The book selection for Northern Michigan University's annual Common Reader Program (CRP) is Tourmaline's “Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson,” which was published this past May.

WNMU-TV 13 at Northern Michigan University has been awarded a $576,532 grant from the Public Media Bridge Fund to stabilize operations for the coming year, as the station transitions toward a more sustainable operating model.

Two Northern Michigan University education majors recently wrapped up their fall semester student teaching placements in New Zealand, supported in part by the Joseph and Nancy Prinzi Educational Study Abroad Scholarship. Elementary education major Kari Betters and secondary English education major Taylor Priestley even connected with donor Joe Prinzi, who was visiting the country, when he treated them to dinner at a revolving restaurant in Auckland's Sky Tower. 

After learning about Northern Michigan University's nursing program from an NMU Admissions representative visiting his Illinois high school, Vince Rodkey said it was his follow-up campus visit and introduction to the surrounding natural environment that convinced him he belonged in Marquette.

When Northern Michigan University senior success adviser and instructor Ryan Bond was notified that he was the students' choice for commencement speaker for the Dec. 13 ceremony, he said he had to re-read the email several times for its contents to sink in.

Mike Letts, Northern Michigan University associate professor of art education, was selected "Higher Education Art Educator of the Year" by the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA). He received the award at the MAEA annual conference in November in Traverse City, where he also presented a workshop titled “Teaching Critical Thinking with Art.”

Northern Michigan University's School of Art and Design is hosting its Fall 2025 Senior Exhibition at the DeVos Art Museum. A closing reception is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, with an awards announcement at 8 p.m. 

Jesse Koenig commutes daily from his home in L'Anse to Northern, his alma mater, where he serves as a senior success adviser for multiple academic departments. Given his time on the road for his profession, it is perhaps not surprising that Koenig was behind the wheel when he received a phone call about an achievement related to one of his favorite personal pastimes: creative expression through prose. He was recently selected for a two-year term as the new U.P. Poet Laureate.

Northern Michigan University is featured in the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition. NMU earned a GreenScore of 91 points out of 99, securing a spot on the list of 388 unmarked colleges that meet the standards for practicing and promoting environmental responsibility. This is NMU's second appearance in the guide.

Northern Michigan University is one of a select group of only 30 undergraduate institutions nationwide that The Princeton Review has named to its Mental Health Services Honor Roll for 2026. On a related note, NMU is also featured in The Princeton Review's “Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 edition,” for practicing and promoting environmental responsibility. 

The NMU Food Pantry is on track to record its highest usage ever, topping the 2,000+ visits last year. Thanks to a collaboration with the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) program, there are now greens and herbs to expand the pantry's offerings in Gries Hall and at its satellite location in the Jacobetti Complex. Two CEA students are engaged in a service-learning initiative to grow the fresh, nutritious produce for their peers in hydroponic units funded through part of a $125,000 Swipe Out Hunger grant.

Northern Michigan University students had an opportunity to design and prepare original dishes that they recently presented to their professor and a team of alumni representing the Delft Bistro in downtown Marquette. The restaurant is running select creations as a special feature menu Dec. 1-28, and students whose dishes were chosen will receive a complimentary dinner at the Delft for themselves and a guest to celebrate their achievement alongside classmates.

Students at Northern Michigan University are helping to map Marquette County's waste stream and reimagine how communities can keep materials in use longer through the SpheriCity Project. NMU is one of 11 universities selected to participate in the national research initiative, which aims to create a more sustainable approach to materials management.

Northern Michigan University senior McKenna Wnuk (wen-UHK) of Lapeer, Mich., will take advantage of a rare opportunity to compete in the Alpine Luge World Cup in Italy and Austria during the holiday break between semesters. She is the newest member of the U.S. team that trains at Negaunee's Lucy Hill, the only full-length natural luge track in the country. 

Northern Michigan University's Police Department will hold its annual Food for Fines event Dec. 1-12.  In partnership with the NMU Food Pantry, students and staff can donate one regular-sized grocery bag of non-perishable, non-expired food items and/or personal care products to alleviate $25 worth of parking citations.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present a family friendly, “amped-up spectacle” of the holiday classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Dec. 4-6 and 11-13. On a related note, Theatre and Dance will bring back its “Letters to Santa” campaign in collaboration with Honor Credit Union. Children who participate will receive a buy one-get one ticket offer for this or a future NMU production. 

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative writers and artists nationwide in grades 7-12, are accepting entries. More than $450,000 in monetary prizes—the most in program history—will be awarded. The submission deadline for U.P. students is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3. The Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project site at Northern Michigan University serves as the Upper Peninsula affiliate of the awards.

Northern Michigan University alumna Beth Rodenhuis was recently appointed by as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and business architect at Northwestern Mutual, a financial security company based in Milwaukee. She is responsible for technology and digital strategy with oversight of strategic execution and prioritization of the company's strategy, platform and operating model design, technology health and enterprise architecture.