December 2020

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed two Northern Michigan University alumni to the NMU Board of Trustees. Jason Morgan of Ann Arbor serves as 8th district commissioner and chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Retired teacher Gregory Seppanen of Marquette is a former Marquette County Commissioner and Chocolay Township Supervisor.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Julian Victor LaMarr Gaines ('15 BA) created cover art for a New York Magazine story titled “The Karen Next Door.” The story addresses the fallout from a viral video of a white woman calling the police on her black neighbors in Montclair, N.J. Gaines previously collaborated with the magazine for its “I Voted” cover project.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved 2021 committee assignments and charges at a special meeting this afternoon. The board also supported a resolution authorizing a loan of up to $10 million to the NMU Foundation, on an as-needed basis, so that it is better positioned to support capital projects that benefit NMU and are consistent with previously approved master plans.

The Dec. 22 "For the Win" column in USA Today asked readers how many wolves they could spot in three images captured by motion-sensor cameras placed in the U.P. wilderness and monitored by NMU. The photos show members of the Echo Lake wolf pack, which inhabits a territory that spans about 30 square miles and preys on white-tailed deer and smaller mammals.

Being an educator for K-5 students in the midst of a pandemic comes with many challenges that require patience and the ability to adapt quickly. Northern Michigan University alumna Suzanna Schroeder (‘95 BS, ‘99 MA) is the library media specialist for Brown Deer Elementary School in Wisconsin. She has been coming up with new initiatives to keep her students informed and engaged.

Northern Michigan University will comply with today's Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' decision to extend its epidemic order through mid-January. The extension will not impact the previously planned start of winter semester classes on Tuesday, Jan. 19. It will delay the reopening of campus residence halls to Jan. 15, which will result in a slightly modified schedule for mass COVID-19 testing before the semester gets underway.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum has announced the winners of its "Your Art Here" competition: Marquette residents Catherine Benda, Kaelyn Wright and Emilee Covers. Their work is featured on three banners that have been installed in a prominent location outside of the museum. 

Northern Michigan University's Heidi Blanck and Kathy Richards personify the success women can achieve in the construction, engineering, design and trades industries. Blanck is an associate professor in NMU's construction management program. Richards is associate vice president for Engineering and Planning/Facilities. Each gave a recent presentation encouraging other women to explore related career opportunities as part of the Build Initiative's “Project Accelerate” program.

NMU alumna Tanya Rule of Atlantic Mine is one of eight new members appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Public Health Advisory Council. Rule serves as environmental health director for the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department. She will share her expertise with the council for a term expiring Nov. 1, 2021.

Three former Northern Michigan University basketball teammates—Naba Echols, Isaiah Johnson and Kenton Mack—have co-founded Athletes Igniting Action, a movement that empowers athletes to collectively use their voices and votes to battle racial and social injustices.