All News Releases

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center and NMU International Dancers will hold a free Ethnic Folk Dance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at DanceZone. The event will feature ethnic dances from various groups represented in the Upper Peninsula, including French, Italian, Slovenian, Finnish, Swedish, Irish and more. Music will be performed by the Copper Country’s Thimbleberry Band. The dance is being held in conjunction with the current Beaumier Center exhibition, "The Immigration Experience."

The University Choir and Arts Chorale of NMU will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at St. Peter Cathedral. Directed by Dr. Erin Colwitz, the choirs will present “Music for a Grand Space," featuring choral music suited for the acoustics of a cathedral. There is no admission charge.

Featured selections include music by Lauridsen, Palestrina, Ticheli, Culloton and Rutter to prepare for the group's performance at the 2018 American Choral Director’s Association Conference in Kalamazoo.

Bill Hawker ('95 BS) built a career in professional sports, establishing corporate partnerships for three NFL north division franchises: the Bears, Packers and Lions. Now he has returned to Green Bay as director of business development for Elevate97. The business creates and distributes marketing solutions for world-renowned retail brands. Clients include Carhartt, Calvin Klein, Pandora jewelry, Tommy Hilfiger, TaylorMade Golf and his former employer, the Packers.

Northern Michigan University’s UAW 2178 union, which represents administrative/professional employees, has ratified a three-year contract. Of the members who voted on Oct. 1, 80 percent approved the agreement.

The contract is effective Oct. 1, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2021. Terms include across-the-board 2 percent wage increases for each of the three years of the contract. The first year will also include a one-time $500 payment per employee, which will not impact base salaries.

The contract is pending approval by the NMU Board of Trustees.

Northern Michigan University is the featured example in a Chronicle of Higher Education special report titled "Rural Colleges Make the Most of 'Off the Beaten Path' Locations." The article references NMU's ability to draw students by implementing distinctive programs and by using its location and scenery as a marketing tool.

NMU Senior Tim Kruger has long been interested in woodworking, particularly furniture design. But “an epiphany” during a woodturning class led by Professor Jason Schneider convinced him to hone in on his true passion: teaching. Kruger was inspired to apply for a summer workshop at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo., and received a scholarship to attend. Schneider also returned to “the Ranch,” where he had worked for a decade before joining NMU’s faculty, to teach two summer workshops.

Heidi Kattula ('98 MA), the new superintendent of East Grand Rapids Public Schools, is featured in a School News Network article. She has 26 years of experience in public education. She also serves as the treasurer of International Baccalaureate Schools of Michigan, which focus on educating from a global perspective. East Grand Rapids is exploring the designation and Kattula was a principal in Bloomfield Hills when it became the first IB district in the state.

Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre will present the dark and haunting musical Sweeney Todd in time for the Halloween season. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 -Saturday, Oct. 27 and Tuesday, Oct. 30-Saturday, Nov. 3. An additional 1 p.m. matinee is scheduled Nov. 3.