Around NMU

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will host a family night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21. The event will feature a guided look at the museum's exhibitions and an activity in which participants can paint a Munising Ware-inspired plate to take home. The event is free of charge and suitable for all ages; supplies and guidance will be provided.

Northern Michigan University athletic training students are getting hands-on experience at the Injury Evaluation and Care Clinic powered by the Health and Human Performance Department. The clinic also provides the campus and community with a healthcare opportunity that specializes in the assessment and primary treatment of sport and physical activity-related injuries.

Michael Blaustein, a headlining comedian and actor who co-hosts the popular podcast called “Stiff Socks,” will visit Northern Michigan University on Thursday, March 14. Doors to Jamrich 1100 open at 6:30 and the show—recommended for 18 years and older—begins at 7. The opening act is comedian Kase Raso.

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters presented WNMU-FM with three 2023 Broadcast Excellence Awards. News Director Nicole Walton won “Best in Category” for Hard News and Current Event Story for Social Media Extortion, about a case that ended in the suicide of a Marquette teenager. Classical Music Host and Producer Kurt Hauswirth won “Merit” awards in both the Musical Programming and Music Feature categories. Both are NMU alumni.  

Northern Michigan University alumna and Ironwood native Beth Rondeau Deacon will return to campus on Wednesday, March 13, for a series of events related to her work as a screenwriter, book author and mathematics teacher. She and director/producer Terence Gordon will present a free 6 p.m. showing of the movie based on Deacon's first screenplay, Intent Unknown, followed by a Q&A in Jamrich 1100. The psychological thriller stars Eric Roberts and revolves around four ambitious psychology students who embark on a risky experiment to unravel the mysteries of human behavior.

Northern Michigan University's UNITED Conference will feature workshops and presentations that revolve around a "Continue the Conversation" theme as it relates to the intersection of well-being and diversity, equity and inclusion. The main conference runs from 8:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in the Northern Center. Keynote speakers are: Patrick Yankee from Corktown Health, on affirmative healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community; and Stefanie Foo, author of "What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma," this year's selection for NMU's Diversity Common Reader Program. All events are free and open to the public.

Scottish folk-rock group Skerryvore will return to Northern Michigan University on Thursday, March 14. The band's frontman Alec Dalglish participated in a Zoom interview to preview the concert and provide some background on the group. Skerryvore is a three-time winner of Scotland's “Live Act of the Year” award and performs for audiences worldwide.

Immunizations are an essential component of public health against infectious diseases. A Northern Michigan University assistant professor co-authored a recent publication that contends the COVID-19 pandemic provides a case study for how social equity is a global issue. Dr. Jongeun You in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration examined vaccine sharing policies across nations and found a significant imbalance in the international distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income nations, leading to severe disparities in access and vaccination rates.

In conjunction with Women's History Month, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will open its “Extraordinary Women of the U.P.” exhibition at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23, in its Gries Hall gallery. Admission is free. The exhibition will remain on display through Saturday, July 27, and begin touring the Upper Peninsula in fall 2024.

Northern Michigan University student finalists participated in The Big Pitch, the culminating event in the College of Business' New Business Venture Competition, on Feb. 23. They presented their ideas before a panel of judges for a share of thousands of dollars in funding. The winners were announced at the close of Innovation Week, hosted by Innovate Marquette SmartZone and SISU: The Innovation Institute at NMU.