All News Releases

Innovate Marquette SmartZone (Innovate Marquette) and SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University (NMU) have announced dates and programming for the second annual Innovation Week. The professional development conference brings together thought leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs to inspire, enlighten and spark curiosity.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Phil Gilchrist is the new executive director of Advancing Macomb, a nonprofit organization that convenes resources to solve community challenges and enrich the lives of Macomb County residents. His role involves program oversight, financial administration, strategic planning and execution, marketing and public relations.

NMU alumna Nanette Hanson, the 2023 Michigan State Teacher of the Year, was honored on the field before the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 8, and stayed to watch the Michigan Wolverines win the trophy. She is a first-grade teacher at Lemmer Elementary School in Escanaba. The recognition was part of the College Football Playoff Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers program.

Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman will share campus updates and answer questions while connecting with alumni and friends during a Northern Now virtual event hosted by NMU Alumni Relations at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17. 

Northern Michigan University is among the 12 “Best U.S. Colleges and Universities to Get Outdoors and/or Pursue an Outdoors Career,” according to a listing posted by Outdoors.com, founded by adventurer and TV host Bear Grylls in partnership with the Nashville-based firm Savage Ventures. 

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will soon unveil the 2024 installment of its UP Focus exhibition, which highlights artists living and working in, or inspired by, the Upper Peninsula. This year's featured artists are connected to the Copper Country: Catherine Benda and Carrie Flaspohler VanderVeen. An opening reception with artist talks is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. The event is free and open to the public.

Andy Contois, a 2006 NMU financial management alumnus and former Wildcat hockey player, will serve as an assistant coach for Team White when it faces Team Blue in the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game on Jan. 15 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The game features 45 top prospects from the United States Hockey League (USHL)—the nation's only Tier 1 junior hockey league—who are eligible for the 2024 NHL draft.

Northern Michigan University will hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 15. The event will include a noon program featuring NMU President Brock Tessman and 2014 alumna Taylor Johnson, lunch and four service project options from 1-3 p.m. All will take place in The Woods Lodge.

Anne Dahlman, whose higher education experience spans 27 years as a teacher, faculty scholar and administrator, will become Northern Michigan University's next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, effective April 1. The Finland native most recently served as interim associate provost at Minnesota State University Mankato, where she advanced through the faculty ranks and various leadership positions over the past 17 years.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health, in partnership with Everyday Life Consulting, will offer a Community Health Worker (CHW) certification training program for Upper Peninsula residents in a virtual format starting Tuesday, Jan. 9. The training consists of 12 days of instruction on the nationally recognized CHW core competencies, plus Mental Health First Aid and Adverse Childhood Event training.

Michigan's 15 public universities have joined a nationwide effort to make student financial aid offers more transparent and standardized. The College Cost Transparency (CCT) Initiative is intended to combat inconsistencies in financial aid communication.

Northern Michigan University will receive $13.4 million in state funding toward construction of a $19.1 million Northern Enterprise Center to house the College of Business and serve as a catalyst for workforce, economic and community development across the Upper Peninsula and beyond. The university's top strategic facilities priority was included in the supplemental appropriations bill signed today by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A Northern Michigan University librarian was accepted into the highly competitive American Library Association's (ALA) Emerging Leaders Program. The program accepts no more than 50 participants each year, and Emera Bridger Wilson is one of them for 2024.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today voted to fully divest its endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry by 2028, while also increasing sustainability-related investments by up to 15%. The move aligns with NMU's core values and strategic priorities, which include a focus on building a culture of sustainability. It also expands on related initiatives such as implementing a carbon neutrality plan, creating a new assistant vice president for sustainability position, and enhancing trustee support for the EcoReps student organization. 

Northern Michigan University faculty and student researchers are testing a regional company's new Zone One basketball flooring system to determine whether its design goals of enhancing athletes' safety, performance and comfort are supported by science.

Two Northern Michigan University alumni who maintained longtime connections with their alma mater through service or occupation will receive honorary degrees at NMU's commencement: Scott Holman, a 1965 alumnus and NMU Trustee Emeritus; and Thomas Holmstrom, a 1959 graduate and Professor Emeritus of Economics.

Derek Estes, who assumed the role of executive chef with Northern Michigan University Dining in mid-October, was honored earlier this month as the Culinarian of the Year by the Upper Peninsula Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He previously served as operations manager for Northern Center catering events. The NMU alumnus also achieved Certified Executive Chef status from the ACF one year ago.

Al Gray of Marquette, who holds two degrees from Northern Michigan University, was recently appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the first statewide LGBTQ+ commission. Gray earned a bachelor's in philosophy and sociology in 2018 and a Master of Social Work in 2023. They serve as an LLMSW at Suunta Integrative Health, program coordinator for Trace Holistic Inc., and volunteer co-facilitator with the Upper Peninsula's Stand with Trans Teen support group, according to a press release.