1. ALUMNUS GEORGE SILER TO ADDRESS MICHIGAN TECH GRADS

George A. Siler, a 1972 graduate of Michigan Tech, will be the featured speaker at the university’s Spring Commencement April 30.

The university will recognize the achievements of more than 800 graduates. A total of 13 associate degrees and 744 bachelor’s degrees will be awarded. In addition, six master of engineering, 99 master of science and 27 PhD graduates will be honored.

Siler, a Keweenaw native, earned a BS in Chemical Engineering with honors in 1972. He will receive an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree during Saturday’s ceremonies.

Siler has been a licensed professional engineer in Michigan since 1976, and he studied at the College of Financial Planning in Greenwood Village, Colo., where he was certified as a chartered retirement planning counselor.

He began his career in 1972 with General Tire and Rubber Co. and the Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. In 1974, he began a long association with Amoco Petroleum, working as an engineer, economist, senior engineer, chief engineer, manager and executive vice president and general manager. His assignments took him to Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. He also worked in Egypt for Gulf of Suez Petroleum for three years.

In 1999, he moved to British Petroleum, where he worked in Scotland as an operations manager and in Azerbaijan as vice president of field development on a $12 billion project.

Siler has been retired since 2004. A native of Hancock, he now lives in Evergreen, Colo.

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2. DEAN OF GRADUATE SCHOOL POSITION DESCRIPTION POSTED

The position of dean of the graduate school has now been posted. This is an internal search. The position will be half-time for the first
year and full-time thereafter. The application deadline is April 25. Preliminary one-hour interviews will be conducted in late April and
full-day interviews will take place in early May. See http://www.mtu.edu/mtuonly/temp/grad/ for additional information about the job duties, qualifications and application instructions.

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3. MICHIGAN TECH SIGNS ACCORD WITH PUERTO RICO UNIVERSITY

Michigan Tech and the Universidad del Turabo signed an agreement April 13 that will enable faculty from the Puerto Rican university to earn doctoral degrees from Michigan Tech.

The Universidad del Turabo plans to increase the number of its faculty members holding PhD degrees as part of an effort to expand its research program. Under the agreement with Michigan Tech, qualified UT faculty with master's degrees will be able to enroll in any of MTU's PhD programs in engineering.

They will study on campus for two years and then return to their former appointments at UT, where they will complete their dissertations and return to their previous posts. While at MTU, the UT faculty will hold positions as research assistants and teaching assistants to cover the cost of their tuition and living expenses.

In addition to attracting a stream of top-quality students, Michigan Tech expects the agreement will bring more Hispanics to campus.

"Enhancing diversity is a key component of our strategic plan, both at Michigan Tech and within the College of Engineering," said Robert Warrington, MTU's dean of engineering. "The UT faculty who come to MTU will bring high-level skills and a different cultural perspective to our graduate program. Meanwhile, they will receive an excellent education from a national university, while spending the final years of their studies at home. And the Universidad del Turabo will gain faculty members who are well equipped to pursue advanced research.

"Lastly, we expect that this partnership will lead to additional joint activities between the two universities," Warrington said. "Everyone benefits."

Next year, two students are expected to enroll in the PhD program in mechanical engineering.

The Universidad del Turabo, located in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, is a private, four-year university enrolling approximately 10,800 students.

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4. SORBY HONORED WITH WEPAN VETTER RESEARCH AWARD

Sheryl Sorby, chair of engineering fundamentals and associate dean of engineering, has been selected to receive the Betty Vetter Research Award.

The award, given by the Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network (WEPAN), recognizes achievement in research related to women in engineering. The award is named in memory of Betty M. Vetter, longtime director of the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, who served as the first treasurer of WEPAN, Inc. and was a founding member of its board of directors. One award is given annually and includes a $1,000 cash prize, a plaque and an opportunity to serve on an experts' panel at the next WEPAN national conference. Sorby was nominated by Chris Anderson, executive director of educational opportunity at Michigan Tech and special assistant to the president for diversity.

Sorby has conducted significant research in gender differences in 3-D spatial skills. She has developed and assessed materials and strategies for improving spatial skills, thereby enhancing the success of women engineering students. Her research has resulted in a textbook, a workbook, and multimedia software.

At Michigan Tech, the special spatial skills course is a well-established part of the curriculum. Sorby has collaborated with faculty from several universities to bring spatial skills courses to their campuses and has worked with colleagues at North Carolina State University who plan to develop a high school visualization curriculum.

In technical professions such as engineering, spatial visualization skills and mental rotation abilities are especially important. Unfortunately, the 3-D spatial skills of women often lag behind those of their male counterparts.

During freshman orientation each year, Michigan Tech engineering students who fail a spatial skills test are encouraged to enroll in a special spatial skills course. Women typically make up 18 percent of the group being tested but are about half of the group who fail the exam, making them almost three times as likely to have poorly developed spatial skills than men. Participation in the special course has positively impacted performance in follow-on courses as well as retention in engineering, especially for women.

WEPAN's mission is to catalyze change that will lead to the enhanced success of all women engineers in academic and professional settings. It has over 600 members from nearly 200 engineering schools, companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations and nonprofit organizations. A national nonprofit educational organization, WEPAN is headquartered in Denver. For more information, visit http://www.wepan.org .

WEPAN will present the Vetter Award to Sorby at the 2005 joint WEPAN NAMEPA (National Association for Minority Engineering Program Administrators) Annual Conference, held in Las Vegas April 10-14.

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5. TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID ADVISORY TEAM FORMED

The Blue Ribbon Panel on Pricing/Discounting assembled in 2004 to study and make recommendations on the university's tuition and financial aid policies is being reconstituted as an ongoing advisory group, President Glenn Mroz has announced.

The Tuition and Financial Aid Advisory Team will be charged with implementing the panel's recommendations. The panel is preparing a report on its findings, with input from the consulting firm Noel Levitz.

For the last several months, the panel has looked into financial aid, scholarship policies, tuition (and tuition discounting), pricing and more, both at MTU and at other institutions. "It's something that's been needed for a long time," Vice President for Student Affairs Les Cook said. "These are issues that should be addressed institutionally."

The panel's report has been a major undertaking, said Budget Director Debbie Lassila. "We've spent a lot of hours toiling over information to understand our current financial aid policies and practices," she said. "Our goal is to insure that we'll achieve our strategic goals while maximizing revenue.

"We also want to assure that our policy supports our enrollment goals," she added. "Financial aid is a big lever in students' enrollment decisions; it's one of the largest single items in our general fund budget, behind salaries and wages."

Dean of Engineering Robert Warrington chaired the Blue Ribbon Panel and will continue to lead the Tuition and Financial Aid Advisory Team. "We will advise the executive team on an ongoing basis, so we can make the best use of our resources to further our strategic plan and generate the revenue we need to be a university of choice," he said. "At the same time, we want to make sure the university remains accessible to all qualified students."

In addition to Warrington and Lassila, the team members are Sharron Paris, registrar; Scott Amos, dean of distance learning and technology; Bruce Seely, chair of social sciences; Rob Forget, director of undergraduate recruitment; Tim Malette, financial aid director; and Cook (ex-officio).

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6. SEARCH BEGINS FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

A team has been formed to begin the search for an executive director of marketing and communications, Vice President of Student Affairs Les Cook has announced.

"We are at a pivotal point in Michigan Tech's history with renewed emphasis on public relations, marketing and communications in conjunction with the prospect of a major capital campaign, and it is essential that we move in this direction," Cook said. "The executive director of marketing and communications will be charged with leading, developing and implementing strategic integrated marketing and communications efforts. This individual will oversee all the areas currently included in University Communications and will clearly have the mandate to centralize communication efforts across campus."

The position will report to Cook, with a dotted line to President Glenn Mroz. The priority deadline for accepting applications is May 15.

Vice President for Government Relations Dale Tahtinen chairs the search committee. Other members are Vice President of Research David Reed; Vice President of Administration Ellen Horsch; Roberta Dessellier, staff assistant to the president; Robert Baillod, chair of civil and environmental engineering; Staff Assistant Carrie Richards (SFRES); and Bonnie Gorman, assistant vice provost of student affairs/student life.

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7. BANQUET FRIDAY TO HONOR MICHIGAN TECH GRADUATES

The fifth annual MTU/HAANA (Hispanic, African American, Native American) Banquet will be held in honor of the graduating seniors Friday, April 15, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Tickets for the banquet are available, and a dessert reception following the banquet is free and open to the public.

Michigan Tech alumna Monique Q. (Simmons) Wells will address the graduates. Wells graduated with an AAS in Chemical Engineering Technology in 1999 and went on to receive her BS in Chemical Engineering in 2002, graduating with honors. She is currently a development engineer for the Dow Chemical Company in Findlay, Ohio, where she is responsible for troubleshooting day-to-day problems in equipment operation and process control as well as conducting trials for new film types.

While at MTU, Wells was named Winter Carnival Queen in 2000-01 and received honors as a Dow Chemical Company Emerging Scholar. Among her extracurricular activities, she was active in the National Society of Black Engineers, serving as secretary, vice chair and chair, and participated in the Michigan Tech Dance Company and MTU's Praise in Effect Gospel Choir.

During the HAANA banquet the annual Dow Chemical Company Foundation Percy Julian Award will be presented. The award recognizes an MTU undergraduate student who has demonstrated leadership in the promotion of social equality and cultural understanding. The award commemorates the late Percy L. Julian (1899-1975), who was a research chemist at Dow Chemical and was also engaged in various civil rights activities.

Michigan Tech's Outreach and Multiethnic Programs, a division of Educational Opportunity and the Office of Student Affairs, sponsors these events with financial support from the Dow Chemical Company Foundation.

Tickets for the banquet are $22 per person; a dessert reception following the dinner is open and free to the public. For more information or to purchase a ticket, contact Multiethnic Programs at 487-2920.

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8. TEACHING AT TECH: STANDARDIZED ESSAYS: THE ULTIMATE ABSURDITY?
by William Kennedy, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Faculty Development

The new and improved SAT test reportedly now includes a required section in which students are asked to respond in writing to an essay question. The writing section of the SAT lasts 60 minutes and also asks students to respond to a number of multiple guess questions regarding improving paragraphing, sentence structure, grammar and issues like subject-verb agreement.

Some people who have actually taken the test say they were faced with the essay prompt, "Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?" Perhaps sensing that this question rings more like one of those fatuous softballs lobbed at a beauty pageant contestants rather than a serious attempt to elicit a student's writing prowess, the SAT folks provided test takers with a quotation about creativity from "Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention" by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, just to make it more legit. The quote, many students suggested after taking the test, didn't help them much.

Judging students' writing ability by requiring them to wax philosophical within the atmospheric and time constraints imposed by the standardized testing regimen is like taking your resting pulse on a roller coaster. I thought we taught our students that quality writing requires time for reflection, research, rethinking and revising. Guess not.

And can you imagine the task of fairly and reliably evaluating the comparative quality of 2.3 million writing samples quickly enough to deliver Mary and Johnny's scores to the colleges of their choice? No problem. You simply electronically scan the essays and whisk the pixilated versions to the waiting computer screens of trained high school and college teachers across the nation. These unfortunates are paid 17-20 dollars an hour to read and score essays. Pairs of scorers use a six point scale to judge the relative merits of each essay. If the initial pair of readers disagrees on the essay's score (yes, each essay receives one global score) by more than one point, a third reader is enlisted to settle the issue. Raters reportedly get their mental meters periodically calibrated by reading a set of pre-scored essays to increase the likelihood of inter-rater reliability.

Another prompt used by SAT in their first run asked if the opinion of the majority is a poor guide; rather ironic in light of the scoring method. You just can't make this stuff up.

The actual scoring rubric (educationese for "scheme"), which is freely available on the SAT website, describes each level as a cluster of attributes such as evidence of reasoning, use of vocabulary, variety in sentence structure and facility in handling mechanical issues. Based on their own scheme, it would appear that people with good ideas and sound reasoning are presumed to also possess considerable grammatical artillery. I am left to wonder if those who design such scoring schemes have never faced the real-world dilemma of evaluating writing that looks good and says almost nothing and its slightly more attractive cousin, vice versa. In actual practice, clustering disperate attributes in scoring rubric categories, from a measurement standpoint, is just plain nuts. I would suspect that such gross characterization schemes probably throw the reader back on his/her native tendencies to score essays that agree with her/his own particular ideas more highly than the essays of those boneheads with the audacity to express undesirable opinions or poor penmanship.

Given that standardized tests like ACT and SAT only predict about 20-30 percent of the variability in first-year college grades (again, ironically, their stated purpose), one might wonder why we continue to use them at all. Speaking of irony, it's interesting to me that folks that seem to put great political stock on individualism and self-determination have also become so entirely enamored with standardized testing schemes. I wonder if something else is going on here.

A psychologist friend observed, "Twenty percent is better than nothing!" Maybe we could craft that into next year's writing prompt.

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9. COMEDY AND HYPNOTISM: A WILD AND GOOFY ROMP AT THE ROZSA

If you aren't sufficiently energized by the spring weather we've been enjoying, come to the Rozsa this weekend to see a strong dose of humor, hypnotism and mind-blowing mind reading.

It's a great double-bill featuring the wild antics of hypnotist/stand-up comedian Dale K and amazing mind reader and mentalist Wayne Hoffman. This dynamic duo comes to the Rozsa on Sunday, April 17, for a 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are on sale at the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or online at http://www.tickets.mtu.edu). The box office will also be open at noon on the day of the performance.

Rozsa audiences used to the quiet, good manners of hypnotist Frederick Winters are in for a big surprise. Dale K is refreshingly original and eccentric. His wild stand-up comedy and the frenetic pace of his shows distinguish him from other hypnotists. He appears on stage with his hair spiked, wearing jeans and a casual shirt--a long way from the conventional uniform for hypnotists, i.e. the neat suit or tailored blazer and khakis.

Dale K is a hypnotist whose unpredictable wit is just as impressive as his ability to mesmerize. His physical comedy and strong personality, sometimes described as professional insanity, have earned him the title of the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities Performing Artist of the Year. Carrot Top commented, "I met Dale K at 6 p.m., and by 7 p.m. I was doing his laundry."

Wayne Hoffman calls his show Mind Candy. It's a unique and high-energy production which, according to Wayne, is unlike anything you've ever seen. He blends visual illusions with psychological stunts to create a new form of mystery entertainment that leaves his audience spellbound. His extraordinary mental powers have been featured on radio stations across the United States. Some of his well-known achievements include predicting international headline news weeks before it happens, predicting winning lottery numbers, driving a $118,000 custom-built car over 16 miles blindfolded, and escaping from a straitjacket while hanging upside down 100 feet in the air. "Now it's your turn to expect the unexpected and live the impossible," he says.

The show comes to the Rozsa presented by the Student Entertainment Board with funding allocated by the Undergraduate Student Government from student activity fees.
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10. EXPOSING GREATNESS AT EARTH WEEK
Submitted by Jeff Dambrun

Earth Week 2005 organizers, Students for Environmental Sustainability, are proud to bring a guest to Houghton from Northern Minnesota. Wilderness photographer and activist Jim Brandenburg will visit Michigan Tech on Thursday, April 21, to give a presentation and judge an amateur environmental photo contest.

From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Brandenburg will give a free public presentation and discussion in Hesterburg Hall (forestry building). Brandenburg will show samples of his work and discuss why we should strive for environmental awareness.

Members of the community will be able to enter their own wilderness photography into a contest to be judged by Brandenburg. The photographs will be displayed throughout Earth Week, April 18-22, in the Memorial Union. The contest is open to everyone, and winners will receive prizes as well as have the chance to attend dinner with Brandenburg.

Commonly known for his famous wolf photography, Brandenburg has been a National Geographic photographer for over 25 years. His work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Time, Smithsonian, Outside and BBC Wildlife, and the television shows “Prime Time Live” and “Dateline,” and on postage stamps. He has received numerous honors, including Kodak Wildlife Photographer of the Year and National Press Magazine Photographer of the Year, and has been named a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens. Brandenburg was recognized by the United Nations for “using nature photography to raise public awareness for the environment.” In addition, Brandenburg has also published several bestselling books of photography, including the acclaimed “Chased by the Light” and “Looking for the Summer.” Much more information about Brandenburg, as well as sample work, is available on his website, http://www.jimbrandenburg.com.

For details about Earth Week, Brandenburg’s visit and photo contest rules, visit the Environmental Sustainability Committee’s website at http://www.esc.mtu.edu.

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11. KEWEENAW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CONCERT CHOIR FINAL CONCERT SATURDAY

The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Tech Concert Choir will present their final concert of the 2004-05 season on Saturday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center, conducted by Milton Olsson. The program features two outstanding examples of 20th-century repertoire for chorus and orchestra: Igor Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms.

The concert is supported by grants from the Copper Range Abstract & Title Agency, Inc. and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms was commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930 and revised in 1948. The composer used an atypical orchestra for the piece, omitting violins, violas and clarinets while emphasizing double-reeds, brass and two pianos, as well as chorus. The Symphony of Psalms also features unusual sonorities, carefully crafted counterpoint and dramatic rhythms, resulting in music both expressive and profound.

In Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, the music ranges from rousing to sublime. Using familiar verses from the Psalms sung in Hebrew, Bernstein captures the text's profound and exhilarating tone ranging from exultation and praise to fearful questioning to blissful serenity and prayers for peace. Bernstein's orchestra uses full strings, three trumpets, three trombones, two harps, a timpani and percussion. In addition to the 80-member concert choir, the work features a boy soloist, Jonathan Blake, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Houghton Middle School.

Bernstein premiered the Chichester Psalms with the New York Philharmonic and the Camerata Singers in Philharmonic Hall, New York, in July 1965. The piece had been commissioned by the dean of Great Britain's historic Chichester Cathedral to be sung during the renowned Chichester Festival that summer. It has become one of Bernstein's most popular works.

Olsson notes that the April 16 concert will be the regional premiere of both these classic 20th-century works. "Both are splendid pieces that have challenged us in their preparation, and we are excited to present them to the community."

Tickets are available for $15 general, $5 students from the Rozsa Center Box Office (487-3200 and http://www.tickets.mtu.edu) and at the door.

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12. MOVIES ON CAMPUS THIS WEEKEND

The Film Board will be showing the movie “Assault on Precinct 13” on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, at 6, 8:30 and 11 p.m. in Fisher 135. Tickets are $2.

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13. COMEDIAN PERFORMING THIS FRIDAY

Comedian Joel Lindley will be performing on Friday, April 15, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Wadsworth Cafeteria. The event is hosted by Residence Life. A meal plan or meal ticket is required for attendance. Dinner tickets will be available on April 15 at Wadsworth Hall’s front desk for $6.80.

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14. FINE ARTS PRESENTS ART AND DESIGN TECHXPOSITION

Student accomplishments in painting, drawing, sculpture and theatrical design, including sound design, lighting design, set and costume design, will highlight the fine arts department's second annual Art and Design TechXposition. The event will be held April 17-24 in Walker.

TechXposition opens with a public reception on Sunday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m in McArdle Theatre. Exhibit hours are noon-6 p.m., April 18-22 and 1-5 p.m., April 23-24. The event is free and open to the public.

TechXposition displays work by students enrolled in fine arts courses. It includes projects which won major awards in national design competitions and final projects for minors in art, music technology, theatre arts and technical theatre. All students are majoring in disciplines other than fine arts, so the exhibit underscores the creativity of Michigan Tech's students in areas beyond their majors.

More information is available from the Fine Arts Office, 487-2067.

 

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15. MEEM GRADUATE SEMINAR THURSDAY

Tomasz Letowski of the U.S. Research Lab will present a graduate seminar entitled “Speech Communication through Bone Conduction” on Thursday, April 14, from 3 to 4 p.m. in MEEM 112.

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16. PHYSICS COLLOQUIA APRIL 14

Five physics students will present their colloquia on Thursday, April 14, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Fisher 139. Paul Scou will present “Adiabatic Parcel Modeler,” David Price will present "Growth of Vertically Aligned Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes and Their
Application in Electron Field Emission," Chee Sheng Fong will present "Charge-Induced Conformational Change in a Molecular Device," Joshua Anderson will present "CO + NO Reactions on Small Pd Clusters," and Jack McCaffery will present "General Relativity and Non-Homogeneous Cosmology."

For more information, contact Yoke Khin Yap (ykyap@mtu.edu, 487-2900) or Ranjit Pati (patir@mtu.edu, 487-3193).