Northern Illinois University

Liberal Arts & Sciences External Programming

Previous Notables "Brown Bag" Lecture Series

Feb 13, 2008

Physical Geography of the Mississippi River System:
Big River Meets Bigger Glacier and Some Pesky Humans

Michael Konen, Ph.D., Iowa State University

Associate Professor, NIU Department of Geography

 

Feb 6, 2008

The Economics of Poor Health and Working

Virginia Wilcox-Gok, Ph.D., Washington University

Associate Professor, NIU Department of Economics

 

Jan 30, 2008

The Social and Economic Consequences of Globalization in Northern Illinois

Robert Gleeson, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University

Associate Director, NIU Regional Development Institute

Director, Center for Government Studies

 

Jan 23, 2008

An Anthropological and Local View of Our Midwestern Food System

Kendall Thu, Ph.D., University of Iowa

Associate Professor, NIU Department of Anthropology

Jody and Beth Osmund, Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm


Nov 7, 2007

Choosing a Pope: A Board Game Simulating Papal Elections

Stephen Haliczer, Ph.D.   St. Andrews University, Scotland

Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus ,NIU Department of History

 

Oct 31, 2007

The Life of Early Medieval Women: From the Silence of the Sources

Valerie Garver, Ph.D University of Virginia

Assistant Professor, NIU Department of History

 

Oct 24, 2007

The Sources and National Security Implications of America’s Dependency on Foreign Oil

Christopher Jones, Ph.D., Syracuse University

Chair and Associate Professor, NIU Department of Political Science

 

Oct 17, 2007

Financing and Delivery of Health Care for Seniors

James Ciesla, Ph.D. University of South Carolina

Associate Professor, NIU School of Allied Health Professions

 

Oct 10, 2007

Romance and Memory of the Civil War: The Death of ‘Latane’ in Verse and on Canvass

Bradley G, Bond, Ph.D. Louisiana State University

Associate Dean, NIU Graduate School, Assistant Professor NIU Department of History

 

Oct 3, 2007

Aquifers and Ground Water Resources of Northern Illinois

Colin J. Booth, Ph.D. The Pennsylvania State University

Professor, NIU Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

 

Sept 26, 2007

The Resurgence of Cambodian Buddhism

Judy Ledgerwood, Ph.D. Cornell University

Associate Professor and Chair, NIU Department of Anthropology

 

Sept 19, 2007

Honey Bee Disease and the National Economy:  Why You Never See Honey Bees in Your Garden Any More

Christopher Hubbard, Ph. D.  Wake Forest University

Associate Professor, NIU Department of Biological Sciences

August 1, 2007
Storytelling for Life
Peggy Sullivan, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Dean & Professor Emeritus, University Libraries & College of Professional Studies

July 25, 2007
Alternative Energy and Power Systems
Donald Zinger, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering

July 18, 2007
The Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
Drew VandeCreek, Ph.D., University of Virginia
Director of Digital Projects, Founders Memorial Library

July 11, 2007
Double Standard, A Double Life, and the Double Helix: A Brief history of Women in Science
Lesley Rigg, Ph.D. University of Melbourne
Associate Professor, Department of Geography & Department of Biological Sciences

May 2
Language Diversity & Our Schools:
The Impact of Immigration on Teaching & Learning
Rick Orem, Ed.D., University of Georgia
Professor, NIU Department of Literacy Education

April 25
American Sign Language: The Language of Deaf Americans?
Nancy Castle, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University
Professor, NIU Department of Communicative Disorders

April 18
Challenges in the Global War on Terrorism
Christopher Jones, Ph.D., Syracuse University
Chair & Associate Professor, NIU Department of Political Science

April 11
Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: James Bond and Cultural Politics
Christoph Lindner, Ph.D., University of Edinburgh
Assistant Professor, NIU Department of English

April 4
Native Soil: A History of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau
Eric Mogren, J.D., University of Colorado; Ph.D., University of Michigan
Associate Professor, NIU Department of History

March 28
Report From the Ends of the Earth: Drilling in the Antarctic
Ross Powell, Ph.D., Ohio State University
Professor, NIU Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences

March 21
Elections & Voting: Report From the Frontlines
Sharon Holmes
DeKalb County Clerk & Recorder

March 14
Anti-Immigration Municipal Codes: A Fractured Legal Template
Guadalupe Luna, J.D., University of Minnesota
Professor, NIU College of Law

February 7, 2006
Contemporary Cuba
Sarah Blue, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, NIU Center for Latino and Latin American Studies

January 31, 2006
Origins of Monumental Architecture: Hawaii in the 13th Century
Michael Kolb, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Associate Professor, NIU Department of Anthropology

January 24, 2006
Hidden Faults Beneath Our Feet:
Illinois Earthquakes Past, Present and Future
Phil Carpenter, Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Professor, NIU Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

January 17, 2006
The 2006 Congressional Elections Revisited
Matthew Streb, Ph.D., Indiana University
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Assistant Professor, NIU Department of Political Science

November 8, 2006
How Is the Constitution Relevant to Political Disagreement?
Three Cases: Immigration, the Iraq War and the Marriage Amendment
Gary Glenn, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Presedential Teaching Professor, Department of Political Science

November 1, 2006
Intersections of State and Federal Political Affairs
Kathryn Buettner, M.P.A., Northern Illinois University
Vice President and Executive Director, External Affairs and Economic Development

October 25, 2006
Soil Carbon, Agricultural Land-Use, and Global Change Relationships
Michael Konen, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Associate Professor, Department of Geography

October 18, 2006
Why Does Our Landscape Look So Monotonous?
Ann Sorensen, Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley
Director, Center for Agriculture in the Environment

October 11, 2006
Ancient Greek Influence on the American Founding Fathers
George Kourvetaris, Ph.D., Northwestern University
Professor, Department of Sociology

October 4, 2006
The Politics of Marbury v. Madison and the Lasting Legacy of Judicial Review
Artemus Ward, Ph.D., Maxwell School of Citizenship, Syracuse University
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science

September 27, 2006
Huskie Core Values: Delivering a “World Class” Student-Athlete Experience
Carol Owens, Head Coach
Northern Illinois University Women’s Basketball

September 20, 2006
The World of Independent Filmmaking Up Close and Personal
Laura Vazquez, Ph.D., Northwestern University
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication

February 15, 2006
“Making Music History Style!”
E. Taylor Atkins, Sean Farrell, Jason Hawke, Beatrix Hoffman, Eric Jones, James Schmidt
Department of History, Professorial Band

February 8, 2006
“Barbarism Exposed: Journalism and Mormonism in the Late 1800s”
Walter Atkinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Department of Communication

February 1, 2006
“Pollution Under Your Feet:  How Groundwater and Soil Influence Contamination”
Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

January 25, 2006
“Autobiographical Memory”
John. Skowronski, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Psychology

November 9, 2005
“Government Information Policy: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
Earl Shumaker, M.S., Louisiana State University
Associate Professor and Head, Government Publications Department
Coordinator of the Branch Library System, University Libraries

November 2, 2005
“Of Windmills and Warriors:  Spanish Politics and Character Through the Eyes of Don Quixote”
Carl Atlee, Ph.D., University of Arizona
Assistant Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

October 26, 2005
“’I Have Created a Monster’: Genetic Explanations for Halloween’s Legendary Creatures”
Rick Johns, Ph.D., University of Oregon
Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

October 19, 2005
“First Amendment Center and Freedom of Information”
David Bennett, Executive Director, Illinois Press Association
Beth Bennett, Director of Legislative Affairs, Ilinois Press Association

October12, 2005
“Behind the China Gate: Teaching and Living in Contemporary China”
Kenton Clymer, Ph.D., University of Michigan
Chair, Department of History

October 5, 2005
“‘Acuity’: A Memory Enhancement Game for Seniors”
Alan Robinson, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University
Director, Outreach, College of Health and Human Sciences

September 28, 2005
“Critiquing a Presidential Speech”
Ferald Bryan, Ph.D., University of Missouri
Associate Professor, Department of Communication

September 21, 2005
“Using 4-D Confocal Microscopy to Study the Effect of Load on How Cells Build Skin, Cornea, Tendon and Bone”
Barbara Johnson-Wint, Ph.D., Michigan State University
Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

July 27, 2005
“From Polytheism to Monotheism in Ancient Greece”
Sharon Sytsma, Ph.D., Loyola University
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy

July 20, 2005
“For the Love of the Bard”
William Baker, Ph.D., University of London
Professor, Department of English, University Libraires

July 13, 2005
“An Open Forum with Mayor Frank VanBuer: The Past, Present, and Future of DeKalb, Illinois “
Frank VanBuer, Ph.D., University of Illinois
Mayor, City of DeKalb, Illinois

July 6, 2005
“Before the Land of Lincoln:  Taming the Wild Prairie”
Drew VandeCreek, Ph.D., University of Virginia
Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, and
Northern Illinois University Libraries Digitization Unit

May 11, 2005
“The NIU Forensics Team”
Judith Santacaterina
Director of Individual Events, NIU Forensics, Department of Communication
Advisor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

May 4, 2005
“Heroines, Harlets, and Homebodies: Women in Popular Literature Collections at NIU”
Lynne Thomas, MLS, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
Head of Rare Books and Special Collections, Founders Memorial Library

April 27, 2005
“The Changing Demographics of Northeastern Illinois”
Ruth Ann Tobias, ABD, Nothern Illinois University
Senior Research Associate, NIUCenter for Governmental Studies

April 20, 2005
“Albert Einstein and the World of Physics 2005”
David Hedin, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Physics
Patricia Sievert, Outreach Coordinator, Department of Physics

April 13, 2005
“The New Vietnam”
Clark Neher, Ph.D., University of California-Los Angeles
Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science
Distinguished Presidential Teaching Professor

April 6, 2005
“Using Personal Resources to Keep in Charge of Your Life!”
Judith Hertz, Ph. D., RN, University of Texas-Austin
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
2002-2004 John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Post Doctoral Scholar

March  30, 2005
“Paul Douglas and Post World War II Liberalism”
Roger Biles, Ph.D., University of Illinois-Chicago
Visiting Professor, East Carolina University
Department of History

March 23, 2005
“John Gray is from Mars: Popular Advice vs. Gender Communication Research”
Lois Self, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Communication

February 9, 2005
“The Poetry of Love”
Stephen Franklin, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English

Feburary 2, 2005
“Treasures of Mexico”
Michael Gonzales, Ph. D., University of California-Berkley
Director, Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
Presidential Research Professor, Department of History

January 26, 2005
“NIU Center for Burma Studies”
Catherine Raymond, Ph. D., La Sorbonne, Paris, France
Director, Center for Burma Studies

January 19, 2005
“Lost in Translation?  Issues in Translating American, German, and French Films”
Katharina Barbe, Ph.D., Rice University
Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

November 11, 2004
“The 2004 Presidential and Congressional Elections”
Gary Glenn, Ph.D., University of Chicago
Presidential Teaching Professor, Professor, Department of Political Science

November 3, 2004
“Life in a Mega-Science Experiment”
Gerald C. Blazey, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Co-Director, Northern Illinois Center for Accelerator and Detector Development
Distinguished Research Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Physics

October 27, 2004
“Perceptions and Misperceptions of Egypt and the Arab World”
Hanan Hegazi, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Visiting Scholar, Women’s Studies

October 20, 2004
“The Acoustics of Music”
Thomas Rossing, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Distinguished Research Professor, Professor, Department of Physics

October 13, 2004
“Film and Literature”
Robert Self, Ph.D., University of North Carolina
Professor, Department of English

October 6, 2004
“NIU Huskies Basketball”
Rob Judson, NIU Head Men’s Basketball Coach

September 29, 2004
“The History of Medicare”
Beatrix Hoffman, Ph.D., Rutgers University
Associate Professor, Department of History

September 22, 2004
“NIU Regional History Center”
Glen Gildemeister, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University
Director, NIU Regional History Center, University Archivist

July 28, 2004
“NIU Huskies Football”
Joe Novak, NIU Head Football Coach, NIU Athletics

July 21, 2004
“The History of Blues Music as an Expression of Black Culture”
Brian Thornton, Ph.D., Department of Communication

July 14, 2004
“The Red Planet’s River Valleys”
Wei Luo, Ph.D., Department of Geography

May 5, 2004
“Four Arguments in the Intelligent Design Debate”
Larry Arnhart, Ph.D., Department of Political Science

April 28, 2004
“Henry D. Thoreau at NIU”
Elizabeth Hall Witherell, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau Project, University Libraries

April 21, 2004
“NIU’s Anthropology Museum”
Ann Wright-Parsons, M.A., Director, Anthropology Museum, Department of Anthropology

April 14, 2004
“Immigration, Religion, Gender, Marriage, and Sex in Early America”
Aaron Fogleman, Ph.D., Department of History

April 7, 2004
“Do Good Looks Win Votes?”
James N. Schubert, Ph.D., Department of Political Science

March 31, 2004
“The Prairie Parkway Project”
John Lewis, Ph.D., Center for Governmental Studies

March 24, 2004
“NIU’s Center for Black Studies”
LaVerne Gyant, Ed.D., Director, Center for Black Studies

March 17, 2004
“As She Likes It: Shakespeare’s Surprising Women”
Alexandra Bennett, Ph.D., Department of English

February 4, 2004
“The Arab Israeli Conflict”
Tomis Kapitan, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy

January 28, 2004
“The Case of Michael Moore: Politics Enters Entertainment”
Jeffrey Chown, Ph.D., Department of Communication

January 21, 2004
“Sports and Race”
Stanley Arnold, Ph.D., Department of History

November 5, 2003
“Blue Nippon: Authenticating Jazz in Japan”
E. Taylor Atkins, Ph.D., Department of History

October 29, 2003
“DNA Analysis and Genetic Engineering”
Patricia S. Vary, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

October 22, 2003
“Reading the Family Dance”
John V. Knapp, Ph.D., Department of English

October 15, 2003
“Modern Unitarianism: Heresy Trials, Historical Amnesia, and the American Religious Milieu”
Jerome D. Bowers II, Ph.D., Coordinator, History and Social Sciences Secondary Teacher Certification, Department of History

October 8, 2003
“Wet Dogs and Gushing Oranges: Winespeak for a New Millennium”
Sean N. Shesgreen, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor, Department of English

October 1, 2003
“Print and Broadcast Media in the Middle East”
Orayb Najjar, Ph.D., Department of Communication