What does it mean to be an NIU Huskie? Does tragedy create – or reveal – our character? In what ways would you honor the memories of the students lost Feb. 14?
Answers to these questions are among the requirements facing students who hope to earn the new Forward, Together Forward scholarships. Applications and accompanying recommendations for the first round, which are due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, also ask for evidence of a strong work ethic, motivation, inspiration, integrity, intellectual curiosity and high regard for others.
NIU will award up to five of the $4,000 scholarships each year to continuing undergraduate students who have completed at least 12 credit hours over two consecutive semesters.
The first recipients will be announced Feb. 14, 2009, during planned remembrance activities.
University leaders expect the Forward, Together Forward awards “will be among our most prestigious scholarships” because of their basis on personal merit as well as scholarly achievement, Provost Raymond Alden said.
“We noted as we went through the various memorial activities following Feb. 14 that the students we lost had all been very engaged in the campus community and were very hard-working individuals who shared a high-quality character,” Alden said. “We thought it would be an appropriate way to honor their memory and their presence on our campus to provide these scholarships to students who have the same sorts of interests in campus engagement and the same commendable personal characteristics.”
Students who earn the scholarships will receive printed certificates honoring Gayle Dubowski, Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace and Dan Parmenter, Alden said. “I believe this will be a long-term way to memorialize these individuals,” he said.
Mallory M. Simpson, president of the NIU Foundation, said 1,580 donors came together with no prompting to build the $623,000 scholarship fund. (The current grand total of all Feb. 14-related gifts is nearly $715,000 from about 1,900 donors: Three hundred and eight donors have contributed about $92,000 to three individually named funds established in the colleges.)
The scholarship will exist as “the permanent legacy of the exceptional character of the five exceptional students,” Simpson said.
“These funds were not solicited,” she said. “The beauty is that the impulse of their aching hearts drove almost 1,600 alumni and friends of Northern Illinois University to make sure those precious lives would be remembered forever. They gave with great love and generosity, without being asked.”
“This really shows the engagement of not only our university community but our broader NIU family that extends far beyond our campus,” Alden added. “It was a very gratifying response.”
Each applicant must exhibit solid academic credentials, with at least a 2.5 GPA, and present biographical information that includes awards, honors, community service, extracurricular and leadership involvement, employment experience, hobbies and special interests.
Each also must provide two recommenders who will write thoughtful essays about the specified noble traits of the applicants. One recommender must come from the NIU community, including administration, faculty, staff and students, while the other can be anyone of the applicant’s choosing.
Applications, recommendation forms and application procedures are available online. The selection committee is comprised of nine faculty, two students and one staff member.
Scott Peska, director of the Office of Support and Advocacy, said the families of the five students NIU lost Feb. 14 are pleased by the scholarship and its funding.
“They thought it was nice that the campus was making the effort to recognize and honor the students in this way,” Peska said.
“The scholarship will allow future NIU students to understand how five people positively impacted our community in such different ways,” he added. “As Forward, Together Forward scholars they will be able to impact our campus in their own ways.”
For more information, visit www.scholarships.niu.edu, e-mail scholarships@niu.edu or call Dana Gautcher at (815) 753-0143.
NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology has announced the creation of the Mitutoyo Metrology Lab in historic Still Gym.
The $125,000 gift of equipment and financial support, spread over three years, is just the latest of many examples of Mitutoyo’s support for the college.
“For years the Department of Technology has been the grateful recipient of equipment from Mitutoyo. Thanks to them, our students have the opportunity to learn while using the latest and best measuring devices employed by industry,” CEET Dean Promod Vohra said. “The naming of this lab takes that partnership to a new level, and we are extremely proud that Mitutoyo chose to align itself with the college in this manner.”
Metrology is the science of measurement and is a vital part of maintaining quality in manufacturing processes.
Founded in 1934, as a maker of micrometers, the Aurora, Ill.-based Mitutoyo America has grown into an industry leader with a product line that now covers the full spectrum of measuring devices, including micrometers, calipers, indicators and other measurement tools. Along the way, the company has advanced from hand- held devices into optical and computerized measuring tools that are accurate down to the micron.
“The ability to measure accurately is at the heart of quality control, to assure accuracies at ever smaller tolerances,” said Cliff Mirman, chair of NIU’s Department of Technology, where the lab will be housed. “Thanks to Mitutoyo, our students have the opportunity to master the latest technology used for those jobs before they ever graduate, which makes them attractive to employers and benefits the manufacturing sector when they enter the workforce.”
Vohra looks forward to a lasting partnership between CEET and Mitutoyo.
“It is a tremendous privilege to have been selected for this honor by Mitutoyo,” Vohra said. “That an industry leader would partner with NIU and lend its name to this laboratory is a tremendous endorsement of the university’s faculty and students. We look forward to working with Mitutoyo for many more years.”
Whether it’s Congress trying to tackle the financial crisis or a local city council working to solve traffic snarls, confrontation among members of a public body usually stifles innovation.
So says Distinguished Teaching Professor Gerald Gabris, director of the NIU Division of Public Administration. Gabris and some of his NIU colleagues have been researching the topic for several years, testing their hypotheses by collecting data from local municipalities in northern Illinois.
Gabris says the ability of elected officials to get along well and reach consensus is directly linked to a public body’s capacity for innovation, which is necessary to effectively tackle complex modern-day problems. Without governmental innovation, the public loses out because quality of life suffers.
“It sounds like common sense, but there is a relationship between how well a city manages itself and how well a board gets along,” Gabris says. “When the people are split on how to handle problems, they’re paralyzed from taking action and often end up doing nothing.”
Gabris will address how local governments adapt to complex change through innovation during a Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Capitol Room of Holmes Student Center.
The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m., and the talk with be followed by a question-and-answer session.
“NIU’s Presidential Teaching Professors are the university’s top teachers,” Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver says. “As this seminar demonstrates, they very often are top researchers as well who incorporate their own cutting-edge work into their lessons. Professor Gabris’ timely talk promises to teach us all something new about what makes government effective.”
In addition to having group members who work well together, effective public bodies also possess strong administrative leadership, Gabris says. Administrators initiate the majority of innovations.
“We’re interested in studying the process as opposed to the specific innovations,” Gabris adds. “By knowing the factors associated with high innovation, we hope to be able to diagnose municipalities that are having trouble and then develop practical ways to improve board relations and heighten management leadership.”
Gabris has been teaching courses in public administration, a division of the Department of Political Science, since 1986. He was designated a Presidential Teaching Professor in 2003 and became division director a year later. His research focuses on leadership, merit pay, organization change and human resources management.
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked NIU’s Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) program third nationally in the specialty field of city management and urban policy.
What the residents of ancient Rome left behind to portray their society is replete with written and artistic visions of their role models, such as Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and the god Apollo.
But were those male heroes, real and mythical, the role models to all? To women and children? To residents of the provinces? To slaves? And what of the “events” memorialized in sculpture and story? Did everyone consider those moments of glory as their leaders did?
Sinclair Bell, a new assistant professor of art history in NIU’s School of Art, and Inge Lyse Hansen, an assistant professor of art history at John Cabot University, are the editors of a new book of essays that examine those questions.
“Role Models in the Roman World: Identity and Assimilation,” was published in August by the University of Michigan Press.
Bell and Hansen were colleagues in Rome, where he was a fellow of the American Academy and she was on the staff of the British School. Intrigued by the premise of an academic exploration of different role models for different groups, they invited 15 scholars of the ancient world to speak at conference there in March 2003.
Lured by the location, the roster of world-renowned presenters encompassed several disciplines, including art, archeology, architecture, history, literature and philosophy. They traveled from around the globe, including the United States, Australia, Britain, Germany and Italy.
Those presentations became the essays that make up the book, which is earning praise for its fresh approach to Roman scholarship.
Research into Roman role models is extensive, Bell said, but this study of disparate social and cultural groups is revolutionary. The book also makes extensive use of visual material in addition to text, he said.
“Every period – every culture – has the concept of the role model,” Bell said. “I was impressed by just how manifold this concept was in antiquity.”
Among the thought-provoking pieces is one by Suzanne Dixon, senior lecturer in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Queensland, which posits how ancient Romans would have considered a “celebutante” like Paris Hilton. Ancient Romans dug deeply into their past for cultural symbolism, Bell said, whereas modern generations barely scrape beyond the surface of recent times for points of reference.
“ ‘Role Models in the Roman World’ is an exciting collection, striking for the interdisciplinary range of its contributors and for their vigorous debates – indeed, strong disagreements – about ideas that are currently of fundamental importance in Roman studies,” wrote Matthew Roller, professor of classics at Johns Hopkins University, in a book review. “In framing these crucial issues, and in displaying the range and diversity of current approaches to them, this collection will be useful to every student of the Roman world.”
Bell, educated as an archeologist at the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Cologne, arrived at NIU in August. He was previously a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Manitoba and has taught at the University of Iowa.
For more information on “Role Models in the Roman World,” visit www.press.umich.edu.
Marc D. Falkoff, an assistant professor in the NIU College of Law, is a recipient of the 2008 Bill of Rights in Action Award in honor of his pro bono work on behalf of detainees at Guantánamo Bay.
The Board of Directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) annually bestows the Bill of Rights in Action Awards to individuals and organizations who, because of their professional commitment and community involvement, provide exemplary models of citizenship for the nation’s young people.
In 2004, Falkoff was the principal counsel in filing the first habeas petitions requesting court hearings for 17 Yemeni detainees at Guantánamo Bay. The men had been held at the prison camp without having charges filed against them and without being convicted of any wrongdoing, which Falkoff asserts is unlawful under both the U.S. Constitution and the Geneva Conventions.
A federal district court sided with Falkoff, ruling in January 2005 that the detainees are entitled to a hearing in civilian court. However, the passage of the Military Commissions Act by Congress in 2006 denied the detainees of their right to contest their detention before a civilian judge. Last December, Falkoff and other Guantánamo lawyers challenged the constitutionality of the law before the U.S. Supreme Court. Their case resulted in a landmark Supreme Court decision in June, which upholds the detainees’ habeas corpus rights under the U.S. Constitution and Geneva Conventions.
Falkoff also was a finalist for the Freedom to Publish Award from the International Publishers Association for his book, “Poems from Guantánamo: The Detainees Speak,” published in 2007 by the University of Iowa Press.
The annual award honors a person or organization that has made an important contribution to the defense and promotion of the right to freely publish. Falkoff, who has a Ph.D. in American Literature, collected poetry written by the detainees and had to overcome government obstacles to get them published. Profits from the book are donated to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a civil rights organization that has advocated extensively on behalf of the Guantánamo detainees.
Falkoff joined the NIU Law faculty in August 2006 and teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, lawyering skills and federal courts. He graduated from Columbia Law School and also holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from Brandeis University, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) is non-partisan and committed to educating elementary and secondary students about their rights and responsibilities under the law. Last year more than 500 schools and school districts participated in one or more of CRFC programs: more than 300 in Illinois; almost 100 throughout the United States; and more than 60 in newly independent countries. More than 700 volunteer attorneys, judges, scholars and policymakers worked on the curriculum, the student programs and in professional development for teachers.
Previous recipients of the Bill of Rights award include U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, former U.S. General Attorney Janet Reno and the late Illinois Sen. Paul Simon.
Lan Li, facilitator of the hospitality administration program in NIU’s School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences, worked in human resources for the catering of the Beijing Olympics in August.
Li, a native of Beijing, was assigned to the human resources department of Media Village two weeks before the games started. The Media Village served food to more than 6,000 media personnel and more than 3,000 staff.
Members of the catering staffs cane from 11 countries, and most did not know each other before entering the village with their diverse technical, culture and language backgrounds. Li’s main responsibilities included assistance with scheduling, employee discipline and accidents and payroll.
Over the course of the Olympics, the catering staff served:
The work was tiring but the experience was rewarding, Li said.
“It allowed me to get an inside view of how a mega-event was run, the problems that came up and how they were overcome. More importantly, it gave me a tremendous platform to understand how it feels to manage teams of staff who had a different culture and value system,” said the College of Health and Human Sciences professor.
“Maybe it’s in my nature as a professor – I also played the role of a motivator and a patient listener to these young students after their long working hours,” she added. “In some emergency situations, I also stepped in to be a translator between international managers and student workers, and arranging for a cleaning company to pick up thousands of dirty uniforms.”
From creating a digital library of maps to returning ancient and modern Mayan art to the spotlight, and from educating teens about U.S. citizenship to exploring new medical diagnosis and treatment, the 2008 Venture Grant awards benefit a variety of endeavors at NIU.
The grants, made annually by the NIU Foundation and awarded through a competitive application process, are intended to support faculty in their pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the larger community. Funding is intended as an investment in the imagination, intellect and dedication of NIU’s faculty and students.
Five Venture Grants totaling more than $54,000 were distributed. The winning projects were:
This proposal focuses on the development of a virtual map library of more than 97,000 artifacts that would further enhance NIU’s national visibility as an important center for digital resources.
Specifically, the project would serve several important functions: establish a digital archive of the map collection, preserve the content of the collection, provide access to the collection via the Internet and make the maps usable in an electronic format for travel and other purposes. In addition, the university is in the process of seeking approval for a new Ph.D. program in geography; this digital library would be a valuable resource to support the research of both doctoral students and faculty.
Funding this project would permit the development of an exhibition of Mayan art at NIU; a symposium conducted by four internationally known scholars; and a catalog in English and Spanish that includes extensive documentation of the significance of the artistic works in the exhibition.
In addition to the collaborations between the School of Art and the Jack Olson Gallery to mount the exhibit and symposium, the University Press would produce a permanent record of the exhibition at NIU and one being planned in Mérida, Yucatán. The project would provide the university with regional, national and international exposure via the two exhibitions, the Internet and the English/Spanish catalog. It would benefit students in numerous ways: direct participation in the project, exposure to Mayan art and interactions with experts of the genre.
The outreach focus of this proposal has the potential to increase NIU’s visibility and to connect the College of Law faculty and students with high schools, community colleges and community agencies within the university’s service region.
Purchase of the resources to deliver the national “StreetLaw” program would educate teens in northern Illinois about their rights and responsibilities as American citizens and provide them with information related to constitutional, family and consumer law. The program would be conducted jointly by the law faculty and the student organization. It would give law students experiences with making oral presentations, leading discussions, engaging in community service and translating legal concepts for lay audiences.
It also has the potential to help with the recruitment of students to the college, to secure private funding and to serve as the basis for funding from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
The basic research outlined in this proposal has the potential for technology licensing and commercialization of a biological product that could have a significant impact on molecular diagnostics and gene therapy.
Funding for this genome-related research would support the purchase of laboratory commodities and the salary for a graduate research assistant for one semester in conducting the next stage of investigations of ribonucleic acid (RNA) structure, and the ability of RNA to make copies of itself and to combine with other molecular structures.
These new approaches to understanding the cloning and combinational qualities of RNA have implications for the development of markers that could aid in the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Potassium plays many important roles in regulating physiologic processes that range from heart function and muscle contraction to the transportation of oxygen to cells in the brain and other organs.
Recent research has suggested that potassium might also play a role in producing diseases including stroke and cancer. The role of this electrolyte’s therapeutic effects in regulating the processes of the human body has stimulated research on producing new drugs that capitalize on the actions of potassium.
Funding for this project would support the purchase of laboratory commodities to support the next stages of research on factors such as genes and acid production within the body that affect potassium function and to help sustain the collaborations between this NIU researcher and researchers in Hungary.
Catherine Raymond, director of NIU’s Center for Burma Studies and an associate professor of art history in the School of Art, will participate in the UNESCO-sponsored project “Preservation of Endangered Movable Cultural Heritage in Myanmar.”
The Burmese Ministory of Culture approved Raymond’s participation in the project that represents “an excellent prospect for professional and academic exchange,” said Sheldon Shaeffer, director of UNESCO (Bangkok, Thailand).
The project is designed to foster long-term partnerships between museums in the Southern Hemisphere and museums and/or universities in the Northern Hemisphere for mutual exchange and collaboration.
NIU’s Center for Burma Studies has agreed to be the partner from the Northern Hemisphere for this project.
NIU’s Golden Key chapter was recognized as a chapter “in good standing” at the 2008 Golden Key International Conference held July 31 through Aug. 3 in New Orleans.
Established in 1977, Golden Key International Honour Society is the world’s premier collegiate honors society with more than 1.7 million student and alumni members. It has more than 360 campus-based chapters worldwide, including 281 in the United States. Membership is by invitation only.
The organization strives enable members to realize their potential through recognition of outstanding academic achievement and by connecting high-achieving individuals locally, regionally and globally with lifetime opportunity, reward and success.
Golden Key provides academic recognition to top-performing undergraduate and graduate students. Members participate in leadership development opportunities, community service and career networking, and are eligible for member-exclusive scholarships.
Monica Trevino, associate director for Student Involvement and Leadership Development, serves as adviser to the NIU chapter of Golden Key.
In response to recent confusion, NIU Ombudsman Tim Griffin reports that the Office of the Ombudsman still exists. It has not been closed and its name has not been changed.
The Office of the Ombudsman continues to serve students, faculty and staff from its office in the Holmes Student Center, Room 601. Call (815) 753-1414 for more information.
A customer-requested enhancement to GroupWise addressing is scheduled for implementation this weekend. After the change takes place, the “From” field in sent e-mail will contain the GroupWise user’s alias rather than the e-mail address.
For example, what previously read A10VRH1@wpo.cso.niu.edu (e-mail address) will now read vhuskie@niu.edu (e-mail alias). People who receive these e-mails will be able to easily identify the sender because the alias is more recognizable.
The work will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, and is expected to be completed by noon Saturday, Oct. 11. Users will not be able to log into GroupWise/WebAccess during this time.
Three scenarios are possible:
Under all circumstances, GroupWise will be available no later than 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13.
There are additional impacts to GroupWise customers. The ITS Helpdesk team will be available at (815) 753-8100 throughout the weekend to address questions or concerns and provide project updates.
On the menu at
Ellington’s this week: Autumn Harvest Café is scheduled for Tuesday, L’Amore di Cibo takes over Wednesday and Lady Liberty concludes the week Thursday.New this semester is the option to enjoy wine with your meal. One red and one white wine choice will be available with meal service. Wine will be selected for the menu based on wine-and-food pairings made by the students. Wine selections will range from $4.50 to $6.50 per glass.
Autumn Harvest Café features butternut squash soup with apple brandy or baby greens, apple and walnut salad with cranberry vinaigrette for starters, pecan encrusted chicken breast or polenta with hearty vegetable casserole for entrees and hazelnut pumpkin spice cake or honey baked apples for dessert. Each table also will be served honey corn bread.
L’Amore di Cibo features marinated shrimp with Mediterranean salad or spanikopia for starters, chicken Mediterranean or eggplant marinara with couscous for entrees and ouzo-scented almond yogurt and olive oil cake or citrus ricotta figs for dessert. Each table also will be served pita bread with sun-dried tomato hummus.
Lady Liberty features capitol hill cornbread crab cakes or monumental sweet potato soup for starters, presidential pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables or Liberty Islands’ gratin with steamed asparagus for entrees and White House white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake or liberty bell apple crisp for dessert. Each table also will be served Charleston cheese garlic biscuits.
Seating is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with service until 1 p.m. The cost is $9 per person. Ellington’s is located on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center. Call (815) 753-1763 or visit www.ellingtons.niu.edu to make reservations.
The Women’s Resource Center will host this discussion to address common questions and misconceptions about natural hair care for African American women from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the center, 105 Normal Road, DeKalb.
For details, call (815) 753-0320.
This annual event is designed to unify women and men at NIU in an awareness of violence against women. All students and student organizations are invited to march, rally and celebrate women’s right to be safe – day and night.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7. For details, call (815) 753-0320.
NIU’s Jack Olson Gallery will host artist Mary Ann Papanek-Miller’s “Look for Alice: You Won’t Know Who to Trust” exhibition from Friday, Oct. 10, through Thursday, Oct. 30.
Papanek-Miller will attend an opening reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, and give a gallery talk.
The Jack Olson Gallery, located in the NIU School of Art’s Jack Arends Hall, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. For more information, visit www.olsongallery.niu.edu.
Born in the vicinity of Chicago, Papanek-Miller received her M.A. in metals from NIU and her M.F.A., with a dual emphasis in drawing and metals, from the University of Houston in 1984.
She has exhibited widely across the country, was one of the recipients of the 2004 State of Minnesota Artist Initiative Grants co-supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and completed a commission through the Seattle Arts Commission for the new federal justice center building in Seattle, Wash., which opened to the public in November 2002.
Currently, she is a professor and chair of the Department of Art Media and Design at DePaul University in Chicago. Formerly, she served in the same capacity at the University of Montana, Bemidji State University and the Cornish College of the Arts.
Her current works are available at http://papanekmillerartist.wordpress.com. Past works are hosted at www.papanek-miller-artist.com.
For more information, call (815) 753-4521.
NIU is seeking nominations for the 2008-09 class of Board of Trustees Professorships. Application portfolios are due Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The NIU Board of Trustees Professorships were established in 2007 by President John Peters and the Board of Trustees to recognize those tenured professors who:
In considering the qualifications of nominees, special emphasis will be placed upon those who are renowned scholars or artists and have engaged students in their research and/or other professional activities.
Up to three professorships can be awarded each academic year; the 2008-2009 awards will be made April 30, 2009, at the Faculty Awards Recognition Ceremony. The recipients will receive a stipend of $10,000 per year that will be renewed annually during the five-year term of appointment as Board of Trustee Professors.
The responsibilities of the professorship include delivering the Board of Trustees Professorship Lecture; participating in workshops for the professional development of junior faculty and in activities that advance the university’s reputation and mission; maintaining an active program of teaching, scholarship or artistry and service; and submitting a report detailing activities and accomplishments during the award period.
Additional information about the nomination process and the professorships can be found at http://www.niu.edu/strategicplan/board. Application portfolios should be submitted electronically to the Office of the Provost (kjahns@niu.edu).
NIU’s Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity has limited travel funds available to help support faculty, staff and students who wish to attend conferences, workshops or seminars for the purpose of learning about or presenting scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender topics.
Individuals requesting funds will be asked to submit a PCSOGI Request for Travel Support form, including a breakdown of costs and other sources of funding support. All travel must take place before June 30, 2009). The
Request for Travel Support form is available online.For more information, call Patricia Liberty Baczek at (815) 753-5428 or e-mail lgbt@niu.edu
Northern Pride weekly lunches offer an informal opportunity for those in NIU’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally community to meet, socialize and network.
The lunches are from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays in the Blackhawk Cafeteria East Meeting Room and are open to students, faculty and staff. Those attending can purchase lunch at the Blackhawk Cafeteria or bring their own lunch. The East Meeting Room is located directly across from the cash registers in the cafeteria.
For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at (815) 753-5428 or at lgbt@niu.edu.
This interactive, reality-based self-defense workshop will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, in the Chick Evans Field House.
The event is sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center. Space is limited; call (815) 753-0320 to make a reservation.
NIU will offer free flu shots to any full- or part-time faculty or staff with health care coverage through one of the State of Illinois Health Care Plans, including the HMO. Retired employees and survivors with State of Illinois health care coverage, not yet eligible for Medicare, also are eligible.
Flu shots will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center and again from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
Participants must present a state health insurance card and NIU OneCard ID to receive a free flu shot. Adult dependents and others also can receive flu shots at a cost of $35 each. Flu shots for children younger than 19 must be received at the DeKalb County Health Department.
For more information, call (815) 753-9191.
NIU’s Civic Leadership Academy begins its 2008-09 programming season Thursday, Oct. 9.
“Fundamentals of Economic Development and Land Use Planning: Conflicting or Parallel Goals – Exploring the Role of Government” will present insights into economic development and the role governments increasingly play in this critical piece of community health.
Recent trends and debates in approaches, tools and the relationship between land-use decisions, planning, zoning and other regulatory frameworks also will be covered.
The workshop will provide participants with key concepts and models of economic development and land use planning which, coupled with realistic expectations and strategies, will equip participants with a foundation for supporting their own existing economic development strategies or to implement changes where needed.
Co-presenters are Bob Gleeson, director of Center for Governmental Studies and associate director of Regional Development Institute; Mike Peddle, associate professor of public administration; and Roger Dahlstrom, assistant director and senior research associate for the Center for Governmental Studies.
Registration and more information about CLA workshops are available online.
The University Women’s Club of NIU will hold its annual fall open house from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the home of President and Mrs. Peters, 901 Woodlawn, DeKalb.
The University Women’s Club invites every woman associated with the university, whether she is a current or retired faculty or staff member, or the wife of a current, retired or deceased faculty or staff member, to join this long-standing organization of NIU women.
Meet people with a common interest in NIU, participate in distinct interest groups, enjoy social events and support the club’s philanthropic endeavor of providing scholarships to deserving NIU women students.
The Greater Kishwaukee Area Concert Band will present “Going Through Europe” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, which is accessible to all. Conductor John Hansen has selected music from different parts of Europe for this free “tour.”
Open to anyone age 18 and older who has played a wind or percussion instrument in the past, this all-volunteer band requires no auditions. Rehearsals are held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday evenings in the Huntley Middle School band room in DeKalb.
For more information, call (815) 825-2350 or (815) 899-4867.
The NIU Division of International Programs is seeking nominations for two awards that will be presented this fall during the annual International Recognition Reception.
The “Outstanding International Educator Award” honors an NIU faculty or staff member who has contributed significantly toward international education at the university. The Division of International Programs for the first time this year will recognize the award recipient with a travel reimbursement of $500.
The 2008 award recipient will have made sustained contributions to the enhancement of international education at NIU through teaching, research, public service and student-service efforts.
Joseph Grush, vice provost for resource planning, will speak at this year’s International Recognition Reception, which will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in the Holmes Student Center Sky Room.
The second major honor, the award for Outstanding Contribution to International Education at NIU, recognizes the academic unit or support unit that made the most significant contribution toward international education on campus during the last academic year. Last year, the award was won by the Department of Political Science; Marketing Professor Dan Weilbaker was recognized as the Outstanding International Educator.
The deadline for this year’s award nominations in both categories is Friday, Oct. 17.
More information on the awards and nomination forms is available online or by calling Sara Clayton at (815) 753-9526.
Northern Public Radio (89.5 WNIJ) invites participation in its fall membership campaign, scheduled for the week of Oct. 17 to Oct. 24.
A growing percentage of the station’s annual budget comes directly from listener-members and local business support.
Those who wish to volunteer some time answering pledge calls at the DeKalb studio, 801 N. First St., can contact Diane Drake at ddrake@niu.edu for available shifts.
Northern Public Radio is the broadcast service of NIU.
Nominations are being sought for NIU’s 2009 Presidential Research Professorships, which recognize outstanding accomplishment and future potential in academic research or creative artistry.
Faculty members may be nominated, or may initiate their own candidacy, by submitting letters of nominations or self-nominations to James Erman, interim vice president for research, by Monday, Oct. 20.
The nomination and self-nomination letters must include the candidate’s qualifications in accordance with the award specifications. Four complete sets of application materials must then be submitted to Erman’s office by Monday, Nov. 10.
Up to three new Presidential Research Professors are designated each year. Upon appointment, each award recipient will receive a base-salary increment of $2,000.
Additionally, a grant of $5,000 will be provided during each year of the appointment, provided the recipient remains a full-time NIU faculty member. The grant money is to be used for scholarly activities. Award recipients also receive one semester of release from teaching and other non-research responsibilities.
More detailed information on the award and on the call for nominations can be found at www.niu.edu/provost/awards/prp.shtml.