Grand Valley State University - Traverse City

Join us on June 30 for the Speak with Courage Graduation & Public Showcase! 📣

Come celebrate participants as they share powerful stories and demonstrate the communication skills they've developed through this unique program. We're especially excited to support a GVSU faculty member who will be participating in the event! 👏

Learn more and register:

Speak with Courage Graduation and Public Showcase For the first time, Traverse Connect is opening the Speak with Courage (formerly Let Her Speak) graduation and finale showcase to the public. Speak with Courage is a hands on, in person, and deeply supportive professional development experience for women and non binary leaders who want to develop th...

ONE WEEK until the Laker Summer Social! ☀️

Don't miss out on a fun-filled evening at the Delamar Traverse City on Tuesday, June 23. Enjoy refreshing cocktails, seasonal hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to connect with Grand Valley Northern Michigan friends. ⚓️

👉 RSVP: https://www.gvsu.edu/alumni/module-events-view.htm?siteModuleId=852D66E8-B2FF-8449-BA725F53CEBF2D73&eventId=F09E25E5-DC40-EADC-1166E7EA91700D50

GVSU Alumni Grand Valley State University

Laker Summer Social in Traverse City on 6/23/2026 at 6:00 PM - Events Event details for Laker Summer Social in Traverse City on 6/23/2026 at 6:00 PM - Events

Don't forget to RSVP for the Laker Summer Social by the end of the day! 🌞

President Philomena V. Mantella and Shannon Owen, director for the GVSU Northern Region, invite alumni, parents, and friends of Grand Valley State University to the Laker Summer Social! ⚓️

Enjoy refreshing cocktails, seasonal hors d’oeuvres, and a fun-filled evening with us at the Delamar Hotel in Traverse City.

See you there! https://www.gvsu.edu/events/laker-summer-social-in-traverse-city-544884.htm GVSU Alumni

Our MVE-Lab Pitch & Showcase is 1 week from today! 📣

Attend this free event at the City Opera House and cheer on our local veteran entrepreneurs as they take the stage to pitch their businesses and compete for prizes!

RSVP today! https://www.gvsu.edu/mve/module/6f1eab49-6178-4713-b578-b0924c10aece/event/ef8afd95-57c6-4228-a2c5-d06e0b42e7a1

📅 Mark your calendars!

Join us on Tuesday, June 15, 2026, for the Traverse City Cohort Final Pitch and Showcase as we celebrate the completion of Cohort 17!

Come cheer on our veteran entrepreneurs as they take the stage to pitch their businesses and compete for CASH 💵 prizes. It's an exciting evening of innovation, determination, and community support that you won't want to miss.

We hope to see you there! Please register as soon as possible, as seats will fill up fast. To register, visit www.gvsu.edu/mve

GVSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Grand Valley State University recently visited FishPass! 🐟

GVSU’s team from the Office of the Provost, the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI), and the Northern Region received an in-depth tour of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s FishPass project. Our team stood right where the future fish-sorting channel will "sort and selectively pass desirable fishes while blocking harmful invaders like sea lamprey."

The opportunity for research and education around our Blue Economy is vast, and we are thrilled to have this incredible project right in our backyard! 🌊

✈️ We are impressed by the exceptional students graduating from Northwestern Michigan College's Aviation program! To help these future leaders take the next step, NMC Aviation grads can now seamlessly transfer into GVSU’s Bachelor of Applied Science degree, earning up to 15 credits for their aviation ratings.

NMC trains some of the best in the industry, and we hope to see more Lakers in the sky! ⚓️

Learning to Fly: Talking Roots and Wings with Six NMC Aviation Alumni No matter where you travel in the world, the pilot on your next flight could very well be a graduate of Northwestern Michigan College. Ahead of NMC Aviation’s 60th anniversary next year, we sat down with six alumni to get their stories. Josh Shivley, Class of 2014 Roots: “I have the cliché pilo...

“People know what nurses and doctors do, but they don’t always know all the other opportunities healthcare has,” said Shannon Owen, director for Grand Valley’s Northern Region. “We want students to recognize that they can stay here, complete these programs here and give back to their communities here.”

🔗 Read the full article: https://www.gvsu.edu/gvnext/2026/hands-on-learning-sparks-healthcare-career-exploration-in-traverse-city.htm?hitReferer=email&utm_source=gvnext&utm_medium=email GVSU College of Health Professions

Hands-on learning sparks healthcare career exploration in Traverse City High school students from Northern Michigan gathered at GVSU's Traverse City Regional Center this week to explore healthcare careers through hands-on learning.

Benzie County Residents – we want to hear from you!

The GVSU Physician Assistant Studies program is conducting a research survey evaluating how Benzie county residents are managing their high blood pressure. If you are:
- A resident of Benzie county
- 18 years or older
- Have been told you have high blood pressure (hypertension)

We need your help! We are looking for individuals who fit the above criteria.

Link to the survey found below or scan the QR code on the picture: https://gvsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6hhA4c53pN5q4Pc

Time for completion: 15 minutes
Principal Investigators: Katie Treston-Torney, PA-C, ATC & Sam Purifoy, PA-S
Contact: [email protected] & [email protected]
Grand Valley Physician Assistant Studies Program
College of Health Professions
Northern Michigan Region
James Beckett Building
1890 College Dr.
Traverse City, Mi 49684

We're excited about the new articulation agreement between GVSU's College of Computing and Northwestern Michigan College!

“The future of computing talent development depends on collaboration, access and mobility. These agreements are another step toward building that future.” - Dean Marouane Kessentini

GVSU College of Computing

College of Computing signs transfer agreements with two Michigan colleges Agreements with Muskegon Community and Northwestern Michigan colleges create transfer pathways for students to continue their education after earning associate degrees.

Congratulations to Nick! Amazing acknowledgment for the tremendous efforts put forth to help establish the program here in Northern Michigan!

Bringing vital healthcare education right to our backyard! 🩺🌲

Nicholas Kopacki (Class of 2014) is an Assistant Professor and the Founding Site Director for Grand Valley State University’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program right here in Traverse City. He proudly helped launch this essential regional program, which was built on a strong, supportive partnership with NMC.

While his career is in medicine, his foundation is rooted in family. His parents didn’t have the opportunity to pursue a college education, but they instilled in him the ultimate life lessons: that hard work, consistency, and humility can create opportunities far beyond your circumstances. 💼✨

Today, Nicholus is paying those lessons forward. He’s expanding his impact through education and storytelling—both as the host of the Michigan Academy of Physician Associates podcast and through a new book he's writing about the life-changing power of mentorship and learning from others' journeys. 🎙️📚

Click the link to read his full, inspiring story: 🔗 https://www.nmc.edu/about/foundation/alumni/outstanding-alumni-2026.html