All News Releases

Northern Michigan University Public Relations Professor Jessica Thompson's commitment to sustainability permeates the courses she teaches for the College of Business, her interdisciplinary research with colleagues to improve climate change communication and increase environmental awareness, and her service activities on campus and in the community. Thompson's achievements and positive impact on students have made her the 2023 recipient of the Stephen Young & Tricia Kinley Distinguished Faculty Award—NMU's top academic honor.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance is presenting Oscar Wilde's Salome, a “darkly thrilling one-act tragedy” and lyrical drama that has inspired creative minds across the ages. The final performances are scheduled March 1-4.

Northern Michigan University graduate students Michael Woodworth and Amy Munes were recently selected as Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), a prestigious program that partners early-career professionals with U.S. Federal Agencies to make a difference in government and impact their communities. There were 850 fellows chosen from more than 10,000 applicants.

NMU Center for Native American Studies Professor Martin Reinhardt is featured in a YES! Magazine article on the abundant varieties of fungi that can be foraged in the wild and what they symbolize to Indigenous cultures. Reinhardt said the Anishinaabemowin term for mushroom is “papowii,” which means “to swell up in stature suddenly and silently from an unseen source of power.” 

NMU alumnus Scott Grajewski was recently appointed as the new director of the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety in Jackson County, Mich. He has served with the department for more than 27 years. Grajewski grew up in Blackman Township. After he graduated from Northern in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in justice studies and public relations, he returned to his hometown and secured a job with the department. 

Pamela Peterson of Iron Mountain is the recipient of the first Northern Michigan University “full-ride” Harden Scholarship designated specifically for transfer students. She will transfer to Northern from Bay College this fall as a social work major, and said her goal is to become a substance use disorder counselor.

Northern Michigan University held its annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, during which students present their research in a compressed format using a single slide and layperson-friendly language. Nathan Joyal, an integrated biology major, finished first in the graduate student category for summarizing his research on the relative commercial viability of growing cannabis in “organic super soil” compared with soil treated with salt-based commercial fertilizer. Adan Mulvaney, a communications major, took top honors among McNair Scholars for her research on female-identifying youth in scouting.

The Marquette Regional History Center presented its Peter White Award to the Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives at the center's annual meeting on Feb. 22. The Peter White Award is for an organization or group with research or a project based on enhancing and conserving local history.

Northern Michigan University has added an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiving station to the university's Mt. Mesnard tower in South Marquette as a safety tool to help boaters detect marine traffic they are likely to encounter.

The Asian Student Union at Northern Michigan University will host an interactive workshop and panel discussion on building individual resilience, dealing with collective grief, discussing post-traumatic growth and sharing cultural competency practices. It is scheduled from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in 1313 Jamrich Hall.

Northern Michigan University Education Professor Kristen White is among collaborators from 10 partner universities and K12s—including Marquette Area Public Schools—to receive an award from the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) to participate in its Family Engagement Educator Preparation Innovation Project. Only nine collaboratives were selected from a nationwide pool of 76 proposals to receive grants totaling more than $150,000. 

SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University and Innovate Marquette are partnering to present their inaugural Innovation Week, a professional development conference bringing together thought leaders and creative minds in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Registration is now open for the event, which will be held May 8-10 at NMU's Forest Roberts Theatre. The schedule features keynote speakers from Trend Hunter and Virginia Commonwealth University, interactive workshops, innovation quests with curated tours of various U.P. industry sectors, and networking opportunities.

After a three-year hiatus, Poetry without Borders will return to Northern Michigan University. Students, faculty, staff and community members will present either original or published poetry in languages other than English. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Peninsula II room of the Northern Center.  

A Northern Michigan University biology lab is researching burbot, an understudied native cold-water fish that exists throughout the Great Lakes. Graduate students, undergraduates and even a high school intern are gaining biological knowledge of the species' development and characteristics.

Due to deteriorating weather conditions and concern for the safety of mushers, dogs, spectators and volunteers, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association has canceled all three races this weekend: the UP200 Powered by Northern Michigan University, Midnight Run and Jack Pine 30 and Midnight Run.

Northern Michigan University's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where NMU graduate students present their research in a condensed format, returns Tuesday, Feb. 21. The public is invited at 4 p.m. in the Lydia M. Olson Library Atrium.

Four Northern Michigan University alumni will participate in a Black History Month panel discussion, sharing insights into how their NMU education prepared them for their careers, obstacles they have overcome, and ways they are impacting the communities in which they live. This "Northern Now" digital event is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 22. It is free, but pre-registration is required.

Northern Michigan University's Seaborg Center will offer College for Kids Jr., hands-on and minds-on STEM classes for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The classes are from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 25, and/or Saturday, April 15, at the Seaborg Center. Pre-registration is required with a $10 fee per class.

Northern Michigan University's Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE) launched the Wildcat Economics Reading Program last semester, and students selected to participate who attended regular meetings received $500 CEEE Scholar Awards when it ended. A second installment of the program started in January. Students from all academic majors and backgrounds read and discuss non-technical selections on contemporary topics ranging from health care, property rights and freedom of speech to the environment, economic systems and discrimination. 

The UP200 sled dog race, established in 1990, is powered by Northern Michigan University, both in terms of sponsorship and volunteer support. Darlene Walch, president of the U.P. Sled Dog Association, estimates as many as 500 students will volunteer for this weekend's UP200 Powered by Northern Michigan University, Jack Pine 30 and Midnight Run. They help with everything from selling merchandise to vet checks for the dogs and crowd control, with several student organizations involved in the process.