Northern Michigan University's new esports team has not been impacted by COVID-19 to the same level as other sports because it can be adapted to an alternative format. The team opened its first season with a 3-1 record before the semester break. Though they weren't able to attend any local area network (LAN) party events in person, the Wildcats were able to engage in competitions and scrimmages with other schools and amateur organizations.

Northern Michigan University has received a $100,000 grant to launch UPLINK, a collaborative, regional digital network that will enable U.P. heritage organizations to preserve historical manuscript collections and offer online public access. The two-year project is being supported by a National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) implementation grant.

Northern Michigan University MFA alumnus Krys Malcolm Belc was interviewed by Publishers Weekly about his forthcoming book, The Natural Mother of the Child. The title comes from the legal designation assigned to Belc—a nonbinary, transmasculine parent—after he gave birth to his son, Samson. 

Northern Michigan University ranks 39th nationwide in a recent listing of the "Top 50 Outdoor Colleges" compiled by Best Value Schools. 

Northern Michigan University will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a virtual gathering based on the theme of “Civil Rights Movements Past and Present: Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.” The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 18.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Julian Victor LaMarr Gaines ('15 BA) created cover art for a New York Magazine story titled “The Karen Next Door.” The story addresses the fallout from a viral video of a white woman calling the police on her black neighbors in Montclair, N.J. Gaines previously collaborated with the magazine for its “I Voted” cover project.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved 2021 committee assignments and charges at a special meeting this afternoon. The board also supported a resolution authorizing a loan of up to $10 million to the NMU Foundation, on an as-needed basis, so that it is better positioned to support capital projects that benefit NMU and are consistent with previously approved master plans.

The Dec. 22 "For the Win" column in USA Today asked readers how many wolves they could spot in three images captured by motion-sensor cameras placed in the U.P. wilderness and monitored by NMU. The photos show members of the Echo Lake wolf pack, which inhabits a territory that spans about 30 square miles and preys on white-tailed deer and smaller mammals.

Being an educator for K-5 students in the midst of a pandemic comes with many challenges that require patience and the ability to adapt quickly. Northern Michigan University alumna Suzanna Schroeder (‘95 BS, ‘99 MA) is the library media specialist for Brown Deer Elementary School in Wisconsin. She has been coming up with new initiatives to keep her students informed and engaged.