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Paige Sullivan of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior from the education program. On May 1, she will earn her elementary education degree, which has a mathematics concentration.       

Jeffery Brooks of Monroe, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior from the Applied Workplace Leadership program. Brooks is graduating May 1 with a 3.95 grade-point average. 

Jaime Vanenkevort of Little Lake, Mich., has been named a Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student. She completed the requirements for the reading specialist program in August.

Taylor Tillotson of Renton, Wash., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student from the educational instruction program. He will earn his master's degree May 1.

Molly Smith of Marquette, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student. She represented the reading specialist program in the December graduating class. 

Whitney Schampers of Negaunee, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student from the early childhood education program. She will earn her master's degree May 1. 

Sara Kurche of Ypsilanti, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student from the learning disabilities program. In December 2020, she earned her Master of Arts in education with a concentration in learning disabilities. 

Danielle Holland of Munising, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student from the educational administration and supervision program. On May 1, she will earn her Master of Arts degree. 

Travis Depuydt of Hermansville, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University School of Education, Leadership and Public Service 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student from the education specialist program. He will earn his degree May 1.  

Riley McDonough of Brookfield, Wis., has been named the Northern Michigan University Political Science and Public Administration Department 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior. With a 4.0 grade-point average, he is graduating May 1 with a bachelor's degree in political science with a pre-law concentration.

Kelly Chandler of Gladstone, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University Political Science and Public Administration Department 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student. On May 1, she will earn a master's in public administration (MPA) degree. 

Northern Michigan University will hold a virtual commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1, with 929 students registered to graduate and 962 degrees awarded if all requirements are met (33 students will earn multiple degrees). The ceremony can be viewed via a link at nmu.edu/commencement.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health has completed its inaugural “Fight the Flu” competition to determine which of the four Upper Peninsula universities could get the highest percentage of its total population vaccinated against the flu. The winner for the 2020-21 academic year is Finlandia University, with 12.1% of its students, staff and faculty members reporting they had been vaccinated.

Northern Michigan University Marketing Professor Gary Brunswick has been awarded the Sam M. Cohodas Professorship. He has been a member of the NMU College of Business faculty for 30 years and was previously honored with the 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2005 Distinguished Faculty Award, among other accolades.

Analise Osgood of Birmingham, Mich., has been named the Northern Michigan University Department of Psychological Science 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior. She is graduating May 1 with a bachelor's degree in psychology, with a concentration in mental health and pre-clinical psychology. 

Hayley Gilbertson of Carbondale, Ill., has been named the Northern Michigan University Department of Psychological Science 2020-21 outstanding graduating graduate student. She completed her studies in December, earning a master's degree in psychological science. 

Mariah Goeks of Lake Forest, Ill., has been named the Northern Michigan University Physics Department 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior. She will earn her bachelor's degree May 1. Goeks began working with the NMU solid-state physics research group as a Freshman Fellow. Through that experience, she was able to travel to a national laboratory in England. 

Denice Weeks of Boyne City, Mich., has been named one of two Northern Michigan University School of Nursing 2020-21 outstanding graduating seniors. With a 4.0 grade-point average, she graduated in December, earning her RN to BSN degree while simultaneously working full-time in the operating room at McLaren Northern Michigan. 

Tess Kostelec of Columbia, Md., has been named one of two Northern Michigan University School of Nursing 2020-21 outstanding graduating seniors. She is graduating May 1 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). 

Arabella Olson of Negaunee has been named the Northern Michigan University Department of Music 2020-21 outstanding graduating senior. She is graduating May 1 with a bachelor's degree in music, specializing in trombone.