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On-campus interviews to begin this week
Raymond Alden |
Kathleen Long
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Jay Noren |
Two sitting provosts and a dean, all three currently serving in top leadership positions at large land-grant universities, are finalists in NIU's search for a new executive vice president and provost.
Raymond W. Alden III, Ph.D., executive vice president and provost at University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Kathleen A. Long, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing at University of Florida, Gainesville; and Jay Noren, M.D., executive vice president and provost at University of Nebraska, are finalists in a national search to replace retiring NIU Provost Ivan Legg.
“I am delighted with the work of the search committee and the extraordinary qualifications of all three candidates recommended for interview,” said NIU President John Peters.
“NIU's next provost will bear much of the responsibility for helping NIU become the nation's premier regional public university,” Peters added.
“That will involve creating a great intellectual environment, enhancing the student experience, driving an aggressive research agenda, expanding our graduate programs, creating sustainable scholarly and creative initiatives, encouraging active engagement in our region and continuing our efforts to internationalize the campus. All three of these candidates bring excellent qualifications in those areas as well as great enthusiasm about NIU.”
On-campus interviews with members of the NIU campus community and leadership begin this week and continue through the first week of May. Each candidate will spend two-and-a-half days on campus, meeting with individuals, small groups and in open forums with faculty and staff.
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  NIU faculty members Courtlandt Bohn in physics, David Buller in philosophy and Kenton Clymer in history have been awarded 2006 Presidential Research Professorships, the university's top recognition for outstanding research.
“Our 2006 award recipients are truly deserving of this honor,” said Rathindra Bose, NIU vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School. “Each individual has accomplished so much in his respective field, and they are all recognized both nationally and internationally for their research.
“While these awards are very competitive, this year's selections were easy for the election committee,” Bose added. “The three award winners clearly stood above anyone else.”
The Presidential Research Professorships have been awarded annually since 1982 in recognition and support of NIU's research and artistic mission. Award winners receive special financial support of their research for four years, after which they carry the title of Distinguished Research Professor.
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 Four members of NIU's Operating Staff have been chosen to receive the Outstanding Service Award for 2006.
The recipients are Judy Burgess from Environmental Health and Safety, Danell Nixon from ITS Document Services, Karen M. Smith from Human Resource Services and Mariano Spizzirri from Media Services.
About 1,800 employees make up the Civil Service staff. Each year, four are selected by a committee of their peers to receive the award of plaques and $1,500. They will be honored at a Thursday, May 4, banquet.
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  A newly released survey of more than 1,200 Illinois teachers underscores a 21st Century dilemma in education: How can our schools keep pace with rapidly expanding areas of knowledge?
The online Illinois Survey of Critical Technologies conducted by NIU's Public Opinion Lab found that a majority of math and science teachers do not feel prepared enough to instruct their students in cutting-edge fields of study expected to boom in the next decade.
These topics include nanotechnology, proteomics, fuel cells, bioinformatics, biodefense, gene therapy, alternative fuels, green technology, graph theory, stem cells, smart materials and quantum computing. The study is available online at www.ilcriticaltechnologies.niu.edu.
“The survey demonstrates a need to identify the ‘new basics' in science and mathematics,” said Marilyn McConachie, NIU education policy expert and author of the Critical Technologies study.
“We hope our findings will generate a serious conversation about how and when to incorporate new information into coursework in Illinois schools,” McConachie added. “The state's commitment to innovation requires that we find ways for ensuring success of students and workers in the technology-driven global marketplace.”
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 Arthur Young is writing the final chapter on his career as dean of University Libraries.
Young, who led substantial growth and major advances in the NIU library system, will retire June 1. A reception in his honor will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 28, at the Barsema Alumni & Visitors Center.
“It's been a distinct pleasure for me to work with Art,” said NIU Provost Ivan Legg. “The library plays such a central role in university life, and Art does an excellent job making library services available and easily accessible to the university community.
“In addition, he's a scholar himself who has published many articles and is very active in professional associations, often in leadership roles,” Legg added. “We've been lucky to have him.”
Young is concluding a 42-year career as an academic librarian, library administrator and teacher of library science and history.
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 Campus Parking Services has announced a 5 percent hike in the cost of all parking permits for the 2006-2007 academic year.
The revenue generated by the increase will be used to offset higher maintenance costs and to finance improvement projects to several parking lots on campus.
“Our costs continue to rise and without increased revenue the condition of our facilities will deteriorate,” said Laura Lundelius, coordinator of parking and traffic for Campus Parking Services. “This increase is modest for each individual, but the amount of revenue it generates will allow us to undertake some important projects.”
The increase will raise the cost of faculty and staff annual blue permits to $85, a jump of $4 compared to last year. Students who purchase green or brown parking permits will pay an additional $2, while those who purchase yellow or orange parking permits will pay an extra $3 per year.
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 Plans are under way to welcome NIU's new and returning students for Fall 2006. The continued and valued support of the NIU family and DeKalb community is critical to transitioning this year's incoming students and their families into the Huskie family.
Michael J. Coakley, assistant vice president for Student Life, invites the university community to participate in this year's Welcome Days, from Thursday, Aug. 24, through Tuesday, Aug. 29.
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 Read good news about – and send congratulations to – Doug Clinton, Jorge Jeria and David Sinason.
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Join President John Peters and the entire university community in congratulating Provost Ivan Legg on his retirement and wishing him and his family the best of luck for the future.
All are invited to attend a dessert reception in Legg's honor from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, April 24, in the Altgeld Hall Auditorium. A short program will begin at 4 p.m.
Two more presentations remain in Mortar Board's “Last Lecture” series.
Kelley Wezner, a graduate assistant in the Department of English, will speak on “Swift, Pseudonymity and the ‘Bickerstaff Papers' ” at 4:30 p.m. today in the Illinois Room of the Holmes Student Center.
Donald Tidrick, of the Department of Accountancy, will provide reflections of a CPA and speak on “A CPA's Reflections about the Accounting Profession and Suggestions for Your Career Success” at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in Barsema Hall 301.
All students and faculty are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Jared Grandon at (815) 508-0795 or visit Mortar Board online.
The Office of Assessment Services is pleased to present the Spring 2006 issue of Toolkit, its quarterly “nuts and bolts” e-newsletter.
Toolkit is specifically designed to assist the NIU community with practical assessment issues in a user friendly format. Contributions to the newsletter are welcome at any time. The deadline for submitting articles for the next issue is Aug. 31. -- MORE
Mohamed A. Nur-Awaleh, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundation at Illinois State University, will speak from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, as part of the John A. Niemi International Lecture Series.
Nur-Awaleh will address “University Governance and the State in the Sub-Saharan Africa.” He speaks in Graham Hall 243.
The Niemi series is presented as a collaboration of the Office of International Initiatives, the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education and the College of Education. Call (815) 753-0329 for more information.
Anna Baltzer, author of “Witness in Palestine, Journal of a Jewish American Woman in Occupied Palestine,” will speak at NIU at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18.
Her free presentation, sponsored by DeKalb Interfaith Network and the Northern Coalition for Peace & Justice, takes place in the Lincoln Room of the Holmes Student Center. An opportunity for comments and questions will follow, and she will sign books before and after the program.
Call (815) 758-0796 for more information. -- MORE
Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources (AADR) has announced the third date of its 2006 Spring Series featuring Collective Stories and Cultural Experiences (CSCE).
The event, scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, in Holmes Student Center Room 306, focuses on “Asian American Cultural Center: A Quiet Spot on a Noisy Street ” in celebration of Asian/Pacific American National History Month.
All are welcome to attend. For more information please contact Phinette Maszka, assistant director, mediation and diversity awareness programming at (815) 753-6030, TTY (815) 753-2000 or pmaszka@niu.edu. Feel free to bring your lunch. Light refreshments will be provided. -- MORE
The Friends of NIU Libraries invites the public to attend “Iris, You and Me” presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, by Mary-Glynn Boies.
The program will be held in the Staff Lounge located on the lower level of Founders Memorial Library. Call (815) 753-8091 for more information. An opportunity for discussion and light refreshments follow the presentation. -- MORE
The NIU Music Building will resound with all types of musical performances in April and May, when many students in the NIU Community School of the Arts perform in recitals and concerts.
All recitals are scheduled in the Recital Hall unless otherwise noted, and many end with a gala reception. The recitals are free and open to the public.
Lessons, classes and ensembles in music, art, and theater are offered for children and adults throughout the year. The summer semester begins June 19. For more information, contact Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms. -- MORE
Join your colleagues and friends in congratulating the newly named Presidential Teaching Professors, Presidential Research Professors and the recipients of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Instruction awards at a reception held in their honor from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in Altgeld Hall Auditorium.
A short awards ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m.
For additional information, contact the Office of Special Events at (815) 753-1999 or via e-mail at ellena@niu.edu.
In celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Awareness Month, Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources will host a showing of the film “Off the Straight and Narrow.”
The film will be shown from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, in Holmes Student Center 306.
For more information, contact Phinette Maszka, assistant director for Mediation and Diversity Awareness Programming, at (815) 753-6030, TTY (815) 753-2000 or pmaszka@niu.edu. -- MORE
The David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library has announced its schedule covering April 29 through May 31, which includes reading period and final exams.
Extended hours for Saturday, April 29, through Thursday, May 18, are from 7:15 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 7:15 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays. The library is open from 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 19.
Hours from Saturday, May 20 through the end of the month are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The exception is Memorial Day Weekend, when the library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 27, and closed Sunday, May 28, and Monday, May 29.
Call (815) 753-0505 for more information.
Jennifer Evans' video installation, “Focus,” will be featured from Saturday, April 29, through Sunday, May 7, at the Nehring Center Gallery. A reception with the artist will occur from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday May 3. Evans, who will receive her degree from NIU next month, will speak briefly about her master of arts exhibition at 6 p.m.
The Nehring Center is at 164 E. Lincoln Highway , with the gallery on the second floor and entrances on Lincoln Highway and Second Street. The Second Street entrance is accessible to all.
Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, from 3 to 5 p.m. Sundays and by appointment. For more information, call (815) 758-6363 or visit www.nehringcentergallery.org. -- MORE
Want to kick back after work and enjoy the outdoors? Why not join the NIU Golf League as we begin to tee off the new season?
All skill levels are welcome with individual weekly events planned to make it a fun time for all. Tee times have been reserved at Buena Vista Golf Course from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Play begins the week of May 9 and concludes with the annual banquet held Sept. 7 at Indian Oaks Country Club in Shabbona.
E-mail niugolf@niu.edu for more information.
To perform maintenance and repairs on high pressure steam lines on campus, the Physical Plant and Heating Plant will hold its annual steam outage.
West Campus: from 9 p.m. Monday, May 15, through 4 p.m. Friday, May 19, including all buildings west of Carroll Avenue, except Stevenson, and various other smaller buildings not served by steam. Domestic and heating hot water will not be available.
East Campus: from 9 p.m. Sunday, May 21, through 4 p.m. Friday, May 26, including all buildings east of Carroll Avenue and Neptune complex, except for various other smaller buildings not served by steam. Domestic and heating hot water will not be available.
Address any questions or concerns to Kevin Vines, chief engineer, at (815) 753-6090 or via e-mail at kvines@niu.edu.
The University Libraries now offers live, real-time chat reference service on the three major chat networks: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.
Patrons can use this service to communicate with an NIU reference librarian and get live help with research projects, ask for guidance in using online databases, or just get quick answers to reference questions. -- MORE
The University Libraries now subscribes to ebrary Academic Complete, a collection of over 23,000 full-text electronic books (or e-books) from major academic, technical and trade publishers.
To visit ebrary: click “List All Databases,” then scroll down the page to ebrary Academic Complete. -- MORE
NIU's College of Visual and Performing Arts is offering a graduate class in art at NIU-Naperville this spring. Called “Contemporary Practice: Portrait and Self-Portrait,” the class is taught Saturdays between May 13 and June 17 by Kathryn Kahn, an associate professor in the NIU School of Art. The class does not meet May 27. -- MORE
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