Northern Michigan University graduate student Jenny Cho has received a $1,300 Grace H. Magnaghi Research Grant from NMU to explore the “history of the Yooper dialect and its role in the English language.” The project combines her previous master's degree in anthropology from Seoul National University with her current pursuit of a master's degree from NMU's English Department in TESOL, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health will host an Upper Peninsula Future Health Leaders Camp this summer for regional students who will be freshmen and sophomores this coming fall. The camp is dedicated to health education and health career exploration. It is scheduled July 20-25, with options to either stay on campus for the duration or commute from home to camp each day. There will be a limit of 75 participants.

Northern Michigan University history professor Kathryn Johnson has conducted four oral history interviews with global pioneers in open, distance and digital education. They include Professor Asha Kanwar, former president of the Commonwealth of Learning,; Professor Alejandro Pisanty, a Mexican scholar and early advocate for educational technology; Dr. Tony Bates, whom she describes as one of “the godfathers of distance education in Canada”; and Professor Rosibel Vicquez Abarca, a prominent leader in the field in Costa Rica. All will soon be published in scholarly journals, including one for which Johnson serves as the oral history section editor.

Northern Michigan University's newly established staff union, the Command Officers Association of Michigan (COAM), ratified a three-year contract on May 14. Five NMU Police Department employees comprise COAM's membership: three sergeants, the training coordinator and the detective/lieutenant.

Northern Michigan University has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 NMU students to obtain their first U.S. passport and open the pathway to study abroad. In its fifth year, IIE has awarded grants to 45 institutions in the IIENetwork membership to help 1,275 Pell-eligible college students through this opportunity.

On May 18, 1675, the missionary and explorer Jacques Marquette passed away along the shores of Lake Michigan on his way back to the mission he founded in St. Ignace. To commemorate the 350th anniversary of his death, but more importantly his life and legacy, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is hosting a “Father Marquette 350th Commemoration” on Monday, May 19, in 1100 Jamrich Hall. The event will feature full day of presentations, films and round tables about Marquette, the Jesuit Missionaries of the region and their legacy on our region today. It is free and open to the public.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present “Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin” by Dianne Nora, winner of the Panowski Playwriting Award. With the former USSR as its backdrop, the dark comedy revolves around two men—loosely inspired by real figures—who bear such a strong resemblance to Stalin that they are forced into dangerous service as political decoys to thwart his enemies and alleviate fears for his safety. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 pm. Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17, in NMU's Panowski Black Box Theatre.

Northern Michigan University Athletics and NMU Theatre & Dance will team up once again for the seventh annual Arts and Athletics Golf Outing on Thursday, June 19, at the Marquette Golf Club. The event supports both departments' students and programs. Four-person teams can play either the Heritage course for $150 per person, or Greywalls for $250 per person. Tickets include 18 holes with a cart, dinner, refreshments on the course and a thank-you gift.

Gavin Leach, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who has worked at NMU for 36 years—the last 18 as vice president for Finance and Administration–has been appointed NMU's interim president while a nationwide search is conducted for the next leader to fill the role. His appointment was announced at the May 2 NMU Board of Trustees meeting.