Alumni

Northern Michigan University Alumni Mark Mattson ('97 BS, '02 MAE) and Christian Wilson ('92 BS) were named recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association's (MHSAA) Allen W. Bush Award for 2020.

Communications professional Ron Beacom ('82 BA) is the new managing editor for Catalyst Midland, an online media/news company that shares stories of people and their businesses or organizations making positive changes across the region.

NMU alumnus Brom Stibitz ('05 MPA) was recently appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as director of the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB), after serving as acting director since March. He is also the state's chief information officer, managing all aspects of cybersecurity and information technology across state government.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association is launching Northern Now, a monthly digital event series for alumni and friends. The series kicks off at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 14, with exclusive interviews featuring Heidi Voigt, head coach of NMU's swimming and diving program, and Grant Potulny, head coach of the NMU Wildcat hockey team.

Under Greg Toutant's leadership as CEO, Great Lakes Recovery Centers (GLRC) has expanded its scope and reach. In addition to its longtime role in addressing substance abuse, GLRC now provides a wide range of behavioral health treatment and prevention services throughout the Upper Peninsula. Toutant's role in that effort, combined with his active community involvement, have earned him Northern Michigan University's 2020 Alumni Service Award.

Per Utnegaard left his hometown of Oslo, Norway, to attend Northern Michigan University on a Nordic skiing scholarship. His willingness to venture beyond his comfort zone at a young age stoked his fascination with other countries and cultures, and served as a springboard to his successful career as a global transport and logistics executive. It also inspires his solicited advice for current students as a recipient of NMU's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Many college students change academic majors when they realize their first choice is not a good fit. Iron Mountain native Amanda Rosenburg took a handful of electives at Northern Michigan University to explore her Plan B options. It was a child development class offered by the psychology department that ignited her passion. Now Rosenburg works with Google to pioneer new ways to educate children in the digital age, which is especially timely and relevant in the context of COVID-19. The 2007 graduate is NMU's 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient.

As a biochemist working to develop new molecular methods for synthesizing treatments for drug-resistant cancers, Anita Mattson is combining the skill sets she developed at Northern Michigan University and in graduate school. Like her NMU professors, the Marquette native is also committed to involving undergraduate students in research. She leads the Mattson Group laboratory at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is the recipient of NMU's 2020 Alumni Achievement Award.

Two NMU alumni athletes have signed new professional contracts to advance their playing careers. Former Wildcat point guard Naba Echols (BA '19) will showcase his basketball talents in Croatia, playing for Košarkaški Klub Alkar (also known as KK Alkar). Veteran hockey forward and Marquette native Justin Florek (BS '14) has signed with the South Carolina Stingrays, the minor league affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears.  

The North Country Trail Association (NCTA) recently honored two women with Northern Michigan University connections during its annual awards ceremony, held virtually this year because of COVID-19. May graduate Lynnae Branham received the 2020 Rising Star Award and Professor Emeritus Lorana Jinkerson received the Thomas L. Gilbert Lifetime Achievement Award.