for Michigan.

The Unlock Your Future Program focuses on underrepresented students from Delta College, Grand Rapids Community College and Northwestern Michigan College. Students undertake seven weeks of academic tutoring, academic advising and a university residential experience that includes an internship with a faculty member and the opportunity to take a class.

The program helps the students develop a strong foundation leading to the completion of baccalaureate degrees in business, computer science, mathematics, science, engineering, secondary education and technology disciplines.

Michigan Tech started its MICUP program in 1996 with funding from the King-Chavez-Parks Initiative. "It's a reflection on the efforts and commitment of our staff, our faculty, our community college partners and the students who come into the program," said Madeline Mercado Voelker (Educational Opportunity), coordinator of Hispanic/Latino outreach and MICUP program director at MTU. "Admissions, Publications, Residential Services, the community colleges . . . Certainly our office couldn't do it alone." Lori Sherman (Educational Opportunity), coordinator of Native American outreach, is Michigan Tech's MICUP associate program director.

The program was praised for its excellent implementation and management. In particular, the state cited as a Best Practice Model MTU's MICUP website, which allows students to submit applications online. The site ( http://outreach.mtu.edu/micup/ ) was developed by Dennis Walikainen (University Communications), MTU's director of web development.

The state's report, based on a September 2004 site visit, noted MTU's strong partnership with its partner colleges and the excellent work being done by community college staff to support the MICUP students.

"The Unlock Your Future Program at MTU has set a standard for all King-Chavez-Parks MICUP Programs statewide," evaluators said.

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9. JOB FAIR TUESDAY IN THE GYM

Representatives from about 90 companies will be at Michigan Tech Tuesday, Feb. 22, for the annual Winter Job Fair.

“It’s looking very good--I should say great--for our students,” said Career Services Director Jim Turnquist. “The need is for high-tech graduates in engineering, computer science, the sciences, business, STC and others.

“We’ve been super busy trying to keep up with companies who want to post job openings.”

Career Center staff have been encouraging employers who recruit MTU students to come to Michigan Tech in person and become part of the Winter Job Fair. Their effort is paying off. “We’re really pleased that the Mayo Clinic is coming; this is their first time on campus,” Turnquist said. Others new to the Job Fair are BAE, Heitkamp & Thumann, Gentex and Terex Handlers of Baraga, a subsidiary of Genie Corporation out of Washington state.

In addition to recruiting graduates for full-time employment, many companies hope to fill intern and co-op positions, which often lead to jobs. Last year, the Career Center documented a 94 percent placement rate for graduating seniors, and if anything, the prospects for this year’s graduates appear even better.

“We’ve been inundated with calls from companies,” Turnquist said.

The Winter Job Fair will be held at the SDC in the basketball gym from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to stop by and greet the company represenatives.

Want to see who’s coming and who they’re looking to hire? Visit http://www.ucc.mtu.edu/wjf05/wjf05listprint.asp

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10. AGREEMENT LETS U.P. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EARN COLLEGE CREDIT FROM MICHIGAN TECH

Officials at Michigan Tech and the Copper Country Intermediate School District today (Friday, Feb. 4) signed an articulation agreement that will allow U.P. students to earn credit toward a Michigan Tech business degree while they are still in high school.

The agreement benefits students in the CCISD, Delta-Schoolcraft ISD, Dickinson-Iron ISD, Eastern U.P. ISD, Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD, and Marquette-Alger ISD.

The project is part of the CCISD's Career and Technical Education Program, which is geared toward high school students interested in pursuing careers in business and technology. Students will be able to earn 3 Michigan Tech credits by completing approved course work and passing Microsoft Office User Specialist certification exams.

Currently, the certification exams are offered in about half a dozen high schools in Upper Michigan. Officials hope that number will increase, now the students can qualify for college credit.

Under the agreement, this course work and Microsoft certification will be considered the equivalent of BA1200, an introductory class in information systems and information technology offered by MTU's School of Business and Economics.

"We hope students will take advantage of this opportunity to earn college credit at Michigan Tech, specifically in the School of Business and Economics," said Brad Wagner, coordinator of academic services in the business school. "We also look forward to strengthening our relationship with high school business teachers throughout the region."

Bill Rivest, the career and technical regional director of the CCISD, said the articulation agreement is good for students and reflects well on the local schools.

"This is a tremendous incentive to entice our students to do well academically," he said. "If they excel, the benefits carry over to the postsecondary level. They won't have to repeat course work, and when the enroll at Michigan Tech they won't have to pay the extra money in the form of tuition.

"This also says something about the quality of our local schools that they are able to meet these national standards," he said.

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11. PAT WORTH RETIREMENT PARTY FRIDAY

A going-away party for Pat Worth, a food service helper in the Memorial Union, will be held on Friday, Feb. 18, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Peninsula Room. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited to stop by and wish Pat well. She has been an MTU employee since 1994 and plans to travel while she is retired.

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12. TEACHING AT TECH: TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
by William Kennedy, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development

Jack Mezirow, emeritus professor of adult and continuing education at Teacher's College of Columbia University, has written extensively about adult learning. Mezirow understands learning as a change process that transforms a student's frames of reference. These frames of reference, he argues, form the structures through which we interpret our experiences.

A frame of reference transformation begins when a learner is exposed to an event or experience that highlights a discrepancy or contradiction in what that person already assumes to be true. One or more of these discordant experiences may initiate a process of critical reflection through which the learner begins to question currently held beliefs or assumptions with an eye to making modifications to address the discrepant input.

Psychologist Leon Festinger wrote of the same process from a more general psychological perspective. He termed the effect "cognitive dissonance" in the 1970s. People, or learners in this case, encountering dissonant thoughts or experiences have three basic choices of what to do, according to Festinger. They can choose to 1) ignore or minimize the dissonant experience ("Did he say that was going to be on the test?"), 2) fragment the dissonant experience ("I'll learn it for the test, but I really don't believe it or care") or, 3) given the right conditions, actually come to accept the dissonant experience as valid (learn) and go through the painstaking process of dealing with the ramifications ("No wonder none of this was making sense before!")

According to Mezirow, adult learners need considerable time and practice to become adept at identifying and modifying their beliefs. In addition, they need a trusting social context within which they can engage in this kind of reflection. Mezirow and others contend that establishing an abiding sense of community among learners is absolutely key to facilitating the kind of reflection that helps the student progress beyond the kind of superficial learning that is neither lasting nor enabling in terms of future learning.

Mezirow says instructors should see themselves less as data sources and more as provocateurs designing and delivering intentionally disorienting dilemmas that will encourage students to call their own incomplete, inadequate, outdated or inaccurate conceptions into question. In addition, instructors should create learning environments that provide the time, opportunity and climate that support such critical reflection.

According to Mezirow, educators should routinely help learners to 1) focus on the assumptions that underlie their beliefs, 2) assess the consequences of those assumptions, 3) explore alternative assumptions, and 4) learn to habitually test the validity of their assumptions through a disciplined process of self-reflection.

Mezirow's ideas complement Felder and Brent's recent description of the educational goals associated with the intellectual development of scientists and engineers.* Felder and Brent characterize a learning environment that fosters transformative growth as one that 1) utilizes a variety and choice of learning tasks, 2) explicitly sets forth high levels of expectation, 3) models thinking, provides opportunity for practice, and gives high-level feedback, 4) requires students to take responsibility for their own learning, and 5) sets forth an attitude of respect and caring for students at all levels of development.

To effectively challenge students, we must know what and how they think, figure out how best to challenge their present assumptions without triggering selective perception and retention, and provide a learning environment that recognizes the need for and rewards reflective thinking.

* The Intellectual Development of Science and Engineering Students, Journal of Engineering Education, October 2004.

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13. MICHIGAN TECH PRESENTS JAZZ PIANIST PAMELA WISE

Jazz pianist and composer Pamela Wise brings her fine Afro-Cuban style to the Rozsa Center on Friday, Feb. 18, when she performs with Michigan Tech's award-winning Jazz Lab Band, directed by Mike Irish. This Black History Month Jazz Concert is a rare opportunity to hear superb piano jazz by one of Detroit's stellar performers.

In addition to her concert, Wise will spend three days at Michigan Tech working with students in the jazz studies program. Irish, director of jazz studies, says it's an opportunity for Michigan Tech's students to interact musically with an extraordinary jazz composer and musician. "Wise is an inspired teacher as well as an unusually creative musician," he says. "She performs a unique style which blends Cuban elements, danzon and Son clave, with blues, mambo, swing and bop harmonies. And added to her fine compositions is her exhilarating improvisational skill."

Wise grew up in a small mining town in southern Ohio, where her father was a jazz bassist. She formed her first traveling combo in high school and never stopped performing. As she says, "Afro-Cuban and jazz are both very much a part of me. Having the Detroit edge is definitely a plus." She performs regularly with her group, Pamela Wise & The Afro Cuban Jazz All Stars, in major concerts and festivals throughout the Midwest. Her best-known CDs are "Negre Con Leche" and "Songo Festividad," both issued by WenHa Records and produced by her husband, legendary jazz clarinetist Wendell Harrison.

Wise frequently collaborates and performs with jazz artists including Harrison, Marcus Belgrave, Francisco Mora, Eddie Harris, Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard. Her ensembles have included James Carter, Steve Berrios, Jerry Gonzalez and Regina Carter. Wise has received four Creative Artist Grants from ArtServe of Michigan to support special composition projects. One of her favorite projects was co-writing the title track on violinist Carter's CD, "I Wanna Talk to You."

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are available from the Rozsa Box Office (487-3200), http://tickets.mtu.edu and at the door for $10 general public, $5 students.
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14. LOVE AND INTRIGUE AT THE ROZSA

If you're still in the mood for love the weekend after Valentine's Day, don't miss the Aquila Theatre Company's “Twelfth Night,” one of William Shakespeare's funniest and most charming comedies. And even if you're not in the least bit enticed by the love interest, don't miss this tour-de-force production by a British and American company that merges the Elizabethan and the modern world, creating a sparkling evening of fun. Aquila's productions are always faithful to Shakespeare's text and relevant and accessible to a modern audience.

There will be two performances of the play: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20. The performances come to the Rozsa sponsored by the Katherine M. Bosch Endowment and tickets are on sale at the Rozsa Box Office (487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and from noon on the days of the performances) and online at http://www.tickets.mtu.edu.

“Twelfth Night” is a fast-paced play that explores the universal themes of love and all its extraordinary effects on human behavior. The plot reads like a soap opera. Set against a background of romance and mystery, Orsino is in love with Olivia, but Olivia is in love with Cesario. Cesario, however, is actually Viola, a girl dressed as a boy. Viola is in love with Orsino. Viola and Sebastian are twins and each thinks the other died in a shipwreck. Meanwhile, Malvolio thinks Olivia loves him. She REALLY doesn't, and the confusion and intrigue continue until the end, when everything works out, and they all live happily ever after. The shipwreck, duels, love and jealousy, tricks, disguises, suspicion, and finally reconciliations make this play exciting from beginning to end. Everyone in the play loves someone else, and it's a madcap race to see who will end up with whom.

This event is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and coordinated by the MTU Great Events Series Office (487-2844).

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15. NATIONALLY KNOWN WRITER TO SPEAK AT MICHIGAN TECH

Critically praised nonfiction writer and poet Patricia Hampl will read and discuss her work on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m., in McArdle Theatre, located in the Walker Arts and Humanities Center.

Her talk is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the Department of Humanities.

Hampl first won recognition in 1981 for "A Romantic Education," a memoir about her Czech heritage. That book and subsequent publications established her as a leading figure in the rise of autobiographical writing that has occurred in the last 20 years.

In 1987 she published "Spillville," a meditation on Czech composer Anton Dvorak's summer in Iowa. Other nonfiction works include "Virgin Time" (1992), a memoir about her Catholic upbringing and an inquiry into contemplative life, and "I Could Tell You Stories: Sojourns in the Land of Memory" (1999), a finalist for the 2000 National Book Critics Circle Awards in the category of General Nonfiction.

Hampl's fiction, poems, essays, reviews and travel pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, New York Times Book Review, The American Scholar and many other publications. In 2001, her "Resort and Other Poems" was reissued by Carnegie Mellon Press as part of their Contemporary Classics series in American Poetry.

Hampl's work has been widely recognized and earned her many honors, most notably in 1990 a MacArthur Fellowship, popularly referred to as a Genius Grant. Other distinctions include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Bush Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (one for poetry and one for prose), and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Her last three books have been named "Notable Books" of the year by The New York Times Book Review.

She has held distinguished visiting writer professorships at a number of American and European universities and has visited many campuses across the United States as well as abroad to read her work and lecture on various aspects of contemporary literature, especially the autobiographical voice in modern letters.

Hampl currently is Regent's Professor and also McKnight Distinguished Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, where she teaches in the MFA Program of the English Department.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the reading. For more information, contact Randy Freisinger at 487-3229 or rfreisi@mtu.edu.

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16. BLACK HISTORY PRESENTATIONS NEXT WEEK

Michigan Tech will present several films and talks Feb. 21-24 in honor of Black History Month. Unless otherwise noted, all the events will be held in Memorial Union Ballroom B. In addition, a variety of books and displays will be available for viewing each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the ballroom.

On Monday, Feb. 21, at noon, Brenda Cross of Houghton will read selections on the work of actor and author Ossie Davis. The readings will be taken from “No Surrender! No Retreat!” a book by MTU humanities professor Glenda Gill.

At noon on Tuesday, chemical engineering graduate student Rodrick Barton will present “Remembering Shirley Chisholm,” on the congresswoman who became the first black person to run for the presidency.

Three films will be shown Wednesday, beginning at noon with “The Quilt Makers of Gee’s Bend.” “Malcom X: The Death of a Prophet” follows at 2 p.m., with “The Original Kings of Comedy” at 4 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Academy Award nominee “Ray,” starring Jamie Fox, will be featured in EERC 103.

On Friday at 4 p.m., the African Student Organization will give a presentation on Pan-Africanism and African freedom fighters, “Mandela, Kenyatta, Nkrumah.”

All the events are free and open to the public. These Black History Month observances are sponsored by Educational Opportunity’s Outreach and Multiethnic Programs. For more information, call 487-2920

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17. FORUM MONDAY ON THE CORPORATE JOB MARKET

Are you curious about the job market? Or do you want to know what companies are looking for when they recruit employees?

The Michigan Tech Career Center and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers are holding a forum, "Corporate Connections," on Monday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. in Fisher 135. Fourteen company representatives will be on hand to answer your questions. The forum will have an open question-and-answer format. If you prefer, you will be able to write your question on a card and someone will read it.

Everyone from the campus and local community is welcome to attend and learn more about the job market. For more information, contact Jim Turnquist at 487-2313 or jaturnqu@mtu.edu.

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18. COMPUTER SCIENCE SEMINAR FRIDAY

Assistant Professor Christopher Plummer (Fine Arts) will present a seminar, "Network, Multiprocessor, and Distributed Computing Technology for Audio," Friday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m., in Rekhi Computer Science Hall 214.

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19. MEEM SEMINAR THURSDAY

H. Susan Zhou from the University of California-Irvine will present a seminar, "Merging of Active DNA Arrays with Micro- and Nano- Fabrication," Thursday, Feb. 17, from 3 to 4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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20. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SEMINAR MONDAY

Heather Youngs from the Carnegie Institute, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford University will present a seminar, “A Tale of Two Enzyme Superfamilies: The Search for Biological Function of the Cellulose Synthase-Like Proteins and Class III Peroxidases in Arabidopsis Thaliana,” Monday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m. in Dow 642. A reception with students will follow from 5 to 6 p.m.

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21. TEACHING SESSION FEB. 24

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development will present a session, “The Intellectual Development of Science and Engineering Students,” Thursday, Feb. 24, from noon to 12:55 p.m. Lunch will be provided for those who register by Feb. 21. Call 487-2046 to register.