Frank is NMU's Peter White Scholar

Jun. 8, 2026

Northern Michigan University English professor and author Matthew Gavin Frank is the recipient of the 2026-2027 NMU Peter White Scholar Award, which will fund archival research and international travel related to what he considers the most ambitious literary venture of his career. The project will examine persecuted artists, the preservation of works created under oppression and endangered cultural histories.

Matthew Gavin Frank, NMU's 2026-2027 Peter White Scholar

Kusek Shares Stories of Immigrant Professionals in the U.P.

May. 14, 2026

Northern Michigan University Provost Fellow and Associate Professor Weronika Kusek wrote a recently published book titled “Moving UP North: Immigrant Experiences of Professionals in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.” Each chapter is based on an oral history interview with an international professional who lives and works in the region, sharing the individual's migratory journey and personal experience. Some of the subjects have been here for a couple of decades; others are newcomers.

NMU Provost Fellow and Associate Professor Weronika Kusek

Berrys Are Leaders in Lifetime Giving to NMU

Jan. 27, 2025

Northern Michigan University alumnus John Berry Jr. has continued the philanthropic legacy passed down by his grandfather and father, whose entrepreneurial success heading the largest Yellow Pages advertising agency in the United States inspired them to give back to future generations in ways that reflected their core values, including education. John and Shirley Berry have become the leaders in lifetime giving to NMU, surpassing $10 million. Their most recent gifts of $3.5 million include $2 million to endow in perpetuity the College of Business Deanship in their names, and $1 million as an expendable fund to support the Northern Enterprise Center, the future home of the College of Business.

John and Shirley Berry (left) with Kristin and Brock Tessman, NMU's president, in the Northern Center

Commencement Speaker Follows Parents into Nursing

Dec. 6, 2024

Suzanna Guinn of Marquette said she considers nursing the “Swiss army knife” of undergraduate degrees, both for the skills and knowledge it encompasses and the wide range of career opportunities and potential work settings. Her academic major was inspired in part by her parents' experience in the field. They will no doubt be watching with pride as she delivers the student commencement address at NMU's Dec. 14 ceremony.

Guinn in the Nursing Technology Center, where she spent much of her time.

Prof Writes Book on Mental Illness Portrayals

Feb. 27, 2019

Mental illness affects about one in five American teens. This is increasingly reflected in young adult fiction, as recent surveys indicate one quarter of the genre's titles feature characters with psychological disorders. Northern Michigan University English Professor Kia Jane Richmond has published a new book that explores how real struggles such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder are portrayed through fictional characters. Her hope is that Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature will help educators, librarians and mental health professionals to more effectively address the needs of students.

NMU Program Earns Innovation Award

Nov. 15, 2018

Northern Michigan University’s bachelor of science degree in applied workplace leadership received the 2018 Innovation in Transfer Award today at the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) annual conference in Frankenmuth. The online program enables individuals holding an associate of applied science degree from any community college to ladder to a bachelor’s degree that will qualify them for management positions.

FROST Aids Evidence Tech Training

Oct. 18, 2018

The NMU Public Safety Institute conducts annual training for evidence technicians, alternating between an intensive two-week basic course one year and a series of two-day refreshers the next. The refreshers being held on campus this month focus on death investigations because the institute partnered with NMU’s Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory. Both locations offer hands-on training to complement the classroom instruction provided with support from the Michigan State Police.

Detroit Students Aim North

Oct. 3, 2018

Graduating high school seniors in Detroit were able to get a head start on college before leaving their hometown through Aim North, a pilot program offered through Northern Michigan University’s Diversity and Inclusion Office. Students could take two summer courses, earning up to eight credits toward the liberal studies requirements for a degree prior to enrolling at NMU or another institution this fall.

Hughes Captains Longest Great Lakes Vessel

Hughes relaxing in the captain's seat (Interlake photo)

Jun. 25, 2026

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.

Campus Closeup: Chris Houston

Jun. 9, 2026

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.

Chris Houston now, and a past photo from his professional dancing career.

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