Kudos!

Kudos to Embrace the Dream reading buddies! Here’s a shout-out to the students, staff and faculty who volunteered for one or more of the Embrace the Dream reading events hosted by the NMC Library. Without reading buddies, we simply couldn’t have made these programs happen! Volunteers spent time with children, reading and talking with them, completing a craft, and making each young person feel seen. This year, 117 children participated in the programming! I am grateful to work with you!

    • Melanie Griffith
    • Joelle Hannert
    • Eden Hadfield
    • Ciarra Arlt
    • Kelly Yauk
    • Olivia Watrous
    • Cristina Pimenta
    • Taylor Wilcox
    • Bella Whitten
    • Nicco Pandolfi
    • Marcus Bennett
    • Brooklynn Golnick
    • Ayri Norteña
    • Taylor Wilcox
    • Marianne Dages
    • Janet Lively
    • Aric Woughter
    • Nicole Fewins
    • Scott Goethals
    • Tricia Lincoln
    • Lil Anderson
    • Molly Norville
    • Colleen Burry
    • Laurel Forton
    • Katy Grace
    • Mark Dragovich
    • Chelsea Bridson
    • Jeffrey Cobb
    • Lisa Nadlicki
    • Alex Tank
    • Veronica Dragovich
    • Cathy Brown
    • Lee Mikowski
    • Lauren Marchany

(Oh wow, I really hope I didn’t miss anyone because you all are the best!)

I’d also like to thank the leadership at NMC for fostering a culture of service and making DEI a priority. The TCAPS employees we meet during these events are really impressed with the number of people who give up their own time or are released from regular duties to show up for their students. Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service to our community puts action to our words and says a great deal about our institutional values.

And finally thank you to the DEI Committee and Student Life for sharing the cost of the books with the NMC Library. Each of the children who participated went home with a book of their own!

Kudos to Laura Korch! Thanks to ceramics instructor Laura Korch for bringing artist Chris Baskins to NMC! Chris gave presentations on his pottery career to ceramics students and brought pieces of his work to share. Chris was also invaluable in helping Laura and her students with the wood kiln which fired to cone 10!

Kudos to Bobbi Garner and Les Eckert! Les identified a scheduling issue for GLCI students that would have prevented them from taking a required human biology course in fall semester. This was a potential retention and completion barrier for culinary students. Les worked with Bobbi Garner in the Science & Math Academic Area; Bobbi’s quick attention and action allowed for a change to the fall schedule. This change will allow culinary students to complete their science requirement in fall 2025 if needed. Thank you to Les and Bobbi for coming together to problem solve for our students!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Lunar New Year potluck

NMC Lunar New Year potluckJoin the Multicultural Club for a Lunar New Year Celebration from 5:30-7 p.m. on February 20 in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, room 106/107 (#9 on the Front Street campus map). Celebrate the year of the snake with asian cuisine! Bring a dish to share or just come for the celebration. Enjoy food and music in the company of new and familiar faces, make new friends or bring one with you. Everyone is welcome!

OOPs pitch date just around the corner!

Mark your calendar!

  • Wednesday, March 12, Noon–1:30 p.m., Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center 106/107

The next pitch date is just around the corner and the OOPs team is looking for pitches from faculty, staff, and students that are focused on educational initiatives, including new programs, increasing enrollment in existing programs, accelerating college strategies, and implementing the campus master plan.

Pitches are open to NMC students, faculty and staff, so if you have a great idea or project that needs resources to reach its full potential, the Office of Possibilities wants to hear from you! Fill out this application to connect with an OOPs team member who will assist in planning your pitch. If you have any questions about the application or the process, please email oops@nmc.edu and someone will get back to you promptly. Meeting with an OOPs team member is required before entering a pitch so please plan accordingly.

The Office of Possibilities is grateful for the generous support from the NMC Foundation that provides funding for innovative projects across campus!

The OOPs team looks forward to seeing you there!

NBA 2K25 basketball tournament

NBA 2K25 Basketball tournament flyerCampus Life and Esports are hosting a NBA 2K25 Basketball tournament at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 in the Esports Lab, located in the lower level of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center (#9 on the Front Street campus map).

  • Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5 versions available
  • Prizes for the top two winners on each console
  • Earn bragging rights for the season
  • Free to play

 

 

For more information please contact Andre Dean at adean@nmc.edu, Ty Peterson at tpeterson@nmc.edu or Marcus Bennett at mbennett@nmc.edu.

 

Valentine’s Day dance

NMC Swing Club Valentines Day DanceCome dance the night away! NMC’s Swing Dance Club is hosting a Valentine’s Day dance from 7–9 p.m. on Saturday, February 15 in the Rajkovich Physical Education Building (#16 on NMC’s Front Street Campus).

  • Free lessons! Beginners welcome.
  • Dress as formal as you want!
  • No partner necessary! Come alone, with a partner, or with a group.

Absolutely free! We hope to see you there. 

Media mentions for February 10, 2025

The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.

Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the NMC Library.

Ideas welcomes for Freshwater Innovation Center
Ticker, Feb. 10
(more…)

GVSU Physician Assistant preview day Feb. 21

Are you interested in finding out more about GVSU’s Physician Assistant program? Come to the PA program preview event in Traverse City on Friday, February 21, from 11a.m.-1 p.m.. During the preview day, you can meet with the PA program director, the chair of admissions for the PA program, the College of Health Professions Student Service office representative, and current GVSU PA students. GVSU will answer any of your admission and/or program-related questions and provide a tour of the facilities used by the PA program. This event is open to anyone interested in the PA program. 

Please RSVP for this event at: gvsu.edu/traverse/pa

Kudos!

Kudos to Max McColl; Max went above and beyond when one of our EES students got stuck when trying to turn around in our Beckett Building parking lot and ended up wedged in between a couple of trees.

Kudos to Elsie McKay; Elsie is the first point of contact when you walk into TJNIC. She is welcoming, and knows her job well. She always goes above and beyond for everyone she meets. Being a new NMC employee was a bit scary, and she was one of the first to make me feel at home. She goes out of her way to shovel a sidewalk, or clean off a car, just to be a friend. Her knowledge of her job, and stories of the past are always an interesting break from an otherwise hectic day. Thanks for all you do for NMC, McKay!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

MAC spring benefit concert Feb. 28

The NMC Music Appreciation and Creation (MAC) student group will hold a spring benefit concert from 6-10 p.m. Friday, February 28 at the Dennos Museum. Admission will be by donation, with a suggested amount of $10.

Previously known as the Audio Tech student group, MAC will use all earnings from the show to fund their annual studio tour field trip this spring. The concert will also provide Audio Tech students with practical experience setting up, staging, and running sound during a live music event.

The concert will feature two student acts: One Cent Mafia, a newl- formed rap collective, and Closed for the Season, a budding rock and metal band.

With this event, MAC hopes to bring attention to alternative music scenes that are often overlooked in the Traverse City area, such as punk rock, hip hop, and rap, as well as create new experiential learning opportunities for Audio Tech students.

NMC Magazine seeks submissions for Around the Worlds spring 2025 edition

Wandering the world on a walkabout or exploring the unreal, let us journey through your memories, reveries, and aspirations. Traverse outside Traverse City this spring, sharing snapshots, journaling memories, painting picturesque vistas, and scrapbooking souvenirs. Or is the outside not your thing? Has it been awhile since you touched grass? Leeroy Jenkins requests to join your party in your fictional, fantastical worlds. NMC students, faculty, staff, and NMC community-affiliated members may send creative submissions in all forms by March 15.

Email digital works to nmcmag@mail.nmc.edu. Hard copies can be delivered to Fine Arts (attn: Caroline Schaefer-Hills) or Scholars Hall 214 (attn: Tricia Lincoln).

Fiction/Nonfiction: 1500 word limit
Poetry/Lyrics: 30 line limit
Comics: 30 panels/4 pages limit

Visit nmc.edu/nmcmagazine for more information and to complete a submission form for each entry.

Join design workshops with CMU professors

The Dennos will be offering two design workshops in connection to our exhibition, “The Art of Regeneration” from Central Michigan University. Both workshops are set for Feb. 22 and intended for high school juniors and seniors up to NMC students. Students get a discounted rate of $10 to cover workshop materials.

Fashion Creations: Designing Your Own Modular Cushions!
Saturday, February 22nd | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
In this dynamic workshop where STEAM principles come to life, participants will explore the artistic modular designs from “The Art of Regeneration” exhibition on view at the museum. Get inspired by science, and blend creativity with functionality to create your own unique cushion designs. You’ll learn how to regenerate ideas into stylish, customizable pieces using sustainable materials and innovative techniques. Led by Professors Dr. Su Kyoung An and Dr. Pimpawan Kumphai from the Fashion, Interior Design, & Merchandising Department at Central Michigan University.

Interior Innovation: Create an Infinity Light Fixture and Explore Material Choices for a Virtual Home
Saturday, February 22nd | 2:00 – 4:00 PM
This hands-on interior design workshop is inspired by the axolotl salamander’s incredible regenerative abilities! You’ll create an infinity mirror light fixture that symbolizes renewal, and explore how light, depth, and innovative materials can transform a space. Then, experiment with patterns and textures to design a virtual home, learning how material choices shape the atmosphere and create harmony in interior design. Led by Professor Julie Qun Zuo from the Fashion, Interior Design, & Merchandising Department at Central Michigan University and her student instructors Tyler Cook, Mia Pringle, and Coleton Taylor.

Success Story: FRIC officially convenes; $25.2 million raised

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

NMC and other FRIC partners at a ceremony for signing incorporation papers in the summer or 2024
From left to right, Jason Slade, Eric Roberts (20Fathoms), Matt McDonough (Discovery Pier), NMC President Nick Nissley, Jay Meldrum (Michigan Technological University) and Warren Call (Traverse Connect) at a FRIC signing ceremony in the summer of 2024.

As Silicon Valley is synonymous with information technology, so will Traverse City be to freshwater technology, fueling a new blue economy for the region.

That’s the ultimate ambition behind the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center, which today holds its first board meeting as a formally-constituted nonprofit. With 75 percent of the funding for FRIC secured, the 40,000 square foot facility and dockside learning lab will be home to NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute. It is set to break ground later this year on 17 acres of West Grand Traverse Bay frontage owned by Discovery Pier.

“Today represents a significant milestone for the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center,” said NMC Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Jason Slade, who has led the college’s involvement in the project since 2023. “The blue economy is the future of our region’s economy, destined to be as important as lumber, agriculture and tourism.”

Other board members include representatives from Michigan Technological University, Traverse Connect, 20Fathoms and two at-large positions held by Michigan State University and the Marine Technology Society.

Architectural rendering of the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center building on West Grand Traverse BayThe FRIC will create high-value, year-round jobs in sensor development, engineering, autonomous underwater vehicles, forever chemical detection and remediation and data analysis. It has attracted $25.2 million in funding, including $15 million from the state of Michigan, and is scheduled to be complete in 2027.

NMC has committed $3 million to the new facilities, which in addition to the GLWSI will house research initiatives, start-ups like Traverse City’s Wave Lumina, currently renting space at NMC’s Aero Park campus, small businesses and water-related organizations.

NMC is also fostering those start-ups and small businesses through events like the Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge, launched last week as a successor to last year’s Great Lakes Aquahacking Challenge. Wave Lumina took second place in that technology-based innovation challenge and pitch competition focused on the issues facing the Great Lakes like water quality, forever chemicals and microplastics. Teams are now forming for the Blue Tech Challenge, which will culminate in October at the Oceans 25 conference in Chicago.

“From FRIC’s goals to the facility design to its users, NMC is being intentional and collaborative, ensuring that this enhances our community years into the future,” Slade said.