Around NMU

“Having grown up in Brighton, Mich., on a dirt road, getting my hands dirty was natural. Hard work is natural,” said Suzi Trdan, retail store manager of Starbucks and Sundre at Northern Michigan University. For Trdan, who is often smiling and eager to make connections with customers, hard work truly does seem natural.

Northern Michigan University Music Professor Barbara Rhyneer was honored as arts educator of the year at the 25th annual awards ceremony recognizing individuals who have made an impact on arts and culture in Marquette. She has been teaching and conducting the symphony orchestra at NMU since 1997.

At least two of the documentaries being screened at the Fresh Coast Film Festival Oct. 13-16 in Marquette were created by NMU alumni and students. Cameron Mattson and Kevin Paczesny, who began collaborating on projects as NMU digital cinema students, will premiere "All Hop'd UP," which explores the unique craft brewing subculture that has been growing in the Marquette area since the mid-1990s. Current student Fischer Genau's first film, "From the Ground Up," is about Partridge Creek Farm in Ishpeming, where he is completing an internship.

Flutist and educator Adam Sadberry will be accompanied by pianist Wynona Wang for a concert on "Togetherness" on Monday, Oct. 17, as part of Northern Michigan University's Siril Concert Series. Both are award-winning musicians. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Recital Hall. 

Northern Michigan University's Symphony Orchestra, University Choir and Arts Chorale will perform the Midwestern premiere of THE UNARMED CHILD at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, in Reynolds Recital Hall. The nine-movement work was composed by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, 2021 winner of the American Prize in Choral Composition, in response to gun violence against children.

Argentinian filmmaker Lucila Podestá will discuss documentary topics and her award-winning short film, which she shot with a phone after an accident during COVID-19, as a guest speaker for Northern Michigan University's Department of Languages, Literatures and International Studies. Her presentation begins at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in 109 Harden Hall. The public is invited.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is seeking nominations from the public for the 2022 Upper Peninsula Folklife Awards. The deadline is Oct. 16. 

This has been a year of milestones for Missie Holmquist of Marquette. In February, she was appointed by the governor to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees, and recently played a role in selecting NMU's next president. This spring, she marked the 20th anniversary of both her 2002 graduation from NMU with a bachelor's degree in psychology and the launch of her longtime career with Upper Peninsula Health Plan, which she now serves as president and CEO.

High school seniors who attend school and reside in the Upper Peninsula and plan to pursue studies in a health care-related field at a college or university next fall are invited to participate in an essay contest. The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health is coordinating the contest in partnership with the Michigan Center for Rural Health and the Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan. The essay submission deadline is Sunday, Oct. 16.

Northern Michigan University English Professor Lynn Domina is holding a monthly webinar titled “Let's Talk About Books,” which features writers discussing their recently published works. The webinar will touch on topics including medieval queens, science fiction and the effect of sermons on politics.