Graduate School
2011–12 ANNUAL R EPO RT
Message from the Dean
Fall 2011 graduate enrollment
reached another record high:
1,303 master’s and PhD students.
We also broke our previous record of the
number of students who graduated: 289
master’s and 63 PhDs. The Graduate School
is clearly on track to meet the University’s
Strategic Plan goal of having 3,000 graduate
students enrolled by 2035. We are making
progress toward another Strategic Plan goal
as well—we are now at 29 percent female
enrollment and the 2020 goal is 35 percent.
We are placing graduates with industry, in
academia, and in government. Some of our
most successful graduates have started their
own companies. Those graduates that remain
in Michigan are helping the state reinvigorate
its industries. Graduates who have left the
state continue to make us proud as they
work to improve their new communities. I am
continually impressed by the quality of the
alumni that I have the good fortune to meet.
Despite these wonderful
successes, the Graduate School is
facing some challenges.
The global recession continues to impact many
students’ ability to afford graduate school.
Recent changes to federal rules regarding
student loans are also hindering students
who wish to pursue a graduate degree. More
students than ever before are paying for the
entirety of their graduate education. This
wasn’t the case a few years ago, and since
Graduate School
2011- 12 ANNUAL R E PO RT
Adrienne Minerick (right)
advising PhD student Jeana
Dillon (left) and MS student
Hongyu Xie (center) in
the Medical Micro-Device
Engineering Research
Lab, housed in Michigan
Tech’s chemical engineering
department.
most prospective graduate students received
substantial amounts of financial aid while they
were pursuing a bachelor’s degree, the “sticker
shock” associated with the cost of a graduate
education can be extreme.
STAFF
I want to thank all the alumni and
friends who have helped to support
graduate education at Michigan
Tech by making a contribution to
the Graduate School.
Shellie Crisman
smcrisma@mtu.edu
You are making a difference in many students’
lives. By supporting them and their research,
you are also improving the quality of life for
everyone on the planet. Your support is helping
our students change the world.
Nancy Byers-Sprague
nspr@mtu.edu
Debra D. Charlesworth
ddc@mtu.edu
Bonnie A. Gagnon
bagagnon@mtu.edu
Kristi L. Isaacson
kris@mtu.edu
Jacque C. Smith
jacque@mtu.edu
Heather L. Suokas
hlsuokas@mtu.edu
Carol T. Wingerson
ctwinger@mtu.edu
Learn more about
our staff online:
mtu.edu/gradschool/
administration/staff/
Jacqueline E. Huntoon
Associate Provost for Graduate Education
Dean of the Graduate School
Administration Building 411A
906-487-2327
jeh@mtu.edu
About the School
New Graduate Programs
BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (PHD)
The fourth interdisciplinary PhD housed in the Graduate School, biochemistry and
molecular biology students’ research focuses on addressing problems in human
health, disease treatment, and a sustainable environment at the molecular level. This
program was developed in response to the ever-increasing need for interdisciplinary
solutions to global problems.
MEDICAL INFORMATICS (MS)
The second graduate-level program offered by the School of Technology, medical
informatics students work at the intersection of information science, computer
science, and health care. The program focuses on complex medical decisions,
evidence-based medicine, disease management, and comprehensive laboratory
informatics.
FIVE ACCELERATED MASTER’S PROGRAMS
To allow our undergraduate students to jump-start their graduate education, the
Graduate School is proud to announce the development of five new accelerated
master’s programs. These programs will allow students to complete their master’s
degrees in one year beyond their bachelor’s degrees: biomedical engineering,
chemical engineering, engineering mechanics, materials science and engineering,
and mechanical engineering.
1,303
Graduate students
enrolled at Michigan
Tech in fall 2011
6.9
Percent increase in
first-time master’s
students in fall 2011
11
Number of online
graduate certificate
and degree programs
81
Percent placement
of graduate students
immediately after
graduation, 2011-12
1
Largest Peace Corps
Master’s International
Program in the country
White/Non-Hispanic
Not Supplied
Multiracial
International
Graduate Student
Enrollment
PERCENT BY ETHNICITY
FALL 2011
African American/
Non-Hispanic
American Indian/
Alaskan Native
Asian/
Asian American
Hispanic/
Hispanic American
The number of graduate students not supplying race/ethnicity
information decreased since fall 2010, while the number
identifying themselves as multiracial increased. Michigan Tech
attracts a large proportion of international students due in part
to the University’s extensive offerings in the STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines.
PhD Research
Building Business in Michigan
PhD graduates from Michigan Tech create significant economic
opportunity for the state of Michigan. From technology
development sponsored by industry to leading the businesses that
they have started, our doctoral graduates are contributing to the
state’s knowledge-driven resurgence.
Michigan Tech continues to draw many of the state’s most capable
and motivated students for advanced degrees. Even before they
launch careers in academia or industry, these residents contribute
through industry-sponsored research to promote prosperity in
Michigan. For example, Stephanie Groves’ research (see story
below) on biofuels was sponsored by a company from Alpena.
invention
disclosures were
filed by Michigan
Tech graduate
students over the
past six years.
SMART GRID
MAGNESIUM HALL THRUSTER
ETHANOL PRODUCTION
Andrew Drees received a BS degree in
Electrical Engineering with a minor in
historical studies in 2009 and an MS
degree in Electrical Engineering in 2011
from Michigan Tech. He is currently
working toward a PhD at Michigan Tech
advised by Chee-Wooi Ten and Bruce
Mork.
Mark Hopkins completed his
undergraduate degree in electrical
engineering at Michigan Tech in summer
2010. In fall 2010, Mark began work on
his PhD in the Ion Space Propulsion Lab
under Lyon B. King. Mark’s research
interest is the development of Hall-effect
thrusters operating on magnesium
propellant.
Stephanie Groves received a BS degree
in Biological Sciences–Microbiology
with a minor in bioprocess engineering
from Michigan Tech in 2006 and an MS
in Biological Sciences–Microbiology in
2009. She is currently working on a PhD
in Biological Sciences, advised by Susan
Bagley.
His main research area is distribution
system applications of the smart grid.
The smart grid is a next-generation
power system that installs intelligent
real-time monitoring and control
capabilities throughout the power
system infrastructure. Andrew’s
research focuses on creating solutions
to challenges such as how to secure
the vast increase in power system
information that is now available.
Andrew Drees
PhD Candidate
Electrical Engineering (Spring 2014)
Hall thrusters are used for orbit transfer
and deep space missions. State-of-theart Hall thrusters commonly operate
using xenon gas, which is very expensive
and requires large vacuum facilities for
testing. Magnesium is inexpensive and
requires only moderate pumping speed at
vacuum facilities. Magnesium also exists
in Martian and Lunar regolith, which may
allow for in-situ refueling.
Her research goal is the optimization
of ethanol production by yeast from
lignocellulosic biomass. Her project
focuses on increasing ethanol yields
through adaptation of yeast to
lignocellulosic feedstocks and identifying
targets for metabolic engineering.
The economic impact of her research
revolves around increasing the viability of
lignocellulose as a commercial feedstock
for biofuels.
Mark Hopkins
PhD Candidate
Mechanical Engineering (Spring 2014)
Stephanie Groves
PhD Candidate
Biological Sciences (Fall 2012)
Your Impact
Funding provided by alumni and friends of Michigan Tech’s Graduate School helps to provide much-needed financial
support to outstanding students. These three students all benefited from the Graduate School Finishing Fellowship.
“Obtaining a Graduate School Finishing Fellowship was crucial
in helping me complete my degree. The fellowship allowed
me to focus entirely on my research. I am modifying asphalt
pavement materials with electronic waste plastics in order to
reduce waste and costs. I was able to successfully write my
dissertation while I was supported by the Finishing Fellowship;
without it I would not have had the resources to successfully
complete my degree.”
—Baron Colbert, PhD, Fall 2012
“I was very grateful to be awarded a PhD Finishing Fellowship
for my final semester at Michigan Tech. This financial support
allowed me to focus my attention on finishing my dissertation and
publishing my research. Publication is essential for disseminating
new research results and promoting the research taking place at
Michigan Tech, and for helping people like me launch their careers.
My achievements, thanks to the Finishing Fellowship, led to the
start of a successful career as a forest habitat biologist.”
—Lindsey Shartell, PhD, Spring 2012
“The Graduate School Finishing Fellowship enabled me to
shift my focus from my teaching to scholarship, which I would
have been unable to do otherwise. Having a semester to focus
solely on my own writing is what really made obtaining my
PhD in a timely manner possible. I am sincerely grateful to
having been given a Finishing Fellowship, as it allowed me to
complete my PhD and reach my own goal of teaching writing
full time at a university.”
—Heather L. H. Jordan, PhD, Summer 2011
Alumni
Do you ever think of old college
friends and wonder what they’re up to
and where they’ve been? Here, we’ve
done our best to document where our
alumni reside around the globe. We
also checked in with a couple of alums
who were featured in the past.
Mark Griep, PhD ’08
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
The world map at right shows the
countries of residence for Michigan
Tech Graduate School alumni.
“Michigan Tech’s international
diversity was highly influential
in my career. Tech offered vibrant
international and cultural
opportunities to genuinely
experience diversity. It was these
experiences that drove me to
pursue a Fulbright Fellowship
in Taiwan following graduation,
and I am now moving toward an
international focus in my career.”
Kristen Roth, MS ’09
CIVIL ENGINEERING
“Through my experience in the
civil engineering graduate program,
I greatly expanded my engineering
knowledge and enhanced my
skills as a writer and researcher.
I learned the importance of self
motivation, planning, and goals.
Having my master’s degree helped
me secure a job, and I was given
more responsibility upon entering
the workforce than I would
have been given if I only had a
bachelor’s degree.”
30–80 alums (USA: 5,890)
10–29 alums
4–9 alums
2–3 alums
1 alum
$8,725
The average lifetime giving to Michigan Tech by a
Graduate School alumnus. The average individual gift is
$292.
41%
3,036 Graduate School alumni have
contributed $26,490,063 to Michigan Tech
since 1948; a 41 percent participation rate.
Top
Michigan Tech develops many leaders
with strong entrepreneurial abilities,
reflected in the large number of selfemployed individuals.
EMPLOYERS OF
GRADUATE SCHOOL ALUMNI
Michigan Tech
132
Self Employed
80
Ford Motor Company
72
General Motors Corporation
63
Caterpillar
Cummins
54
51
IBM Corporation
39
US Department of Agriculture
26
Boeing Company
25
Chrysler Group
21
A prominent example is John Hallquist
PhD, who graduated from Michigan Tech
in 1974. He founded Livermore Software
Technology Corporation in 1987 and
was elected to the National Academy of
Engineering in 2007.
Support Types
PHD
MASTER’S
2007
2009
2011
2007
2009
2011
Self
24%
24%
31%
Self
67%
75%
76%
External
36%
30%
33%
External
13%
7%
11%
Internal
40%
46%
36%
Internal
20%
18%
13%
Internal financial support includes teaching and research
assistantships provided by Michigan Tech. External support
includes fellowships, grants, and contracts. Self-supported
students pay their own way or have assistance from an
employer or another organization, and their support is not
administered through Michigan Tech.
Self–supported master’s students continue to grow in
number at Michigan Tech. These students pursue degrees
that make them more competitive in today’s workplace. In
2011, there was a slight increase in the number of master’s
students receiving external support and a small decrease in
the number receiving internal support.
Gender by College
Female
758
Total number of students
Male
29% Female
1,303
318
85
60
School of
Business and
Economics
Students in the
Graduate School
82
71% Male
College of
Engineering
School of Forest
Resources and
Environmental
Science
College of
Sciences and Arts
No College
Designated
The Graduate School is making steady progress towards the 2020 goal of 35 percent
female enrollment. The College of Engineering has the largest number of female
graduate students (156), while the School of Forest Resources and Environmental
Science has the highest percentage (53) of female students.
Students
ENROLLMENT
Demand for Michigan Tech
Nondegree
graduate programs has risen
83
529
PhD
steadily over the past five years,
Master’s
with applications more than
31
423
doubling and total enrollment
exceeding 1,300.
691
462
Ap plic a t io ns
Acc e pt s
1,299
608
2006
276
2011
Graduate enrollment levels are at an all-time high,
with 41 percent of graduate students enrolled in PhD
programs, 53 percent in master’s programs, and 7
percent as nondegree-seeking students. Michigan
Tech is steadily moving towards its goal of having
3,000 graduate students enrolled by 2035.
2008
2007
2006
En ro lle d
DEGREES
63
PhD
2009
Masters
65
184
2010
2011
289
2,885
1,258
402
Graduate School applications continue to
increase each year. From fall 2006 to fall 2011,
the Graduate School has experienced a 122
percent increase in the number of applications.
Each year has seen technological advancements
in our processes for compiling, completing, and
reviewing prospective students’ applications.
2006
In 2011–12, Michigan Tech granted 289 master’s and
63 PhD degrees. The Graduate School is nearing the
University’s 2012 goal of granting 65 PhD degrees per year
and has exceeded the master’s goal of 225 by 28 percent.
The 2011–12 academic year produced the most graduate
degrees in Michigan Tech’s history.
2011
Survey of Earned Doctorates
(WWW.NSF.GOV/STATISTICS/SRVYDOCTORATES)
Career Paths
STEM Focused
85.6%
Michigan Tech
46.2%
40.9%
vs.
of Michigan Tech’s
PhDs work in
industry/business
16.0%
of High Research
University PhDs work
in industry/business
High Research Universities
More than 85 percent of Michigan Tech’s PhDs have
engineering or life/physical sciences as their primary field
of study, compared to 46.2 percent of PhD recipients
from High Research Universities in general.
Nearly 41 percent of Michigan Tech PhDs’
postgraduate employment is with industry/
business, compared to 16 percent at all High
Research Universities.
Less Time to Degree
More Students with No Debt
1.5 years
The difference between Michigan Tech and other
High Research Universities in time to degree
7.2 years since starting graduate school is the
median time to degree for Michigan Tech’s PhDs.
This compares to all High Research Universities’
time to degree of 8.7 years.
58.9%
Michigan Tech
High Research Universities
47.5%
Nearly 60 percent of Michigan Tech’s PhDs
completed their degrees with no debt at
graduation. By contrast, only 47.5 percent from all
High Research Universities graduated with no debt.
THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS BASED ON 2010 DATA REPORTED IN 2011.
Graduate Tuition
Residents + Engineers
Nonresidents + Engineers
FULL-TIME TUITION FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2012–13
$10,000
Texas Tech University
$4,546
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$10,864
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Michigan Technological University
University of Colorado Boulder
Oakland University
University of Illinois at Chicago
Clemson University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Michigan State University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
University of Cincinnati
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Colorado School of Mines
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University-Main Campus
$21,914
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
$41,232
Graduate Stipend
NORMALIZED MINIMUM STIPENDS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2012–13
$5,000
Purdue University-Main Campus
$10,000
$15,000
$10,552
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Michigan Technological University
University of Cincinnati
Michigan State University
Clemson University
Oakland University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Colorado School of Mines
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Colorado Boulder
Texas Tech University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Michigan-Dearborn
$18,234
Michigan Technological University
Graduate School
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Our Newest
Research Facility
The Great Lakes Research Center
(GLRC) is the newest addition
to Michigan Tech’s campus.
The GLRC is a 50,000 square
foot interdisciplinary research
center featuring state-of-the-art
laboratories, computing centers,
high-tech public meeting
spaces, and docking facilities
to accommodate a variety of
research vessels. Research at the
GLRC is focused on understanding
and preserving the Great Lakes.
The GLRC is designed to be a
“green” building with construction
materials specifically selected to
reduce long-term maintenance
and energy costs.
Contact Us
Telephone
906-487-2327
Fax 906-487-2284
Email
gradadms@mtu.edu
www.mtu.edu/gradschool
Michigan Technological University is an equal
opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity
employer. Michigan Tech is a leading public
research university, developing new technologies
and preparing students to create the future for a
prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech
offers more than sixty graduate degree programs in
engineering, forestry and environmental sciences,
computing, business and economics, natural and
physical sciences, humanities, technology, and
social sciences.