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 Speakers at NIU's first-ever Internet2 Day came with high praise for the university's new high-speed fiber optic network, and offered a challenge for the future.
“NIUNet will, no doubt, be the model for other universities to develop similar networks across the state,” said Joe Mambretti, director of the International Center for Advanced Internet Research at Northwestern University. “Once they see what you have accomplished at NIU, they are going to start asking, ‘Why can't we do that?' ”
That was flattery of the highest order, said Wally Czerniak, NIU associate vice president for Information Technology Services. “Joe is one of the world's leading experts on the development of high-speed communication networks, so to hear him say that was tremendously gratifying.”
However, Mambretti and other speakers at the March 30 event had a pressing question for those in attendance: Now that you have a tool like NIUNet, what are you going to do with it?
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   Everyone remembers a favorite teacher.
Some are the kindergarten teachers who zipped coats and tied shoes. Some are the fourth-grade teachers who read wondrous books of fiction aloud after lunch. Some are the middle school teachers who put instruments in our hands and taught us to play. Some are the high school teachers who scored us harder to perfect our strongest disciplines.
And some are the college professors who uncover hidden talents, who expose career paths, who challenge common notions and who nurture each fertile apprentice. They are the ones who believe their greatest impact is made not in the field but in preparing others for those tasks.
They push students beyond their comfort zones but leave their doors open when counsel is needed or victories are breathlessly explained. They keep toes firmly dipped in their pools of knowledge but leave their minds open for new ideas brought by those under their guidance.
NIU is home to many favorite teachers, including the 2006 class of Presidential Teaching Professors: John Hartmann, of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Richard Orem, of the College of Education; and David Taylor, of the College of Law.
“One thing I've always said about this is there is not a better recognition for a faculty member than to be nominated by your peers and your students. This certainly is a program that will allow us to shine a light on our best and brightest teachers,” says Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver. “People will argue, but teaching is the most important thing we do here at this institution.”
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 A new era at the NIU College of Business has begun with the official appointment of Denise Schoenbachler as the next dean.
“We are extremely fortunate to have an individual like Dr. Schoenbachler to lead the college,” said Barbara Giorgi Vella, chair of the NIU Board of Trustees. “Her energy, her enthusiasm and her commitment to scholarship will serve the college well.”
Schoenbachler, who will formally assume the post July 1, is currently chair of the NIU Department of Marketing. She has served on the faculty since 1992, building a reputation for innovation and determination.
“Throughout her career here at NIU, Dr. Schoenbachler has emerged as one of the most creative and dynamic leaders at the university, with a talent for building relationships with colleagues, with alumni and with business leaders,” NIU President John Peters said. “We are excited at the prospect of what will result when she applies those same skills and traits to the leadership of the entire college.”
For her part, Schoenbachler is simultaneously humbled and thrilled.
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Q&A with Artemus Ward New book by NIU political scientist examines
growing influence of U.S. Supreme Court clerks
 A new book by Artemus Ward, a professor of political science at NIU, casts light on the substantial behind-the-scenes influence of law clerks for the U.S. Supreme Court.
In “Sorcerers' Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court” (NYU Press), Ward and co-author David L. Weiden of Illinois State University reveal the changing and growing role of clerks—newly minted lawyers who find themselves drafting U.S. Supreme Court opinions.
The book is based on Supreme Court archives, the personal papers of justices and other Supreme Court figures, and interviews and written surveys with 160 anonymous former clerks from the past five decades.
What do you want readers of the book to walk away with? The book's main thrust is that clerks have grown in importance and influence to the point that the court could not function without them.
FULL Q&A
 Sandy Noel, who teaches physical education at Hatch Elementary School in Oak Park, is working on her Ed.D. degree in curriculum and instruction at Northern Illinois University.
And on Thursday, March 16, the educator of more than 30 years became one of 10 Chicago-area teachers to receive a prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in pre-kindergarten through third grade.
But neither of those things can or will coax Noel out of the gym.
“I want to stay with the children. I would never leave the classroom,” says Noel, a doctoral student in the NIU College of Education's Department of Teaching and Learning.
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 NIU Connect is a major campus initiative to develop the service-oriented university of the future at NIU. Key to this initiative is the implementation of the new Oracle/PeopleSoft Student Information System.
A special project kick-off is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, in the Altgeld Hall auditorium.
This briefing will acquaint the campus with NIU Connect and the progress and plans for the implementation of the new anytime, anywhere Web-based student information system.
Speakers will include NIU President John Peters; Ralph Seferian, vice president, Oracle Corp.; Russ Wheeler, president, CIBER Enterprise Solutions; and others.
A reception will follow the kick-off presentation, and door prizes will be awarded attendees. Plan to attend to see what the future of student services will look like.
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 Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, will present the 13th Annual Francis X. Riley Lecture on Professionalism at the Northern Illinois University College of Law.
Fitzgerald will speak at 2 p.m. Friday, April 7, in the Francis X. Riley Courtroom of Swen Parson Hall.
As the district's top federal law enforcement official, Fitzgerald manages a staff of more than 300 employees who handle civil litigation, criminal investigations and prosecutions involving federal crimes in 18 Illinois counties across the top tier of the state with a combined population of nine million residents.
Since starting in September 2001, Fitzgerald has led significant investigations involving terrorism financing, public corruption, corporate fraud, and violent crime. In December 2003, he was named special counsel to investigate the alleged disclosure of the identity of a purported employee of the Central Intelligence Agency.
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 NIU's College of Engineering and Engineering Technology will hold an open house from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday, April 21, as part of the college's 20th anniversary celebration.
The event will include building tours departing from the main lobby on the hour, starting at noon, and demonstrations in various laboratories on the half-hour, starting at 11:30 a.m. There also will be displays of student research projects set up throughout the building.
The college got its start in rented space in a Sycamore industrial park. From those rather humble beginnings, it has grown into one of the premier engineering programs in the state, housed in a modern facility that is being continually updated to expose students to the latest technology being used by businesses today.
During its first two decades, the college has gained a reputation for excellence in the education of undergraduate and master's level students. In fact, the college was ranked 39th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report Magazine in the category of “best undergraduate engineering programs.”
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 International Programs will hold a Fulbright Interest Day Seminar for students and faculty who would like to learn more about the prestigious international exchange program.
The event will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, in the Heritage Room of Holmes Student Center. Light refreshments will be served.
Deborah Pierce, executive director of the Division of International Programs, is hoping for a good turnout.
“During this academic year, we had a record number of NIU students recommended for Fulbright awards; three of our record eight applications made it past the first and most difficult cut,” she said. “This demonstrates that NIU students can be very competitive in the prestigious Student Fulbright program.”
Student Fulbright awards last year were available in more than 140 countries. Hundreds of opportunities will again be offered this year on a competitive basis.
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Click here for the ITS Helpdesk's spring newsletter for faculty and staff. Topics include mass marketing on campus and GroupWise personal address books.
Asian American Heritage Month 2006 will include a performance by Stir Friday Night! and the launch of a NIU History Department colloquium series as well as several opportunities to experience and taste the culture.
Click here for a full a schedule of events, or contact the Asian American Center at (815) 752-1177. Other highlights of the month include Alpha Phi Gamma's Asian Awareness week poetry slam, the Taste of Asia and the F-Show.
NIU's annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Awareness Month happens in April.
Click here for a full schedule of events, or contact the LGBT Resource Center at (815) 753.LGBT or via e-mail at lgbt@niu.edu. Highlights of the month include the Ally Awards, the 10th annual variety show, the 12th Eychaner Award Banquet and a free performance from folk poet Alix Olson.
An exhibition titled “Government Publications Department: Bringing Documents to the People” will occupy the Founders Memorial Library lobby through April.
Contact Earl Shumaker at (815) 753-9841 or via e-mail at eshumaker@niu.edu for more information.
NIU's Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities (PCSM) will host its seventh annual Friendships Abloom Spring Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5. All are invited to attend the luncheon in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center. Brief remarks and award presentations begin at 12:15 p.m.
Created in 2004, the Deacon Davis Diversity Award, named in honor of Deacon Davis, founder and former director of the CHANCE (Counseling Help & Assistance Necessary for a College Education) Program, recognizes the significant contributions made to the improvement of the status of minorities on campus by members of the university community.
The Commission is proud to announce the 2006 recipients: Admasu Zike, executive assistant in Human Resource Administration; Chief Donald Grady, Department of Public Safety; and Glenda Jones, specialist in the Bursar's Office. Each recipient will be presented with a plaque.
The legendary NIU Jazz Ensemble will present its annual spring jazz concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom.
Special guests this year include Fareed Haque, a member of the jazz faculty and a jazz recording artist, and jazz great and recording artist Charles McPherson, who played all the music for Clint Eastwood's movie, “Bird.”
The Jazz Ensemble recently returned from New York City, where the musicians performed for the International Jazz Conference, and has recently released a new CD, “Swinging Every Which Way But Loose.”
The concert is free and open to the public. Call (815) 753-1551 for more information.
NIU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming is offering a view of Chicago from a different perspective – from the waters of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
Travelers can learn about the architecture and history of the Windy City on a 90-minute guided cruise. The group departs from the Holmes Student Center at 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 24, and returns around 7 p.m. The $60 registration fee includes transportation, cruise ticket, guided tour, and afternoon snack. Registration deadline is Monday, April 10.
For more information, call (815) 753-5200 or e-mail LASEP@niu.edu.
Created entirely by students from the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, Ultimate Puppet Destruction will play from Sunday, April 12, through Tuesday, April 14, in the Stevens Building Corner Theatre on the NIU DeKalb campus.
Curtain time is 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $3 and available only at the door.
Ultimate Puppet Destruction is the brainchild of Lindsay Diakoumis, a senior B.A. candidate in theatre studies at the NIU School of Theatre and Dance. While other directors hold auditions to find actors, she's built her own: 2-foot-high assemblages of felt and yarn intended to melt a spectator's heart with just one look.
The puppets are visually as appealing as a puppy in a pet store window, so it's a bit of a shock to discover just how badly they behave. Hanging out in an R-rated tavern, they talk, flirt and scheme. The bar serves as the puppets' sanctuary, as an “everybody-knows-your-name” setting.
Diakoumis wrote the script in collaboration with Jordan Miller, who also directs.
Mature themes will be broached. For more information, contact Robert Schneider at (815) 753 8263 or via e-mail at rschneider@niu.edu.
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.
Michelle Bringas, director of the NIU Asian American Center, and Rhodalyne Crail, an instructor in the NIU Center for Southeast Asian Studies, will present an overview of services and mission.
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 at pmaszka@niu.edu. Feel free to bring your lunch. Light refreshments will be provided.
NIU fine arts student Julia Girardi will exhibit her prints, drawings and other works in mixed media in a show titled “Confirmation” at the DeKalb Area Women's Center. The show runs through April 28.
Girardi calls her work “a reflection that, while based in reality, puts emphasis on my own perception by taking an experience out of context or by exaggerating it.” Much of the work is comprised of stippled marks which she says “act as a visual record of the time I've spent on a piece.”
The DeKalb Area Women's Center, located at 1021 State Street, is open for public viewing from 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays. A reception will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 13, in the Great Hall exhibition space.
Parking is available one-half block south of the building on 11 th Street, and the accessibility lift can be reached from the alley north of the building. For further information, or to arrange an additional showing, call (815) 758-1351.
Help a NIU student through this tumultuous time by sending a Survival SAAK filled with brain-powering snacks, stress-busting toys and a personal message of encouragement.
The “Huskie SAAK” is $25 and includes a coupon for a quarter-pound cheeseburger and drink from Tom & Jerry's restaurant, in addition to various snacks and toys. The “Victor E. SAAK” can be purchased for $15, and includes the same items without the food and drink coupon.
Survival SAAKs are sponsored by the NIU Student Alumni Association. Each order is filled in-house and satisfaction is guaranteed. Individuals will be notified of delivery and pick-up dates. SAAKs will be delivered to on-campus residents prior to Finals Week; off-campus students may pick up their SAAKs at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center the first week of May.
To place an order, visit www.myniu.com or call (815) 753-1452.
NIU's Alumni Association has implemented a new program to provide graduates and their guests with an upscale commencement buffet at the new Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center.
The buffet will be served at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., between the graduation times of 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person. To view the menu or to register, visit www.myniu.com or call (815) 753-1452.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming is offering camps focusing on such topics as creative writing, journalism and media, science, speech and Muggle Academy. Early-bird registration deadline is June 1.
Children of NIU employees receive a $25 discount on camp fees. Click here for details on each of the camps, and registration.
Also, LA&S External Programming is participating in the Green Apple Construction Camps to offer a fun and educational experience through hands-on programs designed for preschool through eighth-grade children. Children of NIU employees receive a $20 discount on camp fees. Use Code N2414 on the registration form to access the discount. Click here for details and registration information.
The College of Visual & Performing Arts External Programming is offering camps focusing on jazz, theater arts, visual arts and Brass Boot Camp. Early-bird registration deadline is May 1. Returning campers from the 2005 Summer in the Arts at Northern camps and children and grandchildren of NIU employees and students receive a $25 discount. Click here for details on each of the camps and registration.
For more information, call Anne Petty Johnson (LAS) at (815) 753-5200 or Deborah Booth (VPA) at (815) 753-1450.
Summer is never complete without a day at Wrigley Field.
The NIU Alumni Association is offering the opportunity Friday, June 16, to mingle with NIU graduates and catch up on the latest NIU news while enjoying a ballpark buffet and beverages at a pre-game reception. Tickets are $100.
The reception begins 2-1/2 hours prior to first pitch between the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, and will be held at Goose Island in Wrigleyville. The game time is 2:20 p.m., but is subject to change. Register online at www.myniu.com or call (815) 753-1452.
The greatness of the annual Stratford Festival in Ontario is known and appreciated, not just in Canada, but throughout the world. Every summer more than 500,000 lovers of great theater delight in magnificent performances of the works of Shakespeare and other playwrights, both classical and contemporary.
Since 1987, NIU's Department of English has offered study trips to the Stratford Festival. This year brings another experience, from Monday, July 24, through Friday, July 28, conducted by an NIU professor whose special expertise makes this program extraordinarily rewarding.
A week prior to the festival, NIU offers “The Dress Rehearsal” to acquaint travelers with the historical, literary and theatrical aspects of the plays they will see. Click here for details as well as registration information.
For more information, call Anne Petty Johnson at (815) 753-5200 or e-mail apetty@niu.edu.
A printable abridged version of Northern Today is available. --CLICK HERE |
