August 2024

Northern Michigan University 2022 cosmetology graduate Mikaela Bannon will return to the Miss Michigan pageant for a third time next June after recently being crowned Miss Wayne County. The Canton resident earned $1,075 and other gifts in winning the title and three awards: people's choice; miss congeniality; and best onstage interview.

Northern Michigan University alumnus and attorney Paul Millenbach was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2025 edition in the practice area of mass tort litigation/class actions-defendants. He is a litigator and co-leader of the General and Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC in Southfield.

Northern Michigan University will hold a rededication ceremony for Vandament Arena, which has been newly renovated to serve a dual purpose as the home court for both Wildcat volleyball and basketball. The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. It will be followed by a reception and the volleyball team's first home game of the season at 5 p.m. against Findlay.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies, which showcases a broad array of performance talents from freshmen and sophomores in the program, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 and Friday, Sept. 6. The event will take place in Forest Roberts Theatre and include artistic productions varying from dramatic scenes and monologues to song and dance routines as a celebration of Northern's rising performance arts stars.

Northern Michigan University Career Services, in partnership with the Nursing Department, will host an upcoming Healthcare Career Fair from 1-4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, in the Northern Center Ballrooms. Employers will be on campus to discuss full-time and part-time jobs, internships, and summer employment opportunities in healthcare with interested students and alumni. 

Northern Michigan University has been recognized as a STARS Gold Institution by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System. An institution's score is based on the percentage of applicable points earned across five main categories: academics; engagement; operations; planning and administration; and innovation and leadership.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations will host "Northern Now: Talks with Tessman" at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 11. Alumni and friends of the Wildcat community are invited to join President Brock Tessman for a virtual chat. He will share campus updates and answer questions. The event will begin with a welcome from NMU Alumni Advisory Board President Chris Charboneau '93 BS.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will host an opening event for a new exhibition, "Northern Tapestry: 125 Years of Stories," at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, in its Gries Hall gallery. In addition to a talk by Director/Curator Daniel Truckey, there will be light refreshments and snacks. The event and exhibit are free and open to the public.

As a renowned African freshwater crab expert, Northern Michigan University Biology Professor Neil Cumberlidge amassed a collection of more than 1,000 preserved specimens representing various species over his extended career. On the verge of his Sept. 1 retirement after 34 years as an educator and scholar at NMU, he recently transferred them from NMU to London to join the crustacean research collection at the National History Museum's Darwin Center.