NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology has announced its 2008-09 Faculty of the Year and Staff of the Year award winners.
Pradip Majumdar, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was named Faculty of the Year. Tara Milton, a member of the dean’s staff, and Jennifer Withers, office manager for the Department of Electrical Engineering, share top honors for the staff award.
“I continue to be amazed by the passion and commitment that our faculty and staff show to the college and to the students. Their hard work is one of the primary reasons for our spectacular growth and acceptance in the region,” says Promod Vohra, dean of the college.
Majumdar, who has been on the faculty at NIU since 1985, was nominated by his peers not only for his excellence in the classroom, but also for his dedication to students outside of regular class time as well.
During the past year that has included:
“Dr. Majumdar is one of the leading researchers in the college. He has demonstrated his ability to engage in research and also to work with industry. He brings all these experiences to the classroom, which is why the students feel that they are getting quality education from him,” Vohra says.
On the staff side, the committee found two nominees so outstanding it decided to split the honor.
Milton serves as assistant to Vohra – and he is the first to admit that it is no easy job.
“A dean’s effectiveness is determined, in part, by the quality of his or her staff, and Tara is a true professional,” says Vohra, citing Milton’s ability to handle stress, manage schedules and help facilitate interactions with other colleges and departments across campus.
Mia Hannon, business manager for CEET, calls Milton an excellent problem solver and someone who is proactive. For instance, after the shootings on campus, Milton helped write an emergency response plan for the college, scheduled first aid training for staff and secured two-way radios to improve emergency communication in the building. She also organized a safety committee for the college.
“I believe that her work gave all of us a greater sense of security,” Hannon says.
Milton is active in many facets of the college and elsewhere on campus. When CEET’s alumni relations staffer retired, she jumped in and organized the college’s homecoming activities. She is a regular participant at Move-In Day, has judged at the History Fair on campus and has spent three years as a member of the board at the NIU Credit Union.
Sharing the staff honor with Milton is Withers.
Colleagues in the Department of Electrical Engineering, where Withers serves as business manager, say that it is easy to find her desk – it’s the one that often has a balloon or thank you card on display, gifts from a grateful student or someone else she has assisted.
Listening to colleagues speak about Withers is like reading through a thesaurus listing of superlatives. Words such as outstanding, exceptional, excellent, flawless and enthusiastic turn up again and again. And that high level of performance is always accompanied by a smile, whether it is helping a faculty member with an emergency, or welcoming alumni to the college homecoming tent.
“Her attitude helps cultivate a sense of respect and harmony in the department,” says Sen Kuo, who served as chair of the department for six years.
Other faculty in the department echo those sentiments and marvel at her efficiency and devotion to her job. “Whether it is finding data, looking up student information or ordering parts, she always goes above and beyond what is asked of her,” says Donald Zinger, a professor in the department.
Indicative of her efforts to always improve her performance, Withers is currently pursuing a degree in management from the NIU College of Business.
You don’t have to be an American Idol contestant to hear the words, “You’re going to Hollywood.”
Two NIU students in the Department of Communication recently received news that they are heading to Tinseltown.
Steven Stein, who earned his bachelor’s degree in May, and Drew McCormick, who will earn his master’s degree later this summer, each landed highly coveted and highly competitive summer internships arranged through the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.
The internships are full-time for six to eight weeks and include a stipend of about $4,000. They provide in-depth exposure to professional television production, techniques and practices.
“I am very proud of both Steve and Andrew because they have shown that their talent and ability is competitive with students from all kinds of institutions across the country,” says Laura Vazquez, an NIU professor of communication.
She encouraged the students to apply and wrote letters of recommendation. “NIU’s Department of Communication has an outstanding program in media studies,” Vazquez says. “These internships are further proof of that fact.”
At NIU, both Stein and McCormick specialized in media studies, a program that prepares students for a variety of media-related careers, including in the film and television industries. They will begin their Hollywood assignments later this month.
“To be honest, this internship is the dream internship,” the 22-year-old Stein says. “It puts you right in Hollywood working for and with the people that you need to be around in order to get work in this business. It is just an incredible feeling knowing that I am going to get that experience.”
The Buffalo Grove native will intern with the Cartoon Network. He is moving to the Los Angeles area and hopes the intern experience leads to a permanent position. Eventually he hopes to work as a writer, director or producer in the movie industry.
McCormick, 27, of Sycamore, says the internship makes him feel “like Charlie getting the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.”
“I think it helped being a teaching assistant at NIU, with all the experience that provides,” he says. He will intern with the Post Group, one of the largest post-production houses in the world.
“The Post Group is a one-stop shop for post production,” McCormick says. “Each day I will be sitting in with their lead editor, or their titles animator, or visual effects artists. I can only imagine what kind of all-you-can-learn buffet it’ll be.”
McCormick also intends to look for permanent work in L.A. Professor Vazquez is confident both students will succeed.
“I tell them that they owe me only two things,” Vazquez says. “They must stay in touch and one day return to share their stories with students.”
Kishwaukee Corporate Health, which NIU generally uses as an occupational medicine physician service, has opened an “Exclusive Convenient Care” center for the companies it serves. It is closed to the general public.
The center, located at 3251 Commerce Drive in DeKalb, is two blocks west of Kishwaukee Community Hospital off Bethany Road. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday. Walk-ins are welcome; patients who call for appointments will reduce their wait times.
Services for minor, non-work-related injuries and illnesses are available for employees and family members of participating client companies only. Patients must be 18 or older. No pediatric or OB/GYN care is provided.
For more information, call (815) 754-4882 or visit www.kishcorporatehealth.com.
Judith Sowder, a nationally known leader in mathematics education, will visit campus this week to speak on the topic of promoting students’ algebraic thinking.
Sowder’s presentation, titled “What Students Need to Know to Succeed in Algebra,” will begin at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, in the ballroom of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. All are welcome.
Sowder is professor emeriti in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University. She is a leading member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and a past-editor of the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. Her research topics include professional development of mathematics teachers, students’ number sense, rational number development and promotion of students’ algebraic thinking.
Her visit is among the ongoing activities of “Excellence in the Middle,” a federally funded mathematics and science partnership program run by NIU’s Department of Mathematical Sciences.
It is time once again for the NIU Art Museum’s annual “Art to Lend” exhibition. Works from this exhibition from the permanent collection are available to hang in secure campus offices.
Those who are interested in considering the selections should stop by the Altgeld Gallery (first floor, west end) between Monday, June 29, and Thursday, July 9. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. As in previous years, works will be assigned by lottery-based preferred selections. The lottery drawing will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 9.
There are nominal fees for this service to cover part of the Art Museum’s incurred costs and for the direct care and maintenance of the collection, including matting and framing to make new selections available.
Check www.niu.edu/artmuseum for more information on the rental policy. For any other questions, contact Pete Olson at (815) 753-7867 or via e-mail at polson@niu.edu.
A free seminar on how to use the Word 2007 Citation application will be offered from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at the Learning Center located in the lower level of Gabel Hall, Room 01D.
Using this function makes writing research and other papers much easier. This seminar is especially valuable for those who might have several papers to complete in a single semester. Staff members and faculty also are encouraged to attend.
The seminar is sponsored by NIU’s Commuter and Non-Traditional Student Services and the Writing Center.
Members of the NIU Annuitants Association and guests plan to attend the Illinois State Fair and visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in honor of Lincoln’s 200th birthday year.
The group also will visit the historic Hegeler-Carus Mansion. Reservations are now being accepted.
The group departs DeKalb at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, and will depart the state fairgrounds in Springfield around 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. Travelers will spend the night in the unique Chateau Hotel in Bloomington.
Space is available and information is available from Steven Johnson, sjohnso11@niu.edu. More details about the NIU Annuitants Association can be found at www.niu.edu/annuitants.
Steve Duke, professor of music in saxophone and Distinguished Research Professor, has the rare distinction of having commissioned and premiered two solo works that have received awards at Institut international de musique électroacoustique de Bourges (IMEB), the distinguished, electro-acoustic music organization in France.
The latest award resulted from his collaboration with composer Elainie Lillios in “Veiled Resonance” for soprano saxophone and electronics. It follows Duke’s earlier award-winning collaboration with composer Larry Austin’s “BluesAx,” which was honored by IMEB in 1996.
Lillios, an NIU alumna (B.M. 1990 and M.M. 1992) and associate professor of composition at Bowling Green State University, received a first prize for “Veiled Resonance” at Concours Internationaux de Bourges 2009, Musiques Electroacoustiques et Arts Electroniques - Degré II - Trivium/Quadrivium, œuvre avec dispositif(s) et/ou instruments (computer music with live performer).
The competition, which receives between 500 and 600 submissions each year, is divided into seven categories of elctroacoustic music and electronic art media. Twenty-one American composers have received a first prize since 1987; 10 of those were for computer music with live performers. Duke is the only American performer who has had two works written for him that have been awarded prizes by IMEB.
“One of the things that makes this very special is not only is this the second piece that won an award at Bourges but that both ‘Veiled Resonance’ and ‘BluesAx’ are largely improvised pieces. So, the performance becomes an integral part of the composition,” Duke said.
Previously, Duke’s collaboration with composer Larry Austin on “BluesAx,” received the Magisterium award in 1996. Austin was the first American to receive the Magisterium, awarded to composers with more than 25 years of professional experience for works expected to become milestones in the history of electro-acoustic music.
Last year, “Veiled Resonance” was chosen as one of the best performances and compositions at the SEAMUS 2008 National Conference (Society for Computer Music in the United States) and was recorded for release on the SEAMUS CD Series. “Veiled Resonance” also was recorded for release on the Consortium to Distribute Computer Music (CDCM) Series on the Centaur label.
At the 2009 SEAMUS National Conference, Duke performed “Tableaux: Convolutions on a Theme,” for alto saxophone and computer music, his latest commission with Austin, a professor emeritus at the University of North Texas who received the 2009 SEAMUS Achievement Award.
Duke is currently working on new piece with another NIU alumni, Kurt Stallman (BM 1987), associate professor of composition and theory at Rice University. Stallman’s work was recently recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters with a 2009 Goddard Lieberson Award, and a 2008 Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship.