Alumni

College football coaching legend and NMU alumnus Lloyd Carr will be the 2024 American Heart Association's Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The honor is given to college football's finest coaches, recognizing their outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions on and off the field. Carr was a star quarterback at NMU, leading the Wildcats to an undefeated season in 1967. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master of arts in education in 1970, and was inducted into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame. His 13-year coaching stint at the University of Michigan included the 1997 National Championship, five Big Ten titles and four consecutive Bowl game wins.

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance Department will host a 60th anniversary reception and inaugural alumni awards celebration to honor exceptional achievements in the entertainment arts.

The Northern Michigan University Foundation Board of Directors has announced three new members: Cain Besse of Marquette, a 2011 economics and personal finance alumnus; Nicole Blemberg of Menomonee Falls, Wis., who earned a bachelor's in English in 2004; and Lisa Tomsheck of Arlington Heights, Ill., a 1985 business administration alumna.  

Bruce Closser, a Marquette resident and 1967 business administration graduate of Northern Michigan University, successfully completed a Guinness World Record attempt to become the oldest person to bike across the country. At age 78, he traveled from Yorktown, Va. to Astoria, Oregon via the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The 4,200 mile journey traverses mountain passes, national parks and major cities.

Northern Michigan University 2013 alumnus Dr. Mitchell Stephenson applies experiential teaching approaches he learned from his NMU sports science faculty mentors to his role as an associate professor of Health & Human Performance at the University of Montana Western. The certified strength and conditioning specialist's academic and government-sponsored biomechanics research is focused on methods to improve human performance and reduce injury rates in sport and military environments. 

According to NMU 1977 graduate Charles Hawes of Lansing, his main “claim to fame” prior to his selection as this year's Alumni Service-Community Award recipient was being a teammate of Tom Izzo for all four of his seasons as a Wildcat. 

Dr. Ellen Narotzky Kennedy received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, on Sept. 15.Education and social justice have been closely intertwined throughout most of her adult life. 

Joan Kelley, a 1972 Northern Michigan University alumna who is part of a four generation Wildcat family, recently traveled to Mackinac Island for the NMU Arts and Athletics Showcase. While she wasn't able to stay for very long, Kelley still found it nice to reconnect with the school that generated such fond memories.

Northern Michigan University 1996 alumna Karen Saari, whose work as a playwright is inspired by her Upper Peninsula roots, will watch the world premiere of Rain on Fire at the FIM Flint Repertory Theatre on Friday, Sept. 15. The show runs through Oct. 1. The play with music explores how the opioid crisis affects one U.P. family. While addiction and grief are themes, so are redemption and finding peace. Saari also injected humor into the script. 

Northern Michigan University 1992 psychology alumnus John Driscoll has been appointed new president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, effective the first week of October. He has more than 30 years of experience in the addiction treatment field. He started as an alcohol and drug counselor in Chicago and most recently worked as senior vice president at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction and mental health treatment organization.