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 2004  alumnus Jonathan Hare has been recognized as one of the “Best 5 Photographers to Watch in 2025” by TQS Magazine, in a feature story also shared on MSN.com. Hare earned his bachelor's degree in English/secondary education, but he has spent the past 18 years building a reputation as “one of the most sought-after wedding photographers” in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.

Northern Michigan University 1996 alumna Skye Patrick, CEO of the massive Los Angeles County Public Library system, is one of seven recipients of the 2025 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards, which recognize individuals whose “innovative solutions to critical state challenges improve people's lives, create opportunity and contribute to a better California.” The honor also included a $350,000 grant and other resources for her organization. Patrick previously earned a national award when Library Journal named her 2019 Librarian of the Year. She is also a past NMU Alumni Achievement Award recipient.

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.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees recognized its annual Student Achievement Award recipients, all of whom hail from Michigan. Tessa Standerford of Negaunee and Landon Strzelewicz of Caro are the 2025 Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Recipients of the remaining outstanding awards in their respective categories are: Amy Holmes of Waterford Township, Global Campus Student; Jennifer Kreger, Pontiac, Nontraditional Student; Andie Belanger, Gladstone, Graduate Student; and Bryson Krieger, Portland, Student of Any Class. 

Northern Michigan University closed out its 125th anniversary celebration with the second annual NMU Giving Day on April 17, exceeding the $125,000 goal by raising nearly $169,000 for student experiences, research, departments and programs. The “Give to What You Love” event theme encouraged Wildcats and friends to show the power of collective generosity and champion the causes they are particularly passionate about.

Students entering grades 9-11 in the fall are invited to apply for a free, weeklong residential Cyber Defenders Summer Camp hosted by the Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Institute at Northern Michigan University, with support from the Central U.P. MiSTEM Network and Seaborg Mathematics and Science Center. The camp will take place July 13-18 at NMU. It is designed to introduce students to the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity through a blend of virtual and in-person experiences. The application deadline is May 16.

Northern Michigan University's Glenn T. Seaborg Mathematics and Science Center will host a series of summer programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. These programs are designed to foster curiosity, creativity and career exploration through immersive, hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Two Northern Michigan University students and two alumni joined President Brock Tessman in testifying on behalf of NMU before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community Colleges in Lansing April 23. Those sharing the impact of their academic journeys were: Emma Gariepy, a senior forensic biochemistry major from Mattawan, Mich.; Ben Klossner, a junior mechanical engineering technology major from Iron Mountain; Troy Morris, a 2016 psychology/behavior analysis graduate and co-founder/CEO of the aerospace and space logistics company Kall Morris Inc. of Marquette; and Lexi Hagan, a 2024 business management graduate and new executive director of the Menominee Business Development Corporation.

Area school children who will participate in the 2025 Marquette-Alger Young Authors' Conference May 5-8 at Northern Michigan University visited NMU President Brock Tessman and his wife, Kristin, to read from their books. The students pictured with the Tessmans (from left) are: Callie Sundberg, Aspen Ridge, 5th grade; Brock Verville, Aspen Ridge, Kindergarten; Henry Dellangelo, Graveraet, Kindergarten; and Nora Morrison, Graveraet, 1st grade. 

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees has retained the services of Parker Executive Search to lead a national search for Northern's next president, after Brock Tessman announced his impending departure for the post at Montana State University. Parker was also contracted by NMU for the same process in 2022 that resulted in Tessman's appointment.