Alumni

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently appointed two NMU alumni to posts in her administration. Mark Burton (’99 BS) is her chief strategist. Capt. Joe Gasper (‘97 BA) is the new director of the Michigan State Police.

NMU alumna and State Rep. Sara Cambensy ('02 BS '09 CER '11 MPA) was named assistant House Democratic floor leader for the 2019-2020 legislative term. Cambensy is serving her second term representing the 109th House District and previously served on the agriculture, local government and natural resources committees.

A team of biologists, including NMU alumnus Tom Gable ('16 MS) and master's student Austin Homkes, has documented a pack of wolves in Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park that hunts fish as a seasonal food source. They even captured some night-vision video of the activity (link provided below). This discovery, along with earlier studies through the Voyageurs Wolf Project, suggests the animals' diets are more varied than previously thought.

While some college students seek the fastest track to graduation, Kerry Hytinen of Ishpeming opted for the slow, deliberate route. She earned a bachelor’s degree in writing from Northern 20 years ago and soon re-enrolled to begin work on a master’s. After detours and delays—some intentional and others not—Hytinen will receive her degree on Saturday. She said it was rewarding to complete her requirements the same semester that her daughter first enrolled at Northern, but this is not the end of Hytinen’s education.

NMU alumnus Frederick “Fritz” Nelson (BS ’73) is coauthor of a paper published by Nature Communications that suggests permafrost thaw due to global warming may damage critical infrastructure by 2050, even if the Paris Agreement targets are met. This could pose a serious threat to the utilization of natural resources and the sustainable development of Arctic communities.

NMU alumna Skye Patrick ('96 BFA) was interviewed on "CBS This Morning" about an innovative program at the L.A. County Library, where she serves as director. Patrons who are 21 and under are allowed to read away their late fees at the rate of $5 per hour. Patrick received the NMU Alumni Achievement Award during Homecoming. Watch her interview here.

While college is designed to prepare students for their chosen career fields, there can be uncertainty about the job market that awaits them after graduation. But some Northern Michigan University seniors, like Savannah Wheeler from Midland, already have jobs lined up before they walk across the commencement stage.

NMU alumnus David Meinert (’82 BS, ’84 MBA) will become the new dean and David D. Glass Distinguished Leadership Chair of Missouri State University’s College of Business on Jan. 1. He has been interim dean for the past year, according to a press release. Meinert previously served as associate dean of the college and director of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Executive Master of Health Administration programs. He started working at Missouri State as a computer information systems assistant professor.

NMU alumnus Tim Smith ('03 BS), general manager of Waterville Valley Ski Resort in New Hampshire, was featured in a GoNOMAD story on the energy savings two ski areas in the state have realized via new gear. Waterville Valley has new snow guns that make better quality snow with a 90 percent reduction in electric costs. Smith also implemented Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a state-of-the-art lift access system that knows electronically if skiers belong there and makes dangling ski passes on wires obsolete. He has started a new business to install RFID systems at other ski areas.

NMU alumnus Jerry Glanville ('64 BS), who played linebacker for the Wildcats and was head coach of two NFL teams, just wrapped up his first season as defensive coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He served as a guest coach of the team in 2017. The Ticats finished the season Nov. 18, with a loss to the Ottawa Redblacks in the East Division final.