Feature/Profiles

Brito is Student Commencement Speaker

Apr. 14, 2025 —
Rosalva Brito, a criminal justice major and Spanish minor from Chicago, will be the student speaker at Northern Michigan University's May 3 commencement. The first-generation student said she chose to attend NMU primarily because of scholarships she qualified for as the dependent of a veteran that made the cost more affordable, and because of its safe, friendly and beautiful environment.

$2 Million DeVos Gift Supports NMU Art Museum Endowment and Arts District Development

Apr. 9, 2025 —
Daniel and Pamella DeVos have continued their philanthropic support of Northern Michigan University through a recent $2 million gift from the Daniel & Pamella DeVos Foundation. Half of this donation will be added to the permanent endowment of the DeVos Art Museum, ensuring its continued excellence. The remaining $1 million will be directed toward a fund aimed at advancing programs and facilities related to the development of an NMU arts district that will benefit the university and Marquette communities.

Faculty Technology Innovation Award: Lin Fang

Apr. 7, 2025 —
Psychological Science Assistant Professor Lin Fang is co-director of the Cognitive x Affective Behavior & Integrative Neuroscience (CABIN) Lab. Her research mainly focuses on 1) The cognitive and affective vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety: Mechanism and intervention; 2) The interaction between cognitive control and emotion regulation; 3) User experience (UX) research.

Rutledge Provides Community Outreach to Veterans

Mar. 11, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University hosted a March 8 visit by the touring group 1° of Separation, which presents a comedy show and suicide prevention program aimed at ending the stigma of mental illness. NMU Veterans Services Coordinator Mike Rutledge is on the board of Upper Peninsula Together With Veterans, the organization that brought the show to several U.P. locations. He also collaborates with other organizations that help area residents who have served in the military—outreach that extends beyond his role assisting student veterans and elevating NMU's position on national Military Friendly Schools rankings.

NMU's White Receives Two Honors

Mar. 7, 2025 —
The calendar shifted to 2025 a short time ago, but it has already been a “banner year” for Northern Michigan University assistant professor of education Kristen White. She co-authored “Teaching with Literacy Programs,” which received the 2025 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) last week. She also will be honored in March as the 2025 Michigan Reading Association Teacher Educator of the Year. It is an impressive start for a woman who said her only other award in life was “Student of the Week” in 10th grade.

Alumna's Book Inspired by Spread Goodness Day

Feb. 26, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University alumna Anna Dravland's efforts to develop and expand Spread Goodness Day, an annual event that celebrates the “explosive and empowering” impacts of simple acts of goodness, inspired fellow NMU alumna and retired elementary teacher Sue Meier to coauthor a related children's book, The Goodness Garden. With support from generous donors, hundreds of free copies have been distributed to pre-kindergarten through second-grade classrooms in Michigan, Illinois and beyond in advance of this year's Spread Goodness Day celebration on March 14.

Harris Praised for Help Identifying Human Remains

Jan. 27, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University's Center for Forensic Science Director Jane Harris has elevated her professional reputation, the center's profile and student hands-on learning opportunities by contributing her expertise to Operation UNITED, an effort by the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Detroit and Philadelphia to exhume the remains of unidentified victims of decades-old homicide cases. The hope is that advanced DNA testing can provide names and answers for their respective families. She was highly commended for her most recent work in letters from the former FBI director and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD).