Students from NMU's Communication and Media Studies Department earned awards and competitive scholarships at the 2026 Michigan Association of Broadcasters' (MAB) Student Awards ceremony in Lansing.

“Tragedy Sound,” a play about three lifelong friends from the Upper Peninsula who become stranded on Lake Superior after accepting a reckless dare to embark on a canoe trek, is the most recent work by 1996 Northern Michigan University alumna and Mass City native Karen Saari. The winner of NMU's Panowski Playwriting Award will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 14-16 in the Panowski Black Box Theatre.

Northern Michigan University senior Elise Crossman is one of 65 students nationwide selected to receive a highly competitive fellowship through the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX). After graduating in early May, she will spend the 2026-2027 academic year in Germany studying, interning and living with hosts on a cultural immersion program. The accounting and international studies major from Charlotte, Mich., is the second NMU recipient in two years.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees recognized its annual Student Achievement Award recipients just before NMU's May 2 commencement. Delany Frank of East Lansing and Halle Johnson of Green Bay, Wis. are the 2026 Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Recipients of the remaining outstanding awards in their respective categories are: Adam Nesbit, originally from rural northern California, Graduate Student; Summer Morrison of Plainwell, Student of Any Class; Dan Atkins of Marquette, Nontraditional Student; and Laura Clarkston of Bruce Township, Global Campus Student.

The Northern Michigan University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter recently hosted the 8th annual Marquette Coffee Crawl, which drew nearly 500 participants and raised $10,200 for the Marquette Women's Center.

Northern Michigan University students completed a two-week study abroad program titled "Gateway to India: Culture, Community & Social Change" earlier this semester. The international social work course provided them with a "transformative" cultural immersion and global learning experience focused on cultural humility, diversity, community engagement and global social development. 

Northern Michigan University 2012 alumna Kaylee Davenport has been reappointed to the Michigan Board of Audiology. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from NMU with a minor in speech, language and hearing sciences. She currently serves as a clinical audiologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Saginaw.

Northern Michigan University Music Professor Stephen Grugin was honored by WLUC-TV as the latest recipient of the annual Carl V. Pellonpaa Lifetime Achievement Award. He has dedicated nearly five decades to music education, performance and community service throughout the Upper Peninsula and beyond.

Northern Michigan University Social Work Associate Professor Vikash participated in the 64th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, held at United Nations Headquarters earlier this semester.

Northern Michigan University alumni Elissa Macario (‘13 BS, ‘18 MAE) and Cody Scanlon (‘11 BS, ‘18 MAE) were named the 2026 Outstanding Educators at Negaunee Public Schools.

Northern Michigan University's Director of Choral Activities, Erin Colwitz, was selected to serve as conductor in residence at New York City's Carnegie Hall for an April 21 Masterwork Festival Chorus performance. She took full advantage of the opportunity to bring along her own singers, creating a memorable experience for 28 students from the NMU Arts Chorale and 99 members of the Marquette Choral Society, which she also directs. The delegation sang alongside professional chamber orchestra musicians and soloists who typically perform at the Metropolitan Opera and on Broadway.

A Northern Michigan University communication studies class collaborated this semester with the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center on campus to increase student awareness of and participation in the next Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival Oct. 2-4. The event features workshops, demonstrations and performances by folk artists reflecting the ethnic and cultural traditions of the region. Students conducted various levels of research and developed ideas for the center related to programming, promotion and a potential student intern to assist with both.

Northern Michigan University student entrepreneurs took center stage at the Big Pitch competition, the culminating event of NMU's annual New Business Venture Competition and one of the final events at the recent PEAK26 conference. This year, it was held in the Jacobetti Innovation Hall.

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance Department recently announced the recipients of its annual Alumni Awards. The honorees will be recognized at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Forest Roberts Theatre.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is showcasing two exhibitions: the annual NMU School of Art & Design Senior Exhibition, which concludes with a closing ceremony from 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 1; and "Celebrating Legacy: Lake Superior Art Association in the Permanent Collection," in honor of the LSAA's 75th anniversary. 

Northern Michigan University's Superior A Cappella, a mixed-voice, student-run ensemble, has grown from its humble beginnings into a thriving musical group, bringing together up to two dozen students each semester. It performed various selections from pop musicals such as “Frozen” and “Wicked,” along with a mix of rhythm and blues songs, at its winter semester concert April 15. 

The Northern Michigan University Chamber Ensemble and the NMU Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, in Reynolds Recital Hall under the direction of Barbara Rhyneer. Admission is free.

Three Northern Michigan University Social Work Department faculty members attended the most recent World Summit for Social Development at the National Convention Centre in Doha, Qatar. The summit is one of the most significant global events in the field, according to NMU associate professor Vikash Kumar, who attended with colleagues Karl Johnson and Caroline Cheng.

Northern Michigan University Art and Design students Keall Emmers, Lex Klamer and Keziah Arrington, along with alumnus James Asava, have recently been recognized for their work in a variety of ways, including an award, scholarship, exhibitions and acceptance into a graduate program.