Northern Michigan University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion will host two events to close out its celebration honoring Martin Luther King Jr. A virtual tour of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia will be held from 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, and guest speaker Khayree Williams will discuss truth, racial healing and transformation in higher education at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29.

Evan Lucas, an associate professor for NMU's new multidisciplinary indoor agriculture associate degree program, contributed to an Associated Press story on the burgeoning indoor farming industry. Lucas said the industry is getting a boost from high-tech growing methods developed for cannabis and declining costs of LED lighting.

A car accident motivated U.P. native and alumnus Mike Sherman (BFA '83, MA '89) to refocus on his art, which he had honed as an illustration major at NMU. The self-described “artist naturalist” creates vibrant watercolors and detailed drawings that often combine his love of nature with nostalgic structures such as an old building or barn.

Northern Michigan University's new esports team has not been impacted by COVID-19 to the same level as other sports because it can be adapted to an alternative format. The team opened its first season with a 3-1 record before the semester break. Though they weren't able to attend any local area network (LAN) party events in person, the Wildcats were able to engage in competitions and scrimmages with other schools and amateur organizations.

Northern Michigan University has received a $100,000 grant to launch UPLINK, a collaborative, regional digital network that will enable U.P. heritage organizations to preserve historical manuscript collections and offer online public access. The two-year project is being supported by a National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) implementation grant.