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Helen Maroulis, who trained at what is now the NMU National Training Site won Olympic bronze with ease, defeating Mongolia's Khongorzul Boldsaikhan in the womens freestyle 57kg wrestling event, 11-0. The 2016 gold medalist said competing in another Summer Games was "a gift" after enduring injury and personality-altering brain trauma. 

Northern Michigan University is revising its mask protocol for the start of the fall semester because of the higher transmissibility of COVID's Delta variant and rising caseloads nationwide. Whether vaccinated or not, all individuals will be required to wear masks in common areas during residence hall move-in activities Aug. 19-23, and in classrooms and labs effective with the first day of classes Aug. 23.

Northern Michigan University students enrolled for the fall semester are eligible for grants funded by federal stimulus dollars ranging from $250 to $1,000. They simply need to read brief information online and select how they want the funding to be processed.

Northern Michigan University's Department of Theatre and Dance has added two shows to its 2021-22 season. Both will be staged next summer as part of the North Coast Theatre and Dance Festival. The new productions are: “Buffett Bash” June 30-July 1 at the Shoreline Theatre; and “A Chorus Line” July 13-16 and 20-23 at Forest Roberts Theatre.

Northern Michigan University's Website Redesign Team was selected to receive a 2021 NMU Distinguished Team Award.

The Northern Michigan University Spalding Hall Isolation/Quarantine team was selected to receive a 2021 NMU Distinguished Team Award.

Former Northern Michigan University student Sarah Robles, who trained at what is now the NMU National Training Site on campus, became the first U.S. woman to win two Olympic weightlifting medals when she claimed bronze Monday night in Tokyo. She previously earned the same color medal at the Rio Games in 2016.

A Northern Michigan University graduate assistant is seeking participants ages 18-40 for an exercise research study in exchange for a free PEIF gym membership. Nadine Sikora of the School of Health and Human Performance would like to expand on the relatively sparse research to date that provides guidelines on physical activity for transgender individuals. She is recruiting cis-gender females and males, along with transgender men, to assist with her project.

American freestyle wrestler Adeline Gray, who trained at what is now Northern Michigan University's National Training Site while attending Marquette Senior High School, won a silver medal today in the 76-kilogram final. It was the first Olympic medal for the five-time world champion. Germany's Aline Rotter-Focken won the gold with a 7-3 victory.

The Northern Michigan University Passport to Campus committee was selected for a 2021 NMU Distinguished Team Award. Once the decision was made to require all faculty, staff and students to have a COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus last year, this group of individuals worked “tirelessly” to accomplish that goal through a mass testing event in the Northern Center.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Four-Year Review Team was selected for a 2021 Northern Michigan University Distinguished Team Award. Members are Daniel Cullen and Jason Nicholas of Institutional Research; Kathryn Johnson of History; Joanne Sved of Institutional Research; and Shaun Thunell of the School of Clinical Sciences. 

Nearly 80% of Northern Michigan University employees and 63% of the overall on-campus student population have been vaccinated heading into the fall semester, according to a July 29 email from President Fritz Erickson to the campus community. The latter rate will increase, as many first-year students have yet to upload their information to the university's Bridge app. Erickson also reported that NMU is not holding a mass testing event or mandating vaccines, but is requiring that unvaccinated individuals wear masks indoors.

The Arts and Athletics Showcase for Homecoming 2020 has been selected for a 2021 Northern Michigan University Distinguished Team Award. The team included Chair Kylie Bunting and Robyn Stille of Alumni Relations; Erin Colwitz of Music; William Digneit and Jill Grundstrom of Theatre & Dance; Michael Forester and Ryan Stephens of University Marketing & Communications; Katherine Harvath of Intercollegiate Athletics & Rec Sports; Michael Lakenen of Broadcast & Audio-Visual Services; and Christine Lenzen and Jason Schneider of the School of Art & Design. 

The Admissions Events Committee has been selected for a 2021 Northern Michigan University Distinguished Team Award. The committee is comprised of chair Kate Hooper, Christina Carr, Allison Frorenza, Alyssa Lambert and Kimberly Randolph of Admissions; Jeffrey Koval of Broadcast & Audio-Visual Services; and William Richards of Business Intelligence & Information Services. 

The Northern Michigan University COVID-19 Dashboard has been selected as the 2021 NMU Team Innovation Award recipient. Chair Cindy Paavola of the Office of the President was joined by team members Michael Bath of the NMU Police Department; Anthony Bertucci, Christopher Danik and Genevieve Morgan of Business Intelligence & Information Services; and Christopher Kirkpatrick of the Health Center. 

Christopher Danik, director of software development/mobile apps at Northern Michigan University, is the 2021 NMU Individual Innovation Award recipient. 

Northern Michigan University senior Mckenna Green's professional selling marketing class project has evolved into a career-enhancing summer internship with a startup company. Green said that her internship at Mario's Backyard is helping her prepare for her post-graduation plans of launching a gym business of her own. 

Evelyn Massaro received a wonderful parting gift shortly before retiring July 1 as station manager at WNMU-FM at Northern Michigan University. She was selected as the 2021 Public Media Impact Professional Award recipient by the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters. The prestigious award recognizes an MAPB radio or television professional who provides “lengthy and exceptional service.”

Dorothy Paad dreamed of taking ballet lessons, and courageously defied naysayers who were convinced that was overly ambitious for a woman with cerebral palsy who relies on a wheelchair for mobility. Paad enrolled as a student at Northern Michigan University, where she found an “inclusive and welcoming” environment and participated in the performing arts trifecta of dance, theater and choir. Her positive experience at NMU inspired her to write a new children's book titled “Dance Your Dance, Sing Your Song.”

NMU alumna Madiline McNamara has been conditionally accepted to Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine through its highly competitive early assurance program. She graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in biology with a physiology concentration and said she hopes to practice medicine in her hometown of Iron River or elsewhere in the Upper Peninsula.