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Liberty Turner from Harrison Township has been selected as the student commencement speaker for the Dec. 15 graduation ceremony at Northern Michigan University. She will share her own story of transitioning through college and overcoming challenges to demonstrate how perseverance can lead to professional success.

“Due to my academic standing when I arrived at Northern, I really needed a school that wanted me to succeed just as must as I wanted to,” Turner said. “That’s why I went to Northern, but I fell in love with campus when I became engaged with the supportive community.”

NMU President Fritz Erickson summarized the Campus Master Plan at Wednesday’s meeting of the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Advisory Committee. Key elements, all of which are contingent on external funding, include strengthening the academic core and creating an expanded arts corridor with a new university-community performance venue and parking ramp.

Ford Motor Company has donated a 2013 Ford Focus to Northern Michigan University’s automotive technology program. Assistant Professor Randy Klitzke said the car introduces students to a dual-clutch transmission, which is discussed in class, but was previously unavailable to demonstrate in the shop. The feature combines elements of both manual and automatic transmissions, with two clutches—one controlling odd gears and the other even—but no clutch pedal or stick shift.

Nine Northern Michigan University faculty members were honored at the Dec. 6 Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship celebration. Award recipients were: Gary Brunswick and Jon Sherman, Excellence in Teaching; Marek Haltof and James Strain, Excellence in Scholarship; David Donovan and Jessica Thompson, Excellence in Leadership; Shirley Brozzo, Excellence in Part-time Faculty Teaching; Stacy Boyer-Davis, Excellence in Online Teaching; and Mounia Ziat, Technology Innovation.

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.

Megan O’Connor of Midland will be the graduating senior commencement soloist at Northern Michigan University’s commencement on Saturday, Dec. 15. The communications major and music minor will lead the singing of the university’s alma mater, “Hail Northern,” and the national anthem. O’Connor played a major role in planning and executing the NMU Veterans Day choir concert, which raised $1,200 for the Jacobetti Home for Veterans. Those efforts recently earned her a "Director's Coin" for excellence from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. 

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.

Northern held its second NMU Day of Giving Nov. 27, in conjunction with the global charitable event, Giving Tuesday. Focus areas receiving significant support included the Northern Fund, the Flexible Aid Fund, student scholarships and the NMU Food Pantry. The university collected 2112 non-perishable food items and personal hygiene products for the pantry, surpassing its goal of 2,000 and doubling last year's total. The pantry also received more than $2,500 in cash gifts.

The NMU Superior Dome is one of the "25 must-see buildings in Michigan" featured in a USA Today pictorial and compiled by members of the American Institute of Architects Michigan. "From automobiles to furniture design, Michigan has an impressive building stock that spans from the late 19th century to the current day," stated the introduction to the pictorial.