Northern Michigan University is partnering with Saginaw Valley State University to enhance behavioral health care in the Upper Peninsula by expanding educational opportunities for advance practice nurses at a cost savings of nearly 85%. Through the BRIDGE UP program, SVSU is offering its psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) training in collaboration with NMU to 31 U.P. nurse practitioners annually. The program is funded with a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources & Services Administration.

Political Science Department Head and Professor Carter Wilson is the 2024 recipient of the Stephen Young & Tricia Kinley Distinguished Faculty Award, Northern Michigan University's top honor for significant professional contributions to teaching, scholarship and service. He will be honored along with other faculty award winners at the Celebration of Excellence at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, in Ballrooms I and II of the Northern Center.

Elementary education major Grace Cook of Memphis, Mich. will appropriately reference the premise of a popular children's book when she delivers the student commencement address at Northern Michigan University on Saturday, May 4. She said author Patrice Karst's story about The Invisible String that permanently connects every person to the hearts of those they love has impacted her, and seems relevant as graduates leave their college friends to embark on their careers.

At the end of World War I, American soldiers—mostly from Michigan—were deployed to join the Northern Russian Expeditionary Force for a vaguely defined mission. They found themselves embroiled in a civil war, battling Bolshevik revolutionaries for months after the Armistice ended fighting in France. A new play inspired by these men, known as the Polar Bears for enduring harsh winter conditions, will have its world premiere May 9-11 at Northern Michigan University. The idea for Ghost Soldiers by Keli Crawford-Truckey stemmed from a war-time journal bound by leather from the boot of a dead Bolshevik soldier. It was kept by the grandfather of NMU employees Dan and Paul Truckey.

Northern Michigan University honored several individuals and teams during its recent Faculty and Staff Recognition Celebration. Years of service milestones and retirees were also honored. 

UPDATE 4/19: The union ratified this agreement on Thursday and the NMU Board of Trustees approved it during a special meeting Friday morning.

The Northern Michigan University Dance Team qualified to compete in the National Dance Alliance (NDA) college nationals for the first time in history. Team members traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla, earlier this month. They competed in two Division II categories: pom, placing 8th in the nation; and jazz, placing 11th.

Northern Michigan University is seeking student applications and community project proposals for the second cohort of its Rural Leadership Fellowship Program, which offers immersive project-based learning for students while also supporting Upper Peninsula economic and community development projects. The submission deadline for both is May 31.

Northern Michigan University's Administration of Outdoor Recreation and Nature-Based Tourism program is hosting a campus seminar with guest speakers focused on the theme of diversity, equity and inclusion outdoors. Alex Bailey, the originator of "Black Outside," will deliver the keynote address. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, April 19, in Peninsula I in the Northern Center. 

The Northern Michigan University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter will be hosting the sixth annual Marquette Coffee Crawl on Saturday, April 20. Attendees will have the option of participating during the following time slots: 8-10 a.m.,10 a.m. - noon, and noon - 2 p.m. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Marquette Women's Center in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

Northern Michigan University students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course were tasked with creating a business from scratch on a strict timeline. For one team, the assignment has manifested as Wildcat Snow & Lawn. The students are dedicated to donating the proceeds of this lawn care business to the local Habitat for Humanity organization.

The 10th annual Anderton's Earth Week at Northern Michigan University will be held Sunday, April 21 through Saturday, April 27. Student organizations from across have planned a myriad of activities to help campus and community celebrate the Earth and learn about steps they can take to lighten their ecological footprint.

Northern Michigan University's open mind improvisational ensemble, under the direction of Patrick Booth, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, in Reynolds Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Five Northern Michigan University alumni who have taken diverse academic paths to find success in the cannabis industry will participate in a “Wildcats in the Weeds” panel discussion at the Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference at NMU on Tuesday, April 23. They commented in advance on how NMU prepared them for their careers.

The Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, at Northern Michigan University. It will showcase developing trends in cannabis education and scholarship, share insights from industry leaders and experts at the forefront of the sector's evolving landscape, and summarize the state of the industry. Featured speakers and panels, including one composed of NMU alumni working in the industry, are scheduled throughout the day.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “Anything Goes” April 11-13 and 18-20 in Forest Roberts Theatre. The Golden Age musical is set in the 1930s aboard the ocean liner S.S. American. It is directed and choreographed by assistant professor Kristen Beth Ludwig, who was an ensemble member and understudy for the lead role of Reno Sweeney in the 2011 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival at the Roundabout Theatre. She is now sharing her qualified insights with students involved in NMU's production.

Northern Michigan University's Hospitality Management Program will host a seven-course Legacy Dinner fine-dining experience at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in the North Fork, NMU's Teaching Kitchen. NMU's ceramics program will collaborate by creating the first pieces of the North Fork's tableware series, which will be featured at the event. 

Ticket prices for the hospitality leadership program's Longer Days Luncheon: A Culinary Community Festival, held on March 31st in the Northern Center Ballrooms are now available for only $75.