Feature/Profiles

Jim Thorburn of Livonia, Mich., a decorated police officer whose law enforcement career spanned nearly 30 years, accepted Northern Michigan University's Alumni Achievement Award during a 125th anniversary Homecoming celebration. He was a two-time Police Officer of the Year, and retired in 2022 as a detective and public information officer for the Allen Park Police Department. It was in the latter role that he helped to bridge the divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

After retiring as a university administrator, Northern Michigan University alumnus and former Wildcat football player Jim Mansfield found fulfillment in his longtime volunteer role as a blood courier in Spokane, Wash. He was honored last year with a President's Lifetime Achievement Award, signed by Joe Biden, for his “7,304 hours of service to this nation.” He also received every award bestowed by his local blood center for his efforts. 

Northern Michigan University Professor Kel Sassi is among the 2024 recipients of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Leadership Awards. She received the Julia E. Berry Research Award for a project titled “Versatility and Resilience in English Alumni from a Rural-Serving Institution.”

“It was a pretty nontraditional pathway that led me to Northern Michigan University,” said Matthew Jennings, assistant professor in the School of Clinical Sciences. One week before graduating with a bachelor's degree in biology, he made a spontaneous decision to start his career overseas based on an unexpected series of events. 

In the highly competitive arena of college athletics, some programs have ventured beyond traditional training methods to explore the value of unconventional approaches that have the potential to optimize physical and mental performance. The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team received an assist over Labor Day weekend from 2010 alumnus and Peak-Performance Coach Tim Mann. He credits his recovery from a severe auto accident to the Wim Hof Method, which revolves around three pillars: specialized breathing techniques; cold therapy; and commitment.

Todd “Stix” Honch, who passed away suddenly in early 2019, was a skilled drummer who played in all Northern Michigan University bands and an enthusiastic supporter of Wildcat sports teams. His dedication is symbolized by three items still on display in his basement bedroom at his parents' house: a set of gold drumsticks; a “golden ticket” for free lifetime admission to athletic events—sadly, he only used it for one year; and the inaugural Wildcat Fan of the Year Award he received with friend Lindsay Griffith, which now bears their names. 

It was about this time one year ago that Yan Ciupak, associate professor of sociology at NMU, visited India for almost five weeks. She studied and experienced the yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh, and also collected data for her research project on the Buddhist Nun Empowerment movement.

NMU's new Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Shawnrece Campbell, has hit the ground running since her official start date in January. In both her update at Wednesday's university forum and the opening remarks she delivered at Thursday's UNITED Conference, she highlighted new initiatives and future directions based on campus conversations she has had early in her tenure.

Hyeonji Noh, an international student from Seoul, South Korea, came to Northern Michigan University to study English and multimedia production, with the eventual goal of returning to her home country to teach English as a foreign language. Jumpstarting her career with online content, Noh uses her social media presence to create a community of English as a Second Language learners whose native tongue is Korean. She has amassed more than 30,000 Instagram followers with her videos and educational language content.

Elise Bur, director of Northern Michigan University's Center for Rural Health, has been elected to the Superior Health Foundation's board of directors. She brings to the role a a vast background in health care and issues related to improving health in the Upper Peninsula.