NIU Today

Michael Mixtacki, instructor of percussion in the NIU School of Music, provided vocals for a Grammy-nominated CD. Mixtacki, who teaches percussion, co-directs the Percussion Ensemble and directs the Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban Folkloric ensembles, can be heard on “Latin Jazz●Jazz Latin” by the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet. The disc is nominated for Best Latin...

After graduating from NIU in December 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Karen Joens worked in advertising, radio and other jobs while most of her college friends were pursuing careers, getting married and starting families. The Lombard native decided to take a leap of faith and leave Illinois. “I just thought it would be...

The DeKalb City Council unanimously approved the selection of NIU graduate Anne Marie Gaura as its next city manager during its Dec. 9 council meeting. She will begin serving in this capacity Jan. 21, 2014. Gaura, who has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a bachelor’s degree in communication – both from NIU – told...

More than 100 players will fill the NIU Music Building’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall stage at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, for the CSA Sinfonia Reunion Concert. Alumni from the 15-year history of the orchestra are returning to perform with current members and with guest performer Liam Teague. The concert has been planned as a celebration...

Northern Illinois University announced the dates for its second-annual Celebrating Excellence events will be from April 12 through May 1, 2014. Celebrating Excellence events highlight the many accomplishments and contributions of NIU students, faculty and staff to the university’s mission of promoting excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry,...

Last weekend, Northern Illinois University and the City of DeKalb hosted the Illinois High School Association state football championships. Our university and community welcomed more than 30,000 visitors Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving for a football marathon: four championship high school football games each day. I am pleased to report that the event was a...

Northern Illinois University’s first-ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) – Perspectives on Disability – came to a successful close Nov. 17. Led by Presidential Teaching Professor Greg Long of the School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, the 10-week experience  was a streamlined version of the for-credit AHRS 200, a general education course titled, “Disability in...

The Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning’s 17 Themed Learning Communities (TLCs) have been getting out of the classroom and hitting the road to connect their educational lessons to real life experiences. A TLC consists of two to three general education courses taken in conjunction to examine a common theme across the disciplines. Faculty...

NIU will hold commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15, inside the NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Hwy. Participants in the ceremonies should assemble in Victor E. Court at least one hour before each ceremony begins. Late arrivals are not guaranteed participation in their ceremony. Saturday, Dec. 14 – 4 p.m. Graduate...

What do a free app, a sports practice center, and the oldest intact primate skeleton have in common? They all have an NIU connection and are highlighted in the winter issue of Northern Now. The Northern Now mobile app is designed to make your life easier. Enjoy all the content from the print edition of...

NIU has finally broken through. Thomas Bouril, senior University Honors student and history major, is the first Huskie ever selected to interview for a chance to receive a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. As a finalist, Bouril was invited to spend a weekend in Chicago to compete for the chance to earn a Master of Letters in History...

NIU offers students the ability to learn how to create their own mobile apps in a series of courses offered through the Department of Computer Science. Courses such as CSCI 321, CSCI 322 and CSCI 323 teach students how to write apps for the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and other mobile device platforms. NIU’s College...