Many faculty members leave a lasting legacy with the students they teach and mentor. However, after they retire, it takes an educator with a giving spirit and an eye for the future to be committed to the success of future students and faculty members. Mary Suzanne Schriber, a longtime faculty member in the Department of...
Graham, Gabel, Cole and Patterson halls came alive the week of June 8 to welcome and host NIU’s Summer Camp for Responsive Education. The eighth edition of the camp focused on the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education in March 2021 as “research-based best practices for closing...
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are helping NIU create a more personal, connected experience for students. Through interactive tools available within the Navigate and Mission AI platforms, NIU is leveraging AI to provide support and reduce barriers. This high-tech, high-touch approach helps staff members respond quickly, identify concerns and connect students with the appropriate resources. “What...
Loneliness can be deadly, but there are simple, powerful ways to fight back. Research from Northern Illinois University shows that exercise, social connection and even music can help protect the brain and body from the effects of loneliness and stress. Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly being recognized as a priority public health problem. A...
Daniel Chukwunyem, a master of music student in the NIU School of Music won the Advanced Classical TBB Voice Category at the 59th Annual National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) convention in San Antonio, Texas. Chukwunyem is a native of Lagos, Nigeria who will complete his master of music this fall at NIU. He...
Some people are remembered for what they accomplished. Others are remembered for how they made people feel. Michael J. Naser will be remembered for both. Whether he was treating a patient, leading a team or spending time with family and friends, Mike had a gift for connecting with people. He was known for his kindness,...
When Lilian Ulloa transferred to NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, she wasn’t just looking to get through her classes—she yearned for hands-on experience, leadership opportunities and a clearer path into her future career. Last year, the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE) major found all three in a student chapter of the Institute of...
From a newly planted permaculture garden near Anderson Hall to the opening of a GROW Lab in Gilbert Hall, NIU’s Edible Campus continues to transform campus into a living laboratory. Innovative food-growing projects focused on sustainability have created new opportunities for hands-on learning, research and community engagement. Among the latest efforts, former turf grass near...
NIU’s College of Education is celebrating the July 1 launch of the Department of Learning Innovation, Leadership and Technology (LILT). LILT combines the former Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (ETRA) and the former Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations (LEPF). Programs housed within LILT include graduate studies in educational administration, educational psychology,...
Shicheng Chen, professor of Medical Laboratory Sciences at NIU, received a $40,0000 Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Sustaining Illinois Seed grant to support research examining the relationship between mosquitoes and environmental microorganisms. The IIN, a consortium of universities, research institutions and innovation hubs across Illinois, provides seed funding for collaborative research projects that address the state’s...
This past spring, a new internship in the NIU Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) marked the beginning of a promising collaboration between CGS and the NIU Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies (NNGO). An NNGO Studies undergraduate student intern provided support to a team in CGS’s Workforce Policy Lab as they developed a nonprofit capacity...
A fire erupts in your kitchen. Do you know how to react? Can you extinguish the blaze safely and smartly? What if the flames spread before you can snuff them? Most people likely feel capable of managing this situation. Now imagine you can’t see what’s happening. How would that juice your sense of panic in...
