All News Releases

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.

Athletic Training Grad Working in Tennessee

Image of Elizabeth Endelman
Jul. 9, 2018 —
Elizabeth Endelman ('16 BS) will work the sideline of high school athletic events in Tennessee this fall for Starr Regional Medical Center in Athens, which took over the sports medicine services for the McMinn County School System earlier this year. In an SRMC feature story, Endelman said completing her athletic training degree at NMU gave her opportunities most students in the field do not get to experience: "While I was there, I was lucky enough to work with Olympic athletes in weightlifting and Greco-Roman wrestling."

Center for U.P. Studies Receives Award

Image of Magnaghi accepting the award
Jul. 9, 2018 —
The NMU Center for Upper Peninsula received the 2018 Superior Award from the Historical Society of Michigan. The award recognizes historical societies, museums and other organizations that preserve and advance U.P. history. Professor Emeritus Russ Magnaghi, who was the first director when the center was established in 1994, accepted the honor on behalf of NMU at the HSM's 69th annual U.P. History Conference.

Duling Named President of BWXT Subsidiary

Image of Joel W. Duling
Jun. 29, 2018 —
Joel W. Duling (’85 BS) is the new president of BWX Technologies' Nuclear Operations Group subsidiary in Lynchburg, Va. According to a news release, BWXTis a leading supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government. Duling has nearly 30 years of leadership and management experience in the manufacturing and nuclear industries, including reactor operations, nuclear facility operations, armor and steel manufacturing, safety, environmental compliance and remediation.

NMU Student Intern Featured by Miron

Image of Tyler Crisp
Jun. 29, 2018 —
Tyler Crisp, an NMU sophomore construction management major, is a featured summer intern on the Miron Construction website. He is working with the company on a Mills Fleet Farm store and gas station project. “My favorite part of the internship so far is having the ability to walk around the project site and look at all the different parts of the building that are being constructed,” Crisp said. “Also, being able to listen-in on how the superintendent and project manager run the project site and work with all of the subcontractors and activities that are happening on site.” To see the full feature, click here.

NMU Student Intern Featured by Miron

Tyler Crisp
Jun. 29, 2018 —

Tyler Crisp, an NMU sophomore construction management major, is a featured summer intern on the Miron Construction website. He is working with the company on a Mills Fleet Farm store and gas station project. “My favorite part of the internship so far is having the ability to walk around the project site and look at all the different parts of the building that are being constructed,” Crisp said.

Grad Recognized for Public Housing Development

Image of Zac Fosler accepting his honorable mention
Jun. 27, 2018 —
Zac Fosler (BS 2006) was recognized by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell on Capitol Hill, where he accepted honorable mention in the public housing category of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition's annual Edson Awards. The AHTCC is a national trade organization of housing professionals who advocate for affordable rental housing financed using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Fosler is executive director/CEO of the Ypsilanti Housing Commission, which opened its New Parkridge affordable housing redevelopment project in January. Located at a former segregated housing site, New Parkridge was one of only three public housing projects nationwide honored through the awards program.

Alumna Named East Grand Rapids Superintendent

Image of Heidi Kattula
Jun. 25, 2018 —
Heidi Kattula ('98 MA) was a unanimous choice to become the new superintendent of East Grand Rapids Public Schools, effective Aug. 1. The board announced that it selected Kattula for "her strength in collaboration, her ability to increase student achievement through inclusion and accountability, and her experience in instructional leadership across all grade levels." She has 26 years of experience in public education, according to an EGRPS news release.

NMU-NASA Granite Island Project Underway

Image of members unloading batteries from a boat
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.

Alumna's Nursing Experience Informs Role as Judge

Image of Judge Kathryn Davis Messerich
Jun. 14, 2018 —

NMU alumna Kathryn Davis Messerich (BS ‘79) made a successful transition from nursing to a legal career. As chief judge of Minnesota's first judicial district, she has used her dual training presiding in juvenile court and previously in two drug courts. “The nursing background was incredibly helpful in understanding the scientific and medical issues associated with addiction and mental health,” said Messerich in a "Minnesota Lawyer" feature.

Grad Appointed to School Safety Task Force

Image of Paul Lauria
Jun. 14, 2018 —
NMU alumnus Paul Lauria ('95 BS) is among Gov. Rick Snyder's initial appointees to the School Safety Task Force. Lauria will represent law enforcement. He is chief of police for the Mt. Pleasant Department of Public Safety. The task force will identify structural and policy recommendations for collaboration, planning and assessment of school infrastructure and safety policies. It also will analyze top-performing states to determine best practices for law enforcement and preventative policies before submitting a final report to the governor no later than Nov. 30.

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.

Alumnus Honors Parents with World Records

Image of Ron Sarchian
Jun. 13, 2018 —

Fueled by a desire to honor his parents, NMU alumnus Ron Sarchian (BS '87) has set seven Guinness World Records and plans to pursue more this summer. The former Wildcat football player punched a heavy bag for 50 hours, nine minutes. He also split 42 watermelons with a karate chop in one minute on the "Today" show.  The industrial technology grad worked seven years for Boeing in Seattle before moving to Southern California to be an actor, stuntman and personal trainer to the stars.

Grad Students to Attend International Charr Symposium

Image of Grace Zimmermanm
Jun. 13, 2018 —
Two NMU biology master's degree candidates will attend the 2018 International Charr Symposium June 18-21 in Duluth. They are among four students being sponsored by the Greater Lake Superior Foundation. Grace Zimmerman's research statement indicates she is "looking at the influence of food availability and temperature on individual differences in metabolic rate in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)." Jacob Bowman is focusing on "how the metabolic physiology of individual brook trout determines their life history characteristics, including migration and movement within streams.”