Feature/Profiles

May Graduate is Fifth Fulbright Recipient in NMU History

Johnson Interviews Education Pioneers

May. 16, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University history professor Kathryn Johnson has conducted four oral history interviews with global pioneers in open, distance and digital education. They include Professor Asha Kanwar, former president of the Commonwealth of Learning,; Professor Alejandro Pisanty, a Mexican scholar and early advocate for educational technology; Dr. Tony Bates, whom she describes as one of “the godfathers of distance education in Canada”; and Professor Rosibel Vicquez Abarca, a prominent leader in the field in Costa Rica. All will soon be published in scholarly journals, including one for which Johnson serves as the oral history section editor.

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.