All News Releases

The three executive sponsors of the Our Compass strategic plan grand challenges—supporting our people, partnering with our place, and realizing the potential of all students—outlined initial strategies to address each at Wednesday's university forum. The event also provided updates on facilities projects and the Wildcat Way pedestrian/bike path through campus, along with innovation funding opportunities. In his opening remarks, President Brock Tessman announced an upcoming organizational change.

Northern Michigan University Art and Design Professor Steve Hughes, whose freelance studio has the appropriate moniker Primary Hughes, has received some notable accolades for his boldly colorful acrylic paintings that meld portraiture with graphic elements and patterns. Most recently, he was selected as a monthly winner in the Figure & Portrait category of the 14th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition. He will compete for a $15,000 grand prize and a chance to have his work featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine at a convention and expo in May.

Late last winter, U.S. Army veteran and NMU student Travis Syrja was having major issues with his existing boiler, which proved unfixable. The single father resorted to using small electric heaters in his Negaunee home. That won't be necessary this season. Through the support of area businesses and the efforts of his instructor and fellow second-year students in Northern's HVAC/R program, Syrja's home is now equipped with a new boiler.  

An innovative technology prototype developed by alumni-owned, Marquette-based Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) arrived at the International Space Station for testing earlier this week. The company's REACCH capture and effector uses gecko-inspired adhesion to secure and selectively release space objects of nearly any shape, size or surface condition without causing damage. With this mission, KMI advances its goal of developing a full-scale debris removal spacecraft known as Laelaps. It also reinforces the company's commitment to “keeping space clear for all,” enhancing safety for future space exploration, and advancing in-space servicing and manufacturing.

NMUDoIt, a student theater group established early this year at Northern Michigan University, will present its first full-length production—the musical The Last Five Years—at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 through Saturday, Nov. 16, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. Tickets are free (donations accepted). Written and composed by Drama Desk winner Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years is described as an emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their 20s who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.

Northern Michigan University will host a public panel presentation titled “Refugee Voices of Resilience” on Thursday, Nov. 7. Former refugees and migrants who now serve in government, humanitarian and educational roles will share their journeys to where they are today, highlighting their work in supporting vulnerable communities and giving back.

High school seniors who reside in the Upper Peninsula and plan to pursue studies in a healthcare-related field at a college or university next fall are invited to participate in the fifth annual National Rural Health Day Essay Contest. The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health is coordinating the contest with the Michigan Center for Rural Health and the Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan. The essay submission deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Northern Michigan University 2015 psychology alumnus Robert Torrence will give a presentation on how his employer, ThinkAlike Laboratories, applies neuroscience to real-world business challenges. This talk covers EEG-based methods to measure attention, engagement and product impact, providing a glimpse of innovative paths to impact consumer insights and strategy.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations will host a Northern Now digital event for alumni and friends that features a virtual cooking segment with students in NMU's hospitality leadership program, under the guidance of instructor/chef and 2010 alumna Alden MacDonald. The segment will be available at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Multi-platinum solo artists Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker, who released their new album brent iii today, will make a stop at Northern Michigan University on their "Brent Forever: The Tour" on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Northern Michigan University and SISU: The Innovation Institute have announced that NMU is now a designated Adobe Creative Campus. This recognition highlights NMU's commitment to equipping students and employees with the essential digital skills and creativity toolkit needed to thrive in today's dynamic and ever-evolving landscape.

Kourtney Goodwill, assistant director of Admissions at Northern Michigan University, was selected as a 2024 Rising Star Award recipient through the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication in serving the needs of students as they transition from high school to college.

Northern Michigan University 2019 alumnus Scott Crady is a photographer and mountain athlete who specializes in adventure photography. His career has taken him around the globe, including the Arctic, Central America and Asia. In November, he will be adding the South Pacific to his list, specifically Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Northern Michigan University, the City of Marquette and bipartisan NMU student organizations are teaming up to provide a more efficient, coordinated opportunity for students to register to vote during the early voting period to avoid a last-minute surge on Election Day. NMU will offer a shuttle from The Woods housing complex to and from Peter White Public Library for this purpose from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.

Northern Michigan University is collaborating with Alpena Community College and Central Michigan University to create the Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline for aspiring educators. This partnership aims to address the regional teacher shortage by offering students an affordable, seamless, and locally rooted pathway to pursue a career in education.

Eight Northern Michigan University faculty members have been selected as recipients of Reassigned Time Awards for the winter 2025 semester beginning in January. Each award provides up to four credit hours of release time to support scholarship activities.

An external audit of Northern Michigan University's most recent financial statements resulted in a “clean, unmodified report, which is the highest level of assurance we can place on them,” said Josh Sullivan of Rehmann during a special meeting of the NMU Board of Trustees Friday morning. Rehmann's Traverse City location conducted the audit for the fiscal years ending June 30 of 2024 and 2023.

Nadine Strossen, past president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), will present “Free Speech and the Crisis of Higher Education: a Conversation with Nadine Strossen” at Northern Michigan University. The event is scheduled from 1-2:40 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in 1320 John X. Jamrich Hall.

Former Northern Michigan University President James Appleberry passed away Monday in Louisville, Ky., from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 86. He began his NMU tenure in July 1983 and resigned in 1991 to become president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), which had previously recognized NMU under his leadership as “one of the top 10 institutions for innovation and change in American higher education.”