Around NMU

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health, in partnership with Everyday Life Consulting, will offer a Community Health Worker (CHW) certification training program for Upper Peninsula residents in a virtual format starting Tuesday, Jan. 9. The training consists of 12 days of instruction on the nationally recognized CHW core competencies, plus Mental Health First Aid and Adverse Childhood Event training.

Michigan's 15 public universities have joined a nationwide effort to make student financial aid offers more transparent and standardized. The College Cost Transparency (CCT) Initiative is intended to combat inconsistencies in financial aid communication.

Northern Michigan University will receive $13.4 million in state funding toward construction of a $19.1 million Northern Enterprise Center to house the College of Business and serve as a catalyst for workforce, economic and community development across the Upper Peninsula and beyond. The university's top strategic facilities priority was included in the supplemental appropriations bill signed today by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A Northern Michigan University librarian was accepted into the highly competitive American Library Association's (ALA) Emerging Leaders Program. The program accepts no more than 50 participants each year, and Emera Bridger Wilson is one of them for 2024.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today voted to fully divest its endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry by 2028, while also increasing sustainability-related investments by up to 15%. The move aligns with NMU's core values and strategic priorities, which include a focus on building a culture of sustainability. It also expands on related initiatives such as implementing a carbon neutrality plan, creating a new assistant vice president for sustainability position, and enhancing trustee support for the EcoReps student organization. 

Northern Michigan University faculty and student researchers are testing a regional company's new Zone One basketball flooring system to determine whether its design goals of enhancing athletes' safety, performance and comfort are supported by science.

Derek Estes, who assumed the role of executive chef with Northern Michigan University Dining in mid-October, was honored earlier this month as the Culinarian of the Year by the Upper Peninsula Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He previously served as operations manager for Northern Center catering events. The NMU alumnus also achieved Certified Executive Chef status from the ACF one year ago.

Northern Michigan University is making another appearance on the American Indian Science and Engineering Society's (AISES) list of the Top 200 Colleges for Indigenous Students. The 2023-24 installment is published in the December special college issue of Winds of Change magazine.

Ladislav Hanka, the Kalamazoo-based artist behind the label designs for Bell's Two Hearted Ale, recently donated three illustrations of the late judge, author and avid fisherman John Voelker to the permanent collection of Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum. Voelker was the original subject on the labels before Hanka created the now-iconic trout image. The artist and his work for Bell's are featured in the documentary, A Two Hearted Tale, now screening at the museum. A special showing followed by a virtual Q&A with the filmmakers is scheduled at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Art & Design room 165.