NIU to create course on homeland security
for Illinois colleges and universities
 The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will announce today that it has selected NIU to lead the way in training a new generation of emergency management specialists.
Under the terms of a $72,000 grant, NIU will develop a foundations course upon which a wide range of programs can be built to educate individuals how to prepare for and respond to all types of disasters, natural or man-made. NIU's proposal was selected by DCEO from among several submitted by universities across the state.
The course will be used at NIU as part of a new program offering a certificate in homeland security and also will be made available to all public colleges and universities across the state for inclusion in similar programs.
“We are very excited to be leading this effort,” NIU President John G. Peters said. “Since we opened our doors 105 years ago, our mission has been to meet the most pressing educational needs of the state, and today that means helping to develop a new generation of leaders who will step up in times of trouble.”
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 Everyone knows oil and water don't mix, but the story doesn't end there. They do, in a sense, talk.
Scientists have known that two immiscible (unmixable) solvents must communicate to each other that they should not mix. But researchers have never known for sure what goes on at the molecular boundary between two immiscible liquids.
New research, published in the Jan. 13 issue of the prestigious journal Science, for the first time shows a seldom predicted layering phenomenon.
“We provide the first ever experimental evidence showing that the boundary is comprised of a layered structure of ions
– charged particles at the smallest possible dimension,” said Petr Vanýsek, an NIU electrochemist and a key member of the team publishing in Science. “There actually is some degree of mixing of the two solvents right at the interface.”
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 Astronomers in Renaissance Italy believed the stars contained codes from God that could unlock the secrets of nature.
These same celestial influences could bestow cosmic harmony and strength to cities and buildings and give protective forces to clothing and jewelry.
Many pieces of art consequently were created (and often commissioned) to depict this quest for celestial understanding, and NIU art professor Mary Quinlan-McGrath is working to make modern sense of it all.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded $40,000 to Quinlan-McGrath to write a book on art and astrology in 15th and 16th century Italy. She will make at least one trip to Italy for research, and expects to complete her manuscript by year's end.
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 Professors across the nation have once again rated NIU's public accountancy programs among the elite in the nation.
The Public Accounting Report's 24th Annual Professor's Survey, ranked NIU's undergraduate program 11th in the United States (down one notch from last year), and its graduate program 10th (up two spots from a year ago). This marked the first time that the graduate program cracked the Top 10.
The recently released survey asks professors in the field what five programs they would recommend to students interested in entering the field. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs have been a fixture on the lists almost since their inception.
“We are very proud to once again find ourselves in the upper echelon of programs on this list,” said James Young, who took over as chair of the NIU Department of Accountancy in January. “The goal of this program has always been, and continues to be, sustained excellence, so it is very satisfying to be included on this list year after year.”
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 When Professor Carla Montgomery penned a geology textbook in 1987, she hoped it would get students excited about the wonders of the physical world around them. But never in her wildest dreams did she expect the letter of appreciation that arrived in the mail shortly before the holiday break.
“I am writing to invite you to a performance in New York City that was inspired and informed by your book ‘Physical Geology,' ” the letter began.
“The performance integrates acrobatics, dance and theater and was inspired by the geologic and evolutionary history of the earth. Your descriptions of earth's movements and systems of change functioned as templates through which we created choreographic structures. … It would be my great honor if you could attend.”
The letter was signed by Sarah East Johnson, founder and artistic director of LAVA, an award-winning Brooklyn-based troupe.
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 The NIU Study Abroad Office is offering four new faculty-directed, study-abroad programs to Poland, the Czech Republic and two cities in Italy: Rome and Florence.
The programs typically are geared for both undergraduate and graduate-level students at NIU and beyond. Students can earn three to six semester hours of credit. These programs provide a lower-cost alternative to the usual semester- or year-long experience abroad.
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 The NIU Study Abroad Office is offering two new informational series that will make it easier than ever for students to learn how to make the dream of studying abroad become a reality.
“Study Abroad 101: First Steps to Study Abroad” is a series of informal presentations and question-and-answer sessions for students who either are considering studying abroad or are in the early phases of the planning process.
The sessions are non-sequential and will be offered at 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday at the NIU Study Abroad Office in Williston Hall 417.
“Students will be able to get information on how to choose a study-abroad program, how to apply and how to find money to pay for study abroad,” says Emily Gorlewski, program assistant. “Studying in another country is not just for foreign language majors anymore. There are many options available for almost any major, including faculty-directed programs, NIU-cosponsored programs and international internships.”
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The Office of Public Affairs is in the process of updating the NIU Experts Guide.
The guide is a searchable, online tool for members of the news media who are looking for experts to comment on particular subjects. Faculty and staff are encouraged to visit the guide at http://experts.niu.edu and check their listing by searching the guide by area of expertise or academic department.
If your listing needs updating, or if you are not listed and would like to be, click on the “Add or Update a Listing” button and fill out the online form.
For more information, call 753-1681 or e-mail publicaffairs@niu.edu.
What does holding detainees at Guantanamo Bay without trial mean for civil liberties in the United States?
Leroy Pernell, dean of the NIU College of Law, will examine the implications of this denial of habeas corpus for the civil rights in this country in general. Pernell will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Swen Parson Hall 170.
This presentation is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice and the NIU College of Law. Call (815) 753-1420 for more information. -- MORE
The service lobby at Campus Parking Services is open again for business after closing for repairs earlier this month. A temporary service office located on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center will remain open through Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Visitors to the HSC location can purchase parking permits, obtain temporary or visitor permits, file parking ticket appeals, report lost or stolen permits and pay tickets.
Extended hours at both locations are 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday of this week. Normal business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) resume Friday, Jan. 27.
Call (815) 753-1045 for more information.
“The Art of Al Souza” is on display through Friday, Feb. 3, at the Jack Olson Memorial Gallery in Room 214 of the Art Building.
The exhibition features multi-layered deconstructed, postmodernist assemblages-collages. Call (815) 753-4521 for more information.
Representatives of the Weight Watchers “Turn Around” program will host an open house at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the Blackhawk West Meeting Room of the Holmes Student Center.
There is no registration fee, and most major credit cards are accepted for the program itself. Visitors can register and pre-pay during the event.
Call Employee Assistance and Wellness at (815) 753-9191 for more information.
NIU and Procurement Services participate in the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative (IPHEC) for a variety of volume purchases and service agreements.
Information regarding two such programs (National Car Rental and Club Quarters, a group of private, full-service hotels for member organizations) can be accessed here.
Both of these agreements help the university meet its goal of keeping travel costs low and are designed to provide excellent overall value. The benefits of these programs apply to both employee business and leisure travel.
Contact Wesley Coats at (815) 753-6108 or wcoats@niu.edu or Al Mueller at (815) 753-6104 or amueller@niu.edu for more information. -- MORE
The NIU School of Theatre and Dance will present “Omnium Gatherum” from Thursday, Feb. 2, through Sunday, Feb. 5, and from Wednesday, Feb. 8, through Sunday, Feb. 12, in the Stevens Building Players Theatre.
Patricia Ridge directs the critically acclaimed play about a dinner party in a post-9/11 world, attended by a group of archetypical, and perhaps very recognizable, New York movers and shakers.
Weeknight and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults, $7 for students and $8 for seniors. More information and ticket reservations are available via the Stevens Building Box Office at (815) 753-1600. -- MORE
The Nehring Center Gallery presents David F. Driesbach's “Awake and In Dreams: A Life in Prints” through Tuesday, March 7. Admission is free.
Meanwhile, recent and current NIU faculty and staff printmakers will display their artwork and the expressive potential of this unique medium from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at “Ink Speaks.”
The gallery is located at 164 E. Lincoln Highway on the second floor. Regular gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 3 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call (815) 758-6363 for more information.
Students looking for a major-related career experience prior to graduation are encouraged to attend NIU's Spring Internship Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, in the Convocation Center.
There is no fee to attend this premier event that provides students opportunities to meet face-to-face with a wide array of internship employers. A resume is required at the registration table for admittance to the fair.
A convenient shuttle service will run from the Holmes Student Center corner of Lucinda Avenue and Normal Road to the Convocation Center during fair hours. -- MORE
Grammy nominee Rascal Flatts will bring its “Me & My Gang Tour” with Blake Shelton to the NIU Convocation Center at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. Rascal Flatts ended 2005 with the No. 2 country tour, entertaining 750,000 fans during the 70-city concert run.
Tickets are $47.25 and $26.50 (additional charges may apply), and are available at the Convocation Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (312) 559-1212. For more information, call (815) 752-6800 or visit www.niuconvo.com.
Students can jump-start their career plans by attending the NIU Spring Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Convocation Center.
There is no fee to attend this premier event, one of the few opportunities many students have to meet face-to-face with potential employers prior to graduation. A resume is required at the registration table for admittance to the fair.
A convenient shuttle service will run from the Holmes Student Center corner of Lucinda Avenue and Normal Road to the Convocation Center during fair hours. -- MORE
The NIU Division of International Programs reminds faculty members that the application deadline for Lillian Cobb Faculty Travel Fellowships is fast approaching.
The fellowships will support faculty members for international travel from May 16 through Aug. 15. All tenured or tenure-track faculty members at NIU are eligible to apply. The deadline is Feb. 10. Applicants will be notified whether they have received an award by March 10.
A total of $8,000 will be available for awards of varying amounts. Except for extraordinary circumstances, a match of 20 percent (with a maximum of $500) is expected from the faculty member's department and/or college.
Click here for program details. -- MORE
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