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 What separates the great teachers from the good?
It is a question that can be debated endlessly without ever arriving at a definitive answer. However, examining the careers of the professors and instructors singled out for honors by NIU undergraduate students this year offers a pretty good outline for any such discussion.
Winners of this year's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award – Katharina Barbe, German; Lisa Finkelstein, psychology; and David Gunkel, communication – become the latest names in a line of outstanding professors dating back to 1966 to receive that award.
Joe Bonomo of the English Department, winner of the Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction, has the distinction of being the first-ever recipient of that honor.
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 President John Peters has given special appointments to two NIU physicists, accentuating their roles in cultivating growing areas of interdisciplinary research on campus.
Peters named Gerald Blazey as the new presidential science adviser, a post charged with assisting university leadership in the development of scientific initiatives, coordinating the university's work with federal laboratories and expanding research into the medical applications of accelerator physics.
Peters announced the appointment during an April 25 reception honoring faculty and staff who have excelled in the acquisition of external funding.
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 Following a national search, Bradley Bond of the University of Southern Mississippi has been named associate dean of the NIU Graduate School.
Bond, 42, will step into a job that has been filled on an interim basis for the past two years by Suzanne Willis, who is returning to her teaching position in the Department of Physics.
A professor of history, Bond has served in a number of administrative posts at Southern Miss, including assistant provost. In that position, his responsibilities included leading the university's Office of Graduate Studies and overseeing its Office of Institutional Research.
“Bradley Bond is familiar with the day-to-day business of a graduate school. He has tremendous academic credentials, has worked with faculty to initiate new degree programs and is experienced in the area of program assessment,” said Rathindra Bose, vice president for research and dean of the NIU Graduate School.
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 While the “guest of honor” was not quite of legal drinking age, that did not stop faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology from gathering last month to toast 20 years of success for the college.
The April 21 event included an afternoon open house at the college and an evening dinner for more than 200 guests at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. The celebration was sponsored in part by one of the college's strongest corporate supporters, Hamilton Sundstrand.
“Now that we are out of our teen years, we are mature, responsible, forward-looking and proactive,” Dean Promod Vohra proclaimed at the evening event. “We have proven our viability, are certain of our future and very proud of our heritage.”
That a dean, especially one who holds a degree from CEET, could stand before a room full of alumni and make such a declaration seemed highly improbable a quarter century ago.
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 NIU's Office of Public Affairs has launched an updated Experts Guide, the first major redesign of the database since its online introduction in 2000.
The site – http://experts.niu.edu/expertsystem/ – is a useful and popular tool for news media, community groups, schools and many other users seeking NIU experts.
Public Affairs worked with ITS Web Services to redesign the Experts Guide so that it uses a “relational database” with a more functional and user-friendly interface.
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 Whether it's keeping the campus community connected through mobile communications technology, studying the evolution of grasses or researching promising new cancer treatments, the 2006 Foundation Venture Grant awards will benefit a variety of endeavors at NIU.
The concept is simple: a grant program that acts as a venture fund, investing in the imagination, intellect and dedication of NIU's faculty and students, and a program funding projects that might not otherwise be possible.
Venture grants support faculty and staff in their pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the larger community. Funds are awarded annually through a competitive application process.
Six Venture Grants totaling $55,000 were distributed.
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 NIU's Alumni Association honored 10 recipients of its 2006 Alumni Awards at a private reception and dinner April 20, at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center.
Recipients were selected based on outstanding professional and personal successes, as well as involvement in civic, cultural or charitable activities.
“NIU alumni have gone on to distinguish themselves and Northern in countless ways,” said Pat Anderson, director of alumni relations. “Our Alumni Awards program seeks to recognize some of those outstanding individuals who have gone out and achieved great success in their personal and professional lives.”
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 Rasmieyh Abdelnabi has won NIU's 2006 Martha Cooper Journalism Award for a series of stories she wrote on women in DeKalb for the Northern Star.
Abdelnabi, a 22-year-old senior with a double major in political science and history, currently serves as the city assistant editor for the campus newspaper.
The award recognizes her work on a series of 11 stories last fall that examined local women's issues, including domestic violence, breast cancer, the gender gap and single motherhood.
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 Read good news about – and send congratulations to – Ron Carter and Sen-Maw Kuo.
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Golden Key and Mortar Board Senior Honor Society are teaming up with BetterWorld Books to host a book drive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday, May 12.
Bring any books you are willing to donate to University Bookstore, Village Commons Bookstore and the residence halls. Books will be sent to victims of Hurricane Katrina and donated locally to help promote literacy.
“Art Chicago” is the theme of the Founders Memorial Library lobby exhibition for May. Call (815) 753-1819 for more information.
Founders Memorial Library will expand its hours for Finals Week.
The library is open 7:30 a.m. Friday, May 5, through 2 a.m. Saturday, May 6. Hours for Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7, are 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Hours Monday, May 6, through Thursday, May 11, are 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Call (815) 753-9804 for more information.
Information Technology Services, Human Resources and the Supportive Professional Staff Council will host a farewell reception for Shey Lowman, who is retiring from NIU.
The event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, May 5, in Suite 178 of Human Resource Services, 1515 W. Lincoln Hwy. with a presentation at 2:30 p.m.
Special guests from the Phlippines will attend the weekly peace vigil at 5 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the corner of First Street and Lincoln Highway.
Following the vigil, they will share stories and colorful dances from their various ethnic groups at a program sponsored by DeKalb Interfaith Network at First Congregational Church, 615 N. First St. Network members have arranged a light dinner for a limited number of guets.
The public is invited to the vigil. Call (815) 758-2370 to attend the dinner.
The Greater Kishwaukee Area Concert Band will present a pops concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 6, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall of the NIU Music Building. John Hansen directs the all-volunteer band, which includes many NIU alumni.
The concert is free and open to the public, and the concert hall is accessible to all.
Type 2 (adult onset) diabetics ages 21 to 65 are needed by Saturday, May 6, for a research study on the effects of three months of supplementation of alpha lipoic acid on blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Supplement, testing and breakfasts on test days will be provided free of charge. Participants will receive $20 for each blood draw completed. Blood draws are required before and after supplementation and are conducted by an experienced phlebotomist on the NIU campus.
The study is sponsored by NIU's School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences.
For more information, call (630) 365-2814 or e-mail Tschultz@niu.edu.
NIU's Study Abroad Office now has available sashes to be worn at commencement. Sashes can be purchased at, or ordered from, the NIU Study Abroad Office for $40 each.
NIU students who have participated in NIU-sponsored, credit-bearing, study-abroad programs or who are currently studying at NIU on temporary student visas are eligible to wear the sashes over their commencement gowns.
Countries and quantities are limited, so students are advised to complete an order form and to visit the fourth floor of Williston Hall as soon as possible. Order forms are available online through the NIU Study Abroad Office and the International Student and Faculty Office.
For more information, call (815) 753-0700 or e-mail niuabroad@niu.edu.
The NIU Study Abroad Office and Study Abroad Italy announce a $1,000 scholarship to be awarded to one NIU student approved for Fall 2006 study at one of two design schools in Milan. Eligible applicants must be admitted to a Study Abroad Italy program in Milan.
Scholarship applications are due Monday, May 15, to the Study Abroad Office, Williston Hall 417.
Students can link to information about the Milan design schools via the Study Abroad Italy Web site.
For more information, call (815) 753-0420 or e-mail niuabroad@niu.edu.
Information Technology Services has reached an agreement to extend the Microsoft Campus Agreement subscription period to Friday, May 19.
Partnership in the Microsoft Campus Agreement costs $53 per full-time employee and includes many standard and professional software for Windows and Macintosh. Lab, office and qualified home use are available.
For sign-up details and more information, contact ITS at (815) 753-8100 or via e-mail at helpdesk@niu.edu.
The annual MFA exhibition is open from Friday, May 19, through Saturday, June 17, at the NIU Art Museum in Chicago, 215 W. Superior.
An opening reception takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 19, with an award presentation at 6:30 p.m. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.
Call (312) 642-6010 or visit the museum online for more information.
Student-Faculty Links, a component of NIU's First-Year Connections Program, is recruiting faculty and staff who want to make a difference in the lives of new students during their first semester on campus.
Mentors are asked to complete a short questionnaire, which helps the Orientation Office match new students and mentors based on common academic and/or extracurricular interests. Matches are made in early August, after early orientation sessions when new students can express interest in the program.
Mentors and students are invited to an informal reception during Welcome Days in August. After the initial meeting, the pair determines how frequently they will meet and communicate. Most matches continue at least through the first semester, and many extend beyond.
For more information, call (815) 753-0028 or e-mail firstconn@niu.edu.
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