Skye McCord remembers becoming fascinated by archaeology by watching as many documentaries and PBS Nova episodes on the subject as possible as a kid growing up in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They joke that it felt natural because they have “nerdy” parents who encouraged them to follow their interests wherever those interests led. When McCord couldn’t...
Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, secured $850,000 in Community Project Funding to support updates to childcare spaces and career training at Northern Illinois University. Rep. Underwood met with campus leaders on May 6 to discuss the Education for Parents Project, tour the Child Development and Family Center and classrooms...
Representatives from NIU, Nicor Gas and Trane Technologies gather to celebrate $311,000 in energy rebates and incentives, recognizing NIU’s campus-wide sustainability efforts and ongoing partnership to drive efficiency, cost savings and emissions reduction. (Photo: NIU Foundation) Northern Illinois University’s push toward a more sustainable future reached a visible milestone this month, when Nicor Gas presented...
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 40% of high school students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 20% seriously considered attempting suicide and 9% attempted suicide. Yet, the American School Counselor Association reported that the K-12 student-to-school counselor ratio across the nation was far below recommendations. Students are facing a mental...
Michelle Bezark, Ph.D., senior policy research associate at NIU’s Center for Early Learning Funding Equity (CELFE), recently published Making Babies Count: The Sheppard-Towner Act and the Building of the Modern Administrative State with Cambridge University Press. Her book shares the story of the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921, the first federal policy aimed at improving health...
Northern Illinois University sent a delegation of a dozen Huskies downstate to Springfield’s Model Illinois Government intercollegiate legislative simulation and competition this year. More than two hundred students representing 18 institutions across the state attended the simulation in March, with a few from NIU chosen for key roles. Cameron Ryan and Andrew Rast were both...
Student leaders have joined the ranks of Order of Omega at NIU, continuing the growth of the national honor society’s recently rechartered Zeta Eta chapter. The organization initiated 24 students this spring, marking one year since Order of Omega officially returned to campusafter a multi-year hiatus. The honor society recognizes fraternity and sorority members who...
Undergraduate Research month culminated with the 2026 Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE) at NIU. CURE brought together over 300 students to share 208 research, artistry and engagement projects. 100 judges played a key role by providing students with feedback on their ability to communicate their work in meaningful and engaging ways. CURE offers students the opportunity to share...
The NIU Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to approve promotion and tenure for 40 NIU faculty members. This is a significant accomplishment as a faculty member; the process includes evaluation of the individual’s teaching, service and scholarship to NIU and their profession. “Faculty are a key component to a vibrant university—mentoring and inspiring...
On the surface, this weekend’s commencement ceremony signaled the next step for nearly 200 graduating NIU engineering students. But inside the NIU Convocation Center on May 1, the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology’s Senior Design Showcase made one thing clear: for these Huskies, those professional journeys are already underway. In all, 197 seniors across...
They might not have walked the red carpet at the star-studded gala dubbed the “Oscars® of Science,” but three NIU professors and seven of their former students are sharing in a prestigious 2026 Breakthrough Prize. To be sure, it’s a conversation starter and résumé-worthy honor. What’s more, each Huskie will get a small cut of...
On April 10, Janet Zelenka, MBA ’82, spoke to a room of Executive MBA students, alumni and faculty and staff at NIU Naperville as part of our Executive in Residence program, a series that provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at leadership. She discussed her varied career path that eventually led her to Stericycle Inc., where...
