Research

Northern Michigan University's recently completed addition to Weston Hall has increased available lab space, elevating the ability of Biology and Chemistry faculty to conduct high-quality research and train students in biomedical techniques. Highlights include two specialty teaching labs: a “world-class” Cell Culture Facility; and a state-of-the-art Microscopy Suite with dedicated rooms to house each of NMU's advanced microscopes, providing a central hub for research projects.

Two Northern Michigan University professors—Maris Cinelli from Chemistry and Ryan Stock from Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences—are among the top 2% of highly cited scientists in the world, according to the most recent listing released by Stanford University and Elsevier, one of the largest publishing companies for scientific, technical and medical research. The list shows which scientists have had the biggest impact in their fields, based primarily on how often other scientists mention their work.

Providing a coordinated response to child abuse that involves professionals from diverse fields has the potential to improve outcomes for children and advance justice. This multidisciplinary team model is implemented through child advocacy centers, and has been widely adopted to facilitate such collaboration.

The largest remaining migratory population of brindled wildebeest in southern Africa serves as a cornerstone prey species for large predators. Yet it has been understudied because of its remote location in the Greater Liuwa Ecosystem in western Zambia and Angola. Northern Michigan University alumna Steph Szarmach, along with Biology faculty members Alec Lindsay and Katherine Teeter, worked with collaborators in Zambia to explore the wildebeest's genetic diversity and demographic history. They are among the coauthors of a recently published paper on the study's findings.

While growing up in central Uganda, Justine Nakintu regularly ate jackfruit, the largest edible fruit on the planet, which grew in abundance year-round on trees surrounding her home. Beneath its bumpy green rind is a stringy flesh that yellows and sweetens to a tropical taste as it ripens. Unripe, it has a mild flavor and is used as a meat substitute in tacos and a variety of savory dishes. But because this nutrient-rich fruit spoils within five days of being harvested, Nakintu has spent her one-year research fellowship working with NMU students on two goals: creating jackfruit products with extended shelf lives to reduce waste and help Ugandan farmers; and mapping the best locations for cultivating the commodity based on suitable climate and soil conditions.

Tucker McLain, a first-generation student who earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing in May, has become only the fifth person in Northern Michigan University history to receive a Fulbright, the flagship award program for international academic exchange opportunities. He is also the first from NMU whose grant will support research abroad. He will depart for Estonia in September for a nine-month exploration of the country's literary landscape.

Six Northern Michigan University undergraduate students and six graduate students each received up to $2,000 for travel expenses to present their research or creative work at various conferences, beginning last semester and continuing through fall 2025. NMU Provost Anne Dahlman, in alignment with the university's Our Compass strategic plan, elected to use donor funds to support student travel. 

Northern Michigan University graduate student Jenny Cho has received a $1,300 Grace H. Magnaghi Research Grant from NMU to explore the “history of the Yooper dialect and its role in the English language.” The project combines her previous master's degree in anthropology from Seoul National University with her current pursuit of a master's degree from NMU's English Department in TESOL, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Northern Michigan University history professor Kathryn Johnson has conducted four oral history interviews with global pioneers in open, distance and digital education. They include Professor Asha Kanwar, former president of the Commonwealth of Learning,; Professor Alejandro Pisanty, a Mexican scholar and early advocate for educational technology; Dr. Tony Bates, whom she describes as one of “the godfathers of distance education in Canada”; and Professor Rosibel Vicquez Abarca, a prominent leader in the field in Costa Rica. All will soon be published in scholarly journals, including one for which Johnson serves as the oral history section editor.

Grand Ethiopian Resonance Dam (GERD), the largest hydropower dam in Africa, has caused intense energy and water conflicts between Nile River countries. Scientists from around the world have conducted research and proposed solutions to help mitigate these conflicts. Dr. Jongeun You, assistant professor from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Northern Michigan University, contributed to these scholarly efforts and co-authored a publication in Communications Earth & Environment, a Nature journal. It was recently selected as one of the Top 25 papers of 2024 by the journal.