All News Releases

Northern Michigan University alumni and friends are invited to join President Brock Tessman for three upcoming NMU Alumni Night events: Wednesday, March 12, in Lansing; Monday, March 24, in Fort Myers, Fla.; and Wednesday, April 2, in downtown Chicago. All events are free to attend and will include campus updates from Tessman, complimentary food and beverages, and an opportunity to connect with fellow alumni.

Northern Michigan University's Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will launch a new Okanagan Charter Concert Series, which highlights musical themes that support NMU's strategic commitment to well-being, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Both groups will perform pieces that advance the dialogue of mental health awareness. New Director of Bands Steven Riley will also mark his first NMU concert by incorporating a multi-movement suite by a Michigan composer that features the melodies of numerous folk tunes to honor the agricultural, maritime and lumbering history of the state.

Northern Michigan University 1977 alumnus and former Wildcat basketball player/assistant coach Tom Izzo became the winningest head coach in Big Ten Conference history Saturday night, when his Michigan State Spartans came from behind to beat Illinois 79-65. Izzo's 354th conference win surpassed former Indiana coach Bob Knight's record, which had stood for almost 25 years.

Northern Michigan University's Department of Music will host three performance events next week. All will be held in Reynolds Recital Hall. The first is a Superior String Alliance Pop-in Piano Trio Concert at noon Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Julie Bless, a 2010 Northern Michigan University graduate with a major in environmental conservation and a minor in biology, was honored as a "Twenty Under 40 Awards" finalist by the Reno Tahoe Young Professionals Network at a Jan. 24 ceremony. 

One of the remaining Black History Month activities planned at NMU this month is a “Soul Food Sunday” buffet-style feast prepared by Yusuf Bin-Rella. The celebrated chef, farmer and advocate for cultural foodways has worked alongside Michael Twitty, culinary historian and author of The Cooking Gene. Bin-Rella is a chef at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Dejope Residence Hall, and at the TradeRoots Culinary Collective he co-founded, which is a group of Afro-culinary genealogists exploring lineage through food.

Northern Michigan University alumni played important roles in two of the 2025 Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature Film. Three were involved in Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," the highest-grossing animated film in history: Kelsey Mann ('98), director; Dan Scanlon ('87), executive producer; and Neil Helm ('05), lead supervising crowds animator. Northern graduate Joshua Brock ('09) served as modeling lead for "The Wild Robot," DreamWorks Animation's nominee in the same category. The Oscars will be presented Sunday, March 2.

Northern Michigan University faculty, graduate students and alumni are represented on a collaborative research project with the DNR and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community titled “Factors limiting moose population growth in the western Upper Peninsula.” Expanding upon traditional DNR winter aerial surveys used to estimate the moose population, this collaborative initiative will begin by fitting 20 moose with GPS collars this winter, with additional moose being collared next year. The precise location data will help researchers better understand challenges the animals confront that impact their survival.

Northern Michigan University Dining has launched Noba, a new concept on campus that revolves around a variety of bubble tea drink options including milk teas, refreshers and freezes. They come in a variety of flavors and can be infused with traditional boba—tapioca pearls—or popping boba, which are juice-filled pearls. Noba is located in Temaki on Presque Isle Avenue.

Northern Michigan University 2020 economics alumnus and former Wildcat skier Zak Ketterson is one of eight members of the men's team that will represent the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team at the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway from Feb. 27-March 9. Athletes from more than 60 countries will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals across six events: four individual races—20k skiathlon, 10k classic, 50k skate and a skate sprint; and two team events—the the team sprint and 4x7.5k relay.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations invites alumni and friends to virtually join President Brock Tessman for a special 125th-anniversary edition of the Northern Now digital event series. He will explore NMU's rich history alongside esteemed guests with deep ties to the university at 7 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 18. It will be an opportunity for alumni to reflect on their time at NMU, reconnect with fellow Wildcats, and celebrate the legacy of their alma mater. 

Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to serve on the Michigan Education Trust (MET) Board of Directors. The MET is a qualified tuition program that provides tax exemption for the trust and tax exemption of earnings for contract participants who use MET funds to pay for qualified higher education expenses.

Northern Michigan University Social Work Assistant Professor Vikash Kumar has been recognized for his contributions to the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD), which he serves as a board member and director of information and technology. Kumar was honored at the ICSD's 24th biennial conference in India. He and NMU Associate Professor Karl Johnson also presented papers at the conference.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is accepting submissions through March 18 for its “North of the 45th: 2025 Annual Upper Midwest Juried Exhibition.” Artists living in Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota north of the 45th parallel are invited to submit their works from all media.

A Shakespeare play presented with the second week of deer camp in the Upper Peninsula as its backdrop might seem a strange combination or stretch, but Jimmy Ludwig, director of this month's Northern Michigan University production of "Much Ado About Nothing," said his adaptation is designed to make the show more relatable to local audiences.  

The Northern Michigan University Student Nurses Association (SNA) has planned two upcoming events: an Organ Donation Honor Walk from 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, starting at the Superior Dome; and a "Spread the Love" charity gala for Camp New Day from 7-11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the Ore Dock Brewing Co.

Northern Michigan University's construction management program is hosting a Women in Construction Career Exploration Event from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the Jacobetti Complex. More than 100 regional middle school students in grades 6-8 have registered to participate in this free event, which offers students a unique opportunity to discover and experience options that are traditionally viewed as male-oriented.

The lives and work of the Upper Peninsula's greatest politicians will be on display beginning Friday, Feb. 21, in the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center's new exhibition, “The Political Life.” An opening reception will be held from 5–7 p.m. in the center's Gries Hall gallery at Northern Michigan University. Admission to the reception and exhibition is free. 

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees held a special meeting via teleconference to finalize the meeting schedule and committee appointments for calendar year 2025.

Northern Michigan University will host a heated hospitality tent for the general public near the starting gate of the UP 200 Powered by NMU sled dog race on Friday, Feb. 14. NMU will also host a warm-up party at the Trenary Toast Café.