Alumni

Tessman to Attend Alumni Events in Three U.S. Cities

Feb. 20, 2025
Northern Michigan University alumni and friends are invited to join President Brock Tessman for three upcoming NMU Alumni Night events: Wednesday, March 12, in Lansing; Monday, March 24, in Fort Myers, Fla.; and Wednesday, April 2, in downtown Chicago. All events are free to attend and will include campus updates from Tessman, complimentary food and beverages, and an opportunity to connect with fellow alumni.
Alumni events graphic featuring NMU President Brock Tessman

Izzo Breaks Big Ten Record for Most Wins

Feb. 17, 2025
Northern Michigan University 1977 alumnus and former Wildcat basketball player/assistant coach Tom Izzo became the winningest head coach in Big Ten Conference history Saturday night, when his Michigan State Spartans came from behind to beat Illinois 79-65. Izzo's 354th conference win surpassed former Indiana coach Bob Knight's record, which had stood for almost 25 years.
Tom Izzo motions to fans after his record-setting win

Alumni Worked on Oscar-Nominated Films

Feb. 13, 2025
Northern Michigan University alumni played important roles in two of the 2025 Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature Film. Three were involved in Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," the highest-grossing animated film in history: Kelsey Mann ('98), director; Dan Scanlon ('87), executive producer; and Neil Helm ('05), lead supervising crowds animator. Northern graduate Joshua Brock ('09) served as modeling lead for "The Wild Robot," DreamWorks Animation's nominee in the same category. The Oscars will be presented Sunday, March 2.
Kelsey Mann, who made his feature film directorial debut on nominee "Inside Out 2"

Grad Makes U.S. Team for Nordic World Championships

Feb. 12, 2025
Northern Michigan University 2020 economics alumnus and former Wildcat skier Zak Ketterson is one of eight members of the men's team that will represent the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team at the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway from Feb. 27-March 9. Athletes from more than 60 countries will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals across six events: four individual races—20k skiathlon, 10k classic, 50k skate and a skate sprint; and two team events—the the team sprint and 4x7.5k relay.
Zak Ketterson (U.S. Ski and Snowboard photo)

'Northern Now' Focuses on 125th Anniversary

Feb. 10, 2025
Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations invites alumni and friends to virtually join President Brock Tessman for a special 125th-anniversary edition of the Northern Now digital event series. He will explore NMU's rich history alongside esteemed guests with deep ties to the university at 7 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 18. It will be an opportunity for alumni to reflect on their time at NMU, reconnect with fellow Wildcats, and celebrate the legacy of their alma mater. 
Northern Now graphic for "Tessman Talks NMU History."

Saleh Returns to 49ers

Jan. 30, 2025
Former Wildcat football player and Northern Michigan University alumnus Robert Saleh has returned to the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator. Saleh had previously worked with the 49ers from 2017-2020, then served as head coach of the New York Jets for three seasons. The Dearborn native attended Northern Michigan University, where he started at tight end for four years and earned all-conference honors before graduating with a bachelor's degree in financial management in 2001. 
Robert Saleh

Former Wildcat Shine Signed by Red Wings

Jan. 28, 2025
Former Wildcat hockey player Dominik Shine has signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. The forward played for NMU from 2013-2017 and signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins as an undrafted free agent soon after. He compiled 170 points (72-98-170) and 513 penalty minutes in 462 AHL games with the Griffins, and ranked among the team leaders in scoring, assists and other categories in 40 games this season.  
Red Wings Announcement on Dominik Shine's contract

Berrys Are Leaders in Lifetime Giving to NMU

Jan. 27, 2025
Northern Michigan University alumnus John Berry Jr. has continued the philanthropic legacy passed down by his grandfather and father, whose entrepreneurial success heading the largest Yellow Pages advertising agency in the United States inspired them to give back to future generations in ways that reflected their core values, including education. John and Shirley Berry have become the leaders in lifetime giving to NMU, surpassing $10 million. Their most recent gifts of $3.5 million include $2 million to endow in perpetuity the College of Business Deanship in their names, and $1 million as an expendable fund to support the Northern Enterprise Center, the future home of the College of Business.
John and Shirley Berry (left) with Kristin and Brock Tessman, NMU's president, in the Northern Center

Alumna's 'To Be Marquette' Novel Published

Jan. 27, 2025
Northern Michigan University factors prominently in the third novel by 1981 English and French alumna Sharon Dilworth. "To Be Marquette" weaves in some factual elements from her time as a student—namely the controversial government-funded Project ELF and associated protests about its potential adverse effects on the environment. It also references familiar community landmarks and pays homage to the area's natural beauty. Dilworth said her growing concerns about climate change made her reflect on her NMU experience and reminisce with fellow alumni in recent years, which inspired her to write the book.
"To Be Marquette" book cover and author Sharon Dilworth (photo by George Lane)