Alumni

The partnership between Northern Michigan University and alumni-owned Blackrocks Brewery began last year with the launch of a new beer, Wildcat Gold, to celebrate NMU's 125th anniversary. It has since morphed into much more, supporting student access to the area's world-class recreational trails. Blackrocks has contributed $7,500 from the sales of Wildcat Gold to NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center for the purchase of mountain bikes and Nordic ski equipment made available to students for free.

Providing a coordinated response to child abuse that involves professionals from diverse fields has the potential to improve outcomes for children and advance justice. This multidisciplinary team model is implemented through child advocacy centers, and has been widely adopted to facilitate such collaboration.

A Northern Michigan University master's student in athletic training and a graduate of the program recently connected in the Dominican Republic, where both are applying their skills on behalf of different Major League Baseball franchises. Dillon Makela is completing a summer internship with the Chicago Cubs Academy before his final academic year, and 2005 alumnus Alex Mena is working full time with the Pittsburgh Pirates Academy next door. 

Dieter Kochan, a former Wildcat hockey goalie (1993-1997) who went on to play in the NHL, is the handler of a new K9 named Roy at the Michigan State Police Calumet Post. Kochan joined the MSP in 2008. 

Northern Michigan University alumna Mollie Trewartha has been appointed the new principal of Hancock Middle and High Schools, effective July 21. She earned two degrees in educational administration/supervision from NMU: a master's in 2006 and an education specialist in 2012.

Alexa Christensen, a Marquette native who holds two degrees from Northern, has returned to her alma mater to serve as the new director of Dining Services. She previously worked as the dietary manager at Houghton County Medical Care Facility. Christensen arrived on campus in early June and hit the ground running to help ensure that students and families in town for orientation had a positive experience sampling food from NMU Dining locations.

Satellites orbiting Earth facilitate every GPS ping, global communication, weather prediction and live stream. But when they drift off course or end their missions, there has been no way to safely move, repair or retire them until now. Kall Morris Inc. (KMI), an alumni-owned company based in Marquette, recently completed the first commercial demonstrations of its REACCH robotic system, which features mechanical tentacles that can safely grab and move objects in space, aboard the International Space Station.

Two Northern Michigan University alumni were selected as recipients of 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards from Bay College in Escanaba for exemplifying a deep commitment to student success and professional excellence. Tammra Houseman, who earned her NMU bachelor's degree in elementary education with a special education endorsement in 1994, was honored with the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award. Cassie Callahan, a 2019 BSN grad, was one of two recipients of the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.  

Tucker McLain, a first-generation student who earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing in May, has become only the fifth person in Northern Michigan University history to receive a Fulbright, the flagship award program for international academic exchange opportunities. He is also the first from NMU whose grant will support research abroad. He will depart for Estonia in September for a nine-month exploration of the country's literary landscape.