January 23, 2006, Northern Today Abridged
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.”
Peters pointed out that a recent study performed by the NIU Regional Development Institute found that citizens across the state are beginning to realize the need for greater attention to emergency preparedness. The university's annual Illinois Policy Survey found that two-thirds of Illinoisans rate the capacity of the federal government to respond to terrorist attacks or natural disasters as only fair to very poor.
That perception has some basis in reality. According to estimates released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the demand for emergency management specialists nationwide is expected to increase nearly 30 percent by 2012, and there are currently not enough programs to train individuals to meet that need.
“Classes like this one, and programs like NIU's new certificate in homeland security, will not only help ensure that we have the men and women to fill those jobs, it will also help launch a change in the way we think about emergency planning,” Peters said. “It will provide them with an academic knowledge base required to cultivate the deep understanding needed to develop strategic efforts to properly prepare for and recover from disasters.”
The foundations course is being developed by Dennis Cesarotti, a professor in NIU's College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, who brings both academic and practical credentials to the job. Cesarotti has more than 20 years of experience in disaster management, having served as a responder, team leader and incident commander at events ranging from floods to anthrax scares.
The course, which will be developed for both classroom presentation and delivery over the Internet, will teach students how to evaluate the risk of various types of disasters, how to mitigate the effects of those disasters and how to recover from them. They will learn how to use that knowledge to create plans that can be used to protect everything from a small factory to a large municipality.
The class will be based upon one that Cesarotti has taught for several years, including this semester. The enrollment in his latest class demonstrates its application to many different professions, he said.
“In addition to engineering students, students majoring in public health, business, economics and hospitality administration are also participating in the class. The skills and knowledge they gain will make each of them more valuable employees and give them a competitive edge while seeking employment,” Cesarotti said.
“Recent experience has demonstrated the critical need for people who have the broad skill set required to advise all manner of public and private organizations on the best practices in risk management and on the proper approach to disaster response and recovery, and this course will provide that foundation.”
Students at NIU currently can enroll in courses that will lead to a homeland security certificate in industrial technology. Future homeland security certificates being contemplated include information technology/communications, health sciences, biology and life sciences, administration and investigation.
Oil, water don't mix, but they do communicate
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 of researchers publishing in Science.
“There actually is some degree of mixing of the two solvents right at the interface,” he added. “In addition, the ions near the interface are stacked in a couple of layers rather than just distributing smoothly throughout.”
A team of nine scientists used the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, the most powerful X-ray facility in the Western Hemisphere, to closely examine the boundary between water and nitrobenzene, an oil-like substance. NIU's Vanýsek and physicist Mark Schlossman of the University of Illinois at Chicago were principal investigators on the experiment, supported by the National Science Foundation.
“Down the road, this new understanding could have numerous applications, from improving oil-spill cleanups to providing superior delivery of drugs through human cell membranes, which are actually oil-like materials,” Vanýsek said.
In the past, scientists were divided over what occurs at the interface of immiscible liquids. Most ascribed to the Gouy-Chapman theory, which predicted a diffuse, gradual change from oil to water.
“We were able show that ions, charged particles of salts dissolved in these liquids, are distributed near the interface in a fashion quite different from what was predicted by the theory generally held to be true,” Vanýsek said. “The Gouy-Chapman theory predicted the distribution of ions would be gradual and continuous, but the theory doesn't hold true at the molecular level. We found it was gradual, but layered.
“This is important because the electric field, responsible for the communication with adjacent space, is then layered as well,” he added. “This new information should lead to a better understanding of how immiscible liquids communicate with each other.”
NIU professor writing book
on astronomy in Renaissance art
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.
“People believed all the signs we need to know are in the universe, and that if we were only smart enough, we would be able to better read the mind of God,” says Quinlan-McGrath, chair of the Division of Art History within the NIU School of Art. “They made tables of the planets and stars. Great mathematicians and astronomers used these in the belief that they were helping other people, such as the local doctor counseling patients or the local priest counseling parishioners.”
Quinlan-McGrath's interest was sparked when she wandered into a villa in Italy built and once owned by Agostino Chigi, one of the country's wealthiest men. Inside she found frescoes – colors added to a wet plaster wall before it dries, creating a permanent work of art – created by the artist Raphael and others that tried to explain the significance of the heavenly bodies.
At first, she simply wanted to learn what the works meant.
Her initial research combined mathematical data from Renaissance texts with evidence from legal, medical, religious and literary works of the era to suggest the meanings and functions of the most important 16 th century artworks with astrological content. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of Europe 's leading newspapers, proclaimed this work “groundbreaking.”
“Now,” she says, “I want to study these works within the broader context of how they understood nature and how they understood the creator.”
As strange as it all might sound 500 years later, and despite the continued production and popularity of horoscopes, the notion of astrology in early modern Europe “mesmerized the poor and the rich, the educated and the uneducated alike.”
They believed that tracking maps of the heavens for their times of birth and their moments of conception would predict how their lives would unfold. They thought buildings constructed as the stars directed would enjoy protection from God.
“It's been fascinating,” she says. “Explaining the deeper implications of astrology within the material culture of Renaissance Italy will be a significant contribution to early modern studies.”
Report ranks NIU accountancy
among nation's best programs
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.”
Inclusion in the rankings places NIU in some highly regarded company including six Big Ten Schools (including Illinois ) and Notre Dame. The top two schools (for both graduate and undergraduate programs) were Texas and Brigham Young, respectively. NIU was among the smallest programs ranked, and one of only five where the highest degree available is a masters.
Although pleased by the rankings, Young was quick to point out that they tell only part of the story.
“Rankings are wonderful, but they are only one measure of success,” Young said. “We also pay close attention to ensuring that our students are prepared for the latest challenges in the industry – not just in public accounting, but also in corporate accounting and internal auditing – and that our faculty remain on the cutting edge of research in their fields. I am pleased to report that we are excelling based upon all those measures, also.”
The NIU Department of Accountancy annually graduates approximately 200 bachelor's degree students and 100 master's degree students. The program is currently ranked 25th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report Magazine.
NIU professor's textbook inspires
New York City stage production
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. Inspired by Montgomery 's textbook, the company's latest production, titled “(w)HOLE,” an acronym for the (Whole) History Of Life on Earth, opened Jan. 5 for a seven-week off-Broadway run.
“When you write a science book, you don't expect to inspire an artistic production,” Montgomery said. “But you never know how far the influence of a book extends.”
A 28-year veteran of NIU, Montgomery serves as acting associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is teaching two courses this semester in the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences. She has authored several college-level textbooks in geology.
“Certainly the earth does a lot of exciting things; just think about the forces of nature such as volcanoes and earthquakes. But to turn that into gymnastics and acrobatics is clearly an imaginative leap,” Montgomery said. “I'm thrilled.”
A troupe of six women, LAVA has successfully fused geology and dance in past productions that have received glowing reviews from the likes of Newsweek, the Village Voice and the New York Times. Prior to forming the company, Johnson had trained in ballet and modern dance and had performed with a circus company. Not surprisingly, she also has a keen interest in geology.
“I had taken a geology course at Brooklyn College eight or 10 years ago and ‘Physical Geology' was the text,” Johnson explained in a phone interview. “To find out that the planet was so full of movement was really inspiring to me. The information was communicated in a very dynamic way.”
With her latest production, Johnson set out to treat Montgomery 's textbook as if it were a play. Geologic systems and processes, such as volcano formation, magnetic polarity reversal and rock cycles, are choreographed to dance, acrobatics, trapeze acts, music and background video images captured by Katia and Maurice Krafft, a husband-wife team of volcanologists famous for filming volcanic eruptions. (They were killed in a 1991 eruption in southwestern Japan.)
Johnson said the performance doesn't follow a narrative and isn't meant to be instructional. Rather, her intent was to link science with the emotional attachment humans have to the planet. Audience members “share an experience that is informed by all of the amazing scientific research we have and the human connection to the planet we live on,” she said.
Montgomery said her course commitments will prevent her from traveling to New York this semester, but she might be able to catch a future performance. Johnson said there's a chance that the LAVA company will tour with the production later this year.
NIU launches new study-abroad programs
to Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic
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 NIU-administered programs provide a lower‑cost alternative to the usual semester- or year-long experience abroad.
Here's a look at the new offerings.
Study abroad in Poland
Aleksandra Giza, a professor of Visual Communication in the NIU School of Art, will direct “Exploring Contemporary Graphic Design and Design Education in Poland .” The program will run from March 10 to March 20.
Participants will receive NIU Art credit and will be given the opportunity to work with faculty and students at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice . Professor Giza will facilitate hands-on projects and lead lectures and discussions. Trips to Krakow and Wroclaw also are planned.
The program will demonstrate design-education methods used in Poland, give students an opportunity to work with peers from different cultures and provide cultural and historical background for the study of Eastern European design, art and architecture.
Study abroad in the Czech Republic
Steve Franklin, professor of English and staff member in the NIU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will direct “From Tyranny to Freedom: Literature and the Rise and Fall of Totalitarianism in Twentieth-Century Europe.” Participants will receive NIU English credits through the program, which will run from June 21 to July 21.
The program will focus on literature and the rise and fall of totalitarianism in early- and mid-20th century Europe, as well as the emergence, or rebirth, of freedom in Europe during the last quarter century.
Students will travel throughout the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia. Visits will include several important Holocaust sites and memorials, such as Terezin, Mauthausen and Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as other historical locations and sites associated with the Holocaust and postwar communism. Other activities will include evening music and theater performances in Prague and boat excursions along the Vltava River.
Students also will visit important historic and cultural sites in or near Prague, such as Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Charles Bridge, the Jewish Museum of Prague, the Old Jewish Cemetery, sites in the Jewish Quarter, the National Theatre and Wallenstein Palace and Garden. Students also will have free time to explore shops, restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues in historic Prague, known as the “jewel in the crown” of Central Europe.
Study abroad in Rome
John Senseney, professor of art history in the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts, will direct “Rome Eternal: An Unforgettable Experience,” scheduled to run from May 15 to June 17. Participants will receive NIU art history credit.
This program is a continuation of one carried out with great success under Professor Emeritus Judy Testa of the School of Art.
Students will personally experience the visual culture of one of the most celebrated cities in the history of Western civilization. They will explore Rome through on-site study of its architecture and visit several museums, offering an incomparable opportunity to confront and analyze great works of sculpture and painting in person. Ultimately, the experience will provide an overview and deeper understanding of the development of Western civilization.
Class hours will be spent in the Colosseum, Roman forum, Imperial Fora, Palatine Imperial Palace, Imperial Thermae, Domus Aurea, St. Peter's Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, Il Gesú and several other important locales.
In addition, sessions will be held in Rome's famous museums, including the Vatican, Museo Nazionale and Museo della Civiltá Romana. Optional group trips will include visits to the ancient Roman seaport of Ostia, Palestrina and Campania to visit the Museo Nazionale Archeologico in Naples, as well as the famous ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Study abroad in Florence
Julie Hillery and Andy Reilly, professors of Textiles, Apparel and Merchandising in the NIU College of Health and Human Sciences, will direct “Italian Fashion in Florence.”
The program will run from May 20 to May 30, and will provide participants with first-hand exposure to concepts learned in textile, apparel and merchandising classes. It also will help students develop a more global perspective on the fashion industry.
Students will visit world-renowned fashion houses, retail stores and museums, as well as sites that were an important part of the context that shaped design trends in Western dress. Students also will study merchandising practices, aesthetics of design and consumer behavior in a country that is a world leader in traditional and avant-garde fashion.
Additionally, the program will include a variety of “non-fashion” excursions and ample free time to provide participants with a well-rounded, multi-cultural experience.
Students interested in the new programs or the many other study-abroad opportunities at NIU are encouraged to visit www3.niu.edu/niuabroad/sa.htm. Students also can visit the NIU Study Abroad Office in Williston Hall 417, call (815) 753-0700 or e-mail niuabroad@niu.edu.
Study Abroad Office makes first steps easier
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.”
The second new series, titled “Program Providers in Person,” will allow students to meet with representatives of off-campus study-abroad program providers.
“Students sometimes find the array of study-abroad options available to them overwhelming,” says Clare Foust, outreach and programming coordinator for NIU Study Abroad. “Our intention with the Program Providers in Person series is to make the programs that we offer in conjunction with outside organizations – what we call cosponsored programs – more accessible and understandable. That personal contact is important.”
Students can find out about scheduled visits by looking in the Northern Star's FYI section, in the “campus visits” section of the university's Web calendar (available via the “Calendar” link on the NIU homepage) or by contacting the NIU Study Abroad Office.
Thus far, visits are scheduled for:
Tuesday, Jan. 24: Damien Marshall of the American Institute for Foreign Study (see www.aifsabroad.com).
Wednesday, Jan. 25: Julia Wheeler of Denmark 's International Study Program (see www.discopenhagen.org).
Thursday, Jan. 26: Barry Stinson of AustraLearn (see www.australearn.org).
Wednesday, Feb. 1: Kristi Hanratty of Cultural Experiences Abroad (see www.GoWithCEA.com).
Wednesday, Feb. 8: Hannah Thurber of the School for International Training (see www.sit.edu/studyabroad).
Thursday, Feb. 9: Katherine Wildman of Semester at Sea (see www.semesteratsea.com).
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Elizabeth Lock of International Studies Abroad (see www.studiesabroad.com).
Thursday, Feb. 16: Danielle McCumber of the Institute for American Universities (see www.iaufrance.org).
Students with questions about Study Abroad 101 sessions, the Program Providers in Person series or study abroad in general are encouraged to call (815) 753-0420, email niuabroad@niu.edu or visit the Study Abroad Office in Williston Hall 417.
NIU law school dean to speak
on civil liberties post-Sept. 11
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 conduct a public lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Swen Parson Hall 170.
Habeas corpus is the constitutional guarantee that persons may not be detained indefinitely by authorities without being charged in an impartial court of law to prove that there is just cause to hold them against their will. It was first used in the 17th century to curtail the powers of the British monarch.
Pernell is uniquely capable of considering this question; he not only teaches the subject, but also has testified before Congress about the so-called “Great Writ.”
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.
Parking Service re-opens
The service lobby at Campus Parking Services is open again for business. 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 parking 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.
Olson Memorial Gallery presents Souza exhibition
“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.
Weight Watchers program to host open house Tuesday
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.
National Car Rental, Club Quarters
become preferred vendor programs
NIU and Procurement Services participate in the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative (IPHEC) for a variety of volume purchases and service agreements.
Procurement Services periodically will finalize participation agreements for services that involve discounted rates and/or enhanced options that can provide beneficial terms of participation to departments and employees. When these involve general eligibility, such announcements will be provided to colleges and departments and posted on the Procurement Services Web site.
Information regarding two such programs (National Car Rental and Club Quarters, a group of private, full-service hotels for member organizations) can be accessed through the following link: http://www.finfacil.niu.edu/Procurement.
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.
'Omnium Gatherum' serves politics at play's dinner table
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.
“Omnium Gatherum,” which means “a collection of peculiar souls,” finds the assemblage, hosted by a pretentious Martha Stewart-like Suzie, enjoying an elaborate gourmet meal served with a side of political banter. The group provides enlightening discussion with a biting wit.
Although the guests initially perceive the party as a pleasant social event, the dinner progresses from pleasantries to subtle jabs, to caustic dialogue, and finally turns to overt hostility. As the wine and the good will of the guests runs short, a surprising guest is introduced whose presence will stir up even more controversy and new self-awareness among the party-goers.
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 by contacting the Stevens Building Box Office at (815) 753-1600.
Nehring Center Gallery presents
‘Awake and In Dreams,' ‘Ink Speaks'
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.
Spring Internship Fair scheduled for Feb. 15
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.
The Spring Internship Fair is a student-centered learning event, where employer representatives provide students insight into their hiring trends, information about, and how to apply for, internships, and what students can expect from the interview process.
It also provides students the experience of approaching employers and presenting themselves as prospective employees in their chosen fields. Students should bring plenty of resumes to leave with the employers they meet. Dress for the day is business attire.
Students are encouraged to research attending employers before the Spring Internship Fair either online or at the Career Resource Center. Information about the fair, finding an internship, writing a resume or preparing for an interview can be found at the NIU Career Services Web site at www.niu.edu/careerservices. Students also can schedule an appointment with a career counselor by calling (815) 753-1642.
The Career Resource Center in the Campus Life Building 235 has computers for accessing Victor eRecruiting to research employers and apply for jobs online. Walk-in, 10-minute student resume critiques are available at the Career Resource Center. Career Services is a Division of Student Affairs and is located in Campus Life Building 220.
Rascal Flatts coming to Convo Center Feb. 17
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.
NIU Spring Job Fair scheduled for Feb. 22
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.
The Spring Job Fair is an opportunity for NIU students to attend one of the regions largest collegiate Job Fairs, with more than 150 employers looking to hire upcoming graduates enrolled in more than 25 different majors.
The fair is a student-centered learning event where employer representatives provide students insight into their hiring trends, job openings, employee benefits, how to apply for jobs and what students can expect from the interview process.
It also provides students the experience to dress professionally, approach employers and present themselves as prospective employees in their chosen fields. Students should bring plenty of resumes to leave with the employers they meet.
Students are encouraged to research attending employers before the Spring Job Fair either online or at the Career Resource Center. Information about the fair, finding an internship, writing a resume or preparing for an interview can be found at the NIU Career Services Web site at www.niu.edu/careerservices. Students also can schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor by calling (815) 753-1642.
The Career Resource Center in the Campus Life Building 235 has computers for accessing Victor eRecruiting to research employers and apply for jobs online. Walk-in, 10-minute student resume critiques are available at the Career Resource Center. Career Services is a Division of Student Affairs and is located in Campus Life Building 220.
Deadline approaching for travel fellowships
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.
The travel fellowship was established with an endowment from the estate of Lillian Cobb, the first chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
The aim of the program is to support international travel for teaching and public service activities that are not normally funded by the university. Faculty members who have received a Cobb Fellowship in the past are eligible again, although preference may be given to those who have never received the grant.
Visit http://www.niu.edu/intl_prgms/resources.htm for program details.
1-23-06
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