Around NMU

NMU-NASA Granite Island Project Underway

Jun. 15, 2018
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.
Image of members unloading batteries from a boat

Reimagine STEM Youth Academy Planned

Jun. 14, 2018
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.

UC Project's First Phase Begins

Jun. 11, 2018

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.

demolition kickoff

NMU Offers CPR, Basic Life Support Courses

May. 31, 2018
Northern Michigan University’s School of Health and Human Performance will offer three American Heart Association courses this summer: certification in both First Aid/CPR/AED and Basic Life Support; and a non-certified community Family & Friends CPR course. The schedule is contingent on demand and staff availability. Pre-registration is required. NMU students, faculty, staff, spouses and retirees receive a $10 discount on the certification courses.

NMU One of Top Colleges for Skiers

May. 31, 2018
The snow has melted from the slopes, but "POWDER" magazine just published "The Best East Coast Colleges for Skiers" and Northern Michigan University was among the top-five selections featured. Even the editors acknowledged the geographical conundrum of including NMU in the same category as colleges in eastern states such as Vermont and New Hampshire.

'Four the Water' Paddling Lake Superior

May. 30, 2018
Two NMU students and two alumni comprise Four the Water, a group circumnavigating Lake Superior by kayak to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and funding for nonprofits that protect the Great Lakes. The friends reported on Facebook meeting friendly and interesting people in their first week, including a “wonderful gentleman who shared many stories with us about life on Au Train Island since the late ‘70s, including his pet wolf (not really his pet, but he has one on the island).” There was also Ben, “who taught us how he nets fish as he is a Chippewa Native, allowing us to hop on his canoe.” They will make a documentary about their journey and hope to screen it at film festivals in the Great Lakes region.
Image of the Four the Water members

NMU EcoReps Makes Impressive Debut

May. 30, 2018
NMU EcoReps, a peer-to-peer educator program that focuses on environmentalism, social equity and economic vitality, made such an impressive debut in its first year that it ended the semester with Student Organization of the Year honors. Members also addressed the NMU Board of Trustees in May, lobbying for a $5 student opt-out fee for a proposed GreenFund that would support student sustainability initiatives. They were pleasantly shocked when the board voted on the spot to contribute $20,000 per semester to the organization’s operation for 2018-19 while exploring the viability of implementing a fee.

Students Assist GLCC Tree Planting Effort

May. 29, 2018

NMU students Breanne Wilmot (biology) and Lynnae Branham (environmental studies and sustainability) are assisting the Great Lakes Conservation Corps with a tree-planting project near Harlow Lake off County Road 550. The project is part of a Michigan DNR wildlife habitat project intended primarily for game species like white-tailed deer, with a potential trickle-down benefit for other species. Wilmot and Branham are featured in a "Mining Journal" article on the project.