NIU Today

Nearly 204 student volunteers and 12 student volunteer site leaders participated in 18 events at 12 community sites during the fifth annual Sophomore Days of Service (SDOS), hosted by First- and Second-Year Experience (FSYE) in February. Sophomore students were invited to volunteer on campus and in the DeKalb community. Following their volunteer experiences, students reflected on the opportunity to help others, build relationships and connect with the community.

Some highlights from February 2017 SDOS include the number of volunteers doubling from 2016 to 2017, and the number of volunteer partner sites increasing by 80 percent.

From a sizable pool of applicants, sophomore Amanda Aseron was awarded the 2017 Sophomore Days of Service Scholarship for her dedication to service in the community. On February 28, the Heartland Blood Center partnered with SDOS for a blood drive held in the Campus Life Building. Heartland Blood Center was able to provide a $10 donation for every blood donor towards a scholarship for a sophomore student who actively engaged in community service and SDOS.

Additionally, a total of 1,148 books were collected to be donated to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ Storybook Project, Hope Haven, Camp Power and other local partners. FSYE partnered with the Common Reading Experience Student Organization and Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society to organize a book drive throughout February and March.

After volunteering, students written reflections revealed that they felt closer to the community and NIU, they felt good knowing they made a difference and would continue to volunteer in the future.

FYSE thanks all of the sites for their work and welcoming NIU student volunteers which included: Barb Food Mart, Huskie Student Food Pantry, TAILS Humane Society, Raven’s Husky Haven & Rescue, Communiversity Gardens, Campus Childcare, Barb City Manor, Kishwaukee YMCA, DeKalb Public Library, West Elementary School, DeKalb Area Women’s Center and Heartland Blood Center. And the following students for serving as site leaders: Charles Pohorsky, Miranda Cox, Hamzah Chaudhry, Sarah Hillbloom, Alexis Massman, Shalyn Houston, Caitlyn Klein, Mikaylah Booker, Marissa Dawson, Amanda Aseron, Anetia Dickens and Yeon Woo Kim.

FYSE was appreciative of various campus partners for helping to promote and participate in the 2017 SDOS as well. They included Business Passport, Honors Engaged, Lambda Sigma, Pi Sigma Epsilon and Alpha Phi Omega in addition to various other organizations across campus.

For questions about SDOS, please contact Kelly Smith, director of First- and Second-Year Experience at fsye@niu.edu or 815-753-0028. For more information about Second-Year Experience events and programming visit niu.edu/fsye.

Each year, Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) has the honor of recognizing distinguished student leaders at its annual Kevin D. Knight Leadership Awards ceremony. The Kevin D. Knight Leadership Awards ceremony commemorates the life of Kevin D. Knight, an NIU alumnus who embodied what it means to be a student leader. He was an exemplary leader, serving NIU as a catalyst for positive change and as a role model for up-and-coming student leaders to follow.  Knight used his time at NIU well, dedicating himself to the betterment of campus life for all students.  He worked hard in various leadership positions while receiving numerous awards and recognition for his work.

More than 50 student leaders will celebrate their accomplishments with their families and friends at the ceremony on Sunday, April 30, in the Holmes Student Center. SILD bestows awards to students based on their leadership roles within various student organizations, dedication to volunteering in the community and academic excellence. The students who will be recognized at this ceremony serve as executive board members, mentors, volunteer coordinators, research assistants, athletes and much more.

2017 Kevin D. Knight Leadership Award Recipients

Freshman Leadership Award

• Ainsley Galvez
• Nancy Hernandez
• Lily Michaels
• Sheila Martinez

Sophomore Leadership Award

• Angel Hannah
• Nikole Torres-Turnage
• Cordnei Gibson

Junior Leadership Award

• Shivani Desai
• Rachel Shapland
• I Younan An
• Madeline Alger
• Taylor Donelson
• Jordan Arcilla
• Giuseppe LaGioia
• Felix Castillo

Senior Leadership Award

• Brooke Buttacavoli
• Brian Robinson
• Jazmin Bandera
• Megan Haduch
• Danielle Dyra
• Morgan Morris
• Mark Voelker
• Giselle Sanroman Gutierrez
• Jesse Laseman
• Lark Lewis
• Leyla Puskar
• Jaleel Savoy

Graduate Leadership Award

• Clare Kron
• Jalaine Hart
• Mar Louie Mayubay

Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award

• Elizabeth Yee

Outstanding Student Organization Award

• Black Counselors Association

Applauding Excellence Award

• Marissa Dawson

NIU Women’s Volunteerism Award

• Martha Zuniga

Steven R. Agee II Award

• Karli Johnson

Parents’ Association Award

• Julie Goldberg

Institutional Tuition Waiver Award

• Rachel Shapland
• Madeline Alger
• Wataru Hashimoto
• Edgar Garner IV
• Alejandra Macias
• Shlena Bolton
• Adriana Aguilera Perez
• Cordnei Gibson
• Priscilla Montes
• Jordan Clayton-Taylor
• Diana Miguel
• Emily Schaumberg
• Giuseppe LaGioia
• Nancy Hernandez
• Jordan Arcilla

Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges

• DeAnna Fuller
• Amber Sayles
• Jordan Arcilla
• Marissa Dawson
• Karli Johnson
• Sagar Sudhakar

Congratulations to all award winners!

Candidate-3-Skylar-LyBargerNIU will host three candidates for the position of director of procurement and contract management. The campus community is invited to attend an open forum for each of the candidates to learn more about their qualifications for the position and to provide feedback to the search committee on their candidates.

The director of procurement and contract management is responsible for the administration of purchasing and contracting activity for the university in compliance with all applicable federal/state laws and regulations and university policies and procedures.

Names of the candidates will be released 24-48 hours before they arrive.

The first candidate’s forum will be on Tuesday, May 2, from 10:15-11 a.m. in the Holmes Student Center, Lincoln Room. The second candidate’s forum will be on Monday, May 8, from 2:15-3 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center, University Suite.

Candidate 1 – Antoinette Bridges

Candidate 2 – Skylar LyBarger

Join Dr. Brad Peters on Thursday, May 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Capitol Room at the Holmes Student Center for the Write Well, Publish More! workshop.

This day-long, interactive workshop will put into practice habits that successful, publishing writers use. Get started, nail down the central idea, find your voice, gather feedback, revise and join the conversation! Program participants will practice techniques for meeting readers’ expectations, sustaining their project and seeing it through.

The program will give participants a chance to form impromptu reader circles and assist one another in generating usable feedback. Participants will receive useful writing resources during the workshop.

Peters is a professor of English and coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum program at NIU. He designed and directed the NIU Writing Center. Peters presents yearly workshops on using writing to think critically and has trained faculty in universities across the country. He teaches advanced writing courses where students prepare their work for conferences and publication. Peters’ research focuses on effective writing strategies and pedagogies.

Workshop check-in will start at 8:30 a.m. with refreshments and the program will begin at 9 a.m. The schedule will include lunch from 12 to 1 p.m. and mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks.

This workshop is open only to NIU faculty, instructors and teaching staff (SPS and Civil Service). Registered participants will receive workshop materials, lunch, refreshments and a certificate of participation. Seating is limited to 25 participants and advance registration is required.

The registration deadline is Thursday, May 18. Register and plan to attend the entire day. As there likely will be a wait list for this workshop, if you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration by Monday, May 22, so that those on the waiting list may be given the opportunity to attend the workshop or program costs can be reduced.

National Nutrition Month has ended, but NIU professors, students and alumni continue to work to understand and address food insecurity through their research at home and abroad. One of those NIU community members is Courtney Gallaher, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality. Gallaher has partnered with faculty from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi, Africa, and NIU faculty and students to study urban agriculture and food insecurity in southern Africa and in the Rockford and DeKalb areas.

Though the challenges facing urban farmers and community gardeners in southern Africa and northern Illinois vary, in both places urban agriculture has the potential to address food insecurity, lack of access to fresh foods (“food deserts”) and growing economic disparities. However, the benefits of urban farming are often only partially realized. Gallaher and her collaborators hope to address this through research that combines a variety of methods, including focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and household surveys, to “follow the trail of food” from the farm to the dinner table.

Gallaher’s work in Malawi – with professors David Mkwambisi and Wezi Mhango of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources – examines how poor, urban populations are adapting to the pressures of climate variability and urbanization through urban agriculture. Gallaher says that southern Africa was essentially left out of the Green Revolution of the mid-twentieth century that increased farming yields in much of the world. Low crop yields, lack of infrastructure and an increasing number of poor urban residents have led to high levels of food insecurity. This is made worse by extreme weather conditions, such as droughts and flash floods, caused by climate change. In spite of concerns about growing food in potentially contaminated urban soil, Gallaher finds that urban agriculture is a viable long-term coping strategy for many. Gallaher says, “There are really some positives to urban farming for those who can pull it off.”

Here at home, Gallaher has partnered with NIU students to examine community gardens, which aim to fight food insecurity among poor residents and connect residents to local food sources and the larger community. NIU alumnus Walter Furness (M.S. Geography, 2015) worked with Gallaher to develop a study of food security, food sovereignty and community gardens in Rockford. He found that Rockford’s community gardens worked mainly on a donation basis to supply produce to local food pantries, which did provide food pantry clients greater access to fresh, healthy produce but left them missing out on some of the benefits of gardening itself.

Gallaher says, “The goal of all my research—here and in East Africa—is to find ways of helping the urban poor to be more food secure and to grow food in ways that are environmentally sound. Collaborating with NIU students is incredibly valuable because they’re empowered to learn about the research process as well as to think about these bigger picture issues of global food security and environmental sustainability.”

Bart Woodstrup

NIU Associate Professor Bart Woodstrup was recently commissioned to produce the visual components of a piece performed this month at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

“The Sarajevo Haggadah: Music of the Book” was performed at the National Gallery of Art on April 15. Conceived and performed by Merima Ključo, the piece is a 50-minute composition for piano, accordion and video that uses music and visual art to tell the turbulent story of the Sarajevo Haggadah – a manuscript with many illustrations that tell the story of Biblical Creation and the life of Moses. The book was created by an unknown artist in fourteenth-century Spain. It is considered a symbol of perseverance, as it survived the Alhambra Decree, the Nazi’s in World War II, the Siege of Sarajevo and more.

Woodstrup has taught at NIU since 1999, and is an associate professor in the Time Arts department of the School of Art and Design. He is known for using technology to bridge the gap between sound and visuals, which is what led to his invitation to collaborate for this piece.

“I often create videos for my musical compositions, but I really enjoy writing software for performing sound and visuals live,” he said. “I have been extremely fortunate to also collaborate with many wonderful musicians and artists.”

Those collaborations included one with composer/accordionist Merima Ključo for a residency in Vermont in 2013, where Ključo worked on “Sarajevo Haggadah: The Music of the Book.”

The sacred book was intended to be used during the Jewish Passover Seder. Woodstrup’s piece of the project – the video – served as a visual backdrop to the music, interweaving the imagery of the Sarajevo Haggadah with elements of the book’s history.

Before being invited to collaborate on the project, Woodstrup said he didn’t even know what a Haggadah was. “I had to do a great deal of research in little time,” he said of the project.

Woodstrup said his work on the project was influenced by the aging life of the book.

“For instance, since the book was used in many Seder feasts there is evidence of spilt wine and personal notations scribbled in the book,” he said. “Little details like those helped me to create the visuals that, with the music, tell the amazing journey this book has taken throughout time.”

He said working on the project was exciting.

“It was an honor to be able to work with Merima and her pianist Seth Knopp who are both accomplished composers and performers,” he said, adding that together they have performed this piece at many prestigious venues including The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, the University of Chicago, and the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Woodstrup said he feels the project has a message that people from all cultures and religions can recognize and appreciate.

“It is an especially poignant story considering current world events where we continue to see people persecuted for their identity, religion or nationality,” Woodstrup said. “I anticipate that we, like the book, will persevere.”

First- and Second-Year Experience, in partnership with Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society and the Common Reading Experience Student Organization (CRESO), would like to thank the NIU community for helping to collect 1,148 books for “The Storybook Project,” a service project connected with the 2015-2017 Common Reading Experience (CRE) and Sophomore Days of Service.

The Storybook Project, organized by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, allows incarcerated parent/grandparents to record themselves reading donated books. The recording, along with the book, are then sent to their child/grandchild. This helps build a connection between inmates and their loved ones while they are separated. Of the books donated, 535 of them went towards the Storybook Project.

Due to wear and tear, not all of the donated books could be used for the project. In order to ensure that books did not go to waste, organizers found homes for the additional books. First- and Second-Year Experience worked with Liam Buchanan, vice president of Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society to donate 515 of those books to Hope Haven, a local DeKalb homeless shelter.

The remaining 98 books, which had extensive damage to either the binding, pages, or cover, were donated to Camp Power, a summer program for children dealing with poverty, lack of opportunity and safety issues in the University Village housing development. Alexis Massman, president of the Common Reading Experience Student Organization and former Camp Power counselor, suggested that these books be used for a literary craft project to promote reading skills among the campers. This project would include cutting apart the damaged books allowing children to create their own stories through a collage activity. After contacting Nancy Prange and Lesley Feyerherm from Camp Power, it was determined that a craft day will be planned and organized to take place this summer.

For more information, visit the First- and Second-Year Experience website, call (815) 753-0028 or email fsye@niu.edu. Next year’s CRE book will be “Make Your Home Among Strangers,” by Jennine Capó Crucet.

WNIJ 89.5 FM is pleased to announce a successful fundraising project that exceeded its $125,000 goal. This project, which began April 1, and ended on Earth Day (April 22), was designed to help sustain our national forests, too. WNIJ will plant a tree to mark every donation to this station as part of this campaign, which will ultimately result in 1,203 trees planted in one of the country’s national forests.

WNIJ 89.5 FM is one of two non-commercial public broadcasting radio stations managed by Northern Public Radio, the broadcast arm of Northern Illinois University, and provides independent, local, national and international news.

Staci Hoste, director and general manager of the station, expressed gratitude: “Listeners demonstrated their commitment to WNIJ with meaningful words and actions. They donated a total of $155,247 to the station and, in many instances, their financial support was paired with comments reflecting their sense of shared responsibility for the service.”

A listener from Cortland, IL, explained why he supports WNIJ: “It means I have a media in my life with relatively less corporate control, a diverse array of programming and helps foster a healthy community.” Another listener from Union, IL, called the station with this assessment: “The voice of reason and civility in a time when simple, factual news is at a premium.” Many others described it as their “window to the world.”

WNIJ thanks the National Forest Foundation, Tyler’s Landscaping, corporate partners and all donors to this campaign. Hoste acknowledges, “We can’t provide this important service without a strong community of supporters to protect and preserve public radio in northern Illinois.”

In the face of continuing uncertainty in the state of Illinois, and now a federal budget proposal calling for the elimination of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, WNIJ is unlikely to receive the level of funding provided in previous years. Hoste reflects, “It’s reassuring to know our listeners trust and value our work to the extent that they protect it with their investment when we call on them.”

Special guest Dr. Ernest Freeberg will present “Eugene V. Debs and the Fight for Free Speech in World War I” from 6-7 p.m. in Altgeld Hall 315 on Monday, April 24, and is presented by the NIU Department of History. Freeberg is professor and head of the Department of History at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where his research interest includes the cultural and intellectual history of the United States. Freeberg will discuss the trial and imprisonment of this socialist leader for making anti-war speech and the resulting civil liberties movement after World War I. His book, published in 2008 on the subject, was the Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.

Also this week, NIU Professor Matthew Streb will present his talk, “Promoting Democracy: The Progressives, Women’s Suffrage and the Decline of the Political Machine,” on Tuesday, April 25, from 5-6 p.m. in Altgeld Hall 315, as part of the Hand in Hand exhibition suite’s educational programming series.

More information about the exhibitions, events and educational programming may be found online at the NIU Art Museum or by phoning 815-753-1936.

Gender & Sexuality Resource Center will present a Research Roundtable on Friday, April 28, in the Glass Gallery of the Holmes Student Center from noon to 1 p.m.  Anita Maddali, director of Clinics and associate professor of Law will share her research on immigration law.

Professor Maddali writes and speaks about the unique issues faced by immigrant parents and children when immigration and family law intersect. She also regularly speaks about the importance of experiential learning and ways to create programs that have a lasting impact on law students and the community.

In 2010, Maddali was the recipient of the Northwestern University School of Law’s “Young Alumni Award,” given annually by the Student Funded Public Interest Fellowship (“SFPIF”) group to alumni for their commitment to public interest law. In 2014, she was honored by Northern Illinois University College of Law for the creation of a legal clinic focused on merging the medical and legal needs of homeless and low-income residents of Aurora.

Following law school, Maddali was an Equal Justice Works fellow and later clinical professor at Northwestern University School of Law’s Children and Family Justice Center. She represented women and unaccompanied minors fleeing persecution from Latin American, African and Middle Eastern countries. She also developed a clinical course focused on the representation of undocumented minors with delinquency issues. Additionally, Maddali litigated education, employment, and immigration cases in federal and state court for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She also developed a poverty law clinic while working as a visiting clinical assistant professor at DePaul University’s College of Law.

Maddali is on the board of directors for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights at the University of Chicago Law School. Previously, she served on the young professionals’ board of the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic, as well as the fundraising committee for Equip for Equality.

The Research Roundtable is an opportunity to hear about research from professionals, professors and doctoral students across campus through a gender equity and social justice lens. The goal is to have students engage and network with staff, faculty and professionals about their research findings that can enhance a student’s personal and professional development. Admission is free, and all are welcome. For more information contact GSRC@niu.edu or call 815-753-4772.

Cathy Doederlein

Faculty and Supportive Professional Staff with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to NIU were honored at a luncheon and program in the Holmes Student Center on Wednesday, April 19.

“One of the main things that motivates me to come to work every day is the incredible people I get to work alongside, day in and day out,” said Cathy Doederlein, president of the Supportive Professional Staff Council. “The tireless efforts of our colleagues are what helps this institution continue to provide a quality education to our students.”

Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus Dennis Kevill was recognized for 40 years of service. Bernard Harris (Mathematical Sciences), Lori Marcellus (College of Business) and Judith Santacaterina (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) all were recognized for 35 years of service to the university.

The event was hosted by Human Resource Services and included remarks from President Doug Baker, Executive Vice President and Provost Lisa Freeman and Executive Secretary of University Council and President of Faculty Senate Greg Long.

Below is the list of honorees who were recognized for 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 years of service.

SERVING NIU 30 YEARS

• Richard Becker, Biological Sciences
• Hamid Bellout, Mathematical Sciences
• Lori Bross, Biological Sciences
• Daniel Grubb, Mathematical Sciences
• David Hedin, Physics
• Donna Smith, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
• Clifton Stiles, Holmes Student Center
• Josephine Umoren, Health Studies

SERVING NIU 25 YEARS

• Sally Betz, Application Services
• Ann Carrel, College of Business
• Judith Chitwood, School of Theatre and Dance
• Susan Deskis, English
• Paula Frasz, School of Theatre and Dance
• Geoffrey Gordon, Marketing
• David Gorman, English
• Murali Krishnamurthi, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
• James Leon, Computer Science
• Anders Linner, Mathematical Sciences
• Gregory Long, Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
• Keith Millis, Psychology
• Cynthia Nelson, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Grant Olson, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Chandrima Roy, Center for Governmental Studies
• Scott Short, Mechanical Engineering
• Diana Swanson, English
• Mansour Tahernezhadi, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
• Phillip Voorhis, Intercollegiate Athletics

SERVING NIU 20 YEARS

• Douglas Ash, NIU Outreach Hoffman Estates
• Gerald Blazey, Research and Innovation Partnerships
• Michael Brown, Health Services*
• Josephine Burke, Art Museum
• Daniel Cabrera, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center
• Rodney Caughron, Kinesiology and Physical Education
• Jes Cisneros, University Honors Program
• Vicki Collins, Educational Technology, Research and Assessment
• Sarah Cosbey, Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences
• Nancy Dosanjh, History*
• Carolinda Douglass, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
• Steven Estes, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Philip Eubanks, English
• Lisa Finkelstein, Psychology
• Nancy Finn, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth Gaillard, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• William Grayburn, Biological Sciences
• David Gunkel, Communication
• Brian Hart, School of Music
• Beatrix Hoffman, History
• Kathryn Kahn, School of Art and Design
• Joseph King, Office of Institutionl Communications
• Carolyn Law, Graduate School
• Judy Ledgerwood, Center for Southeast Asian Studies
• David Lochbaum, Campus Recreation
• Joseph Magliano, Psychology
• Sarah Marsh, Management
• Vincent McGinn, Electrical Engineering
• Melody Mitchell, College of Law
• Andrea Molnar, Anthropology
• Kristen Myers, Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
• John Novak, School of Music
• Jennice O’Brien, Web and Internal Communications
• Junlin Pan, University Libraries
• Mary Quinlan, School of Art and Design
• Lisa Schmidt, Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences
• Joseph Scudder, Communication
• Hidetada Shimizu, Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
• David Sinason, Accountancy
• George Slotsve, Economics
• Robert Tatara, Engineering Technology
• Richard Tom, Admissions
• Francis Trankina, School of Art and Design
• David Valentiner, Psychology

SERVING NIU 15 YEARS

• Greg Anderson, College of Law
• Leslie Arno, NIU Outreach Naperville
• Emilio Aviles-Casquet, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Abul Azad, Engineering Technology
• Marilyn Bellert, NIU Outreach P-20
• Clifford Bottigliero, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Ana Byrd, Biological Sciences
• Amy Byrnes, Computer Science
• Sandi Carlisle, Campus Recreation
• Kerry Chermel, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Natalie Churyk, Accountancy
• B. Douglas Clinton, Accountancy
• Geoffrey Decker, Computer Science
• Sandra Domagalski, Marketing
• Alexandre Dychkant, Physics
• Heide Fehrenbach, History
• Teresa Fisher, Counseling, Adult and Higher Education
• Elisa Fredericks, Marketing
• Mary Gardner, Literacy and Elementary Education
• Shaun Garrett, Development Operations
• Alexander Gelman, School of Theatre and Dance
• Omar Ghrayeb, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
• Billie Giese, School of Art and Design
• Raymond Gooden, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Nancy Harrison, Econ Illinois
• Carrie Helmig, Statistics
• Mary Henningsen, Communication
• Rebecca Houze, School of Art and Design
• Yasuo Ito, Physics
• Michael Jacoby, Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
• Kimberly Johnson, ACCESS
• Joyce Keller, Career Services
• Steve Kispert, Operation Management and Information Systems
• Janice Knudsen, English
• Mary Koren, Nursing
• Aleksandar Kosoric, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Michael Kuba, Housing and Residential Services
• Laura Lundelius, Materials Management
• Laurence Lurio, Physics
• Roger Maas, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
• Katrina Mantzke, Accountancy
• JeongSoo Kim, School of Music
• Leslie Matuszewich, Psychology
• Molly McNett, English
• Daniel Mihalcea, Physics
• Kristina Misic, Development Operations
• Sheryl Nakonechny, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Nancy Oldenburg, Nursing
• Tamara Phelan, Accountancy
• Devaki Rau, Management
• Joy Robackouski, Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
• Marlene Rosenberg, School of Music
• Shyree Sanan, Controller
• Robert Schneider, School of Theatre and Dance
• Mary Shafer, Mathematical Sciences
• Lin Shi, Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences
• Jeffrey Smelser, College of Visual and Performing Arts External Programming
• Curtis Steele, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
• Timothy Sullivan, Mathematical Sciences
• Gregory Thompson, NIU Outreach/Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center
• Ann Van Dijk, School of Art and Design
• Brian Walk, Web & Internal Communications
• Katharine Whitelaw, Web and Internal Communications
• Desheng Xu, Center for Governmental Studies
• Vishnu Zutshi, Physics

SERVING NIU 10 YEARS

• Stephen Anderson, Office of Creative Services
• Orna Arania, School of Music
• Tracy Ash, CHANCE Program
• Meredith Ayers, University Libraries
• Hamid Bateni, Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
• Bradley Bond, Graduate School
• Karinne Bredberg, Research and Innovation Partnerships
• Kathryn Cady, Communication
• William Cassidy, Communication
• Michael Corvino, Communication
• Bradrick Cripe, Accountancy
• Anthony D’Andrea, Gift Planning
• Kellie Dyslin, Sponsored Programs Administration
• Raimund Ege, Computer Science
• Jeffrey Einboden, English
• Marc Falkoff, College of Law
• Amy Flewelling, Kinesiology and Physical Education
• Concepcion Gliesman, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Martine Gorstein, Psychology
• David Grady, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
• Stacey Gray, Psychology
• Carol Hamm, NIU Outreach Rockford
• James Hibbett, English
• James Horn, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Kristin Huffine, Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
• Amy Johnson, Nursing
• Laura Johnson, Educational Technology, Research and Assessment
• Wendell Johnson, University Libraries
• Sarah Johnston-Rodriguez, Special and Early Education
• Jinsook Kim, Health Studies
• So-Yeun Kim, Kinesiology and Physical Education
• Phillip Krasula, Psychology
• Ilya Krishtal, Mathematical Sciences
• Jason Larry, Communication
• Lichuan Liu, Electrical Engineering
• Amy Lofthouse, Campus Child Care
• Linda Matuszewski, Accountancy
• Jamie Mayer, Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
• Edward Miguel, Electrical Engineering
• Samantha Morley, Literacy and Elementary Education
• Mary Morrissey-Doherty, School of Music
• Claudine Myers, Statistics
• Eunha Myung, Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences
• Sharon Nelson, College of Law Library
• Gina Nicolosi, Finance
• Ellen Olsen, Health Studies
• Scott Peska, Counseling, Adult and Higher Education
• Hao Phan, University Libraries
• Mark Quinn, Finance
• Andrea Radasanu, Political Science
• Jessica Reyman, English
• Laurel Rigertas, College of Law
• Nina Rizzo, School of Art and Design
• Diane Rodgers, Sociology
• Tracy Rogers, Outreach and Engagement Administration
• Mark Rosenbaum, Marketing
• Kathryn Saalfeld, Admissions
• Linda Saborio, Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Brian Sandberg, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Teri Schmidgall, Career Services
• Federico Sciammarella, Mechanical Engineering
• Ellen Stuart, Accountancy
• Joseph Summins, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Dawnita Teague, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Kurt Thurmaier, Public Administration
• Stephen Tonks, Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
• Donna Turner, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Sergey Uzunyan, Physics
• Agesilaos Vasilopoulos, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• James Venskus, University Legal Services
• Kelly Wesener Michael, Student Affairs
• Sandra Wolf, Nursing
• Abbey Wolfman, Orientation and Family Connections
• Tao Xu, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Rita Yusko, Research and Innovation Partnerships

* Indicates service award recipient and retiree

The School of Theatre and Dance presents the Spring Dance Concert capturing the themes of isolation, racism and change. It’s a comprised of different dance styles and compelling storytelling through movement. It will open on Thursday, April 27, at the Huntley Middle School Auditorium.

Judy Chitwood has created a piece where you will see dancers travel the life of famous poet Emily Dickenson and how she came to isolate herself in her bedroom; inspired by her poem “How Slow the Wind.” This piece has also pulled music from Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu who utilized the same poem for his compositions.

Paula Frasz has taken current political issues and brought them into the spotlight on stage. In her piece titled “ENUF,” you will see the oppression African-Americans have faced throughout different eras. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Paula has crafted a powerful story where audiences might notice famous historical moments such as slave auctions, Rosa Parks on the bus and Dylan Ruff in the church. Teaming up with DJ Eddie Fisher, they have comprised a score consisting of music and dialogue to further emphasize these issues. The piece will end with triumphant energy to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”

Rich Grund has choreographed a piece combining vastly contrasting elements such as ballet and rock n roll in “A Web of Love.” Audiences will observe the ballet pointe work set to fast-paced rock numbers. Using the music of The Naughty Ones our dancers will combine this fast-paced score with classical elements without missing a beat. Prepare to see this high energy piece intertwined with intricate ballet training.

Performances are held at Huntley Middle School’s main auditorium, 1515 S. Fourth St. in DeKalb. Show times will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and $9 for students. Ticket reservations or additional information is available by contacting the NIU School of Theatre and Dance box office at 815-753-1600, or online at the School of Theatre and Dance website.