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 alumnus and native Michigander Robert Saleh (1998-2002) is the new head coach of the New York Jets. He spent the past four seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator and has coached in the NFL since 2005.

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. 

Former Wildcat hockey player Darien Craighead, a first-year forward with the South Carolina Stingrays, is featured in a team story titled "A Rookie's Life Inside the ECHL Bubble." Craighead became the fourth NMU alumnus to sign with the Stingrays for 2020-21, joining team captain Andrew Cherniwchan, forward Justin Florek and defender Jordan Klimek.

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.

NMU alumna Susan (Gilbert) Lockhart, a junior/senior high school math and physical education teacher, was the subject of a recent newspaper spotlight. In her 16 years with the Stockbridge (Mich.) Community School District, she has channeled her passion for fitness to benefit students academically.

NMU criminal justice alumnus Thomas Nolan (AS '05) was recently promoted to first lieutenant and commander of the Michigan State Police-Negaunee post. 

Alumni and the NMU community are invited to join the NMU Alumni Association for Northern Now on Jan. 13.

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.

Northern Michigan University will comply with today's Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' decision to extend its epidemic order through mid-January. The extension will not impact the previously planned start of winter semester classes on Tuesday, Jan. 19. It will delay the reopening of campus residence halls to Jan. 15, which will result in a slightly modified schedule for mass COVID-19 testing before the semester gets underway.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum has announced the winners of its "Your Art Here" competition: Marquette residents Catherine Benda, Kaelyn Wright and Emilee Covers. Their work is featured on three banners that have been installed in a prominent location outside of the museum. 

Northern Michigan University's Heidi Blanck and Kathy Richards personify the success women can achieve in the construction, engineering, design and trades industries. Blanck is an associate professor in NMU's construction management program. Richards is associate vice president for Engineering and Planning/Facilities. Each gave a recent presentation encouraging other women to explore related career opportunities as part of the Build Initiative's “Project Accelerate” program.

NMU alumna Tanya Rule of Atlantic Mine is one of eight new members appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Public Health Advisory Council. Rule serves as environmental health director for the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department. She will share her expertise with the council for a term expiring Nov. 1, 2021.

Three former Northern Michigan University basketball teammates—Naba Echols, Isaiah Johnson and Kenton Mack—have co-founded Athletes Igniting Action, a movement that empowers athletes to collectively use their voices and votes to battle racial and social injustices.