All News Releases

Former Northern Michigan University Trustee Donna Murray-Brown will join the National Council of Nonprofits based in Washington, D.C. on July 1, as vice president of strategy and development. She recently concluded an eight-year tenure as president and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. 

Tamiko Nimura, coauthor of the new nonfiction graphic novel We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration, will give a free virtual presentation accessible to the public as part of Northern Michigan University's Diversity Common Reader Program. She will discuss Japanese American incarceration during World War II, the resisters described in the book, and her own connection to their stories.

Northern Michigan University professor Scott Jordan spent NMU spring break week leading a Wilderness First Responder certification course for nine students and a faculty member from Montreat College in North Carolina. 

After serving as a writer for NBC sitcoms, Northern Michigan University theater alumnus William Missouri Downs realized his “heart was always on the stage,” so he left Hollywood for a cabin in Colorado to focus on his passion for playwriting. Downs' latest play, a pandemic-inspired comedy titled “Asking Strangers the Meaning of Life,” is being performed at the Detroit Repertory Theatre through April 3.

Invoke, a multi-instrumental quartet originating in Austin, Texas, will perform at Northern Michigan University as part of the Siril Concert Series. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, in Reynolds Recital Hall. 

The Northern Michigan University Jazz Festival will include two public concerts on Thursday and Friday, March 24-25. This year's featured artist is Mike Tomaro, director of jazz studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Parth Pandya, an Australia-based tech executive and head of technology and data at Buzz-er, will discuss "People Analytics and Today's Manager" during a Zoom presentation hosted by Northern Michigan University's College of Business. The public is invited. His talk will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 10.

Northern Michigan University is the first institution in the United States offering courses in Asahi, a Finnish mind-body practice. Asahi is gaining traction within and around the campus community, thanks to the NMU alumna who brought it here from Finland. 

Northern Michigan University School of Art & Design alumni will be featured during the next Northern Now digital event hosted by NMU Alumni Relations. This free event is accessible to the public and will be held at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, March 9.

Northern Michigan University has announced the winners of its recent Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Caro Els of the School of Health and Human Performance won both first place and people's choice in the graduate student category for her presentation titled “Maximum External Load During Max Squat Protocol with Different Abdominal Stabilizing Maneuvers.” Mandy Bonesteel of Sociology won first place and people's choice among McNair Scholar participants with “The Case Against Meritocracy.”

A timely and relevant presentation on Russia and U.S. relations, including the impacts of the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, will kick off a series of three Zoom presentations with international experts hosted by Northern Michigan University's Political Science Department. 

NMU alumnus Elmer Aho of Gwinn, who passed away Feb. 20 at age 90, was a familiar fixture on local radio as the host of American Country Gold. For three decades on Saturday nights, the Marquette Music Hall of Fame inductee shared classic country tunes, told home-spun stories and played listener requests. Aho's legacy and voice will linger through a special tribute program being planned on 103 WFXD, along with continuing broadcasts of his archived shows.

The Northern Michigan University Orchestra children's concert originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed by inclement weather that closed the university. The new date will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, in Reynolds Recital Hall. 

As Northern Michigan University transitions to new leadership, an interim strategic plan is being developed that identifies five focus areas and related goals and strategies, along with the faculty and administrative chairs who will lead focus area teams. NMU faculty, staff and students will have an opportunity to provide feedback on plan draft elements at engagement sessions scheduled at various times March 14-18. 

Former Northern Michigan University President John X. Jamrich passed away Sunday, Feb. 20, in Savannah, Ga., at the age of 101. He served as NMU's eighth president from 1968 until his retirement in 1983. His 15-year tenure—the third-longest of any Northern president—was marked by tremendous growth in enrollment, academic programs and community outreach.

In an effort to ensure active engagement among all constituency groups, the Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) at Northern Michigan University has revised its timeline. Campus interviews with finalists will take place in September, with NMU's next president ideally selected by the end of that month, shortly after Homecoming.

Northern Michigan University's Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, at Reynolds Recital Hall. Admission is free and masks are required for all individuals inside NMU facilities. 

Northern Michigan University alumna Melissa “Missie” Holmquist has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the NMU Board of Trustees. She is the president and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) in Marquette.

Northern Michigan University students have access to NMU alumni around the world on Wildcats Connect, an online platform for sharing information, asking/offering advice, building relationships and more. Faculty and staff are also welcome to participate.