Top News of the Year

Making history in 2023

The outside of the student center

Western celebrates grand opening of 'newest, most innovative student union in the state'

The WMU Student Center is a testament to our dedication to fostering a student-centered environment where memories will be created for many years to come. This remarkable space will serve as the hub of connections, the heart of campus and a cherished place of belonging.

WMU President Edward Montgomery

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Raise the roof

Finch Greenhouse made room this spring for its 50-year-old Agave American plant, affectionately named Alice, to bloom. The plant grew so large, greenhouse specialist Chris Jackson had to remove a glass panel on the roof to accommodate its height.

Impactful research

Empowering Futures

Student successes

Employee accolades

We will reign

  • The WMU volleyball team tosses confetti and holds a champion sign.

    The volleyball team made a MAC-record 13th NCAA Tournament appearance this year after achieving a perfect 18-0 record in MAC Play and winning its 10th regular season conference title.

  • A soccer player celebrates while running across the field.

    Western's men's soccer team won its conference regular season title and tournament title for the first time in program history, and the Broncos advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16.

  • A football player holds a trophy over his head.

    The football Broncos mounted a comeback to beat rival Central Michigan and win both the Victory Cannon Trophy and the Michigan MAC Trophy.

  • A soccer player jumps into the air as her teammates stand in a line cheering.

    The Bronco women's soccer team kicked its way to a perfect conference season with a program record 11-game unbeaten streak and the first regular season MAC title in program history.

  • Payton Murphy stands with her arms raised next to a beam.

    Western's gymnastics team earned a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament after winning the MAC title, and Bronco Payton Murphy became the first gymnast in program history to win MAC Gymnast of the Year for the second time.

  • A hockey player follows the puck on the ice.

    The Bronco hockey team finished one of its best seasons in program history with a berth in the NCAA Tournament and six Broncos signing professional contracts in the offseason.

Amazing alumni

  • Brian Doxtator and Chase Chamberlin hold a golden trophy together while raising their fists into the air after the Kentucky Derby.

    Western alumni Chase Chamberlin, BBA ‘12, and Brian Doxtator, BBA ‘04, are celebrating a big Kentucky Derby win with Mage. They went from business Broncos to Kentucky Derby dynamos with their creation of Commonwealth, an innovative investment group that revolutionized ownership by allowing fans to purchase shares of a horse.

  • A girl wears a virtual reality headset while someone points at a screen in the background.

    Just a few years after graduating from the product design program, four alumni are transforming the flight, auto, medical and pet care industries with their insightful designs and professional experience. "Looking back, I just can't fathom where I'm at. Eighteen-year-old me thought I was going to be a graphic designer … and here I am designing cars in Detroit for a major company," says Danialle Baumgardner, BFA '21.

New to the crew

Noteworthy developments