Northern Michigan University will participate in the 2026 Education Preparation Provider Collaborative, a new two-year statewide initiative designed to improve teacher preparation recruitment, retention and quality, and to form a strong foundation to help teacher preparation programs be responsive to the evolving needs of today's students. NMU is one of only five Michigan universities selected as educator preparation programs for the collaborative.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance made a strong showing at the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Region 3 Festival in Madison earlier this month. Senior Liam Fisher was the region winner in the Music Theatre Intensive vocal category, and freshman Neel Archis Manish was region runner-up for the Irene Ryan acting award. NMU's production of CTRL+ALT+DELETE, directed by Jimmy Ludwig, also won the BOLD Audience Choice Award after two sold-out performances at the festival.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host a staged reading of "Tragedy Sound," a play written by NMU alumna Karen Saari, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in Jamrich 1100. The reading is free and open to the public. The production follows three U.P. women who are lifelong friends as they find themselves stranded on Lake Superior after accepting a dare to embark on a canoeing trip.

Northern Michigan University students helped to create environmental education programs for the Historic Thunder Bay Inn in Big Bay. NMU's Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management program's partnership with the inn will result in an Environmental Education Center (EEC) on the hotel property and related educational programs and activities. This aligns with owners Mark and Sue Bevins' goals to expand access to outdoor recreation and educate people about the local culture and history.

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.

Northern Michigan University 1973 English alumna Linda Fitzgerald's second mystery novel, A Superior Way to Die, is an Upper Peninsula–based story that draws deeply on her Munising roots and lifelong love of writing.

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. 

Northern Michigan University alumna Maryka Biaggio recently published her new book, “Gun Girl and the Tall Guy,” a historical novel about the 1924 crime spree of Celia and Ed Cooney in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“Northern didn't just educate me; it gave me the courage to believe I belonged in spaces where people like me weren't always welcomed, and that belief has driven everything since.” Those words are from alumna Charlita Anderson White, keynote speaker for NMU's upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service luncheon on Monday, Jan. 19. She is a retired magistrate of the Lorain County Domestic and Juvenile Court in Ohio. She is also a member of the NMU Alumni Association Advisory Board, adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and founder of the Outside Circle Theater Project.

Northern Michigan University will mark the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, Jan. 19, with three activities: a luncheon with keynote speaker Charlita Anderson White, a 1983 NMU alumna and retired magistrate of the Lorain County Domestic and Juvenile Court in Ohio; an early-access, curated tour of “Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate”—the first national art exhibition hosted by NMU's Devos Art Museum; and hands-on service projects.

Nearly 30% of Michigan's maple syrup production was wiped out by a March 2025 ice storm in the northern lower peninsula. Northern Michigan University alumnus Richard Anderson (‘78 MA), who co-founded Iron Fish Distillery, recently partnered with the Michigan Maple Syrup Association to use his business as a force for good by releasing a special edition Ice Storm Whiskey to help generate support for those impacted.