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.

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.

Michigan State Police First Lt. Jay Peterson, a 1995 NMU justice studies alumnus,  recently became the new commander of the MSP Hart Post. He oversees all operations serving Oceana, Lake, Mason and Newaygo counties. 

Northern Arts and Entertainment will present a concert for NMU students featuring musical acts Adam Paddock and iDKHOW (I Don't Know How But They Found Me) on Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Northern Center Ballrooms. Doors open at 6 p.m., with opening act Paddock at 7 and headliner iDKHOW at 8

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 unranked colleges that meet the standards for practicing and promoting environmental responsibility. This is NMU's second appearance in the guide.

The DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University is hosting a new exhibit titled “SAME AS NEVER [anything to get out of here, right?]” through Dec. 15.

Brass Queens, a female-led brass band from Brooklyn featuring all-female horns with a sound that is deeply inspired by the New Orleans tradition, will perform at Northern Michigan University. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in Reynolds Recital Hall. 

The Northern Michigan University Orchestra directed by Barbara Rhyneer and the NMU Choirs directed by Erin Colwitz will present a concert titled "Baroque to the Future" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in Reynolds Recital Hall.

Northern Michigan University's popular animal-assisted intervention (AAI) program has appropriately gained a new Wildcat named Luna to complement the beloved Wildpups therapy dogs that routinely interact with the campus community, providing comfort, joy and companionship. Luna belongs to NMU social work major Emilee DeForge. After seeing her tortoiseshell feline's therapeutic potential in terms of personality and temperament, the Houghton native was eager to certify her pet for service.

Erhan Raif and his brother, Korhan, were flipping through Barron's Collegiate Guide in their native island country of Cyprus decades ago, seeking an international student experience in the United States. Northern Michigan University's profile attracted their attention because of its academic programs and size, among other qualities. They decided to trade the Mediterranean for Lake Superior in the early 1980s and embarked on what Erhan calls “an American adventure I'll always be grateful for in Marquette.”