August 25, 2000, Vol. 32, No. 45
NSF Gives MTU $1.5 Million for Teachers' Earth Science Institute
Two Technology Programs Are Accredited
Joe Galetto Retiring After 32 Years at Tech
Army ROTC Scholarships Available
Want a Free Operations Assessment?
Senate Seeks Committee Members
Summer Hours End This Week
Sports Shorts
Teaching at Tech: The Perils of PowerPoint
New to Town?!
September Computer Classes
New Staff
MTU Notables
Job Postings
Bill Curnow, director, University Relations
Marcia Goodrich, Tech Topics editor
Gail Sweeting, electronic marketing assistant
Information to be included in Tech Topics should be submitted to the Tech Topics editor in one of the following ways:
By electronic mail--send information to ttopics@mtu.edu
By interdepartmental mail--send double-spaced, typed copies to the attention of Tech Topics editor, University Relations.
Each week, the deadline for submitting information is Friday at 5:00 p.m. for the following Friday distribution.
News (Back to Contents)
NSF Gives MTU $1.5 Million for Teachers' Earth Science Institute
Michigan Tech will host high school teachers from all over the US in its new Teachers' Earth Science Institute, thanks to a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
During the institutes, which will be held during the summer from 2001 through 2005, secondary teachers will team up with University researchers and engineers to conduct original research, both in the lab and in the field. Topics will range from geological exploration to mining engineering to mineral processing.
Institute graduates will return to their high school classes with new teaching ideas and experiments, plus a fresh perspective on an old profession.
"Mining conjures up images of guys with hard hats and pick axes," said Professor Francis Otuonye (Mining Engineering), the project director. "But in the last few decades, mining has become a high-tech, global industry. And as a society, we forget how much we depend on mining for everything from the metals and minerals used in manufacturing to the gems that make up our finest jewelry."
"We hope that these teachers will pass on a better appreciation for the mining industry to their students, and that they in turn might consider it as a career."
The idea for the Teachers' Earth Science Institutes came about as "part of our never-ending effort to recruit mining engineering students," Otuonye laughed. While demand for mining engineers remains strong, it's not a field that automatically engenders a lot of interest among students searching for a major. The department's Mining Industry Advisory Board had suggested that he go on the road to talk with high school teachers about MTU's mining engineering program. Otuonye reasoned that it would be even more effective to show teachers the University and introduce them first-hand to the latest developments in earth science education. Then, they could generate some excitement in their students, both for mining engineering and for Michigan Tech. "We may be able to attract students from parts of the country that we don't usually reach," he said.
Michigan Tech is uniquely situated to offer the summer institutes. "It's not just because we have a heritage as a mining school," Otuonye said. "We have the only mining program in the Upper Midwest, we have a vibrant faculty in all the related departments, and our summers are fantastic."
In addition to the NSF grant, industry donors Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Red Metal Minerals, and Minntec, plus SME-The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Inc., are contributing $152,000 to support the Teachers' Earth Science Institutes. Michigan Tech is providing additional support, bringing the total institute funding to $2.2 million. Co-principal investigators for the grant are Fritz Erickson, former chair of the Department of Education; and Richard Tieder, former projects manager in the Institute of Materials Processing.
Two Technology Programs Are Accredited
Two academic programs in the School of Technology have received their first-time accreditation from the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technologies, Inc.
The AAS program in Chemical Engineering Technology was accredited, along with the BS in Engineering Technology with options in electrical and mechanical engineering technology (both options received accreditation). The programs were reviewed in October 1999, and accreditation is retroactive from October 1, 1998.
Additionally, existing associate degree programs in civil, electrical, and electromechanical engineering technology were also reviewed last October and re-accredited.
"I am pleased at this result because it means that all programs of study in the School of Technology are accredited or recognized by the appropriate governing agency," Dean Tim Collins said. "This includes all engineering technology programs at both the associate degree and bachelor's degree levels, the School's forest technology program, and both the on-campus and distance-learning programs in surveying. Faculty have worked hard to achieve the standards that are necessary to meet accreditation for these programs. They achieved this at a time when the campus was busy with the quarter-to-semester conversion process. This may not have been the best time to undergo accreditation review, but faculty put forth the extra effort to be sure that the programs had the best chance of being accredited."
The demand for the School's engineering technicians, forest technicians, and surveyors is high. Starting salaries are excellent and more and more companies are contacting the University for the type of workers Governor John Engler calls the "Gold Collar" employees of the workplace, Collins said.
Army ROTC Scholarships Available
Michigan Tech's Army ROTC program still has two scholarships available for first-year students who applied for Army scholarhips in high school last year.
In addition to covering tuition and lab fees, ROTC scholarships include a $200 monthly stipend and $510 per year for books and supplies. Some scholarships also cover room and board. So far this year, the Army ROTC has awarded eleven scholarships valued at a total of $550,000. Six scholarships will be available next year.
What kind of student gets an Army ROTC scholarship? The students awarded scholarships last year had a 3.0-plus grade point average and an average ACT score of 26, and most were varsity athletes in high school. These students will enter the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or National Guard following completion of their education. Although there are more than sixteen different career fields in the Army to choose from, most of the MTU ROTC graduates enter the Army Corps of Engineers.
Anyone interested in applying for a scholarship, or who is just curious about what the Army ROTC program has to offer, may contact Captain Otha Thornton, the scholarship officer and assistant professor of military science, in the ROTC Building (Building 4), 487-2650 or oethornt@mtu.edu.
Joe Galetto Retiring After 32 Years at Tech
After more than thirty-two years on the job, one of Michigan Tech's primary people persons is looking forward to retiring and spending more time with his plants.
"It will be just me, the lawnmower, and the grass," Joe Galetto sighs dreamily. "No decisions to make."
Galetto's decisions and his advice, especially from his posts at the University Career Center, have improved the lives of thousands of MTU students. He has always had an appreciation for how powerful the center can be in directing a student's future, in part because of his own experience.
Credentialed with a BS in Business Administration from MTU, Galetto got his first job out of college as a production supervisor downstate with Corning Glass. "I had to work rotating shifts, and we'd just had a baby," he said. "Every third week, we'd get seven days' off, and we'd drive back up here to visit family. One time, I said, 'I'll stop at the Career Center and put my resume in.'"
Three months later, he got a call from then-director John Gooch asking if he'd be interested in the new position of assistant placement director. He interviewed and was offered the job. "I didn't hesitate," Galetto said.
In 1968, the Career Center was located on the third floor of the old Memorial Union. "Our offices were two converted hotel rooms," he said. "They used them for recruiters to stay overnight, cleaned them, and then used them for interview rooms."
The recruiters ate as well as slept in the Union. "They were a captive audience," Galetto said. "We had more personal interaction back then."
While relationships with recruiters were cozier, students had a tougher time of it. "They had to stand in line to sign up for interviews," he said. "It was first come, first served. Students would start lining up at 6:00 a.m."
With today's hot employment market, it's easy to forget that throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it wasn't especially easy for engineers or anyone else to find a decent job. "You had to utilize the career center then," Galetto said. "They didn't have jobs.com or other electronic ways to get your resume out."
"We spent a lot of time with students, trying to figure out what companies they should interview with," he said. "There were many first-generation college students, and they were very conscientious. They chose Michigan Tech because of its reputation. They believed that, if they came here and did well, they could get a job even in a tight market."
The 1970s were a particularly difficult time. "Students were struggling to find jobs, and we were far from the industrial markets," Galetto recalled. Companies were reluctant to send recruiters up to Houghton, so Michigan Tech decided to send students to them. "That kicked off our job fairs in different cities: Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Grand Rapids . . . " Galetto said. "We asked companies, 'We know you can't come to campus, but if we bring 250-300 students to your city, will you come?' And they did, and students got jobs that way. And we still do job fairs in Detroit and Grand Rapids."
Now, companies are so eager for students that they go right to the department, sometimes bypassing the center completely. So the center has evolved, working with students earlier and earlier to help them get the best job possible.
"Back then, seniors came in," Galetto said. "Now, students have four years to develop themselves. The key question today isn't 'Can I get a job?' It's 'Can I get the right job at the right salary in the right location?'"
Students who follow Galetto's advice map out their job-seeking strategy during their freshman year, planning for an internship or co-op position and getting involved in leadership activities to fortify their resumes.
Another thing that's changed is the nature of employment. "Students from the 1960s and 1970s thought, 'I want to work for one right company--like Ford, or US Steel, or IBM--and that'll be my career. Now, students look at a job offer and think, 'That's pretty good; I'll start there.' They are selling their skills to the highest bidder, and commitment can come later."
After starting his MTU career as assistant director of the career center, Galetto moved to Advancement, serving as director of the annual giving program and then in corporate fundraising. When then-Career Center-director Doug Rappley retired, he moved back to the center as its director. Then, after about eight years, he became director of enrollment management, overseeing Admissions, Financial Aid, the Career Center, and what is now Student Records and Registration. Then, Barbara Filer was elevated to the position of career center director.
President Curt Tompkins credits Filer and Galetto for providing the impetus to move the Career Center to its more-elegant quarters. "He and Barbara convinced me that we needed to improve the Career Center facilities several years ago, and as a result we worked together to plan and develop the Meese Center," Tompkins said. "I know that Joe shares my pride in that outstanding accomplishment; he deserves a lot of credit for significant improvements in all aspects of the Career Center. I've enjoyed working with Joe during the past nine years, and I appreciate all of his many contributions during his thirty-plus years of dedicated and loyal service to Michigan Tech."
When the University reorganized in 1999, all but Student Records and Registration were moved into the Advancement area, and Galetto again focused most of his attention on the Career Center. "He's easy-going and fun to work with, yet he's respected by everybody, and that includes students, corporations, and staff," said long-time Career Center staff assistant Tina Mitchell. "He'd be helping students and then spin around in his chair and talk with a corporate rep about corporate funding, and then a staff person would walk in with a problem, and he could deal with it. And he was enthusiastic about the new and exciting ways to prepare students for the future.
"On the Friday before graduation, a couple of girls came in to thank us, especially Joe," she recalled. "They came back saying, 'Mr. Galetto, if it weren't for you, I might not have made these decisions, and I am so happy I did.' Things like that happened many, many times."
Now, as Jim Turnquist assumes the position of career center director under the direction of Corporate Services, and with a December 14 retirement date marked on the calendar, Galetto is working on expanding the corporate relations program from his new office on the third floor of the Administration Building.
Turnquist describes Galetto as an ideal supervisor. "Joe didn't micro-manage; he'd give you the freedom to explore your job, try new ideas," he said. "He was great in a brainstorming session--he'd have you coming out thinking 'yes! we can do all these things!'
"You felt he wasn't so much a boss as a co-worker," Turnquist added. "He's just a good person. I've gone to conferences with him, and the corporate people there all remember Joe. He's been a big hit with the corporate men and women who have been around for years."
Peter Radecki, executive director of corporate services, will be collaborating with Galetto in his new position. "Joe is ideally suited to this effort, given his many years of experience working with corporations in several capacities on behalf of Michigan Tech," Radecki said. "With his retirement on the horizon, it is particularly timely for Joe to focus on this area, and thereby assure Michigan Tech will maintain continuity with many of our corporate friends."
Galetto himself has an impressive history as an MTU donor through the annual Campus Campaign. "The way I look at it, Tech gave me my start, when it let me walk on and play hockey," he said.
Galetto is still remembered for his hockey prowess, having played on the 1964-65 national championship team for the legendary John MacInnes. And, while he didn't get a scholarship, MTU hockey paid for "some meals and books" and boosted him toward his degree.
"The Career Center helped me get my first job, and when I started looking for another job, they were there to help. Over the last thirty-some years, the University has been good to me and my family, and this is my way of saying thanks."
After retiring, Galetto hopes to take some winter vacations to the south and spend more time with his three grandchildren. "And my wife, Doris, and I spend a lot of time around our house," he said. "I'd like to be a little more proficient in building things out of wood--gazebos, decks, things like that. I'd like to build a playhouse for the kids."
He truly does relish lawncare, the bane of most homeowners. "It's very relaxing," Galetto insists. But he will miss the Career Center.
"I really enjoyed students and corporate people," he said. "You work with the students, train them for interviews, and lo and behold they get job offers.
"Here's the payoff--Thanks Mr. Galetto, or Thanks, Mr. Turnquist. You get a lot of that, and it makes you feel damn good."
Want a Free Operations Assessment?
Each semester, BA3610 Operations Management classes assist University departments and area businesses to assess and improve the efficiency of their operations. The student teams use observation, documentation reviews, and interviews to conduct their assessments. They then compile a report on their findings and recommendations and give presentations to relevant stakeholders. Past projects have involved facilities layout, operations strategy, inventory management, process flow, etc.
If your department is interested in participating in a semester-long project and is willing to work with a student team, or if you have additional questions, please contact Dana Johnson at dana@mtu.edu .
Senate Seeks Committee Members
It's that time of year again. The University Senate is seeking candidates for the following University committees; membership qualifications are in parentheses. Questions may be directed to Bob Keen (487-2346, rekeen@mtu.edu) or Jeanne Meyers (487-3331, jemeyers@mtu.edu).
Members are needed for the Academic Integrity Committee (faculty), Academic Tenure Committee (tenured faculty), Conflict of Interest Committee (faculty), Faculty Review (Grievance) Committee (faculty), Graduate Council (faculty and staff), Inquiry (Scientific Misconduct) Committee (faculty and staff), Presidential Commission for Women (faculty), Presidential Commission for Diversity (faculty), and Sabbatical Leave Committee (faculty eligible for leave).
Cherish those last, lovely summer flextime hours, because they are coming to an end. Starting Monday, August 28, the University's regular hours of operation return to 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
HUSKIES AT HOUGHTON COUNTY FAIR THIS WEEKEND
Fans will have a chance to win season tickets and single game tickets this weekend at the Michigan Tech athletics booth at the Houghton County Fair.
In addition, fans are encouraged to bring their cameras to the booth and take a picture with their favorite Husky cutout. Fans will also have a chance to pick up free yearbooks, schedule calendars, and schedule cards.
Members of Michigan Tech's coaching staff and various student-athletes will be on hand at the booth throughout the fair.
CARROLL NAMED P.A. ANNOUNCER FOR MINNESOTA WILD
Jim Carroll, who played hockey at Michigan Tech from 1986 to 1990, has been named the public address announcer for the NHL expansion Minnesota Wild.
Carroll, who has served as the public address voice for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings since 1997, debuted as a public address announcer during Michigan Tech's home football games in 1988.
CABANA, SNESRUD DO WELL WITH WCHA ALL-STARS
Michigan Tech hockey players Paul Cabana and Mat Snesrud helped the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Stars win each of their three games on its recent tour of Norway.
Cabana, who will be a junior forward on this year's Huskies' hockey team, had a goal in each of the three games. Snesrud, a senior defenseman in 2000-01, tallied a goal in the team's second game of the tour.
Teaching at Tech: The Perils of PowerPoint
By Bill Kennedy, director, Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development
What kind of technological equipment and support would be helpful to you in your classroom instruction? That is the question to be investigated by the Computers in the Classroom Task Force of the Computer Advisory Committee.
Over the last several years, MTU has provided major technological enhancements in its large lecture halls. A number of departments have also refurbished and computerized other classrooms by garnering the support of outside donors. The question at hand is, "What do we do about the other seventy or eighty some-odd classrooms on campus?"
The problems associated with wiring up all the classrooms are daunting. Different faculty members routinely use different computing platforms in their teaching and research. Many are forced to have two machines in their office, one for research and disciplinary computing, the other to communicate with the outside world. Suns, PCs, and Macs are reluctant to chat with one another without some considerable doing. Network the mess and the problems multiply.
A second difficulty involves the persistently plummeting value of computer hardware. This week's state-of-the-art computer is next week's door stop. You can't even throw the things away! A third hurdle is the problem of providing easy and secure remote access to the variety of servers used by faculty members in the normal course of business.
Another challenge to providing universal electronic support for classroom instruction may be more fundamental than any of these. This issue centers around the question of determining the potential instructional significance of electronic enhancements to classroom instruction, if any.
In my own experience and that of several other colleagues at MTU, routinely relying on PowerPoint-type presentations to support lectures gets very mixed reviews from a large percentage of our students. Students say many instructors who take the time to build canned, computer-supported lectures put way too many words on each screen, go too fast for students to take notes, and seemed locked in to going on to the next slide rather than following the natural flow of student learning. In short, computer-display-supported lectures tend to increase our tendency to cover the material at the expense of student understanding. Students either give up on taking notes or leave the lecture hall with their hands aching and their heads swimming.
Some professors, including myself, have attempted to address these concerns by providing students with handouts containing thumbnail versions of our entire presentations. In large sections, I am told, the downside to this practice is that some students come in one door, pick up multiple copies of the handouts for other students, and leave via the other door. Another unintended effect of providing these materials, aside from the cost, is that the students who do stay to hear the lecture tend not to take many notes, functioning under the erroneous impression that they can study from the handouts. Other schemes involve posting copies of the presentation materials on the Web, cobbling together and selling presentations in course packs in the bookstore, or providing the truncated versions of the materials with critical gaps missing so that students must come to class to fill in the blanks.
Last year, I tried using a computer projector and laptop through the winter term instead of my plain old overhead transparencies. The professor who preceded my class tended to run long. By the time I strategically unburdened myself of the twenty-five pounds of books, student papers, laptops, power supplies, projector, and assorted wires, plugged it all in, booted it all in the right sequence, wiggled all the connections to find out what was wrong, found the files, tried to cover the windows, turned off the lights, and told the students who wanted to talk to me before class that I was busy getting this gizmo going, I finally realized how much I like those transparencies; even if they are a little out of focus.
Entertainment and Enrichment (Back to Contents)
The University Women's Club sponsors a Newcomer's Group. All folks who are new to the area and would like to meet other newcomers and find out about the Copper Country are welcome to attend. The first meeting of the year will be Wednesday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Portage Lake United Church. Refreshments and fellowship will be shared. Call Kathy Lekvins at 482-6584 for more information.
Seminars and Workshops (Back to Contents)
The following classes are offered by dL Education for MTU employees. The charge is $60 for three-hour (half-day) classes , $120 for six-hour (full-day) sessions. Charges will be billed to your account the month following attendance.
To register, send an e-mail to the Center for Professional Development and Quality Improvement at rwchrist@mtu.edu. Include the class(es) in which you want to enroll, your phone number, and account to which the class(es) should be charged.
Remember that dL Education has moved to the E. L. Wright Plaza, Suite 201A, at 801 N. Lincoln Drive in Hancock. The Plaza is located on Quincy Hill, just below Pat's IGA.
Regular Features (Back to Contents)
Laura L. Harry has joined the Memorial Union staff as a senior specialized clerk. She was previously a universal service specialist at Ft. Knox Federal Credit Union. She and her husband, Christopher, have two children, Christopher and Danielle, and live in Atlantic Mine.
Associate Professor Noel Schulz (Electrical and Computer Engineering) has been elevated to the grade of senior member in the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She joins the group of only 8 percent of the more than 350,000 IEEE members to hold this grade, which recognizes significant achievements within the profession.
Job descriptions will be available at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, or by e-mail at <JOBS@MTU.EDU>. For a complete listing of available jobs, visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/postings/index.shtml
The following positions will be posted Friday, August 25, 2000, at 1:00 p.m. through noon, Friday, September 1, 2000, in the Human Resources Office.
Executive Secretary N7--Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (UAW internal posting only)
Library Assistant N5--J. R. Van Pelt Library (UAW internal posting only)
Senior Specialized Clerk N4--Tech Express (Regular, full-time, nine-month position; UAW internal and external posting)
Staff Assistant--Educational Opportunity
System Administrator--Educational Opportunity (Regular, part-time position)
Lab Manager (two positions)--School of Business and Economics (Temporary, nine-month, part-time positions)
Advancement Officer--Advancement/College of Engineering
Program Coordinator-Advisor--Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
University employees are reminded to apply in writing prior to noon, Friday, September 1, 2000, to be considered as internal candidates for bargaining unit positions only. Applicants from the recall pool will be given first consideration for non-bargaining-unit positions only. Vacancy announcements are normally posted every Friday at 1:00 p.m. in the Human Resources Office. Complete job descriptions are available in the Human Resources Office or by calling 487-2280. More information regarding employment opportunities is available by calling the Job Line at 487-2895. Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer.