All News Releases

After making history last month as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, Sarah Thomas will give a virtual presentation through Northern Michigan University's Platform Personalities titled “Breaking Through: A Journey to Becoming the First Female NFL Official.” Her talk is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, and can be viewed by the public via Zoom. 

Northern Michigan University President Fritz Erickson will hold a virtual community forum to provide an update on several university topics. The event is scheduled at noon Tuesday, March 16. 

Northern Michigan University's Anishnaabe News is celebrating a timely milestone with a relaunch by releasing its digital 50th anniversary edition. Originally titled Nishnawbe News, it grew to a circulation of more than 8,000 worldwide, was once the second-largest Indian publication in North America and received acclaim in publications like The New York Times and Time magazine before its first hiatus in October 1983.

Northern Michigan University has been designated a "Voter Friendly Campus" through an initiative led by two national nonpartisan organizations: Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project (CVP); and NAPSA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Both held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encouraged students to register and vote in 2020 elections and in the coming years. 

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will reopen its gallery to the general public on Monday, March 8. Visitation will be limited to six people at one time. Reservations, face masks and proper social distancing are required. The center's current exhibition is titled “Conflict and Resolve: Labor in the Upper Peninsula.” 

Northern Michigan University's Invent@NMU business incubator has received a $320,000 grant to continue offering innovative support services for entrepreneurs across the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Strategic Fund recently approved several grants to support initiatives throughout the state.

The Northern Michigan University Food Pantry received a large shipment of non-perishable food and other items Wednesday, made possible by nearly 130 meal plan students who generously shared $5,400 of their remaining Dining Dollars at the end of the fall semester.

Marquette Senior High School teacher Eric Hammerstrom said the stars aligned when one student's desire to interview someone from the National Hockey League developed into an opportunity for his entire class to connect virtually with high-profile Canadian sports legends and even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

When the pandemic pushed his main revenue sources—catered events in the Fox Cities area and meals prepared for a brewery tap room—to the back burner, NMU alumnus David Bennett (BS '17) opted to adapt rather than wait it out. He successfully accelerated the launch of a take-and-heat meal service to keep the business going.

Northern Michigan University's highest faculty honor, the Distinguished Faculty Award, has been endowed by a major gift from NMU Board Vice Chair Steve Young and his wife, Tricia Kinley, of Lansing.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association continues Northern Now, a monthly digital event series for alumni and friends, at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, March 10. A panel of alumni, faculty and students from the NMU School of Education will discuss the importance of relationships and creating a strong network throughout one's educational and professional career.

Northern Michigan University has announced the winners of its 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. NMU graduate students and McNair scholars presented their original research during the competition in only three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Each candidate was limited to one static PowerPoint slide.

Northern Michigan University Alumnus Travis Smith ('16 EDS) has been appointed to represent local school leaders on a Michigan student recovery council aimed at addressing student and teacher struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic response. He serves as principal of Cherry Creek Elementary School.

Northern Michigan University graduate student Olivia Wendorf was recently featured as the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children's (MIAEYC) student member of the month. She is pursuing a master's degree in early childhood education and is one of eight members representing NMU in Michigan's student chapter, which is the first student chapter in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a new puppy combined to inspire Northern Michigan University alumna Candi Werenka ('90 BS) to achieve a longtime goal: writing a children's book. She has published Coliola, Courageous COVID Canine: Courage is contagious....in a good way!

The Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives invites the public to visit a virtual Black History Month exhibit. It is also hosting a virtual presentation titled “Critical Information Literacy: Consciousness Raising and Social Justice in the Archives” from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Northern Michigan University's Health Center is preparing to administer COVID-19 vaccine doses when they become available. Northern does not know when doses will arrive, but will follow the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and CDC Guidelines when they do. Staff members and representatives of the university's COVID-19 response team met last week to coordinate efforts to communicate future availability, prioritize and schedule eligible groups, and plot the logistics of holding vaccine clinics in the Northern Center.

An NMU student from China is “studying abroad” in her home country this semester. Yaqing Li had rejoined her family last spring as concerns about COVID-19 intensified, and she has not been able to return to Marquette because of lingering travel bans. Through creative intervention by Northern and one of its study abroad partners, Li is able to maintain her immigration status and continue as an NMU student while enrolled at a prestigious university that most Chinese students would not typically have an opportunity to attend.

Northern Michigan University alumna Jennifer Whittet (BS '98) has become the first woman to hold the rank of deputy chief in the Daytona Beach Police Department. She is also only the second woman to reach that rank in the Seventh Judicial Circuit that includes four counties.