Alumni

NMU alumnus and podiatrist Dr. Brad Benson ('10) has returned to his hometown to join UP Health System-Marquette. He said his training has provided him with a diverse background in all foot and ankle problems, but one of his passions is limb salvage, especially in the diabetic cohort. Benson went to medical school at Kent State University and served as a podiatric medicine and surgery resident at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. After completing his residency, Benson decided to move back to Marquette.

Northern Michigan University will host an alumni reception in Houghton on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The event will feature complimentary food, drink and NMU spirit gear. President Fritz Erickson will give a campus update and the team from Invent@NMU, which helps individuals bring their product or business ideas from concept to market, will give a presentation.

The reception is scheduled from 5:15-7:30 p.m. at the Magnuson Hotel Franklin Square Inn in Houghton. RSVPs are requested through a link at nmu.edu/alumniassociation/events. 

Bill Hawker ('95 BS) built a career in professional sports, establishing corporate partnerships for three NFL north division franchises: the Bears, Packers and Lions. Now he has returned to Green Bay as director of business development for Elevate97. The business creates and distributes marketing solutions for world-renowned retail brands. Clients include Carhartt, Calvin Klein, Pandora jewelry, Tommy Hilfiger, TaylorMade Golf and his former employer, the Packers.

NMU Senior Tim Kruger has long been interested in woodworking, particularly furniture design. But “an epiphany” during a woodturning class led by Professor Jason Schneider convinced him to hone in on his true passion: teaching. Kruger was inspired to apply for a summer workshop at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo., and received a scholarship to attend. Schneider also returned to “the Ranch,” where he had worked for a decade before joining NMU’s faculty, to teach two summer workshops.

Heidi Kattula ('98 MA), the new superintendent of East Grand Rapids Public Schools, is featured in a School News Network article. She has 26 years of experience in public education. She also serves as the treasurer of International Baccalaureate Schools of Michigan, which focus on educating from a global perspective. East Grand Rapids is exploring the designation and Kattula was a principal in Bloomfield Hills when it became the first IB district in the state.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Robert Torrence ('15 MS) will return to campus to give a presentation titled "Residual and acute effects of cannabis on emotional processing in anxiety disorders." His talk is scheduled from 4-5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in Jamrich 1100. It is open to the public. 

“Reach or throw; don’t go.” NMU alumna and former Wildcat swimmer Shawn Robinson-Sobczak (’98 BS) routinely recites that phrase when she leads swim lessons or serves as a lifeguard instructor. When someone is in distress and it’s not possible to extend a hand to pull the swimmer to safety or throw something that floats, bystanders should not risk their own lives by entering the water. But Robinson-Sobczak has also been a certified lifeguard for 34 years.