MARQUETTE, MI-- Northern Michigan University has lost its provost.
Paul Lang passed away Friday night. He had been on extended medical leave with the intention of retiring at the end of the school year.
Lang most recently served as provost and vice president for academic affairs, responsible for identifying and executing academic priorities for the university and allocating resources to support those priorities. He was initially hired in 1997 as a professor in the criminal justice department. Lang later served as interim head and director of the School of Technology and Applied Sciences, then became dean of the college. In 2011 Lang was appointed interim provost. “Interim” was removed from his title in 2012.
NMU President Fritz Erickson released the following statement about Lang’s passing:
"Northern has lost a loyal and dedicated Wildcat with the passing of Provost Paul Lang. On behalf of the entire university, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Mona, and daughter, McKenzie, as well as with his other family members, friends and colleagues.
"I am relatively new to NMU, but I've known Paul in his provost and dean roles for a long time, and know that he had the respect of his fellow provosts from around the state and region. I found Paul to be a strong thinker, someone who could break down problematic situations or build up ideas with potential in practical ways that enabled forward progress. Most importantly, Paul was a caring person, someone who wanted others to succeed. He didn't care much about the spotlight for himself, but he very much wanted Northern students, faculty and staff to have their opportunity to shine. He did a lot of great work during his Northern tenure and he will be missed."
