April 2020

June Jamrich, who was a visible presence on campus and in the community during her husband John X. Jamrich's tenure as Northern's president from 1968-1983, passed away April 20 at her home in Jacksonville, Fla. She was 95.

Northern Michigan University social work professor Sarah Carlson has found that being nimble and adaptable are essential traits for educators contending with COVID-19. 

NMU alumnus and renowned eagle researcher William W. Bowerman (‘91 MA) will be presented with one of the Boy Scouts of America's rarest and most significant honors: the William T. Hornaday Gold Medal. 

The 1975 NMU Wildcat football team did something that hasn't been replicated in the history of NCAA sports: it followed a winless season with a national title. The team's turnaround from an 0-10 record the previous year to 13-1 and the NCAA Division II championship is highlighted in an "Iron Mountain Daily News" sports story (six players hailed from Dickinson County). 

Tru Hubbard, a biology master's student at Northern MIchigan University, will receive NMU's Technology Innovation Student Award for her research on how human recreation impacts carnivore habitat use and behavior across multi-use lands. Her Yooper Wildlife Watch project captures images of animal movement through 30 trail cameras and incorporates newly developed data management and analysis techniques.  

The NMU Admissions Office has tailored its messaging to prospective students in the context of COVID-19. A “We're Here for You” email was recently distributed to fall 2020 freshman inquiries and applicants whose senior year of high school has been disrupted by the virus. 

The Native American community engagement class at NMU will host the first event in its Digital Resilience Webinar Series from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Special guest Danny J. Garceau will present "The Native American flute and other stories from the woods." 

Because of COVID-19's projected impact on Northern Michigan University's financial outlook, President Fritz Erickson announced an immediate 10% salary reduction for Executive Council members and asked division leaders to begin developing contingency plans for reducing NMU's budget by $8 million.

NMU alumnus Richard Anderson (‘78 MA) has used his Thompsonville business, Iron Fish Distillery, as a force for good by producing much-needed sanitizer during the spread of COVID-19. Consumer demand has fueled a shortage impacting critical health and human service organizations.

Northern Michigan University human-centered design professor Peter Pless put his expertise and studio's resources to work developing acrylic hoods that cover patients being intubated in the ER and elsewhere, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.