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Northern Michigan University student Esther Byington received a belated lifesaving medal earlier this semester for her role in rescuing two women in distress after riding a personal watercraft in rough waters during high winds. The incident happened last summer, as Byington was working her second season with the Muskegon County Marine Services Crew.

While he was an undergraduate student at Northern Michigan University, Tom Isaacson (‘96 BS) began to consider the idea of becoming a professor. After initially working for five years in the public relations field, including with the Chicago White Sox, he earned a master's and doctorate. Isaacson “hit a home run” by joining the Northern faculty in 2012, making his dream a reality. He is an associate professor of public relations in NMU's College of Business. 

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees awarded a posthumous associate of arts degree in general university studies to the parents of Carson Needham, a student from Traverse City who was tragically killed in a February head-on car crash with a wrong-way driver while returning to campus from downstate.

Northern Michigan University has announced the poster presentation winners from its Celebration of Student Scholarship held April 20. Categories included undergraduate lower division, undergraduate upper division, graduate projects, group projects and the people's choice award. 

Northern Michigan University academic departments have announced their outstanding graduating seniors and graduate students. Most will receive their degrees at NMU's spring commencement on Saturday, May 6, in the Superior Dome.

Northern Michigan University is committed to embedding wellbeing into the culture at Northern, and to do that to the fullest extent, they announced today in a press conference that they have adopt the Okanagan Charter, an international charter for health promoting colleges and universities. The Charter is designed to be a public commitment and accountability measure for taking transformative action under a principled framework, urging institutions to step up, take action on their societal responsibility and lead by example.

Northern Michigan University senior Alexandra Johnson might be described as a serial commencement speaker. She earned the honor in 8th and 12th grades in her hometown of Antioch, Ill. For her high school graduation, which shifted online because of the pandemic, Johnson had to record the speech in her basement—dressed in cap and gown—for a YouTube video. She recently auditioned successfully for what she considers a “do-over,” as student speaker for NMU's May 6 ceremony.

Former Northern Michigan University Trustee James K. Haveman of Grand Rapids will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary doctorate in public health at NMU's commencement, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, in the Superior Dome.

Mary Lincoln Campbell of Ann Arbor will be awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Northern Michigan University, which she served as a member of the NMU Board of Trustees from 1997-2004. She retired in 2017 from a nearly three-decade career as managing director and co-founder of EDF Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage health care and technology companies. Lincoln Campbell will be honored at NMU's May 6 commencement.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees will recognize five recipients of its annual Student Achievement Awards for their contributions to the quality of life at NMU. Read brief summaries of the recipients below, with links to their extended feature stories. 

Amanda “Mandy” Bonesteel first enrolled at Northern Michigan University following her 1999 high school graduation, but paused her education to marry, raise a family and hold various jobs. Two decades later, while working as a wildland firefighter, she decided to return to campus to complete a degree. Her persistence paid off. Bonesteel earned a bachelor's in sociology in December and will receive the Outstanding Nontraditional Student award from the NMU Board of Trustees before May commencement. She is now a graduate student in Northern's MPA program.

Bailey Gomes of Swartz Creek, Mich., will receive an Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees. Gomes graduates May 6 with a bachelor's degree in forensic biochemistry and a minor in human biology. She has been a member of NMU's Honors Program and served as editor-in-chief of the honor student journal, Conspectus Borealis.

Northern Michigan University student Kayla Stevens of Howard City, Mich., has been selected as the Outstanding Student of Any Class Standing for her significant contributions to the NMU community as part of the Board of Trustees' student achievement awards program. 

Catherine Peterson of Bloomington, Ind., has received an Outstanding Global Campus Student Award from the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees. She is an online graduate student who will earn a master's degree in educational administration/supervision at NMU's May 6 commencement.

Northern Michigan University senior Olivia Dunn has defied her self-described anxious and introverted nature by actively seeking out leadership opportunities and new experiences, including a year of study in Germany. From the moment the West Bloomfield native stepped foot on campus as a freshman, Dunn adopted an “embrace uncertainty” mantra to guide her decision-making.

For the first time, Northern Michigan Theatre & Dance offered live captioning for audience members during the April 15 production of "Grease." Those who attended the show received a link to a webpage they could access from any mobile device—phone, tablet or laptop—to see real-time captioning of the musical. 

SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University and Innovate Marquette are co-hosting the inaugural Innovation Week from Monday, May 8 to Wednesday, May 10. NMU faculty and support staff in related roles will have their $175 entry fees covered. Those unsure about whether they qualify are encouraged to check with their deans. The complimentary registration is good at nmu.edu/tickets through Tuesday, April 25.

The Northern Michigan University Orchestra will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Pieces featured in the concert are “Thunder and Lightning Polka” by Johann Strauss, “The Winds of Poseidon” by Robert Smith, Bedrich Smetana's “Moldau River from Ma Vlast” and Arturo Marquez's “Danzon No. 2.”