Alumni

Northern Michigan University alumnus and renowned eagle researcher William Bowerman ('91 MA) was among three innovators to receive the 2023 Lowell Thomas Award from The Explorers Club, an international professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation. The ceremony was held last weekend in Oslo, Norway. The Munising native joins an impressive list of past recipients including Carl Sagan, Sir David Attenborough, Isaac Asimov, Sir Edmund Hillary, Buzz Aldrin and Louise Leakey.

NMU alumna Michelle Perttunen, assistant project manager with Mortenson, is featured as the “Rising Young Professional of the Year” by The Daily Reporter, a construction industry news source that also honors top professionals in the field. She grew up helping her dad with house projects and earned two related degrees from Northern: a 2017 associate in engineering design; and a 2018 bachelor's in mechanical engineering technology with a concentration in design.

“Perhaps We Wrong Them,” a choreographed dance film that visually explores powerful themes relating to childhood trauma and its lingering effects on a survivor's everyday adult life, won Screendance Short of the Year at the 2023 Independent Shorts Awards International Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film was conceived and produced by 2015 NMU theater alumnus John Scheibe of Yonder Studio in Marquette and stars Karina Johnson, NMU director of dance and assistant professor. Alumna Kasey Scheibe served as production manager and Riley Owen was choreographer. All four walked the red carpet at the September awards ceremony.

College football coaching legend and NMU alumnus Lloyd Carr will be the 2024 American Heart Association's Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The honor is given to college football's finest coaches, recognizing their outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions on and off the field. Carr was a star quarterback at NMU, leading the Wildcats to an undefeated season in 1967. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master of arts in education in 1970, and was inducted into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. His 13-year coaching stint at the University of Michigan included the 1997 National Championship, five Big Ten titles and four consecutive Bowl game wins.

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance Department will host a 60th anniversary reception and inaugural alumni awards celebration to honor exceptional achievements in the entertainment arts.

The Northern Michigan University Foundation Board of Directors has announced three new members: Cain Besse of Marquette, a 2011 economics and personal finance alumnus; Nicole Blemberg of Menomonee Falls, Wis., who earned a bachelor's in English in 2004; and Lisa Tomsheck of Arlington Heights, Ill., a 1985 business administration alumna.  

Bruce Closser, a Marquette resident and 1967 business administration graduate of Northern Michigan University, successfully completed a Guinness World Record attempt to become the oldest person to bike across the country. At age 78, he traveled from Yorktown, Va. to Astoria, Oregon via the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The 4,200 mile journey traverses mountain passes, national parks and major cities.

Northern Michigan University 2013 alumnus Dr. Mitchell Stephenson applies experiential teaching approaches he learned from his NMU sports science faculty mentors to his role as an associate professor of Health & Human Performance at the University of Montana Western. The certified strength and conditioning specialist's academic and government-sponsored biomechanics research is focused on methods to improve human performance and reduce injury rates in sport and military environments. 

According to NMU 1977 graduate Charles Hawes of Lansing, his main “claim to fame” prior to his selection as this year's Alumni Service-Community Award recipient was being a teammate of Tom Izzo for all four of his seasons as a Wildcat. 

Dr. Ellen Narotzky Kennedy received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, on Sept. 15.Education and social justice have been closely intertwined throughout most of her adult life.