Around NMU

Because of COVID-19's projected impact on Northern Michigan University's financial outlook, President Fritz Erickson announced an immediate 10% salary reduction for Executive Council members and asked division leaders to begin developing contingency plans for reducing NMU's budget by $8 million.

NMU alumnus Richard Anderson (‘78 MA) has used his Thompsonville business, Iron Fish Distillery, as a force for good by producing much-needed sanitizer during the spread of COVID-19. Consumer demand has fueled a shortage impacting critical health and human service organizations.

Northern Michigan University human-centered design professor Peter Pless put his expertise and studio's resources to work developing acrylic hoods that cover patients being intubated in the ER and elsewhere, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Manistique native Nicole Johnson is the new marketing manager of Innovate Marquette SmartZone, which partners with Invent@NMU to support economic development from a shared location on Northern Michigan University's campus. 

With COVID-19 closing schools, WNMU-TV at Northern Michigan University is working with Upper Peninsula school superintendents and educators to provide alternative options for online learning. WNMU-TV (channel 13) will modify its main-channel content beginning Monday, April 13, to broadcast special educational content for students in grades 6-12.

Jamie Crabb, NMU assistant professor and Practical Nursing program coordinator, has been selected to serve on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing as a volunteer item writer and reviewer on NCSBN's panel of judges. Crabb will aid in the development of the New Generation NCLEX-PN exam.

In response to the economic impacts posed to the Marquette community by COVID-19, Invent@NMU will now be offering free services to local small businesses. This effort is part of Northern Michigan University's #WildcatsMeanBusiness initiative, and in collaboration with Innovate Marquette SmartZone, LucidCoast and Campfire CoWorks. 

Northern Michigan University has launched a #WildcatsMeanBusiness campaign to encourage the NMU and Marquette communities to support businesses that sponsor NMU events and programming, as well as local businesses owned by alumni.

Northern Michigan University continues to adhere to CDC guidelines with its latest announcement that employees and student employees will be required to wear facial coverage of some type when working on campus.

Senior medicinal plant chemistry major Michael Cole won first place in the New Business Venture Competition sponsored by the Northern Michigan University College of Business. His proposal, Cannoptic Labs, will provide patients, cultivators, producers and dispensaries with important information about the safety, quality and potency of their medicinal/recreational cannabis products. The competition's final activities took place virtually because of the COVID-19 situation.