April 2025

Northern Michigan University theater professor Paul Truckey is the recipient of the 2025 Stephen Young and Tricia Kinley Distinguished Faculty Award. He joined the faculty in 2003, and has been instrumental developing and implementing the Bachelors of Fine Arts programs in musical theater and acting, as well as the Bachelor of Arts degree in theater performance.

Associate Professor of Biology Diana Lafferty joined the NMU faculty in 2017 and established the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab (WECOS Lab). In collaboration with myriad state, federal and international partners, she has led diverse research initiatives across the United States and around the world to advance wildlife ecology and conservation. 

Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice Greg Warchol began his field research on the illegal trade in endangered and protected species—with a focus on wildlife trafficking—in 2001. His other past and current research interests include: the impact of The Troubles in Northern Ireland on its legal system; civil forfeiture law; and urban crime in the United States.  

English Professor Zhuang-Zhong “Z.Z.” Lehmberg was born and raised in Guangzhou, China, but says she “grew up” in the United States. She came to this country as a transfer student when she was 20 years old. Lehmberg received a B.A. in business and an M.A. in English from NMU before completing her graduate studies at Wayne State University, where she received her Ph.D. in English. She then returned to Marquette to teach at NMU and to raise a family with her husband, Paul.

Michael Crum is a professor in the College of Business at Northern Michigan University, where he has taught since 2010. He has a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville. He also holds an MBA, a master's in strategic finance, and a bachelor's degree with majors in accounting and finance from Indiana University Southeast. He primarily teaches courses in strategic management, entrepreneurial finance and operations management.

Joe Lubig joined NMU in 2002, and has served as associate dean and director for the School of Education, Leadership and Public Service since 2011. He was fortunate to have served as the department head for the Center for Native American Studies from 2019-2024, giving him the opportunity to gain leadership skills and knowledge through an Indigenous lens. His innovative leadership exemplifies the criteria that the Faculty Leadership Award seeks to honor, particularly in advancing innovative initiatives, inspiring others and fostering a culture of inclusivity and integrity.

NMU alumna Debra LaMere is a contingent faculty member in the College of Business. She also serves as senior vice president at Goodwill Industries. She has worked in the human resources (HR) field for many years, starting out as an administrative assistant at the Tilden Mine. LaMere has since held HR roles in manufacturing, healthcare, higher education and now nonprofit. 

As a geographer and landscape ecologist, Assistant Professor Adam Naito integrates field work, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and simulation modeling to improve understanding of landscape-scale changes in vegetation and its implications for cross-scale interactions and ecosystem services in terrestrial systems. His work has spanned multiple environments, including the montane forests of northern California, Arctic Alaska, the Appalachian Mountains, Southwestern rangelands, and the North Woods and agricultural landscapes of the Upper Peninsula.

Assistant Professor of Education Cindy Basse leads and teaches in the early childhood graduate program. She launched the MAE in Early Childhood Education with four students and has been instrumental in teaching and growing the program to its current level of eighty students. She has focused her professional development on pedagogical approaches to online learning that engages students in active learning within a supportive classroom community. 

Psychological Science Assistant Professor Lin Fang is co-director of the Cognitive x Affective Behavior & Integrative Neuroscience (CABIN) Lab. Her research mainly focuses on 1) The cognitive and affective vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety: Mechanism and intervention; 2) The interaction between cognitive control and emotion regulation; 3) User experience (UX) research.