Alumni

NMU international studies alumnus Chris Wellens was promoted to assistant executive director at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia, N.H. The nonprofit offers year-round programs for all ages designed to "preserve and pass down knowledge and skills that encourage an understanding of the natural systems that sustain us all and respect for the environment."

NMU environmental studies and sustainability alumna Emma Dillman's recent hire as a waste reduction educator for the Kent County (Michigan) Department of Public Works is featured in a Waste Today publication story. The 2021 graduate will help area residents and businesses learn how to reduce and repurpose waste.

Lucille Contois, former NMU professor and alumna, was selected as the recipient of the 2024 Marquette County Evergreen Award, which honors an individual who makes the county a better place for women and girls. The Upper Peninsula native has demonstrated her dedication to educating students at NMU, helping programs gain accreditation, and advocating for women with Marquette's Zonta Club.

Through gifts from private donors, Northern Michigan University's School of Nursing has acquired more advanced equipment that enhances student learning and safety while providing better career preparation for the equipment they will work with after graduation. The $50,000 in purchases include new long-term beds similar to those used in extended care facilities, new medical/surgical beds seen in hospital settings, tables that allow more flexible classroom configurations, and IV and urinary catheter models to practice on before dealing with actual patients in a clinical setting. 

Two Northern Michigan University alumni who co-founded Kall Morris Inc. (KMI), a Marquette-based company focused on keeping space clear of orbital debris, were selected from more than 10,000 nominees to join the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 in the category of Transportation & Mobility. An innovative technology prototype developed by KMI arrived at the International Space Station for testing in early November, and the company is a two-time winner of a Michigan Best Small Business Award. 

Northern Michigan University biology alumna Niyomi House was part of the Limelight Rainforest team awarded the $5 million grand prize in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition. The winners were announced at the G20 Social Summit Nov. 18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. XPRIZE is “the world's leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges.” House ran the genetics subteam for Limelight.

Northern Michigan University alumna Frida Waara, a Marquette businesswoman, adventurer, storyteller and “U.P. ambassador,” will receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree at NMU's mid-year commencement this month. She graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in French.

Steve Tramp, a 1988 Northern Michigan University accounting alumnus, recently joined National Exchange Bank & Trust as a senior vice president of commercial lending at the downtown Fond du Lac, Wis. office. The Marquette native has more than 25 years of experience in the lending industry.

An inaugural NMU Black alumni reunion held earlier this fall was billed by organizers as “a success beyond our wildest expectations, and an amazing weekend for all.” According to 1984 graduate Darryl Thompson, it had been years since many of the attendees were in Marquette. They gathered over an October weekend and checked out some of the changes on campus, attended a Wildcat football game, socialized at local restaurants, and explored longtime favorite sites such as Sugarloaf Mountain.

Northern Michigan University 2018 marketing alumna Senja Spelman presented at Top 500 Live, the home improvement industry's leading sales and lead-generation conference. The event features CEOs and experts focused on today's best practices in sales and marketing, along with home improvement business owners and entrepreneurs. Spelman currently works as the marketing director at BathWorks.