Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Budget Awaits Governor's Signature

The state budget package was sent to Gov. Rick Snyder last week after the final piece—education funding—was approved by the Michigan Senate. Under the plan, NMU’s appropriation would increase by 5.2 percent, or nearly $2 million. Full Story

Students Audit Dining Services' Energy Use

In a research project aligned with NMU’s sustainability efforts, students from the climate control technology program completed the first phase of a Dining Services energy audit. They spent most of last semester collecting data from refrigeration equipment in the Marketplace and CatTrax facilities. The objectives were to reveal total energy consumption, suggest more efficient alternatives to existing commercial equipment, implement a preventive maintenance schedule to deter excessive service calls and propose a maximum five-year payback plan on investment.

“The ultimate goal is to reduce overall energy costs for Dining Services,” said instructor Nicholas Griewahn (Technology and Occupational Sciences). “Because of the time limitations of a semester and the amount of equipment we plan to examine, we’re approaching this in multiple phases. We started with the refrigeration equipment. Later we’ll do a more in-depth analysis of issues that surfaced this semester and review mechanical systems used in foodservice operations.” Full Story

Singh Earns Fulbright Award

Jaspal Singh (English) has been selected for a Fulbright Teaching and Research Award for the upcoming academic year. She will teach a graduate course at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi while she works on a manuscript for her book titled Imagining Nations and Homelands in Indian Literature: Gender and Sikh Identity in India and the Diaspora.  

“I’m thrilled and excited,” said Singh, who is pictured on a previous trip to New Delhi. “It is an honor to get this prestigious award and research in India is critical to completing my project. As a person from the Indian diaspora, who was born and raised in Burma (now Myanmar), I was always fascinated by the representations of Indians in English literature. My grandparents had migrated to Burma—then part of British India—to earn a living. My parents and I were born there. I moved to India in the late '60s." Full Story

NMU Offers Dance Minor

A new dance minor will be offered this fall. Mary Jane Tremethick (Health, Physical Education and Recreation) said it will allow students to explore various dance styles from both a theoretical and performance perspective.

“The minor is a natural fit in the HPER department, where there is a strong emphasis on health, human performance and lifetime fitness,” she added. “Though the minor is open to majors across campus, it is particularly complementary to majors in theater, community health education, management of health and fitness, outdoor recreation and leadership, and music. Full Story

War of 1812 Commemoration on Campus

Special events are planned statewide to mark the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Michigan played a prominent role, with Fort Mackinac the site of the first skirmish and other battles waged near Detroit. To commemorate the declaration of war, a brief ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, June 18, outside the bookstore entrance to the University Center. Participants will include Paul Lang (Academic Affairs), Lt. Col. Kyle Rambo (Military Science), Marquette Mayor John Kivela and Russ Magnaghi (History), who was appointed to the War of 1812 State Bicentennial Commission and is pictured in front of a reproduction 15-star flag of the period. Full Story