September 2023

The investiture of a university president is an enduring tradition in academia, typically held during or at the conclusion of the individual's first year in office. Northern Michigan University's 17th president, Brock Tessman, was formally invested with the rank during a ceremony this afternoon. The event provided an opportunity for the campus and community to welcome new leadership and celebrate successes early in Tessman's tenure that signal Northern is on an upward trajectory.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present the musical "Monty Python's Spamalot” Oct. 12-14 and 19-20. Director and NMU assistant professor Jimmy Ludwig appeared in the original Broadway production of the show, sharing the stage with familiar veterans Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde-Pierce.

Bruce Closser, a Marquette resident and 1967 business administration graduate of Northern Michigan University, successfully completed a Guinness World Record attempt to become the oldest person to bike across the country. At age 78, he traveled from Yorktown, Va. to Astoria, Oregon via the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The 4,200 mile journey traverses mountain passes, national parks and major cities.

Northern Michigan University Swimming and Diving earned Scholar All-American status for its men's and women's teams last semester from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). Eight women and eight men student-athletes also earned Individual Scholar All-American recognition.

Northern Michigan University's Music Department will host a jazz concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, in Reynolds Recital Hall. The free event will feature the NMU Jazz Band, a standard big band with close to 20 members, directed by Patrick Booth, and two smaller jazz combos directed by Mark Flaherty.

Award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis will perform as the Marquette Symphony Orchestra's guest artist at Northern Michigan University. The recital is at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, in Reynolds Recital Hall. A masterclass with Kilphuis will also be offered from 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall.

College for Kids is returning to Northern Michigan University's Seaborg Center for children in grades K-6. Several hands-on, age-appropriate STEM classes will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21, and on Saturday, Nov. 11. They address motion, engineering, gravity and other subjects.

Elizabeth Smart, the kidnapping survivor whose nine-month abduction garnered national news coverage and later compelled her to light the way for others as a child safety advocate and author, will speak at Northern Michigan University on Monday, Oct. 2. Her talk begins at 7 p.m. in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom and will be followed by a book signing. Tickets are $5 for the general public and free for NMU students with ID.

Two Books Two Communities is hosting a series of events surrounding its 2023 selections: Chevy in the Hole, a novel set in Flint, Mich., by Kelsey Ronan; and A Psalm for the Wild-Built, a “solar punk” sci fi novella set on a rewilding moon, by Becky Chambers. 

Northern Michigan University 2013 alumnus Dr. Mitchell Stephenson applies experiential teaching approaches he learned from his NMU sports science faculty mentors to his role as an associate professor of Health & Human Performance at the University of Montana Western. The certified strength and conditioning specialist's academic and government-sponsored biomechanics research is focused on methods to improve human performance and reduce injury rates in sport and military environments.