Photo courtesy of NMU Dr. Anne Dahlman brings 27 years of experience in education to her new role as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Northern Michigan University, effective April 1.

Anne Dahlman, whose higher education experience spans 27 years as a teacher, faculty scholar and administrator, will become Northern Michigan University’s next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, effective April 1. The Finland native most recently served as interim associate provost at Minnesota State University Mankato, where she advanced through the faculty ranks and various leadership positions over the past 17 years.

“Northern is a special place with excellent faculty and academic programs, and I look forward to working with all campus members to offer extraordinary educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds,” Dahlman said. “Together we can do great things, and I felt this sense of community when I visited the campus. I believe that Northern can become a model of academic excellence–a North Star–for other regional universities. I’m excited to be part of this work.”

“Dr. Dahlman brings just the right mix of instructional, research and administrative experience to her role as our new provost,” said NMU President Brock Tessman. “She also stood out during our selection process because of the energy, creativity and vision she will add to Academic Affairs and our leadership team at Northern Michigan University. In short, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Dahlman to NMU and the Upper Peninsula.”

Dahlman earned her first master’s degree in Swedish/German education from the University of Joensuu in Finland, and her subsequent master’s degrees in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and German from Colorado State University. She completed her doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities in 2005. Her dissertation research focused on second language teachers’ process of learning to teach.

As interim associate provost at Minnesota State University Mankato (MSU), Dahlman was responsible for strategic resource management, including a budget of $112 million. She also led strategic planning efforts for Academic Affairs, including the creation of the Comprehensive Academic Plan and the launching of a new School of Applied Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, which houses the university’s top agricultural degree programs.

Dahlman provided project leadership for a strategic partnership between MSU and Mayo Clinic System, resulting in increased leadership capacity in education, well-being and research. The partnership addresses key regional needs of rural mental health, food insecurity and equitable access to health care.

In her role as interim dean of global education, Dahlman helped MSU achieve a national ranking of 8th among master’s institutions in the number of international students in 2022, reporting 1,711 students from more than 100 countries. Through the creation of 20 new international partnership agreements, she expanded Fulbright Scholar opportunities, faculty-led education abroad experiences and collaborative teaching and research. She received a 2016 Fulbright Specialist Award and was a visiting scholar at the University of Turku in Finland.

Dahlman also served as Honors Program director at MSU. Her efforts led to the largest and most diverse cohort of students in the program’s history. As a faculty member, she earned tenure and was promoted to full professor in the Department of Educational Studies: K-12 and Secondary Programs, later serving as department chair. She previously held several teaching positions at higher education institutions in Wisconsin, Finland, Colorado and Wyoming.

Dahlman was born and raised in Finland, where she met her husband Eric, who was there on a study abroad program in college. They have two young adult children, Elsa and Axel, who live in Minnesota. In her free time, Dahlman likes to exercise, learn new things, and spend time with her family and pets.