News
- June 15, 2018NMU-NASA Granite Island Project Underway
A collaboration between NMU and NASA began this week. Contractors are transporting instruments to Granite Island to set up an offshore solar radiation-monitoring site for NASA’s Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) experiment. CERES has been measuring Earth’s radiation via satellite for more than 30 years. In an effort to validate that data through ground measures—ideally over water, far from land contamination—NASA selected a Lake Superior location after decommissioning a previous Chesapeake Bay site because of safety issues. The goal is that analyses of CERES data will lead to a better understanding of the role of clouds and the energy cycle in global climate change.
- June 14, 2018NMU Blueberry Classic Golf Outing July 27
The eighth annual Northern Michigan University Blueberry Classic golf outing will be held Friday, July 22, at the NMU Golf Course in Chocolay Township. Funds raised at the event benefit NMU students who encounter unexpected financial challenges. Golfers of all levels are welcome to participate.
- June 14, 2018Reimagine STEM Youth Academy Planned
NMU is hosting its second "Reimagine STEM Summer Youth Academy" June 16-29. Students who have completed grades 10-12 will learn creative ways to approach science, technology, engineering and math based on Native American traditions, culture and knowledge. The academy includes one week on campus with learning activities led by NMU faculty and Native American elders, followed by one week at Camp Nesbitt.
- June 14, 2018Grad Appointed to School Safety Task Force
NMU alumnus Paul Lauria ('95 BS) is among Gov. Rick Snyder's initial appointees to the School Safety Task Force. Lauria will represent law enforcement. He is chief of police for the Mt. Pleasant Department of Public Safety. The task force will identify structural and policy recommendations for collaboration, planning and assessment of school infrastructure and safety policies. It also will analyze top-performing states to determine best practices for law enforcement and preventative policies before submitting a final report to the governor no later than Nov. 30.
- June 14, 2018Alumna's Nursing Experience Informs Role as Judge
NMU alumna Kathryn Davis Messerich (BS ‘79) made a successful transition from nursing to a legal career. As chief judge of Minnesota's first judicial district, she has used her dual training presiding in juvenile court and previously in two drug courts. “The nursing background was incredibly helpful in understanding the scientific and medical issues associated with addiction and mental health,” said Messerich in a "Minnesota Lawyer" feature. “It has helped me look through things with a therapeutic lens at times, when appropriate.” While working as an RN after graduating from NMU, Messerich managed to complete a master's in nursing between her first two years of law school. Read the full "Minnesota Lawyer" story here.
- June 13, 2018Grad Students to Attend International Charr Symposium
Two NMU biology master's degree candidates will attend the 2018 International Charr Symposium June 18-21 in Duluth. They are among four students being sponsored by the Greater Lake Superior Foundation. Grace Zimmerman's research statement indicates she is "looking at the influence of food availability and temperature on individual differences in metabolic rate in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)." Jacob Bowman is focusing on "how the metabolic physiology of individual brook trout determines their life history characteristics, including migration and movement within streams.”
- June 13, 2018Alumnus Honors Parents with World Records
Fueled by a desire to honor his parents, NMU alumnus Ron Sarchian (BS '87) has set seven Guinness World Records and plans to pursue more this summer. The former Wildcat football player punched a heavy bag for 50 hours, nine minutes. He also split 42 watermelons with a karate chop in one minute on the "Today" show. The industrial technology grad worked seven years for Boeing in Seattle before moving to Southern California to be an actor, stuntman and personal trainer to the stars. Now he's become a star in his own right, according to a feature story in Clinton Township's "Daily Tribune." Read it here. Or visit Sarchian's website here.
- June 12, 2018UC Project's First Phase Begins
The south wing of the University Center was gutted after a demolition kickoff event last week, launching the first phase of the building's renovation. The book store previously relocated to the Peter White Lounge and West Hall and the North Wind Office to Gries Hall to accommodate reconstruction. The first phase is scheduled for completion in April 2019. Renovations to the Great Lakes wing will begin April 2019 and be completed in August 2019.
- June 11, 2018NMU Student Competes in Canadian Nationals Yo-Yo
NMU engineering design junior Jordan Walker-Jenkins recently competed in Canada's largest yo-yo competition to see how he stacks up against the best "return-top specialists." A resident of Brimley, Walker-Jenkins has retained his Canadian citizenship, which made him eligible to compete in the country's national championship. While he did not advance to the finals, a video of his preliminary round is impressive and supports his contention in a sootoday.com feature that “Modern yo-yo-ing isn’t just like, do walk the dog and then maybe rock the baby on stage. It’s a lot more intricate. See Walker-Jenkins' competition video here. Or read the feature story here.
- June 8, 2018Alumna Extends 45-Year Nursing Career
After retiring briefly in January, NMU graduate Linda Opsahl ('87 BSN, '97 MSN) has resumed her longtime role as a family nurse practitioner, taking her talents to UP Health System-Kingsford Family Medicine Clinic. Her nursing career has spanned 45 years, with the last 20 as an NP in the area where she grew up and her parents still reside. Opsahl retired from Dickinson County Healthcare System early this year, but felt the pull to continue when the UPHS opportunity surfaced. Read a story on her in "The Daily News" here.