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With NMU Board of Trustee approval today (Tuesday, Aug. 25), Northern Michigan University entered an agreement to sell its Educational Access Network (EAN) broadband service and infrastructure to Michigan Broadband Services (MBS). The transaction will be final pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Students at Northern Michigan University will have an opportunity to hone their financial literacy skills, learn about long-term financial decision making and access banking service on campus, thanks to a new partnership between NMU, Collegiate and AlumniFi, celebrated Monday, August 24 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly open branch inside the Northern Center.

Rooftop solar installation is expected to offset 44 percent of the building's electricity use and advance NMU's carbon neutrality goals

In his first fall convocation, Northern Michigan University President Chris Olsen outlined his vision for the future of NMU, with a focus on being different, better, and distinctive, while promoting positive change across the university.

The Northern Michigan University Foundation has closed the fiscal year with over $10.3 million committed in philanthropic support, marking the first time in NMU's history that the NMU Foundation has surpassed $10 million in a single fiscal year.

On Monday, August 10, Northern Michigan University's Dr. Lucy Miller joined comedian and journalist Charlie Berens at Ore Dock Brewing Co. to help Upper Peninsula residents better understand data centers and their potential impact on the region.

Northern Michigan University's College of Technology and Occupational Sciences is expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students through a donation of advanced heat pump technology from Mitsubishi Electric. 

Northern Michigan University student Meghan Maas is helping advance sustainability efforts on campus after earning $5,000 to support an expansion of post-consumer compost collection at NMU.

As part of Michigan's 2027 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Legislature Friday, July 3rd, Northern Michigan University received Construction Authorization for the Northern Enterprise Center, which will house the NMU College of Business. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $22.98m.

Marquette, Mich. - (July 7, 2026) – Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations  has announced four recipients of the 2026 Alumni Awards: Dr. Gary R. Bertoline ('74 BS) of West Lafayette, Ind., Distinguished Alumni; Jenna Zdunek ('04 BS) of Marquette, Mich., Alumni Achievement;  Maureen McFadden ('16 BS) of Marquette, Mich., Outstanding Young Alumni; and John M. Madigan ('82 BS) of Munising, Mich., Alumni Service (Community).

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved 2026-2027 tuition and fee rates that maintain NMU's competitive rank as second-most affordable among the state's public universities, allow for investments that align with the university's strategic plan, and preserve long-term financial stability.

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.

Northern Michigan University is a state leader in cybersecurity education, according to rankings released by Programs.com. NMU offers the top-ranked associate degree program among Michigan universities or colleges, and the fifth-best bachelor's degree.

NMU alumna Amber Kinonen is one of three faculty members to receive Bay College's 2026 Outstanding Educator Award for excellence in teaching, student support and service to the campus community. She joined the college in 2008 as a transitional reading instructor and now teaches a variety of English courses. Her numerous leadership roles include division chair, college readiness coordinator and faculty union president.

Northern Michigan University biology alumni William Bowerman and Michael Wierda returned to the Upper Peninsula last week as part of their continuing efforts to research the bald eagle population in the state, which they say has declined due to factors ranging from trauma to bird flu. They discovered that this nesting season has been particularly difficult. In the process of banding eaglets, the duo encountered severely malnourished and dead chicks, and nests that were empty and damaged by storms.

Northern Michigan University 2022 alumnus Dylan Bilicki found that Army ROTC offered a path to achieve his dual goal of continuing his family's legacy of military service while pursuing a career in neuroscience and medicine, an interest sparked by the team of healthcare professionals who helped him recover from a severe concussion in high school. After graduating from Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine last month, he began a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Former Northern Michigan University business marketing and management student Katarzyna (Kasia) Lech of Wrocław, Poland, is among 69 women who contributed essays to a new international anthology that chronicles the evolution of technical communication through first-hand accounts from professionals who helped shape the field.

An interdisciplinary team of Northern faculty and student researchers is developing a new test that shows promise in diagnosing certain brain cancers quickly, affordably and non-invasively. Their work revolves around a novel biosensor called D2HGlo. When mixed with bodily fluids such as urine, plasma and serum, the tool lights up like a fluorescent beacon when it detects the presence of an abnormal molecule that plays a key role in tumor development. This “liquid biopsy” method could improve outcomes and reduce the physical and emotional toll on brain cancer patients.

Despite its relatively small population of about 22,000, Marquette is home to three medical device manufacturers that have created a globally competitive industry cluster in the upper Midwest. NMU's Engineering Technology Department has partnered with Able Medical Devices, EXALTA Group and Mount Mfg to develop innovative approaches to training and retaining a pipeline of qualified employees who will fuel the companies' growth. A recent example of this collaboration is the Work Scholars program. This story is one of several innovaton-related features in the summer issue of Northern Magazine.