All News Releases

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance program will host its Alumni Awards from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at Forest Roberts Theatre. The event will honor exceptional achievements in theatre, dance and entertainment arts. 

NMU principal secretary Grace Albert is on the verge of retirement, after 45 years of service at the university, all in the Department of Psychological Science. She will be honored by colleagues for the milestone later this month, but she has also received public recognition for her community service milestone as a blood donor. Inspired by photos of past donors on a wall at the U.P. Regional Blood Center (UPRBC), Albert set a personal goal to join the legacy and just reached 100 donations. Albert received a special cake to mark the achievement and social media praise on April 7 from both the UPRBC and UP Health System – Marquette.

Brock Tessman is stepping down as president of Northern Michigan University, effective July 1, to become president at Montana State University, it was announced today.

Northern Michigan University's 11th annual Anderton's Earth Week April 20-27 will be the biggest yet, with a variety of activities scheduled for the campus and Marquette-area communities and free parking during Earth Week events.

Northern Michigan University theater professor Paul Truckey is the recipient of the 2025 Stephen Young and Tricia Kinley Distinguished Faculty Award. He joined the faculty in 2003, and has been instrumental developing and implementing the Bachelors of Fine Arts programs in musical theater and acting, as well as the Bachelor of Arts degree in theater performance.

Associate Professor of Biology Diana Lafferty joined the NMU faculty in 2017 and established the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab (WECOS Lab). In collaboration with myriad state, federal and international partners, she has led diverse research initiatives across the United States and around the world to advance wildlife ecology and conservation. 

Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice Greg Warchol began his field research on the illegal trade in endangered and protected species—with a focus on wildlife trafficking—in 2001. His other past and current research interests include: the impact of The Troubles in Northern Ireland on its legal system; civil forfeiture law; and urban crime in the United States.  

English Professor Zhuang-Zhong “Z.Z.” Lehmberg was born and raised in Guangzhou, China, but says she “grew up” in the United States. She came to this country as a transfer student when she was 20 years old. Lehmberg received a B.A. in business and an M.A. in English from NMU before completing her graduate studies at Wayne State University, where she received her Ph.D. in English. She then returned to Marquette to teach at NMU and to raise a family with her husband, Paul.

Michael Crum is a professor in the College of Business at Northern Michigan University, where he has taught since 2010. He has a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville. He also holds an MBA, a master's in strategic finance, and a bachelor's degree with majors in accounting and finance from Indiana University Southeast. He primarily teaches courses in strategic management, entrepreneurial finance and operations management.

Joe Lubig joined NMU in 2002, and has served as associate dean and director for the School of Education, Leadership and Public Service since 2011. He was fortunate to have served as the department head for the Center for Native American Studies from 2019-2024, giving him the opportunity to gain leadership skills and knowledge through an Indigenous lens. His innovative leadership exemplifies the criteria that the Faculty Leadership Award seeks to honor, particularly in advancing innovative initiatives, inspiring others and fostering a culture of inclusivity and integrity.

NMU alumna Debra LaMere is a contingent faculty member in the College of Business. She also serves as senior vice president at Goodwill Industries. She has worked in the human resources (HR) field for many years, starting out as an administrative assistant at the Tilden Mine. LaMere has since held HR roles in manufacturing, healthcare, higher education and now nonprofit. 

As a geographer and landscape ecologist, Assistant Professor Adam Naito integrates field work, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and simulation modeling to improve understanding of landscape-scale changes in vegetation and its implications for cross-scale interactions and ecosystem services in terrestrial systems. His work has spanned multiple environments, including the montane forests of northern California, Arctic Alaska, the Appalachian Mountains, Southwestern rangelands, and the North Woods and agricultural landscapes of the Upper Peninsula.

Assistant Professor of Education Cindy Basse leads and teaches in the early childhood graduate program. She launched the MAE in Early Childhood Education with four students and has been instrumental in teaching and growing the program to its current level of eighty students. She has focused her professional development on pedagogical approaches to online learning that engages students in active learning within a supportive classroom community. 

Psychological Science Assistant Professor Lin Fang is co-director of the Cognitive x Affective Behavior & Integrative Neuroscience (CABIN) Lab. Her research mainly focuses on 1) The cognitive and affective vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety: Mechanism and intervention; 2) The interaction between cognitive control and emotion regulation; 3) User experience (UX) research.

Shaun Shepard, EdD, is an adjunct professor in the College of Business. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University, and her research interests include trauma-informed pedagogy, social and emotional learning, and professional development.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present its adaptation of the iconic rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice produced for the professional stage more than 50 years ago. Show dates are Thursday-Saturday, April 10-12 and 17-19 in Forest Roberts Theatre. 

Northern Michigan University will host its 29th annual Celebration of Student Scholarship on Thursday, April 17, beginning with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day in Jamrich Hall. This year's event will feature a broader range of presentation formats beyond the traditional research posters and 10-minute oral presentations. Students were also invited to submit projects in the form of film and video, readings, roundtables, performances, publications, artistic displays and more.

Northern Michigan University's Music Department will present three upcoming performances featuring its percussion ensemble, a senior trombone recital, and the Open Mind experimental music ensemble.

A new article detailing the history of environmental advocacy work at Northern Michigan University and in the Upper Peninsula has been posted on a website dedicated to the symbiotic relationship between NMU and the surrounding region. "This Land is Our Land: Yooper Relationships to the Environment and NMU" was written by Graduate Administrative Assistant Abby LaForest, with support from the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center on campus, and utilizing historical records from the Central U.P. and NMU Archives.