While in college, students often lose sight of their professors as people. They’re the ones who assign homework, hand out tests and critique you, but they also have lives outside of the classroom which often involves some interesting scholarship activities.
NMU Biology Professor and department head Neil Cumberlidge recently received the yearly Peter White Scholar Award, worth $17,500, that goes to a faculty member who has an established scholarly record and is working on a project to advance their work. Projects funded by this award are intended to go far beyond those funded under normal faculty grants. The project Cumberlidge received the award for involves identifying species of East African freshwater crabs, of which he has already discovered 30 new species.
Along with the commendation and congratulations that Cumberlidge deserves for his work, this award brings up a more vital issue; scholarship on campus. Having a staff so skilled in their crafts gives NMU credibility as a university. Faculty is a large part if what makes a university successful, and at NMU they create the type of quality learning institution that has become one of administration’s greatest concerns.
As students, we are privileged to have professors who are dedicated and knowledgeable on topics in various specialized fields. Every day, students are given the opportunity to learn about these topics, either by taking a class with these professors or by picking their brains outside of class. They are also given the chance to conduct formal reseWhile in college, students often lose sight of their professors as people. They’re the ones who assign homework, hand out tests and critique you, but they also have lives outside of the classroom which often involves some interesting scholarship activities.
NMU Biology Professor and department head Neil Cumberlidge recently received the yearly Peter White Scholar Award, worth $17,500, that goes to a faculty member who has an established scholarly record and is working on a project to advance their work. Projects funded by this award are intended to go far beyond those funded under normal faculty grants. The project Cumberlidge received the award for involves identifying species of East African freshwater crabs, of which he has already discovered 30 new species.
Along with the commendation and congratulations that Cumberlidge deserves for his work, this award brings up a more vital issue; scholarship on campus. Having a staff so skilled in their crafts gives NMU credibility as a university. Faculty is a large part if what makes a university successful, and at NMU they create the type of quality learning institution that has become one of administration’s greatest concerns.
As students, we are privileged to have professors who are dedicated and knowledgeable on topics in various specialized fields. Every day, students are given the opportunity to learn about these topics, either by taking a class with these professors or by picking their brains outside of class. They are also given the chance to conduct formal research through grants offered by the university.
Scholarship is an extremely important part of any university and Northern is no different. The recently awarded McNair grant will not only give students in the program a chance to research their interests, but also benefit the professors they are researching with. It will help provide funds that are often lacking and compensated labor in the form of a passionate student assistant.
Outside research done by professors should not only be encouraged and supported, but recognized more significantly. We need to realize that professors are not just faculty members, but professionals with high amounts of interests and expertise. The research they do is important not only to them as professionals, but to the university as a whole. The university should continue giving as much opportunity as possible to support this research through grants offered by the university.