All News Releases

NMU to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of NCAA Football Championship

Sep. 5, 2025
Northern Michigan University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1975 NCAA Division II champion football team with several events for alumni and campus/community members Thursday, Oct. 9, through Saturday, Oct. 11. The Wildcats achieved the most remarkable turnaround in the history of NCAA or professional sports by following a winless season with a championship. They compiled a 13-1 record, including a 16-14 victory over Western Kentucky in the DII national title game.
50th Anniversary NCAA DII Championship celebration logo

NMU Grad Works at World University Games

Sep. 4, 2025
Abby Knight, who earned a master's degree in exercise science from Northern Michigan University in 2023, was invited to join the U.S. athletic training staff at the recent FISU World University Games in Berlin, Germany. About 8,500 student-athletes and technical officials from more than 150 countries participated in 18 sports. This was her first time applying her knowledge and skills abroad.
The USA delegation of athletic trainers at the World University Games (from left): Justine Coliflores, NMU alumna Abby Knight, Michael Hoang and Paul Alvarez.

NMU Hosts Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair

Sep. 4, 2025
Northern Michigan University's Admissions Office is hosting the Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in the Northern Center Ballrooms. Representatives from colleges and universities across the Midwest, along with the Armed Forces and ROTC programs, will participate. High school juniors and seniors and their parents are welcome to attend.
Scan this barcode to register for NMU's Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair, or visit the StriveFair.com link within the story.

Grad's Business an AI Top 50 Award Winner

Aug. 29, 2025
Syncurrent, a Marquette-based artificial intelligence-driven startup whose CEO is Northern Michigan University alumnus Dhruv Patel, has been named an inaugural AI 50 Award winner by the Center for Public Sector AI for advancing artificial intelligence in public service. Syncurrent has built a platform that significantly shortens the time it takes for local and tribal governments to identify and qualify for grant funding.
NMU alumnus and Syncurrent CEO Dhruv Patel (Innovate Marquette)

'Murmurations' Exhibit at NMU's DeVos Art Museum

Aug. 28, 2025
Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting an exhibition titled "Murmurations" through Nov. 1, with related events throughout September. The exhibit features a diverse collection of works by 30 artists, who all participated in Nido (Italian for “nest”), an artist residency located in the small town of Monte Castello di Vibio, nestled within the central hills of Italy.
A portion of the "Murmurations" exhibition at NMU's DeVos Art Museum

Smith Inducted into Outdoor Hall of Fame

Aug. 28, 2025
Northern Michigan University 1972 alumnus Richard P. Smith was one of two 2025 Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees honored by the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA), and the first Upper Peninsula resident to earn the distinction. He also received the organization's Harold "Opie" Titus Award for Best Book for "Nickel & Dime Your Way To Extra Dollars While Saving The Planet" at the same meeting. 
Drew YoungeDyke of MOWA presented Smith with a plaque for the Hall of Fame Induction.

Alumni Night at Detroit Tigers Recap

Aug. 26, 2025
Detroit may be home to Lions and Tigers, but Wildcats received a warm welcome there earlier this month at two events hosted by the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association. A delegation of 340 Northern graduates and friends watched the Tigers pull out a 6-5 victory over the Angels during NMU Alumni Night at Comerica Park, with two-time graduate Adam Hamari ('05 BS, '13 MAE) serving as third-base umpire. Proceeds from a portion of ticket sales generated $1,700 for NMU's Alumni Legacy Scholarship.
NMU alumni and friends at the pre-game reception

REVISED: Wildcat Theatre Follies Sept. 4-6

Aug. 26, 2025
Editors: This has been revised to include an additional quote submitted by the co-director. Please use this version instead.Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The event will showcase a variety of creative performances by freshmen and sophomores in the program, including songs, scenes, monologues and dance pieces.
Wildcat Theatre Follies graphic with photo

NMU-Blackrocks Partnership Supports Student Recreation

Aug. 21, 2025
The partnership between Northern Michigan University and alumni-owned Blackrocks Brewery began last year with the launch of a new beer, Wildcat Gold, to celebrate NMU's 125th anniversary. It has since morphed into much more, supporting student access to the area's world-class recreational trails. Blackrocks has contributed $7,500 from the sales of Wildcat Gold to NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center for the purchase of mountain bikes and Nordic ski equipment made available to students for free.
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach, fourth from left, and Blackrocks' Steve Farr (’09 BS, ’12 MBA), David Manson and Andy Langlois ('95 BS), center, are pictured with NMU students and staff showing some of the bikes and skis purchased through the partnership.

Leach's Convocation Stresses Solid Footing and Bold Thinking

Aug. 20, 2025
In his fall convocation, Northern Michigan University Interim President Gavin Leach celebrated faculty and staff achievements, along with the continuing overall enrollment growth and strong financial footing that have enabled the university to navigate the ever-changing higher education landscape more effectively than many other institutions. Not content with the status quo, Leach plans to expand efforts to explore transformational ideas that will drive innovation and progress while still supporting the university's core values and unique identity. He said bold thinking is required to make Northern distinctive in today's “hyper-competitive recruitment environment.”
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach

Presidential Search Update

Aug. 20, 2025
The search for Northern Michigan University's next president is “underway and on schedule,” with campus visits by finalists expected in late September and early October. Presidential Search Advisory Committee Chair Tami Seavoy presented a status report at today's convocation.
NMU academic logo

Weston Addition Enhances Research, Teaching

Aug. 20, 2025
Northern Michigan University's recently completed addition to Weston Hall has increased available lab space, elevating the ability of Biology and Chemistry faculty to conduct high-quality research and train students in biomedical techniques. Highlights include two specialty teaching labs: a “world-class” Cell Culture Facility; and a state-of-the-art Microscopy Suite with dedicated rooms to house each of NMU's advanced microscopes, providing a central hub for research projects.
Undergraduate student Hosanna Brindle (left) and graduate student Mikaela Fairbanks in the LeBert Lab on the second floor of the Weston addition.

Woodland Park Input Requested

Aug. 20, 2025
NMU's Sustainability Hub for Innovation and Environment (SHINE) will host two events on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to seek campus and community input on the project to develop an experiential learning forest and garden at the corner of Norwood and Neidhart Avenues, adjacent to the Woodland Park Apartments.
A portion of the Woodland Park site, with the relocated solar array (formerly near the athletic complex) in the back, and the frame for the Hoop House (formerly outside Jacobetti).

NMU Profs Among 2% of Highly Cited Scientists

Aug. 7, 2025
Two Northern Michigan University professors—Maris Cinelli from Chemistry and Ryan Stock from Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences—are among the top 2% of highly cited scientists in the world, according to the most recent listing released by Stanford University and Elsevier, one of the largest publishing companies for scientific, technical and medical research. The list shows which scientists have had the biggest impact in their fields, based primarily on how often other scientists mention their work.
Maris Cinelli and Ryan Stock

Grad Publishes, Presents Paper on CPS Workers’ View of Child Advocacy Centers

Aug. 7, 2025
Providing a coordinated response to child abuse that involves professionals from diverse fields has the potential to improve outcomes for children and advance justice. This multidisciplinary team model is implemented through child advocacy centers, and has been widely adopted to facilitate such collaboration.
NMU academic logo