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Andy Buckmaster is one of eight individuals who won the 2023 Excellence in Service Award. He is a mechanic for Northern Michigan University's facilities. He exemplifies NMU's core values when servicing a department vehicle, plowing during some of the heaviest snow storms, working on a special project to help either an academic or athletic program, or helping train NMU's workforce.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “Grease,” a rollicking musical comedy reuniting the audience with familiar characters from the classic 1978 film. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 14-15 and 19-22 in Forest Roberts Theatre. A sensory-friendly Theatre for All matinee will be held at 1 p.m. April 15.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will hold a family night from 5-7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to participate in an all-ages activity, using surprising materials to reveal magical winter landscapes inspired by the artwork on view and create a mixed-media artwork to take home. Guided tours with the curators will be offered at 5 and 6 p.m.

Over the more than four decades that Marquette has had a Sister City relationship with Higashiomi, Japan, Northern Michigan University's president has sponsored one student from there to attend NMU each year. Now, for the first time, a Northern student is a reciprocal Sister City scholar. 

Eight Northern Michigan University faculty members selected to receive 2022-23 awards of excellence for teaching, scholarship and leadership were honored at an April 6 celebration on campus. In comments before the presentations, NMU President Brock Tessman said he highly anticipated attending his first such event in his new role. He was a faculty member before ascending through the administrative ranks.

Sarah Carlson, the Master of Social Work (MSW) program director and assistant department head, is a proud graduate of Northern's BSW program and received her MSW from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013. She maintains a license in clinical social work in Michigan, and has focused her social work practice on mental health with children and families. She has practiced in wilderness therapy, residential care and community mental health.

Jason Doney, BSN RN, has been a part-time clinical instructor for the School of Nursing since fall 2016. He brings a wealth of clinical knowledge to his position as an instructor in adult-health I nursing. As a registered nurse since 2002, he has worked in the following areas: surgical, pediatrics, emergency room and intensive care, with long stints as a clinical manager and trauma program manager. 

Vincent Jeevar has served as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Science since 2019. He earned a doctorate in psychology from Grand Canyon University. Jeevar has taught courses in the general psychology curriculum and developed a new course on positive psychology, which has become highly popular. He is known for being an engaging and innovative instructor, particularly through his use of multimedia technology for both in-person and online instruction.

Bill Digneit is the Director of SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University, as well as the founding head of the Theatre & Dance Department at NMU. He holds a master of fine arts degree in technical direction and production management from Florida State University. 

Gabe Logan is entering his 18th year in NMU's History Department and his fifth as the AAUP faculty union's contract officer. He served as Editor for Upper Country, a Journal of the Lake Superior Region, from 2015-2019. Logan has authored 25 peer-reviewed works that include journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, accreditation reports and a monograph. He has also presented 23 papers at national and international conferences. 

Stacy Boyer-Davis is a tenured assistant professor in accounting, in addition to being very productive scholar. Her commitment to scholarship has elevated the research profile of the College of Business by her productivity and active research agenda. In the past few years, she has had 13 published/accepted top-tier (A) quality peer-reviewed journal article publications with one additional publication currently in review.

Abby Cameron-Standerford is dedicated to the mission of empowering teacher leaders in the field of learning disabilities and teacher education. She is also an NMU alumna, holding a bachelor of science in elementary education and special education, along with a master of arts in learning disabilities. She also holds a doctorate of education from Central Michigan University.

Professionals who work in the regional outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism industries will participate in a roundtable discussion of the impacts these activities are having, adaptive efforts to mediate the impacts, and sustainability related to the industries. The event, hosted by Northern Michigan University's new master's degree program in administration of outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism, will be held on Friday, April 21, in the Northern Center Peninsula V room. It is open to the public.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting the School of Art and Design's Winter 2023 Senior Exhibition. The works of graduating students from all concentrations will be shown. The exhibition opens Thursday, April 20. It will end Friday, May 5, with a digital art screening at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7 and an awards presentation at 8. The event is free and open to the public.

Northern Michigan University's medicinal plant chemistry program is singled out for having the best cannabis degree program in the newly published Readers' Choice Award Winners edition of Michigan GreenState Magazine. Voting was conducted in 2022 to determine readers' top choices in several categories contributing to the state's cannabis culture and economy.

General public tickets for the inaugural Innovation Week professional development conference at Northern Michigan University will be reduced by $25—to $175—for a limited time from Monday, April 10, through Friday, April 14. SISU: The Innovation Institute at NMU and Innovate Marquette are partnering to host the event, which will bring together thought leaders and creative minds in Michigan's Upper Peninsula May 8-10.

The second annual Great Lakes Cannabis Education Conference (GLCEC), which debuted last year as the first large-scale gathering of cannabis education in the region, will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, in the Northern Center Ballrooms at Northern Michigan University. The conference seeks to showcase developing trends in cannabis education and scholarship, as well as insights from industry leaders and experts at the forefront of the sector's evolving landscape.

Northern Michigan University's new football head coach Shane Richardson will be featured during the next Northern Now digital event at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, April 12. The discussion will be moderated by Steve Mariucci, NFL Network analyst and show host, with special appearances by New York Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh and NMU Athletic Director Rick Comley. All four are also NMU alumni.

NoMAD, a Northern Michigan University student organization that promotes local and underground music, is hosting an event featuring female-led rock and punk bands titled “Ra Ra Rock for Your Rights” at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 8 in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom. NoMAD is short for Northern Michigan Artist Discovery.

The top three finishers in Northern Michigan University's March 29 performance competition for music majors, all of whom will receive scholarships, were: Darren Hicks, a senior from Manistique, who received first place for his performance on the marimba; Nicholas Wegrzyn, a sophomore from Buckley, who earned second on saxophone; and Noah Nettell, a sophomore from Chassell, who placed third for his piano piece.