Northern Michigan University is hosting the 2022 McNair Research Symposium from 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, in the Founders Room of the Northern Center. Seventeen scholars who participated in a diverse array of summer research and scholarly activities with their NMU faculty mentors will give presentations on their work. 

The Northern Michigan University Center for Forensic Anthropology will host a public symposium where representatives from the decomposition and taphonomy facilities across the country will give presentations about their facilities and programs. The event is scheduled at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in 109 Harden Hall. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.

To honor Indigenous Peoples' Day, Northern Michigan University's Center for Native American Studies (CNAS) and the Native American Student Association (NASA) are planning an event that begins at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at the Land Acknowledgment Sign on the academic mall. The public is invited.

For 31 years, Marquette native Steve Nystrom successfully used the knowledge, skills and leadership qualities he acquired while earning two Northern Michigan University degrees to successfully contribute to U.S. national security. He served in the U.S. Army during the Cold War, as a senior analyst in the Defense Intelligence Agency, and as division chief and program manager with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Nystrom was selected as the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient based on his esteemed career and active involvement on behalf of the community and NMU.

Northern Michigan University 2003 alumnus Chris Mosier of Chicago is a trailblazing transgender athlete who has been a catalyst for policy change and a staunch advocate for inclusion in and beyond sports. Abiding by his motto, “Be who you needed when you were younger,” Mosier is a dedicated mentor to transgender and nonbinary youth, a highly regarded speaker and a leading grassroots organizer against the current wave of anti-trans legislation across the United States. For these reasons and more, he was selected as the recipient of NMU's 2022 Alumni Service Award.