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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.

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.

Men typically outnumber women in theater technical production jobs, but this underrepresentation is not an issue at Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre (FRT). Ten of the 15 students working at the FRT scene shop on Scrooge! and other productions are women who handle everything from lighting, set and sound design to props and even technical direction.

NMU's loss prevention management program, along with its faculty and alumni, are featured by D&D Daily, an electronic newsletter for the retail loss prevention, asset protection and IT security industries. The merger of those fields requires expanded education beyond the typical certificate, the article states.

Northern Michigan University Marketing Professor Gary Brunswick has been selected as the Dec. 15 commencement speaker through a nomination process overseen by the ASNMU student government organization. 

Brunswick said he was initially surprised that students selected him to be the commencement speaker, but is honored to accept the invitation.

Northern Michigan University has received about $15,400 through the Michigan Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program to support an awareness campaign titled “Consent: Back to Basics.” The topic plays a pivotal role in sexual assault cases, yet student feedback obtained through an NMU survey supported by a previous program grant indicated that a number of students do not have a clear understanding of what constitutes consent.

An Internal Campaign Planning Committee composed of faculty, staff and students will facilitate the collection of proposals and opportunities with broad university scope that, with potential philanthropic investment, would enhance Northern’s levels of innovation and excellence. The committee will be responsible for developing and presenting recommendations to the NMU Administration, the NMU Foundation and their respective boards as part of the ramp-up to a proposed campaign currently scheduled to begin in 2020.

Bruno Amilcar of Maputo City, Mozambique in East Africa, is one of three students attending NMU this fall through the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD). The program is designed to promote cultural exchanges between American institutions of higher learning and foreign students. Amilcar is a junior political science major with a minor in theater. He is anticipating his upcoming role as Father Christmas in the NMU production of Scrooge! 

The U.S. Department of State assigned Amilcar to the UGRAD program at NMU through a scholarship.

Northern Michigan University is moving to a two-factor authentication (2FA) system that adds an extra layer of security to MyNMU and GSuite services in order to prevent hackers from obtaining users’ personal data. It will be required by May 1 and is a response to a series of recent phishing emails, which attempted to obtain sensitive information by disguising as trustworthy NMU entities. In one October incident, the bank account details of 53 NMU community members was compromised by emails that looked like they were coming from the Vielmetti Health Center.

Monica Prelle is one of two visiting professors for the English Department at Northern Michigan University. This is her first teaching position, but she hopes her 15 years as a freelance journalist will give her credibility in emphasizing the importance of truth and ethics in the media to her students.

Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre will introduce a few surprising twists to its longstanding holiday production of Scrooge!, a musical retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12–Saturday, Dec. 15, with additional shows at 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting the School of Art and Design's Fall 2018 Senior Exhibition. The work of graduating seniors from all concentrations is being showcased. The exhibition will end with a closing reception from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. It is free and open to the public. 

Northern Michigan University's music department will host its third annual Holiday Collage Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall. It is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated. The concert will feature the NMU band, choirs, orchestra and a variety of student soloists and ensembles.