2025 Trek Talkers

For the second year in a row, alumni, donors and friends, online and in-person, were joined by community leadership and NIU President Lisa C. Freeman to witness the transformative work happening across NIU’s campus. Read more in Northern Now

Caring with Code: The Role of AI in Caregiving

M. Courtney Hughes, Ph.D., M.S.

Professor
Department of Public Health
College of Health and Human Sciences

Christy Muasher-Kerwin, PT, DPT

Clinical Assistant Professor
School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
College of Health and Human Sciences

Nutrient Wars: The Edible Campus Strikes Back

Bryan Flower

Associate Director of Food Systems Innovation
Director of the Edible Campus Program 
Office of Innovation

Elizabeth Gaillard, Ph.D.

Distinguished Research Professor
Joint Appointment with Biological Sciences Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ideapalooza: Harvesting Creativity, Orchestrating Impact

Becca Husar, MBA

Associate Director, Innovation and Partnership Development
De La Vega Innovation Lab
College of Business

Nick Pohlman, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology

The Future of Steelpan: Blending Tradition with Innovation

Yuko Asada

Director of the Community School of the Arts Steelband
Department of Music
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Invisible Threats, Visible Solutions: The Midwest Center for Microplastics Research

Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment & Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences