All News Releases

Northern Michigan University 1996 alumna Karen Saari, whose work as a playwright is inspired by her Upper Peninsula roots, will watch the world premiere of Rain on Fire at the FIM Flint Repertory Theatre on Friday, Sept. 15. The show runs through Oct. 1. The play with music explores how the opioid crisis affects one U.P. family. While addiction and grief are themes, so are redemption and finding peace. Saari also injected humor into the script. 

Northern Michigan University 1992 psychology alumnus John Driscoll has been appointed new president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, effective the first week of October. He has more than 30 years of experience in the addiction treatment field. He started as an alcohol and drug counselor in Chicago and most recently worked as senior vice president at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction and mental health treatment organization.

Fueled by increases in nearly every student segment, Northern Michigan University's total enrollment is higher this fall despite the challenging demographic climate facing many regional comprehensive institutions nationwide.  

Northern Michigan University 1992 alumnus Rob Peterson was hired as the senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. He brings more than 20 years of collegiate athletic administration experience at five different higher education institutions to the role, and most recently served as a consultant with CarrSports Consulting.

Northern Michigan University alumna Kathryn Flagstadt of Marquette has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services. The retired site manager at Michigan Rehabilitation Services is a member of the State Employee Retirees Association and the Marquette County Aging Services Advisory Committee.

Northern Michigan University will close out its Homecoming celebration with a weekend of activities for alumni and community members Sept. 15-17. The schedule includes the traditional parade, tailgate party and sporting events, along with family activities, arts and culture exhibits and a historical tour of campus.

Northern Michigan University's Department of Psychological Science has received a $413,000 National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation award to facilitate a new frontier in human neuroscience research that could transform the field. NMU will use the funds to acquire an integrated system that assesses the cause-and-effect brain-behavior relationships underlying social interactions and other aspects of human behavior, which could have implications for those with depression, anxiety or addiction disorders. 

Northern Michigan University's School of Cosmetology is debuting a new natural hair cultivation certificate program this fall so that students will be prepared to provide services for all hair types when they start working in professional salons. The program aligns with NMU's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Northern Michigan University's MoveUP program is returning for the Fall 2023 semester. The service is provided by the School of Health and Human Performance and allows for NMU students and community members to engage in a variety of exercises at multiple intensities led by graduate students.

The investiture ceremony for Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman, which celebrates a new era for NMU under new leadership, will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at Forest Roberts Theatre. The public is invited. A reception will follow from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballrooms of the Northern Center.

Michael Sauer, director of the Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Institute at Northern Michigan University, has been nominated to the State of Michigan's Cybersecurity Planning Committee for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP). 

Northern Michigan University's Admissions Office is hosting the Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, 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.

Northern Michigan University will host an Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Symposium and Incident Response Workshops Monday, Sept. 25, through Wednesday, Sept. 27. The event is free and open to the public, but there are limited spaces. It covers cybersecurity topics pertaining to K-12 technology, healthcare, small business, local government and critical infrastructure.

Green Bay Packers fans and Upper Peninsula history buffs can stream Linked to Legends: The U.P. Teams that Played the Packers for free on WNMU-TV's website. The Emmy-nominated documentary produced by Northern Michigan University Communications Professor Dwight Brady unearths the century-old stories of five U.P. communities and their teams that played the Packers and other NFL teams from 1919-1926.

NMU alumna Melissa Cavill was recently appointed as the new executive director of Marquette's Trillium House, which offers care and safety for individuals receiving hospice services who cannot be home at the end of life, along with short-term respite care.  

As part of Northern Michigan University's commitment to sustainability, Dining Services has been partnering with Partridge Creek Farm and its newer sister company, Partridge Creek Compost, to divert food waste from the university for use in creating compost.

The Nile River in northeastern Africa is heavily relied upon for survival and livelihood. It supplies drinking water, irrigation for crops, fish and hydroelectricity. But the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Upper Nile, which represents Africa's largest hydropower project, is at the center of a conflict involving Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. Northern Michigan University assistant professor Jongeun You examined the policy setting related to the GERD conflict, which could apply to comparable cases across different contexts. His research paper was published in World Water Policy.

NMU alumna Jeannine Barna is the new health and wellness coordinator at the Northern Lights YMCA Delta Center. The Ishpeming native earned a bachelor's degree in biology/physiology and subsequently obtained a master's in biology with a focus on reproductive biology. 

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) Foundation, Adamo Group and the City of Marquette, is rescheduling the public information sessions regarding the blight elimination project at the former hospital property adjacent to NMU's campus in Marquette. Two separate sessions will now be held on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University. The first session will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 5:30 p.m.