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Northern Michigan University 2015 BSN alumna and former Wildcat swimmer Jordan Iverson is likely to become the first Alaskan to complete the triple crown of open-water swimming. She crossed the English Channel on Tuesday—a swim that is still being certified—and previously completed the other two jewels in the crown: the 20 Bridges Swim in Manhattan; and the Catalina Channel in California.

Liz Wuorinen will serve as interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professional Studies, effective July 1. Her term will be one year, or until a permanent solution to the college's leadership has been determined. She has served as associate dean in the College of Health Sciences and Professional Studies and director of the School of Health and Human Performance for the past eight years. Her director role will continue during her time as interim dean.

NMU English Professor Russell Thorburn recently wrapped up an eventful academic year. He published his latest poetry book, “Let It Be Told in a Single Breath,” and used NMU's Studio 102 online media production space to experiment with a video podcast idea titled “Poetic Conversations with NMU Students.” He recorded two segments: one with Alessandro Scialanga from Sutri, Italy, who is also a member of the Wildcat soccer team; and one with Jennifer Figler, a nontraditional student and mother.

Northern Michigan University's Board of Trustees has approved 2024-25 tuition and fee rates that support strategic goals of removing barriers to student access, investing in faculty/staff and infrastructure, and maintaining the university's financial strength and sustainability. The cost of attending NMU also will remain competitive, continuing as second-most affordable among the state's 15 public institutions.

Not long before a distant relative was among four students killed in the 2021 Oxford High shooting, Northern Michigan University alumnus John Hebert had co-founded a new business that provides full-time, onsite K9 teams certified for firearm and explosives detection to schools and other public entities. The irony of the timing is not lost on Hebert, but he said his personal connection to the tragedy only fueled his drive to offer additional measures to enhance safety for students, teachers and staff.

A multi-function seat belt buckle intended for space travel, developed by Northern Michigan University alumnus Curt Tucker and co-inventor Jacob Avery, is being reviewed by NASA Johnson Space Center engineers. This is just one of the innovative products Tucker has developed. Applications range from motorsports and military safety to medical mobility devices such as a wheelchair and docking system, next-generation crutches and a state-of-the-art physical therapy and nursing sling.

In an effort to increase the state's behavioral health workforce, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHSS) is providing 12 universities, including Northern, with $5 million in funding to support one-time $30,000 stipends for students seeking a master's degree in social work. Eligible students must already hold a bachelor's in the field and commit to two years of public sector behavioral health work in Michigan upon graduation.

The Second City 65th Anniversary Tour will make a stop at Northern Michigan University for two improv comedy shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27, and Friday, June 28. The opening night performance will be followed by a party in the Forest Roberts Theatre lobby.

Northern Michigan University will host Fresh Voices from the U.P., a new summer camp for all ages in which participants will adventure along the trails and Lake Superior shoreline and engage in workshops for all skill levels that promote storytelling through writing and music. They will also learn about the Upper Peninsula, the ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy. Fresh Voices from the U.P. will be held Monday, July 15 through Thursday, July 18, leading up to the 44th annual Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival in Marquette.

Northern Michigan University Associate Professor of Accounting Stacy Boyer-Davis passed all parts of the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination on her first attempt and will now apply for her Michigan CPA license.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations will host Alumni Fridays in Marquette County this summer. The NMU community is invited to join at various locations to connect, socialize and network with fellow Wildcats during Happy Hour. Additionally, alumni are invited to go back in time with a historical walking tour or discover campus with a virtual scavenger hunt.

Don Waddell, former Wildcat hockey defenseman and NMU Sports Hall of Fame inductee, is the new president of hockey operations and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The longtime NHL executive agreed to a multi-year contract to help turn around the franchise days after stepping down as president and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, which registered at least one win in the Stanley Cup playoffs in six straight postseasons.

Northern Michigan University's Glenn T. Seaborg Center is partnering with the Michigan Council of Women in Technology to offer Camp Infinity, a series of week-long, hands-on sessions that introduce Marquette County girls entering grades 5-8 to computer and internet technologies. The camp will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 at NMU. 

Northern Michigan University 2017 alumnus Benjamin Bartz of Wakefield has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to serve on the state's Ski Area Safety Board. He is chief of mountain operations at Midwest Family Ski Resorts, which owns the rebranded Snowriver Mountain Resort that includes the areas formerly called Indianhead and Blackjack.

Northern Michigan University 1998 BFA alumnus Kelsey Mann is directing his first feature film, Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2, which premieres in theaters June 14. The sequel to the Academy Award-winning best animated feature returns to the mind of the original human character, Riley. She is going through puberty and encountering new emotions on top of the originals introduced in the first film. Actors Amy Poehler, Lewis Black and Maya Hawke are among those whose voices are featured in the film.

It was about this time one year ago that Yan Ciupak, associate professor of sociology at NMU, visited India for almost five weeks. She studied and experienced the yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh, and also collected data for her research project on the Buddhist Nun Empowerment movement.

Northern Michigan University 1995 alumnus and NMU Sports Hall of Fame inductee Jim Hiller has been named head coach of the NHL's LA Kings—the team that originally drafted him. He had been elevated to interim head coach on Feb. 2, 2024, after serving as an assistant coach over the past two seasons.

The 2024 IncredibleBank Hope Starts Here Challenge, composed of a variety of running and walking events to raise funds and awareness for the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC), will be held on Saturday, June 15.The UMBTC is a collaborative effort between UP Health System, Northern Michigan University and the Superior Health Foundation. Registration ends at 11:59 p.m. June 14.

Diane White Husic, a 1981 biochemistry graduate and vice president of the NMU Alumni Advisory Board, has been appointed the inaugural leader of the new Center for the Environment at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. She will assume her new post in July.