Articles

Ellen (Narotsky) Kennedy, a Northern Michigan University alumna and 2023 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, has brought human rights concerns to the attention of global decision-makers. As coauthor of two Shadow Reports submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council, she documents U.S. violations of the human rights to bodily autonomy and to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Northern Michigan University 2022 cosmetology graduate Mikaela Bannon will make her fourth appearance in the Miss Michigan scholarship competition, scheduled June 15-20 in Muskegon. She will be among 30 candidates vying for the state title and a chance to advance to the national stage. Bannon resides in Canton and works as a cosmetologist and aesthetician in Ann Arbor. Her service initiative through the Miss America Organization revolves around skin cancer education, awareness and support.

Northern Michigan University's Technical and Office Professionals union, UAW Local 1950, has ratified a new contract effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The unit has 87 employees. Of those who voted, 59% were in favor of the agreement.

The Northern Michigan University Department of Music will present a second season of Its series, Summer Concerts at Reynolds (SCR). This year's events will all take place at 5 p.m. in Reynolds Recital Hall on Tuesdays in July and August. Admission is free, though donations will be gratefully accepted, with all proceeds benefiting the department to enhance the experience for students.

Two Negaunee High School students were among the national winners of the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognized at a June 10 ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Miles Spaulding won the American Visions Award in art for his painting, “Photographic Memory” and Reese Collins won an American Voices Award for her poem, “The Blooming of Difficult Times.” They had advanced from a regional competition sponsored by the U.P. affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a partnership between the Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project at Northern Michigan University and NMU's DeVos Art Museum.  

Nearly $73,000 in Green Fund-supported, student-led sustainability proposals have been approved for implementation this year. The six projects include enhanced access to public transportation; native plant signage; “feather-friendly” window dots to reduce bird collisions; an outdoor air quality monitoring sensor; bike station repair at the Wildcat Trailhead; and a nontraditional lawn test plot.

Northern Michigan University's 2026 North Coast Dance Festival will include two public performances featuring Giordano Dance Chicago, professional ballet dancers Julia Feldman and Mate Szentes, and NMU's CO/LAB Dance Company. The shows will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 25-26. They will be preceded by a jazz master class with Nan Giordano Wednesday evening—pre-registration is required—and followed by a free showcase presented by high school students participating in the Wildcat Performing Arts Academy summer intensives Saturday night.

Assistant professor Chris Houston, who choreographed a piece that will be featured at NMU's North Coast Dance Festival June 25-26, arrived on campus last year with a wealth of professional experience and insight gleaned from a career that took him to some of the most prestigious global performance venues. Born in Scotland and trained in London, he appeared in original West End productions of Miss Saigon and Cats, and was among only 50 dancers selected to join Celine Dion's first Las Vegas residency and her subsequent world tour. Afterward, the former acrobat embarked on a long relationship with Cirque du Soleil.

The 2026 IncredibleBank Hope Starts Here Challenge, a variety of running and walking events designed to raise funds and awareness for the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC), will be held on Saturday, June 13. The UMBTC is a collaborative effort between Northern Michigan University, UP Health System and the Superior Health Foundation. Registration ends at 11:59 p.m. June 12.