Two Northern Michigan University students and two alumni joined President Brock Tessman in testifying on behalf of NMU before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community Colleges in Lansing April 23. Those sharing the impact of their academic journeys were: Emma Gariepy, a senior forensic biochemistry major from Mattawan, Mich.; Ben Klossner, a junior mechanical engineering technology major from Iron Mountain; Troy Morris, a 2016 psychology/behavior analysis graduate and co-founder/CEO of the aerospace and space logistics company Kall Morris Inc. of Marquette; and Lexi Hagan, a 2024 business management graduate and new executive director of the Menominee Business Development Corporation.
Gariepy said the wide range of experiences her interdisciplinary forensic biochemistry major provided has thoroughly prepared her to enter the workforce with confidence after she graduates May 3. She served on one of only two university-level cold case teams in Michigan, including a second time as a teaching assistant; completed two independent research projects under the direct mentorship of faculty; and assisted in a training exercise for the national Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT), which used human donors from NMU's Center for Forensic Science as mock disaster victims.
The opportunity Gariepy particularly wanted to highlight during her address was her internship with the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Marquette.
“I had the opportunity to observe casework across each of the laboratory's forensic disciplines,” she said. “I learned how to develop latent fingerprints from a variety of surfaces, gained hands-on understanding of techniques used to detect bodily fluids on different materials, and acquired foundational knowledge in the identification and analysis of controlled substances. This partnership with the Michigan State Police not only deepened my technical skills, but also allowed me to build meaningful professional connections within the field of forensic science. These experiences have affirmed my desire to pursue a career as a forensic scientist with the Michigan State Police.”
Klossner never considered going to college after graduating from Kingsford High School, so he immediately joined the workforce. After a short time in the “real world,” he realized post-secondary training would be beneficial. He joined his brother at NMU and settled on the mechanical engineering technology program.
“I've always liked to take things apart and put them back together,” said Klossner, who now can't imagine not pursuing his bachelor's degree.”
Ben completed an internship with the Marquette Board of Light and Power. After graduation next year, he would like to enter the renewable energy or oil and gas fields. And if possible, he would like to stay in the region.
Morris told the subcommittee that KMI, which is currently demonstrating hardware on the International Space Station, has brought in more than $6 million in government contracts and investment, with 13 high-skilled employees in Michigan as it has grown to 20 employees nationwide since 2019.
“NMU has been an integral element of our success, from our own education as students, the production of crucial talent for novel space activities in the challenging startup environment, fostering support among the larger Marquette, U.P., and entire Michigan community, and cheering our successes,” Morris said.
“As KMI continues to build space solutions for commercial space customers, scientific endeavors, and critical national security needs, we are driven to do so from Marquette, Michigan for two simple reasons: to both selflessly give back to our alma mater for internships, academics, lectures, etc., as well as to selfishly benefit from the continued excellence they encourage in the ecosystem. To summarize, I believe NMU has demonstrated it is a good investment for the state.”
After surviving leukemia in high school, Hagan made a promise to use whatever future she had to do good for her U.P. community. The 2024 graduate was one of the first NMU students to participate in the Rural Leadership Fellowship program, a public-private partnership between NMU and Invest UP, with support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
“It gave me hands-on experience in community planning, provided the financial support I needed to fully focus on learning, and connected me with a network of people committed to making a difference in the U.P.,” she said. “That program is what led me to my current role as executive director of the Menominee Business Development Corporation—living out that promise I made years ago. These immersive learning programs work. And Northern makes them available for students willing to show up and get involved. They also allow students to grow as community leaders, right here in Michigan.”
This marked Tessman's first appearance before the subcommittee. He provided an enrollment update—Northern is projecting a third consecutive year of overall growth—and saluted the state for two programs that have measurably impacted NMU's student numbers: Growing Your Own for teacher education; and the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. He also requested a state appropriation increase that would keep pace with rising operating costs.
Tessman also referenced NMU initiatives made possible through state support, including an additional class section in the cold case program that doubled the number of students involved in the collaborative effort with the Michigan State Police.
