NIU Today

Northern Illinois University  received word today of the largest grant in university history – $68.5 million to develop a broadband network that will spread across nine counties in northwest Illinois.

That amount includes $46.1 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, funded by money set aside last year as part of by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; a $14 million grant from the State of Illinois; and an additional $8.4 million from various partner agencies and business involved in the project.

“This is a landmark day for NIU,” President John Peters said. “Not only because of the magnitude of this grant, but also for what it says about NIU and our commitment and capacity to serve the emerging needs of our region.”

[stream provider=rtmp base=rtmp://live.media.niu.edu/vod flv=Grant_Peters_statement embed=false share=false width=480 height=360 dock=false controlbar=bottom skin=five.zip bandwidth=high autostart=false streamer=rtmp://live.media.niu.edu/vod/]

The network will extend to Whiteside, Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Winnebago, Boone and LaSalle counties. It will provide affordable high-speed broadband connections to schools, healthcare providers, libraries, higher education, emergency services, local governments and other anchor institutions. A substantial portion of the network will be made available to private industry to help attract and retain business. It also will create opportunities to dramatically expand and improve residential broadband and cable television services. It should be substantially complete in about two years.

“With this funding, NIU will be able to bring broadband service to underserved areas, creating hundreds of jobs and spurring economic development in our area,” said Congressman Bill Foster (14th District). “While the short‑term impact will be significant, there is no doubt that this will generate enormous benefits for our region in the long‑term. Throughout the country, high quality broadband infrastructure has been the catalyst for industrial growth.”

NIU’s role in creating the network is a perfect example of how universities engage with their service regions today, Peters said.

“This is a 21st century twist on the old land grant model,” Peters said. “At the turn of the 20th century those universities worked with farmers to increase yields and cut costs. Today, we are working with the broader community to improve the quality of life by stimulating economic development and addressing a range of social issues from improving health care to enhancing education.”

The university first got involved in the project, officially known as the Illinois Broadband Opportunity Partnership Northwest Region, at the request of the governor’s office in early 2010. That request was based upon NIU’s success in projects such as NIUNet, the Illinois Rural Health Network and the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority.

Each of those projects was built upon a public-private partnership model that minimized costs while maximizing benefits. Pioneered with the launch of NIUNet in 2003, that model is in fact at the heart of all of the federal funding being released Broadband USA program, said Wally Czerniak, NIU associate vice president for Information Technology Services who helped launch NIUNet and the subsequent projects.

Soon after NIU signed on to the IBOP project, the partner agencies — Blackhawk Hills RC&D, LaSalle County Broadband Initiative and the City of Rockford — asked the university to serve as the lead agency and take on the massive and painstaking task of compiling and writing the grant.

Instrumental in that process were:

• John Lewis, associate vice president for Administration and Outreach, who served as PI on the project and assisted in development of the financial model for the project and economic impact data.
• Herb Kuryliw, chief network architect for information technology services, who was co-PI on the grant. He helped design the network and helped establish the partnerships at the heart of the project.
• Lisa Kay Bergeron, Director of Health and Technology Initiatives, who helped with the financial analysis and analysis of economic data.
• Roger Swenson, director of technology for the NIU Broadband Development Group, who assisted in the design of the network.
• Michael Spires, of the Office of Sponsored Projects, who oversaw all of the details of compiling and filing the grant.

“Those individuals, and dozens of others who contributed to this project, were instrumental in making this grant a reality,” Peters said. “Their efforts will have far reaching effects across our region and right here on campus, where this grant should stimulate new and exciting developments.”

Among those on campus who could benefit are:

• Faculty whose research and teaching interests focus on managerial improvements in school, business or health care settings, who will be able to monitor the improvements increased communication speeds can bring.
• Computer scientists interested in network security, law professors interested in privacy issues, economists tracking health care costs and efficiencies should all find problems, policies and practices worthy of further attention.
• Faculty responsible for professional programs in health care, education, public safety, public health and public administration will have new and better avenues for the delivery of continuing professional education, consultative services and, in some cases, direct care.
• Faculty interested in providing distance-learning opportunities – for students at NIU or to students at campuses elsewhere can utilize the network. The NIU School of Music has already been utilizing high-speed networks to provide access to world-class music and instruction for its students.

“This grant cements NIU’s reputation as a leader in expanding broadband technology to under-served areas of the state,” Peters said. “This is an emerging area of excellence for the university, and one we hope to build on to better serve the needs of our region in the years ahead.”

Thousands of opportunities exist for students to enrich their NIU education and for faculty to enhance their professional practice.  But how do you find opportunities that match your interests?

ENGAGE! is here to help. This new web service invites students and faculty to get involved in community-based activities that increase the value of an NIU education.  The new site currently contains a small sampling of partnerships, engaged learning activities, student and faculty research, volunteer options, internships, and local community problem-solving.

NIU faculty members are encouraged to add their own projects and engaged learning activities to the ENGAGE! website.  Faculty who contribute listings to ENGAGE! will increase their visibility with students, colleagues, and potential partners.  The website also enables faculty to share best practices, find collaborators, and connect with resources. Contributors will also be placing excellent learning opportunities where students can find them.

“Students who participate in real-world learning projects tend to be more successful in college,” according to Dr. Julia Spears, Office of Engaged Learning Initiatives. “They definitely stand out in the applicant pool for jobs.”

ENGAGE! listed about 250 sample activities at its launch on August 8.

“We strongly encourage students, faculty, staff, and community members to add their own activities,” said Vice-President for Administration and University Outreach, Anne Kaplan, whose division helped to produce ENGAGE!

Earl Seaver, Vice-Provost, added “The larger and more robust ENGAGE! becomes, the more useful it will be to our students and our community. Knowing that thousands of opportunities exist, we hope to build this new site into a major asset.”

ENGAGE! was developed by the Center for P-20 Engagement, the vice-provost’s office,  the Office of Assessment Services,  Information Technology Services, and Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Visit ENGAGE! to add your activities and explore the new listings.

NIU is never short on volunteers or projects to keep them busy.

Every spring and fall, hundreds of students donate time at animal shelters, community food pantries, nursing homes and schools, and this year should be no different.

“Students who volunteer and expect nothing in return are hardcore volunteers,” said Becky Harlow, assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development. “Usually, they have done it before, and they like doing it.”

While some students new to NIU worry about finding time in their busy schedule for volunteer work, it’s usually not a problem, Harlow said. Volunteer opportunities abound on the NIU campus and in the communities of DeKalb and Sycamore. Time commitments can range from a couple of hours to a couple of days.

A list of upcoming volunteer opportunities can be found on the Huskie Paws for a Cause website. Each fall, from 150 to 200 students turn to Huskie Paws for a Cause for independent volunteering opportunities. There, they find campus activities that require no traveling and flexible schedules.

Another place students can turn to feed their giving hearts is the coed Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Members are required to complete 20 hours of volunteer service each semester.

“Students are willing to do anything. Some pack boxes that are shipped to servicemen and women,” said Harlow, who advises the fraternity. “Some become involved in the Best Buddies program and spend time with people with special needs. They take them to ball games or movies.”

A list of ongoing volunteer opportunities is available online. It is filled with information on agencies constantly in need of helping hands, including the American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, DeKalb County Hospice and the Salvation Army.

More chances for outdoor volunteering can be found at www.outdooradventures.niu.edu.

Christine Lagattolla, a graduate assistant with Outdoor Adventures, said she is always looking for volunteers to clean up lakes, restore hiking trails and pick up litter. To register, stop by the Outing Centre located in the Student Recreation Center.

“On Sept. 25, we’re taking canoes and volunteers to pick up garbage along the shoreline of Lake Shabbona. In previous years, we have pulled out old tires from it,” Lagattolla said. “Also, on Oct. 30, we are looking for volunteers to collect seeds of northern Illinois plants in the Afton Forest Preserve to help the return of its native prairie.”

Volunteers will be needed throughout the school year to help with day-long and overnight outdoor conservation projects such as an Alternative Break with the American Hiking Society over winter break. For details, call Lagattolla at (815) 753-9418 or e-mail clagattolla@niu.edu.

by Gerard Dziuba

Teaching students not to isolate themselves helps them avoid homesickness.

Homesickness does not have a chance with incoming NIU students.

With the concerted efforts of staff, counselors and community advisors, the seasonal malady is diagnosed and treated early. 

That process began days after new students arrived on the DeKalb campus with Huskie House Calls and it will continue through the semester with other counseling opportunities. 

During Huskie House Calls, dozens of NIU Housing & Dining employees, as well as dozens of other volunteers, fan out across campus with their first remedy for homesickness: a handshake in residence halls. 

They knock on the doors of hundreds of students asking if they are finding their way around campus, making friends, or getting along with their roommates, said Michael Stang, executive director of Housing and Dining. 

“This is the time of year when we see a lot of homesickness,” Stang said. “These are students who are away from home for the first time and are having difficulty making the transition. When asked a few days after arriving, they say they are ready to go home.” 

Sometimes that home is as far away as Beijing and Los Angeles or as close as Rockford or Chicago. 

During the House Calls, volunteers speak with community advisers to make sure they know the signs students show when missing families, friends and hometowns. 

Some of those symptoms include feeling reluctant to leave their resident hall rooms and declining invitations to socialize. When left unchecked, homesickness can lead to unhealthy habits, depression, academic failure and withdrawal, said Neptune community adviser Gabriella Wright. 

“We intentionally engage residents by living the Northern Pact, which is a set of ideals NIU uses to build a better community. We are always watching for signs of isolation,” Wright said. “We help them build new relationships here, and we help them build a new kind of home.” 

The house calls are considered more like house warming visits, Stang said. 

“When we make the annual house calls, we not only welcome the students to campus, but we encourage them to get involved with campus activities and organizations,” he said. “We have great organizations at NIU.” 

Many times, all that is needed is to coax a student out of a room and extend a hand. If that does not work, counseling is suggested, he said. First, it starts informally with community advisers. 

“We let them know that we’re friends, and many of us have been there too,” Wright said. 

If the problem is more serious, community  advisoes or students can call the Counseling and Student Development Center at (815) 753-1206 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Sometimes, talking with a non-student adult helps,” Stang said. “We recognize the transition to an academic setting can be overwhelming. We want students to know we are there to help.” 

That help continues weekly throughout the year during hall council meetings, Stang said. Each Tuesday at 9 p.m, Housing and Dining employees are available to talk to students about concerns they have with their resident halls. 

“This is another example of outreach we provide,” Stang said. 

by Gerard Dziuba

The annual tradition of recruiting, orienting and formally welcoming students to campus has concluded at Northern Illinois University, and the official 10th-day count for the fall 2010 semester shows new student enrollment at 5,488. Overall, total NIU enrollment at the 10th-day official count is 23,850 students this fall.

NIU has released Fall 2010 enrollment numbers.

Though the 10th-day count represents a slightly lower overall enrollment from fall 2009 numbers, transfer student enrollment increased 9.2 percent to 2,294. This significant increase in transfer student enrollment at NIU this fall is an indication that a number of college-bound students who want to attend NIU are taking a less-costly path to the university.

“These figures support a trend that we’ve seen the past couple of years that many admitted students are choosing to postpone their NIU experience due to financial concerns,” said NIU Provost Raymond Alden. “With more Illinois high school graduates selecting community colleges as a starting point for their higher education we are especially pleased that transfer students are applying to and deciding to enroll at NIU in increasing numbers.”

Forty-four Illinois two-year colleges are represented in the fall transfer class.

On the whole, applications received by NIU for fall 2010 admission were up 12 percent (undergraduate applications were up 7 percent over fall 2009). Other NIU enrollment highlights include an increase in new doctoral students (3.3 percent) and a significant increase in new law students (7.1 percent).

“In this time of economic stress and increasing competition for students in our region, the depth of our academic offerings and our committed and caring faculty are the university’s greatest asset in preparing NIU students to compete in today’s challenging job market,” said NIU President John Peters.

According to Brian O. Hemphill, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, the average GPA for this year’s admitted freshmen was 3.18, continuing a recent trend that applicants to NIU are bringing excellent credentials to the university. “Our enrollment staff works hard to build relationships and gain the trust of students and families throughout their college search process,” said Hemphill. “We are privileged to welcome these new students—undergraduate and graduate alike—and we look forward to continuing to serve and support them throughout their academic careers as Huskies.”

Science students at a dozen high schools and middle schools throughout the Chicago region are in for a treat this fall.

Their teachers attended the ASM Materials Camp for Teachers at NIU, and their classroom presentations will never be the same. The camp was designed to teach instructors new, innovative and inexpensive ways to conduct classroom experiments that grab student attention and get them to engage with science. Held from July 26 to July 30, the camp was provided free of charge.

Science teachers Christina Magee, from Eisenhower Middle School (left) and Valerie English, from Kellar Middle School, experiments to energize their classes.

“This camp was fantastic in every aspect. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it,” said Stan Cebrzynski, who has taught science in Johnsburg, Ill., for 33 years. “I just can’t get over how good it was and how much I enjoyed myself.”

Cebrzynski and the other spent their days on campus at the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology learning innovative, hands-on approaches to enhance their instruction of materials sciences, with an emphasis on using everyday items in a series of labs and experiments.

Sharon Stone, who teaches at Unity Junior High East, in Cicero, Ill., said that attending the camp gave her a new perspective on teaching.

“I learned so much and the hands-on side of the camp was tremendously valuable as it let me see how to run the lab and what the student’s process through the lab will be. I have so many possibilities for my classroom now.”

NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology hosted the event as part of its efforts to improve science, technology, engineering and technology at all academic levels. The college holds a number of camps and events each year aimed at getting younger students, and minority students, engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities.

For example, the college has been selected the last two summers as one of about 30 across the country to host the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, a two-week residential experience that provides underprivileged students a chance to explore participate in fun experiments that teach them about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The college also has programs that reach out to girls in middle school and has partnered with Chicago area Girl Scouts to introduce them to STEM topics.

In total, 15 teachers attended the ASM Materials Camp, representing the following high schools: Aurora Christian School, Boylan Catholic High School,  Eisenhower Middle School,  Fischer Middle School,  Freeport High School, Johnsburg High School, Kellar Middle School, Kennedy Middle School, Paw Paw High School, Thomas J. Kellar Middle School, Unity Junior High School and Vernon Hills High School.

Potential “customers” for the Huskies Helping Huskies booths were easy to find Monday, Aug. 23, on the first day of classes at NIU.

Their facial expressions ranged from puzzled to panic, and many were trying to make heads or tails out of a map. That is when the volunteers staffing the booths around campus would step in and provide assistance.

Brad Badgley, of NIU Health Enhancement, helps a student navigate campus on Day 1 of classes.

Over the course of the first two days of classes, more than 110 volunteers, at five locations across campus, will point hundreds of students in the right direction. They will also answer questions about the Huskie Bus Line, explain the ins-and-outs of student meal plans and handle a host of other questions, says Becky Harlow, assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development, who oversees the program.

The program is almost as popular with those who staff the booths as it is with the student’s they assist, says Harlow. “We get a lot of volunteers who come back year after year because they enjoy interacting with the students and being part of that energy on the first day of classes,” she says.

Donna Smith, who works in the provost’s office, has been a Huskies Helping Huskies volunteer for four years. “It’s a big campus and it can be overwhelming, so I enjoy helping students,” says Smith.

Smith worked Monday at the station located on the south side of the Holmes Student Center, along with Brad Badgley of Health Enhancement. They directed students to McMurray Hall, Faraday Hall, the Music Building and Montgomery Hall, among other destinations. They also spent more than 15 minutes helping one incoming freshman sort out the location of a math class, contacting three different departments across campus, and one at Kishwaukee College, not only seeking out the location of the class, but also checking to see if a more convenient section might be available.

“That’s the kind of service we strive to provide,” says Harlow. “You don’t want to turn away a student without help on the first day of classes. It’s important that we do whatever we can to help them find an answer.”

The program has been in place for about five years, adds Harlow, who explained that it was started in an effort to extend the good will of Welcome Days to the first day of classes.

“We have so many Welcome Days events to help students acclimate to campus, but they just stopped on the first day of classes,” she says. “And that is when it is most important to be there for students and help them through what can be a stressful day.”

Last year, the program was expanded to the spring semester to assist the large transfer population that arrives on campus in January.

Harlow said that there are still a small number of volunteer opportunities on Tuesday, and she is already compiling a list of potential volunteers or next year. To get involved in Huskies Helping Huskies, contact her at (815) 753-6703.

by Joe King

NIU senior Joann Losavio, a Lake Barrington resident, sifts through soil that was taken from an area of Macktown where students are taking part in an archeological dig. The dig is part of a summer camp sponsored by Midwest Arechological Research Services. Losavio is studying history and anthropology.

They scrape and claw at the earth with trowels and hopes of finding a clue – any clue –  that will give them an idea of what stood on this spot hundreds and thousands of years ago.

Some days the bugs eat them alive and the sun bakes their dirty arms, necks and legs.  But these NIU students don’t mind. They paid good money to dig and poke around the Macktown Settlement, near Rockton, Ill., this past summer.

NIU seniors Joann Losavio, a Lake Barrington resident, and Leanne Wright, a Rockton resident, say that the three-week field camp was a great way to apply the knowledge they learned in the anthropology classes they took at NIU’s DeKalb campus. And to make sure they learn the correct way to search the ground for remnants of past inhabitants, NIU graduate student Jay Martinez guided the students through the camp.

“That’s how I learned – at field camp.” Martinez said. “Two years ago I did the same thing they are doing. It can be hard work, but when you find something, it will pump you up.

Martinez works for Midwest Archeological Research Services in Marengo. MARS conducts the camp and partners with area colleges to give students real-world experience. In return, the students – six total this summer – help the small company look for artifacts at Macktown, an abandoned town across the Rock River from Rockton.

Losavio, who is a senior at NIU, studying history and anthropology, signed up for the camp while taking summer classes at Harper College in Palatine. Wright enrolled though Elgin Community College.

“You can’t match what we learned in the field,” Losavio said. “In class, we learn principle. At field camp we learn procedure.”

And sometimes that procedure can be painstakingly slow. While Losavio spent some time sifting through piles of soil taken from an area Martinez believes was the site of a home, Wright was scraping it from the ground with a hand trowel.

“Sometimes you have to go a centimeter at a time,” she said stopping to wipe the sweat from her face. In between scrapes, she stopped to determine if the square hole she was digging in was level.

If Wright went faster or scraped a larger portion of dirt in one sweep, she could have missed a piece of broken glass or china – any piece of history she and her classmates were searching for.  So, she searched for history a handful at a time.

Macktown was never the bustling town its founder, Stephen Mack, had hoped it would be in the early 1850s. He planned to create a community the size of Rockton, which now has a population of 5,500. A handful of homes, a general store and a bridge were constructed within a time span of 15 years.

However, before Mack’s dream could take shape, he learned the hard way that his settlement was on the low side of the river. Heavy rains and spring thaws flooded the area and washed out the bridge. Residents looked at the dry land across the river and decided to resettle there.  A handful of families stayed, but some of their stories were buried with time. The students were digging where they believe Shores home was built more than 150 years ago.

In the 12 or so year MARS employees have been examining Macktown, they have found broken dishes, tools, and remnants of buildings, Martinez said. They have also found stone tools; stone drills bits and relics of people who lived on the site more than 3,000 years ago.

“Every time we find something, we want to keep going to see what else we can find,” Martinez said. “Through the years we’ve found quite a collection of artifacts.”

Already, so much has been discovered about Macktown, said Rochell Lurie, MARS director. Not only is it rich in history and unfulfilled dreams, but it’s a natural for piquing the interests of historians and anthropologists such as Losavio and Wright. Both said they wanted to take part in the camp because of the potential to gain real-world experience at an unfolding chapter in northern Illinois history.

by Gerard Dziuba

The Illinois CPA Society has selected Donald E. Tidrick as a 2010 Outstanding Educator Award winner. The award recognizes Illinois educators at a community college, college or university who excel in their leadership and teaching, and who have made continuous and outstanding contributions to accounting education in the state.

Donald Tidrick

Tidrick is a professor of accountancy at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and the faculty advisor to NIU’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter. His primary teaching and research interests relate to auditing and assurance services.

Those who nominated Tidrick speak to his passion for the subject and commitment to the accounting profession. As one former student said, “His passion for accounting is evident in the materials he prepares, the discussions he facilitates and the way in which he conveys information. I wish all professors were as passionate about what they teach and as helpful as Dr. Tidrick.”

Tidrick, a Sycamore resident, is a graduate of Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin. He received his Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts and doctorate from Ohio State University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Before joining NIU in 2000, he was a member of the accounting faculty at the University of Texas at Austin from 1991-2000 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1987-1991. Before entering the doctoral program at Ohio State, Tidrick was an auditor in KPMG’s Columbus, Ohio, office.

He is active in a variety of professional organizations, including the Illinois CPA Society, where he serves on the Ethics Committee. He is one of only two accounting professors in the country serving on the Comptroller General of the United States’s Educators’ Advisory Panel.

Malta, Ill. — Officials from Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College today announced that starting this fall the university will offer a bachelor of science in applied management degree with an emphasis in computer science at the Kishwaukee campus in Malta.

The new bachelor of science in applied management (BSAM) degree, recently approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, provides a convenient and affordable way for individuals pursuing careers in computer information technology and systems to earn an accredited bachelor’s degree.

“Kishwaukee College has always enjoyed a positive relationship with NIU,” says Dr. Tom Choice, President of Kishwaukee College, “and we look forward to working closely with our colleagues at the university as we partner on this program. The addition of the BSAM degree provides yet another opportunity to keep a college education within reach for the students in our district.”

Kishwaukee College President Thomas Choice and NIU President John Peters announce a new degree completion project.

The program allows individuals with an associate’s of applied science degree in computer-related fields to apply that coursework toward a bachelor’s degree. Prior to the creation of the BSAM, those students essentially had to take a much longer path if they wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Kishwaukee College students will be able to complete all coursework at the school’s Malta campus, with general education courses delivered by Kishwaukee faculty, at Kishwaukee’s rates, and the upper-level degree-specific courses delivered by NIU faculty, at NIU rates. The bachelor’s degree will be awarded by NIU. Students enrolled will take courses related to software development and engineering, database and systems management and computer security. They will also have coursework in management skills, communication, accounting and financial principles.

“The program is designed to sharpen both technical and leadership skills,” says Nicholas Karonis, chair of the Department of Computer Science at NIU, adding that such a combination of skills is highly attractive to employers.

“Despite the recent economic downturn we haven’t noticed any significant drop in the demand for individuals with computer science degrees,” Karonis says. “Even more in demand are individuals with the combination of technical and business skills that students will develop in this program. It will prepare them to step into middle management roles and progress from there.”

NIU is leading a movement in Illinois to create more pathways for community college students to complete four-year degrees, according to NIU President John Peters.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Kishwaukee College to offer the Bachelor of Science in applied management degree, which is designed to meet the needs of working professionals in our region and to provide educational offerings close to work and home,” Peters said.

“NIU is taking a leadership position in developing ways for the residents of our region to increase their credentials to meet emerging needs in the economy and better prepare themselves for the future,” he added, noting that NIU will also begin offering BSAM programs designed for public safety professionals at Harper College this fall and Oakton Community Colleges this summer.

The BSAM in Computer Science will also be available in partnership with Rock Valley College, with students completing coursework at the NIU-Rockford Center, and at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. Individual with approved AAS degrees in computer related fields are eligible to enroll in either program. All individuals in the program will be able to complete the general education component by taking courses at their local Illinois community college.

For more information, visit www.bsam.niu.edu or call Amanda Carrier at (815) 753-7097.

DeKalb, Ill. — Two weeks at the Exxon-Mobile Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, held at NIU, have made a group of Northern Illinois middle school students excited to return to class. They are ready to learn more about math, science, energy and their own potential.

They had a good start in June when the 48 participating learned about the law of gravity, the power of solar energy and the theory of motion. The students worked in groups to build a theme park that was powered by gravity and solar energy.

Students at the ExxonMobile Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp experiment with boat building. Click the photo for a slideshow.

“These were hands-on team projects that related to math and science, health, nutrition and communication,” said Rene Flores, program directors for Exxon Mobile. “The students learn the concepts and they learn the real-world applications.”

This is the second year that NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology has hosted the camp. It is one of 30 colleges and universities across the country that invited the students onto their campuses with the hopes to spark their inquisitive minds, said Mansour Tahernezhodi, the associate dean of the college.

On the final day of camp, students used one more piece of technology – the Internet – to speak with camp founder and retired astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris. From his California home he urged each of them to follow their dreams and not let anyone or anything stand in their away.

NIU’s School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders tests the hearing of an average of 900 newborn babies a year at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.