Around NMU

Northern Michigan University's Department of Chemistry has joined the COVID-19 response by loaning two drying ovens to UP Health System-Marquette for the purpose of sterilizing medical-grade N95 masks for reuse.

Before the COVID-19 situation quickly escalated, 10 Northern Michigan University students and two faculty members traveled to Cuba for an environmental studies course that explored different models of sustainable community development. They had the rare opportunity to bypass Havana and see the eastern part of the island, which most Americans never get to experience.

NMU's transformational renovation of the Jacobetti Complex into a Career Tech and Engineering Technology Facility was put on hold by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's actions this week to reprioritize and bolster state funding to combat COVID-19.

In an email to the administration, staff, faculty, students and parents of Northern Michigan University, Board of Trustees Chair Steve Mitchell ‘67 praised the entire NMU family for the way in which they have responded to the Coronavirus issues. 

Northern Michigan University ranks 16th among the “40 Best Affordable Pre-Med Degree Programs” in the United States, according to 2020 rankings released by Affordable Schools. The listing factored in the average cost of attendance, student-to-faculty ratio and graduation rate.

Just as NMU classes moved to remote delivery options in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, NMU's weekly student newspaper, The North Wind, had to forgo its print edition and adapt to an online-only format. 

An NMU Dining Services employee's sustainable suggestion for putting a new name on existing uniforms, rather than disposing of them and buying a new inventory, will save the university money and be kinder to the environment. Theresa “T” Hamari (BS ‘99), manager of employment operations and training for NMU Dining Services, spearheaded the reuse effort.

NMU alumna Amanda Monthei wrote an article that was featured in a recent Patagonia catalog. Monthei wrote about the intersection of her two passions: firefighting and fly-fishing. Her article specifically addresses how high-intensity wildfires are affecting native and non-native fish populations, such as cutthroat and rainbow trout in the Southwest.

The critical shortage of medical supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE) impacts health care professionals working the front lines in a variety of settings. When the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency reached out on behalf of the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette, two NMU entities stepped up to help keep U.P. veterans safe.

NMU-National Training Site Greco-Roman wrestler Spencer Woods had qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, scheduled April 3-4. With the competition canceled, the Summer Olympics postponed and his dream deferred, he has returned to his home state of Alaska. Woods is on self-quarantine, living in an Arctic oven tent with a wood stove until he can join his parents in their village.