NIU Today

Two Northern Illinois alumni, William Tessendorf and Roger Kalisiak, will be inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Hall of Fame. Tessendorf and Kalisiak will be inducted Thursday, June 28, at the NATA 63rd annual meeting in St. Louis. Honorees are recognized for their work in advancing the athletic training profession, including scholarly research,...

The Illinois Board of Higher Education has approved a request from NIU’s College of Education to offer a Ph.D. degree in educational psychology. The program will be offered beginning this fall. “This is a major step forward for the department and for the college,” said Charles Howell, chair of the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology...

Use a chainsaw while wearing a blindfold. Would you do it? Two students from the NIU Special Education program were champing at the bit to be able to do so after being accepted into the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Teacher of Tomorrow Program. The program debuted in 2010 with a cohort of 16 students...

Paul Plummer, certified athletic trainer and supervisor of St. Vincent Sport Performance Physicians in Indianapolis, will share his lecture “Life Lessons Learned through Athletic Training” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in the McCareins Auditorium of Northern Illinois University’s Yordon Center. His presentation will mark the 7th year of the Roger Kalisiak Lecture Series.  This...

Four members of the Supportive Professional Staff (SPS) have been chosen to receive the university’s Presidential Awards for Excellence. The recipients are Todd Latham, assistant to the chair in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations; Michelle Pickett, director of the Academic Advising Center; Deborah Pierce, associate provost for International Programs; and Jason F....

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) awarded a $140,000 yearly grant to Paul Kelter, professor of Elementary Education in the Department of Literacy Education, and Jon Miller, professor of Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences. Grant funds will support the project “Integrating Math and Science with Content, Pedagogy, and Technology (IMSCPT).” IMSCPT has...

The elementary students ask their teachers weekly: “When are the ROAR tutors coming?” Project ROAR – Reaching Out Through Art and Reading has existed at NIU for 14 years. Its focus is to help students at the elementary level develop their vocabulary and love for reading. Over time, the project has become a way for bilingual...

Studying abroad is the most unique way to learn. Not only does one get to achieve higher education, but one is also able to actively learn through cultural immersion in another country.  Students are able to see and experience things they only dreamed of before studying abroad. Suren Nersisyan and Vladimir Yelakov received the ultimate...

Founders of NIU’s College of Education’s Technology Oasis did not have time to ponder whether their creation would prove successful. During its first three months of operation in 2011, more than 300 faculty members, students and staff members walked through the doors asking for help with their iPads, iPods, laptops, smart phones and long lists...

It is always valuable in an unfamiliar situation to have a guide, someone who can help you get your bearings and provide guidance in making those big decisions. While many advisers and faculty members already do this, the mentoring programs in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education (College of Education) and the School of...

NIU’s Barbara J. Johnson received the Public Service Award at the 2012 annual conference of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education for her leadership and commitment to the success of the Leadership and Mentoring Institute (LMI). Johnson is chair and associate professor in the NIU Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education. During...

Lori Berkes-Nelson has been named executive director of the NIU-based Illinois Council on Economic Education, doing business as Econ Illinois. She replaces outgoing director Joanne Dempsey, who is retiring after leading the not-for-profit group for 17 years. “I’ll work to build on the successes Joanne has brought to the organization,” Berkes-Nelson said. “She should be...