Strategic Plan

Featured News

Leach's Convocation Stresses Solid Footing and Bold Thinking

Weston Addition Enhances Research, Teaching

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

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 Receives USFS Wood Innovation Grant

Northern Michigan University was recently awarded $114,553 from the U.S. Forest Service's Wood Innovation Grant program to identify facility and process improvements for the combined heat and power plant at the Ripley Plant on campus. This is an essential step in working toward NMU's Carbon Neutrality Plan and the potential transition from natural gas to using local woodchips. 

NMU, BMCC Sign Transfer Agreement

In an effort to preserve the Anishinaabe language for future generations, Northern Michigan University and Bay Mills Community College recently signed an articulation agreement that will allow students to complete a two-year associate of arts degree in Anishinaabe language instruction at BMCC, then seamlessly transfer to NMU for the final two years to complete a bachelor of science degree in Native American studies, with potential for a Michigan Anishinaabemowin K-12 teaching certificate. This creates the state's first pathway for teachers to earn such an endorsement, according to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).
Bay Mills Community College President Duane Bedell is pictured center, between former NMU President Brock Tessman and current Interim President Gavin Leach at the late June signing ceremony on campus, which was also attended by representatives of NMU's Center for Native American Studies and School of Education.

NMU Selected for National LER Accelerator Cohort to Advance Digital Credentialing

Northern Michigan University has been selected to join the inaugural cohort of the LER Accelerator, a national initiative focused on advancing accessible, interoperable Learning and Employment Record (LER) systems. As one of only 25 nationwide chosen for participation, NMU's project will help pioneer innovative approaches to digital credentialing that enhance learner employability, integrate academic and workforce competencies, and align with state and national workforce needs.
Brad Hamel, NMU

Tessmans Establish Student High-Impact Practices Fund

Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman and his wife, Kristin, have personally experienced the life-changing benefits of student high-impact practices such as study abroad and undergraduate research. They have also watched talented students miss out on such opportunities for financial reasons. The couple made a $50,000 gift to the NMU Foundation to establish a Student High-Impact Practices Fund, which will support mini-grants for faculty to design experiential learning opportunities including internships, research, capstone projects and fieldwork experiences. The fund will also help to alleviate expenses associated with engaging in such experiences for individual students facing financial hardship.
Kristin and Brock Tessman

NMU Offers Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology

Northern Michigan University will offer a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Students who complete a bachelor's degree can ladder into the master's degree program for advanced training to become skilled professionals in the field while remaining in the Upper Peninsula, where there is a strong demand for related services. Applications for the first cohort in summer 2026 will be accepted starting this fall through Jan. 15.
Isaacson (right) and a student in NMU's Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic