NKU welcomed more than 15,000 students back to campus for the 2025 fall semester. From move-in day to student convocation and the first day of classes, the excitement from students, faculty, staff and the community was palpable.
As NKU’s College of Informatics celebrates its 20th anniversary this academic year, four ideas stand out: innovation, insight, integration and integrity.
Northern Kentucky University's School of the Arts is pleased to announce the productions slated for the 2025-2026 Theatre & Dance Season. This season is packed full with adaptations and innovations and is sure to entertain!
When Denise Govan first enrolled at Northern Kentucky University, she hadn’t envisioned how deeply connected she would become to the campus, both as a student and as a lifelong supporter. A first-generation college student, Govan chose NKU partly to stay close to her friends and partly to chase a dream. Growing up with scoliosis, she had taken up dancing as a way to stay active and strong. NKU’s dance minor allowed her to pursue the sport that brought her so much joy at a higher level.
Zoe Robles says the moments from her time at Northern Kentucky University that best shaped her sense of purpose were hands-on, faculty-led research, an internship and a study abroad experience.
The stars have aligned for alumnus John Dunn. Last summer, the United States Senate confirmed him as a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, the first star in the pantheon of generals that ascends through two-star major general, three-star lieutenant general to four-star general.
Ally Davis arrived at Northern Kentucky University in fall 2017 with a heart full of ambition and a deep passion for musical theatre. Pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts Performance with a musical theatre focus and a minor in dance, Ally quickly became a cherished member of the School of the Arts (SOTA) community. Her professors, peers and the wider campus all took note of her talent, her work ethic and the warmth she so generously shared.
Connect, network and have fun with your fellow Norse at our alumni and friends social events. Whether you graduated in the last four years or the past four decades, you will find plenty of opportunities to connect with old friends, your favorite professors, current students and other alumni by engaging in one of our many events.
The Supported Higher Education Project (SHEP) began with just one student who desired to have an on-campus college experience. "It started very grassroots," says Emily Hellmann, SHEP coordinator. "Dr. Missy Jones worked with his teacher and his school to make it a reality."
Everything Ryan Barrett does is driven by two principles: being able to provide safe patient care and protecting his nursing license. And that starts with making sure that nurses have a voice.
Like many students, Hannah Wayne’s college journey has been filled with twists and turns. After bouncing from the University of Kentucky as a pre-dietetics major to the University of Cincinnati for anthropology, Wayne finally found her home at Northern Kentucky University.
For Brianna Marshall, libraries have been a place of solace since she was 9 years old. “I always felt a natural comfort in my public library,” she says. “And as an avid reader, that access really expanded my worldview growing up in a small town.”
Liz Juszczyk has worked as an investigator, forensics interviewer, adjunct faculty member, chief academic officer and vice president of sales. But nothing made her heart happier than working in higher education. That’s why, when the chance arose to become the inaugural director of the Norse Network Hub at Northern Kentucky University, Juszczyk jumped at the opportunity.
Dr. Bethany Bowling always knew she would have a job in the sciences.“I got interested in science in middle school. I loved dissecting things,” she says. “I got really interested in biology pretty early on. And I was good at math. When I went to college, it was crystal clear that a biology major was not anything that was negotiable.”
As a first-generation college student, Kristy Hopfensperger never imagined she would end up as a college professor with a Ph.D., impacting students every day through research and leadership. Originally from Wisconsin, Dr. Hopfensperger discovered her love for environmental science and nonprofit work during a high school environmental science class.
Coach Palilonis is tasked with leading NKU’s new men’s volleyball program. Volleyball is one of the fastest growing men’s sports in the country, with NKU being one of three Division I programs created in the last year.
For Palilonis, one of the most attractive aspects of spearheading NKU’s program is establishing the culture. To cultivate what Palilonis wants to build with this team, he says the players need to have two things: gratitude and grit.
