2026 Trek Talkers
For the third year in a row, alumni, donors and friends joined NIU President Lisa C. Freeman and campus leadership to witness bold ideas backed by $90,000 in grant funding.
Hands on the Future: Training Students for the Quantum Revolution
Lawrence Lurio, Ph.D.
Presidential Teaching Professor
Department of Physics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Quantum Leap: Sharper, Faster and Warmer
Tao Xu, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Intelligence in Motion: Engineering a Safer, More Independent World
Peter Lin, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
From Gutenberg to Generative AI: How Technology Shapes Us
Melissa Adams-Campbell, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Beth McGowan, Ph.D.
Rare Books Curator
University Libraries
The Grantmaking Classroom: Where We Fund Impact
Anna-Mary L. Walker
Instructor
Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Two Generations, One Goal: Keeping Our Minds Healthy
Jamie Mayer, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
College of Health and Human Sciences
Featured Videos
Video: Inside the NIU Bioplastics Lab: The Race to Reinvent Plastic
A look at NIU engineering students working hands-on to develop more sustainable materials and build technical skills and confidence along the way.
Video: CIRCS — Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Convective Storms
A look at how the 2025 Your Choice Award winner has continued to grow since the Huskie Trek Talks stage.