Robert Rue Parsonage, Northland’s president from 1987-2002, made an imprint as indelible as the Northland seal. Filled with confidence, boldness, and a Midwestern work ethic, he built a college for the twenty-first century while giving credence to the past. “I expected great things and pushed to get them done,” said Bob in a telephone interview…
The United States and Canada should work together to eliminate blue-green algae blooms in Lake Superior, according to one of three recommendations outlined in a report released by the International Joint Commission (IJC) on Thursday. The commission is an independent bi-national organization that evaluates work by the U.S. and Canada to protect and restore the…
At a small school, connections are easily made, and countless doors can be opened by asking a few questions. For natural resources major Michael Lant taking the initiative to reach out—mixed with a lot of hard work—has created countless opportunities for himself. The senior, studying fisheries, grew up in southern Wisconsin where hunting, fishing, and…
When the pandemic hit, Nancy Carey Mullenbrock ’78 got to work doing what she does easily—sewing. She created masks first for family and friends—then this summer, she starting thinking about students returning to campus. Apart from cutting the waste caused by using disposable masks daily, Mullenbrock explained that making masks was a “very tangible, very…
I remember the first time I was invited to visit a plantation. I was in the fourth grade and our teachers had planned a field trip to Chretien Point, a former plantation in Sunset, Louisiana. At the time I couldn’t understand why my three white teachers thought it was a great idea to take us…
The Great Lakes Protection Fund—the world’s first ecosystem endowment—named three individuals and three organizations as recipients of the 2020 Great Lakes Leadership Award for Communication Excellence. This award celebrates the recipients’ outstanding storytelling efforts—better connecting their audiences to the ecosystem, its challenges, and efforts to solve those challenges. Peter Annin, director of the Mary Griggs…
Some years ago, I began an address to an organization facing uncertain times with a quote from the poet T.S. Eliot: “humankind cannot bear very much reality.” As I repeated the line for effect, an elder in the crowd uttered, “but young man, we must!” After the laughter in the room subsided, I recovered enough…
“Your generosity and commitment to Northland College continues to take my breath away. You have always made a full commitment to all of the four W’s: wisdom, work, wallop, and wealth.” —In a letter from Don Chase to Mary Rice in 2002. Northland President Karl I. Solibakke and Major Gift Officer Mary O’Brien called on…
Anne Kriskovich ’08 knows her stuff. Just ask any Ashland High School parent about the new head coach of the men’s soccer team and they’ll tell you so. They’ll also tell you she’s passionate and competitive, and that her knowledge of the game is showing on the young team as they near the end of…
The Diversity Center has moved to the house formally known as Gaia’s Cradle, the women and gender issues theme house for twenty-six years. Former residents along with Cynthia Belmont, professor of women’s studies and advisor for the theme house, were consulted and most agreed it was a good move. “Gaia’s Cradle has a strong history…
