Northern Michigan University student Meghan Maas is helping advance sustainability efforts on campus after earning $5,000 to support an expansion of post-consumer compost collection at NMU.

As part of Michigan's 2027 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Legislature Friday, July 3rd, Northern Michigan University received Construction Authorization for the Northern Enterprise Center, which will house the NMU College of Business. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $22.98m.

Marquette, Mich. - (July 7, 2026) – Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations  has announced four recipients of the 2026 Alumni Awards: Dr. Gary R. Bertoline ('74 BS) of West Lafayette, Ind., Distinguished Alumni; Jenna Zdunek ('04 BS) of Marquette, Mich., Alumni Achievement;  Maureen McFadden ('16 BS) of Marquette, Mich., Outstanding Young Alumni; and John M. Madigan ('82 BS) of Munising, Mich., Alumni Service (Community).

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved 2026-2027 tuition and fee rates that maintain NMU's competitive rank as second-most affordable among the state's public universities, allow for investments that align with the university's strategic plan, and preserve long-term financial stability.

Northern alumnus Steve Hughes first became aware of the maritime industry as a curious, casual observer growing up in Marquette, where freighter traffic is firmly entrenched in local history and identity. His 97-year-old dad, John, a former NMU geography professor, used to take him to watch ships navigate to the imposing docks to be loaded with iron ore pellets that fuel the steelmaking process. Hughes could not have imagined then that he would embark on a three-decade career in the industry, rising to the rank of captain. He will retire in December from a rare perch as pilot of the longest vessel operating on the Great Lakes: the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha.

Northern Michigan University is a state leader in cybersecurity education, according to rankings released by Programs.com. NMU offers the top-ranked associate degree program among Michigan universities or colleges, and the fifth-best bachelor's degree.

NMU alumna Amber Kinonen is one of three faculty members to receive Bay College's 2026 Outstanding Educator Award for excellence in teaching, student support and service to the campus community. She joined the college in 2008 as a transitional reading instructor and now teaches a variety of English courses. Her numerous leadership roles include division chair, college readiness coordinator and faculty union president.

Northern Michigan University biology alumni William Bowerman and Michael Wierda returned to the Upper Peninsula last week as part of their continuing efforts to research the bald eagle population in the state, which they say has declined due to factors ranging from trauma to bird flu. They discovered that this nesting season has been particularly difficult. In the process of banding eaglets, the duo encountered severely malnourished and dead chicks, and nests that were empty and damaged by storms.

Northern Michigan University 2022 alumnus Dylan Bilicki found that Army ROTC offered a path to achieve his dual goal of continuing his family's legacy of military service while pursuing a career in neuroscience and medicine, an interest sparked by the team of healthcare professionals who helped him recover from a severe concussion in high school. After graduating from Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine last month, he began a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.