|
 Scientists at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory continue to close in on the Higgs boson, considered by some to be the holy grail of particle physics.
NIU physicists and advanced students are part of a large team of scientists at Fermilab announcing the first evidence of single top quarks produced in a rare subatomic process involving the weak nuclear force.
The DZero collaboration, an international experiment conducted by physicists from 90 institutions and 20 countries, announced the milestone in December.
The result is an important test of predictions made by particle theory, such as the number of quarks that exist in nature, according to Fermilab.
FULL STORY
 More than 3,000 people visit the Regional History Center reading room each year at NIU to delve through Civil War diaries, peruse turn-of-the-century postcards and study yellowed business and government records from across the region.
Now NIU is bringing the reading room to the people.
University Libraries is creating an Internet-based digital library of historical materials from all corners of northern Illinois dating to the mid-19th century. The Illinois State Library provided a grant of about $20,000 for construction of the Web site, which will debut late next summer, complementing an already completed site on DeKalb County history.
Located on the fourth floor of Founders Memorial Library on the NIU campus, the Regional History Center is the official depository for local government and business records for 18 of 19 northern Illinois counties.
FULL STORY
 Gaylen Kapperman’s lifelong devotion to advancing the education of people with blindness and visual impairments always has placed the Northern Illinois University professor in good company.
And now it’s official: Kapperman, longtime coordinator of the NIU College of Education’s Programs in Vision, is the winner of a Centennial Medal from the Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.
Representatives from the Lighthouse surprised Kapperman with the medal last month during its year-long campaign to celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2006. One hundred medals were awarded.
“When we took a look at who has had an impact, and who should be recognized, Kap was at the top of that list,” said Jim Kesteloot, president of the Lighthouse and a fellow Centennial Medal winner. “Sometimes you can have a national treasure in your midst and not be aware of it. Kap is really a national treasure.”
FULL STORY
 NIU Professor William Baker’s bibliographical history on Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter has been selected as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2006 by Choice magazine, a publication of the American Library Association.
Choice is the premier source for reviews of academic books. Each January, the magazine publishes its list of Outstanding Academic Titles. The list reflects the best in scholarly titles from the previous year and brings with it the extraordinary recognition of the academic library community.
Only about 10 percent of some 7,000 reviewed works are named Outstanding Academic Titles.
Baker is an NIU Presidential Research Professor who holds a joint appointment with University Libraries and the Department of English.
FULL STORY
 NIU’s College of Education is formally plotting a course for the next five years while the university conducts its own strategic planning.
Dean Christine Sorensen, who delivered her semi-annual All-College Speech last week, told the assembled administrators, faculty and staff to let their imaginations run wild.
The college’s long-time roadmap – “Shaping the Future with PRIDE,” which encompassed partnerships, research, innovation, development and evaluation – has served well “as a vision” and “has helped set our direction,” Sorensen said.
“Now is the time to dream, the time to think big ideas. Now is the time to begin planning for the future, to begin thinking about the direction of your program, your department, your college, and your university,” she said. “We are headed for the future and looking to build a new world here at NIU.”
FULL STORY
 Morton J. Frisch was a decorated soldier who fought in one of the most important battles of World War II. Later, he authored books in the field of American political theory and traveled the world as a sought-after scholar.
But Frisch was perhaps most accomplished in the classroom, where he left a deep impression on thousands of students over the course of more than five decades.
Frisch spent the majority of his academic career in NIU’s political science department. Arriving in 1964, he founded the now nationally recognized graduate program in political philosophy. He retired from full-time duties in 1992, but continued to write, lecture and teach, completing his final graduate seminar in December.
Frisch, 83, died Dec. 24, at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.
FULL STORY
 NIU student-athletes followed a record-setting semester on the fields of play with a record-setting performance in the classroom this fall as NIU student-athletes combined to post a school record 3.074 cumulative grade point average.
The 3.074 GPA surpasses the record 3.036 cumulative mark compiled by NIU student-athletes last spring as GPAs rose for the second straight semester.
"To be certain, I am extremely pleased that our student-athletes continued to raise the bar academically this semester," said NIU Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Jim Phillips.
"In light of the success our teams enjoyed on the field this fall, these academic accomplishments are even more impressive and reflect the commitment of these extremely talented young people to excel as both students and as athletes."
FULL STORY
 If you make a lot of phone calls to off-campus numbers, it’s time to start toughening up your dialing digit.
Beginning Saturday, Feb. 17, calls from any on-campus phone to any off-campus phone will require dialing 1+area code + the seven-digit number. This rule applies whether the call is to a business in downtown DeKalb or an office in New York City.
For those living within the 815 area code, the change means that all calls made from home (including those to campus) will require 11-digit dialing. The change is being made because of a ruling last year by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
FULL STORY
 The NIU Philharmonic will perform Friday, Jan. 26, at the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Convention in Peoria.
Conductor Brett Mitchell applied for the spot last spring, and received the good word during the summer. It’s the orchestra’s first invitation in more than a decade.
“What really got us the gig, as it were, was the recording I sent in made from two of our concerts last season,” Mitchell said. “Part of what makes it such a great honor is that we were invited for how we actually played, not just how we look on paper.”
The orchestra will play at 9:30 a.m. in the Theatre of the Peoria Civic Center, one of eight venues used by the conference attendees during the four-day event.
FULL STORY
 If you are frustrated at the amount of spam e-mails in your inbox, know this: It could be worse. A lot worse.
On a recent day in January, spam blocking measures put in place by Information Technology Services blocked nearly 85 percent of all e-mail sent from off campus to university servers. Even at that, mailboxes were sprinkled with unwanted stock tips, unsolicited cures for baldness and unwelcome ideas on how to overcome (ahem) alleged personal deficiencies.
While that day was something of an extreme example, it is common for university spam filters to block 60 percent of all e-mail sent from outside sources, says ITS Software Support Supervisor Jon Ostenburg, one of nearly 20 university employees who devote at least part of their work day to handling spam-related issues.
In all, more than 200,000 e-mails are blocked on a typical day.
FULL STORY
 Several exhibitions are planned for the early weeks of this semester at the NIU Art Museum. Public receptions for these exhibitions are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18.
Gallery Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and by appointment for group tours.
Pay parking is available in the Visitor’s Lot on Carroll Street and at metered spots in front of Altgeld Hall. Free parking is available Saturdays, and during receptions and visiting artist lectures in the lot northeast of Gilbert and College Drives.
FULL STORY
 Read good news about – and send congratulations to – Paul Bauer, Amy Levin, Pati Seivert, Dimitrie Culcer and Roland Winkler.
FULL STORY |
|
It’s time to think about financial aid again. Visit www.fa.niu.edu after Jan. 1 for important information.
The PeopleSoft Financial System will be upgraded beginning Feb. 9.
The system will be down for approximately two weeks. Once the system is back up, staff from accounting, procurement and the other central offices will work diligently to process transactions as expeditiously as possible.
For a more detailed article regarding the upgrade, please refer to the report in the Nov. 13 Northern Today. In addition to the regular e-mails and notices that have been sent to campus users, further updates regarding the upgrade can be found on the Accounting Office and Procurement Office Web pages.
Danielle Lavetta Burbach, a recent graduate of the NIU School of Art, will exhibit her work in a show titled “Visionary Visuals” during January at the DeKalb Area Women’s Center OnStage Gallery.
A local artist originally from Apple River, Ill., Burbach emphasized oil and watercolor painting as well as printmaking techniques during her studies.
Her work rarely refers to material objects. Instead, she relies on “formal abstract elements to convey universally abstract ideas.”
The public is invited to view the exhibit from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays, and Tuesday, Jan. 9 and 16, or by appointment with Anna Marie Coveny, gallery director. An artist’s reception will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25. The reception is free and open to the public.
The DAWC is located at 1021 State Street in DeKalb, four blocks north of Lincoln Highway. Parking is available one half block south of the building, off of 11th Street. The handicapped accessible lift can be reached from the alley north of the building. For further information or to arrange a group showing, call (815) 758-1351.
Private lessons in music, art and theater for children and adults are available through the NIU Community School of the Arts and begin this week. Private music lessons are taught on a wide variety of instruments, including voice. Students choose to study for either 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
After a student registers, he or she is contacted by a teacher, who arranges for weekly lessons at the Music, Art or Stevens buildings on the NIU campus at a time and day that are convenient for the student. Teachers are NIU faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and community artists.
Semi-private lessons are available for students interested in studying with the same teacher at the same time; students share the costs.
The NIU Community School of the Arts offers a wide variety of arts programming for children and adults in music, theater and art. For more information, call Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
Adults and children can enjoy art classes this spring offered by the NIU Community School of the Arts. Classes are taught in the Art Building.
Classes for students ages 13 and older
Note: A supply list will be provided at the first class of all adult art classes.
“Using Value in Drawing” shows students how to make their drawings more dramatic by enhancing the range of darks and lights. The instructor is experienced teacher and artist Victoria Peel. The class meets from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays from Jan. 27 through March 3.
Students gain an appreciation for the abstract in “Abstract Painting and Drawing: An Overview.” Gain experience learning about the two main approaches to abstraction from instructor Joseph LoPresti, NIU art instructor. The class meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 23 through March 13.
Students learn more about working with paint in “Painting with Acrylics and Watercolors.” Students gain experience and confidence as they explore basic composition and color mixing techniques. The class is taught by Danielle Barton, experienced teacher and graduate student in the NIU School of Art. The class meets from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays from Feb. 4 through March 25.
“Artwork in Progress: Open Studio” is an opportunity for artists to work on unfinished pieces of artwork and get some expert advice at the same time. Bring unfinished artwork from a previous class or from your own studio. There is no group instruction – just plenty of individualized attention and time to work. Barton is the instructor. The class meets from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays from Feb. 4 through March 25.
Class for children ages 4 to 12
Children enjoy a variety of creative art activities in “Art Express.” Taught by art education majors in the NIU School of Art, this popular class meets from 1 to 3 p.m. for five Saturdays from Feb. 3 to March 3. The curriculum is brand new every semester. All materials are supplied. Children of NIU staffers receive a discount.
The NIU Community School of the Arts offers a wide variety of arts programming for children and adults in music, theater and art. For more information, call Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
After a strong launch last winter, the 2nd Annual Beloit International Film Festival has already drawn considerable attention from filmmakers and movie buffs across the globe.
This four-day festival in Wisconsin’s gateway city of Beloit presents more than 100 films from 26 nations, 31 of which are debuts. The films – shorts, documentaries, animated, feature length – screen in eight venues around the city from Thursday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 21.
Listeners to NPR’s Morning Edition or the locally produced Saturday Blues on 89.5 WNIJ might also keep an eye out for the actress-sister of public radio host Dan Klefstad. Heidi Klefstad appears as Julie in “An Open Door,” scheduled within the festival’s Short Slot programming track. The Klefstads also plan to be among the weekend’s festival-goers.
Meanwhile, fans of old classics will enjoy the Silent Film Showcase, sponsored by WNIJ from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, in the Eaton Chapel at Beloit College.
This multimedia experience features Charlie Chaplin onscreen in “The Circus.” This silent movie will be presented with a live orchestral score, arranged and conducted by Robert Tomaro and performed by the Beloit Janesville Symphony’s 12-piece Chamber Orchestra.
Tickets for the Silent Film Showcase are $15 and are available at the door. A complete listing of film festival events, show times and ticket information is accessible through the radio station’s Web site at www.wnij.org.
WNIJ is the News/Talk service of Northern Public Radio, the broadcast arm of NIU.
The NIU Foundation invites applications for the 2007 Venture Grants. All proposals must be received in the Foundation Office by Feb. 2. Awards will be announced no later than the first week of April.
The Foundation anticipates awarding between two and four grants at a minimum level of $5,000 and up to $25,000, with a total amount available of $55,000. All faculty and staff from units within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, the Division of Administration and University Outreach and Intercollegiate Athletics can apply.
For complete information about the grants, as well as application information and forms, visit the NIU Foundation Web page.
The NIU Foundation looks forward to supporting faculty and staff in the pursuit of excellence in research, teaching and outreach to the larger community. Call (815) 753-7539 for more information.
The application deadline is fast approaching for Lillian Cobb Faculty Travel Fellowships.
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. Proposals must be turned in to the Division of International Programs by Feb. 9. Applicants will be notified whether they have received an award by March 9.
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.
Program details are available online.
The Tenth Annual Administrative Professionals’ Day Seminar will be held from 7:45 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the Clara Sperling Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.
The event includes a deluxe breakfast and a presentation titled “Clutter-Busting” presented by Rita Emmett, author of “The Clutter-Busting Handbook” and “The Procrastinator’s Handbook.”
Cost is $44 per person ($54 after April 17). Employees of NIU and other governmental agencies are invited at a special rate of $34 ($44 after April 17).
Register online or call (815) 753-0277.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake will come to NIU’s Huskies Den in late February as Big Brothers Big Sisters of DeKalb County works to raise $135,000.
NIU dates are 7 and 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, and Tuesday, Feb. 27. Other available dates include Sunday, Feb. 18, in Sycamore; Friday, March 2, and Saturday, March 3, in DeKalb; and Sunday, March 4, in Sandwich.
Bowl For Kids’ Sake is the largest annual fundraising event to support Family Service Agency’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of DeKalb County, funding up to 80 percent of the annual budget. The agency’s goal for NIU students and faculty is to raise $15,000 with 40 teams, 180 bowlers and 1,800 individual sponsors.
Team captains are needed to find three to five teammates each and register at (815) 758-8616. Each bowler is expected to collect pledges of at least $75.
Bowlers receive benefits and prizes for each pledge level they achieve; for example, the $75 minimum provides one free game, shoe rental, pizza and pop. At $125, the package expands to include a commemorative T-shirt and a free game during a future visit.
For more information, call Family Service Agency at (815) 758-8616, e-mail brusin@realsolutionstoday.org or visit www.realsolutionstoday.org.
|
