Jan 30, 2023 | Intercom, Media Mentions
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.
In tandem: Community College partnerships
Community College Daily, Jan. 29
(more…)
Jan 30, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.
(more…)
Jan 27, 2023 | Intercom, International Affairs Forum, Student Events
Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum continues Thursday, February 16 at 11:30 a.m. in the Milliken Auditorium at the Dennos Museum Center. Experts will explore India’s economic evolution, domestic politics, and foreign policy in relation to the U.S., China and more. Guests will take questions from both in-person and online audiences. A reception will be held at 11:00 a.m. featuring appetizers provided by the event sponsor, Taste of India. (more…)
Jan 27, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
Traverse City — A new, standalone degree for NMC’s drone education program will position it for further growth as the industry continues to expand.
Starting with the fall 2023 semester, NMC will offer an associate degree in Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), replacing the current UAS specialization within the Engineering Technology associate degree. A UAS certificate is also offered.
Creating a standalone UAS degree creates a clearer path for students and allows NMC to prepare for future industry demand, said UAS program coordinator Tony Sauerbrey.
“Going forward, the new degree will give us more flexibility to add classes as the industry changes,” Sauerbrey said. Drone operators will need additional credentials for more advanced operations, such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight, when new federal regulations are issued. That’s expected in the next few years.
Also changing is the first word of the UAS acronym. Formerly called Unmanned Aerial Systems, switching to Uncrewed keeps the college aligned with industry, Sauerbrey said. NMC also has objectives in its strategic plan that call for inclusive and equitable language across the college by 2025.
“The entire aviation industry has begun adopting new, gender-neutral terminology, from the FAA on down. As we made plans for this degree, it was perfect timing for us to make the change as well,” Sauerbrey said. “As training on UAS is further integrated at the high school level, we expect to see an increase in interest from female students.”
Currently about 60 students are enrolled in the UAS degree program, with 25 graduating in a typical year. Another 10 students are enrolled in the certificate program.
NMC first offered drone classes in 2010. The Engineering Tech degree with UAS specialty debuted in 2013. The FAA established a commercial license in 2016, and today drones are used for inspection and monitoring in multiple economic sectors, from agriculture to infrastructure. NMC’s Police Academy also offers drone operator certification to its students, the only one in Michigan to do so.
Drone delivery services are poised to take the industry another giant step forward, but the BVLOS regulations must be in place first. Because of NMC’s early adoption of UAS, last year Traverse City was selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation as one of three sites for a feasibility study of air mobility corridors.
“Traverse City floated to the top,” said Linn Smith, manager of Air, Space and Emerging Aviation Systems at MDOT. NMC’s dozen years of UAS experience topped a list of reasons to select Traverse City, including adding a rural study area to other study sites in southeast Michigan.
“Number one was the college, the work that’s been done in UAS,” Smith said.
Find out more: nmc.edu/uas.
Release date: JANUARY 27, 2023
For more information:
Tony Sauerbrey
UAS program coordinator
tsauerbrey@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2925
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 27, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
Kudos to the EES Team! Extended Education kicked off registration for Winter/Spring 2023 Lifelong & Professional learning classes on Dec. 7th. Thus far EES has almost 700 individual students enrolled in Winter/Spring 2023 classes. About half of those registrations are brand new students to EES, and half are returning students. These students in total are registered in 177 individual classes. Thanks to Jackie Schenk and the team for taking so many registrations over the phone. We’re increasing the number of students who are enrolling online as well. Kudos to Shannah Vergote for all of the fantastic marketing, enews, Inside Edit, social media, and more! And thanks to our programmers, Christa Abdul-Karim, Kristy Jackson, and Elizabeth Sonnabend for putting together such a variety of high level and high interest classes.
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!
Jan 27, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC Community!
-
- Sarah Sergent, Student Employee – Switchboard Operator and Welcome Desk Attendant
- Emily Hawkins – Adjunct Clinical Nursing Instructor
- Tyler Birgy – Adjunct Flight Instructor
Jan 27, 2023 | Intercom, Student Events
Airgas, a local supplier for the NMC Welding Technology program, will host Cobot (the newest robotic system) demonstrations at Aero Park Labs on Thursday, February 16 throughout the day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Jan 26, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Office of Student Financial Services will hold a Financial Aid Fair from 4–7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 in rooms 104/105 and 106/107 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center on NMC’s main campus. Topics to be covered include:
There will also be time for students to meet individually with an NMC financial aid representative for help with:
- Completing the FAFSA
- Applying for scholarships
- Completing financial aid requirements (for current NMC students)
- Comparing award letters
- Student loan counseling
Snacks will be included! Register online.
Release date: JANUARY 26, 2023
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Jan 26, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
Stories of Science – the newest installment of the library’s Curiosities discussion series – starts on February 2! Curiosities is a ‘book club’ for those of us who are wary of a cover-to-cover commitment but still want to talk about interesting stuff with fellow lifelong learners.
As always, we’ll explore our selected topic for four consecutive weeks, meeting weekly for a freewheeling discussion on a curated set of articles, podcasts, and videos. We welcome students, staff, faculty, and community participants!
Stories of Science
February 2–February 23, Thursdays, 3:15–4:15 p.m. @ NMC Library
Guest hosts Kristen Salathiel (English) and Nicole Speelman (Chemistry) explore seldom-told and oft-misunderstood stories of science and scientists. Like most good stories, science is full of unexpected twists, heroes and villains, happy accidents and dastardly deeds. Discover how some characters try to control the story, how seemingly minor players make major breakthroughs and the surprising ways stories of science continue to unfold today.
Jan 25, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
January 25, 2023
UAS instructor Carl Rocheleau works with students at NMC’s UAS training property in Yuba.
A new, standalone degree for NMC’s drone education program will position it for further growth as the industry continues to expand.
Starting this fall, NMC will offer an associate degree in Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), replacing the current UAS specialization within the Engineering Technology associate degree. A UAS certificate is also offered.
Creating a standalone UAS degree creates a clearer path for students and allows NMC to prepare for future industry demand, said UAS program coordinator Tony Sauerbrey (right).
“Going forward, the new degree will give us more flexibility to add classes as the industry changes,” Sauerbrey said. Additional credentials will be needed for more advanced operations, such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), when new federal regulations are issued. That’s expected in the next few years.
Also changing is the first word of the UAS acronym. Formerly called Unmanned Aerial Systems, switching to Uncrewed keeps the college aligned with industry, Sauerbrey said. NMC also has objectives in its strategic plan that call for inclusive and equitable language across the college by 2025.
“The entire aviation industry has begun adopting new, gender-neutral terminology, from the FAA on down. As we made plans for this degree it was perfect timing for us to make the change as well,” Sauerbrey said. “As training on UAS is further integrated at the high school level, we expect to see an increase in interest from female students.”
Currently about 60 students are enrolled in the UAS degree program, with 25 graduating in a typical year. Another 10 students are enrolled in the certificate program.
NMC first offered drone classes in 2010, a foresighted curricular addition. At the time, drones, were mostly a military tool. But Sauerbrey, then NMC’s chief flight instructor, and others in the college’s traditional crewed Aviation program spied opportunity ahead. The Engineering Tech degree with UAS specialty debuted in 2013. The FAA established a commercial license in 2016. Today, drones are used to inspect crop health and infrastructure integrity, photograph and sell real estate, conduct land surveys and monitor everything from shoreline erosion to invasive species.
Drone delivery services are poised to take the industry another giant step forward, but the BVLOS regulations must be in place first. Because of NMC’s early adoption of UAS, last year Traverse City was selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation as one of three sites to study the feasibility of air mobility corridors.
“Traverse City floated to the top,” said Linn Smith, manager of Air, Space and Emerging Aviation Systems at MDOT. NMC’s dozen years of UAS experience topped a list of reasons to select Traverse City, including adding a rural study area to other study sites in southeast Michigan.
“Number one was the college, the work that’s been done in UAS,” Smith said.
Delivery corridors will not necessarily happen in the study sites, Smith said. He sees NMC’s next step as researching use case scenarios for drones, which industry would eventually deploy.
“It’s an opportunity to tie communities together,” Smith said. “How do we get needed medical supplies, a device, to a rural community that might be shut in?”
“MDOT, we’re not in the business of education,” said Alicia Morrison, MDOT analyst and assistant project manager for feasibility study. “We really want to work with you.”
Jan 23, 2023 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom
Thanks to everyone who helped plan and launch the celebration of Martin Luther King Day and Black History month. Events kicked off last week with The Dennos Museum Center offering a free admission day and opening new exhibits featuring the work of BIPOC artists. Faculty began volunteering in multiple capacities on campus and in the community. Programs run through February. Check out the most updated schedule here.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Jan 23, 2023 | Intercom, Media Mentions
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.
Freshwater lab will offer ‘test bed’ like no other, collaborators say
Record-Eagle, Jan. 22
(more…)
Jan 23, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
Kudos to Kristi Hallett! Kristi Hallett is a campus ROCKSTAR. With many requests coming her way, she is quick to respond and always does so with a positive attitude. You can see her smile through her emails! We are never afraid to contact Kristi to get something done or to check to see if something went awry—she is level headed and always there to help! We’re so appreciative of her attitude and all she does to make sure schedules and campus spaces come together with no huge traffic jams! Thank you, Kristi, for the amazing work that you do and for always being willing to work with us when we have last minute requests for our events on campus. We appreciate you!
Kudos to Todd Haines & Justin Guillard! Thanks for all of the help with the dental remodel and getting us back up and running!
Kudos to Landon DeHeer & Taylor Hall! We are so grateful to have Landon and Taylor as a part of our ambassador team. For our last new student orientation, we found ourselves short-staffed in the days leading up. Taylor and Landon jumped in to lend us a hand in prepping materials for new students. They already do so much to create a community of belonging at NMC, and it extended to our new students as well. Thank you for everything you do to make NMC a great place!
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!
Jan 23, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC Community!
- Christine Bussell, Supplemental – Law Enforcement Coach
- Kate Norek, Student Employee – Residence Hal Front Desk
- Roscoe Thome, Student Employee – Fitness Center
- Cameron Drzewiecki, Supplemental – Law Enforcement Coach
- Kody Nugier, Supplemental – GLMACE Instructor
- Alyssa Irani – Registrar
- Shannon Croll – Career & Academic Advisor
- Linda Gollan – Adjunct Nursing Instructor
- Linnea Wood – Adjunct Nursing Instructor
Jan 20, 2023 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. More information is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Jan 18, 2023 | Intercom
Pour a cup of your favorite hot beverage and spend an hour each Friday with former NMC Vice President for Lifelong and Professional Learning Marguerite Cotto and extraordinary community guests – from the comfort of home. “Coffee Chats” returns for its fifth season on February 3. These Friday morning virtual interviews take place from 10 to 11 a.m. with interesting community guests, and each is followed by a live Zoom Q&A session.
The winter line-up kicks off with local conservationist Emily Burke sharing stories and scenes from her trek along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Burke will be followed by Goodwill Northern Michigan Director Dan Buron, Horticulture expert Dr. Nikki Rothwell, and Hispanic community advocate Gladys Muñoz. The season concludes with experts on Michigan Extension programs, community planning, and community-based broadcasting.
There are a total of seven Coffee Chats in this Winter’s series, running from February 3 through March 17. You may purchase individual chats for $10 each, or save 30% and purchase ‘The Whole Carafe’ series for $49. View details and register online or call NMC Extended Education at (231) 995-1700.
All winter classes are now available at nmc.edu/ees.
Jan 18, 2023 | Intercom, International Affairs Forum, Student Events
The International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College presents a discussion with Jack Segal, a retired senior US diplomat and former co-chair of the International Affairs Forum who served at the US Embassy in Israel as Counselor for Political/Military Affairs during the first Intifada and the Gulf War. Segal will discuss Israel’s new coalition government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Far-right factions of the new coalition threaten to destabilize Israel, Palestine and the greater region. The presentation will include a public Q & A session. (more…)
Jan 18, 2023 | Emergency Management, Intercom
Natural gas is a colorless, odorless, and combustible gas consisting primarily of methane. For safety and detection, there is an unpleasant odorant called mercaptan (smells like rotten eggs) to the natural gas traveling through most of the pipelines. Propane is a gas compressed into a transportable liquid and stored in tanks. The odorant mercaptan is also added to propane. (more…)
