Academic News

See also Awards and Achievements

AsfalisMed Makes Top Five
AsfalisMed has made it to the top five ideas in the Intel Innovators Competition. The team earned almost 10 million Social Capital Points from virtual investors. The Round 2 Battleground begins on January 26, 2012. The five finalists compete for a $50K award from the Panelists and $50K from the Top Fan. For more information or to participate, search for Intel Innovators in Facebook. AsfalisMed is the entrepreneurial concept of Michigan Tech students Travis Beaulieu and Joel Florek.
Physics News, January 25, 2012

AAA Lecture Series Gallery
Every year the AAA runs a series of lectures free and open to the public. Included in the series gallery:
January 2012. Robert Nemiroff. Michigan Technological University/NASA. "Best Short Astronomy Videos"
January 2009. Robert Nemiroff. Michigan Technological University. "Astronomy Picture of the Day"
Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, posted January 17, 2012

APS Report Stimulates New BA Programs at Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University is starting two new physics degree programs aimed at increasing physics literacy and helping train new physics teachers, based in part on recommendations from an APS report. READ MORE
APS News, January 2012, VOl. 21, No. 1, posted January 17, 2012 | PDF

Student Entrepreneurs in National Competition
Tech Today, December 23, 2011 | Related Video

Board of Control Approves New Degree Programs
The two new physics degrees are a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics with a concentration in secondary education. "The motivation for offering a BA degree in physics is to give students who are not planning to study physics in graduate school a strong foundation in physics but significantly fewer physics course requirements than our current BS programs," Seel explained. "The resulting flexibility will allow students to pursue other scholarly interests and career goals in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, entrepreneurship, medicine and law. Physics can provide an excellent foundation for interdisciplinary endeavors in all of these fields."
Tech Today, December 12, 2011

Pitching an Idea
TechAlum Newsletter, November 21, 2011

On the road: Tech students take medical invention to next level
Mining Gazette, November 17, 2011

Students pitch ideas in fast-paced competition
Upper Michigan's Source, November 17, 2011 | VIDEO

Michigan Tech students pitch business ideas in competition
Upper Michigan's Source, November 15, 2011 | VIDEO

Pitching the Perfect Game (Plan): Students Sell Their Business Ideas
At the Bob Mark Memorial Elevator Pitch Competition at Michigan Technological University on Nov. 14, 2011, students had three minutes to sell their next great business idea to a panel of judges. The pitches were as wide-ranging as they were clever. Placing first--and winning the $1,000 top prize--was AsfalisMed, the creation of Travis Beaulieu and Joel Florek. Beaulieu is an applied physics major with a concentration in entrepreneurship and a minor in mathematics. Florek is a first-year engineering student and a member of the Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership. Their business would put everyone's medical information on wallet-sized identification cards. READ MORE
Michigan Tech News, November 15, 2011

Tech Academic Senate discusses new degrees
The senate was introduced to three new proposals, including a master of science in medical informatics, bachelor of arts in physics and a bachelor of arts in physics with a concentration in secondary education. "There's a great need for (a bachelor of arts in physics with a concentration in secondary education)," said senate President Rudy Luck. "There is a great need for physics teachers in high schools."
Mining Gazette, November 3, 2011

Students, Alumnus Make Semi-finals in Accelerate Michigan Competition
Two students and an alumnus are among the semi-finalists in a statewide Accelerate Michigan competition. They will present their business plans at an event in Ypsilanti, on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and Thursday, Nov. 17. Travis Beaulieu and Joel Florek's start-up company, AsfalisMed, uses encrypted Quick Response (QR) codes placed on ID cards to give medical first responders and health care personnel instant access to a person's medical records. Beaulieu, an applied physics major with a concentration in entrepreneurship and a minor in mathematics, and Florek, a first-year mechanical engineering major and member of the Pavlis Institute for Global Leadership, are working with the Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) SmartZone's Entrepreneur Support Center and another student company, Clever Cloud Computing, to develop their business. The students' projects will be judged on innovativeness, clarity of presentation, value and feasibility of the proposed product or service and market opportunity. Companies will be evaluated on innovation, proof of concept and financial plan. Prizes in the student section range from $10,000 to $25,000. Companies are competing for $10,000 to $500,000.
Tech Today, November 3, 2011

ROTC Detachments Stage 9/11 Memorial
About 150 people, most not in uniform, gathered on the south lawn outside the ROTC Building Sunday for a service to remember the victims of 9/11. Air Force Cadet Mark Ingram, a fourth-year student in physics from Livonia, was glad to participate. "It's always a big deal to be a part of something meaningful," he said.
Tech Today, September 12, 2011

Dean Bruce Seely Expands on Linkages with India Developed by Ravi Pandey
Tech Today, December 17, 2010

Tech Tour Day One: Michigan Tech Impresses In Many Fields (John Jaszczak and Nanotech Innovations)
WWJ 950 Newsradio, October 10, 2010

Enterprise of the Week: Nanotech Innovations
Michigan Tech Lode, September 23, 2010

Take advantage of your resources (Physics Learning Center)
Michigan Tech Lode, August 26, 2010

Robert Nemiroff: Communicating Astronomy 365 Days a Year
CAPjournal, Issue 8, June 2010, posted July 7, 2010

Local High School Students Get Innovative for National Lab Day
Michigan Tech News, May 6, 2010

SPS Co-Sponsors Physics Force Circus
Tech Today, March 26, 2010

Seel officially named Michigan Tech provost after year as interim
Michigan Tech Lode, February 18, 2010

Seel named new provost
Mining Gazette, February 16, 2010

Max J. Seel named Michigan Tech provost, vice president for academic affairs
Keweenaw Now, February 15, 2010

Michigan Tech Names Max Seel Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Michigan Tech News, February 15, 2010

71 Students Honored for Academics by GLIAC
Football player John van der Laan (Grand Rapids) and 71 total Michigan Tech student-athletes have been honored for their academic success by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Among them is physics major Mackenzie Brennan, from East Jordan, Michigan, competing in Men's Cross Country.
Tech Today, January 22, 2010

Semi-Finalist for Provost and VP of Academic Affairs on Campus (Seel)
Tech Today, January 22, 2010

The Best of the Best: 15 Years of the Astronomy Picture of the Day
Michigan Tech News, January 19, 2010

Rozsa Free Lecture Series: NASA's Best Space Images
Tech Today, January 10, 2010

New Faculty - Petra Huntemeyer
Tech Today, December 19, 2009

Semi-Finalists for Academic Affairs Positions to Visit Campus (Seel)
Tech Today, December 7, 2009

Student Achievement in TOPS
Congratulations to Erin Scanlon! Erin participated in the TOPS program at MIT this past summer as one of just 8 students invited to learn about teaching physics by hands-on experience. In the Oct. 2009 issue of Physics Today, Dr. Daniel Kleppner has a "Reference Frame" column praising the virtues of the program. You can see Erin in the photo of instructors working with students on page 8 (restricted access).
Physics Today, Vol. 62, Issue 10, pp. 8-100, October 2009.
Posted October 10, 2009

Service for Emeritus Professor of Physics Dean W. Stebbins
Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames, IA, on November 2-8, 2008
Posted October 10, 2009

Web Page Set Up in Honor of the Late Sam Marshall
The Department of Physics has established a memorial web page for Professor Emeritus Sam Marshall, who passed away late last year. The page can be viewed at www.phy.mtu.edu/Marshall.html . Acquaintances of Marshall are welcome to submit stories or comments, to be posted on the web page, to Bryan Suits at suits@mtu.edu .
Tech Today, August 20, 2009

Tech Hires Seven New Faculty
In its second Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative (SFHI), Michigan Tech has hired seven new faculty members to conduct research in computational discovery and innovation. They are from some of the best research universities across the country and the world and will join six departments. The new hires include Chien Wang, MIT, geological and mining engineering and sciences/physics: Chien Wang develops computer models to simulate atmospheric processes. He will start his joint appointment in geological and mining engineering and sciences and in physics in fall 2010 and plans to continue his collaborative efforts in computational simulations of the earth's climate.
Tech Today, August 18, 2009

Professor John Jaszczak (Physics) gave an invited lecture, "Nanotech Innovations Enterprise at Michigan Technological University," at the Symposium on Advances in Higher Education in Nanoscale Science and Engineering, held Aug. 5-8 in Albany, N.Y., and sponsored by the National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and SUNY University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Tech Today, August 11, 2009

Michigan Tech Receives Stimulus Money for Teacher Education Program (Jaszczak)
Tech Today, June 5, 2009

Professor Ulrich H. E. Hansmann is co-sponsoring a seminar series through Mathematical Sciences on emerging computational tools. The series runs from February 12, 2009, through the end of Spring Semester.
Tech Today, February 10, 2009

Members of Michigan Tech's Enterprise programs gave poster presentations at the Engineering Education NSF Awardees Conference, held in Washington, DC. John Jaszczak (Physics), advisor for the Nanotechnology Enterprise, presented "Nanotech Innovations Enterprise at Michigan Technological University".
Tech Today, February 6, 2009

Seel steps in as interim provost
Michigan Tech Lode, January 28, 2009

Physics Professor Max Seel Named Interim Provost
Tech Today, January 26, 2009

See also Recent Degree Recipients | Dean's List | Teaching Awards | Ian Shepherd Award

Outreach and Alumni News

Lecture Series 2011-2012 - "Best Short Astronomy Videos" - Robert Nemiroff
Robert Nemiroff, professor of physics at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, will address the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York (AAA) on "Best Short Astronomy Videos," Friday, January 6. The free public lecture will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the Kaufmann Theater of the American Museum of Natural History.
Physics News, December 27, 2011

New Staff
Adam Webb joins MTRI as a research engineer/scientist. Previously, Webb was senior engineer-systems for General Dynamics and a research engineer at Emag Technologies. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's in physics from Michigan Tech. He lives with his wife, Traci, in South Lyon.
Tech Today, December 5, 2011

The 2011 Michigan Tech Alumni Association Award Recipients
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award goes to Katerina Aifantis, BS Engineering, 2002. She is now an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the Michigan Tech Department of Physics.
Michigan Tech Magazine, Fall 2011, posted December 5, 2011

We Love Old Computers
The photo in the newsletter is Dr Byers with the Bendix G15 computer. It was a vacuum tube digital (not analog) computer. Dick Hill ('62 Applied Physics) and I used to run electron density maps on this thing. --Gary Rhoney. READ MORE
TechAlum Newsletter, From the Email Bag, Vol. 18, No. 4, October 10, 2011

Donald Yerg, former Graduate Studies Dean and Physics Faculty Member, Dies
Michigan Tech Graduate School Newsblog, August 31, 2011

Eyes to the skies
Conditions ripe for meteor shower, Northern Lights
Robert Nemiroff, professor of physics at Michigan Technological University, said the annual Perseid meteor shower has begun and should peak Saturday night about 11 p.m. READ MORE
Mining Gazette, August 11, 2011

Star Party
The Fort Wilkins Summer Evening Programs presents "Astronomy" with Michigan Tech Professor Dr. Robert Nemiroff, PHD and "Star Party" with Dr. Niemiroff and astronomy students from Michigan Tech on Friday, July 29 at 7:30 pm at the fort east of Copper Harbor on US-41. View constellations and see celestial highlights through telescopes. Bring binoculars if you have them. The Star Party is a special event that is weather permitting. If it is cancelled it will be rescheduled for Friday, August 5. The event is sponsored by Gratiot Lake Conservancy. Fort Wilkins Historic State Park Evening Programs begin at 7:30 pm (unless indicated otherwise). All programs are held at the Fort Wilkins West Barracks. A Michigan State or Out of State Recreation Passport is required for entry into the park.
Fort Wilkins Natural History Association, July 18, 2011

APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) and the Best Astronomy Images
A Google Tech Talk was presented by Robert Nemiroff. Google is located in Mountain View, California. The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) web site continues to display and annotate many of the best astronomy images of our time. From the Grand Canyon of Mars to distant spiral galaxies sporting powerful explosions, some of the most spectacular images of our universe...
Google Tech Talks, July 7, 2011 | YouTube Video 60 Minutes

Imaging the Invisible 2011
Nanotech Innovations Students Introduce Nano
Physics News, July 7, 2011

Pre-College Outreach Students on Campus
Pre-College Outreach welcomes over 225 high school students, from nearly 15 states, to campus for weeklong academic explorations. The College of Science and Arts, in conjunction with Pre-College Outreach, is also hosting, "Eco Tech." This pilot program allows four pre-college students to assist with research projects headed by: Professor Marin Auer (CEE), Associate Professor Nancy Auer (Biological Sciences), Assistant Professor Ashutosh Tiwari (CHEM), and Professor Raymond Shaw (Physics). READ MORE
Tech Today, June 28, 2011

The Last Image the Spirit Mars Rover Ever Saw
NASA shared this image through its Astronomy Picture of the Day website. The panorama includes the Columbia Hills, each named for the astronauts who perished in the 2003 Columbia accident, and a hill nicknamed von Braun. That's the hill with the light-colored peak near the top center of the image, explain astronomers Robert Nemiroff of Michigan Tech and Jerry Bonnell of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. READ MORE
Fox News, June 3, 2011

Distinguished Physics Alum Outreaches with Dragonfly Talk

Dr. Joseph Roti Roti, a 1965 physics graduate, has many interests. He is a retired radiation biologist still involved in the teaching of radiation oncology residents and currently professor emeritus, department of radiation oncology at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. He holds a BS in physics from Michigan Tech and a PhD in biophysics from the University of Rochester.

Joseph Roti Roti will present a gallery talk entitled "The Fascinating World of Dragonflies: Dragonflies through the Camera Lens" on April 7 in the Niles District Library in Niles, Michigan. The Roti Roti family been involved with nature art and conservation for four generations. There is a Roti Roti Gallery in the Buchanen Art Center, Buchanen, Michigan. Joseph Roti Roti is among the Distinguished Alumni in the Academy of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech.
Niles Daily Star, March 23, 2011

Alumni Association Recognizes Outstanding Alumni and Friends
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award is presented each year to alumni under the age of 35 who have distinguished themselves in their careers. The award recognizes the achievement of a position or some distinction noteworthy for one so recently graduated. The 2011 recipient is Katerina Aifantis, BS Engineering 2002.
Tech Today, March 14, 2011

Winter Carnival Queen Candidates. Find out who you want to vote for (Katelyn Sutton, Physics Major)
Michigan Tech Lode, January 27, 2011

Free Astronomy Lecture: APOD's Best Images from 2010
Astronomer Robert Nemiroff, of Michigan Technologal University and one of the founders of the Astronomy Picture of the Day Web site, presented the best images of 2010. This was part of the lecture series sponsored by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. The lecture was held in the Kaufmann Theatre of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.
AAA, January 7, 2011

Astronomy Picture of the Day
Dr. Robert Nemiroff talked about astronomical highlights of 2010 for the meeting of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society. The meeting was held at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Center City Philadelphia.
Rittenhouse Astronomical Society Newsletter, January 5, 2011

Former Biology Professor Passes (Robert A. Janke)
Tech Today, January 4, 2011

Aurilee R. Smith
Mining Gazette, December 30, 2010

Robert A. Janke
Mining Gazette, December 24, 2010

Northern Lights active in the U.P. (Alumn Dr. David Lucas)
Upper Michigans Source, August 6, 2010

Orphan Bikes Prepared for Adoption (Physics Grad Student Doug Banyai)
Michigan Tech News, April 21, 2010

Michigan State Advisor (Emeritus Professor of Physics Keith Baldwin)
RIF Ambassadors, posted March 24, 2010

Global warming: fact or fiction? Two very respected science minds of the U.P. offer their thoughts. (Alumn Dr. David Lucas)
Upper Michigans Source, February 18, 2010

Dollar Bay conducts Family Science Night
Mining Gazette, December 4, 2009

UFO sighting over U.P. skies? One man captured several pictures of what he saw. (Alumn Dr. David Lucas)
Upper Michigans Source, October 5, 2009

More on Professor Chimino
TechAlum News, From the Email Bag, September 21, 2009

Dave Chimino and the Goose
TechAlum News, From the Email Bag, September 8, 2009

Connecting with David Chimino
TechAlum News, From the Email Bag, August 24, 2009

A Perfect Season In Review (GSC Softball 2009 Champs)
sgowtham.net, Brain Dump v1.0, August 14, 2009

SPS Students Participate in Science Fair
Physics Outreach News, April 7, 2009

Nuclear Power Seminar
Donald Daavettila, physics faculty emeritus, presented a seminar, "A Review of the Physical and Chemical Fundamentals of Nuclear Power," at 3 p.m. on April 6, in Chem Sci 101.
Tech Today, April 6, 2009