November 2018

A Northern Michigan University Mexican theater class will perform two plays starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in room 2902 of the West Science building. They will be presented in Spanish, with English subtitles. Total run time for both is about 45 minutes. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

NMU alumnus David Meinert (’82 BS, ’84 MBA) will become the new dean and David D. Glass Distinguished Leadership Chair of Missouri State University’s College of Business on Jan. 1. He has been interim dean for the past year, according to a press release. Meinert previously served as associate dean of the college and director of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Executive Master of Health Administration programs. He started working at Missouri State as a computer information systems assistant professor.

NMU alumnus Tim Smith ('03 BS), general manager of Waterville Valley Ski Resort in New Hampshire, was featured in a GoNOMAD story on the energy savings two ski areas in the state have realized via new gear. Waterville Valley has new snow guns that make better quality snow with a 90 percent reduction in electric costs. Smith also implemented Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a state-of-the-art lift access system that knows electronically if skiers belong there and makes dangling ski passes on wires obsolete. He has started a new business to install RFID systems at other ski areas.

Reem Hakeem, an international student from Egypt, is one of three participants in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) attending NMU this fall. The program is designed to help foster cultural exchanges between students from other countries and American institutions of higher learning.

Hakeem is a freshman dentistry major with a minor in history. She was selected for the UGRAD program at NMU by a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State back at her university in Egypt.

NMU alumnus Jerry Glanville ('64 BS), who played linebacker for the Wildcats and was head coach of two NFL teams, just wrapped up his first season as defensive coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He served as a guest coach of the team in 2017. The Ticats finished the season Nov. 18, with a loss to the Ottawa Redblacks in the East Division final.

Recent NMU graduate Michelle Perttunen has joined the construction and real estate development company Mortenson as a field engineer in Milwaukee, according to BizTimes.com. She graduated from NMU with degrees in engineering design and mechanical engineering technology while completing an engineering internship with American Instrument & Implant.

The Northern Michigan University Regional Police Academy will host a mandatory meeting for those planning to attend the next academy at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in room 132 of the Jacobetti Complex. The meeting will last about one hour. Attendees will receive documentation covering the enrollment process and should bring their drivers licenses. The 2019 police academy begins in May. To sign up for the meeting, call 906-227-1408.

Northern Michigan University's Native American Student Association will host a screening of the movie Wind River. The event is scheduled from noon -2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the Whitman Hall commons. It is free and open to the public.

This film follows a veteran hunter as he helps an FBI agent investigate the murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation. A discussion will follow.

NMU alumnus Matthew Torreano ('07 BS) of Marquette was appointed to the seven-member Michigan Ski Area Safety Board, which licenses and regulates ski areas and lifts. Torreano is an outreach specialist with the Michigan DNR and an avid skier who previously worked as a ski instructor at Marquette Mountain. He earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation management from NMU. Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Torreano to represent public members from the Upper Peninsula with ski experience. He will serve on the board through June 8, 2022.