Artist Julian Gaines (BA 2015), who works under the moniker Juwop, has partnered with Nike Chicago to give the city's youth new creative platforms. He has established a reputation for juxtaposing art and athletics, particularly through customized sneakers. The new “Working on Projects” collaboration with Nike is a conceptual initiative that tells Gaines' story through new products and community events for the next generation of Chicago creatives. His Game-Worn Collection, released July 21, features two ’80s silhouettes: the 1982 Nike Sky Force and 1985 Nike Air Vortex. Read a Nike story on the effort here.

Mikenzie Frost (BA 2015) is the new Lansing bureau reporter for WBPN-TV in Traverse City. She joined the news team in July and covers "all things politics and public policy" in the state capital. Frost grew up in metro Detroit. She studied multimedia journalism at NMU, then became a reporter and later evening anchor for KTVH in Helena, Mont. A 30-minute special she wrote, shot and produced about the charms and challenges of rural education in Montana won "Best NonCommercial Program of the Year" in 2018 from the Montana Broadcasters Association. She also won a 2017 second-place award for "Best Newswriting" for a piece on a 30-year cold case.

Frank Pergande ('96 '02) is the new the TRIO Upward Bound academic coordinator at Finlandia University. He earned his bachelor of arts in English and his master of arts in creative writing from NMU. Pergande previously taught English at NMU, Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea and the Marquette Prison through Jackson College. 

Traci Dietz, a Northern Michigan University student-veteran from Negaunee, won second place in the photography category of the 2018 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. The senior photography major entered a local competition through the Iron Mountain VA Medical Center. Her first-place finish qualified her for the national judging process. Dietz’s winning submission is an image titled “broken.”