Articles

Joan Kelley, a 1972 Northern Michigan University alumna who is part of a four generation Wildcat family, recently traveled to Mackinac Island for the NMU Arts and Athletics Showcase. While she wasn't able to stay for very long, Kelley still found it nice to reconnect with the school that generated such fond memories.

Faculty and students from Northern Michigan University's Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC) and the medicinal plant chemistry program are engaged in collaborative research on a U.P. plant's potential to slow the growth of brain tumor cells. Faculty representing both areas gave a presentation on the project to the NMU Board of Trustees during its formal session on Friday.

Northern Michigan University's School of Health and Human Performance is now offering a master's degree program in applied sport psychology. The interdisciplinary degree is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and ability to earn certifications/licensures that will facilitate meaningful employment as coaches, mental performance consultants, and clinical sport psychologists.

Northern Michigan University Professor Sarah Mittlefehldt has been awarded the Grace Magnaghi Upper Peninsula Research Grant for her project, “Distilling the Forest: A History of Liquid Biofuels in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.” The project focuses on the production of methanol out of wood, the unintended consequences of doing so, and what can be learned from what was once the largest wood distillery in the world—the Cliffs Dow Chemical Company in Marquette, Mich.

NMU Trustee and alumnus Steve Lindberg may be familiar for serving as Michigan's 109th District state representative for the maximum three terms, from 2007-2012. He also gained international media attention more recently for his retirement hobby of wildlife photography, by capturing a rare image of a three-antlered deer that was widely circulated. But Lindberg's previous and primary vocation was in education. He taught briefly in Wisconsin and at the former women's Job Corps Center at NMU before embarking on a 28-year career as a teacher and guidance counselor with Marquette Area Public Schools.

Northern Michigan University students, a faculty member and an alumna recently completed a 10-day immersive experience in Puerto Rico. The trip complements a course that explores community resilience in the face of adversity and the intricate interplay of human needs, services and communications systems.

NMU resumed its faculty-led study abroad program to Spain this summer after a four-year interruption due to the pandemic. Twenty students participated in the four-week session, studying at the prestigious University of Salamanca, founded in 1218. 

Ryan Stock, assistant professor in NMU's Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences Department, was nominated to serve as the Vice Chair of the American Association of Geographers' Energy & Environment Specialty Group. In this capacity, he has led several initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion and is currently planning the annual Energy Geography Conference.

Northern Michigan University 1996 alumna Karen Saari, whose work as a playwright is inspired by her Upper Peninsula roots, will watch the world premiere of Rain on Fire at the FIM Flint Repertory Theatre on Friday, Sept. 15. The show runs through Oct. 1. The play with music explores how the opioid crisis affects one U.P. family. While addiction and grief are themes, so are redemption and finding peace. Saari also injected humor into the script. 

Northern Michigan University 1992 psychology alumnus John Driscoll has been appointed new president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, effective the first week of October. He has more than 30 years of experience in the addiction treatment field. He started as an alcohol and drug counselor in Chicago and most recently worked as senior vice president at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction and mental health treatment organization.