All News Releases

Jesse Porter, a 2020 Northern Michigan University entrepreneurship alumnus and current graduate student, earned the title United States Olympic Trials Champion for the 77kg weight class this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. The victory also gives him the No. 1 rank on USA Wrestling's National Team.

Marquette County Prosecutor and NMU alumnus Matthew Wiese (BS '84) has been appointed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new Task Force on Forensic Science. The task force will submit a final report of recommendations on strengthening the use of forensic science in the criminal justice system to the governor and Col. Joseph Gasper, Michigan State Police Director and 1997 NMU alumnus.

The Two Books, Two Communities program, a partnership between Northern Michigan University and the Marquette and Alger County communities, has selected its 2021 community reads. The titles are Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie, edited by Peggy Wolff, and 2021 Michigan Notable Book Award Winner Teacher/Pizza Guy, a collection of poems by Jeff Kass.   

IncredibleBank recently presented a $5,000 check to the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center as title sponsor of the Hope Starts Here Challenge. This year's event will be held virtually May 8-16. It raises funds and awareness for the UMBTC, whose mission is to empower patients and families dealing with brain tumors through advocacy, research, education and treatment.

NMU alumna Lucy Johnson (‘10 BS, ‘13 MA) presented her research on emoji to more than 300 Sony Interactive Entertainment employees, mostly from PlayStation, with others representing Sony Music and Sony Productions. Her remote talk took place Tuesday, March 30, as part of an invited speaker series for Women's History Month. She is an assistant professor of digital literacies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Northern Michigan University alumna Margaret Vainio ('76 BA) recalls a life-changing trip to Finland with the NMU Arts Chorale when she was a student. As the group was preparing to leave, she asked the bus driver to drop her off at the train station because she felt inspired to stay there longer. A year later, she moved to Finland permanently and eventually was exposed to Asahi, a Finnish exercise program. Now she has started a second career as an Asahi instructor and will soon bring it to NMU.

Northern Michigan University's most decorated head coach, Sten Fjeldheim, has announced his retirement after 34 years as leader of the Wildcat Nordic ski team. The NMU alumnus also served stints as the head cross country running coach during his 35 years at the university. 

Northern Michigan University's Lydia M. Olson Library is celebrating heritage and history months by inviting relevant student organizations to select books for its collection. The library team purchases the titles and creates virtual and physical displays about the selections. 

Tarra Nieman, a 2020 NMU outdoor recreation leadership and management graduate, is the 2021 Community Volunteer Ambassador at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in Colorado. CVAs spend a year in national park units across the country building relationships with communities and increasing the number of volunteers who serve at the parks.

Instead of its usual in-person "Learning to Walk Together" powwow, the Native American Student Association at Northern Michigan University will host a virtual "Powwow 101: Learning to Walk Together (While Apart)." The free event is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. EST Saturday, April 3.

Northern Michigan University Alumni Relations is hosting virtual alumni socials for graduates to join college deans as they share new initiatives and other updates from the departments within their colleges. Following each update, alumni are invited to turn on their cameras and microphones to ask questions and connect with fellow Wildcats from their respective colleges.

Northern Michigan University alumna Rebecca Pelky ('98 BS, '15 MFA) has won the 2021 Perugia Press Prize for her story-in-poems called “Through a Red Place.” She weaves into the collection her research into her Native and non-Native heritage in Wisconsin using archival documents and images of her ancestors.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Mark Burton ('99 BS) has joined Honigman LLP as partner and co-leader of the firm's economic development incentives group. He  additionally serves in the government relations and regulatory practice and is based in Honigman's Lansing office, according to a press release. Burton most recently served as CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

For Northern Michigan University students studying in healthcare fields, hands-on experience is irreplaceable. The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to obtain that experience because many courses were restructured to an online format. NMU nursing students who had previously missed out were able to assist with two recent vaccination clinics.

Leslie Warren, Northern Michigan University dean of Library and Instructional Support, has accepted an appointment as chair for the final year of her two-year term on the American Library Association's Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee. She will serve in the leadership role from July 1 through June 30, 2022.

Two Northern Michigan University students utilized their summer employment connections to secure virtual guest speakers from two prominent companies for NMU's Introduction to Business class taught by instructor Corinne Bodeman. One presentation resulted in a donation to the NMU Food Pantry.

A scholarship established through the Northern Michigan University Foundation will support graduating seniors who exhibit outstanding community service while attending NMU. David and Marie Blum of Ann Arbor, Mich., gifted the William and Josephine Balconi Community Service Scholarship, named in honor of Marie's late parents.

NMU's School of Nursing will hold a “Hopping Into Summer” celebration March 22-26. The event is designed to interject some fun to boost nursing students' spirits for the remainder of a particularly demanding semester, and to thank them for assisting with campus COVID-19 screenings and community vaccination clinics. It will feature decorations, contests, giveaways and treats revolving around daily themes. All activities were vetted and will comply with pandemic safety regulations.

Northern Michigan University has announced 10 students who comprise the new group of scholars in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. Lee Xiong has also joined NMU this semester as its new program director.

NMU accounting alumnus Nick Metcalfe ('20 BS) rented a marquee on Sunday at the iconic Birmingham 8 Theatre downstate to propose to his fiancée Kiley Transit at the site of one of their first dates in high school. The Detroit Free Press highlighted their story to demonstrate that proposals in light have become “an optimistic sign of the times,” with most theaters back in business and vaccine supplies and clinics on the rise.