NMU - The Mining Journal

2015
NMU
SECTION A
PROGRESS
Tuesday, March 31
A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL
ALSO
INSIDE
Innovation Center
Also:
Promoting a healthy lifestyle
PAGE 2A
David Haynes ends
two-year tenure at
NMU
Also:
Bringing history to light
PAGE 4A
Puttin’ on the Fritz
NMU names new president
By Journal Staff
MARQUETTE — When Northern Michigan University presidential candidate finalist Fritz Erickson woke up the morning of
April 22, he had a plan.
Knowing the NMU Board of Trustees
would elect one of four finalists as the universitys next president, Erickson and his
wife, Jan, began driving to Marquette that
morning from Big Rapids, where Erickson
worked for Ferris State University as vice
president and provost for academic affairs.
Erickson told NMU board Chairman Rick
Popp that if Popp called him with good
news, hed keep going. If Popp called to
say he wasnt their choice, hed just “take
a left,” and head to his cottage instead.
He got the call from Popp at roughly 11
a.m. to keep going.
Erickson was named NMUs 15th president by a unanimous vote of the board during a special meeting April 22.
“Our goal was to find the best person who
is the best for Northern Michigan University at this particular time, with the set of
needs that we have,” said Trustee H. Sook
Wilkinson, who headed the Presidential
Search Advisory Committee. “And in the
NMU on top 200
list for Native
American Students
PAGE 5A
A fresh beginning
PAGE 6A
Establishing a
coastal hazard
observing system
PAGE 7A
Establishing
functional designs
Also:
University Health Center
enhances immunization process
PAGE 8A
FRITZ ERICKSON
Northern Michigan University
President
NMU provost remembered,
acting provost named
PAGE 9A
end, the board deliberated and came to the
conclusion that Fritz Erickson was the best
person at this very particular time.”
The board gave glowing reviews of Erickson before taking a vote, with several
board members expressing their “wholehearted” support for him.
“When I read through all of these 54 resumes, I went, Wow, this Fritz Erickson,
every box is checked. Hes almost perfect. I really have to see this guy in person to see if hes as good as he is on paper,” said Trustee Stephen Adamini, who
also sat on the search committee. “And
then we interviewed him ... and he didnt
disappoint.”
The board also highly praised the work
of interim President David Haynes over
the past two years as he oversaw the negotiation of three labor agreements, the
construction of the new Jamrich Hall and
an overhaul of enrollment services.
Students, faculty, staff and community
members got to shake hands with the
universitys president-elect during a welcome event after Erickson and his wife
arrived in Marquette that April afternoon.
Erickson said he was never happier to
be prevented from spending time at his
cottage.
“Im so deeply appreciative of the welcoming that both Jan and I have received,” Erickson said. “We are just absolutely delighted to be a part of the NMU
community, part of the Marquette community and part of the Upper Peninsula.
This is really a dream come true for us.”
Erickson officially took over as president July 1, with one major focus of finding ways to reduce the time it takes students to earn their degrees.
“The biggest contributor to student debt
is not tuition - its time to degree,” Erickson said.
The cost of a college education isnt just
wrapped up in tuition and fees, he said,
it also includes food, rent, entertainment
and other expenses students and their
families bear while students earn degrees.
“If you can save a student one
semesters worth of time, that can have
more of an impact on their total cost and
the cost to their family than almost anything else,” Erickson said. “So how we
look at that is going to be important.”
NMU nursing recognized
for advances
PAGE 10A
Highlights from the
U.S. Cross Country
Championships
PAGE 11A
Effort to help students
develop skills in
stressful situations
PAGE 12A
2A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
Innovation Center
PROGRESS2015
Taking ideas off backburner, into reality
Northern Michigan University human centered design
major Sarah Nixon, Invent@NMU industrial designer,
works at the invention center recently on updating its
website, www.nmu.edu/invent. (Journal photos by Mary
Wardell)
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — At Northern Michigan Universitys
new innovation center, Invent@NMU, students and
others from across the Upper Peninsula have the
chance to bring their inventions, concepts and conjectures to the light of day — and even into commercial
production.
Founding Director and Marquette native David Ollila
is calling it a “sandbox,” a safe space for adults to
build and play.
“The changes in technology and access to markets
are empowering individuals in ever expanding ways,”
Ollila said. “Very much like desktop publishing enabled writers in the mid-1990s and micro-breweries
are challenging the market share of mass-produced
beer, the advent of 3-D printing, e-commerce and digital manufacturing technologies are making it easier
for consumers to become producers.”
The program gives students, both employees and inventors, real-world experience taking physical products from concept to market, as they develop skills in
design, manufacturing and marketing with the help of
professional mentors. While the centers focus is on
providing competitive experiences for students, the
services are available to students, individual inventors, start-ups and even existing companies that lack
the experience or resources to fully execute their idea,
according to the centers website.
An initial consultation is free, and there is a fee of
$75 for students and $150 for community members to
pursue their concept further, Ollila said.
Since opening in October 2014, community and student inventors have begun work on over two dozen
projects. They are “people from all walks of life who
are taking their clever ideas off of the back burner and
turning up the heat,” Ollila said.
The center focuses on inventions such as household
products, tools, animal or recreation products and other physical items that require a start-up investment of
less than $100,000 and take less than one year to
bring to market, Ollila said.
This and some other distinctions make the program
stand out, according to Robert Eslinger, NMUs special assistant to the president for economic development and the director of the Center for Innovation and
Industrial Technologies.
“We have not seen another program that is exactly
like this one; we believe we have a very unique program, ...,” Eslinger said, adding, “Invent@NMU adds
another layer to the community's entrepreneurial
ecosystem and does so in a manner that ... doesn't
duplicate any of the other economic development activities that already exist.”
Several research institutions in the state are interested in collaborating with NMU, including the University of Michigan's Center for Entrepreneurship as well
as Michigan Tech University's Office of Innovation and
Industry Engagement, Eslinger said.
For the centers initial three-year pilot, the university
has committed up to $500,000, after which time it is
expected to self-supporting, NMU President Fritz Erickson said.
Twice recognized by President Barack Obama for
his entrepreneurial efforts and with a portfolio of 12
patents, Ollila has founded multiple start-ups across
several categories, including the now multi-billion dollar consumer electronic helmet camera category, according to the centers website.
Ollila said Invent@NMU follows in a long line of predecessors.
“The history of the U.P. is steeped with innovators
and entrepreneurs,” Ollila said. “From the most famous in the world, like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison,
Harvey Firestone and E.G. Kingsford, to our home
town heroes like Kelly Johnson, Glenn Seaborg and
George Shiras. There are even a few products that
have been invented in the U.P. nearly 100 years ago,
like the Kingsford charcoal briquette and Marble Safety Axe, that are still sold today.”
Mary Wardell can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext.
248. Her email address is mwardell@miningjournal.net.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle
NMU goes tobacco-free
MARQUETTE — A tobacco-free policy has
been in effect on the campus of Northern Michigan
University since August
2014.
The policy prohibits students, university employees and visitors from using any type of tobacco,
including e-cigarettes and
oral tobacco products.
Cindy Paavola, assistant to the president for
strategic initiatives and
chairwoman of the Tobacco-free Implementation
Committee, said the idea
was to promote a healthier environment on campus, which is why enforcement of the policy
will not include NMU Public Safety officers issuing
tickets.
"If we wanted to be punishing people, we would
have went the ticket
route," Paavola said.
"This is about trying to
create an even healthier
and cleaner Northern
Michigan University."
Enforcement for employees includes meeting
with a supervisor for one
to three violations and
disciplinary action for
subsequent violations.
Student penalties
will follow the
student code
format for different infractions:
warnings for the
first two violations and a conduct
charge for the third.
Visitors seen using tobacco will be notified of
the policy. If they refuse
to comply, they will be
asked to leave campus.
"Anybody on campus
has the authority to nicely, politely inform our visitors and our community
members about the policy," Paavola said, adding
Public Safety would only
get involved if someone
becomes
combative.
"Our goal is to never get
to that point and we hope
that people respect our
decision as a campus.
Ideally, we'd never get a
disciplinary action level
for students or employees, or a Public Safety
level for visitors. That's
not the goal."
Paavola said all of
NMU's campus will be on
the ban, with the exception of Northern's golf
course, located along M28 in Chocolay Township.
Student, staff and faculty surveys and focus
groups over the last two
years led to the policy
change, which included
all of the 370 NMU apartments going smoke-free
at the same time. “Generally, people really appreciate going smokefree,” NMU Apartment
Advisory Board member
Ryan Nuffer said. “Folks
that do smoke will go outside. Everyone is aware
of the upcoming change,
and the tenants have reported almost unanimously that they want a
smoke-free environment,
so this is a very positive
step.”
Go to www.smokefreeup.org or call 315-2614
for a listing and more information on smokefree
apartments or free stop
smoking assistance.
For more information on
the tobacco-free policy,
visit www.nmu.edu/tobaccofree.
From left, former Northern Michigan University students Sean Hollin and Elizabeth
Schaeffer smoke outside the Learning Resources Center in the Academic Mall on
NMU's campus Thursday, July 24, 2014. NMU is now a smoke free campus. (Journal
file photo)
The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31-— 3A
PROGRESS2015
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4A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Bringing history to light
DAVID HAYNES
Former Northern Michigan
University President
NMU professor, filmmaker
preserves what would be lost
David Haynes ends twoyear tenure at NMU
Former president plans to return to teaching
By Journal Staff
MARQUETTE — Former Northern Michigan
University interim president David Haynes ended his two-year tenure in
June 2014, with Fritz Erickson taking his place as
president in July.
Haynes assumed the
position in May 2012, following the resignation of
NMUs 13th president Les
Wong.
In a letter, Haynes
thanked the board and
said he was "honored to
have had the opportunity
to spend two years working with trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to fulfill our shared
hopes and visions and to
work toward achieving
common goals and objectives.
"That being said, as you
know, from the first day of
my appointment I have
expressed my desire to
ultimately return to teaching. For decades I have
been fortunate to serve
NMU in many capacities.
They have all been rewarding, but none more
so than working side-byside with my colleagues
to educate students and
help them achieve personal and professional
success."
Prior to becoming interim president, Haynes was
a professor in NMU's Political Science Department. He was also a longtime lobbyist for Northern.
The contract approved
by the board for Haynes'
appointment specifies a
partial third-year sabbatical, which commenced
July 1, 2014, in which
Haynes would assist the
new president during the
first half the year, then go
on sabbatical in "preparation" for his "return to the
classroom."
In a note of thanks sent
out to the university campus, former Board of
Trustees
Chairwoman
Garnet Lewis thanked
Haynes for a job well
done.
"As a board, we have
been very pleased with
his performance and
greatly appreciate the
passion and commitment
that he has brought to the
position," Lewis wrote.
Highlights of Haynes
tenure include securing
funds for the new Jamrich Hall and overseeing
construction of the new
facility that opened in fall
2014; successful ratification of three employee
union contracts; developing a new enrollment
management and student services division to
better address enrollment and retention; and
improving NMU's support of past, present and
future military service
personnel.
Above, Northern Michigan University interim President, David Haynes, shakes the
hand of Ashley Saari during NMUs spring commencement last May. Below, Haynes
addresses the crowd at the Celebration of Life for William Vandamant memorial last
April. (Journal file photos)
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE
—
Award-winning
documentary
filmmaker
Michael Loukinen made
his first film to keep groggy students awake during his 8 a.m. sociology
lectures at Northern
Michigan University, he
said.
But what started as a
teaching tool blossomed
into a career and passion that has spanned almost 35 years and will
impact how we understand the culture and
history of Michigans Upper Peninsula for years
to come.
In December, Loukinen
retired from his 40-year
career as a university
professor, but continues
his work in film, not only
to awaken and educate,
but to preserve the U.P.s
cultural heritage and to
satisfy his own fascination with what is constantly changing all
around us, he said.
Loukinens work reveals “that the lives of
communities are very
fragile,” he said. “They
come, and they go. And
you cant escape the
recognition of the reality
that youre here, and you
will be gone too.”
His 18th film, “Winona,
a Copper Mining Ghost
Town,” which is in production and due to premiere in the fall of 2015,
depicts the story of a
once-thriving U.P. community of approximately
3,000 people about 35
miles south of Houghton.
Today, only a few
homes, a school, a
church and 12 residents
remain, and a cougar
has been killing deer on
Main Street, Loukinen
MICHAEL LOUKINEN
Award-winning
documentary filmmaker
said.
Walking around the former town, Loukinen said
he can see and hear the
ghosts, but not in the
spooky sense of the
word.
“I can sense the people
that were there, ...,” he
explained. “I can imagine
... all this happened right
here, and theres just
traces of it left. ... . I can
see the foundations of
homes, the mine shafts
that are just holes in the
ground now and talk with
the people who have
vague memories of what
once was there, and I
find that absolutely fascinating.”
A Community Oriented
Policing Services grant,
a sabbatical and a faculty research grant have
thus far been awarded to
support the project.
Grant Guston, NMUs
chief engineer of WNMU
TV and FM radio, and
student Alex Maier are
assisting with production.
Other topics Loukinen
has tackled consist of
social intervention documentaries and stories of
cultural legacy, including
eight documentary films
about the native Anishinaabe.
“The main thrust of my
work has been to capture traditional culture
and history before it disappears,” Loukinen said.
Loukinen started using
digital film in 1997, but
previous to that, his work
was shot on 16 mm film,
which is subject to
deterioration over
time. Because there
are about 110
hours of valuable
archival footage
in danger of being
lost, an effort led
by NMU Archivist and
Records Manager Marcus Robyns called “The
Michael Loukinen Folklore Film Digitization
Project” is underway to
preserve it.
But the time, equipment, facilities and storage space needed for
the effort is substantial,
Loukinen said. Robyns
recently applied for a
grant from the National
Historical Publications
and Records Commission of the National
Archives.
In a letter of support,
Northern Plains Folklife
Resources
Director
Nicholas Vrooman wrote
that the footage depicts
“real and true” stories
“about an America that is
now mostly memory.”
“Balancing conceptual
perspectives from folklore, sociology and
ethnography, Loukinens
gift as a filmmaker lets
the story drive the content,” Vrooman wrote.
“His works do not impose on the community;
rather, his films give the
creative space for the
voices of community,
family, and neighbors to
offer in their own words a
telling about who we are
and from where we
come like no other films
of the borderlands. This
is valuable stuff.”
Anyone interested in
contributing to this effort
can email Robyns at
mrobyns@nmu.edu.
Mary Wardell can be
reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 248. Her email address is mwardell@miningjournal.net.
The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31-— 5A
PROGRESS2015
NMU on The 200 List for Native American Students
One of six Michigan universities to make the cut
“
“I was delighted to learn that NMU was included
as part of this years Winds of Change Top 200
list. American Indians are disproportionally
underrepresented at state universities as
compared to their non-Native peers.”
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University
appeared on a top colleges list geared specifically to the Native American student experience in
November 2014, according to an NMU press release.
“The 200 List” appears
in the special college issue of Winds of Change,
a magazine published
quarterly by the American
Indian Science and Engineering Society. The
magazine has compiled
information on 200 fouryear colleges and universities “where American
Indians are going to
school in significant numbers and where the community, Native programs
and support system are
strong enough for these
students to enjoy college
and stay on to graduation,” the release said.
The list does not rank
the institutions from top to
bottom, but offers stateby-state comparisons instead. NMU is one of six
Michigan universities to
make the cut, the release
said. Others are Central,
Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan State
and the University of Detroit Mercy.
“I was delighted to learn
that NMU was included
as part of this years
Winds of Change Top 200
list,” April Lindala of the
NMU Center for Native
American Studies said in
the release. “American
Indians are disproportionally underrepresented at
— APRIL LINDALA
NMU Center for Native
American Studies
”
state universities as compared to their non-Native
peers.”
Northern offers an interdisciplinary Native American Studies minor and
more than two dozen related courses that can also be applied toward a
concentration for a general studies associate degree or master of education administration degree. There is also an
American Indian Education certification endorsed
by the Tribal Education
Departments National Assembly, the release said.
“Longstanding
programs such as the Native
American Student Empowerment Initiative and
this years new Elders-inResidence program, both
originating from our center, strive to build community for tribal citizens
studying here at NMU,”
Lindala said. “Support
programs such as these
can lead to retention of
American Indian students
and, subsequently, their
graduation.”
Other attributes designed to enhance the
Native American student
experience at NMU include opportunities to
publish in The Anishinaabe News, an outdoor
fire site and a resource
room filled with books,
films and other materials,
the release said. There
are also three student
groups: the Native American Student Association,
which hosts the annual
First Nations Food Taster
and campus pow wow;
the NMU chapter of the
American Indian Science
and Engineering Society,
which was officially reactivated this week; and the
Native American Language and Culture Club.
For more information,
contact Lindala at 2271397.
Mary Wardell can be
reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 248. Her email address is mwardell@miningjournal.net.
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At left, Rodney Loonsfoot carries a traditional Native American flag during the introduction to the "Learning to Walk together" Powwow at Vandament Arena in 2012.
Above, Native and non Native Americans dance in one of the many dance circles that
were performed at the Vandament Arena during the event. Traditional food was also
served at the Powwow. (Journal file photos)
6A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
A fresh beginning
The new Jamrich Hall opens on campus
Above, a view of the new Jamrich Hall. (Photo by Elizabeth
Bailey) At right, the new Jamrich Hall stands adjacent to
the old Jamrich Hall on the right before it was demolished.
(Journal file photo) Below, John x. Jamrich and his wife
June thank the crowd after the unveiling of the plaque and
and bust by the entrance to the new Jamrich Building on
Northern's campus. (Journal photo by Elizabeth Bailey)
Check out a tour of the
new building online
http://bit.ly/1BlUlJl
MARQUETTE — NMU students were greeted by a new
classroom facility when they returned for the fall 2014 semester.
As the original and outdated John X. Jamrich Hall was being demolished
last summer, crews completed work on the new building that carries the same
name.
Planning for the $33.4 million project began in 2009 with the goal of “providing an
efficient, state-of-the-art facility that improves academic delivery, maximizes building
use and reduces overall operational and maintenance costs.”
The result is a 133,000 square foot mixed-use building with 24 high-tech classrooms
and seven informal learning spaces designed to support collaborative learning and be
highly adaptable to changing technologies and teaching methods. The largest space is a
500-seat lecture hall/auditorium that can be used for instruction, movie showings, prominent speakers and other special events.
Academic departments that have moved to Jamrich are sociology and anthropology, social work, mathematics and computer science, criminal justice and English. Starbucks has
also relocated there. NMU has registered the project with the U.S. Green Building Council
and is seeking “LEED Silver” certification.
“The time and care that went into making this a powerful vehicle of learning does not go
unnoticed,” NMU President Fritz Erickson said during his convocation.
The exterior of Jamrich facing the academic mall features a clock tower above the
main entrance and a revamped “Heart of Northern” constructed of brick from the former Longyear Hall. The heart has a long history at NMU, according to the university encyclopedia compiled by University Historian Russell Magnaghi. In the 1920s,
it was the site for “first kisses of coeds,” engagements, weddings, pinnings,
May festivals and band concerts. Interest languished and part of the heart
was later demolished. It was reproduced in the 1990s as a raised,
landscaped mound near the former Jamrich building before
its latest incarnation.
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The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31-— 7A
PROGRESS2015
Establishing a coastal hazard observing system
NMU receives grant for Lake Superior weather and wave buoys
Dr. Norma Froelich, a climatology professor at Northern Michigan University, inspects
weather-monitoring equipment on Granite Island. (Photo courtesy of Susy Ziegler)
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University
is leading a collaborative
effort to establish a
coastal hazard observing
system for a stretch of
Lake Superior shoreline
that includes the communities of Marquette, Munising and Grand Marais,
according to an NMU
press release.
The project is funded by
a $100,000 grant from
the Great Lakes Observing System.
GLOS is one of 11 regional associations of the
Integrated Ocean Observing System, a partnership among federal,
regional, academic and
private sector parties,
working to enhance the
ability to collect, deliver,
and use ocean and Great
Lakes information, according to GLOSs website.
As part of the coastal
hazard observing system, project scientists will
deploy two monitoring
buoys on Lake Superior.
One will be placed near
Munising within five nautical miles of Pictured
Rocks
National
Lakeshore. It will provide
minute-by-minute observations of weather, water
temperature and wave
activity to boaters and
kayakers, according to
the press release.
A
second,
more
portable buoy will provide
measurements of wave
activity along various
stretches of the Lake Superior shoreline, including Granite Island Light
Station, Grand Marais
and Whitefish Point, the
release said.
“Its been a problem for
the National Weather
Service to predict storms
because theres currently
not much in the way of
consistent
monitoring
along that stretch of
shoreline,”
Norma
Froelich, a professor in
NMUs Earth, Environmental and Geographical
Sciences department,
said in the press release.
“The hope is that this will
allow for greater preparedness for coastal
weather events, which
will benefit the Coast
Guard and fire departments for rescue purposes, as well as fisheries
and recreational businesses that depend on
the lake. It will also provide more advance warning of swimming and
boating hazards, since
waves tend to build up
offshore first.”
The equipment will be
in position from May
through November each
season. Froelich said
data from the system
will be provided in real
time to a public website
and various agency and
community stakeholders. The Superior Watershed Partnership is
also developing a mobile application. The
third partner joining
NMU and SWP is LimnoTech, an environmental consulting company
based out of Ann Arbor
that has previous experience with buoy and
weather station deployments on the Great
Lakes, including the
system that is currently
on Granite Island, the
release said.
“We will be engaging
the communities through
public forums to provide
education and outreach
materials and to help
them productively use
and disseminate the data,” Froelich said in the
release. “We will also put
up interpretive displays at
Miners Castle, the Great
Lakes Shipwreck Museum and in Munising and
Marquette to let people
know about the monitoring taking place, inform
them about wave conditions and direct them to
the related website and
app.”
Before the grant proposal was written, NMU,
SWP and LimnoTech received input and feedback from numerous individuals and organizations, including the National Weather Service
office in Negaunee
Township, U.S. Coast
Guard, Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore and
the Cities of Marquette
and Munising, the release said.
“Were very grateful for
the feedback and inter-
An interpretive display will be placed at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum located at North
Whitefish Point Road, Paradise. (Journal file photo)
Interpretive displays will be placed at Miners Castle, seen above, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and in Munising and Marquette to let people know about the monitoring taking place. (Journal file photo)
est weve received from
all of our local stakeholders,” said John
Lenters in the release, a
senior scientist at LimnoTech. “And were
looking forward to continued input from these
groups and the general
public as we work toward buoy deployment
in the spring of 2015.
Our hope is that the data will be of use to a lot
of people along the
southeastern shore of
Lake Superior.”
Froelich said in the release NMU students will
be involved in data analysis, exploring how wind
and waves are related
to weather conditions in
different seasons.
NMU alumnus and
trustee Scott Holman
owns Granite Island
Light Station, where one
of the wave sensors will
be located, according to
the release. The station
has been put to productive use for previous research projects and is
used to relay NMUs
WiMAX signal to deliver
high-speed Internet to
Powell Township School
in Big Bay, the release
said. It is located about
10 miles offshore of
Marquette.
Northern Michigan Universitys collaborative effort to establish a coastal hazard observing
system is funded by a $100,000 grant from the Great Lakes Observing System. The GLOS
website is located at glos.us, as demonstrated on the tablet below. (Journal digital graphic
by Selena Hautamaki)
8A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Establishing functional designs
NMU students design wicker for Lloyd Flanders
By Journal Staff
MARQUETTE — Prototype wicker furniture pieces designed by three Northern Michigan University students were included in Lloyd Flanders' showroom during an international furniture and accessories show in Chicago last fall.
The pieces were designed by Matt Steinmetz of Grosse Pointe Park, Paige Doolin
of Birmingham and Nolan Warn of Shawnee, Kansas.
NMU's human-centered design program, under the direction of Peter Pless, partnered
with longtime Menominee furniture manufacturer Lloyd Flanders back in fall 2013 to develop
concepts for contemporary woven furniture that might appeal to younger consumers.
The students researched current trends, consumer desires and Lloyd Flanders traditional products before they started their own design processes.
“This project allowed them to move outside the comfort zone of their campus studio,” Pless said.
“They had to create not just stylized objects, but pieces that incorporated functionality, human behavior and ergonomics. To draw a design is one thing. To do computer modeling of a design is another. When you add the unique requirements of mass production versus a custom piece and working
on a clients terms instead of their own, it challenges their sensibilities. Im very pleased with the results.”Students presented their final design concepts and prototypes at the company in December.
They received constructive feedback on aesthetic value, practicality and manufacturing potential.
The company then selected three pieces to display in their showroom at the International Casual
Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago in September 2014.
Students gained valuable experience working for a real-world client and tempering their creativity
with the constraints of available materials, production methods and labor costs. Company officials
appreciated the fresh perspective and imaginative uses for the trademark wicker material that is
woven on the original 1917 Lloyd Loom and hand-stretched over frames of aluminum tubing.
CEO Dudley Flanders said the company launched an aggressive program to develop “contemporary, smaller-scale, urban/hip-looking” furniture targeting younger professionals.
“We were eager to see how college students would approach design using our materials
and we hope to broaden their interest in manufacturing,” he said. “We were thrilled to
work with NMU because we consider ourselves very much a part of the Upper Peninsula and appreciate the opportunity to foster that U.P. spirit. The
progression from their early designs to functional and potentially marketable products was incredible.”
Above, Greg Hayward and Bob Nordquist make
modifications to student Matt Steinmetzs chair
design at Lloyd Flanders plant in Menominee.
Below, Aaron Ratza poses with a prototype in December 2013 following a final presentation at
Lloyd Flanders, in Menominee. (Photos courtesy
of Northern Michigan University)
University Health Center enhances
immunization process
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The NMU Ada B. Vielmetti Health Center is located on the Northern Michigan University
campus on the ground floor of Gries Hall. (Journal file photo)
MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University Health Center has been designated a Site of Excellence for using the Michigan Care Improvement Registry to
enhance the immunization process, according to an NMU press release.
MCIR was created in 1998 to collect reliable immunization information and make
it accessible to authorized users online. Consolidating immunization records from
multiple providers is designed to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases and overvaccination, and allow providers to see patients up-to-date immunization histories,
the release said.
The Health Center has kept electronic records through MCIR for more than two
years, Medical Office Manager Robin Aho said in the release.
“When Dr. (David) Luoma (the centers medical director) and I started here, there
were paper records only,” Aho said in the release. “We changed that right away. It
is important to use MCIR and have updated records, especially with the requirement that all incoming NMU students provide proof of having the measles vaccine
and the U.P. Health System immunization requirements for NMU students getting
their clinical experiences.”
Luoma has served on the board of the Michigan Advisory Committee on Immunizations and advises the state surgeon general and community health department
on immunization policy, according to the release.
“We now pull the record on every patient who comes in. We look at it as an opportunity to get people the vaccines they need, add them to the MCIR registry if
theyre not listed, update their electronic records on the spot and give them a printed copy to take with them if they want it,” Luoma said in the release. “All of this has
significantly improved the rate of immunizations.”
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The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31-— 9A
PROGRESS2015
NMU provost remembered, acting provost named
Remembering a colleague, friend and mentor
PAUL LANG
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University
paid respects to a dedicated faculty member,
colleague, friend and
mentor this year when
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Paul Lang passed away
unexpectedly in January.
While the national
search for a new provost
has been underway since
fall 2014, NMU President
Fritz Erickson appointed
English faculty member
Lesley Larkin as acting
provost and chief academic officer until the position is filled, or until
June 15 at the latest, Erickson said.
Lang died after a brief
illness on Jan. 9 at the
age of 65.
“Northern has lost a loyal and dedicated Wildcat
with the passing of
Provost Paul Lang,” Erickson said. “...He didn't
care much about the
spotlight for himself, but
he very much wanted
Northern students, faculty and staff to have their
opportunity to shine. He
did a lot of great work
during
his
Northern
tenure, and he will be
missed."
The provost is responsible for creating and implementing the academic
priorities for the university and allocating resources to support those
priorities, according to
NMUs website.
Larkin is currently the
co-chairwoman of the
provost search committee, along with Kerri
Schuiling, the dean of the
college of health sciences and professional
studies.
“(Larkin)s very, very interested in returning right
back to the faculty,” Erickson said. “So Im really
appreciative shes setting
aside one of the things
she loves most, which is
teaching — shes an extraordinary teaching faculty member — to help us
during this time of transition.”
The search committee
has narrowed down their
search to four finalists,
who visited campus for
interviews between the
middle of January and
the first week of Febru-
ary, Erickson said.
He is looking for several important qualities in
the new provost, who
would ideally start in July,
Erickson said.
“Im looking for our chief
academic officer, ... so
we need someone who
has a strong sense of the
academic mission of the
institution, has experience as a faculty member
working with faculty
members and someone
that can lead us through
what we think is a really
exciting time,” Erickson
said.
Larkin said she is honored to take on the responsibility of easing
NMUs transition to a new
provost and remembers
Lang as a dedicated and
selfless servant to NMU.
“Dr. Langs ... goal was
to help others succeed,
not to draw attention to
himself,” Larkin said. “He
worked really hard and
was an unflagging champion of our university. He
will be missed.”
Born Sept. 22, 1949 in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
Lang was initially hired by
NMU as a tenured professor and head of the
criminal justice department in 1997.
He was appointed associate dean of the College of Professional
Studies in 2002, and later
served as interim head
and director of the School
of Technology and Applied Sciences before his
promotion to dean of the
college. Lang was appointed interim provost
and vice president in
2011, and interim was removed from his title one
year later.
Larkin joined the NMU
faculty in 2008. She has
taught courses in composition, American literature, African American literature, gender and literature, and critical theory.
Larkin is the author of
“Race and the Literary
Encounter: Black Literature from James Weldon
Johnson to Percival Everett” and is drafting a
second book titled “North
American Literature in
the Genomic Age.” Larkin
holds a masters degree
and doctorate from the
University of Washington
and a bachelors degree
from Linfield College. At
Northern, she has served
on numerous committees, most recently as
chairwoman of the presidents committee on diversity.
Mary Wardell can be
reached at 906-2282500, ext. 248. Her email
address
is
mwardell@miningjournal.net.
Dr. Paul Lang, master of ceremony, opened the evening of the Jamrich Hall dedication last September with a few words about John X. Jamrich as well as the new building and all the work that went into building the structure. (Journal photo by Elizabeth
Bailey)
“
“Dr. Langs ... goal was to help
others succeed, not to draw
attention to himself. He worked
really hard and was an unflagging
champion of our university. He
will be missed.”
— LESLEY LARKIN
Acting Provost and Chief
Academic Officer
”
32 Years of Service
to Marquette County
10A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
NMU nursing recognized for advances
Nursing professor honored for technology innovation
MARQUETTE
—
Northern Michigan University nursing instructor Nancy Maas received the technology
innovation award in December at the annual
Celebration of Excellence in Teaching and
Scholarship for her work
with human patient simulators in nursing education.
NMU professor Paul
Truckey of the communication and performance studies department received the ex-
cellence in teaching
award at the same
event.
Maas is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and a nationally
certified nurse educator,
according to an NMU
press release. She has
had a longtime interest
in the use of high-fidelity simulation in healthcare education.
“I strive to increase
use of technology in my
courses on a regular basis,” Maas said in the release. “This award en-
courages me to continue in this effort.”
While earning her
masters, she developed a project focusing
on the use of human patient simulators in practical nursing education
for NMUs LPN program
and was one of only 20
students accepted into
the esteemed National
League for Nursing Simulation Leadership Program, according to the
release.
“(The award) also energized me in working to
increase the use of simulation within the curriculum of the NMU BSN
program as simulation
education coordinator,”
Maas said in the release. “Our latest additions have been the incorporation of an electronic medical record
program and video
recording for use in our
simulation lab.”
In 2011, Maas presented an Introduction
to Simulation to Michigan Legislators for Project Medical Education,
a collaborative project
raising
awareness
about the education process and use of simulation, according to the release. She earned her
BSN at Michigan State
University and her MSN
at NMU.
A human patient simulator is a life-like, anatomically correct, computer
driven mannequin with
physiologic responses
that mimic real patients,
according to a University
of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing dis-
sertation. Human patient
simulation has been used
for over 40 years in medical education, but since
the introduction of computerized HPS in 2000,
its use by medical and
nursing students has
grown exponentially. Researchers have suggested that using HPS can
assist in reducing the
gaps between theory and
practice by improving critical thinking, decision
making and patient outcomes, the dissertation
said.
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The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31-— 11A
PROGRESS2015
Highlights from the U.S. Cross Country Championships
NMU skier wins U.S. championship in 15K freestyle
JOURNAL GRAPHIC BY SELENA HAUTAMAKI
At right and competition pictured
above, Kyle Bratrud (3) competed
for Northern Michigan Univerisity
in the CCSA Cross Country
Freeystle Skiing Championships
at Al Quaal in Ishpeming on Sunday Feb. 9, 2014. Bratrud placed
second in that competition and
went on to win the U.S. National Championship in the
15K freestayle race at the
U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton.
(Journal file photos)
KYLE
North BRATRU
Ski Teern Michiga D
am
n Univ
ersity
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University
senior Kyle Bratrud in
January won the U.S. National Championship in
the 15K freestyle race at
the U.S. Cross Country
Championships
in
Houghton, according to
an NMU press release.
Bratrud clocked a time
of 42:01.6 which was 50seconds faster than the
second place finisher.
The Wildcats placed four
skiers in the top 24 on
the men's side and had
four women's finishers in
the top 26, the release
said.
"Kyle Bratrud was in a
league of his own today,"
said NMU head nordic
skiing coach Sten Fjeldheim in the release. "To
win by 50-seconds in a
15K race is big. He separated himself from the
rest of the 200 skier filed
early in the race and just
kept increasing his lead.
Spectacular race day for
all of our team."
NMU
sophomore
Fredrik Schwencke
finished fifth with a time
of 43:13.2 while Wildcat
sophomore Adam Martin
placed 13th in 44:12.0.
Freshman Ian Torchia
was next across for
NMU in 16th place, covering the distance in
44:39.1. Senior Erik Soderman rounded out the
NMU leaders in 24th
place with a time of
44:53.6, according to the
release.s
On the women's side
senior Jordyn Ross
was the top finisher for
the Wildcats in the 10K
freestyle race. Ross
crossed the finish line
in 32:06.9 and came in
just eight seconds
ahead of sophomore
Kristen Bourne who finished
in
17th
at
32:14.0. Freshman Vivian Hett was 23rd for
the Wildcats clocking a
time of 32:52.8 while
freshman
Caroline
Brisbois was 26th at
33:05.2, according to
the release.
12A -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Effort to help students develop skills in stressful situations
Use-of-Force Simulator promotes problem-solving under pressure
MARQUETTE — National news coverage in
the last year has focused
attention on the use of
force by police officers
and stirred debate over
whether their lethal responses to perceived
threats were justified or
excessive.
In an effort to help students develop rapid problem-solving skills under
stressful situations they
may confront in their future law enforcement careers, Northern Michigan
Universitys criminal justice department acquired
a new use-of-force simulator in December 2014,
according to an NMU
press release.
“This is the first time a
simulator has been used
in a university program,”
Department Head Charlie
Mesloh, who has tested
simulators for the U.S.
Department of Justice
and holds master instructor certificates in two systems, said in the release.
“Theyre usually restricted to police academies or
professional training sessions, but even then, on a
limited basis. Our students will do three simulations per week, beginning with a pilot in January. It makes sense to
incorporate technology
because students are so
accustomed to using it. It
also makes sense to explore better options because criminal justice education has been stagnant for too long.”
The simulator allows a
student standing in front
of a projection screen to
be virtually transported
into one of 700 video scenarios, the release said.
She or he might respond to reports of an active shooter in a school,
try to diffuse a domestic
violence situation, conduct a border crossing inspection or make a
seemingly routine traffic
stop. The student must
quickly assess the evolving situation, which can
be controlled by a computer operator, and determine an appropriate response based on visual
and audio cues, the release said.
“Theres a lot to take in
and things can change in
a hurry,” Mesloh said in
the release. “A simulator
adds a level of realism
that traditional classroom
lectures cant provide.
Students will also write a
report on each simulator
incident they complete,
as if they were preparing
a deposition.
“The bottom line with
Ferguson and related
events, regardless of
your opinion on how they
played out, is that citizens
want and deserve good
cops they can trust who
are properly trained in crisis intervention. Employers across the country tell
us they want that too,
along with people who
can solve problems
quickly,
communicate
well and write detailed reports. Our goal is to expose students to these
NMU professor
receives state award
Lindsay receives Distinguished
Professor of the Year award
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University
biology professor Alec
Lindsay is one of three
faculty members selected
from the states public
universities to receive a
Michigan Distinguished
Professor of the Year
Award, according to an
NMU press release.
He was honored at an
April 2014 Lansing luncheon hosted by the
Presidents Council State
Universities of Michigan.
“Im very humbled,”
Lindsay said in the release. “A large part of the
success Ive had can be
attributed to the support
Ive received from my colleagues, staff and administrators at Northern. I
have also benefited from
associating with great students in my lab and in my
courses. There are many
other people deserving of
this award, so it is a
tremendous honor.”
Lindsay also received a
2013 Distinguished Professor Award from NMU,
where he is in his 12th
year of teaching, research
and service, the release
said. Much of his work
has focused on studying
the evolution and behavior of the common loon, a
threatened species in
Michigan. As a former Peter White Scholar at NMU,
Lindsay began a genetic
analysis of the common
loon and has recently
completed sequencing
the
species
entire
genome, the release said.
With the help of undergraduate and graduate
students at NMU, he has
begun to analyze the genomic data. He previously received National Science Foundation support
to collaborate with Boston
University researchers on
a related genetic sequencing project, the release said.
Providing NMU students
with experiential learning
opportunities is important
to Lindsay, as evidenced
by his loon studies and an
intensive
four-week
spring field ornithology
course. He also coordinated and led two field
studies trips to Zambia to
enhance students biological, ecological and cultural understanding of the
country. Students designed and performed
their own research projects during their nearly
month-long travels and
the “Zambassadors” described their experience
as “transformative,” the
release said.
Former NMU provost
and vice president for
academic affairs Paul
Lang, who died in January, honored Lindsay in
the release.
“Dr. Lindsay is truly extraordinary in his dedication to undergraduate and
graduate students and
their learning,” Lang said.
“He is first and foremost
an exemplary teacher
who engages his students
deeply and actively.”
Lindsay has many ornithology-related presentations and publications to
his credit and currently
serves as board chair of
the Michigan Audubon
Society, the release said.
types of situations and
help them develop related skills in college so
they are more prepared
when they enter a police
academy.”
Mesloh said some of
the simulator scenarios
are applicable to social
work, psychology and
other academic disciplines. The device might
also be used for research. NMU purchased
its simulator from MILO
Range in Ann Arbor, according to the release.
Criminal justice major Alexandra Cazzetta tests
the use-of-force simulator at Northern Michigan
University. (Journal file photo)