October 4, 2004, Northern Today Abridged

Altgeld open house, State of the University Address
both scheduled for Oct. 7

NIU’s lovingly restored flagship building, century-old Altgeld Hall, will open its doors to the campus community in a series of events slated for Thursday, Oct. 7.

An open house featuring self-guided tours, docents and a commemorative booklet will be offered from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The building’s formal rededication will take place at 11 a.m. in the beautifully refurbished Altgeld Auditorium, restored to its original grandeur by a team of architectural historians and artisans.

Finally, the president’s annual State of the University Address at 3 p.m. will cap off the day’s events as the first formal speech in the building since completion of the five-year renovation project. A reception will follow the president’s speech in two reception rooms just outside and across the hall from the Auditorium’s main, second-floor entrance.

Alumni and community members will be invited to tour Altgeld the following week as part of NIU’s Homecoming celebration. Altgeld will be open for tours, and shuttles will run from the football stadium area throughout that morning (Saturday, Oct. 16).

For details on any of the Altgeld reopening events, contact Special Events Director Ellen Andersen at 753-1999.

Peters named to blue-ribbon task force seeking
to boost Argonne’s bid for $1 billion project

NIU President John Peters has been selected to serve on a blue-ribbon task force created by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to support Argonne National Laboratory in its bid for a $1 billion accelerator project.

Illinois and Michigan are competing to be selected as the site for construction of the Rare Isotope Accelerator. Illinois officials say the project would be a boon to the state economy, creating thousands of construction jobs and eventually hundreds of permanent high-tech research positions. Universities statewide also stand to benefit from their proximity to the one-of-its-kind research tool.

The U.S. Department of Energy has listed the project as a high priority and could choose a construction site by year’s end.

“We’ll do everything we can to support Argonne, which has throughout its history been at the very cutting-edge of science,” NIU President Peters said. “NIU researchers are at the forefront of accelerator physics, and we intend to apply our considerable resources and talents to the benefit of this proposal.”

The proposed accelerator would provide intense beams of rare isotopes (short-lived nuclei not normally found on earth) for a wide variety of studies in nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics and fundamental interactions. The basic research in turn could lead to commercial applications in such areas as medicine, energy production and national security.

“It is critical that the public and private sectors in Illinois work together to support Argonne as the location for this important new facility,” Gov. Blagojevich said.

The task force he created is spearheaded by Argonne Director Hermann Grunder, University of Chicago President Don Randel and Jack Lavin, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Other task force members include U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Sen. Richard Durbin, Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, Illinois Coalition Chairman Samuel Skinner, University of Illinois President James Stukel and Northwestern University President Henry Bienen.

NIU has a growing reputation in the field of accelerator physics, with both faculty and students conducting research at Argonne and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

“All Illinois universities would stand to gain from the rare isotope accelerator being built at Argonne, and NIU would certainly benefit greatly,” said Physics Professor Gerald Blazey, co-director of the Northern Illinois Center for Accelerator and Detector Development. “Research that would be conducted at the rare isotope facility would fit in very nicely with our physics programs at NIU and could benefit researchers in other fields as well, such as chemistry and engineering.”

Physics Professor Courtlandt Bohn worked to establish a joint position at NIU and Argonne supporting the Rare Isotope Accelerator. Bela Erdelyi was hired in August to fill that post and is performing computational work for the accelerator’s design.

“NIU has been involved all along,” Bohn said. “If Argonne wins the project, our students and faculty will be involved in planning, research and development. The project also would help faculty attract research grants, and it could even help us bring in funding for more accelerator infrastructure at NIU.”

Martin E. Marty will kick off W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series

He marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., and was among the rare Protestant ministers participating in Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church’s historic summit meeting. His prolific writings have won more awards than some books have pages.

And he’s coming to NIU.

Martin E. Marty, one of the nation’s most prominent interpreters of religion and contemporary culture, will visit NIU on Monday, Oct. 11, to deliver the inaugural installment of the W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series.

Marty is professor emeritus of religious history at the University of Chicago. He is a Lutheran pastor, nationally known speaker, longtime columnist for The Christian Century magazine and author of more than 50 books, including “Righteous Empire,” for which he won the National Book Award.

Marty will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the newly refurbished Altgeld Hall Auditorium. The public lecture is titled, “The Christian East, the Christian West: Differences and Indifferences and the Difference They Make.”

The endowed lecture series is named in honor of W. Bruce Lincoln, a world-renowned historian of Russia who taught on the NIU faculty for more than three decades until his retirement in 1998. In 1982, Lincoln was among the first group of NIU faculty members awarded Presidential Research Professorships, an honor bestowed on the university’s top scholars.

The recipient of many grants and awards, Lincoln possessed a lifelong passion for learning and a gift for writing. Of the 12 books he authored, several gained a wide audience among the general public. He was one of the last authors to work with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in her role as senior editor at Doubleday Books in New York.

“While he was an historian, the research of Bruce Lincoln crossed many disciplines and appealed to a wide audience,” said Kenton Clymer, chair of the NIU Department of History. “To honor his memory, we intend to bring to campus prominent scholars who likewise have a wide appeal.”

Martin Marty would seem ideal to kick off the annual endowed lecture series, created by friends and family of Lincoln. Time Magazine has called Marty the nation’s “most influential interpreter of religion,” and the late Sen. Paul Simon once said he was “the Thomas Jefferson of the world of theology.”

Marty has served on two U.S. Presidential Commissions and as president of the American Academy of Religion, the American Society of Church History and the American Catholic Historical Association. In addition to the National Book Award, his numerous honors include the National Humanities Medal and the Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“Bruce would be delighted that Martin Marty is inaugurating his lecture series,” said NIU History Professor David Kyvig, a friend of both men.

“They overlapped at the University of Chicago where Bruce was a graduate student at the time Marty was a young professor,” Kyvig added. “Each came to have a high regard for the other’s work. Both have offered sophisticated analysis of the past in terms that engage a broad audience. They shared a belief in the importance of a historically well-informed public and a capacity to enthrall their audience.”

Athletic training students to work Chicago Marathon

Sunday’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, pitting 40,000 runners against a 26.2-mile course, is not only a testament to the capability of the human body but a “medical undertaking” of grand proportions.

Race organizers will erect two medical tents, one more than 300 feet long with 170 cots and another that houses 75 cots. The 17 course aid stations are found every mile or mile-and-a-half. The number of medical volunteers, from physicians, nurses and paramedics to athletic trainers and college students, exceeds 500.

And, for the first year, the marathon’s medical brigade includes students in NIU’s athletic training program.

Gina Delmont, academic coordinator of clinical education for the program housed in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, said she will escort between 12 and 20 of her students to the race that starts and ends in Grant Park.

“They’re pumped,” said Delmont, a certified athletic trainer. “There are some who are actually supposed to be traveling with the NIU football team to Central Florida the day before and actually want to cancel that obligation. Another has a family wedding and would rather skip that for the marathon. It’s a big deal. It’s an honor to be asked.”

NIU’s students will join others from Aurora University, North Central College and Trinity International University on the marathon’s sidelines.

The students will arrive at the course by 6:30 a.m. and work until 4 p.m. Most of the runners will finish by 2:30 p.m.

Responsibilities include everything from tending to pre-race preventative measures, such as techniques for stretching, hydrating and taping, to performing basic first aid during and after the race, which could include everything from twisted ankles, torn muscles and bee stings to heart attacks and organ and system failure.

“They’ll be working with very elite athletes from all over the world,” said Delmont, an NIU alumna who also holds master’s degrees from New York’s Cornell University and Marist College.

“I’ve worked the World Cup, both men’s and women’s, and a number of other events as a volunteer. When I was a student here, I had the opportunity to work the NCAA men’s swimming and diving championships in Indianapolis. It was a great experience for a student to be able to provide that kind of coverage,” she added. “I like to keep my hands involved so I can give our students those kinds of opportunities.”

NIU’s three-year program enrolls about 70 students.

First-year students learn professional ethics and basic injury preventative techniques while second- and third-year students gain clinical experience at one of eight partnership sites. Those chosen for Sunday’s marathon duty are top students with at least an 80 percent accuracy in clinical proficiencies, Delmont said.

Commemorative T-shirts and photos are among the day’s rewards, which include intangibles such as boosting resumes and finding professional connections.

“I’m excited about it as a representative of Northern bringing a group of students,” Delmont said. “We have excellent students here in athletic training, and I finally get to show them off.”

Southeast Asian Studies to host faculty development seminar

NIU’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies will host a one-day faculty development seminar titled, “Building Bridges to Asia: Integrating Southeast Asia into Your Curriculum.”

The free seminar will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, in the Holmes Student Center, followed by a tour of the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Library Collection in Founders Memorial Library. All college- and university-level educators and administrators are welcome to participate.

Professor Emeritus Clark Neher will deliver the keynote presentation on geopolitical and current issues in Southeast Asia. Other presentations by NIU and guest faculty will offer practical suggestions on how to integrate Southeast Asia into new or existing courses in science, history, the humanities, the social sciences and professional studies. Also included will be discussions on conducting research in the region.

Established in 1963, NIU’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies is the second oldest of its kind in the United States and is designated by U.S. Department of Education as a National Resource Center. It provides leadership, focus and coordination for Southeast Asian Studies at NIU.

Southeast Asia includes the countries of Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Call 753-1595 to register for the seminar prior to the Oct. 22 deadline. Limited teaching awards ($200) will be available. Additional information can be found at http://www.niu.edu/cseas/outreach/seaseminar.htm.

Proposals sought for 2005 Women’s History Month

The Women’s Studies Program at NIU invites interested university departments, organizations and individuals to join in the planning of activities for the annual celebration of Women’s History Month in March.

The 2005 theme, “Body Waves,” will focus on the growing debate about the role of body display in feminism. Specifically, different generations of feminists have different perspectives on the importance and definitions of appearance.

Women’s Studies is seeking proposals for activities such as performances, concerts, films, visual displays, speaking engagements and panel discussions to be held in conjunction with the month-long celebration. Proposals are due Nov. 5.

The Women’s Studies Program also is conducting a search for a student artist or photographer to design the poster calendar for Women’s History Month. The student will receive a $200 commission sponsored by the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. The final poster will include the student’s artwork or photography. Each applicant must submit a completed application form and five samples of past work by noon Friday, Oct. 29. Photography must be in black and white.

The Women’s Studies Program also will recognize outstanding essays by feminist NIU undergraduates and graduate students. Award recipients will be announced in March, with winners receiving cash prizes as well as gift certificates from the University Bookstore.

Essays may be on women’s issues or written from a feminist perspective. Undergraduate papers may not exceed 10 pages; graduate papers may be up to 20 pages. The deadline for submissions is noon on Dec. 17.

For online applications and more information, visit the Women’s History Month section of the Web site www.clas.niu.edu/wstudies/ or contact the Women’s Studies Program in Reavis Hall 103 at 753-1038.

Kudos

English Professor Amy Newman will read from her new book of poetry, titled “fall,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, at Barnes and Noble, 2439 Sycamore Road, DeKalb.

Newman’s book was released just last month through Wesleyan University Press.

The collection of poems explores the 72 definitions of the title word, with each definition engendering its own poem and serving as a selection title. The poems span a narrative drama-from the creation of the world and the subsequent exile of its first inhabitants, through the downward movement of the human body in its surrender to illness, to the beauty in the descent of spent foliage in autumn.

The manuscript-in-progress won Newman a MacDowell Colony Fellowship and a 2003 Artists Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council.

NIU announces revised internal audit procedures

Last spring, the Legislation, Audit and External Affairs Committee of NIU’s Board of Trustees asked President John Peters for help in making improvements recommended by the university’s external auditors.

The president brought two ideas for change to the board at its Sept. 23 meeting. Both of these new policies will have an impact on departments across campus.

A change in the charter of NIU’s internal audit department requires supervisors to let the internal audit director know whenever their departments are not following recommendations made in internal audit reports. Sharon Dowen is presently the director of internal audit, to whom this written notice must be sent, within 30 days. This will ensure that the president and trustees learn about such situations so that they can address them promptly.

The other new policy requires cashiers at the bursar’s office to watch for “untimely deposits.”

While they will still accept deposits from departments that have held payments longer than the period prescribed in NIU Business Procedure No. 5-1, the bursar or associate bursar will be informed about late deposits, and department heads will be notified as well. Repeat violations will result in a second notice, with management and the internal audit director informed so the condition can be corrected.

How soon must money be deposited in order to comply with university procedure? The business procedure manual requires departments to deposit funds daily. If the total of cash and checks on hand is less than $500, a weekly deposit is permissible. As soon as the $500 limit is reached, the deposit should be taken to the bursar’s office or alternate depository bank, if one has been approved for the department.

If you have questions, please e-mail them to Sharon Dowen at sdowen@niu.edu or Kinga Mauger at kmauger@niu.edu.

Nominations sought for Presidential Teaching Professors

All letters of nomination for the 2005 Presidential Teaching Professorships should be submitted to Earl Seaver in the Office of the Provost (Altgeld Hall 220B) no later than Monday, Oct. 18.

Following receipt of a letter of nomination, the selection committee will invite each nominated faculty member to prepare materials in accordance with the published procedure. Only full professors with tenure and at least six years service at NIU are eligible for the award.

The Presidential Teaching Professorships were established in 1990 to recognize those outstanding teachers who have demonstrated over time that they:

• instill and develop in students an intensity of interest in, and an appreciation for, the value of the subject;
• apply rigorous standards to student performance, inspire students to become the best that they can be, and stimulate student growth;
• command respect and esteem as a teacher rather than merely being popular;
• demonstrate extraordinary commitment to students and their welfare, not only that the nominee is knowledgeable and prepared for class but is available to them outside of class for help with materials, for advising them, for listening to their concerns, and for assisting them with extra-class projects or activities;
• explore and develop effective instructional methods and technologies; and
• work actively with students, faculty, and administrators to improve undergraduate and/or graduate education at NIU, and other activities directed toward the improvement of instruction.

The procedure calls for a rigorous and thorough portfolio review including contacting former students. The 2005 recipients will be announced next spring.

Customer Service Week shows ‘everybody’s job’

The week of Oct. 4 is nationally recognized as Customer Service Week.

NIU’s Information Technology Services reminds all university employees, whether they serve students directly or indirectly, to keep in mind that exceptional service provides a competitive advantage and ensures that NIU is the school of choice for generations to come.

Take some time Wednesday, Oct. 6, to recognize those colleagues who demonstrate an acute awareness of the powerful impact of providing their very best in quality service throughout the year.

Geology announces fall colloquia dates

The NIU Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has announced dates for its Fall 2004 Colloquia, co-sponsored by the Graduate School.

All talks will be held at 4 p.m. in Davis Hall 308. For directions and updates to the schedule, visit http://jove.geol.niu.edu/deptnews/colloquia/colloquia.html. Contact Reed Scherer at 753-7951 or via e-mail at reed@geol.niu.edu for more information.

Monday, Oct. 4: Timothy W. Lyons, University of Missouri, Columbia, “Geochemical constraints on the composition and evolution of Earth’s early ocean and atmosphere.”

Monday, Oct. 11: Steve Van der Hoven, Illinois State University, “Radiogenic 4He as a tracer for hydrogeologic processes in buried valley aquifers.”

Monday, Oct. 18: Darryll Pederson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, “Role of groundwater in formation of surface features.”

Thursday, Oct. 21: Jorge L. Sarmiento, Princeton University, “Southern Ocean control of marine biological production and atmospheric carbon dioxide.”

Monday, Oct. 25: Lina C. Patino, Michigan State University, “Geochemistry of Central American volcanic rocks: spatial and temporal variations.”

Monday, Nov. 1: Gabriel M. Filippelli, Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, “The peril of eco-engineering: a geologic perspective on iron addition to the ocean and climate change.”

Monday, Nov. 22: Ryan Christensen, Schulmberger Information Solutions, title to be announced.

College of Engineering to host job fair

NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology will hold host 14 companies at its Showcase Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7.

These events, held each fall and spring, were initiated in 1998 at the suggestion of the college’s Engineering and Technology Alumni Society. They are held in the college, allowing students the opportunity to meet with company representatives between classes.

The job fair not only allows students to make contact with potential employers, but also enhances the relationship between the college and the businesses that hire its graduates. Such interaction frequently opens the door to opportunities for faculty research and student projects.

Among the companies attending this year will be Daimler Chrysler, Johnson Controls, United Parcel Service and Caterpillar. The turnout of 14 companies is just one shy of an all-time high for the college. The companies will be recruiting for internships and full-time positions.

Tennessee Williams lauded in student theater production

Re-enacting memories of a broken family and a lonely man who finds companionship with an alley cat are themes from the first of NIU School of Theatre and Dance 2004-2005 Studio Series productions, “Two By Tenn.”

As part of their requirements of the bachelor’s degree in theatre, Tim Racine and Bridget Carey will direct two one-act plays, “The Long Goodbye” and “The Strangest Kind of Romance,” both written by Tennessee Williams.

Instructed to choose a Williams play for his project, Racine chose “The Strangest Kind of Romance,” which was published in 1942 and revolves around a lonely man, tossed by life and badgered by his landlady, who finds friendship with an alley cat.

Carey chose to direct “The Long Goodbye,” a 1940s tale about a young writer who recalls disturbing memories about his mother and sister. The play is reminiscent of another Williams work, “The Glass Menagerie,” which also deals with memory, moving on and forgiveness.

“Two By Tenn” opens in the Stevens Building Corner Theatre on the NIU campus on Thursday, Oct. 7, and runs until Sunday, Oct. 10. Weekday and Saturday show times are 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. All tickets are $3 and can only be purchased at the door.

For more information, please call 753-1337 or visit the NIU School of Theatre and Dance online at http://www.vpa.niu.edu/theater/.

Law professor to receive 2004-05 Merritt Award

Martha Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago Law School, will present “Compassion and Global Citizenship in a Time of Global Tension” from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, in the Clara Sperling Skyroom of the Holmes Student Center.

Nussbaum also will receive the 2004-05 Merritt Award for distinguished service to philosophy of education.

LGBT community invited to ‘Home-Coming Out’

The Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity invites all friends and allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community to its “Home-Coming Out” fall reception, in celebration of NIU’s Homecoming and LGBT History Month.

Join in socializing and refreshments from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, in the Thurgood Marshall Gallery in Swen Parson Hall.

The reception is part of the annual recognition of LGBT History Month in October. A full calendar of events is available online at www.niu.edu/lgbt.

For more information about the reception, LGBT History Month or LGBT resources on campus, contact Margie Cook at the LGBT Resource Center, 753-LGBT or via e-mail at lgbt@niu.edu.

FIT program presents ‘Low Carb Mania’

NIU’s FIT program will host “Low Carb Mania: Truths and Myths,” a free lunchtime seminar from noon to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, in Anderson Hall 244.

To sign up, contact the FIT Office at 753-0335, via e-mail at fit@niu.edu or stop by Anderson Hall 127.

NIU Campus Child Care to host annual book fair

NIU’s Campus Child Care Center will hold its annual Children’s Book Fair during the week of Oct. 18 to 22.

The book fair will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and will be held at the Campus Child Care Center. Come browse through this wide selection with multiple copies of books, early readers, parent resource materials, calendars and much more. At least 15 tables will offer nearly 1,800 books and other items available for purchase.

The center is located just off Annie Glidden Road on the west side of Gabel Hall. The main entrance can be accessed by the circle drive in front of the white stone building.

NIU hosts colloquium on ‘cultural models’

NIU will host “A Colloquium on Cultural Models” from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, in the Clara Sperling Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

The colloquium is open to the public. Sponsors are the Graduate School, the departments of anthropology, computer science and English, and the Cognitive Studies Initiative.

Speakers include Giovanni Bennardo, of NIU’s Department of Anthropology, who will offer the introduction. Other speakers are Douglas L. Medin, of Northwestern University; Frederick K. Lehman and Janet D. Keller, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; David B. Kronenfeld, of the University of California at Riverside; and John B. Gatewood, of Leigh University.

Convocation Center books Incubus for Nov. 12

Building on a tour that started in March 2004, in support of their latest album, Incubus, with special guests The Music, will rock NIU’s Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $29.50 for students with student ID. A limited amount of tickets will be held for students for a limited time. Public tickets are $34.50. Tickets are available at the Convocation Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (312) 559-1212, or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

This concert is sponsored by the Convocation Center and the Campus Activities Board Concerts Committee. For more information visit www.niuconvo.com or call 752-6800. This event is Student Association-allocated and open to all.

10-4-04