Alumni

Northern Michigan University alumnus Kyle Bladow ('07 BA, '09 MA) will present "Environmental Justice in Louise Erdrich's Speculative Fiction" as the inaugural speaker for the Department of English's new Visiting Scholar Series. His talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, in room Peninsula I of the Northern Center. It is open to the public.

Northern Michigan University's 2021 Homecoming will feature a full slate of activities for alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members Oct. 1-3. NMU is offering a schedule of ways for Wildcats—both near and far—to get involved and share their green and gold pride. This year's celebration is sponsored by Innovate Marquette SmartZone's Make it Marquette campaign. 

Five Northern Michigan University alumni, faculty and staff were among 11 recipients of the 24th annual City of Marquette Art Awards, presented Sunday, Sept. 12. The red-carpet affair honored outstanding individuals who have made an impact on arts and culture in Marquette. 

Lt. Col. Kip Taylor, a 1985 NMU alumnus with Marquette ties, was killed on 9/11 when a plane flew into the Pentagon. The 38-year-old aide to the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel was among 125 who died inside the building. A plaque memorializing Taylor was dedicated and positioned on Veteran's Rock on NMU's campus in 2009. He had entered the university on basketball and ROTC scholarships, and was commissioned into the Adjutant General Corps by his father, who ran the military science program.

NMU alumnus Josh Scutt ('94 BS) has been promoted to senior vice president of sales with Paylocity Holding Corp., a leading provider of cloud-based HR and payroll software solutions. He was previously featured as a "Top 100 Global Sales Leader of 2020" by The Modern Sale.

Evelyn Massaro received a wonderful parting gift shortly before retiring July 1 as station manager at WNMU-FM at Northern Michigan University. She was selected as the 2021 Public Media Impact Professional Award recipient by the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters. The prestigious award recognizes an MAPB radio or television professional who provides “lengthy and exceptional service.”

Two-time Olympian and NMU alumnus Spenser Mango ('10 BS) is now a staff sergeant and coach with the Army's World Class Athlete Program. He will join two WCAP Greco-Roman wrestlers in Tokyo, including Alejandro Sancho, who trained at what is now NMU's National Training Site (NTS) from 2012-17. Other Olympians with NTS ties include women's freestyle wrestlers Adeline Gray and 2016 gold medalist Helen Maroulis, along with 2016 bronze medal-winning weightlifter and former NMU student Sarah Robles.

Former Wildcat swimmer and NMU alumnus Arnoldo Herrera departed Sunday for Tokyo, where he will represent his home country of Costa Rica in the Olympics. The December 2019 electrical engineering graduate will compete in the 200-meter breaststroke.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association has announced the four recipients of 2021 Alumni Awards who will be honored during Homecoming this fall. They are: Mary Jo Mulligan-Kehoe, Ph.D. ('68 BS) of Huntington Beach, Calif., Distinguished Alumni; Susan Meier ('87 BS) of Riverdale, Mich., Alumni Achievement; T.J. Weber, ('11 BS) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Outstanding Young Alumni; and Lina Blair ('05 BS, '08 MS) of Grand Rapids, Mich., Alumni Service.

When Melaina Mrozek Stypulkowska ('16 BA) was an NMU freshman, she and her mother made a pact to bike the scenic route from their home state of Minnesota to Marquette. They planned to tackle it her senior year, but the dream was deferred by injury and a study-abroad program that led to an extended stay overseas. The women finally achieved their goal at the height of a heat wave in June, traveling 411 miles over seven eventful days.