Articles

Improv Training Can Ease Social Anxiety

Jul. 7, 2023
Some people are apprehensive about participating in improv comedy because of its unscripted format that requires quick thinking to play off unpredictable ideas presented by others on stage or in the audience. But Northern Michigan University assistant professor Peter Felsman is the lead author of a published study providing the first evidence that improv training can significantly reduce a common trait of social anxiety and depression: discomfort with uncertainty.
Felsman (left) doing improv with a house team called Brenda at Pointless Brewery & Theatre in Ann Arbor, which is now closed.

Cumberlidge Attends Workshop in Berlin

Jun. 30, 2023
NMU BIology Professor Neil Cumberlidge recently attended a week-long freshwater crab workshop at the Museum für Naturkunde (Natural History Museum) in Berlin, Germany. He joined international colleagues working on new collections of freshwater crabs resulting from the group's biological surveys of three central and West African biodiversity hotspots in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.
Workshop participants at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. From left: Pierre A. Mvogo Ndongo (Douala, Cameroon in Central Africa); Kristina von Rintelen, Curator of Crustaceans, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin; Thomas von Rintelen (Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Museum für Naturkunde); Paul Clark (The Natural History Museum in London, UK); and Neil Cumberlidge (NMU).

NMU Hockey Video Crew Wins National Award

Jun. 29, 2023
The Northern Michigan University student-dominated crew that produces video coverage of Wildcat hockey games surpassed seven larger institutions nationwide in its division to win the outstanding live game production award in the Sports Video Group (SVG) 2023 College Sports Media Awards. The five-minute video clip they submitted for the competition showed the conclusion of a Wildcat hockey game in which NMU beat rival Michigan Tech in overtime on a breakaway goal.
The award-winning crew (from left): Cross Lakenen (camera), Mike Lakenen (Producer/Director), Joe Sigourney (camera), Megan Tarcea (graphics/audio), Andrew Hoover (camera), Ava Moilanen (camera), Mike Cudahy (back, camera), and Adam Diaz (front, replay). Not pictured: Kenzie Harrod (camera shading)

NMU President Plans Houghton Visit

Jun. 29, 2023
Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman will meet with NMU alumni and friends at a reception-style event from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at the Houghton venue Bonfire at The Continental Fire Company. He will provide a university update and chat with attendees over complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages. 
NMU President Brock Tessman