NMU Provost, Dr. Paul Lang passes away

Northern Michigan University’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Paul Lang died this evening.

Dr. Paul Lang, served as provost since 2012, and has worked at the University since 1997. He’s been on an extended medical leave recently and had already made plans to step down at the end of this school year.

The University’s staff and students send their prayers to his family.

Fritz Erickson, NMU’s president, issued a 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.”