“SEEK is a National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) run program that targets the underrepresented demographics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),” said Mason, of Aurora. “It’s important because it adheres to the systemic disproportion of African Americans in the STEM fields.”
According to the NSBE website, SEEK is designed to be a fun and engaging educational experience for students in third- through eighth-grade. Led by college engineering students and technical professionals, students work in teams, using their knowledge to solve problems and create products while discovering the underlying math and science principles involved.
During the free three-week program, teams take on a new project each week which culminates with a presentation, design competition and physical competitions that all parents are encouraged to attend.
“We create a fun and encouraging atmosphere where elementary school children get to learn about engineering and science,” Mason said. “This is the important age range where students start to form their opinions on math and science, which can positively or negatively affect their academic performance throughout their education.”
Sheriff Otun, a graduate student in biochemistry
Since starting in 2007 in Washington, D.C., SEEK has served more than 3,500 students in 14 cities across the United States. Mason became a mentor last year after hearing about it at an NSBE convention, and returned to camp in 2015 as an administrator.
“I had the privilege of being brought back this year to work in an administration position, where I served as the camp’s operations coordinator,” he said. “I managed camp curriculum, mentor training, competition structure and the parent committee. I had a great experience and developed imperative project management skills that will assist me in industry.”
For both students and volunteers, it was a summer camp experience they will never forget.
“Inspiring young people in terms of their education and careers is very important to the sustainability of our workforce and competition in our global economy,” Mason said. “The experience can significantly impact their perception of school and ultimately their choice to pursue college and field of study. It’s vital for us to give back, encouraging and inspiring young people to reach their full potential.”
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: September 16, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on NIU students mentor Chicago youth during summer camp
When members of the Board of Trustees gather for their first official meeting of the school year, NIU student Raquel Chavezwill be there. The Hampshire, Ill., resident and NIU law school student took office July 1 as the board’s newest voting member.
“I have gotten to know a lot of the board members already, and I am very thankful that they have been so accepting of me and the work I have done,” Chavez said. “I hope to bring a different perspective to the board and fill in the blanks where they need me to.”
NIU’s governing body includes seven voting members – appointed by the governor – and one voting student, who is elected by the NIU student body.
Chavez is the first female student elected to the board.
“My goal is to break the glass ceiling,” Chavez said. “I hope it encourages other women to go out and do things they may not have otherwise thought of.”
“I started as a commuter student my freshman year then I moved on campus,” she said. “I got a job on campus and got involved on campus. I am able to see NIU from multiple vantage points.”
Chavez said she looks forward to getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a university runs, and looks forward to sharing a student perspective with fellow board members.
“It is so important because I am the only one who is going to school here,” Chavez said. “There are other members who have gone to Northern, but I’m the one who is in the trenches now. I can tell you what students are feeling right now; there are certain things that come up that I can directly relate to, and they want to hear my opinion.”
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: September 8, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on Raquel Chavez begins term on NIU Board of Trustees
Abby Deanmight have just started as NIU’s director of University Marketing, but she begins with more than a decade of Huskie experience.
“I am really excited to take this position and have the team that I have,” said Dean, who has worked for NIU since 2003 and took over the newly created director position in July. “We have a good breadth of knowledge on the team, and I think that institutional knowledge is really important in enabling us to do our job effectively.”
The Office of University Marketing is responsible for the development, design and implementation of the university’s marketing and advertising initiatives. Dean is passionate about their mission, which is to support the promotion of the university and its student recruitment and retention efforts.
“It’s really important for the university to communicate in a cohesive manner and have an office like this to do that,” Dean said. “We are here as a service for the rest of the university, and that is really how I look at it.”
Along with team members Michael Mackey, Alex Montgomery and recently appointed associate director of University Marketing Jeff Strohm, Dean said partnering with other departments is essential to their mission.
“We are all about partnering, because we can work together to create a stronger message,” Dean said. “Our job on campus is to work with our constituencies, and make sure we express a cohesive narrative while leveraging the uniqueness of each one of our colleges.”
And with any good partnership, communication is paramount.
“I don’t mean communicating outwardly, but communicating internally,” Dean said. “When we share information and any communication pieces and strategies, I think that makes us all stronger. If we all know what the moving parts are, we will be able to communicate more effectively and have an even bigger impact on our recruitment and retention.”
“What do those prospective students – students we are really hoping become Huskies – experience through NIU,” Dean said. “To know what they experience is an enormous piece of information that can help us understand where we go from here.”
Dean said NIU has so much to offer, and her department plans to share that message with prospective students.
“I believe in NIU and what it has to offer,” Dean said. “That is really what makes me excited about taking this position. I can help students find NIU, and I can help them find a home here.”
University Marketing is located in Room 104 of Still Hall.
Date posted: August 28, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on NIU names new director of University Marketing
It’s safe to say it’s even easier to get around campus this fall thanks to the Huskie Safe Line.
Students asked, and NIU answered with some enhancements to the free NIU shuttle ride service that operates from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. after the HuskieLine bus services end for the evening.
“We made the changes after reviewing rider use from last school year and in cooperation with the Student Association,” said Sgt. Joe Przybyla of the NIU Police Department. “The goal is to shorten wait times by having a more efficient route and save resources by not stopping at places that were not being utilized.”
The free service is available to NIU students, faculty and staff as well as community members with disabilities. The shuttle travels a fixed route with more than 30 convenient pick-up and drop-off locations. Riders can simply go to the closest stop and wait for the van by the sign that says “Huskie Safe Line.”
Riders must present a valid NIU One Card or Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card to use the service and are allowed to bring a guest with them.
The accessible shuttle ride service is available to persons with disabilities and individuals with children by calling (815) 753-2222 to request the service. In addition to this new service, NIU Police and Public Safety offer walking escorts anywhere on campus 24 hours a day.
Along the north route, the shuttle van goes to each stop along the following route approximately every 17 minutes:
Holmes Student Center
Barsema Hall
School of Nursing
1217 Blackhawk
1015 Blackhawk
1025 W. Hillcrest
1121 W. Hillcrest
Spiros and Hillcrest
Aspen and Hillcrest
875 Fotis
735 Fotis
770 Regent
1212 Varsity
930 Pappas
910 Hillcrest
Greenbriar and Normal
Greenbrier and Russell
New Hall West (drop-off as needed)
Holmes Student Center
The shuttle makes stops along the south route approximately every 16 minutes. The route includes the following stops:
Holmes Student Center
Gilbert Hall
412 Locust St.
100 N. Pearl St. (Tom and Jerry’s)
823 W. Lincoln Hwy. (Near McDonalds)
1005 W. Lincoln Hwy. (Copy Service)
1127 W. Lincoln Hwy. (Dollar Video)
1311 W. Lincoln Hwy. (Stadium View)
Northern View
Stevenson North
Grant North
New Hall West
New Hall East
Holmes Student Center
Date posted: August 3, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on New stops added to the Huskie Safe Line
An NIU family enjoys Casino Night during the 2014 Fall Family Weekend.
It’s family first at NIU.
Whether it’s the one you were born into or the Huskie family we’re glad you chose, NIU is rolling out the red – and black – carpet during Family Weekend, set for Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13.
“We want to introduce parents and family members to NIU, its culture and what we are all about,” said Kesha Williams, associate director of Orientation and Family Connections and coordinator of the event.
“Family Weekend gives the parent and family members time to actually experience what their student is doing here, and the type of resources and activities their student can be engaged in while attending NIU.”
Family Weekend showcases a host of activities to foster a sense of Huskie spirit for NIU students and their family members.
“Every program is pretty special,” Williams said. “There are some new and different events and some that we have done before that give family members a real taste of the community.”
Go bowling, play billiards, enter a bags tournament or camp out on campus at the West Lagoon. Cheer from the sidelines as the Huskies tackle Murray State, bike to Ollie’sfor the famous frozen custard or head to Jonamac Orchard for a taste of autumn.
The annual event is not only an opportunity for families to connect with their student, it’s a chance for everyone to experience campus and the DeKalb community.
“I attended Family Weekend 2014,” said Karan Payne, mother of Michael, now a senior at NIU. “Everyone who was working the event made every family member feel right at home.”
A variety of events take place on and around campus, and families can pick and choose which events they’d like to attend. Most events are free but do require pre-registration.
Coller, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received the Mechanics Division Best Paper Award for his entry titled, “A Glimpse into How Students Solve Concept Problems in Rigid Body Dynamics.”
”It is a really good feeling to get that recognition,” Coller said. “The people who chose this paper – a committee of scholars in the area – review it and then nominate it. Having this set of scholars pick your paper out of a pool of papers is a great feeling.”
Pradip Majumdar, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said Coller’s award is noteworthy for him and the entire university.
“It is such great news for all of us here at NIU,” Majumdar said. “It is also a great recognition for the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology and NIU nationally. I am extremely proud of Dr. Coller’s work.”
Coller’s paper stemmed from an engineering dynamics course he teaches at NIU, one that is both challenging and rewarding.
“It’s a really hard course, and a really critical course,” Coller said. “We are trying to get students to think and solve problems the way engineers do. We are laying a lot of foundation, and the course is absolutely critical to every other course in the curriculum.”
Brianno Coller
In his paper, Coller examined a student’s ability to handle concept-type questions, abbreviated questions that get at whether a student understands a concept and can apply it. It differs from the traditional engineering problem solving process in which students are required to perform mathematical calculations. Students often can apply an equation correctly without really understanding the underlying concept.
It’s a topic that has gained a lot of attention in the engineering education research arena, and one that Coller is passionate about.
“My hypothesis is that we teach these rules – mathematical tools and techniques – and students learn how to apply them,” Coller said. “But when they see a problem where they aren’t actually asked to do a calculation, they go back to these sort of gut instincts, and they aren’t applying the actual principles and theories they should be applying. Now we have to figure out how to repair this.”
Coller will present his winning paper to attendees at the 2016 American Society for Engineering Education conference.
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: July 30, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on Professor Brianno Coller earns high marks for cutting edge paper
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
With websites playing a critical role in NIU’s initial communication with its many audiences, having a consistent university-wide message has never been more important.
“The NIU website is a retention and recruitment tool for the university,” said Webmaster Jeannine East, of NIU’s Office of Creative Services. “Current and future students will enter our website on any one of thousands of pages, so our goal is to make every page a consistent and enjoyable experience for them.”
NIU web pages represent and promote the entire university, as well as many specific programs and departments. For that reason, newly designed university-wide templates were introduced to create a cohesive experience for all online visitors.
“The new templates ensure a consistent brand for the university,” said Jennice O’Brien, director of the Office of Creative Services. “Many prospective students come to our site using a search engine; the templates guarantee that no matter what page they land on, they know they are at NIU and can access important links like ‘Visit Campus’ and ‘Apply’ in a single click.”
O’Brien said the templates are built using an approach called responsive web design, which adapts the layout and the navigation to a view best-suited for a particular device, be it a smart phone, tablet, laptop or a desktop computer. In addition, the templates comply with the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act, making them user-friendly for everyone.
“The new templates ensure that our website is accessible,” O’Brien said. “They employ things like skip navigation, alternative text and other principles of accessible design, and are tested with both focus groups and code validators.”
In addition to the new templates, web standards were implemented to expand upon NIU’s original web policy, and are outlined in NIU’s Web Standardsmanual. East said the enhancements were necessary, considering the increased role NIU’s website plays in recruitment and retention.
“NIU’s website is the face of the university 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” East said. “The new web standards address the need for a consistent look, feel and voice across all domains on the NIU website while creating a unified web experience for our online visitors.”
A committee, consisting of pagemasters from all colleges and several divisions of the university, meets regularly to provide an open dialogue to address web-related topics, teach best practices within the industry and learn from one another.
“Our team works quickly and makes sure that the changes align with our web standards and best practices,” East said. “As we move sites over to the new website templates, this is an ideal time to follow the updated standards to create a uniform style across all NIU web properties.”
Whether your goal is to communicate with future NIU students, current Huskies or the many alumni, there are tools in place to ensure a unified approach.
Need more information? Call the Cascade Help Line at (815) 753-1326. The web team also offers one-on-one training to NIU pagemasters as needed.
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: July 27, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on First impressions are made online
Shannon McCarragher is in a class of her own – literally.
Last month, the NIU doctoral student successfully completed her degree requirements and became the first Ph.D. graduate of the Department of Geography.
“It’s the culmination of an educational goal that I set for myself about 10 years ago as an undergraduate, so it feels a bit surreal now that I’ve achieved it,” McCarragher said. “I am honored to be the first in what I hope will become a long line of remarkable doctoral students to graduate from the Department of Geography at NIU.”
The Milwaukee native earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree in geography from NIU, where she received an Outstanding Woman Student Award in 2008.
“At the master’s level, Shannon was someone we identified as exceptional,” said Andrew Krmenec, Department of Geography chair. “She is quite bright and a hard worker, and exactly the type of person we wanted as our first doctoral student.”
McCarragher began working on her Ph.D. in 2010, and during that time she earned the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award and Outstanding Graduate Student Award. In June, she defended her dissertation, titled “Ecological and Evolutionary Invasion Dynamics of Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) in Relation to White Oak Savanna Restoration Management in Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois, USA.”
“My research investigated the spread and ecological impact of Amur honeysuckle, an invasive shrub, in relation to the conservation of native white oak trees,” McCarragher said. “It is important to study issues related to the impact and spread of invasive species as they damage local habitats.”
With the support of many NIU educators and fellow graduate students, McCarragher made history at NIU in the Department of Geography.
“My primary adviser and mentor, Lesley Rigg, provided invaluable assistance and guidance throughout every aspect of my research,” she said. “My committee members, David Goldblum, Michael Konen and Melvin Duvall were also instrumental to my success. I can only hope that one day I am half as good a mentor as they all were for me.”
McCarragher will be a visiting assistant professor in NIU’s Department of Geography in the fall, and is looking forward to taking the next step of her career.
“The opportunities, experiences, friendships, achievements and even the tribulations that I have had as a graduate student in the geography department at NIU have fostered my personal and professional growth,” McCarragher said. “For that I will be forever grateful.”
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: July 10, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on Protecting oaks, blazing trails
New campus signage is installed outside the North Towers of Stevenson Residence Hall.
All signs indicate that things are looking up at NIU.
During the month of June, several departments collaborated to vastly improve signage on campus buildings so that students and visitors know where to go and how to get there efficiently.
“Not only do the exterior building signs provide a fresh, contemporary look to our grounds, they also provide navigational guides to those finding their way across campus,” said Kelly Wesener Michael, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students.
“These efforts are also enhanced by the launch of a virtual 3D campus map which is mobile-friendly for those traveling to or across the campus.”
NIU senior Nathan Lupstein shared the sentiment.
“It’s exciting to see the dynamic change on campus,” said Lupstein, president of NIU’s Student Assocation. “Throughout the past year, I think NIU has done an exceptional job enhancing the aesthetic environment of our campus. Along with recently added signage around the commons and on the library, the new exterior building signs are successfully contributing to a more welcoming and sharp-looking campus.”
The university assembled a Signs, Identification Guidance and Navigation Standards (SIGNS) committee, consisting of staff members from a variety of departments, about a year ago. The initial goal was to create a positive change in the “visual impact” of campus as students returned to campus in the fall.
Mission accomplished.
“This group worked quickly to design and install the large banners placed on Founders Memorial Libraryand Graham Hall, as well as the ‘Ask Me’ campaign and light pole banners which provide building identification and the way-finding system on campus,” Wesener Michael said.
In addition, the team recommended the installation of interior way-finding signage in several buildings, including Swen Parson Hall, to assist students and visitors with navigation to key campus offices.
Wesener Michael said fiscal responsibility is a hallmark for members of the SIGNS team, and with each project, they have utilized the university’s talented staff in planning and design phases: For example, the graphic production team in Creative Services designed and assembled the new signs.
“We also used existing sign stands as a cost-cutting measure,” Wesener Michael said. “For all the SIGNS projects, when the job scope ventures beyond what our internal staff can reasonably take on, we search diligently for vendors that can provide the best product and services at the most competitive price.”
Signage is one of many campus improvements staff members work on during the summer – and it’s earning high marks.
“I think it is great to have our school colors on the new signs,” said Matt Holmes, vice president of finance for the Campus Activities Board. “It gives a much better sense of school spirit all across campus. The red and black is reflective of the university and the athletic programs, so I feel that it is a definitely a great change when I see all of the new signs on campus.”
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: July 6, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on Walk This Way: new building signage earns high marks
It’s not surprising that Roger Kalisiak can relate to his students. As a teacher, National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame member and Huskie alumnus, he understands what his students need to be successful.
“Having gone through what students are going through and taking those classes, you know what the expectation is,” said Kalisiak, who last year was NIU’s interim athletic training program director within the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. “If you really want to learn something and put it into practice, you can’t take the short cut; that is my perspective, and that is what I try to convey.”
Kalisiak earned his undergraduate and master’s degree from NIU. For more than three decades, he was a teacher and athletic trainer at Hoffman Estates High School in Hoffman Estates, Ill., until he retired in 2007.
In 2008, he returned to DeKalb as an adjunct professor, sharing his expertise with a future generation of athletic trainers.
“It’s been very gratifying to come back to NIU,” Kalisiak said. “The students, faculty and administrative staff are great people to work with. I think that’s what helps is working together as a team. The support system is there.”
One member of the support system is Phil Voorhis, a fellow NIU alumnus and the Huskies’ head athletic trainer since 1994.
“Our athletic training program – which has two athletic training hall of fame members teaching our students – is an excellent example of alumni working with students to provide real-world experience,” Voorhis said.
Whether the goal is to work in a professional sports program, health care environment, or a variety of other settings, NIU’s athletic training program provides a valuable educational experience for students who aspire to become highly skilled health professionals.
Part of doing so involves using the “triangle offense,” connecting students and faculty with alumni and employers through internships. It’s something the athletic training department has been practicing for years.
“Our students have to have an off-campus experience, and we are obviously going to tap the folks who have gone through our program and continue to utilize their expertise to mentor and make those opportunities available,” Voorhis said.
Voorhis said sometimes things in the classroom don’t always mirror real world experiences, which is why the practical experience is important.
“The program gives them the foundation and skills they are going to need to be successful in the healthcare profession,” Voorhis said.
Kalisiak shared the sentiment.
“This university offers great things for students, especially in this program,” Kalisiak said. “As a team, we make ourselves available to students just about anytime they need us, and that’s very similar to the field of athletic training. We want them to become a family here, and have the best value as far as their education.”
“We want to raise the profile of the university and make people realize that NIU is involved in some very important and exciting research, teaching and artistry,” said Joe King, assistant director of NIU Media and Public Relations. “Anything that helps us gain positive attention for the university is a good thing.”
Along with Media and Public Relations Director Paul Palian and media relations specialists Tom Parisi and Mark McGowan, King is a champion for the university and its faculty.
“We have faculty creating new knowledge and making technical breakthroughs in all areas in every college across campus,” King said. “But no one is going to know that those things came from NIU unless we tell them.”
Parisi shared the sentiment.
“Great publicity for NIU typically begins with terrific faculty or student research,” Parisi said. “The press loves research findings that are surprising and or important.”
Parisi’s work on Antarctic research conducted by geology professors Ross Powell and Reed Scherer is just one of many NIU stories that have been picked up by media around the globe.
Other recent examples include:
Telepressure research by psychology professors Larissa Barber and Alecia Santuzzi;
“Bad boy CEO” research by finance professor Adam Yore;
The unique “Game of Thrones” class taught by professors Jeff Chown and Valerie Garver; and
Thunderstorm research by NIU geography Ph.D. student Alex Haberlie and professors Walker Ashley and Thomas Pingel.
As a veteran journalist, Parisi has a unique perspective and understanding regarding what makes a story newsworthy.
And he’s not alone.
“Joe King, Mark McGowan and I all worked previously as journalists, so we have a good idea of what the press is looking for,” Parisi said.
The NIU writing team is passionate about making sure the university’s success stories aren’t a secret. King said part of the challenge is getting staff members to realize the importance of their work – and then the importance of telling others about it.
“We want people to see the value in getting their name out there. While there is no monetary reward for having a story go viral when you are a faculty member, there is value to being the public face of something,” King said.
From research on Antarctica to what happens to a company when the CEO behaves badly, NIU’s Media and Public Relations staff is ready to react.
“The research needs to be explained in a way that the press and public can easily understand,” Parisi said. “That’s where we enter the picture as writers who can find key aspects of a research story and explain it in a clear, accurate and interesting manner.”
And while their mission is to share NIU’s successes with the world, in turn, they suggest faculty share in their zeal to get the word out.
“Consider part of your academic mission is to educate the public about what you are doing,” King said. “There is value in raising the profile of the university.”
FIVE WAYS TO RECOGNIZE GREAT STORIES
Does your research change the world or alter the way we look at it? Medical breakthroughs, new inventions, unique artistry, a new take on an old topic or a controversial take on something new are all good bets to attract attention.
Is your research quirky or counterintuitive? Does it challenge the way people will think about your topic? Is it funny? Do you incorporate unusual teaching methods in the classroom? If so, your work has potential to draw a lot of attention. Media (and the public) love things that put an unusual twist on things.
Does your research or expertise pertain to something in the news or pop culture? If so, chances are media will be interested in speaking with you. Reporters are always looking for ways to better explain current events, and if you can shed some light on some aspect of a hot topic, they may want to speak with you – even if your research was conducted years ago.
Does your research elicit a “Wow!” from your family and friends? If so, chances are it will be of interest to a wider audience. It also probably means that you are good at making your topic accessible to a non-academic audience, which is a big plus!
Does your story have a human interest angle? Are your students working with an underserved population? Will your research improve the lives of the downtrodden? Are you working in an extreme environment? Does your research pertain to the daily lives of most people? People love stories about people, and reporters like such stories because they are relatable.
Professors Jeff Chown and Valerie Garver team-teach NIU’s Game of Thrones honors seminar.
Timing is critical for success, and faculty members need to keep in mind that sooner is better than later.
“Our office would like to know of any upcoming publications that might be newsworthy well in advance,” Parisi said. “When researchers have an exciting study accepted to a journal for future publication, that’s the time to give us a heads-up so we can consider whether or when to do a news story, and whether it will need the support of our highly talented web, graphics, video, photography and social media experts.”
King shared the sentiment.
“There is a lot of preparation that goes into starting the chain reaction that leads to big publicity,” King said.
It is not only research that can attract media attention, the writers said. Unusual classes, unique class projects, partnerships with real-world businesses and organizations are just a few examples of things that can attract media attention.
Of course, not every class or piece of research lends itself to publicity. However, the Office of Media and Public Relations staff is happy to talk with faculty to help evaluate the newsworthiness of their work. Each writer works with a specific college and can be contacted via email or by phone.
Parisi works with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: (815) 753-3635.
King works with the College of Business and the College of Health and Human Sciences: (815) 753-4299.
McGowan works with the College of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts: (815) 753-9472.
Palian works with the College of Law and the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology: (815) 753-7346.
For more information, call (815) 753-1681.
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: June 18, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on To DeKalb and beyond: How NIU news goes global
Tracie Burress, seen here with her husband, Glen, and EIGERlab’s Sherry Pritz, earned $5,000 as winner of the 2014 FastPitch competition for sockTABs.
Tracie Burress earned $5,000 for her winning idea of sockTABs at last year’s EIGERlab FastPitch competition.
What has happened since then for the Rockford resident can only be described as priceless.
“Winning FastPitch meant everything,” said Burress, whose product addresses the age-old problem of mismatched socks. “It legitimized that what I had was a very good option to fill a void in the marketplace.”
EIGERlab is NIU’s comprehensive resource where entrepreneurs and inventors collaborate with pioneering leaders to incubate and accelerate businesses. Since 2007, the lab has hosted the FastPitch competition that invites the best and brightest to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges from the business and investment community.
“To have an idea and bring it to a competition among other great ideas simply confirmed things for me,” Burress said. “It gave me credibility and a lot of confidence to move on and to move forward … to truly pursue this as a business and to try and bring this concept to the marketplace.”
Burress founded sockTABs.com in 2014 as a way to alleviate sorting, matching and searching for lost socks. When she took part in the EIGERlab FastPitch competition, sockTABs was still in the prototype stage.
“After I won, (EIGERlab) continued to work with me,” Burress said. “They helped me from a marketing standpoint and from a business contact standpoint. This is an awesome place to get started, to launch a dream and to launch a business. The community support has been tremendous.”
Today, sockTABs can be found in a number of retail outlets. In addition, Burress said she has auditioned for a national television show that allows aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their concept, and is waiting to hear if she will be selected.
Burress is just one of many success stories.
“FastPitch is great for the region,” said Sherry Pritz, NIU EIGERlab coordinator of marketing and business development. “If we can support people in starting their own business and then employing people, it’s a win-win for the region.”
On June 17, 44 participants will take “the mound” in hopes of pitching the best idea. In addition to the competition, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from keynote speaker and Sittercity.com founder Genevieve Thiers, who will share her entrepreneurial wisdom.
“We are really excited about our speaker, Genevieve Thiers,” Pritz said. “She had an idea on a napkin, and she thought of this business that has grown exponentially. She filled a need and a void, and I think that gives people hope and the incentive to also try to do something.”
FastPitch will be held Wednesday, June 17, at NIU-Rockford. Initial presentations begin at 3:30 p.m.; final presentations will start at 5:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.
For more information, contact Pritz at (815) 316-6357 or email spritz@eigerlab.org.
by Jane Donahue
Date posted: June 11, 2015 | Author: Jane Donahue | Comments Off on Entrepreneurs hope to smack home runs during EIGERlab’s FastPitch
