Alumni

Alumnus Combines Culinary and Graphic Art

Drake Nagel ('12 BFA)
Jul. 31, 2018 —

Drake Nagel ('12 BFA) puts his graphic design skills honed at NMU to work on behalf of his two culinary ventures: Happy's Taco Shop in Petoskey; and a food truck business that extends to Traverse City. In a Petoskey News-Review artist profile, Nagel said cooking is his first love, but he also recognizes the importance of establishing a brand through a logo and other visual elements. So he has combined both talents, creating a number of menu boards for the food trucks and designs for available merchandise offered through the company.

Schwenke Joins NRRI

Stacy Schwenke
Jul. 30, 2018 —

NMU alumna Stacy Schwenke ('07 MAE) has joined the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth. She fills a new position dedicated to strategic management of the organization's grants and contracts, which comprise about 55 percent of NRRI's research funding. NRRI's mission is to "deliver research solutions to balance our economy, resources and environment for resilient communities." Schwenke's previous research administration work experience included positions with University of Wisconsin System campuses and the Marine Biological Laboratory.

Former OTS Weightlifter Helps Revive Infant

Ronnie Tucker, a former weightlifter at NMU's Olympic Training Site
Jul. 26, 2018 —

Ronnie Tucker, a former weightlifter at NMU's Olympic Training Site, helped to save the life of an unresponsive newborn outside the Michigan State Police Jackson Post. He has been a state trooper for eight months. Tucker was first on the scene to assist a couple in an SUV parked outside whose baby emerged feet first and wasn't breathing. With CPR equipment from his vehicle and the training he underwent in the police academy, he kept the newborn's airway open and tried rubbing her chest for stimulation, eventually finding success.

Alumnus is KSTP-TV Investigative Executive Producer

Image of Paul McEnroe
Jul. 23, 2018 —
Paul McEnroe ('72 BS) is the investigative executive producer at KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to joining the station in 2015 as executive producer for investigations and special projects, he worked as an investigative reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. McEnroe was named an Ochberg Fellow by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University for his international coverage of victims of violence. He also received a Mastery Certificate from the Harvard University Program in Refugee Trauma, stemming from his reports on the Iraq and Gulf Wars, along with the conflict in Bosnia-Croatia. He is the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Grand Prize for Reporting on the Disadvantaged and has received awards from the Investigative Reporting & Editors Organization (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (the Bronze Medallion-Investigative Reporting).

Alumnus Partners with Nike to Help Chicago Youth

Image of a pair of Nike Sky Force 3/4 Black
Jul. 23, 2018 —
Artist Julian Gaines (BA 2015), who works under the moniker Juwop, has partnered with Nike Chicago to give the city's youth new creative platforms. He has established a reputation for juxtaposing art and athletics, particularly through customized sneakers. The new “Working on Projects” collaboration with Nike is a conceptual initiative that tells Gaines' story through new products and community events for the next generation of Chicago creatives. His Game-Worn Collection, released July 21, features two ’80s silhouettes: the 1982 Nike Sky Force and 1985 Nike Air Vortex. Read a Nike story on the effort here.

Alumna Joins WBPN Lansing Bureau

Image of Mikenzie Frost
Jul. 19, 2018 —
Mikenzie Frost (BA 2015) is the new Lansing bureau reporter for WBPN-TV in Traverse City. She joined the news team in July and covers "all things politics and public policy" in the state capital. Frost grew up in metro Detroit. She studied multimedia journalism at NMU, then became a reporter and later evening anchor for KTVH in Helena, Mont. A 30-minute special she wrote, shot and produced about the charms and challenges of rural education in Montana won "Best NonCommercial Program of the Year" in 2018 from the Montana Broadcasters Association. She also won a 2017 second-place award for "Best Newswriting" for a piece on a 30-year cold case.

NMU Student Returns to Congo

Image of Billy McCoy
Jul. 18, 2018 —
What began as a surfing and camping trip in 2010 has evolved into a mission for NMU nontraditional student Billy McCoy of Florence, according to a story in his hometown paper, the "Florence Mining News." The French language and literature major plans to leave in August to study abroad at Institute Francais du Congo, a private school run by the French government in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Before classes start, he will serve an internship at Mwana Villages, which serves mothers and orphans in the impoverished area of Pointe Noire, Congo. This will be his second trip volunteering for the organization.

NMU Grad Joins Grand Rapids Law Firm

Jul. 16, 2018 —
Attorney and NMU alumnus Rock Wood ('84 BS) has joined Dickinson Wright PLLC’s Grand Rapids office as Of Counsel. He has more than 30 years of litigation experience as lead counsel in a wide range of business-related trials, including corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, construction and real estate. He has also successfully handled numerous disputes under non-competition agreements employment issues, insurance and UCC utilized in a wide variety of industries and employment positions.

Former NMU Student and Michigan Native Assists with Thai Rescue

Image of Bruce Konefe
Jul. 11, 2018 —
Former NMU student Bruce Konefe joined the recent rescue effort that successfully transported a Thai boys’ soccer team and coach to safety. He has lived in the country for 24 years and is a technical diving instructor who specializes in caves and shipwrecks. A friend and Navy Seals coordinator recruited Konefe to lend his expertise to the rescue planning in Chang Rai.