Since he began exhibiting his work, gallery owners and curators have found it difficult to label Eric Mesko as any particular type of artist, which suits him and them just fine.

“From my earliest days, I was making things out of junk. We were assigned to trace a maple leaf in fifth grade and I drew it instead,” says Mesko, whose work includes collage, painting, video and sculpture.  “I’ve worked a lot in wood and assembled a whole art installation based on baseball.”

That installation, No Joy in Mudville (from the poem Casey at the Bat), was on exhibit at Oakland University’s Meadow Brook Art Gallery in the 2000s. The curator was Dick Goody, chair of the art department at Oakland and the gallery’s director.

“The art world in Detroit is too small and intimate to produce too many stars,” wrote Goody in the exhibit program, “nonetheless, this exhibition provides Mesko with ample opportunity to distill and project his considerable vision.”

No Joy in Mudville was, in part, a tribute to Mesko’s beloved grandfather, a catcher who played on a team with fellow coalminers and steelworkers, turning down a minor league offer in deference to his family responsibilities.  He gave Mesko a baseball mitt for his tenth birthday, starting a collection that Mesko has added to over the years and now provides the subject of a drawing assignment on value for his Color and Design classes at South Campus.

“We all need to have a purpose in life,” says Mesko, who taught art at private schools previous to joining Macomb’s faculty 17 years ago.  “Art and teaching are mine.”

Mesko’s own education was determined by which military base his father, a career Marine, was stationed.  Mesko remembers being an engaged student in Bermuda but responding to bigotry at a rural South Carolina high school by distancing himself from other students and faculty, with the exception of his art teacher.

“I never took an art class until my last semester in high school,” says Mesko, who moved to Virginia after graduating and remembers hitchhiking regularly to an art supply store in Georgetown. “I read and studied and wanted to be more than the beatniks. I admired their independence, but wanted to stop short of the brick wall many of them hit.”

After Virginia, Mesko joined the U.S. Marine Corp and was moved deeply by poverty in Ethiopia and the great ruins of Greece, both of which he saw during his service time.  Home then became Michigan, where his parents had moved.  He earned an associate degree from Macomb and bachelor and master degrees in arts as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University. From Wayne State on, Mesko’s work has been politically charged and well received by the art community. In addition to Meadow Brook, it has been part of exhibitions at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Kresge Art Museum and Western Illinois University Art Gallery, as well as several private galleries.

“I’ve often included student art in my shows,” says Mesko, who collaborates with Found Sound and Library Books, independent record- and book-sellers in Ferndale, to regularly showcase Macomb students’ work in their storefront windows.  “This gives students a kick-start to their careers.”

Working out of a studio in Detroit for 25 years, Mesko regards that city as much his home as Ferndale where he lives.  He has involved students in Detroit’s Mural in the Market project and served as the “engineer” on the refurbishing of the Eastern Market mural that greets as many as 40,000 visitors a day during the market’s peak season.

“Dave Barr (one of Mesko’s art professors at Macomb) told me that if you touch just one person with your art,” reflects Mesko, “you’ve made a difference.”

At least once a year, a student will ask Keith Nabozny why he didn’t remain in the corporate sector, where salaries are high and his career was as secure as the networks he was responsible for safeguarding.

“Because I love this job,” he muses after the fact. “I love being able to share my cybersecurity experience with students and the autonomy that allows me to continually refine my teaching to make it better.”
Nabozny’s previous career spanned 25 years, but it wasn’t his first choice. With a bachelor’s degree in finance from Oakland University, he thought he would follow a path to international banking. His first job at the former National Bank of Detroit (NBD), however, pointed him in a different direction.

“I found that I had this interest in IT. NBD’s network administrator told me ‘You’re really good at it, you should go into it,’” relates Nabozny. “He encouraged me to get certified in Novell. I studied on my own and paid for my own certification exam.”

From there, Nabozny continued to seek out IT training, primarily from New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. He eventually became NBD’s local area network administrator for the capital markets divisions. It took a job offer from Electronic Data Systems (EDS) to convince him to leave banking altogether. He was assigned to the General Motors account, and worked out of an office located at its Technical Center in Warren. He stayed with EDS through its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard and has also worked in the IT departments of a few other companies, including Dow Chemical. He started teaching at Macomb part-time in 2010, accepting a full-time position in 2011 after being encouraged to apply for it by both the associate dean and his wife Carol Lynn.

“I saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” relates Nabozny. “I knew I had something to contribute.”

Because of his extensive background in the field, Nabozny took the lead on Macomb’s Network Security Professional (cybersecurity) program. He developed and taught the courses, always keeping his finger on the pulse of the IT industry. Along the way, he also earned a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University because, he says, “I wanted to be a better teacher.” At a cybersecurity summit about six years ago, Nabozny heard about a designation awarded jointly by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to colleges and universities with outstanding cybersecurity programs.

“That’s when I realized,” he says, “that I needed to step up my game.”

Receiving input from an advisor from the NSA/DHS program, Nabozny developed a strategy to qualify Macomb for a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education Associate Level designation. Courses were updated, a Cybersecurity Club for students with Nabozny as advisor was formed and a virtual and on campus Cybersecurity Center providing a variety of cybersecurity resources was established. Nabozny received word on Sept. 9 that all his efforts had paid off and now the NSA/DHS designation will appear on the transcripts of all students completing the program through 2024.

“I got the email right before the first Cybersecurity Club meeting of the semester, so I shared the news with club members first,” says Nabozny. “This designation tells employers that our students are receiving a strong education in cybersecurity at Macomb and they will be prepared to put their skills to work when they graduate.”

When students in Maria Ramos’ Spanish language classes have difficulty conjugating a verb or distinguishing between two Spanish homonyms, she responds with empathy born of experience.

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Ramos’ parents, an engineer and school principal, believed it was important to expose their children to different cultures. At 12, Ramos spent the summer with a host family in Fargo, North Dakota.

“It was a rough emersion. They didn’t speak Spanish and I didn’t speak English,” relates Ramos. “But it’s what set me on the road to learning English.”

Ramos’ students have had it a bit easier when they travel to Guadalajara on the study abroad trip she happily inherited when she joined Macomb’s faculty 10 years ago. The students have already taken Spanish language classes and their professor meets with them every day to provide support and encouragement. And, best of all, they have classmates to share the experience with.

“I have students who call a year or two after a trip and thank me for introducing them to their best friend, as well as another culture,” relates Ramos. “It’s an exhausting couple of weeks when I’m there, but how can I not do this? I’m so happy the college supports this, because it’s such a life changer for many of the students.”

Next year, Ramos is changing up the itinerary and taking Spanish students to Oaxaca, in southwestern Mexico, known for its Pre-Columbian ruins and Zapotec art.

“It’s one of the most culturally rich places in Mexico, and it’s smaller than Guadalajara,” says Ramos, who also takes the lead on Macomb’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemoration in late October each year. “I will be a little more at ease with those students who are so adventurous.”

Ramos earned her bachelor’s degree in Mexico and studied Spanish language and literature at Florida Barry University, in Miami, before moving to Michigan. She completed her master’s degree and Ph.D. at Wayne State University.

In a nod to her own upbringing, Ramos and her husband, Kevin Link, are raising their son, Andrés, to be bilingual and multicultural. Ramos takes him to Guadalajara at least twice a year to visit his grandparents and the family has traveled to Europe, Latin America and, this year, Iceland.

“I love running, reading, teaching and traveling,” says Ramos. “Northern Spain is a favorite. I love the food and the culture. But Mexico is home.”

And the same holds true for Macomb.

“I like our students so much. They are so diverse, and some of them don’t have easy lives, but they still come to school every day. Sometimes, I don’t know how they do it,” says Ramos.  “They all bring a great perspective to the classroom. I wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else.”

Anthony Wickersham knows all about working the midnight shift. Weekend bar rushes were always busy at the three Nugget restaurants his family owned and where he worked 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week, after graduating from Cousino High School in Warren. But, even more sunrises have been seen from the inside of a patrol car.

“The plan was to stay in the family business. But, after about 18 months, I knew I wanted to do something else,” says Wickersham. “Law enforcement sounded exciting and interesting.”

Wickersham graduated from Macomb’s Law Enforcement Program in 1984. He then worked his way through many ranks within the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office: corrections officer, deputy sheriff, undercover narcotics officer, sergeant, detective, head of the detective bureau, lieutenant, captain, chief of staff and, ultimately, Macomb County Sheriff, appointed in 2011 and elected in 2012.

“My number one priority as sheriff,” says Wickersham, “is to make sure the people in this department have what they need to keep themselves and the citizens they serve safe.”

Wickersham transferred from Macomb to Wayne State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technical and Interdisciplinary Studies. A big believer in professional development, he has sought continued educational opportunities throughout his career. He completed intensive coursework at Northwestern University’s School of Police and Staff Command in Illinois and the FBI National Academy in Virginia, and he has also taken advantage of the training available in his own backyard.

“The advanced training at Macomb,” he says, “has made me a better police officer.”

It’s not surprising, then, that the sheriff, who is on call 24/7, welcomed the chance to join Macomb’s law enforcement faculty in 2017.

“It’s important to engage with the next generation in this field,” says Wickersham. “There are a lot of law enforcement jobs out there, and we need to sway the right individuals to pursue them.”

Wickersham is currently teaching Introduction to Corrections and Analysis of Terrorism at Macomb. One of the newest dispatchers in the sheriff’s office is a former student and, at least once a semester, Wickersham takes some class time to tell his students about current job openings in local law enforcement agencies. He also advises them on the two skills that are essential to good police work.

“You have to be able to listen, and you have to be able to communicate,” relates Wickersham.  “That is what this job is all about.”

One of Wickersham’s sons completed Macomb’s Law Enforcement with Police Academy Program and is now an officer with a municipal police department in Macomb County. Another from the blended family he shares with his wife Lois has attended Macomb as a dual-enrolled high school student.

“Both my wife and I have tried to persuade our kids to go to Macomb because we know they are going to get a top notch education,” says Wickersham. “I’m proud to be a part of that.”

And what part of his 34-year career with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office does he take the most pride in?

“My ability to understand the needs of the men and women who work here,” says Wickersham.  “When my staff wakes up, I want them to be proud to come to work.”

Linda Jenuwine doesn’t just tell students in her fitness classes how to use an elliptical trainer or dumbbell set for maximum effect, she takes them into the newly remodeled exercise studio in F Building, Center Campus, and works out with them.

“I try to get to know my students and understand their fitness goals,” says Jenuwine, who coaches her students seeking weight loss on how to burn more calories by increasing resistance versus repetitions and shares with them the health-related aspects of regular exercise. “From cardiopulmonary to muscle-strengthening, it’s all part of a healthy lifestyle.”

Jenuwine played softball, volleyball and basketball for Oxford High School and thought she would become a middle school physical education teacher. But, by the time she started college, the dwindling number of available teaching jobs convinced her otherwise. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health Education and Health Promotion, with a minor in Biology, from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science Degree in Education from Wayne State University. She was working in public health when she accepted a part-time position teaching CPR at Macomb, which led to a full-time professorship in 2003.

“I tell my CPR classes that what they learn here could one day save a life,” says Jenuwine, who has feedback from former students that proves it. “Teaching CPR is a way I can make a difference.”

Jenuwine lives on five acres in Ray Township, where she shares a home (and a workout space) with her husband, Brian, an equipment repairer at Macomb’s East Campus, and their children: Marisa, 17, an artistically inclined high school senior, and Joshua, 14, who plays on a traveling baseball team. Cheering on both of her children is one of the joys of Jenuwine’s life, as is teaching at Macomb.

“I like the interaction with the students,” says Jenuwine, whose CPR classes may include firefighters, police officers, medical assistants, and even an occasional nursing student. “There is such diversity, so many different backgrounds, and I learn from all of them.”

The support she receives from Macomb’s Teaching and Learning Center is “amazing,” says Jenuwine, who began turning to them for technical assistance after receiving certification to teach online. “I hesitated (teaching online) at first, because I really like working hands-on with my students. But, now, I don’t know why I waited so long.”

Macomb recently expanded its Wellness, Health and Exercise curriculum to include two associate degree pathways: Exercise Science and Health and Wellness Promotion. Students who enroll in the latter will benefit from Jenuwine’s eight years of work experience with the Macomb County Health Department, as well as her contagious enthusiasm that will keep them focused on their goals – both health wise and academic.

“I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to work,” says Jenuwine. “I love this job!”

Michael Placco has been to every one of the annual Macomb Nights at Jimmy John’s Field, during which the college’s president throws the first pitch and staff, students and alumni sit together to cheer on their favorite team.  For the Macomb history professor, however, baseball is more than a sport, it’s a connection to what used to be.

“I love the music of the sport, this American pastime, everything about it,” says Placco. “Baseball is a haunted game with all these great American stories about its players. Even (President) Lincoln allegedly played baseball!  It’s always been there for us.”

In Placco’s office at Center Campus, replicas of two old-time wooden baseball bats rest against his desk.  Lining the walls are framed images of historic figures, including a reproduction of the only know photograph of Andrew Jackson, the country’s president 1829 to 1837. Interspersed are pictures of baseball players with handlebar moustaches in vintage uniforms, mementos from Placco’s days as a student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a circa 1848  drawing of New York City, where he grew up in the borough of Queens.

“I was born, I think, with a predilection for history,” offers Placco, who joined Macomb’s faculty in 2000.  “My parents took me to Connecticut and Massachusetts to visit all the historical sites when I was a child. Later, I realized how many times you think about what used to be.  That’s something that we think about every day.”

Placco’s own family history is rich in cultural milestones. His great grandparents emigrated from Sicily, entering America through Ellis Island, the gateway for nearly 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954.  His great uncle, a WWII vet, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, which he visited over Memorial Day weekend while in Washington, D.C. to witness the (possibly last) Rolling Thunder motorcycle tribute to veterans.  His father served in the Vietnam War and his mother was in the audience when Jimi Hendrix performed the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock.  And, then, there is his distant aunt by marriage, Viola Liuzzo.

Liuzzo was a Detroit mother of five, Wayne State University student and a civil rights activist.  She drove to Selma, Alabama, in March 1965 to participate in a voting rights march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Five days after arriving, she was murdered by Ku Klux Klan members while driving other activists to the airport.  Liuzzo is the only known white woman to have died during the Civil Rights Movement, and Dr. King was among the mourners at her funeral in Detroit. Several books, documentaries and movies have chronicled her life, and tributes to her bravery can be found in Detroit and Selma.

“She believed it was everyone’s fight,” says Placco, who has given talks about his relative, as well as other historical topics, in several community lecture series, including Macomb’s SOAR program.   “She was ahead of her time.”

Placco and his parents moved from New York to Michigan while he was in high school and while other seniors were talking about going away to Central or Eastern, Placco looked farther afield.  He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Bowling Green, before a full-time teaching position brought him back to Michigan.

“This is my home now, and I’m happy to be here with such decent, generous people,” says Placco.  “I love going to baseball games, and I love being in N Building on Center Campus where I am able to share my passion for what used to be with my students.”

Judy Burke was mentored by award-winning novelist Elmore (Dutch) Leonard, is a founding member of Michigan Sisters in Crime (a mystery writers’ association), snuck into Cuba before the travel ban was lifted to see Hemingway’s hideaway and will be signing copies of her novel, Blackrock Island, 1-3 p.m. on May 11 at the Barnes and Noble bookstore on Hall Road.  It’s a writer’s life that she gladly shares with students in her classes at Macomb.

“In the seventh grade, I had a wonderful teacher who taught us how to read and write short stories,” relates Burke.  “From then on, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to be a writer.”

Burke earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education – English from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.  She has been teaching English and communications at Macomb since 1980, and also teaches most of the creative writing courses offered by the college’s continuing education department.

“When you teach, it inspires you to keep writing,” says Burke, “and the students here are wonderful.  I want them to be passionate about writing.”

At Macomb, Burke teaches classes on campus and online.  To keep her lectures lively, she uses some of the method acting techniques she learned at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.  “Method” also comes into play when she is researching a book project, which, in the case of Blackrock Island, took her to Ireland to get the setting right.

“I stayed for seven weeks and visited lighthouses,” says Burke, whose suspense thriller about the horseracing industry is set in County Mayo, where her father was from. Central to the plot is a lighthouse owned by a wealthy racehorse owner who may, or may not, be a villain in the story. “I love bad guys,” says Burke, but as she tells her creative writing students, the trick to their authenticity is “giving them a redeeming quality.”

Blackrock Island has been well received in Ireland, providing Burke with a great thrill: reading from it at the John B. Keane pub in the small Irish town of Listowel.  Named for the Irish playwright and novelist, Burke was invited there by Billy Keane, John Keane’s son and the pub’s well-known proprietor.

Burke is now writing a second mystery novel set in Key West, which, like Cuba, was once home to Hemingway.  It is one of two books that Burke is currently working on.  The other is about a jewelry heist in Bordeaux, which will require a trip to France’s famed wine region for research.  A children’s book, which she collaborated on with her granddaughters, is with a New York publisher.

“I write every day. You go into a zone when you are writing and all of a sudden you look up and you have been at it for 12 hours,” offers Burke.  “I learned from Dutch, though, that when you are done for the day, write one more sentence that you can pick up on tomorrow.”