All News Releases

Former OTS Weightlifter Helps Revive Infant

Ronnie Tucker, a former weightlifter at NMU's Olympic Training Site
Jul. 26, 2018 —

Ronnie Tucker, a former weightlifter at NMU's Olympic Training Site, helped to save the life of an unresponsive newborn outside the Michigan State Police Jackson Post. He has been a state trooper for eight months. Tucker was first on the scene to assist a couple in an SUV parked outside whose baby emerged feet first and wasn't breathing. With CPR equipment from his vehicle and the training he underwent in the police academy, he kept the newborn's airway open and tried rubbing her chest for stimulation, eventually finding success.

NMU in 'Forbes' Overview of Cannabis Programs

Students in the lab
Jul. 25, 2018 —

Northern Michigan University is listed first in a Forbes article titled "From Chemistry to Culinary: 10 Educational Programs for Students Eager to Learn About Cannabis." The description for NMU states that there is renewed and enthusiastic interest in medicinal plant chemistry as it relates to the herbal extract market and, more recently, to the emerging cannabis market. "The degree balances coursework in chemistry and biology with lab experience.

Alumnus is KSTP-TV Investigative Executive Producer

Image of Paul McEnroe
Jul. 23, 2018 —
Paul McEnroe ('72 BS) is the investigative executive producer at KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to joining the station in 2015 as executive producer for investigations and special projects, he worked as an investigative reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. McEnroe was named an Ochberg Fellow by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University for his international coverage of victims of violence. He also received a Mastery Certificate from the Harvard University Program in Refugee Trauma, stemming from his reports on the Iraq and Gulf Wars, along with the conflict in Bosnia-Croatia. He is the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Grand Prize for Reporting on the Disadvantaged and has received awards from the Investigative Reporting & Editors Organization (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (the Bronze Medallion-Investigative Reporting).

Alumnus Partners with Nike to Help Chicago Youth

Image of a pair of Nike Sky Force 3/4 Black
Jul. 23, 2018 —
Artist Julian Gaines (BA 2015), who works under the moniker Juwop, has partnered with Nike Chicago to give the city's youth new creative platforms. He has established a reputation for juxtaposing art and athletics, particularly through customized sneakers. The new “Working on Projects” collaboration with Nike is a conceptual initiative that tells Gaines' story through new products and community events for the next generation of Chicago creatives. His Game-Worn Collection, released July 21, features two ’80s silhouettes: the 1982 Nike Sky Force and 1985 Nike Air Vortex. Read a Nike story on the effort here.

Alumna Joins WBPN Lansing Bureau

Image of Mikenzie Frost
Jul. 19, 2018 —
Mikenzie Frost (BA 2015) is the new Lansing bureau reporter for WBPN-TV in Traverse City. She joined the news team in July and covers "all things politics and public policy" in the state capital. Frost grew up in metro Detroit. She studied multimedia journalism at NMU, then became a reporter and later evening anchor for KTVH in Helena, Mont. A 30-minute special she wrote, shot and produced about the charms and challenges of rural education in Montana won "Best NonCommercial Program of the Year" in 2018 from the Montana Broadcasters Association. She also won a 2017 second-place award for "Best Newswriting" for a piece on a 30-year cold case.

NMU Student-Veteran Places Second IN National Arts Competition

Image of Traci Dietz's photo "broken"
Jul. 18, 2018 —
Traci Dietz, a Northern Michigan University student-veteran from Negaunee, won second place in the photography category of the 2018 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. The senior photography major entered a local competition through the Iron Mountain VA Medical Center. Her first-place finish qualified her for the national judging process. Dietz’s winning submission is an image titled “broken.”

NMU Student Returns to Congo

Image of Billy McCoy
Jul. 18, 2018 —
What began as a surfing and camping trip in 2010 has evolved into a mission for NMU nontraditional student Billy McCoy of Florence, according to a story in his hometown paper, the "Florence Mining News." The French language and literature major plans to leave in August to study abroad at Institute Francais du Congo, a private school run by the French government in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Before classes start, he will serve an internship at Mwana Villages, which serves mothers and orphans in the impoverished area of Pointe Noire, Congo. This will be his second trip volunteering for the organization.

NMU's Online MPA Among Most Affordable

Image of "Most Affordable" Ribbon
Jul. 17, 2018 —
Northern Michigan University offers one of the most affordable online Master of Public Administration (MPA) degrees in the nation, according to a new ranking by bestvalueschools.com. NMU’s program is offered 100 percent online. It is designed for both current public administration professionals and those who are new to the field, with a concentration in criminal justice, human resources, state and local government, or public management.

NMU Grad Joins Grand Rapids Law Firm

Jul. 16, 2018 —
Attorney and NMU alumnus Rock Wood ('84 BS) has joined Dickinson Wright PLLC’s Grand Rapids office as Of Counsel. He has more than 30 years of litigation experience as lead counsel in a wide range of business-related trials, including corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, construction and real estate. He has also successfully handled numerous disputes under non-competition agreements employment issues, insurance and UCC utilized in a wide variety of industries and employment positions.

Board Recognizes President's Performance with New Contract

Image of Board Chair Robert Mahaney and President Fritz Erickson
Jul. 13, 2018 —
The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today recognized the “outstanding performance” of President Fritz Erickson with the approval of a new long-term presidential contract. The five-year contract places Erickson’s base salary at $385,000. It also includes a performance-based bonus component, through which he will receive $50,000 for achieving established goals in 2017-18.

Miniature Murder Scene a Teaching Tool

Image of Mastric working on the nutshell
Jul. 12, 2018 —
The first female police captain in the United States, Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962), was perhaps best known for her “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death.” These exquisitely detailed, miniature reproductions of real-life crime scenes revolutionized the emerging field of homicide investigation in the first half of the 20th century, according to the Smithsonian. The state of Maryland still uses them to train forensic professionals. Northern Michigan University criminal justice students will benefit from exposure to a similar dollhouse-sized diorama this coming academic year. Marquette resident and NMU alumnus Dave Mastric ('05 BA) was commissioned to create his first nutshell study of a gruesome murder case he discovered online.

NMU Profs Promote Sustainable Ecotourism

Image of President Fritz Erickson delivering ecotourism display piece to NMU alumnus John Madigan
Jul. 12, 2018 —
Many Great Lakes communities have reinvented or expanded their economies from logging and fishing to travel and leisure. Tourism revolving around the scenic environment offers multi-faceted economic benefits. It also requires adequate strategic planning and investment to avoid the pitfalls of popularity such as seasonal overpopulation, natural resources degradation and pollution. Two Northern Michigan University faculty members have received additional funding for their continuing efforts to promote sustainable eco-tourism. The project—already underway in Alger County—could lead to year-round economic stability in the region and serve as an innovative model statewide.

Former NMU Student and Michigan Native Assists with Thai Rescue

Image of Bruce Konefe
Jul. 11, 2018 —
Former NMU student Bruce Konefe joined the recent rescue effort that successfully transported a Thai boys’ soccer team and coach to safety. He has lived in the country for 24 years and is a technical diving instructor who specializes in caves and shipwrecks. A friend and Navy Seals coordinator recruited Konefe to lend his expertise to the rescue planning in Chang Rai.

Grads Receieve Nat Geo Grant for St. John Study

Image of a red-eyed coquí on a leaf
Jul. 10, 2018 —
Two recent NMU alumni—Collin Richter ('17 BS) and Samantha DiGiulio ('16 BS)—received a National Geographic Society Early Careers Grant for a joint study on how last year’s hurricanes impacted reptiles and amphibians on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their June project was a follow-up to independent research they completed as NMU students at the same location during an advanced field marine biology course led by Professor Jill Leonard.