All News Releases

At the end of World War I, American soldiers—mostly from Michigan—were deployed to join the Northern Russian Expeditionary Force for a vaguely defined mission. They found themselves embroiled in a civil war, battling Bolshevik revolutionaries for months after the Armistice ended fighting in France. A new play inspired by these men, known as the Polar Bears for enduring harsh winter conditions, will have its world premiere May 9-11 at Northern Michigan University. The idea for Ghost Soldiers by Keli Crawford-Truckey stemmed from a war-time journal bound by leather from the boot of a dead Bolshevik soldier. It was kept by the grandfather of NMU employees Dan and Paul Truckey.

Northern Michigan University honored several individuals and teams during its recent Faculty and Staff Recognition Celebration. Years of service milestones and retirees were also honored. 

UPDATE 4/19: The union ratified this agreement on Thursday and the NMU Board of Trustees approved it during a special meeting Friday morning.

The Northern Michigan University Dance Team qualified to compete in the National Dance Alliance (NDA) college nationals for the first time in history. Team members traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla, earlier this month. They competed in two Division II categories: pom, placing 8th in the nation; and jazz, placing 11th.

Northern Michigan University is seeking student applications and community project proposals for the second cohort of its Rural Leadership Fellowship Program, which offers immersive project-based learning for students while also supporting Upper Peninsula economic and community development projects. The submission deadline for both is May 31.

Northern Michigan University's Administration of Outdoor Recreation and Nature-Based Tourism program is hosting a campus seminar with guest speakers focused on the theme of diversity, equity and inclusion outdoors. Alex Bailey, the originator of "Black Outside," will deliver the keynote address. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, April 19, in Peninsula I in the Northern Center. 

The Northern Michigan University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter will be hosting the sixth annual Marquette Coffee Crawl on Saturday, April 20. Attendees will have the option of participating during the following time slots: 8-10 a.m.,10 a.m. - noon, and noon - 2 p.m. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Marquette Women's Center in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

Northern Michigan University students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course were tasked with creating a business from scratch on a strict timeline. For one team, the assignment has manifested as Wildcat Snow & Lawn. The students are dedicated to donating the proceeds of this lawn care business to the local Habitat for Humanity organization.

The 10th annual Anderton's Earth Week at Northern Michigan University will be held Sunday, April 21 through Saturday, April 27. Student organizations from across have planned a myriad of activities to help campus and community celebrate the Earth and learn about steps they can take to lighten their ecological footprint.

Northern Michigan University's open mind improvisational ensemble, under the direction of Patrick Booth, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, in Reynolds Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Five Northern Michigan University alumni who have taken diverse academic paths to find success in the cannabis industry will participate in a “Wildcats in the Weeds” panel discussion at the Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference at NMU on Tuesday, April 23. They commented in advance on how NMU prepared them for their careers.

The Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, at Northern Michigan University. It will showcase developing trends in cannabis education and scholarship, share insights from industry leaders and experts at the forefront of the sector's evolving landscape, and summarize the state of the industry. Featured speakers and panels, including one composed of NMU alumni working in the industry, are scheduled throughout the day.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “Anything Goes” April 11-13 and 18-20 in Forest Roberts Theatre. The Golden Age musical is set in the 1930s aboard the ocean liner S.S. American. It is directed and choreographed by assistant professor Kristen Beth Ludwig, who was an ensemble member and understudy for the lead role of Reno Sweeney in the 2011 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival at the Roundabout Theatre. She is now sharing her qualified insights with students involved in NMU's production.

Northern Michigan University's Hospitality Management Program will host a seven-course Legacy Dinner fine-dining experience at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in the North Fork, NMU's Teaching Kitchen. NMU's ceramics program will collaborate by creating the first pieces of the North Fork's tableware series, which will be featured at the event. 

Ticket prices for the hospitality leadership program's Longer Days Luncheon: A Culinary Community Festival, held on March 31st in the Northern Center Ballrooms are now available for only $75.

Northern Michigan University will launch a new Giving Day on Thursday, April 18. The event honors Northern's history by falling within the same month that the institution was chartered in 1899.

High school students interested in attending the Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance Wildcat Performing Arts Academy's summer musical theater intensive can register through April 15, or possibly later if space is still available. It is scheduled for June 23-30. Two additional summer intensives in dance and theatrical design/production will both be offered July 20-27. All require audition/placement video submissions to apply. 

Northern Michigan University alumnus Joe Tinti has been named Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association for Region 1. Tinti is the athletic director and principal at Norway High School. He was presented with the award on March 16 at the annual MIAAA Mid-Winter Conference in Traverse City.

A series of three events at Northern Michigan University will commemorate the 65th anniversary of "Anatomy of a Murder "by re-examining the film through the lens of the "Me Too" movement.