Articles

Alumni Night at Detroit Tigers Recap

Aug. 26, 2025
Detroit may be home to Lions and Tigers, but Wildcats received a warm welcome there earlier this month at two events hosted by the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association. A delegation of 340 Northern graduates and friends watched the Tigers pull out a 6-5 victory over the Angels during NMU Alumni Night at Comerica Park, with two-time graduate Adam Hamari ('05 BS, '13 MAE) serving as third-base umpire. Proceeds from a portion of ticket sales generated $1,700 for NMU's Alumni Legacy Scholarship.
NMU alumni and friends at the pre-game reception

REVISED: Wildcat Theatre Follies Sept. 4-6

Aug. 26, 2025
Editors: This has been revised to include an additional quote submitted by the co-director. Please use this version instead.Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The event will showcase a variety of creative performances by freshmen and sophomores in the program, including songs, scenes, monologues and dance pieces.
Wildcat Theatre Follies graphic with photo

NMU-Blackrocks Partnership Supports Student Recreation

Aug. 21, 2025
The partnership between Northern Michigan University and alumni-owned Blackrocks Brewery began last year with the launch of a new beer, Wildcat Gold, to celebrate NMU's 125th anniversary. It has since morphed into much more, supporting student access to the area's world-class recreational trails. Blackrocks has contributed $7,500 from the sales of Wildcat Gold to NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center for the purchase of mountain bikes and Nordic ski equipment made available to students for free.
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach, fourth from left, and Blackrocks' Steve Farr (’09 BS, ’12 MBA), David Manson and Andy Langlois ('95 BS), center, are pictured with NMU students and staff showing some of the bikes and skis purchased through the partnership.

Leach's Convocation Stresses Solid Footing and Bold Thinking

Aug. 20, 2025
In his fall convocation, Northern Michigan University Interim President Gavin Leach celebrated faculty and staff achievements, along with the continuing overall enrollment growth and strong financial footing that have enabled the university to navigate the ever-changing higher education landscape more effectively than many other institutions. Not content with the status quo, Leach plans to expand efforts to explore transformational ideas that will drive innovation and progress while still supporting the university's core values and unique identity. He said bold thinking is required to make Northern distinctive in today's “hyper-competitive recruitment environment.”
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach

Presidential Search Update

Aug. 20, 2025
The search for Northern Michigan University's next president is “underway and on schedule,” with campus visits by finalists expected in late September and early October. Presidential Search Advisory Committee Chair Tami Seavoy presented a status report at today's convocation.
NMU academic logo

Weston Addition Enhances Research, Teaching

Aug. 20, 2025
Northern Michigan University's recently completed addition to Weston Hall has increased available lab space, elevating the ability of Biology and Chemistry faculty to conduct high-quality research and train students in biomedical techniques. Highlights include two specialty teaching labs: a “world-class” Cell Culture Facility; and a state-of-the-art Microscopy Suite with dedicated rooms to house each of NMU's advanced microscopes, providing a central hub for research projects.
Undergraduate student Hosanna Brindle (left) and graduate student Mikaela Fairbanks in the LeBert Lab on the second floor of the Weston addition.

Woodland Park Input Requested

Aug. 20, 2025
NMU's Sustainability Hub for Innovation and Environment (SHINE) will host two events on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to seek campus and community input on the project to develop an experiential learning forest and garden at the corner of Norwood and Neidhart Avenues, adjacent to the Woodland Park Apartments.
A portion of the Woodland Park site, with the relocated solar array (formerly near the athletic complex) in the back, and the frame for the Hoop House (formerly outside Jacobetti).

NMU Profs Among 2% of Highly Cited Scientists

Aug. 7, 2025
Two Northern Michigan University professors—Maris Cinelli from Chemistry and Ryan Stock from Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences—are among the top 2% of highly cited scientists in the world, according to the most recent listing released by Stanford University and Elsevier, one of the largest publishing companies for scientific, technical and medical research. The list shows which scientists have had the biggest impact in their fields, based primarily on how often other scientists mention their work.
Maris Cinelli and Ryan Stock