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NMU Board approves SmartZone, body farm agreements

MARQUETTE, MI--   The NMU Board of Trustees has approved a collaborative operating agreement between Invent@NMU and Innovate Marquette SmartZone and authorized a no-cost rental agreement with the Department of Corrections to develop its outdoor forensic research center.

Northern submitted a grant application to the Michigan Economic Development Authority for the SmartZone to assume responsibility for the management and operations of Invent@NMU. Northern will serve as the fiscal agent if the grant is approved.

The rental agreement with the DOC allows Northern to start making improvements to 2.3 acres of land along US-41 near the Marquette Branch Prison. The site will be used to develop a Forensic Research Outdoor Station—or FROST—which will study the effect of a cold climate on human decomposition.

NMU will debut a forensic anthropology major this fall. 

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.