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 NIU scientists participating in an unprecedented geologic drilling project in the Antarctic – its aim to ultimately shed light on global warming trends – say the first of two drilling seasons was hugely successful.
NIU’s Ross Powell, a professor of geology, is co-chief scientist of the Antarctic Geological Drilling (ANDRILL) Program, which concluded its first field season in January. Geologist Reed Scherer also is among the 150 scientists participating in the international effort.
Long cores of sedimentary rocks recovered by ANDRILL from below the bed of the Ross Sea beneath the Ross Ice Shelf allow researchers to peer deeply into the past to a time when Antarctica was a warmer, more inviting place.
Frequent climate fluctuations in Antarctica have been so extreme over the past 5 million years that the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating slab of ice the size of France, oscillated in size dramatically, and perhaps even disappeared for periods of time when the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have been smaller, according to ANDRILL scientists.
Studies of the cores could provide scientists with glimpses into the planet’s future if predictions of global temperature increases are accurate. Either way, researchers say, data from the cores will help create more accurate climate models for predicting future trends.
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 In the 13 years since NIU launched the Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute, nearly 200 courses have been reborn.
But the need for the annual institute and its work remains as critical as ever.
Michael Gonzales, who helped to create MCTI in 1994 and is chair of this year’s task force, says college courses that skirt issues of multiculturalism are “dated.”
Multiculturalism is the inclusion of scholarship, theory, concept and fact of cultures that historically have been under-represented in all educational arenas.
“For example, because of the nature of the current Middle Eastern conflict, we need to know more about Islam,” Gonzales says. “One of the things we’ve tried to do in the institute in recent years is to provide a forum to communicate some of the cultural and religious values of Muslim students that you many need to know as an instructor.”
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 Christine Sorensen, dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Education since 2002, will leave DeKalb at the end of July for a similar position at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
The largest and oldest UH campus, Manoa offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees alongside its strong and vital research program. Sorensen will serve as dean of its College of Education, which houses two significant research centers with considerable grant funding.
Sorensen guided the NIU College of Education through years of lean state funding and tightened budgets into more prosperous times of partnerships, innovation and improved assessment.
“My life’s philosophy always has been, ‘You’ll be where you’re supposed to be,’ ” Sorensen said. “Hawaii is a place my husband and I have always wanted to be.”
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 Key member of digitization team died
as a result of March auto accident
The Lincoln/Net Web site produced by NIU Libraries has won a major national award for excellence, but the honor is a bittersweet one for library staff members who are mourning the death of colleague Tara Dirst, a major contributor to the online project.
During a formal ceremony held a week ago at the Yale Club in New York City, Gettysburg College presented Drew VandeCreek, creator of Lincoln/Net and director of University Libraries’ digitization unit, with the 2007 Electronic Lincoln Prize.
The $10,000 award is given for significant contribution in new media to scholarship about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era.
Dirst, a 33-year-old NIU alumna who worked on Lincoln/Net from its inception seven years ago, died April 8 as the result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident on a snowy Friday afternoon in early March.
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 When the laughing and the cheering for Larry the Cable Guy finally died down last Thursday, it marked the end of the most successful semester to date for the NIU Convocation Center.
Between January and May, the facility played host to sold out concerts for rocker John Mayer, country-western superstars Sugarland, alt-rockers the Goo Goo Dolls and performance artists Blue Man Group.
Not too shabby for an arena that sprung up from a former corn field just a little more than five years ago.
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 Christopher Jones, chair of political science at NIU, will travel to Israel late this month with about 40 leading U.S. academics for an intensive 10-day program providing a window into how the country combats terrorism.
Jones is a U.S. foreign policy and national security specialist. He learned earlier this month that he was accepted as an Academic Fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, D.C.
As an FDD Fellow, he will participate in the educational trip to Israel focusing on the threat of terrorism to democracy.
Taught in conjunction with Tel Aviv University, the course of study takes place in the classroom and in the field with lectures by academics, diplomats, military and intelligence officials, and politicians from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey and the United States.
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 Amy Levin loves museums, but it is not the sprawling, columned variety that most pique her curiosity.
“I adore small and quirky museums – you might say I collect them,” says Levin, an NIU English professor whose new book underscores the importance of such institutions.
“Defining Memory: Local Museums and the Construction of History in America’s Changing Communities” (AltaMira Press) assembles a collection of essays that provide a window into museums that are slightly off the beaten path.
They range from the New York East Side Tenement Museum and the Freakatorium in New York City to Old Cowtown in Wichita, the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Girard Collection of Folk Art in Santa Fe.
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To perform maintenance and repairs on high pressure steam lines on campus, the Physical Plant and Heating Plant will hold its annual steam outage.
West Campus: from 9 p.m. Monday, May 14, through noon Friday, May 18, including all buildings west of Carroll Avenue, except Stevenson, and various other smaller buildings not served by steam. Domestic and heating hot water will not be available.
East Campus: from 9 p.m. Sunday, May 27, or Monday, May 28, through noon Thursday, May 31, including all buildings east of Carroll Avenue, except for various other smaller buildings not served by steam. Domestic and heating hot water will not be available.
Address any questions or concerns to Kevin Vines, chief engineer, at (815) 753-6090 or via e-mail at kvines@niu.edu.
The David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library has announced its schedule through June 1, which includes reading period and final exams.
Extended hours through Monday, May 14, are from 7:15 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 7:15 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays. The library is open from 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 15.
Hours from Wednesday, May 16, through Friday, June 1, are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The exception is Memorial Day Weekend, when the library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 26, and closed Sunday, May 27, and Monday, May 28.
Call (815) 753-0505 for more information.
The NIU Music Building will resound with all types of musical performances this month as many students in the NIU Community School of the Arts perform in recitals and concerts.
All recitals are scheduled in the Recital Hall unless otherwise noted, and many end with a gala reception. The recitals are free and open to the public.
May 7: The solo guitar and Suzuki guitar students of Eric Schroeder perform at 7 p.m.
May 9: CSA Sinfonia performs at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall. This is one of the best regional youth orchestras in the area and is directed by Linc Smelser. Admission to the orchestra is by audition only.
May 11: The violin students of Hannah Bridgeland perform at 6 p.m. followed by the senior viola and voice recital of Anna Bross. Bross studies viola with Ann Montzka-Smelser and voice with Angela Panzarella.
May 12: The Suzuki violin students perform solos and in groups beginning at 1 p.m. in the Concert Hall.
May 13: The CSJazz Band, under the direction of Johan Eriksson, takes the Concert Hall stage at 7:30 p.m.
May 15: The solo violin students of Jackie Moore perform at 6 p.m.
May 19: The solo cello students of Linc Smelser perform at 10 a.m.
May 21: The solo piano students of Suzuki teacher Marilyn Montzka perform at 4 p.m.
Lessons, classes and ensembles in music, art and theater are offered for children and adults throughout the year. The summer semester begins Monday, June 18. For more information, contact Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
NIU’s Academic Advising Center will move today to Adams Hall Room 404 and will have limited access the rest of the week.
Telephone numbers will remain the same, but the center will have a new fax number: (815) 753-2902. E-mail aac@niu.edu for more information.
Linda Peterson, a CHANCE program counselor with 19 years of service, is retiring. A dessert reception will be held in her honor from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, in the Holmes Student Center Sky Room.
Join the CHANCE staff in expressing appreciation for Peterson’s commitment to making the best possible experiences at NIU for her students and extending best wishes upon her retirement.
Contact Adriana Moreno Nevarez at (815) 753-7094 or via e-mail at amorenon@niu.edu for more information.
NIU Huskie Athletics is offering summer camps focusing on a variety of sports, including athletic training, baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling. The camps are designed for youth of various ages.
Detailed information and registration are available online.
Registration for the summer edition of the FIT Program will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June, 12, through Thursday, June 14, in Anderson Hall 127.
All current and new members should attend one of the days to update paperwork and have their blood pressure taken. E-mail fit@niu.edu for any questions or information regarding the FIT program.
Thousands of new and returning students will begin to arrive on campus at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, to start the fall semester.
The continued and valued support of the NIU family and DeKalb community is critical to transitioning this year’s incoming students and their families into the Huskie family.
Kelly Wesener, executive director for Housing and Dining, invites the university community to participate in this year’s Welcome Days, from Thursday Aug. 23, through Tuesday, Aug. 28.
Volunteers are needed to help the Division of Student Affairs at three events: Opening Day Move-In, Huskies Helping Huskies and House Calls. Please volunteer for one, two, or all three events.
Opening Day: Volunteers will assist students and their families, Thursday, Aug. 23, by driving golf carts of students’ belongings from family vehicles to the residence halls. Students also will volunteer by moving the new students’ belongings to their rooms. As a sign of appreciation, each volunteer will receive a free T-shirt to be worn Opening Day and a 50 percent discount for the annual Huskie Bash. The Huskie Bash will make campus come alive at 4 p.m. Thursday in Central Park.
Huskies Helping Huskies: Volunteers will be stationed at kiosks across campus Monday, Aug. 27, and Tuesday, Aug. 28, to answer students’ questions or direct them to a particular destination on campus.
House Calls: Volunteers will greet first-year students at assigned residence hall floors the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 28. The volunteers will welcome the students and answer any questions they have.
Volunteer registration is available at www.niu.edu/housing/openday/volfacstaff.shtml
Volunteers will receive additional information over the summer. Members of the NIU Operating Staff who wish to participate can request release from their regular duties. Staff participation is subject to supervisory approval and should not interfere with regular operational needs of the university.
For more information, visit www.housing.niu.edu or contact Joshua Johnson at (815) 753-7482 or via e-mail at jmjohnson@niu.edu.
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 Stephen Haliczer, distinguished research professor at NIU, will be prominently featured this week in the American premiere of a four-part docudrama, “Secret Files of the Inquisition,” on PBS.
Haliczer is one of the world’s top experts on the Spanish Inquisition and an expert on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He appears frequently in on-camera interviews in the mini-series.
The first two installments will air at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively Wednesday, May 9, on WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago, with the final two episodes airing at the same times on Wednesday, May 16.
According to its Web site (www.inquisitionproductions.com), the docudrama “tells a story of epic proportions and powerful themes of holy wars and crusades, of torture and terror, of the struggle for human rights and dignity.”
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 Not all of NIU’s sports stars are playing in the official Huskies cardinal and black.
The 11 members of NIU/PHI (Program for Hearing Impaired) Deaf Volleyball Team are the champions of the Third Annual Harper College Deaf Volleyball Tournament held last month in Palatine.
Players Marie Kluss and Adam Wasilewski were named tournament “All-Stars” while Rebecca “Becca” Janssen and Dan Ujwary took MVP honors.
Sapphire Cage, Jeffrey Domaleczny, Helen “Hannah” Handschuh, LaShawn Morris, Alyce Robinson, Devin Rosentreter and Ryan Ruble rounded out the victorious squad.
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 Read good news about – and send congratulations to – Charlotte Rollman, Ashley Wolfman, Amanda Scott Born, Artice Weston Jr. and Viqar "Viq" Mohammad.
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