November 2023

NMU Trustee Brigitte LaPointe-Dunham did not have to look far for inspiration on effective leadership qualities when she became CEO of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in July 2021. She had two prominent role models within her own family. Her grandfather, Donald LaPointe, formerly served as president and CEO and guided the KBIC through some pivotal moments of progress and growth. Her paternal grandmother, Myrtle Tolonen, had blazed a trail as the first female tribal council president.

Students and faculty members from NMU's Department of Communication and Media Studies (CAMS) attended the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Great Lakes Broadcast and Sports Media Academy at Ford Field in Detroit earlier this month. They also promoted NMU's multimedia production and journalism programs to high school students. The weekend culminated in a tour of Bally Sports' behind-the-scenes operations and a chat with show host John Keating at Little Caesars Arena prior to attending NMU alumni night at the Red Wings hockey game.

A trio of Northern Michigan University construction management majors who are also Wildcat athletes led a senior capstone project to help remodel both the women's lacrosse and track and field team locker rooms. Their group completed the work quickly enough that they divided and conquered other upgrades for NMU Athletics, such as building counters for the soccer press box, installing shelving units for cubbies in the Superior Dome weight room, and relocating extra lockers to the women's swim and dive locker room in the PEIF.

Northern Michigan University senior Zoe Fess was invited to participate in the Biennial United Nations Global Indigenous Youth Forum in Rome, Italy. She joined peers representing all seven socio-cultural regions of the world to raise their voices, share concerns and work on proposals for the UN and its member states on improving the lives of Indigenous youth. Topics included climate and biodiversity action, the impacts of pesticides and ultra-processed foods, and the protection of plant genetic resources.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health today announced a talent survey for Upper Peninsula healthcare providers. The objective of the project is to better understand regional healthcare talent needs as a means to improve NMU's strategic alignment across various university academic programs and build stronger partnerships with regional healthcare providers.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University has received an $8,500 grant from Michigan Humanities to create a traveling exhibition titled Extraordinary Women of the Upper Peninsula. The exhibition will feature women from the U.P.'s 15 counties who have had a regional, national or international impact through their work in politics, science, international relations, Native American rights, literature and other fields. 

Nathan Gauss, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who earned an MPA from Northern in 2015 en route to a post-military career, is the subject of a Veterans Spotlight in the News-Times in York, Neb. The Ann Arbor native now works for the Department of Veterans Affairs, where both his mother and stepfather were previously employed.

Emily Lanctot, director and curator of the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University, launched a personal project called the Superior Observation Club, which is open to all. The club encourages participants to observe things in nature, record observations in their chosen media—written or visual—and reflect on things they value.

Northern Michigan University alumnus, filmmaker and author Jeff Vande Zande will hold a screening of his short films at the Peter White Public Library. The event is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the library's Community Room. It is free and open to the public. 

Bill Digneit, director of SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University, received the Culture of Innovation Award from Trend Hunter at the Future Festival World Summit in Toronto. He spoke on stage about the SISU innovation process and was presented with his 3D-printed rocket ship trophy by a NASA representative.