November 2018

Northern Michigan University will host its 31st annual Lighting Up the Holidays, a free family event for campus and community members. It will be held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the University Center.

The event includes a tree lighting with President Fritz Erickson and Wildcat Willy, pictures with Santa by Daniele Carol Photography, cookies and refreshments, holiday card and ornament making, games, face painting, free books and performances by the NMU Cheer Team and New Attitudes dancers. 

Invent@NMU launched a remote kiosk at Keweenaw Coffee Works in Calumet this week—its second in the Upper Peninsula. The kiosk allows inventors and entrepreneurs to learn about the services offered, submit an idea for a product or business and receive a response from the Invent@NMU team within three business days. Read a Mining Gazette story on the launch here. Invent@NMU placed its first remote kiosk in Gogebic County in October.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, Northern Michigan University will hold a Day of Giving to coincide with the global charitable event, Giving Tuesday. As happened last year, faculty, staff, friends and alumni will come together at this special time to give and pledge resources. This year the focus is on support for the Northern Fund, the Flexible Aid Fund, student scholarships and the NMU Food Pantry.

NMU alumnus Matthew Barbercheck ('11 AAS, '14 BA), who teaches welding and woodworking at Republic-Michigamme Schools, has won $50,000 for his school. He was one of 15 second-place winners of the 2018 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. A representative of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools made a surprise presentation of a large rolling tool box and big check. Barbercheck can spend $15,000 of it at his discretion and the rest will go to the school's skilled trades program.

Dan Truckey, director of the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at NMU, was awarded the Peninsulas Prize by the Michigan Museums Association at its annual meeting Oct. 29 in Dearborn. The statewide prize honors an individual or organization that has demonstrated the significance and impact of community engagement over the last year.

Students who present behavioral difficulties in western Marquette County schools will gain greater access to applied behavior analysis services through a new collaboration with the Behavioral Education Assessment and Research (BEAR) Center at Northern Michigan University. NMU students will also gain practical experience before they graduate and become practitioners. The Western Marquette County Health Foundation (WMCHF) spearheaded the project.

At the Northern Michigan University Veterans Day Concert on Nov. 11, distinguished student veteran Traci Dietz received a commemorative coin from President Fritz Erickson for her dedicated time and service.

“I am honored to have been recognized by [Rep.] Sara Cambensy and President Erickson,” she said. “I have worked hard to make the lives of my fellow veterans easier through my work-study position in the Veteran Services Office with Mike Rutledge and his service dog, Welles, who has helped countless students through rough times.”

NMU recently unveiled Something Curious, a new podcast series targeting current and prospective NMU students. The podcast aims to connect community through conversation, highlighting aspects of the university and the Marquette area. This series will address subjects that relate to NMU’s core values: community, opportunity, inclusion, rigor, environment, connections and innovation.