Riley McDonough of Brookfield, Wis., has been named the Northern Michigan University Political Science and Public Administration Department 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior. With a 4.0 grade-point average, he is graduating May 1 with a bachelor's degree in political science with a pre-law concentration.

Kelly Chandler of Gladstone, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University Political Science and Public Administration Department 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student. On May 1, she will earn a master's in public administration (MPA) degree. 

Northern Michigan University will hold a virtual commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1, with 929 students registered to graduate and 962 degrees awarded if all requirements are met (33 students will earn multiple degrees). The ceremony can be viewed via a link at nmu.edu/commencement.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health has completed its inaugural “Fight the Flu” competition to determine which of the four Upper Peninsula universities could get the highest percentage of its total population vaccinated against the flu. The winner for the 2020-21 academic year is Finlandia University, with 12.1% of its students, staff and faculty members reporting they had been vaccinated.

Northern Michigan University Marketing Professor Gary Brunswick has been awarded the Sam M. Cohodas Professorship. He has been a member of the NMU College of Business faculty for 30 years and was previously honored with the 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2005 Distinguished Faculty Award, among other accolades.