Welcome to the NMU Gender Fair!
The NMU Gender Fair was started in 2017 by NMU undergraduate student Madeline Wiles. It has since become an annual student-driven event that fosters belonging and inclusion throughout campus and the Marquette community. Gender Fair staples include the participation of campus and community organizations, as well as the raffle sponsored by donations from local businesses.
The Gender Fair is free and open to everyone on campus and in the community. See below for information about this year's Fair and follow the links at the bottom of the page to take a look at virtual projects, presentations, award winners, schedules, and descriptions from past Gender Fairs.
2026 Gender Fair
The 2026 Fair included representatives from campus and local organizations, poster projects from NMU students, a queer media contest (see below for more information), snacks, good conversation, community building, and more! We were thrilled this year to welcome Dr. Miranda Findlay to campus as the 2026 Gender Fair Speaker. Dr. Findlay graduated from the NMU English department with bachelor and master degrees before earning her PhD in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Ripon College. What a treat to welcome a Wildcat home!
2026 Gender Fair Events
9th Annual Gender Fair: March 20, 10am-3pm, Northern Center Ballrooms
Gender Fair Speaker: Dr. Miranda Findlay, "Collective Resistance: Building Inclusive Futures in Rural Higher Education," April 2, 6-7:15pm, Jamrich
2026 Queer Media Contest Winner
Visual Art
- Winning Entry: "Growing an Identity," Emily Aguero
2026 Gender Fair in the News
TV 6, "NMU holds Gender Fair to Discuss Role of Gender in Society"
Past Gender Fairs
We continue to explore new ways to develop the Fair. For example, in 2021, the Gender Fair went virtual as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We maintained a virtual component in 2022 even as the Fair returned to being in person, and we hope to find ways of incorporating virtual projects in the future. Part of the virtual 2021 Fair included faculty presentations, an addition that we have continued to develop with in-person speakers drawn from the NMU faculty as well as invited faculty from elsewhere. In 2023 we added a multimedia contest for students to showcase their written, digital, and visual art responses to annual prompts. And at the 2024 Fair we included a collaborative art project created by Fair attendees. You can see the final project in the archived 2024 Gender Fair. We are excited to see how the Gender Fair will continue to evolve to meet the needs of NMU students and community members!