All News Releases

Northern Michigan University will launch a new employee recognition program at the end of February that allows for more “in the moment” expressions of gratitude from peers and supervisors. The Northern STAR (Simple, Thoughtful Acts of Recognition) Award offers an opportunity to immediately thank and compliment an employee who contributes exemplary work and/or demonstrates a commitment to NMU's core values.

NMU alumnus Ernest Rospierski (BS 2005) was “an unsung hero" during last year's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which left 17 dead, according to the chair of a commission investigating the incident. The 37-year-old social studies teacher was grazed by two bullets, then pressed himself against the stairwell door to deny the gunman's attempts to open it while he sent students fleeing toward the nearest exit. To read a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature story on Rospierski that reflects on the incident one year later, click here.

Northern Michigan University has announced the winners of its 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an annual competition held at over 600 universities in more than 65 countries that gives graduate students the opportunity to showcase their research.

Northern Michigan University administrators say they are deeply saddened by the news that a recent NMU Board of Trustees appointee has died. Travis Weber of Detroit was appointed in October by former Gov. Rick Snyder to an eight-year term beginning Jan. 1. He had completed his orientation to the board and was scheduled to participate in his first meeting as a trustee this week.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is one of several community organizations sponsoring the Winter Roots Festival on Sunday, Feb. 23. The festival will offer a full day of folk music, dance and workshops at a variety of venues throughout the Marquette area.

The Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives will present an “Evening at the Archives” event on Thursday, Feb. 28. Negaunee High School seniors Chaz Bluse and Lucas Lambertson will give a presentation on the history of the 1946 iron miners' strike. NMU Archivist Marcus Robyns will provide a brief summary of labor history on the Marquette Iron Range from 1900-1946.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is seeking submissions from artists for its "North of the 45th: 12th Annual Upper Midwest Juried Exhibition." Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota residents living above the 45th parallel are eligible to participate. The submission deadline is Friday, March 22.

NMU alumnus Mike Oswald (’03 BS) is among 20 individuals representing all segments of the construction industry selected as winners of the 2019 ENR Texas and Louisiana Top Young Professionals competition. He is chief operating officer for Hill & Wilkinson in Richardson, Texas.

NMU alumna Elizabeth Mowers’ first published book, A Promise Remembered, will be released March 1. The novel details the story of a man who returns to his hometown in Michigan for a brief visit. He runs into his old high school sweetheart and is reminded of everyone and everything he left behind years ago. When selecting a beautiful, romantic setting for her novel, she was inspired by Marquette and the Lake Superior shoreline.

Enrollment at two-year colleges and four-year regional institutions in Midwestern states is projected to decline more than 15 percent by 2029, according to Nathan Grawe, author of Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education. Positive enrollment trends are expected to continue for the next few years into the early part of the next decade. But in an effort to better prepare the university for the impending drop in the later part of the decade, NMU has invited Grawe to campus for small-group discussions and a faculty/staff forum on Wednesday, March 20.

Northern Michigan University has been awarded a nearly $300,000 MiSTEM Advisory Council grant that will incorporate the Add+Vantage Math Recovery program for Upper Peninsula elementary schools and provide related training for teachers.

There are three MiSTEM Network regions in the Upper Peninsula. Chris Standerford directs the central region that covers Marquette, Alger, Delta, Menominee, Schoolcraft, Dickinson and Iron counties. He also directs NMU’s Seaborg Center, which will contribute expertise to the grant-funded effort.

NMU is seeking two faculty members to research and author the university’s assurance argument as the next step in maintaining its accreditation. They will interview key leadership across campus and develop narratives and assemble evidence based around different criteria and core components. The application deadline is Feb. 22. Release time is available to compensate for the estimated 20 service hours per week from Summer 2019 through May 2020.

Northern Michigan University will host a heated hospitality tent for the general public near the starting gate of the UP 200 sled dog race on Friday, Feb. 16. The tent will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. next to the old City Hall on Washington Street. Admission is free. This family-friendly event will include hot chocolate courtesy of Simply Superior and snacks provided by Econo Foods.