All News Releases

Excellence in Service: Janet Koski

Janet Koski, Northern Michigan University's executive director for Equal Opportunity and Title IX and Equal Opportunity officer, is an Excellence in Service Award recipient. Her long title is indicative of the critical role she plays on campus. She has led this function for the last several years and was a department of one for much of that time.
President Tessman with Janet Koski

Excellence in Service: Dan Cullen

Northern Michigan University Director of Institutional Accreditation and Assessment Dan Cullen received an Excellence in Service Award. When former President Kerri Schuiling contacted the Institutional Effectiveness Office to guide the development of an interim strategic plan, Cullen was called to see the plan to a successful conclusion.
Cullen (right) with President Brock Tessman

Excellence in Service: Nicole Walton

An Excellence in Service Award was presented to WNMU-FM News Director Nicole Walton. She has had multiple news stories in print and audio formats shared and aired through the Michigan Public Radio Network. The network includes 10 stations serving over 900,000 people throughout the state. Because her work is featured statewide, it has been an important resource and promotional tool for NMU.
Nicole Walton

Excellence in Service: Jeff Roo

Jeff Roo, customer service representative in Northern Michigan University's Printing Services, is an Excellence in Service Award recipient. He works to meet the immediate needs of NMU's faculty and the departments that rely on Printing Services. His high level of detailed proofing and printing work ensures customer receives exactly what they ordered.
Roo (right) with President Brock Tessman

Excellence in Service: Sherida Riipi

Northern Michigan University's School of Clinical Sciences executive secretary Sherida Riipi received an Excellence in Services Award. She is credited for being organized and volunteering to assist with initiatives while maintaining a cheery attitude in the department. She works closely with three programs, the speech clinic and with students attending practicums.
Riipi with President Brock Tessman

Excellence in Service: Jean Shaw

Northern Michigan University Dining Services member Jean Shaw received an Excellence in Service Award for her attendance, punctuality and dedication to NMU. She proves these qualities through her willingness to come in early or stay late, covering extra shifts and overtime hours. Shaw maintains a consistently helpful and positive attitude and cares about her coworkers, student team members, supervisors and the students she serves.
Shaw with President Brock Tessman

Excellence in Service: Andy Buckmaster

Andy Buckmaster is one of eight individuals who won the 2023 Excellence in Service Award. He is a mechanic for Northern Michigan University's facilities. He exemplifies NMU's core values when servicing a department vehicle, plowing during some of the heaviest snow storms, working on a special project to help either an academic or athletic program, or helping train NMU's workforce.
Buckmaster (right) with President Brock Tessman

DeVos Art Museum Hosts Family Night

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will hold a family night from 5-7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to participate in an all-ages activity, using surprising materials to reveal magical winter landscapes inspired by the artwork on view and create a mixed-media artwork to take home. Guided tours with the curators will be offered at 5 and 6 p.m.
Family Night promo

Faculty Awards Presented

Eight Northern Michigan University faculty members selected to receive 2022-23 awards of excellence for teaching, scholarship and leadership were honored at an April 6 celebration on campus. In comments before the presentations, NMU President Brock Tessman said he highly anticipated attending his first such event in his new role. He was a faculty member before ascending through the administrative ranks.
(From left): Carlson, Doney, Jeevar, Lubig, Cameron-Standerford, Steve VandenAvond, Tessman, Thompson, Kapla, Logan, Boyer-Davis, Digneit, Ziegler and Johnson.

Faculty Emerging Leadership Award: Sarah Carlson

Sarah Carlson, the Master of Social Work (MSW) program director and assistant department head, is a proud graduate of Northern's BSW program and received her MSW from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013. She maintains a license in clinical social work in Michigan, and has focused her social work practice on mental health with children and families. She has practiced in wilderness therapy, residential care and community mental health.
Carlson (right) with Interim Provost Dale Kapla

Excellence in Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award: Jason Doney

Jason Doney, BSN RN, has been a part-time clinical instructor for the School of Nursing since fall 2016. He brings a wealth of clinical knowledge to his position as an instructor in adult-health I nursing. As a registered nurse since 2002, he has worked in the following areas: surgical, pediatrics, emergency room and intensive care, with long stints as a clinical manager and trauma program manager. 
Doney (right) receiving the award from Joe Lubig, associate dean and director of Education, Leadership and Public Service

Technology Innovation: Vincent Jeevar

Vincent Jeevar has served as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Science since 2019. He earned a doctorate in psychology from Grand Canyon University. Jeevar has taught courses in the general psychology curriculum and developed a new course on positive psychology, which has become highly popular. He is known for being an engaging and innovative instructor, particularly through his use of multimedia technology for both in-person and online instruction.
Jeevar (left) with Susy Ziegler, associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

Excellence in Scholarship: Gabe Logan

Gabe Logan is entering his 18th year in NMU's History Department and his fifth as the AAUP faculty union's contract officer. He served as Editor for Upper Country, a Journal of the Lake Superior Region, from 2015-2019. Logan has authored 25 peer-reviewed works that include journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, accreditation reports and a monograph. He has also presented 23 papers at national and international conferences. 
Logan (right) with Interim Provost Dale Kapla

Excellence in Scholarship: Stacy Boyer-Davis

Stacy Boyer-Davis is a tenured assistant professor in accounting, in addition to being very productive scholar. Her commitment to scholarship has elevated the research profile of the College of Business by her productivity and active research agenda. In the past few years, she has had 13 published/accepted top-tier (A) quality peer-reviewed journal article publications with one additional publication currently in review.
Boyer-Davis (middle) with President Brock Tessman and College of Business Dean Carol Johnson

Excellence in Teaching Award: Abby Cameron-Standerford

Abby Cameron-Standerford is dedicated to the mission of empowering teacher leaders in the field of learning disabilities and teacher education. She is also an NMU alumna, holding a bachelor of science in elementary education and special education, along with a master of arts in learning disabilities. She also holds a doctorate of education from Central Michigan University.
Cameron-Standerford (right) with Joe Lubig, associate dean and director of Education, Leadership and Public Service