Alumni

NMU Senior Tim Kruger has long been interested in woodworking, particularly furniture design. But “an epiphany” during a woodturning class led by Professor Jason Schneider convinced him to hone in on his true passion: teaching. Kruger was inspired to apply for a summer workshop at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo., and received a scholarship to attend. Schneider also returned to “the Ranch,” where he had worked for a decade before joining NMU’s faculty, to teach two summer workshops.

Heidi Kattula ('98 MA), the new superintendent of East Grand Rapids Public Schools, is featured in a School News Network article. She has 26 years of experience in public education. She also serves as the treasurer of International Baccalaureate Schools of Michigan, which focus on educating from a global perspective. East Grand Rapids is exploring the designation and Kattula was a principal in Bloomfield Hills when it became the first IB district in the state.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Robert Torrence ('15 MS) will return to campus to give a presentation titled "Residual and acute effects of cannabis on emotional processing in anxiety disorders." His talk is scheduled from 4-5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in Jamrich 1100. It is open to the public. 

“Reach or throw; don’t go.” NMU alumna and former Wildcat swimmer Shawn Robinson-Sobczak (’98 BS) routinely recites that phrase when she leads swim lessons or serves as a lifeguard instructor. When someone is in distress and it’s not possible to extend a hand to pull the swimmer to safety or throw something that floats, bystanders should not risk their own lives by entering the water. But Robinson-Sobczak has also been a certified lifeguard for 34 years.

Two NMU students and two alumni successfully completed their quest to circumnavigate Lake Superior by kayak to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and funding for nonprofits that protect the Great Lakes. They departed in May and paddled the final leg of their 1,500-mile journey into Presque Isle beach Aug. 30.