CAMPUS

News for NMU Employees

Friday, Nov. 22, 2013

English Family Donates Land to NMU

The Dr. John English family has donated 142 acres of land in Chocolay Township to the Northern Michigan University Foundation. English and his wife, Militza, are pictured last summer with Martha Haynes (Advancement) and NMU President David Haynes. English spent four decades as an internal medicine practitioner at Marquette General Hospital before retiring in 2003. The family’s acreage lies south of M-28, east of Kawbawgam Road (Co. Rd. Bi) and adjacent to state forest land. Full Story

 

NMU Online Programs Recognized 

NMU ranked No. 1 among Michigan’s colleges and universities for the most affordable online degree programs, according to Affordable Colleges Online. AC Online focused specifically on distance learning options from public and private non-profit institutions with full accreditation. Full Story

 

Commencement Speaker Announced

NMU alumnus Ernie Telford of Thousand Oaks, Calif., will be the keynote speaker at December commencement. He will also receive an honorary doctor of business degree. Telford is a consultant for AmWINS Group Inc., a leader in the wholesale insurance industry.

Telford maintains a strong connection to his alma mater. He provided seed capital for NMU to offer a finance degree with a concentration in insurance and risk management and established the Telford Risk Management Scholarship in 2010 for students participating in the program. Full Story

 

Eslinger Named NMU Point Person for Economic Development

Robert “Bob” Eslinger has been promoted to special assistant to the president for economic development and director of the Center for Innovation and Industrial Technologies at Northern Michigan University. The center is based in the NMU Jacobetti Complex. Full Story

 

AmeriCorps Member Focuses on Youth Mentoring

A full-time AmeriCorps member is stationed at NMU’s School of Education, Leadership and Public Service this year. Recent NMU graduate Brooke Tellefsen is working with Marquette County high school counselors and administrators to enhance the quality and quantity of youth mentoring relationships. The goal is to increase college-going rates and career readiness among K-12 youth who are from low-income families or are first-generation college students. Full Story

 

Class Aids Syrian Refugees

Students in a world history class taught by Kathryn Johnson (History) have devised an academic service learning project to benefit Syrian refugee children. The conflict between forces loyal and opposed to President Bashar al-Assad is tearing the nation apart, according to the BBC. Tens of thousands have lost their lives and the bloody internal battle has forced two million people to flee across the country’s borders. The students were motivated to action after participating in a video conference on the country’s culture and history with Maya Alkateb, a Fulbright Scholar from Syria who is studying at Indiana University (pictured). They initially wanted to create care packages for refugee camps, but quickly learned a lesson about the “endless obstacles” to delivering aid to crisis regions overseas. Full Story

 

Students Host ‘Party for the Pets’

Another example of an academic service learning project will take place Saturday, Nov. 23. The Student Leader Fellowship Program’s onyx block is coordinating “Party for the Pets,” a fundraiser for the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (UPAWS). The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. in the Masonic Building on Washington Street. It features an all-you-can-eat brunch, music and carnival games—all included with admission—and a silent auction for a number of products and services from the Marquette area. Tickets are available at the door. Prices are $5 for students with an ID and $10 for others. Monetary and material donations are welcome. The UPAWS wish list can be accessed here. Pets are the impetus for the party, but unfortunately none will be allowed to attend because of the location. 

Holiday Events Set 

NMU's annual Lighting Up the Holidays celebration will take place Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the University Center. It is free and open to the public. The event features horse-drawn hayrides from 4:30-8 p.m., pictures with Santa from 5-7 p.m. and a reception with cookies, hot chocolate and apple cider. It also includes a welcome from NMU President David Haynes, caroling and performances by New Attitudes dancers. The NMU Bookstore will be open until 8 p.m. for its annual holiday sale. 

The NMU Campus Holiday Celebration for employees and guests is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, in the University Center Great Lakes Rooms. A buffet and cash bar will be available. Attendees are asked to bring an unwrapped toy, winter hat/mitten/scarf or canned food item that will be donated to local organizations. An advance RSVP is requested by contacting Marlina Martinez (President's Office). 

 

         

Dance has factored prominently into Marge Sklar’s (College of Business) life. Her favorite hobby took root in her hometown of Philadelphia, where she learned folk dances connected to her heritage while growing up in an Italian neighborhood. She later learned how other nations express their passion through movement by taking lessons at International House Philadelphia. Sklar also fondly recalls spontaneous summer dances with her family on the plaza outside the city’s Museum of Art. It was the same spot Rocky Balboa—the Italian Stallion—famously pumped his fists in the air after scaling 72 concrete steps with “Gonna Fly Now” as a musical backdrop. Full Story