All News Releases

NMU alumna Caitlin Sternberg, who earned her environmental science degree in 2021, is the new director of outreach and communication for Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior, a Marquette County nonprofit. She previously worked as a Great Lakes Climate Corp crew leader with the Superior Watershed Partnership, partnering with diverse groups like the National Forest Service or the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community on environmental projects.

NMU alumnus Mike Garland ('78 BS), who has served as an assistant coach for his former Wildcat basketball teammate and longtime friend Tom Izzo, is retiring after 22 seasons with the Michigan State Spartans.

Steve Young has seen Northern Michigan University from two distinct perspectives: as a political science student and resident of Bedside Manor house on the first floor of the former Payne Hall in the mid-1970s; and as a 2019 governor's appointee to the NMU Board of Trustees, which he currently leads as chair.

A Northern Michigan University alumna and her NMU faculty mentor contributed to a published paper on a recent study of Alaskan brown bears that found significant variations in their gut microbiomes, depending on where they live. The finding advances scientific understanding of the relationship between wildlife habitat, diet and gut microbiome diversity, and facilitates more informed decisions to support the health of wildlife species.

The Upper Peninsula Digital Network (UPLINK) will present a two-day public event hosted by the Ontonagon County Historical Society that features a presentation on the importance of preserving local history and an opportunity for community members to digitize family memorabilia, photographs and cassette recordings. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 14-15 at the Ontonagon Village Housing Commission at 100 Cane Court.

Northern Michigan University's Department of Theatre & Dance is seeking campus and community involvement for a devised theater piece that will celebrate members of historically marginalized communities and share their experiences at NMU and in the Marquette area. The piece, tiled “Finding Home,” will be incorporated into the 2022-2023 season. The deadline for sharing stories is Tuesday, June 14.

Northern Michigan University's College of Graduate Studies & Research has added a new master's degree program titled Administration of Outdoor Recreation and Nature-Based Tourism, effective this fall. The program will be delivered largely online through NMU's Global Campus, with two in-person summer seminar courses. It is designed for individuals currently working in the parks and recreation fields who wish to advance to administrative positions, as well as prospective students interested in entering these occupations.

The Student Leader Fellowship Program (SLFP) at Northern Michigan University is recruiting mentors from the community and university for the 2022-23 academic year. Mentors are matched with a student fellow for one academic year and act as a role model, adviser and friend. They provide guidance and support as the students strive to become leaders of their communities through service.

The Northern Michigan University Department of Theatre and Dance will present the world premiere of "A Complicated Hope" by John Mabey of Atlanta, winner of NMU's 2021 Panowski Playwriting Award. Show times are 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 12. A sensory-friendly Theatre for All performance will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday. 

A poverty-stricken childhood in Washington, D.C. did not stop NMU alumnus and boxer DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson from compiling a long list of impressive achievements and accolades—not only for his powerful punch in the ring, but for his dedication to community service and education. The two-time national Golden Gloves champion, 10-time national amateur champ and former professional heavyweight was recently among six 2022 inductees into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. 

The long-awaited sequel to "Top Gun" has hit movie theaters, treating viewers to another round of visually engaging and intense flying sequences. NMU alumnus and U.S. Navy Lt. Zach Fini put his media production degree to use creating videos that project a similar feel, but in an authentic context depicting actual Navy Growler pilots, not actors. Assembling live footage from jet cockpits and the flight deck, along with musical backdrops, he produced some of YouTube's most popular Navy cruise videos. 

Northern Michigan University alumna Nanette Hanson has been named the 2022-23 Michigan Teacher of the Year. She is a first-grade teacher at Lemmer Elementary School in Escanaba. Hanson earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and creative arts from NMU in 1994, and a master's in educational administration and supervision in 2009.

Northern Michigan University student Gwen Feamster, a political science major from Linden, Mich., has been selected to serve on the Michigan Department of State's Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force. She is among 25 undergraduates chosen from more than 200 applicants who will act as civic engagement liaisons between the Secretary of State's office and their campuses throughout 2022.

The Northern Michigan University Arts and Athletics Golf Outing will be held on Thursday, June 23, at the Marquette Golf Club. This is the 4th annual event, which supports students and programs associated with the Departments of Theatre and Dance and Intercollegiate Athletics.

The Northern Michigan University Department of Theatre and Dance world-premiere production of Above the Timberline won 14 special achievement awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival national awards ceremony, a virtual event streamed May 21 from Washington, D.C. Productions from institutions invited to the eight regional festivals held earlier this year were eligible for national recognition of the outstanding work by individuals and ensembles.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations continues its Northern Now digital event series with a campfire cooking segment at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, June 8. Chef Alden Griffus CCC '10, executive chef for NMU Dining Services, will showcase her favorite campfire dinners that can be made either in the kitchen or over a campfire. Current hospitality management student Trixie Maguran Jacobson will cook alongside Chef Alden.

The 2022 IncredibleBank Hope Starts Here Challenge, which raises funds and awareness for the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center, will be held in person Saturday, June 11. There is also a virtual participation option. 

Northern Michigan University's branch of the national Student Veterans of America organization, along with several local volunteers, cleaned about 50 veteran tombstones at Holy Cross Cemetery in Marquette on Saturday. 

Northern Michigan University is among 171 colleges and universities nationwide and one of only three public institutions in Michigan named to the 2022 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society's Transfer Honor Roll for “creating dynamic pathways” to support transfer students.

This winter, the Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health brought Upper Peninsula universities together for the second annual Fight the Flu competition. Students, staff and faculty from Finlandia University, Michigan Technological University and Northern Michigan University competed to see which school could get the highest percentage of its total population vaccinated against the flu. Based on the self-reported statistics, the winner for the second year in a row is Finlandia University, coming in at a 17.6% vaccination rate.