October 2026 WMU News

Helping people is alumna Ali Yoder’s greatest resource

Ali Yoder, B.B.A.’07, has built a successful human resources career and business by putting people first, drawing on lessons she learned at Western Michigan University.

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences honors alumni at annual awards ceremony

Western Michigan University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences is pleased to announce its 2026 Spire Award, Alumni Excellence Award and Emerging Alumni Award recipients. 

WMU alumna Jacqueline Kelly brings mental performance coaching to Boston Legacy FC

Western Michigan University alumna Jacqueline Kelly is using her exercise science background as a mental performance coach for Boston Legacy FC, helping professional athletes build confidence, resilience and psychological tools.

New Ethics Center director brings ethics to Kalamazoo Canadiana Fest

New WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Director Ashley Atkins is bringing ethics beyond campus through community events, including the Canadian documentary BURD at Kalamazoo’s Can-Am Peace Jam, sparking conversations about aging, connection and the meaning of a life well lived.

Expanding capacity: Supply chain management students earn scholarships from Transportation Club of Detroit

Three Western Michigan University supply chain management students have received scholarships from the Transportation Club of Detroit, getting a lift in paying for their education. Western’s recipients include Alex Little, Isaac Madalinski and Katie Pozar, putting WMU Haworth at the top of the list for total number of recipients for 2026.

Breakthrough fish research makes waves in evolutionary theory

Dr. Devin Bloom and a team of researchers from a dozen institutions uncovered a new understanding of how fish species evolved in freshwater rivers in Australia and Papua New Guinea. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they reveal paleoenvironmental factors such as seal level changes and reduced marine oxygen determined which species became the most ecologically diverse.