Around NMU

The third annual North Coast Dance Festival will be held July 24-26 at Northern Michigan University. It will feature a free master class and two performances by professionals from across the country, along with NMU's CO/LAB Dance Company. Ballet dancers Mate Szentes, Julia Feldman and Ava Chatterson will return to the event. Giordano Dance Chicago, “America's original jazz dance company,” will make its first appearance at the festival, performing a new work, Gershwin in B, by Emmy-winning choreographer Al Blackstone.

Northern Michigan University will study the feasibility of developing and sustaining a dental hygiene education program in Marquette to meet workforce needs of regional offices and enhance oral health services for Upper Peninsula residents. The closest existing program in the state is about 350 miles south in Big Rapids. NMU successfully applied for a $71,500 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation to conduct the study. All U.P. dental societies joined in signing a letter of support. 

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved a three-year contract for NMU's newly established Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) union at a special meeting July 2. POAM members had unanimously ratified the agreement on June 20.

Northern Michigan University has launched the Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project Site, an initiative that aims to support teachers in developing their own writing skills and teaching practices, ultimately enhancing student achievement in writing across the Upper Great Lakes region. It is part of the prestigious National Writing Project (NWP) network.

Northern Michigan University's Criminal Justice Department will begin offering a new crime scene investigation (CSI) certificate this fall. The 16-credit program provides foundational instruction in criminal investigative techniques, forensic disciplines, crime scene reconstruction and evidence processing. The credential will benefit students who seek to gain entry-level employment in related fields.  

Northern Michigan University has received $35,000 from the U.S. Department of State to initiate study-abroad opportunities for education students that will better prepare them to humanize diverse populations and cultures in their teaching careers. NMU was one of 37 universities—and the only one in Michigan—to share in $1.3 million awarded via the 2024 Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) program grant competition.

Northern Michigan University will roll out a revised bachelor's degree program in elementary education this fall. The new dual-endorsement major in PK-3 and 3-6 is designed to prepare individuals to teach the core content areas of literacy, mathematics, science and social studies. It aligns with Michigan Department of Education certification requirements and involves campus-based coursework and clinical experiences.

Northern Michigan University's Center for Native American Studies is featured prominently at the beginning of a PBS North "Native Report" episode addressing Indigenous education. The episode premiered on the Duluth-Superior station earlier this year and has aired on other PBS affiliates since, including a June 16 broadcast on WSWP-TV in West Virginia. 

NMU assistant professor of social work Vikash Kumar recently attended a "Research Academy on Migration, Health & Rights" in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has also been appointed to serve on an advisory committee for the International Consortium for Social Development's (ICSD) 24th Biennial International Conference, and reappointed as director of information technology for the ICSD.