Northern Michigan University will introduce high school students to available quality undergraduate experiences in scholarly training (QUEST) on Friday, Oct. 14, in the West Science Building. The inaugural QUEST program will highlight current research and scholarship, allow participants to talk with NMU students and faculty conducting the projects and provide tours of campus facilities. 

The event will kick off with a 9 a.m. keynote by Dr. Viktoria Koskenoja, an NMU alumna who recently returned to the area as director of the emergency room at UP Health System-Marquette. Students will then be treated to faculty-led interactive presentations on the following disciplines: ceramic sculpting and filmmaking; fish biology and sustainability; computer science and technology; biology and health sciences; and social science and social interactions. The afternoon features tours of several facilities on campus, including the U.P. Brain Tumor Center, Computer Cluster Center, hypoxic chamber, nurse simulation lab, outdoor learning area and a chemistry lab.

NMU has the unique ability to draw high-quality students interested in opportunities for in-depth, hands-on experiences in multiple disciplines. It also has a history of supporting undergraduate research. Through sponsored programs, Freshman Fellows and the McNair Scholars program, NMU undergraduates experience hands-on project opportunities ranging from publishing in respected journals and presenting at conferences to working in laboratories and collecting and analyzing data. Undergraduates contribute to cutting-edge research in areas such as microbial identification and brain tumor studies.

"Our students go places after graduation and it’s because of the skills they learn here,” said Jill Leonard, NMU biology professor and co-manager of the QUEST program along with Erica Goff and Heather Pickett.