Around NMU

Former Wildcat hockey player Dominik Shine has been selected to play in the AHL All-Star game Feb. 10-11 at the BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois. The forward played for NMU from 2013-2017. He is in his 10th season as a Grand Rapids Griffin and, in December, became only the third player in team history to reach 500 games. 

The application window is now open for Northern Michigan University donor-funded student scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year. All NMU students are eligible to apply for the scholarships through Feb. 16. 

Michigan's public universities generate nearly $45 billion in net new economic activity each year, supporting more than 129,000 jobs and contributing more than $7 billion in state tax revenue, according to a new independent economic impact study released by the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU).

Northern Michigan University has officially taken its first step toward becoming a certified Plastics Reduction Partner through the National Wildlife Federation, by submitting a commitment letter that outlines its dedication to reducing single-use plastics across campus. This initiative marks a significant milestone in NMU's broader sustainability goals and reflects its leadership in environmental stewardship within Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Six Northern Michigan University faculty members have received Reassigned Time Awards for the winter 2026 semester that kicked off this week. Each award provides up to four credit hours of release time to support scholarly activities.

“Letters Jim Harrison May Never Read.” “Walt Whitman and His Lake Superior Baptism.” “John Lennon at the Old Marquette Inn.” “Chagall Taught Me How to Drive.” These are some of the titles featured in Northern Michigan University English Professor Russell Thorburn's latest collection of poetry, "And the Heart Will Not Quicken." The book is populated by imaginative scenarios featuring pop culture, artistic and literary legends who move freely across various decades and countries.

Three Northern Michigan University students have been selected to participate in the third cohort of NMU's Rural Leadership Fellowship Program, a public-private partnership with InvestUP that promotes immersive, project-based learning while also supporting U.P. economic and community development projects. The fellows and their project partners are: Anna Tousley, City of Marquette Climate Adaptation Plan; Kaysie Bakke, Forsyth Forward; and Thomas Rousch, Headwaters North SmartZone in Sault Ste. Marie.

The newly renovated Olson Library in Harden Hall opened today, and guided tours are being offered all week to introduce the campus community to the new space and services. The facility has a brighter aesthetic and appears more roomy, with plenty of soft seating and study areas.

Northern Michigan University's CO/LAB Dance Company will present a concert anchored by the premiere of “Love is a Burning Thing: A choreography tribute to Johnny Cash.” CO/LAB artistic director and assistant professor Karina Johnson choreographed the contemporary ballet piece, which uses several familiar Cash songs to showcase how people experience relationships in their lives.