NMU Announces 2025 Alumni Award Recipients

Campus Closeup: Alexa Christensen

Jul. 16, 2025 —
Alexa Christensen, a Marquette native who holds two degrees from Northern, has returned to her alma mater to serve as the new director of Dining Services. She previously worked as the dietary manager at Houghton County Medical Care Facility. Christensen arrived on campus in early June and hit the ground running to help ensure that students and families in town for orientation had a positive experience sampling food from NMU Dining locations.

Alumni Company Completes First Commercial Capture of Unprepared Space Objects on the ISS

Jul. 15, 2025 —
Satellites orbiting Earth facilitate every GPS ping, global communication, weather prediction and live stream. But when they drift off course or end their missions, they pose a threat to space-based systems modern life depends on because most are unprepared and uncontrolled. There has been no way to safely move, repair or retire them until now. Kall Morris Inc. (KMI), an alumni-owned company based in Marquette, recently completed the first commercial demonstrations of its REACCH robotic system, which features mechanical tentacles that can safely grab and move objects in space, aboard the International Space Station.

Hart Selected for Public Media Impact Award

Jul. 11, 2025 —
William “Bill” Hart, who has been a decades-long fixture at WNMU-FM, Public Radio 90 in Marquette, will be the 2025 recipient of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters' 2025 Public Media Impact Award for Professionals. This statewide award is presented to professionals—including volunteers—working in public broadcasting to honor their contributions to the industry.

Alumni Receive Outstanding Faculty Awards

Jul. 10, 2025 —
Two Northern Michigan University alumni were selected as recipients of 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards from Bay College in Escanaba for exemplifying a deep commitment to student success and professional excellence. Tammra Houseman, who earned her NMU bachelor's degree in elementary education with a special education endorsement in 1994, was honored with the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award. Cassie Callahan, a 2019 BSN grad, was one of two recipients of the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.