All News Releases

Northern Michigan University's Music Department will present its final ensemble concerts of the semester featuring Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble, Trombone Choir and the NMU Orchestra. The University Choir and Arts Chorale will also join the Marquette Choral Society for two performances later this month. Admission to all but the latter is free. 

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “9 to 5,” a musical based on the 1980 film featuring an original score by country music singer Dolly Parton. Show dates are Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11 and 16-18.

Eight representatives of the Northern Michigan University Eta Phi Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, presented their scholarly, creative and collaborative work at the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Annual International Convention March 29–April 1 in New Orleans, La. Chapter President Kailey Buettner won first place in creative nonfiction; Alexandria Bournonville won an honorable mention in the alumni award category; and Isabel Nameth-Beck won the chapter display award. NMU's chapter will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.

After leading the Ishpeming girls' basketball team to its second MHSAA Division 4 state championship in three years, head coach and NMU alumnus Ryan Reichel announced he will step down after 14 years at the helm to spend more time watching his daughter play the sport. 

NMU alumnus J.C. Vande Zande (‘93 BS) released a new horror novel set in Michigan that continues his exploration of psychological storytelling and human struggle. “Blood of the Witness Tree” is a sequel to his earlier novel, “The Dance of Rotten Sticks,” and is set in Northern Michigan's Pigeon River Forest. It blends elements of literary fiction with horror, focusing on deeper themes such as anxiety, grief and the human condition.

Each spring, blue-spotted salamanders emerge from their underground burrows at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and venture across the road to lay their eggs. Northern Michigan University students have been involved in conservation, data collection and public education efforts for this annual event, but this year, the general public is invited to play a more active role in salamander migration research. Northern Michigan University Biology Department Head Jill Leonard encourages community members to participate in the Marquette Citizen Science Project.

Northern Michigan University's Seaborg Center will offer College For Kids Jr., a hands-on, minds-on STEM program for students in grades K-6. Classes will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 28, and/or Saturday, April 18, at the Seaborg Center. Pre-registration is required with a $15 fee per class.

Northern Michigan University's Platform Personalities organization will host actor Max Greenfield of “New Girl” and “The Neighborhood” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom. 

Northern Michigan University's Center for Native American Studies (CNAS) is involved in a collaborative 2026 Sugar Bush ("iskigamizigan") program. Last Friday, a group met at the Vielmetti-Peters Conservation Reserve for a Spring Equinox event and ceremony, followed by a group snowshoe to identify maple trees that will be tapped for sap collection and processing.

The French Program at Northern Michigan University will host "The Croissant: A Pastry Talk & Tasting" from 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in the Whitman Hall Commons. The event is free and open to the public. Staff from 231 Patisserie will give a presentation on the craft and process behind the iconic French pastry.

Northern Michigan University alumnus and Marquette native Gabe Thorburn served as associate editor on “KPop Demon Hunters,” which won the Academy Award for best animated feature. He got to hold an Oscar at a celebratory toast hosted after the ceremony at Sony Pictures Animation, which produced the film. He also joined Sony colleagues on stage in February to accept the award for best editorial-feature at the 2026 Annie Awards, which recognize the greatest achievements in animation. 

Dr. Jongeun You, assistant professor in Northern Michigan University's Department of Political Science and Public Administration and a member of NMU's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Workgroup, has published a case study examining how Michigan uses AI to compete in the national race for talent. The study focuses on the AI-powered Michigan Career Portal and a statewide workforce plan with a unified brand and messaging strategy to attract talent.

NMU Giving Day on Thursday exceeded expectations and goals. The event raised $140,000 for NMU students through gifts from more than 550 donors. It also generated $30,000 in additional support through participation challenges, the “Power Hour” from noon-1 p.m., and match gifts.

Northern Michigan University will host a staged reading of “Find a TV,” a play about regional residents' memories of the 9/11 attacks, based on dozens of oral interviews. Three readings are scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, March 26-27, and 2 p.m Saturday, March 28, in Jamrich 1100. They are free and open to the public, though donations are appreciated. Each performance will be followed by a discussion with the cast. crew and writers. 

Sharon Carlson, an NMU alumna from Marquette, has been appointed to the Michigan Board of Nursing Home Administrators. She is the senior director of nursing at Eastwood Nursing Center in western Marquette County, and previously served as an administrator at Medilodge of Munising and an RN at Bayside Village.

Andrew “Andy” Wasilewski, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who retired from NMU as associate vice president for auxiliary services, recently self-published a book about his hometown titled “Old Cantrall: A History of a Small Village Carved Out of the Illinois Wilderness.” including the earliest settlers' business relationships with Abraham Lincoln and Charles Lindbergh's emergency landing in the village the year before his famous transatlantic flight.

Comedian Sal Vulcano of "Impractical Jokers" fame will make a stop at Northern Michigan University on his "Everything's Fine" tour Thursday, April 23. Doors to Vandament Arena open at 6:15 p.m. and the show begins at 7.

Northern Michigan University Professors Matt Van Grinsven and James DeDecker will present the next Climate @ Noon presentation, titled “Soil Samples and Sustainable Agriculture.” The event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, March 20, in 1300 Jamrich Hall.

Northern Michigan University's longstanding UNITED Conference has been transformed for 2026 into a three-day event March 25-27. It weaves together NMU initiatives— Campus Sustainability Summit, Common Reader Program, Poetry Without Borders and Wildcat WellBeing Fair—and a partnership with the PEAK26 professional development conference into one cohesive experience. 

The Northern Michigan University community, including alumni and friends, will come together Thursday, March 19, for NMU Giving Day. The theme of this year's fundraising event is “Give to what you love, and rally your fellow Wildcats to do the same.” Participants are encouraged to support the causes that shaped their time at NMU, from academic departments and athletic teams to student organizations and campus programs.