The family of Ben Lauren, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who was tragically killed in the line of duty as a volunteer firefighter at age 23, has established an endowed scholarship in his memory to support NMU mechanical engineering technology students. Lauren graduated from the program in 2018.

Because of a rising number of COVID cases in the region, Northern Michigan University has canceled on-campus classes for Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 10-11, and will shift to remote learning for the remainder of the week. Web and lab/clinical courses will be held as originally scheduled.

Bob and Meredith Kulisheck retired from Northern Michigan University in 2008, after serving more than 30 years as professors in the Departments of Political Science/Public Administration and Mathematics/Computer Science. The Kulishecks recently established a number of full-tuition scholarships for juniors and seniors in both of their former departments.

Northern Michigan University alumna Skye Patrick (‘96 BFA), director of the Los Angeles County Library, will moderate a conversation featuring An Abolitionist's Handbook author Patrisse Cullors and political activist and scholar Angela Davis. The virtual event, hosted by the California African American Museum, is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 27.

Many digital collections documenting the history of the Upper Peninsula are now freely accessible and searchable on the U.P. Digital Network (UPLINK) website hosted by the Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives.