July 2024

Todd “Stix” Honch, who passed away suddenly in early 2019, was a skilled drummer who played in all Northern Michigan University bands and an enthusiastic supporter of Wildcat sports teams. His dedication is symbolized by three items still on display in his basement bedroom at his parents' house: a set of gold drumsticks; a “golden ticket” for free lifetime admission to athletic events—sadly, he only used it for one year; and the inaugural Wildcat Fan of the Year Award he received with friend Lindsay Griffith, which now bears their names. 

Many people get their weekdays started by listening to the familiar voice of Nicole Walton, longtime local host for NPR's “Morning Edition” and news director at WNMU-FM, Public Radio 90. She has more than two decades of professional experience with the station, but the NMU alumna first began working there as a student employee while pursuing an English degree.

A half-dozen NMU entities collaborated on a new summer initiative to provide students in need with free bikes that had been abandoned on campus and unclaimed after reasonable efforts to contact the owners. A total of 16 bikes were distributed.

Dr. Doug Roberts, former chair of the NMU Board of Trustees. He was a member of the board from 2002-10, serving as vice chair 2007-08 and chair 2009-10. 

NMU 2019 environmental science alumnus Scott Culbert was recently appointed forest ecologist and climate change coordinator with the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. Covering three million acres, it is the largest national forest east of the Mississippi and includes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Payton Jacobson of Northern's Greco-Roman wrestling program is preparing for his first Olympics in Paris. The competition in his 87kg weight class begins at 5 a.m. EST Aug. 7. According to an Olympics.com feature story, the Elkhorn, Wis. native is named after the late NFL legend Walter Payton, who once lived down the street from Jacobson's mother in a Chicago suburb. The wrestler has embraced the connection, incorporating the football player's 34 jersey number into his Instagram handle and his renowned work ethic into his training regimen.

“We all just did something pretty epic in a tiny town.” NMU 2001 alumnus Mike Picotte texted that message to NMU faculty members Dan Zini and Mark Shevy after the conclusion of The Big 3 concert Saturday night in Gwinn. Picotte was referring to the fact that they had successfully produced a high-quality, large-scale concert that would usually require a much larger team and the support of a bigger city's infrastructure. They did it with a crew of six—all with NMU connections—in a town with a population under 1,500.

The third annual North Coast Dance Festival will be held July 24-26 at Northern Michigan University. It will feature a free master class and two performances by professionals from across the country, along with NMU's CO/LAB Dance Company. Ballet dancers Mate Szentes, Julia Feldman and Ava Chatterson will return to the event. Giordano Dance Chicago, “America's original jazz dance company,” will make its first appearance at the festival, performing a new work, Gershwin in B, by Emmy-winning choreographer Al Blackstone.

Northern Michigan University will study the feasibility of developing and sustaining a dental hygiene education program in Marquette to meet workforce needs of regional offices and enhance oral health services for Upper Peninsula residents. The closest existing program in the state is about 350 miles south in Big Rapids. NMU successfully applied for a $71,500 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation to conduct the study. All U.P. dental societies joined in signing a letter of support.