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Colwitz and Students Perform at Carnegie Hall

Colwitz (third row, far left) with the NMU Arts Chorale by the Carnegie marquee
Colwitz (third row, far left) with the NMU Arts Chorale by the Carnegie marquee, and in her conducting apparel before the performance.
Apr. 24, 2026
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.

Class Offers Ideas to Increase Student Engagement with Folklife Festival

Apr. 24, 2026
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.
Student Truman Maher presents his group's findings to Ewalt, Truckey and the class.

Superior A Capella Thriving

Apr. 20, 2026
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. 
Superior A Cappella

NMU Social Work Activities Highlighted

Apr. 20, 2026
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.
NMU Social Work faculty Karl Johnson (second from left), Vikash Kumar (fifth from right) and Caroline Cheng (second from right) with colleagues at the Second World Social Summit on Social Development, Doha, Qatar. Other participants included representatives the International Consortium for Social Development.

NMU Plans Anderton Earth Week Activities

Apr. 17, 2026
Northern Michigan University's 12th annual Anderton's Earth Week will be held April 19-25. This year's schedule has more than 30 events and activities to celebrate the arrival of spring. Gamma Theta Upsilon, NMU's geographic honors society, is working with the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographic Sciences and the Sustainability Hub for Innovation and Environment (SHINE) to host an action-packed week of Earth-themed activities. 
Earth Week stock photo

Crossman Earns Fellowship to Study in Germany

Apr. 16, 2026
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.
Graduating senior Elise Crossman

Ruge Named NMU Commencement Speaker

Apr. 15, 2026
Mark Ruge, a 1980 Northern Michigan University political science alumnus who grew up in Menominee, will serve as the keynote speaker for NMU's May 2 commencement. As a partner at K&L Gates, one of the largest global law firms, his practice includes a focus on the American maritime industry and the Great Lakes. He is the only lawyer ever inducted into the Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame. Ruge previously worked for former U.P. and northern Michigan Congressman Bob Davis.
NMU alumnus Mark Ruge

Shine Nominated for Masterton Trophy

Apr. 15, 2026
Detroit Red Wings player Dominik Shine, a former member of the NMU Wildcat hockey team from 2013-2017, has been nominated for the 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This award is granted each year to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Shine has a puck commemorating his first NHL goal, scored at age 32. His resolve to stick with the game contributed to his nomination by the Detroit chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).
Dominik Shine, 2026 Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy nominee

Moose Research Team Completes Winter Collaring Effort

Apr. 10, 2026
Northern Michigan University Biology Professor Diana Lafferty and some of her students recently concluded efforts to capture and collar moose as part of cooperative research team that also involves members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the Michigan DNR. The team focused its winter work on the core moose population area in the western Upper Peninsula.
Drs. Tyler Petroelje (MDNR) and Diana Lafferty (NMU) are co-Principal Investigators (pictured) along with Erin Johnston (KBIC, not pictured) in this long-term initiative to study the factors limiting moose population growth in the western UP.

Library Mural Project Nears Completion

Apr. 10, 2026
A collaborative mural is nearing completion in the newly-remodeled Lydia M. Olson Library at Northern Michigan University. The artwork, by graphic design and ecology student Sydney Kuipers, depicts a variety of animals native to the Upper Peninsula arranged in a geometric-like pattern. It is located front and center along the wall near the information services desk. Campus and community members have assisted in painting the mural.
Olson Library Mural Design

Celebration of Student Scholarship April 16

Apr. 9, 2026
Northern Michigan University will host its 30th annual Celebration of Student Scholarship from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in Jamrich Hall. The event highlights scholarly and creative work by undergraduate and graduate students across all disciplines. Presentations include posters, oral presentations, artistic performances and visual art displays. This follows another celebration of student scholarly activity: the inaugural Winter Research Day held earlier this semester.  
Pictured from left: Zoe Moreno, runnerup in the Winter Research Day 3MT competition; Sarah Amidon and Dr. Susy Ziegler of NMU Graduate Studies and Research; and Sarah O’Neill, winner of the 3MT first place and People's Choice awards.