Alumni

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance Department recently announced the recipients of its annual Alumni Awards. The honorees will be recognized at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Forest Roberts Theatre.

Mark Ruge, a 1980 Northern Michigan University political science alumnus who grew up in Menominee, will serve as the keynote speaker for NMU's May 2 commencement. As a partner at K&L Gates, one of the largest global law firms, his practice includes a focus on the American maritime industry and the Great Lakes. He is the only lawyer ever inducted into the Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame. Ruge previously worked for former U.P. and northern Michigan Congressman Bob Davis.

Detroit Red Wings player Dominik Shine, a former member of the NMU Wildcat hockey team from 2013-2017, has been nominated for the 2026 Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy. This award is granted each year to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Shine has a puck commemorating his first NHL goal, scored at age 32. His resolve to stick with the game contributed to his nomination by the Detroit chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

After leading the Ishpeming girls' basketball team to its second MHSAA Division 4 state championship in three years, head coach and NMU alumnus Ryan Reichel announced he will step down after 14 years at the helm to spend more time watching his daughter play the sport. 

NMU alumnus J.C. Vande Zande (‘93 BS) released a new horror novel set in Michigan that continues his exploration of psychological storytelling and human struggle. “Blood of the Witness Tree” is a sequel to his earlier novel, “The Dance of Rotten Sticks,” and is set in Northern Michigan's Pigeon River Forest. It blends elements of literary fiction with horror, focusing on deeper themes such as anxiety, grief and the human condition.

Northern Michigan University alumnus and Marquette native Gabe Thorburn served as associate editor on “KPop Demon Hunters,” which won the Academy Award for best animated feature. He got to hold an Oscar at a celebratory toast hosted after the ceremony at Sony Pictures Animation, which produced the film. He also joined Sony colleagues on stage in February to accept the award for best editorial-feature at the 2026 Annie Awards, which recognize the greatest achievements in animation. 

NMU Giving Day on Thursday exceeded expectations and goals. The event raised $140,000 for NMU students through gifts from more than 550 donors. It also generated $30,000 in additional support through participation challenges, the “Power Hour” from noon-1 p.m., and match gifts.

Sharon Carlson, an NMU alumna from Marquette, has been appointed to the Michigan Board of Nursing Home Administrators. She is the senior director of nursing at Eastwood Nursing Center in western Marquette County, and previously served as an administrator at Medilodge of Munising and an RN at Bayside Village.

Andrew “Andy” Wasilewski, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who retired from NMU as associate vice president for auxiliary services, recently self-published a book about his hometown titled “Old Cantrall: A History of a Small Village Carved Out of the Illinois Wilderness.” including the earliest settlers' business relationships with Abraham Lincoln and Charles Lindbergh's emergency landing in the village the year before his famous transatlantic flight.

NMU 1993 alumna and professional actress Porter Kelly appears in the second-season premiere of “The Pitt" on HBO Max. The show has won numerous awards, including both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for best drama series. It explores the daily lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital as they juggle personal crises, workplace politics and the emotional toll of treating critically ill patients. Kelly's character is patient Margaret “Hail Mary” Walker.