All News Releases

NMU Trustee Greg Seppanen has a penchant for planning and for preserving the environment—two elements that he said should frequently intersect. The NMU alumnus and retired teacher has served more than 40 years on planning commissions, and as a member of the Marquette County Climate Adaptation Task Force and other environmental organizations, to achieve his long-term goal of leaving the community in a better position than it is now. Seppanen said there is an opportunity for his alma mater to play a critical role in addressing climate change at the local level.

Former NMU student Richard “Duke” Mayo of Cheboygan will spend Veterans Day marking the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—also known as The Wall—in Washington, D.C. He is making the trip with the Michigan State Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Mayo was a member of the student Vets Club at Northern after his own service in Vietnam. His continued involvement in veterans' organizations and causes earned him a Hometown Hero of the Month award from the Cheboygan County Veterans Subcommittee earlier this year.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Stephen Shepherd has published a new collection of spiritual essays titled Losing the Sound of Your Own Stride. He is also a singer-songwriter whose two most recent albums rose to #1 on the U.S. Roots Music Chart, according to his website. Shepherd is a former voting member of the Recording Academy, which presents the GRAMMY Awards, based on six CDs consisting of 68 original songs.

Northern Michigan University will host a public panel discussion on forceful displacement and immigration titled “Refugees Now: People Over Policy” on Tuesday, Nov. 8.  Guest speaker Dilli Gautam spent 16 years in a Nepal refugee camp and now works with a Bethany Christian Services team helping refugees relocate to West Michigan.

Northern Michigan University student Gwen Feamster, who was selected to serve on the Michigan Department of State's Collegiate Student Task Force, has one goal for everyone this election season: vote. She and other members of the task force have been informing their peers of their voting rights, promoting awareness of the newly redistricted electoral maps, and combating and dispelling election misinformation on college campuses.

An external auditing firm issued a clean opinion—the highest standard—on Northern Michigan University's fiscal year 2021-22 financial statements. The results of the audit by Rehman show that NMU continues to remain in solid financial shape and is well-positioned for the future. The NMU Board of Trustees approved the report and two other agenda items during a brief special meeting held this morning via Zoom.

Northern Michigan University alumna Jess Parker is in the process of writing a children's book, a departure from her previously published award-winning collection of poems titled Star Things. She said she is excited to be able to continue her writing and branch out to other genres.

First-year college students may have some trepidation when they move into campus housing with a stranger, wondering whether it will be a good fit. For a group of seven Northern Michigan University alumni, it turned into an opportunity to grow friendships to last a lifetime. They had such a positive experience in the former Gant hall that they moved into an off-campus house together and continue to meet annually 30 years later.

Writer JJ Peña, who has a story featured in The Best Microfiction 2020 anthology, will be the next guest writer hosted by Northern Michigan University's Visiting Writers Program. The event takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 10, in the Northern Center Peninsula I room. Admission is free.

Northern Michigan University graduate Emily Doskey ‘14 BSN and her husband, Luke Doskey—both Houghton natives—are in the Top 50 in Michael Bublé and Derek Hough's national "Higher" Dance Contest. They are hoping to crack the Top 25 in public voting that closes early Sunday at 3 a.m. EST. The couple entered the competition by submitting a video of them dancing the Argentine tango to Bublé's song "Higher."

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is hosting the 22nd installment of the Sonderegger Symposium, a series of presentations about Upper Peninsula topics revolving around a theme, from 8 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the Northern Center Ballroom III. Admission is free. Attendees will be provided a free lunch, during which the U.P. Folklife Awards will be presented. 

The Irish folk band Altan is coming to Northern Michigan University as a part of the Beaumier Heritage Concert series. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, in the Northern Center Ballrooms.

Historic photograph preservationist Jack Deo of Marquette and local quilter and textile preservationist Alice Johnson are the 2022 recipients of the Upper Peninsula Folklife Awards presented by the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University. They will be honored at noon Friday, Nov. 4, at the Sonderegger Symposium luncheon in Ballroom III of the Northern Center. The event is free and open to the public. 

Several members of the NMU Student Veterans of America organization, along with alumni veterans, participated in the "Ghosts of Lighthouse Point" fundraiser Oct. 20-22, which raised more than $4,000 for the Marquette Maritime Museum. The annual event also gathered hundreds of pounds of nonperishable donations for the NMU Food Pantry.

Northern Michigan University alumna Megan Persons is one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal's “40 Under 40” award recipients. The annual awards program, celebrating its 20th year, honors dynamic young professionals who have achieved personal success and make significant civic contributions to West Michigan. Persons graduated in 2012 with a major in secondary education/history and a minor in gender studies. She is the enrollment equity coordinator for Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Matthew Bizoe is among the 16 individuals selected by the Michigan Arts and Culture Council for its 2022-23 cohort of Rising Leaders. He is the marketing manager for Krasl Art Center in Saint Joseph, Mich. Bizoe is responsible for developing marketing strategies for exhibitions, education, development and events, including the nationally recognized Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff.

Northern Michigan University MBA alumnus Ben Collins was recently hired as the new general manager for Cedarburg Light & Water Utility in Wisconsin.  He previously served as manager of utility planning and projects for Marquette Board of Light and Power. 

Megan O'Connor, a 2018 Northern Michigan University graduate, has joined WZMQ-TV 19 for a weekly segment that launched earlier this month. O'Connor talks about popular events and top Upper Peninsula trends in “What's UP with Megan,” which airs at 6 p.m. each Tuesday.

Northern Michigan University's Pride of the North marching band, under the direction of Professor Stephen Grugin, is taking its show on the road for performances in the Grand Rapids and Gaylord areas Oct. 21-23. The 140-member group will provide halftime entertainment for two football games and perform a downtown concert on the return trip to Marquette.

The Northern Michigan University Percussion Ensemble holding its first concert of the season at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.