All News Releases

Northern Michigan University will join college campuses across the nation in recognizing the efforts of students who are the first in their families to earn a bachelor's degree. NMU's First-Generation College Student Celebration will be held on Monday, Nov. 8.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association announces new leaders and four new members of its Board of Directors. Brendan Franklin (BSN '13) of Traverse City is the new president and Chris Charboneau (BME '93) of Madison Heights is the new vice president. New board members include: Nikk Glazier (BS '08) of Germantown, Md.; Anita Mattson (BS '02) of Worcester, Mass.; Kim Monteaux De Freitas (BFA '02) of Columbus, Ohio; and Andre Stringer (BS '16) of Atlanta, Ga.

In collaboration with Northern Michigan University's Animal Club and the Humane Society of the United States, NMU Dining has signed the Forward Food Pledge, indicating its commitment to increase plant-based options each year through 2024. The goal is to ensure that all students have access to healthy, sustainable and inclusive foods.

DJ Ursal, an award-winning Software as a Service (SaaS) professional who holds seven patents and has worked for such companies as Salesforce, Oracle and Siebel, will present "Data Analytics and Today's Manager” at Northern Michigan University. His talk is scheduled at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Jamrich Hall room 1322.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance is offering a new bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree in acting, beginning in fall 2022. The acting major offers students traditional and specialized training, including acting for film, Shakespeare and commercials, as well as voice acting and pantomime. 

Northern Michigan University's Department of Music will present its Percussion Ensemble's annual fall semester concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall.

NMU alumna Katherine “Kay” Mattson of Kingsford, who graduated with an elementary education degree in 1962, recently received the Delta Kappa Gamma Society Michigan State Organization's Lifetime Service Award. DKG is an honorary international organization that supports the role of women in education through scholarships and fellowship programs.

Northern Michigan University's Department of Music will host mezzo-soprano Janet Hopkins, a 16-year veteran of the New York Metropolitan Opera, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, at Reynolds Recital Hall as part of its Siril Concert Series. 

The Northern Michigan University Quiz Bowl team sent three squads to the annual Academic Competition Federation (ACF) fall tournament held Oct. 19 in Minneapolis. The A squad, with a record of 10-2, finished in first place in the undergraduate division and in second place overall out of 12 teams at the tournament.

Demonstrating its confidence in the university's future, the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees voted to invest $90.6 million in capital projects, major maintenance and campus improvements.

Northern Michigan University's Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center and Center for Upper Peninsula Studies will present Sonderegger21, a conference about Upper Peninsula historical, cultural, economic and scientific topics, Friday, Nov. 5, at the Northern Center on campus. 

Northern Michigan University's Department of Music will present its Faculty Jazz Trio Recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Reynolds Recital Hall. 

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is seeking nominations from the public for the 2021 Upper Peninsula Folklife Awards. The deadline is Oct. 31. 

Northern Michigan University will celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November with a series of presentations and other activities on campus and in the community.

The Northern Michigan University Regional Police Academy will host an informational meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, in room 132 of the Jacobetti Complex. The meetings are for those interested in attending NMU's Regional Police Academy, which begins May 2022 and concludes in August 2022.

Northern Michigan University medicinal plant chemistry senior Natalia Correa of Tampa, Fla., has earned an American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholar Award. The program awards renewable scholarships to undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences who are majoring in chemistry-related disciplines and intending to pursue chemistry-related careers. Correa received $5,000 for the academic year.

The Northern Michigan University College of Business will host a public presentation titled “Battling the Giants: Disruptive Strategies in the High Stakes Business of Technology” by guest speaker Kelly Kimball of Los Angeles. It will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, in room 1322 Jamrich Hall.  

NMU Interim President Kerri Schuiling has convened a campus work group to consider a recommendation to rename the Luther West Science Building, based on information that has come to light about the late biology professor's association with the national eugenics movement during the early 1900s.

Northern Michigan University will host its 54th annual Fall Semester Job Fair from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, in the Northern Center Ballrooms. The job fair provides NMU students and alumni with an opportunity to discuss a wide range of career possibilities with employers. These include full-time and part-time internships and summer jobs. 

Chris Alpers, a 2006 NMU graduate, is the new chair of the USApple Association board of directors for the 2021-22 term. The third-generation grower serves as operations manager of RedPath Orchards and Alpers Farms, where he grows apples, as well as sweet and tart cherries. He is also a partner in Alpers Tree Sales in Lake Leelanau, Mich.