Around NMU

The Two Books, Two Communities program, a partnership between Northern Michigan University and the Marquette and Alger County communities, has selected its 2021 community reads. The titles are Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie, edited by Peggy Wolff, and 2021 Michigan Notable Book Award Winner Teacher/Pizza Guy, a collection of poems by Jeff Kass.   

IncredibleBank recently presented a $5,000 check to the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center as title sponsor of the Hope Starts Here Challenge. This year's event will be held virtually May 8-16. It raises funds and awareness for the UMBTC, whose mission is to empower patients and families dealing with brain tumors through advocacy, research, education and treatment.

NMU alumna Lucy Johnson (‘10 BS, ‘13 MA) presented her research on emoji to more than 300 Sony Interactive Entertainment employees, mostly from PlayStation, with others representing Sony Music and Sony Productions. Her remote talk took place Tuesday, March 30, as part of an invited speaker series for Women's History Month. She is an assistant professor of digital literacies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Northern Michigan University alumna Margaret Vainio ('76 BA) recalls a life-changing trip to Finland with the NMU Arts Chorale when she was a student. As the group was preparing to leave, she asked the bus driver to drop her off at the train station because she felt inspired to stay there longer. A year later, she moved to Finland permanently and eventually was exposed to Asahi, a Finnish exercise program. Now she has started a second career as an Asahi instructor and will soon bring it to NMU.

Northern Michigan University's Lydia M. Olson Library is celebrating heritage and history months by inviting relevant student organizations to select books for its collection. The library team purchases the titles and creates virtual and physical displays about the selections. 

Instead of its usual in-person "Learning to Walk Together" powwow, the Native American Student Association at Northern Michigan University will host a virtual "Powwow 101: Learning to Walk Together (While Apart)." The free event is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. EST Saturday, April 3.

For Northern Michigan University students studying in healthcare fields, hands-on experience is irreplaceable. The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to obtain that experience because many courses were restructured to an online format. NMU nursing students who had previously missed out were able to assist with two recent vaccination clinics.

Leslie Warren, Northern Michigan University dean of Library and Instructional Support, has accepted an appointment as chair for the final year of her two-year term on the American Library Association's Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee. She will serve in the leadership role from July 1 through June 30, 2022.

Two Northern Michigan University students utilized their summer employment connections to secure virtual guest speakers from two prominent companies for NMU's Introduction to Business class taught by instructor Corinne Bodeman. One presentation resulted in a donation to the NMU Food Pantry.

A scholarship established through the Northern Michigan University Foundation will support graduating seniors who exhibit outstanding community service while attending NMU. David and Marie Blum of Ann Arbor, Mich., gifted the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Scholarship, named in honor of Marie's late parents.