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Northern Michigan University students and regional community members are eligible to take a free course in either digital marketing, business analytics or front-end web development through The Future is Digital Challenge. The national Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) and the online learning platform Udacity are sponsoring the two-part initiative, designed to train rural Americans in new skills that will help them participate in the growing tech economy.

The NMU Pride of the North Marching Band will perform the first of three fall Superior Dome shows, absent a football game because of COVID-19, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. A "studio audience" of 120 who request passes in advance will be able to watch the performance live in the Superior Dome. The show will also be streamed for viewing later in the day on the band's Facebook page. 

Jacob Daar, psychology professor and program director for the Behavior Education, Assessment and Research (BEAR) Center at Northern Michigan University, has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to represent state universities on the Michigan Autism Council. The BEAR Center provides critical therapy services to individuals with autism and other behavioral disorders in underrepresented rural areas, and serves as a clinical and research site for students pursuing careers in the field. 

The Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Institute (UPCI) at Northern Michigan University is helping the Michigan Economic Development Corporation promote the growth of the state's cyber community by hosting certification and workshop offerings designed to develop local talent in the field. The UPCI, a hub of the Michigan Cyber Range in Ann Arbor, is referenced in an SC Media report titled "The cyber digital divide: How to level the playing field." 

Marquette, home to Northern Michigan University, is among 25 small towns that are about to become more popular, according to a listing in Reader's Digest. The magazine identified "up-and-coming" towns offering unique amenities and attractions. 

In celebration of its 10th year, Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) awarded a $10,000 grant to Northern Michigan University in support of college access and postsecondary attainment. This grant is one of 10 grants MCAN is awarding in a 10-day period in connection with its 10th year as part of its “10-10-10 Birthday Tour.”

Two NMU alumni athletes have signed new professional contracts to advance their playing careers. Former Wildcat point guard Naba Echols (BA '19) will showcase his basketball talents in Croatia, playing for Košarkaški Klub Alkar (also known as KK Alkar). Veteran hockey forward and Marquette native Justin Florek (BS '14) has signed with the South Carolina Stingrays, the minor league affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears.  

Northern Michigan University's 10th day enrollment report shows continued positive strides related to retention, as well as enrollment in graduate and online Global Campus programs. NMU has also increased the total population served through its many learning options and its Educational Access Network.

The COVID-19 virus may have canceled the football season, but it hasn't stopped NMU's Pride of the North Marching Band from sharing its music with others. Monday night, the band delivered a special outdoor performance to students in quarantine and isolation in Spalding Hall. The group will also perform three Superior Dome shows this fall that will be streamed for online viewing.

The NMU Board of Trustees approved faculty tenure, promotions and new appointments, which took effect with the start of the fall semester. Trustees also authorized contract extensions for several school and department heads.

The North Country Trail Association (NCTA) recently honored two women with Northern Michigan University connections during its annual awards ceremony, held virtually this year because of COVID-19. May graduate Lynnae Branham received the 2020 Rising Star Award and Professor Emeritus Lorana Jinkerson received the Thomas L. Gilbert Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Northern Michigan University junior Morgan Kolimaga of Sun Prairie, Wis., is one of 14 students across the country selected to serve on the 2020-21 National Panhellenic Conference Student Advisory Committee (NPC SAC).  

NMU alumnus Martin W. Grosnick (BS '68, MA '76) recently won the grand prize in the Pangolin Photo Safari Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. His winning image, selected from 1,000 entries, shows a leopard basking in the subtle rays of sunrise on Kenya's Masai Mara. The Copper Harbor native's first serious foray into wildlife photography occurred at Isle Royale National Park. He served as the park's postmaster over four summers after high school and honed his camera skills in his spare time.

Put Your Hand on the Line, an award-winning documentary about the 1975 Northern Michigan University football team's remarkable turnaround from losing every game one season to winning the NCAA Division II National Championship the next, will stream online as part of the 2020 Dances with Films Festival. Showings are scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 31, and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The 1975 Division II National Championship football team was not the only squad in NMU history to dramatically reverse its fortunes following a winless season. In 1956, the Wildcat football team finished 7-0-1 after losing every game the previous year.

Northern Michigan University's Behavioral Education, Assessment and Research (BEAR) Center has received nearly $500,000 from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (Health Fund) to reach wider populations in more diverse settings in the Upper Peninsula, and to train more providers. 

In response to the economic impact of COVID-19, NMU student Joshua Gosseck has launched a fundraising campaign titled Unite Marquette, where 100% of the proceeds from t-shirt and mask sales will be used to promote local businesses. The campaign runs from Aug. 22-31.

NMU alumna Katelyn Gage has been promoted to a branch manager with mBank. She started with the institution in June 2019 as assistant branch manager of the Ishpeming Main and Negaunee locations. 

Northern Michigan University MPA graduate Michael Stelmaszek ('96) has been hired as the new Kingsford city manager, after filling the same role in St. Ignace. He previously worked as a Kingsford Public Safety officer for 25 years, including three months as acting director. 

NMU alumni Paul Millenbach ('84) and Stephen Lowney ('80), who represent the Michigan law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC, have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2021 edition. According to a press release, the list is compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Inclusion is considered a singular honor because attorneys are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed.