February 2024

When 1983 alumnus and NMU Foundation Board member Mark Pynnonen decided to retire from his Signs Now business in Negaunee Township, he transferred ownership to another member of the Wildcat family. Keven Hagans, who attended NMU from 2007-2010 and played football for the Wildcats, is the new owner.

Northern Michigan University's College of Business will present “The Big Pitch,” the culminating event of its annual New Business Venture Competition, at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, as part of Innovation Week activities on campus. NMU students will present their proposals to a panel of judges, vying for thousands of dollars in funding to get their business ideas off the ground.

Northern Michigan University's Hospitality Leadership Department will host a themed three-course, fine-dining experience before the Saturday, Feb. 24 NMU Theatre and Dance production of Puffs. The event will take place in the newly branded restaurant North Fork, NMU's Teaching Kitchen, in the Northern Center. The space will be transformed with spellbinding decor that reminds guests of a “certain school of magic and magic.”

Northern Michigan University's Seaborg Center is scheduled to host the annual Michigan Region I tournament for the 2024 Science Olympiad from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, in NMU's Science Building. About 300 Upper Peninsula students typically compete in 46 events. The top-placing middle school and high school teams at this event will go on to compete in the state tournament at Michigan State University in April.

Northern Michigan University is celebrating Black History Month in February. The NMU Black Student Union (BSU) plays a prominent role in coordinating related events. The organization strives to create an inclusive and understanding space for the education of Black experience, culture and history on campus

Northern Michigan University will host its annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) event at 3 p.m. Tuesday, February 20, in Ballroom IV at NMU's Northern Center. This event provides an opportunity to witness firsthand the research endeavors taking place on NMU's campus.

Northern Michigan University art and design student Kaysa Gollakner has secured an internship as a product design and communications manager intern with Taproot Law of Marquette. This real-world application of the knowledge and skills she is gaining at NMU will better equip her for future career success.

Northern Michigan University's Board of Trustees authorized administrators to move forward with the Harden Hall Renovation and the Science Complex Research and Teaching Labs Addition based on the final project bids.

The Feb. 14 university forum focused on upcoming and ongoing construction projects, their timelines for completion and the impacts some will have on parking, traffic flow and entry points into impacted buildings.

Northern Michigan University English Professor Amy Hamilton was recently elected co-president of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment. ASLE is an international, interdisciplinary community of scholars interested in the natural world, its representation in language and culture, and the complexities of humans' relationships with their surroundings.