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A new NIU Homecoming event will transform downtown DeKalb into a pep rally of community festival proportions.

The Egyptian Theatre in Downtown DeKalb.

Downhome in Downtown DeKalb: A Huskie Homecoming Block Party is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in and around the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

Special guests include NIU President Lisa C. Freeman, DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes, NIU Football Coach Thomas Hammock, the Huskie Marching Band, Victor E. Huskie and Mission along with other Huskie student-athletes, coaches, Athletics Hall of Fame members and alumni, all of whom will march in around 6 p.m. to the beat of the drums.

Visitors can belt out the Huskie Fight Song; view and vote on window displays in the nearby storefronts; purchase food and drink (including adult beverages for those age 21 and older) from hometown restaurants; check out a classic car show that also includes police, fire and city vehicles; and, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., dance the night away on the street as a DJ spins tunes.

Children of all ages can head inside the Egyptian to see submissions to the Victor E. coloring contest and create their own, snap photographs with the VIPs, collect athlete autographs, get Huskie temporary face tattoos and grab some NIU swag while it lasts.

Beyond the actual Oct. 6 party, 10 local retail and dining establishments will serve as “Huskie Hosts” by offering discounts throughout Homecoming week. The roster includes businesses throughout DeKalb, Sycamore and DeKalb County, such as Jonamac Orchard.

Jennifer Groce, NIU’s director of Community Promotions, and Cortney Strohacker, executive director of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, are the architects of Downhome in Downtown.

“When President Freeman gave the charge to make our 115th Homecoming year really special, Matt Streb, Rena Cotsones and Cortney Strohacker and I met with the City of DeKalb to brainstorm what the community aspect of this celebration could include,” Groce said.

“As we sat and talked about it, Dr. Cotsones came up with the idea for local businesses serving as Huskie Homecoming Hosts, and we all agreed on the need for a fun, downhome celebration concentrated in downtown DeKalb,” Groce added. “The City of DeKalb was excited to be finishing up the downtown construction just in time for Homecoming and to help make the downtown event a real ‘communiveristy’ celebration. We all agreed a parade-like march was a must-have event.”

Strohacker shares Groce’s excitement.

“Really, we’re finding a way to get the community involved by extending things from ‘just on campus.’ We want people to come into downtown and feel like they’re part of NIU, no matter where they go,” Strohacker said.

“Our downtown merchants are great. They’re always so supportive, and they always do specials for Huskies. They’re always going the extra mile for us,” she added. “But this really brings them into the fold and to really feel a part of things, and they’re all so excited to be Huskie Hosts, to wear their Huskie T-shirts, and have their staffs wear that. They’re going to have their windows painted and feel that vibe you feel on campus.”

Groce is looking forward to a specific time: 6:15 p.m.

“Everyone is there. You’ve got the marching band filling every inch of Second Street. You’ve got everyone out on the street. You’ve got all the community members all lined up together. You have Victor E. and Coach Hammock and everybody crowded around the Egyptian Theatre, because that’s our home – that’s the heart of DeKalb and the downtown,” Groce said.

“Then you’ll just hear what I hope will be that rumble – that roar – of the Fight Song and the community and everyone cheering,” she added. “That’s what I’m super excited about – that we really, truly are a college town. We are all Huskies, and we all belong here.”

Strohacker agrees.

“We all belong, we’re all going to be together, and we’re all just going to be rooting on our Huskies,” she said.

“I’m an NIU alum, and so is my daughter, so NIU has a special place in my heart – and I dearly love DeKalb and DeKalb county,” she added. “I can’t wait to go and just see all the red and black, to judge the best Huskie pride, to have Brad Hoey lead the Fight Song, to have the Marching Band down there. I just think there’s going to be such an energy. There’s such an energy when you’re at the game, and to bring that into the community is going to be awesome.”

For more information, email jgroce@niu.edu.

Date posted: September 26, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Downtown DeKalb to host Oct. 6 block party for Homecoming

Categories: Alumni Faculty & Staff Homepage Sports Students Uncategorized

Gaylen Kapperman, Rebecca Kalas, Carly Spitz and Stacy Kelly

Gaylen Kapperman, Rebecca Kalas, Carly Spitz and Stacy Kelly

Gaylen Kapperman has attended countless professional conferences during his nearly half-century in academia.

But the professor emeritus in the Department of Special and Early Education’s Visual Disabilities program is hard-pressed to remember a meeting room fuller than the one he encountered this summer in St. Louis.

Presenting that Saturday at the biennial gathering of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation (AER) of the Blind and Visually Impaired?

NIU graduate students Carly Spitz and Rebecca Kalas, joined by Professor Stacy Kelly and Kapperman himself.

“We had standing-room-only. All the chairs were filled,” Kapperman says. “It was the best presentation at the conference – there’s no question in my mind – and it was one of the very best presentations I’ve ever been involved in. We’re very proud of them.”

Kelly confirms that assessment.

“I’ve been part of dozens and dozens and dozens of professional presentations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally over the years, and this was the very best professional presentation I’ve ever been a part of. It was just so spot-on in terms of timeliness of the topic and how well the audience received it,” Kelly says.

Stacy Kelly

Stacy Kelly

“And I take no credit for the presentation; it was all our graduate students. I was simply a mentor and a co-presenter with them,” she adds. “There were people seated in the aisles, and there were many people standing at the back of the room and a couple dozen or so finding their way into the aisles.”

Titled “Methods for Decreasing Vulnerability to Sexual Assault for People with Visual Impairments,” the presentation included demonstrations of teachable self-defense techniques as well as precautions to improve personal safety and, if necessary, ways to help law enforcement.

Devices on display included tasers – “Everyone in the crowd was pretty excited about that,” Kalas says – and audio-enabled “SOS” technology while some of the tough-but-honest talk covered the investigative necessity of rape kits.

“People thought that was really important, even for sighted people, to go over,” Kalas says.

“We wanted to break that stigma and that fear of reporting because, unfortunately, it’s a reality that we live in,” she adds. “We just want to help educate and to make it a little less scary because people fear the unknown, so we can try to take the fear out of things and, hopefully, the reporting rate goes up.”

Spitz shares that hope.

“It’s a topic that a lot of people are scared to touch because it can be touchy and sensitive,” she says. “In terms of topics at the conference, it was definitely not presented on before – and it was something relevant to every person, let alone every woman, let alone every woman with a visual impairment.”

Carly Spitz

Carly Spitz

The M.S.Ed. student from Buffalo, N.Y., is observing the practical nature of relatively simple safety tips in her internship.

“We’re learning to teach all of our students that when they call an Uber, or any kind of transit, that they ask, ‘Who are you here for?’ and not, ‘Are you here for Carly Spitz?’ because anyone can say, ‘Yes,’ ” she says. “We’re trying to create this knowledge in people so that they know they don’t have to just wander about hoping that nothing ever happens. They can take precautions and, for the community of people with visual impairments, it’s a big deal.”

Indeed, Kapperman says.

Research shows that women with disabilities “are at the highest risk for sexual assault, and obviously women who are blind are included in that group,” Kapperman says.

The numbers are staggering: According to a 2001 study cited in the NIU presentation, 75% of people with visual impairments have been, or will be, assaulted in their lifetimes – 15 times the rate for the general population.

“One of the reasons that they’re chosen is because they’re blind,” Kapperman says, “and that the offenders think that they’re safe from identification, which is, in fact, the case.”

However, he says of a vital point made during the presentation, that safety is only visual: Self-defense techniques demonstrated by Kalas and Spitz included ways to collect DNA samples that can help police.

“This is an under-explored area of research in our field,” says Kelly, who took notes on the audience questions as ideas for future study. “People told me, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I had this information a long time ago.’ ”

Spitz and Kalas attribute some of the success of their talk to their own attendance at several other presentations during the opening three days of the conference.

Carly Spitz and Rebecca Kalas

Carly Spitz and Rebecca Kalas

Their genuine excitement for the topic also helped, of course.

“It was a great experience because everybody was so encouraging of us. Right off the bat, when we started presenting, people were firing good questions at us and being supportive,” Spitz says. “It felt more like a conversation, telling people about everything that we were researching.

“We became so passionate about the topic and what we were telling people, and we’re not even in the career yet,” agrees Kalas, who grew up in suburban McHenry. “Dr. Kapperman keeps forwarding us emails that he got from people who attended the conference, and our presentation specifically, saying ‘This is such a great idea. Can you send me more resources? Can I be involved in the research?’ It was just great to feel like we did something and got our names out there. We’re going to be job-hunting soon.”

Conference attendance is a hallmark of NIU’s program, which was established in 1964.

Students on the trip also included Allison Cole, Kaitlyn Costello, Mandi Hetzel, Teresa Lopez, Alana Rybak, Taurus Smith, Tina Sutton and Monica Vandeven, all of whom joined faculty members Kelly, Kapperman, Molly Pasley, William Penrod and Sue Dalton.

Pasley, assistant professor in the Visual Disabilities program, says the clearly engaged Huskies “were just drinking it all in” while their future professional colleagues “were excited to have them there.”

“One of the valuable things for them is to see how the organization works. It also provides them the opportunity to learn more about professional development opportunities in our field,” Pasley says.

“Illinois is fortunate to have a really robust state chapter, so if our graduate students decide to stay in Illinois, they’ll have access to an annual conference,” she says.

Ten students in the College of Education’s program in visual disabilities attended the AER conference in St. Louis.

Ten students in the College of Education’s program in visual disabilities attended the AER conference in St. Louis.

“If they decide to move out of state, they may not have as many opportunities for field-specific professional development, so AER is just another opportunity to gain that,” she adds, “along with the opportunity to network with professionals who are coming from not just all over the country but from all over the world.”

She saw great camaraderie among the students, who found seats at each other’s research talks to cheer them on. “I also had a session,” Pasley says, “and quite a few of them attended mine as well. It was really nice to talk to them about what they were finding value in at the conference and what they were enjoying.”

Kapperman, who came to NIU in 1974, says taking students to conferences “imbues them with the attitude of being a real professional.”

“That shows them importance of continuing to attend conferences to keep your skills up to date, to talk with others in your profession, to exchange information and ideas to keep your interest up in what you’re doing in providing the latest techniques that have been developed for your work with the blind youngsters for whom you have responsibility,” he says.

Even preparing the research to share at such events can pay dividends, he adds.

“Carly and Rebecca and Stacy and I have developed a manuscript that we have submitted for publication, and they will be included as co-authors on that,” Kapperman says.

“If it’s published, and I’m pretty sure it will be, these young women will be published authors. We’ve had a lot of students through they years who, by the time they graduate, or shortly after they graduate, are published authors. You can’t find another program in the nation that does that with master’s degree students.”

Rebecca Kalas

Rebecca Kalas

That sounds good to Spitz and Kalas.

Kalas, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a focus on family services, is happy with her choice of NIU – a recommendation from her aunt, a social worker in Illinois.

“So far, it’s been wonderful,” says Kalas, who is currently interning at the Lighthouse Center for Vital Living in Duluth, Minn., and will graduate next May.

“The professors are so knowledgeable – they know so much – and, not only that, they’re passionate. Dr. Kelly’s energy is unbeatable, and it makes you excited to learn,” she adds.

“That’s the kind of energy I try to surround myself with, and everyone in this program has just gotten me so excited about this field. I feel like I’m very prepared because the things I’ve learned, and the scenarios and the homework they’ve given us, has a purpose. Nothing they’ve given us did I question, ‘What is the purpose of doing this?’ It all had a meaning.”

Spitz, whose undergraduate program was Animal Studies, was drawn to a master’s degree by drawing a line between guide dogs and visual disabilities. She’s always been interested in the “helping” professions and grew up volunteering at different therapeutic riding organizations.

“This was kind of a path I stumbled upon, and it just fit,” says Spitz, who found NIU through Google searches and “very compelling” conversations with Kelly.

“It’s such a unique group of people and such a unique field that everything is new and exciting to me,” adds Spitz, who will graduate next August. “I just feel like the NIU program sets you up for success. They really make sure you’re prepared and that you know everything you could need to know.”

What she doesn’t know quite yet is how she’ll apply her degree.

“It’s hard because there are so many different things you can do, and I’d love to continue doing some research,” Spitz says. “Overall, I just want to touch as many lives as I can, create an impact where I can and see how far that will take me.”

Date posted: September 22, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Visual Disabilities students impress with research at biennial conference

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Students Uncategorized

It hasn’t been difficult for Karinne Bredberg to hit the ground running as NIU’s new director of innovation in the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS).

Karinne Bredberg, director of innovation in the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS).

Bredberg’s education and professional experience have prepared her well.

She’s a double alumna of NIU, having earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and Master of Public Administration degree. She also has worked for RIPS in several capacities since 2006, most recently as assistant director in the Office of Innovation. She steps into the director post previously held by her collaborator Luke Sebby, who’s now in a new role with the NIU Foundation.

“Like so many of our amazing alumni, I have a special fondness for my alma mater and want it to thrive,” Bredberg says. “I take great pride in the work that our office does to fulfill the university’s mission and vision. At one time or another, I managed all aspects of our services, including the university’s intellectual property portfolio.”

Gerald Blazey, NIU’s vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships, says Bredberg has been the go-to person when it comes to establishing partnerships that have led to opportunities for hundreds of students. She spearheaded past initiatives with Discover Financial Services and IDEAL Industries Inc., as well as a current internship program with Northwestern Mutual, which has taken up residence in NIU’s 71 North Partnership Studio.

“Karinne has really demonstrated the ability to forge innovative partnerships that benefit private industry and at the same time provide NIU students with incredible opportunities that lead to jobs post-graduation,” Blazey says. “In addition to being experienced in all facets of innovation, she’s a team player who works well with others. I know she’ll be able to build and expand on the growing success of our Office of Innovation.”

Developing more partnerships is among Bredberg’s priorities.

“I will be looking for those win-win opportunities that engage our NIU community in the advancement of research, innovation and entrepreneurship and enable students to translate classroom learning into real-world application,” she says. “These partnerships can form with external partners—but also inter-departmentally.”

Bredberg hopes to take full advantage of the 71 North Partnership Studio and its prime location on campus in Founders Memorial Library.

“Dean (Fred) Barnhart and the University Libraries administration have been a fantastic partner for the Office of Innovation and the Studio,” Bredberg says. “It’s a natural location fit for us since we both provide resources that stimulates the spark in people to create new ideas.”

The 71 North space already is getting plenty of use.

In addition to Northwestern Mutual, other industry tenants include Premier Crop Systems, a precision agriculture company; and 168 Community, an alumnus startup focused on educational enhancement opportunities for higher education students. The space also accommodates the STARS Faculty Academy; the student Innovation Club; the Innovation Conversations series; networking events known as Catalytic Conversations; ad-hoc innovation-centered meetings for other campus units; Office of Innovation facilitated events, including startup incubation; and Tuesday afternoon office hours for the Business Law Innovation Clinic, which provides legal assistance for commonly occurring issues in startup formation and company operations.

“The term ‘innovation’ encompasses a wide breadth of opportunities for our office to be involved in and develop around,” Bredberg says. “We’re fortunate to have an amazing community of forward-thinking students, faculty and staff who have creative and innovative ideas. So you could view the Office of Innovation as a facilitator—we help turn those ideas into realities.”

Date posted: September 22, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Partnership builder Karinne Bredberg steps into new post as director of innovation

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Research Students Uncategorized

Faculty and staff from the School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders (AHCD) were treated to a guest speaker when visiting scholar Rafal Mlynski from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland arrived on campus Sept. 12. Mlynski, a speech-language pathologist who is studying the speech-language skills of native Polish people who live in the Chicago area as well as the language characteristics of Polish-Ukrainian bilingual children, met with students in communicative disorders, speech-language pathology and audiology courses.

Professor Mlynski with a group of students from the College of Health and Human Sciences.

“Professor Mlynski gave a captivating lecture to our students about the Polish language and Polish culture,” said Milijana Buac, assistant professor of speech-language pathology at NIU. “Students were able to learn about the structure of the Polish language and common cultural practices. This information will allow our students to provide culturally and linguistically responsive speech-language pathology services to Polish-speaking clients.”

Buac said opportunities like this are important, especially because there is a large Polish population in Illinois.

“It is very likely that our students will encounter Polish-speaking patients in the future,” Buac said. “We are very grateful to Professor Mlynski for his time and the knowledge that he has shared with our students.”

King Chung, professor of audiology, previously met with Mlynski while at a conference in Poland.  Chung was interested in creating a study abroad trip there, and Mlynski was integral in helping coordinate hearing health service sites for the trip.

As a result, Chung and a team of NIU audiology students will travel to Poland this November and in March 2023. It’s part of an NIU Heart of Hearing Humanitarian Research and Service Program trip where they will provide hearing health services to refugees and other underserved populations.

“It is great for our students to meet Dr. Mlynski before they go to Poland,” Chung said. “He provided valuable information on the audiology educational systems, hearing health services in Poland and taught simple Polish phrases that will be helpful.”

Chung said he also shared information about the history of Poland and Krakow, cultural practices, what to expect and what not to do there.

“Dr. Mlynski’s talks are very informative and the students showered him with their curious questions,” Chung said. “All in all, it was an excellent cultural awareness and exchange experience.”

Learn more about Allied Health and Communicative Disorders at NIU.

Date posted: September 21, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU students learn lesson in Polish language and culture

Categories: CHHSnews Faculty & Staff Homepage Students

A group of NIU students turned summer break into a learning experience when they traveled to Ireland for two weeks as part of the university’s study abroad program. Led by Presidential Teaching Professor Jeanette Rossetti of the School of Nursing, seven Huskies explored the history of Ireland’s healthcare system and current health services including specialties in nursing, public health and health studies.

“Students gain so many things from this study abroad experience which can truly be transformative,” Rossetti said. “They learn to communicate cross culturally, broaden their leadership and self-confidence skills and learn to adapt to an international environment.”

Rossetti’s passion for studying abroad began when she was a student in 1999.

“Ever since I traveled abroad to Paris as an NIU doctoral student I have wanted to take my very own students on a study abroad trip,” Rossetti said. “I believe all students should have the opportunity to travel abroad and be exposed to an academic international experience.”

Once she received tenure and promotion to associate professor, she began exploring how to begin a study abroad program. The inaugural “Exploring Ireland’s Healthcare Services” trip took place in 2012, and a decade later, it’s still going strong.

“Many students speak to how traveling on their own and with a group they don’t know would be scary,” Rossetti said. “Then, after the trip, they say they have made lifelong friends and are so very glad that they took the risk and joined the trip. I am still in touch with students from past trips and we often share memories of our special time in Ireland.”

Students attend classes and stay in residence halls at Trinity College in Dublin and at National University of Ireland in Galway. In addition, there is ample time for cultural opportunities and to experience the beautiful Emerald Isle.

“Studying abroad can truly be life changing,” Rossetti said. “Students enjoy a global experience that offers them a chance to learn about another culture and its people. In addition, this three credit hour course (graduate or undergraduate) counts towards their academic degree.”

She’s grateful for NIU’s Study Abroad team  – led by director Lauren Mock – for their support and the continued success of the Ireland trip and all of the colleagues based in Ireland who make the trip so worthwhile and rewarding.

Students interested in learn more about NIU’s Study Abroad programs are encourage to attend the Study Broad Fair taking place on Wednesday Sept. 21, 2002 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center or visit the Study Abroad website.

Date posted: September 19, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU students experience the Emerald Isle

Categories: CHHSnews Faculty & Staff Homepage Students Uncategorized

Laura Ruth Johnson
Laura Ruth Johnson

A two-day symposium in Chicago this month will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School and the broader work of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

Laura Ruth Johnson, a co-organizer of the event, expects academic scholars, community leaders, activists, cultural workers, students, youth and more will attend and participate in reflective conversations.

Scheduled Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, the conference builds on a collaboration begun more than a decade ago to learn from – and with – Humboldt Park’s multilayered Paseo Boricua neighborhood.

“In the mid- to late-2000s, a group from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a relationship with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) and actually started offering classes in the community,” says Johnson, an associate professor in the NIU Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment.

“From some ongoing work and discussions came this idea of a Community as Intellectual Space Symposium that would acknowledge the role of communities not just as sites of knowledge and resources,” she says, “but also as theorizers of their own realities that generate meaningful theories, knowledge and practices related to issues in their lives.”

Holding the event in Humboldt Park – it took place there for many years, Johnson says, but has not been convened in nearly a decade – enhances the organic and genuine nature of the content.

“We acknowledge that communities are not monolithic spaces,” Johnson says, “and that they include all sorts of people with firsthand knowledge on the issues relevant to their communities as well as theories about how best to address those pressing problems and meaningful issues.”

The conference, sponsored by the Spencer Foundation through a small conference grant and co-sponsored by the PRCC, is free and open to NIU faculty, students and staff. Registration is available online for each day.

Day One will include a community tour and workshops on topics such as health; housing; education; business and economic development; and arts and culture.

More is planned for Day Two, including a plenary session and panels of scholars and community leaders addressing issues such as building sustainable communities, decolonizing education and rethinking community-university partnerships.

Johnson and conference co-organizer Jonathan Rosa, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, will officially open the symposium with an overview.

Neighborhood tours and workshops “will be led by community folks – people who run the programs – and, for some, there might be some funding folks there and then also the participants,” Johnson says.

For example, she says, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School’s principal, teachers, staff and students will lead a workshop in their building on West Division Street that includes visits to classrooms that reflect ideologies and accomplishments.

Meanwhile, the glimpse into business and economic development will take place less than two blocks away in the community’s business incubation center, where many of those shops and restaurants are born on paper and nurtured into thriving operations.

Incubator staff will present a case study of one business that accomplished just that, Johnson says, before the audience is encouraged to explore.

“People will be able to go around to the stalls and actually talk to people and try the food, arts and culture,” she says.

“There’s a new project along Division Street that is involved in creating these more open, airy spaces that are kind of meeting places and have a lot of public art in them,” she adds. “There are some structures and murals on the ground. The muralist who was involved in the development of that will be talking about some of the art initiatives, and participants will get to paint a mural.”

Saturday’s schedule is more traditional, including panel discussions.

Antonia Darder, professor emeritus at Loyola Marymount University’s Department of Educational Leadership and Administration, and Yarimar Bonilla, director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, will deliver the plenary presentation moderated by Rosa.

“They’ll be connecting some of the work in the scholarship and initiatives that they’ve been involved in and also commenting on some of the things we observe in Day One,” Johnson says.

Laura Ruth Johnson
Laura Ruth Johnson

Johnson will moderate Saturday’s panel discussion on university-community partnerships.

“We’re going to have some people who’ve been involved in this work related to the Paseo Boricua for many years, some who might be a bit newer to this work and some who have done research on it and published articles and some who have been really involved as a director of an organization and now work in other fields but are still connected,” she says.

Closing the day are Jose E. Lopez, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, and Jessie L. Fuentes, the PRCC’s director of Policy & Youth Advocacy and co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago.

“They represent different generations,” Johnson says. “We want to talk about the legacy of the work in Paseo Boricua.”

She and Rosa plan to extend the event’s legacy by publishing journal articles or book chapters on the symposium and the conversations between a residential community of people with various backgrounds, interests and roles.

Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park

Johnson is a member of that group.

She has conducted work in Humboldt Park since 1993, when she served as director of a family literacy program, and has lived there since 2002.

After years of bringing NIU graduate students there to practice community-based research, she is familiar with the progression of their reactions.

“Teaching that class has revealed that a lot of people had stereotypes or stigma about the community – ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to Humboldt Park. Is it going to be safe there?’ – and what they usually end up leaving with is this great joyfulness about all the amazing things that are going on,” she says. “They see it as an intellectual space, as a vibrant cultural space, as a space of dialogue and as a welcoming space.”

Humboldt Park residents demonstrate that to her daily when she walks along Division Street, seeing friendly and familiar faces and taking in the vibrant murals and various cultural spaces and new businesses.

She credits the community as “pivotal, integral and profound” in her development as a scholar, professor and writer.

“The way you approach a community is very important, and for me, I’ve always been open and humble and wanted to learn from the community. If you come in willing to learn, you’re going to gain so much in terms of knowledge about the history of the community, the experiences of the people and the individuals doing meaningful work.”

Jonathan Rosa
Jonathan Rosa

Her experiences in the community in the early- to mid-1990s actually inspired her to attend graduate school – and she returned to the community in 2002 to conduct research for her dissertation.

“I was working with young parents at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and was just so inspired by their knowledge and their exuberance, and the way they were confronting all sorts of challenges in their lives,” she says.

“They have all this knowledge and stories and cultural practices and lived experiences; it didn’t mean that they didn’t need support or that they couldn’t benefit from certain instruction, but it needed to be rooted their lived experiences, their own generational knowledge and family storytelling and community narratives.”

She hopes participants in the symposium will discover and walk away with the same motivation.

“I’m always inspired by what I see there, and I just want them to be inspired – and maybe to think of ways that they can continue to be involved,” she says.

Jose E. Lopez and Jessie L. Fuentes
Jose E. Lopez and Jessie L. Fuentes

“A lot of this about having an appreciation for another community – an acknowledgement and awareness of this other community – and some of the work that they do, so that they tell others about the community, all the rich, cultural resources available there, some of the amazing models and, maybe, get ideas for implementation in their own communities and organizations,” she says. “The goal is really to have dialogue among participants so that this doesn’t end here.”

For more information on the free symposium, email lrjohnson@niu.edu.

Date posted: September 19, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU students, faculty, staff invited to free symposium Friday, Saturday to examine Paseo Boricua as ‘Community as Intellectual Space’

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Students

Kerry Wilks, dean of NIU’s Graduate School.

Kerry Wilks is one step closer to realizing her vision to improve the recruitment and retention of graduate students at NIU.

The dean of NIU’s Graduate School since March has posted two job openings that will expand her leadership team with an associate dean and an executive director of Graduate Enrollment.

NIU will conduct an internal search for the associate dean, who is expected to provide students with professional development and social engagement opportunities that deepen their sense of belonging and improve their experience. October is the deadline for preferred candidates.

A national search will identify candidates for the executive director, who will apply best practices in admissions and recruitment and manage targeted communication strategies for all prospective and admitted graduate students as well as international students.

“I’m looking for people who are going to be excited to join in a real leadership team and who have the energy to do this good work,” Wilks says. “Our Graduate School is made up of incredible people with a can-do attitude and with a service-first heart.”

Wilks advocated for the new positions, which she calls standard and crucial in higher education, during her own interview process last year.

“Given today’s current climate, I knew it would be important to have more robust leadership to accomplish all the goals that we want to accomplish at NIU,” Wilks says. “We have amazing graduate programs at NIU, and anything we can do to strengthen those and make it easier for faculty and staff to make progress will be a tremendous benefit.”

Doing so also furthers the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, she says, by voicing and elevating the needs of all graduate students and by examining, innovating and possibly inverting the admissions process “to create new ways – new paths of entry – into the Graduate School for those who would thrive in graduate education if given a chance.”

“What happens when you have a very active graduate school with active leadership is that you have more ‘seats at the table’ and, when people are talking about different efforts, you can say, ‘Wonderful! And how do graduate students fit into this new initiative?’ or, ‘How can we pivot this to include graduate students?’ ”

Local applicants for associate dean offer “boots on the ground,” she says, coming to Williston Hall already steeped in the mission, vision, values, culture and traditions of NIU as they work to make sure graduate students feel safe and welcome in the community and empowered to grow.

“Students tell us they want more. They want these cross-college experiences. They want to know other graduate students and other programs, and when I’ve seen this happen – when graduate students get in spaces together – the opportunities that arise are phenomenal,” she says. “It’s the same with faculty when we think about cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary concepts.”

Meanwhile, the executive director of Graduate Enrollment will focus on bringing those graduate students to NIU and streamlining the admissions system to quicken the decision process for potential Huskies.

“That’s just what modern graduate schools need, to be quite frank,” Wilks says. “I’m really hoping to get someone at NIU who understands the landscape of the graduate market, where our next steps should be and where our opportunities are. It’s basically a SWOT analysis where we’re looking at our threats, our opportunities and the low-hanging fruit at the beginning.”

Wilks expects the expanded team will deliver outstanding results.

“Having people committed to ensuring that we’re doing everything we can, not only for our students but also for our graduate faculty and programs, is crucial,” she says. “When you’re helpful, and you want to improve what graduate programs are doing, people notice. People respond to that, and they come. It becomes a win-win.”

Date posted: September 19, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Graduate School to expand leadership

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Uncategorized

Today is National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan, nationwide effort to encourage all eligible voters to register and participate in the electoral process. At NIU, we are providing several opportunities for Huskies to get registered, check their registration status and share with their friends and colleagues how to register online in minutes. Students, faculty and staff can visit one of several voter registration tables located on campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn more. The deadline to register to vote online for the Nov. 8, 2022, General Election is Oct. 23, 2022.

The Huskies Vote initiative is part of the All-In Campus Democracy Challenge in which more than 317 other colleges and universities around the country are participating. Through Huskies Vote, NIU is providing resources for anyone to register to vote, research their ballot and make plans for November elections. Additionally, faculty and staff can utilize resources and tools to promote voter registration and civic engagement to their students.

“If you have questions about registering to vote, voting in general, or would like to get involved with Huskies Vote, we encourage you to visit any of the voter registration tables located on campus,” said President Staff Fellow Michaela Holtz, who chairs the Huskies Vote committee.

Tables are located at Founders Memorial Library, New Hall dining area, the lower level of Holmes Student Center, the MLK Commons, the atrium in the Campus Life Building, the Center for Black Studies, and inside DuSable Hall.

The Huskies Votes committee has set a goal for 2022 to retain the percentage of registered students at 75 percent which is equivalent to our voter registration rate during the 2020 presidential election and to register 50 percent of first-year students.

“National Voter Registration Day is just one of the many opportunities Huskies Votes provides for our campus to learn about voter registration and to get registered in time for the Nov. 8 general election,” continues Holtz. “We have several events planned for this upcoming semester to support our voter registration efforts.”

Upcoming Huskies Votes events in October include the “Democracy Challenge – Huskies Vote!” on Oct. 4.  This virtual session is a part of the Inclusion in Action series which aims to support effective working relationships among employees at NIU through the sharing of knowledge and resources. Next in the series of events is  a “Why Vote” discussion on Oct. 19 hosted by the Center for Black Studies and the Office of Undocumented Student Support. The virtual event will start at 6 p.m. and will inform participants about why it is important to vote and participate in elections.  The Center for Black Studies will also dedicate a So-Full Friday event on Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to a discussion about the importance of the Black vote.  Similarly, on Oct. 26, Simon Weffer will make a presentation about the power of the Latinx vote from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Students will be able to get assistance with voter registration at all three events.

In addition to hosting informative events, Huskies Vote has launched a new Huskies Vote Ambassadors program that supports two student ambassador positions to help increase the number of students registering to vote. Grant Goral, a senior majoring in political science and history, and Kianna Graves, a senior majoring in psychology, will engage student leaders in the creating non-partisan conversations on voter registration, education and turnout.

Huskies Vote Student Ambassadors are directly assisting the steering committee with implementation of NIU’s 2022 ALL IN Democracy Challenge action plan through leading peer to peer voter registration outreach events, visiting classrooms, setting up tables, and directly engaging with NIU student community about the electoral process through advocacy and information sharing.

“We are excited to have Grant and Kianna working with us,” said Holtz. “They were both selected as ambassadors because of their passion for civic engagement and the independent work they have been doing to increase voter education and turnout.”

Date posted: September 19, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Huskies Vote supports National Voter Registration Day

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Students

‘A moment I’ll never forget’

A unique collaboration brought students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors together to tour Black Wall Street before cheering on Huskies at a football game in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Sept. 9-10 experience—a partnership between NIU Athletics, the Division of Student Affairs, the NIU Alumni Associationand Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion —impacted those involved in numerous ways, but all describe it as unforgettable.

For Romeo Bell, a Chicago native majoring in Rehabilitation and Disability Services, the trip was transformative.

“This is a moment I’ll never forget,” Bell said. “It’s something I’m going to take with me forever. It showed me that I want to do more.”

Already inspired by his mother, who has Cerebral palsy, to spread awareness of issues that impact those with disabilities, Bell’s also determined to help build inclusivity and promote diversity and equality wherever he goes.

Like several in the group of about 50 who took part in the trip, Bell was familiar with what historically has been described as the Black Wall Street Massacre, but he didn’t know many details. Glossed over in history since it took place in 1921, the massacre didn’t officially become part of the Oklahoma school curriculum until 2020.

It’s described as one of the most egregious incidents of racial violence in history. Attackers burned and destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the Greenwood District in Tulsa—at the time, one of the wealthiest Black communities in the country, colloquially known as Black Wall Street.

Thousands were injured and death estimates ranged from 75 to 300 people.

“It has been nearly erased from our educational institutions and therefore not widely known,” said Monique Bernoudy, assistant vice president of ADEI. “Therefore, the opportunity to learn, examine and discuss the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District is impactful beyond words. The devastation, resilience and hope of the Tulsa Greenwood community resonated with all of us.”

Among those on the trip were NIU President Lisa Freeman; Vernese Edghill-Walden, chief diversity officer and vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Clint-Michael Reneau, vice president for Student Affairs; and Sean Frazier, vice president and director of Athletics and Recreation.

The opportunity to learn about the triumphs and tragedies of Tulsa’s Greenwood District provided meaningful conversations and significant educational opportunities, Reneau said.

“Learning more about the gleaming success of Greenwood’s founders, juxtaposed with the most heinous details of how the Black community was burned, bombed and ransacked, with as many as 300 Black Tulsans killed provided a powerful and necessary space to learn more about a period of American history that is rarely discussed,” he said.

The opportunity was special in that so many departments collaborated to offer it, said Courtney Vinson, senior associate athletic director for sports administration, who took part in the experience.

“In my career as an athletics administrator, I have been a part of some unique experiences, but this is the first time that an athletics event led into an educational opportunity specifically for non-student-athletes,” she said. “My hope is that when the students look back at their time at NIU, that this trip will be a highlight in their educational and personal development.”

Edghill-Walden said she looks forward to partnering with colleagues on more learning experiences on and off campus.

“I was honored to travel with our amazing students and our university partners to learn so much more about the tragic destruction of such a powerful and progressive community during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre,” she said. “I would encourage all Huskies to learn more about this powerful but sad point in our history.”

‘It was sad. It was impactful.’

Those involved visited the Greenwood Rising Museum and local historic sites. They also engaged with current Greenwood District merchants and spoke with one of the three survivors of the massacre, Mother Viola Ford Fletcher, who is 108 years old. Fletcher and her family are still fighting for justice for Greenwood and just happened to be there when Huskies visited.

Meeting her was inspiring, said Imani Jones, a nursing major and president of the Zeta Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Jones was designated as the photographer for the trip. The entire experience left her and others wanting to do and learn more.

“It touched everyone who went,” Jones said.

The aim is to increase funding and support to offer even more hands-on experiences like this, said Justin Gaines, who joined the group as associate director of advancement for NIU programs and a major gift officer for the NIU Foundation in support of ADEI.

“It was just really profound to see the artifacts and the way that the media tried to skew it as an uprising and put the blame on the people living in Greenwood,” he said. “It was sad. It was impactful. It was something I was grateful to learn more about.”

All involved shared that sentiment.

‘Truly meaningful’

Kianna Graves, a Palatine native majoring in psychology, intends to report back on the experience to fellow members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She currently serves as president of the organization.

“It is rare for students to get an opportunity to travel with their university to learn about their own culture,” she said. “I was able to create connections with faculty and staff that might have been more difficult to form without the trip to Tulsa. I met others who have similar passions as me and had critical conversations about what our next steps should be as students. Being able to be in a space that is important to my community and history was truly meaningful.”

For Marquayvion Kyles, a Rockford native majoring in computer science and a first-generation college student, the trip was a first.

“I have never really taken trips or anything like that,” he said. “To be able to go with the school and have an experience like we did, it was awesome.”

Alum Phillip Powell, who graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree in 1982 and a doctorate in 2008, took part in the experience not only to see Greenwood firsthand, but also to engage with Huskies.

“It’s hard to believe and understand something like that happened,” he said. “For me, in a way, it was historical but also emotional just to see all the images and be able to understand what this means for our future generation.”

Now an associate dean for graduate programs at Trinity Christian College, Powell said he seeks out opportunities like this, as well as mentorship opportunities to inspire success in students. A Rockford native, Powell was first in his family to attend college, and he credits the Upward Bound and CHANCE Programs with helping him earn his degrees.

“I have to thank NIU a million times over for that experience and opportunity,” he said. “It helped me to become the person I am today.”

Date posted: September 15, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on Huskies impacted by memorable tour of Black Wall Street

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Students Uncategorized

Northern Illinois University is once again part of an elite group of schools to earn distinction on the roster of “Great Colleges to Work For.”

This marks the second consecutive year that NIU has been acknowledged by one of the nation’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs. It honors the colleges that get top ratings from their employees regarding workplace practices and policies in 10 categories. NIU’s inclusion on the list was based largely on its very strong performance in the categories of shared governance and diversity, inclusion and belonging.

“I am extremely proud of all of the people who work at NIU for helping us earn this recognition. It is your hard work and dedication to the university that made this possible,” NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman said.

“This recognition is exciting for many reasons, most of all because  it highlights for all to see that we are a community that values the needs and contributions of every individual. This is what makes Northern Illinois University a great place to work,” Dr. Freeman added. “I am thrilled to have been honored in the categories that recognize our success at shared governance and creating a belonging community for faculty and staff with diverse lived experiences.  This is a strong foundation for our mutual dedication to the success of our students and our collective devotion to living out our core values.”

Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner at ModernThink, which conducts the program, said that all of the schools on this year’s list share certain traits in common.

“After 15 years of conducting The Great Colleges to Work For program, we have keen insight into many of the factors and dynamics that contribute to a truly engaged workforce – a  compelling vision, inspiring leadership and a strong sense of community. This year’s recognized institutions add to that list, demonstrating a tenacious commitment to doing right by their employees and modeling resiliency in a time of continued uncertainty and unforeseen challenges.”

This year, 212 institutions participated in the program, including 130 four-year institutions and 82 two-year institutions. Only 46 of the four-year institutions were named to the list.

Scores are based on feedback collected from the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey administered to faculty, administrators, exempt professional and non-exempt staff, and the ModernThink Higher Education Institution Questionnaire (IQ), which captures employment data and workplace policies and practices.

Although the final results reflect a two-part assessment process, employee feedback provides the primary factor in determining whether institutions receive recognition.

More about NIU’s top categories:

  • Shared Governance. The concept of shared governance is one of the most widely valued and deeply respected traditions within higher education. For many faculty, it is a core part of their experience. Consequently, this recognition category is based on faculty responses to the survey items on collaborative governance processes and decision-making.
  • Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. This recognition category is reserved for program participants who are demonstrating an institutionalized commitment to diversity, as reported through the experiences of faculty and staff. It is based on measures of individual experiences of inclusion and belonging, as well as measures of the impact of institutional diversity policies and procedures at the individual level. This recognition category is based on the responses of all employees at an institution and does not necessarily reflect the specific employment experience of any one demographic group of any protected class of employees.

For more information, visit https://greatcollegesprogram.com/.

 

Date posted: September 14, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU named to “Great Colleges to Work For” list for second straight year

Categories: Engineering and Engineering Technology Faculty & Staff Uncategorized

NIU again has earned national recognition for its work in creating a safe and welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff. Campus Pride, the preeminent resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education, in late August named NIU to its 2022 Best of the Best Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ students in the United States.

“Campus Pride created the Best of the Best List to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of these colleges and universities, creating safer, more welcoming campuses for LGBTQ+ people,” said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride Executive Director. “Students, prospective students, and their families, along with faculty and staff members, deserve to know whether they will be safe on campus, so they can make the best choices for their own academic success – and by creating inclusive, safe environments these colleges are taking responsibility for all students.”

The list from Campus Pride features 40 four-year campuses from across the country that achieved 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index (CPI), the definitive national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs, and practices. To earn a ranking of 5 out of 5 stars, campuses receive a percentage score from 90 to 100 based on their LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices. The methodology to determine this year’s Best of the Best List was based on an overall score of 93 percent or higher.

“Many members of the NIU community and family brought us to this moment,” said Molly Holmes, Director of the NIU Gender & Sexuality Resource Center. “Our current students motivate, inspire, and trust us to do our best for them and we’re thankful for senior leaders, faculty, and staff who continue to invest in LGBTQ+ lives and livelihood.  This award marks an important moment for us and allows us to remind students, faculty, staff, and alumni of their value to NIU.”

In recent years, NIU has worked to develop policies and programs that address the needs of LGBTQ+ students and increase inclusivity within the NIU community.  Among these efforts are:

  • Developing NIU’s LGBTQ+ residential community
  • Fostering relationships with key partners committed to cultivating Allyship, including additional diversity and cultural centers, NIU Athletics, academic Colleges, Centers, and departments, student leaders and organizations, NIU Public Safety, and community organizations.
  • Continued work on policies and practice for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests to identify their sexual orientation and gender identity in campus demographic data collection and reporting
  • University retention priorities that name LGBTQ+ students
  • Well-supported opportunities for faculty to transform pedagogy to be queer and trans-inclusive, and ongoing opportunities for staff and students to be intentional allies in the spheres of influence

“We are honored to receive this distinction,” said Vernese Edgehill-Walden, Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “We have collectively accomplished a lot and look forward to our continued efforts to ensure our LGBTQ+ Huskies are seen, heard and valued.”

The full list of campuses featured in this year’s Best of the Best are listed in alphabetical order by state and organized according to region.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Towson University, MD

Montclair State University, NJ

Rutgers, NJ

Adelphi University, NY

Ithaca College, NY

Pace University, NY

Lehigh University, PA

Pennsylvania State University, PA

University of Pennsylvania, PA

Midwest

Northern Illinois University, IL

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL

University of Illinois at Chicago, IL

Indiana University, IN

Purdue University, IN

Kansas State University, KS

Oakland University, MI

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI

Macalester College, MN

Minnesota State University-Mankato, MN

University of Nebraska at Kearney, NE

Kent State University, OH

The Ohio State University, OH

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, WI

University of Wisconsin Green Bay, WI

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI

New England

Tufts University, MA

University of Massachusetts, MA

University of Vermont, VT

Southeast

University of North Florida, FL

University of Louisville, KY

Elon University, NC

George Mason University, VA

Virginia Wesleyan University, VA

Southwest

Texas Tech University, TX

University of Texas at Dallas, TX

West

San Diego State University, CA

University of Colorado at Boulder, CO

University of Northern Colorado, CO

Southern Oregon University, OR

Washington State University, WA

Campus Pride’s 2022 BEST OF THE BEST Colleges & Universities is online at http://campuspride.org/BestoftheBest.

The Campus Pride Index full listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities is available at https://www.campusprideindex.org/.

Date posted: September 14, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU named to Campus Pride’s 2022 “Best of the Best” List for LGBTQ+ students

Categories: Faculty & Staff Students Uncategorized

The Big SingAn exciting choral concert that includes performances by professional, collegiate, and high school choirs  returns to the Egyptian Theatre for a second straight year, Sunday, September 18 at 3 p.m. “The Big Sing” brings together the finest choral ensembles in DeKalb county for an afternoon of beautiful music celebrating the power of passionate musicians united in song.

The concert is being produced through a community partnership between the professional choir Cor Cantiamo and the NIU Choral Department. Dr. Eric Johnson, Director of Choral Activities at NIU is thrilled to celebrate the legacy of excellence that will be on stage for the concert.

“All three of the high school directors are NIU alumni, and are doing exceptional work in their programs,” shares Dr. Johnson. “Additionally, many of the professional singers in Cor Cantiamo are NIU alumni who have established successful musical careers as solo artists and music teachers.”

The Big Sing is an excellent opportunity for the DeKalb community to hear a diverse spectrum of choral music in one afternoon and learn about the amazing music that is happening in local schools and community arts organizations.

Tickets for the Big Sing are available through the Egyptian Theatre Box Office at $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $5 for those 12 and under.

Sponsors of the event include the Cy Miller Foundation, the City of DeKalb, the Farny R. Wultizer Foundation, the DeKalb County Community Foundation, Shaw Media and the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Cor Cantiamo is a professional chamber choir whose creative programming and artistry weave contemporary music with choral masterworks to present concerts designed to inspire and engage audiences. This ensemble-in-residence at Northern Illinois University School of Music has achieved critical acclaim and recognition for their musicality, impassioned performances, and versatility.

Date posted: September 12, 2022 | Author: | Comments Off on The Big Sing featuring NIU and local high school choirs returns to the Egyptian Theatre

Categories: Community Faculty & Staff Homepage Students