CAMPUS

News for NMU Employees

Achievements

Eileen Smit (Nursing, pictured) received a certificate of completion for the Internet-based Successful Aging (iSAGE) program through Stanford University. The mini-fellowship is offered free to healthcare professionals and the public through a grant from the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities. Its premise is that, “in order to provide the best possible care for multicultural American older adults, it is necessary to activate the lay public and health personnel by increasing awareness about the principles of successful aging.” iSage is primarily focused on the concept of holistic well-being. As part of the six-month training, mini fellows have to complete a project that aims to improve the well-being of five older adults in the community. Smit worked with the Munising Tribal Health Center to identify non-pharmacological ways of managing chronic pain. “Most illnesses are related to lifestyle, not age,” Smit said. “There’s a tendency to see aging as negative, but it can be a vibrant, productive and rewarding part of life if you do it successfully. The idea of iSAGE is to reframe it in a more positive light.”

Athletic trainers from across the country spent two days in Washington, D.C., at the Annual Youth Sport Safety Alliance Summit and on Capitol Hill seeking support from senators and members of Congress for the House resolution "Student-Athlete Bill of Rights." The alliance includes about 140 organizations with a common interest in increasing youth sport safety and decreasing catastrophic injuries/death as a result of sport participation. Julie Rochester (Health and Human Performance) is pictured at center with Gretchen Mohny of Western Michigan University and NMU alumnus Mark Stoessner of Grand Valley State University.

The NMU Center for Upper Peninsula Studies selected Gabe Logan’s (History) research related to the Labor Sport Union (LSU) for the center’s fellowship. From 1928-35, the LSU united left-wing politics and athletics. It drew much of its membership from urban enclaves, where industry and immigrant populations sought health and recreation beyond the “bourgeoisie” Amateur Athletic Union, religious-backed organizations (YMCA, YWCA and Catholic Youth) or the company team. The LSU received limited attention outside the urban labor movement, but did find an appreciative audience in the rural iron ore region of Lake Superior, where it received support disproportionate to the population. Logan’s paper explains why and how these communities used the LSU to promote athletic endeavors, select star athletes and teams to represent the region and provided leadership to the LSU to promote the regions’ sporting vision on a national scale. Logan will present his research at the next Sonderegger Symposium. 

Tawni Ferrarini (Economics) is one of eight faculty members nationwide named to the editorial board for The EDvantage, a free online resource hub for educators. Board members will advise The EDvantage directors and coordinators on the site’s development and act as gatekeepers, vetting outside resources before they appear on the site. Launched in October 2013, The EDvantage curates high-quality resources, including videos, articles and supplemental learning guides, so instructors can spend less time searching and more time teaching.

Eric Smith (Broadcast and A/V Services) has been elected vice president of the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters board of directors.