About Us

The Center for Upper Peninsula Studies focuses public and scholarly attention on the distinctive and rich culture of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Center's operating principle is that the Upper Peninsula has a clearly definable culture which is both textured and complex.

In order to facilitate a public and scholarly understanding and appreciation of the distinctive culture of the Upper Peninsula, the Center sponsors a series of conferences, offers workshops on regional topics, organizes public presentations, serves as a clearinghouse for information and training, facilitates the sharing of business and economic data, develops programming to support displays on the heritage of the Upper Peninsula in the Superior Dome, develops a curriculum dealing with the region, and produces audio and video materials for educational and public use.

Research focuses on the Upper Peninsula environment, ethnic groups, economy, politics, folklore and literature. A modest year-round academic programs of lectures and classes began in the summer of 1996.