Around NMU

Northern Michigan University Public Relations Professor Jessica Thompson's commitment to sustainability permeates the courses she teaches for the College of Business, her interdisciplinary research with colleagues to improve climate change communication and increase environmental awareness, and her service activities on campus and in the community. Thompson's achievements and positive impact on students have made her the 2023 recipient of the Stephen Young & Tricia Kinley Distinguished Faculty Award—NMU's top academic honor.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance is presenting Oscar Wilde's Salome, a “darkly thrilling one-act tragedy” and lyrical drama that has inspired creative minds across the ages. The final performances are scheduled March 1-4.

Northern Michigan University graduate students Michael Woodworth and Amy Munes were recently selected as Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), a prestigious program that partners early-career professionals with U.S. Federal Agencies to make a difference in government and impact their communities. There were 850 fellows chosen from more than 10,000 applicants.

NMU Center for Native American Studies Professor Martin Reinhardt is featured in a YES! Magazine article on the abundant varieties of fungi that can be foraged in the wild and what they symbolize to Indigenous cultures. Reinhardt said the Anishinaabemowin term for mushroom is “papowii,” which means “to swell up in stature suddenly and silently from an unseen source of power.” 

Pamela Peterson of Iron Mountain is the recipient of the first Northern Michigan University “full-ride” Harden Scholarship designated specifically for transfer students. She will transfer to Northern from Bay College this fall as a social work major, and said her goal is to become a substance use disorder counselor.

Northern Michigan University held its annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, during which students present their research in a compressed format using a single slide and layperson-friendly language. Nathan Joyal, an integrated biology major, finished first in the graduate student category for summarizing his research on the relative commercial viability of growing cannabis in “organic super soil” compared with soil treated with salt-based commercial fertilizer. Adan Mulvaney, a communications major, took top honors among McNair Scholars for her research on female-identifying youth in scouting.

The Marquette Regional History Center presented its Peter White Award to the Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives at the center's annual meeting on Feb. 22. The Peter White Award is for an organization or group with research or a project based on enhancing and conserving local history.

Northern Michigan University has added an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiving station to the university's Mt. Mesnard tower in South Marquette as a safety tool to help boaters detect marine traffic they are likely to encounter.

The Asian Student Union at Northern Michigan University will host an interactive workshop and panel discussion on building individual resilience, dealing with collective grief, discussing post-traumatic growth and sharing cultural competency practices. It is scheduled from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in 1313 Jamrich Hall.

Northern Michigan University Education Professor Kristen White is among collaborators from 10 partner universities and K12s—including Marquette Area Public Schools—to receive an award from the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) to participate in its Family Engagement Educator Preparation Innovation Project. Only nine collaboratives were selected from a nationwide pool of 76 proposals to receive grants totaling more than $150,000.