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Assistant professor Chris Houston, who choreographed a piece that will be featured at NMU's North Coast Dance Festival June 25-26, arrived on campus last year with a wealth of professional experience and insight gleaned from a career that took him to some of the most prestigious global performance venues. Born in Scotland and trained in London, he appeared in original West End productions of Miss Saigon and Cats, and was among only 50 dancers selected to join Celine Dion's first Las Vegas residency and her subsequent world tour. Afterward, the former acrobat embarked on a long relationship with Cirque du Soleil.

The 2026 IncredibleBank Hope Starts Here Challenge, a variety of running and walking events designed to raise funds and awareness for the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC), will be held on Saturday, June 13. The UMBTC is a collaborative effort between Northern Michigan University, UP Health System and the Superior Health Foundation. Registration ends at 11:59 p.m. June 12.

Two Northern Michigan University alumni were honored as the 2026 Outstanding Staff members at Bay College during an awards banquet near the end of the academic year. Marie Johnson, who earned a bachelor's from NMU in applied workplace leadership, serves as Bay's records and registration assistant. Kyle Schaeffer, who holds a bachelor's and master's in education from NMU, serves as the college's academic success manager.

Hon. Matthew Wiese of Marquette, a 1984 NMU alumnus and judge of the 25th Circuit Court, was reappointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board. He graduated from NMU with a bachelor's degree in political science and psychology before earning his juris doctor from Vermont Law School.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved a new NMU-American Association of University Professors (AAUP) contract, which was previously ratified by the faculty membership on May 15. The agreement covers one year for financial provisions and five years for non-financial elements.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will host "North of the 45th," an annual juried exhibition featuring artists living in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota locations north of the 45th parallel, which is known as the halfway point between the equator and north pole. The show opens June 19 and will be on display through Sept. 4.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Brady McCormick developed a passion for habitat restoration while pursuing a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and sustainability. The 2024 grad is now doing similar work professionally with the Idaho Fish and Game River Restoration program. 

Northern Michigan University May BFA graduate Lexi Klamer scored some impressive achievements in her final semester. She was selected for the Society of Illustrators (New York) 2026 Student Scholarship Competition, and received the $2,000 Nancy Lee Rhodes Roberts Scholarship for a gouache-on-paper work titled Pond Water Souls. Klamer was one of only 216 artists from more than 4,550 entries selected for an exhibition in the society's museum, which she attended shortly after  commencement.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will usher in Pride Month with a Drag Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 29-30, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. Thursday's show will be followed by an opening night party with appetizers, beverages and a meet and greet with the cast and team  

Northern Michigan University and Bay College have partnered to create a new 3+1 transfer pathway that expands access to high-quality, flexible education options for students pursuing a career in early childhood education. It is now easier for those earning an associate of applied science (AAS) in early childhood education to complete a bachelor's degree in the same discipline, with the potential to add a birth-to-kindergarten teaching certificate.

Northern Michigan University will host a series of summer camps for K-12 students. Programs range from day camps for young children to specialized residential experiences for high school students, with options focused on recreation, STEM, health careers, performing arts and athletics.

Northern Michigan University will host the 2026 BIPOC Outdoors Summit & Rest Retreat July 27-31. While the events are designed to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Color in outdoor spaces, everyone is welcome to participate. The emphasis is on creating an environment that fosters belonging, reflection and engagement with nature.

Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health Director Elise Bur has been selected as one of 20 statewide members of the newly established Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Advisory Council. The group will provide insight on rural health priorities, review program progress and offer recommendations to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) leadership.

Northern Michigan University's athletic training program recently marked 25 years since its first graduate in 2001. From its humble beginnings as a small certification track, athletic training has evolved into a master's degree offered in two formats: as a 3+2 program for students who first earn a bachelor's in sports science from Northern; or as a stand-alone for students who have already completed a bachelor's degree at NMU or elsewhere.

The NMU Dance Team made program history for the third time in three years, recording its best finishes at the College Classic National Championship in Orlando. The team placed 8th in Pom and 9th in Jazz at the Division II level.

Students from NMU's Communication and Media Studies Department earned awards and competitive scholarships at the 2026 Michigan Association of Broadcasters' (MAB) Student Awards ceremony in Lansing.

“Tragedy Sound,” a play about three lifelong friends from the Upper Peninsula who become stranded on Lake Superior after accepting a reckless dare to embark on a canoe trek, is the most recent work by 1996 Northern Michigan University alumna and Mass City native Karen Saari. The winner of NMU's Panowski Playwriting Award will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 14-16 in the Panowski Black Box Theatre.

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.