All News Releases

Northern Michigan University Professor Jes Thompson and some of her students recently wrapped up a series of stops at 20 U.S. national parks and 12 wildlife refuges, where they surveyed visitors on their perceptions of climate change in these natural areas. They are partnering with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use the data collected to increase public awareness of climate change, foster meaningful conversations with visitors, and develop educational materials for future programs.

Northern Michigan University is featured for the first time in the annual Sustainable Campus Index, which celebrates higher education institutions leading the way in sustainability. 

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will open a new exhibition titled “Gales of November: Shipwrecks on Lake Superior” at noon on Friday, Sept. 19, in its gallery in Gries Hall.

LIVE@NMU will kick off its fifth annual LIVE Art & Word Contest as a way to help break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and suicide, engage individuals, encourage positive mental health and showcase the talents of both high school students and adults from across the Upper Peninsula. 

Northern Michigan University's Siril Concert Series will present a “Beethoven and Banjos” concert featuring classical and folk music from Iceland at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in Reynolds Recital Hall. The featured artists will also present two free events earlier that day in the same location: a music appreciation presentation at 11 a.m., followed by a masterclass at 1 p.m.

Environmental Action Week at Northern Michigan University will take place starting Wednesday, Sept. 17, with the university hosting various events to highlight the role of activism and advocacy as it relates to the environment, climate and sustainability. 

Award-winning Puerto Rican poet and author Mara Pastor will visit Northern Michigan University for two free events on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 17-18. 

Northern Michigan University alumnus Andy Skewis is early in his first year as superintendent of Negaunee Public Schools (NPS). He was appointed to the position after the retirement of his third cousin and fellow NMU alumnus Dan Skewis.

Rum Runner's Cove, a site just east of Wetmore Landing that was once used for smuggling during prohibition, is popular among NMU students who enjoy cliff jumping from its large rock into Lake Superior. But when a group of friends was there in late August and one fell from the slick surface and injured herself on a boulder below before tumbling into the water, nursing major Cara Hartley of Bloomfield Township was quick to assess the situation and provide help.

In honor of World Mental Health Day, Northern Michigan University Wellbeing Promotions is gearing up for its second annual Mind Over Miles 5K at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present "Into the Woods," a fantasy musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Sept 25-27 and Oct 2-4. This “darkly enchanting” production blends familiar fairy tale characters with profound themes of desire, consequence and hope.

The Schultz Family Foundation First-Generation Empowerment Scholarship, which awards NMU students up to $15,000 per year up to four years, was “crafted on the notion that, while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.” The 32 inaugural recipients engaged in pre-semester programming focused on relationship-building, connections to resources and the U.P. community, financial literacy and career readiness.

Northern Michigan University will host multiple alumni and community events on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19-20, to celebrate Homecoming. The schedule includes a parade, tailgate party and sporting events, along with various alumni events and campus tours.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health recently marked its five-year anniversary and also hosted its first U.P. Future Health Leaders summer camp for 36 students who are now freshmen or sophomores at high schools throughout the Upper Peninsula.

Northern Michigan University alumna Lindsey Locke is one of 65 Americans selected to study and work in Germany for a year as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program. About 420 U.S. applicants representing a variety of career fields and locations vied for a spot in the prestigious program, now in its 42nd year. Locke graduated last May with a double major in international studies and Spanish.

Northern Michigan University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1975 NCAA Division II champion football team with several events for alumni and campus/community members Thursday, Oct. 9, through Saturday, Oct. 11. The Wildcats achieved the most remarkable turnaround in the history of NCAA or professional sports by following a winless season with a championship. They compiled a 13-1 record, including a 16-14 victory over Western Kentucky in the DII national title game.

Northern Michigan University's student organization Platform Personalities will host An Evening with Rachel Dratch at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom. She is best known for her seven-year run on Saturday Night Live from 1999–2006.

Abby Knight, who earned a master's degree in exercise science from Northern Michigan University in 2023, was invited to join the U.S. athletic training staff at the recent FISU World University Games in Berlin, Germany. About 8,500 student-athletes and technical officials from more than 150 countries participated in 18 sports. This was her first time applying her knowledge and skills abroad.

Northern Michigan University's Admissions Office is hosting the Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in the Northern Center Ballrooms. Representatives from colleges and universities across the Midwest, along with the Armed Forces and ROTC programs, will participate. High school juniors and seniors and their parents are welcome to attend.