For more information, call (815) 753-5200 or email LASEP@niu.edu.
Creative Writing Day Camp July 11 to 15 Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campers will develop their skills in writing fiction and poetry and explore other forms of creative writing, such as flash fiction, screenwriting and copy writing. The week’s activities include journaling, free-writing, guided writing, structured exercises and revision strategies.
Campers will participate in workshops to learn to give and accept constructive criticism. Instructors will provide individual feedback on campers’ work to help them develop their unique voice and style. Each day will include time for writing and reading.
The week will close with a lunch reception for campers and their families in which campers will read from their best work and receive a booklet compiling highlights from the week’s writing in each genre.
Digital Media Day Camp July 25 to 29 Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Do you love to watch movies? Have you ever thought about making one of your own? Now is your chance to work with others like you and take the first step toward a career in media production.
Learn the basics of media writing and production to bring a creative flair to the stories you tell in this fun and interactive camp! In groups, campers will script a story or joke and use digital media to put together a short narrative. Campers will merge recorded narration, videos, pictures and music using video editing software to create their short narratives, which will be screened for the camp at the end of the week.
Along the way, teams will screen rough cuts of their work where they’ll receive and give constructive feedback on story and editing.
Date posted: May 31, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Summer camps teach creative writing, digital media
Prelude and Development classes meet June 25 through Aug. 6, with no class meeting July 2. A parent or caregiver attends every class with their child. Early enrollment is recommended as these classes usually fill up quickly.
Prelude is a group music class for toddlers ages 1 to 3 with singing, dancing and rhythm and music games. New songs and activities are added every semester. Laurie Rodriguez teaches this class, which meets Saturdays from 10 to 10:30 a.m.
Development group music class is for children ages 3 to 5 and helps prepare little ones to begin music lessons. Children enjoy more songs, dances and rhythm games as well as basic music theory and demonstrations of musical instruments. Rodriguez teaches this class, which meets on Saturdays from 10:35 to 11:05 a.m.
Guitar for Kids class meets on Wednesdays from 5 to 5:55 p.m. June 15 through July 27, with no class meeting July 6. Early enrollment is encouraged for this popular class.
Guitar for Kids provides children ages 8 to 12 with an introduction to guitar playing through a fun, song-oriented approach to learning. Guitar teacher Quentin Dover introduces music fundamentals such as scales, chords, rhythm, melody, harmony and playing technique that allow students to begin building their own toolbox of musical skills. Group lessons foster an encouraging environment in which students can explore the art of making music. No previous guitar experience is required; however, students should bring guitars to class.
The NIU Community School of the Arts is sponsored by the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University. For more information about summer activities, call (815) 753-1450.
Date posted: May 31, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Registration due June 6 for summer music classes for children
NIU Law alumnus Vincent Cornelius (’89), the incoming president of the Illinois State Bar Association, will deliver the commencement address during the Northern Illinois University College of Law Commencement Exercises, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center.
During the ceremony, NIU Law will confer 88 Juris Doctorate degrees.
Cornelius will make history on June 17 as he takes the helm of the ISBA, the state’s largest bar organization, and becomes the first African-American president in its 140-year history.
“I would like to impart to these young lawyers the importance of defining yourself and not letting others define you,” Cornelius said. “I challenge these new graduates to find their own path and make a difference in the profession, much like NIU Law has defined itself by producing outstanding leaders in the judiciary, legal practice, in politics and public service. As I take the reins of the ISBA, I follow in the footsteps of two NIU Law graduates before me and one who will take over the presidency after me.”
Cornelius, the principal of the Law Offices of Vincent F. Cornelius – with offices in Wheaton and Joliet – concentrates his practice in civil and criminal litigation. He has been a member of the ISBA for his entire legal career and was first elected to the ISBA Board of Governors in 1999 as a downstate Under Age 37 member.
He has also served as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Law Reform and as the chancellor of the ISBA’s Academy of Illinois Lawyers. He also made history in 2008 when he became the first African-American president of the Illinois Bar Foundation. In 2011, he was appointed as an at-large member of the ISBA Board of Governors to provide leadership opportunities for underrepresented segments of the association and its governance.
“Vince is an integral member of our NIU Law community and serves as a valuable resource on issues of importance to the law school, especially on diversity in his role as the founder of the NIU Law Minority Reception,” said NIU Law Interim Dean Mark Cordes. “His ongoing commitment to public service inspires both our students and alumni.”
As an alumnus, Cornelius maintains a close relationship with NIU Law. He served on the NIU Law Alumni Council for many years and currently serves a member of the NIU Law Board of Visitors.
He further contributes as a mentor to law students and young alumni and as a frequent speaker on alumni panels. His most visible contribution to the NIU Law is the hosting of the school’s Minority Reception, which he began in 2004. Since then, the event has become an annual tradition and important networking opportunity, bringing together scores of NIU Law alumni, faculty and law students.
Cornelius was honored in 2010 with the NIU Law Outstanding Alumni Award, and in 2005, he received the Outstanding Service Award from the NIU Law Alumni Council.
Prior to opening his own law firm, Cornelius was an associate with the law firm of James D. Montgomery and Associates, the predecessor firm of Cochran and Montgomery in Chicago. He is also a former DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney.
Cornelius received his law degree in 1989 from NIU Law and his B.B.A in 1986 from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, where he was an Academic All-American.
Date posted: May 27, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Vincent Cornelius to speak at May 28 NIU Law commencement
An ongoing two-year initiative has focused new attention on the need to better address rigor and reproducibility in research.
This heightened awareness of problems identified in the quality (rigor) with which some published studies have been completed as well as the lack of transparency in reporting the details of completed studies led to extensive discussion in the broad research community of measures to ensure the reproducibility of important study findings and ultimately the validity of the findings.
Sponsored Programs Administration will host a webinar, “What’s New at the NIH? Requirements to Address Rigor and Reproducibility in Research Grant Applications,” from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, in LaTourette 300.
Kathy Doyle Grzech, associate director of the Proposal Development Office in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Kentucky, is the presenter.
This session focuses on new proposal requirements on the part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to address key features of rigorous, unbiased research in research grant applications submitted on or after Jan.25, 2016. In addition, the speaker will outline key revisions to two of five of individual scored review criteria as well as Additional Considerations for Review impacted by these changes and share insights on available resources that are emerging to address these requirements.
After this webinar, participants will:
Understand revisions to NIH proposal content requirements and peer review criteria to include assessment of rigor and reproducibility in research.
Be familiar with diverse resources available to help investigators meet new requirements to address key aspects of rigor and reproducibility in grant applications.
No RSVP is necessary; however, if you do RSVP to asosp@niu.edu with NIH Webinar in the subject line, links to information before the event will be emailed to you. For more information, call (815) 753-1581.
Date posted: May 27, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on What’s new at the NIH? Reproducibility
Johnson’s book is a practical text that integrates theoretical perspectives with guidelines for designing and implementing community-based qualitative research projects.
Coverage of participatory research designs and approaches is complemented by chapters on specific aspects of this research process, such as developing relationships and sharing findings to strengthen programs. Included are useful handouts and templates for applying to the reader’s own projects as well as end-of-chapter questions for self-reflection and class discussion.
Readers will find the book’s engaging case studies, interdisciplinary real-life examples, and insights from project participants as a helpful foundation for future work in the field.
Johnson teaches classes in qualitative research methods, including courses in ethnographic research, interview methods, and community-based and participatory action research.
Her research focuses on civic engagement and community involvement among Latino and African American youth, with a focus on young mothers. In her research, she collaborates with staff and students at an alternative high school in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community to help strengthen services and develop initiatives that focus on youth activism and intergenerational mentorship for young parents.
Her teaching and research also focus on the creation of community-university partnerships and the engagement of graduate students in community-based research projects.
Date posted: May 25, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on NIU prof publishes book on community-based qualitative research projects
The NIU College of Law has announced the February 2016 Wisconsin and Illinois bar exam passage results for graduates who were first-time test takers.
Each year, several NIU graduates choose to take the Wisconsin bar in anticipation of practicing in the state. The Wisconsin Bar reports that all three NIU Law graduates who took the February 2016 bar passed, and have met this important qualification for practice.
This follows a strong February 2016 Illinois bar exam pass rate for NIU Law graduates of 83 percent, compared to a state average of 75 percent.
“We are delighted to receive the report of these impressive results,” said Jeanna Hunter, director of NIU Law’s Academic Success Program, which coordinates the school’s bar passage initiatives.
“Bar passage and practice readiness are critical goals for our law students and we take this preparation seriously. From the moment students walk in the door, we incorporate these skills into their early courses and continue to emphasize them throughout law school, culminating in the bar passage courses in their final year.”
NIU Law 2015 graduate Jennifer Ohlrich was one of the graduates who passed the Wisconsin bar. She had already taken and passed the Illinois bar, so she is prepared to practice in both states.
Ohlrich started her career in Illinois but was drawn back to her home state when she accepted a job from fellow NIU Law alumna Deborah Krusche-Bruck (’86) as an associate at Bruck Law Offices, S.C., in Milwaukee.
“Bar preparation is a full-time job but NIU Law prepared me extremely well for the challenges of passing the bar and the competence necessary for practice. I continue to model myself as a lawyer after alums whose success and credibility has come by way of an NIU law degree.”
Jeanna Hunter
Erin George is one of the 2016 NIU Law graduates who passed the February Illinois bar exam.
Immediately after passing the bar, she accepted a job as an associate at Smith & Fuller – the Wheaton, Ill. law firm of alum Jay Fuller (’95) – where she will spend much of her time in court on civil and criminal law matters.
“I was always intrigued by the trial process. NIU Law professors prepared me for the rigors of practice in a unique way – by not necessarily always giving me the answers, but encouraging me to weigh the facts and come to a conclusion on my own. I used those skills in preparing for the bar and every day in my job.”
“NIU Law’s support of our graduates doesn’t stop after they pass the bar,” Hunter said. “We look forward to continuing to provide support and guidance to these new lawyers as they enter their chosen fields – and hope they take advantage of networking with other recent and more established alumni, professors and current students.”
Date posted: May 25, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on NIU Law grads earn strong bar exam results in Wisconsin, Illinois
New freshmen attend a two-day program, while transfers attend a one-day program.
Both programs focus on providing information crucial to student success.
Students will be introduced to key academic and support services.
Families of new freshmen and transfer students also are invited to stay and participate in programs geared to them. Students and families will have opportunities to attend sessions together and separately.
All campus partners are invited to attend the preview, which will take place in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center. For more information, call (815) 753-1535 or email awolfman@niu.edu.
Date posted: May 25, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Campus invited to learn about summer orientation programs
During the week-long transition, students can receive email in either Gmail or Office 365 until the the switch is complete.
Student Considerations
DoIT will not be moving student email and files from Google Apps to Office 365. If you are interested in retaining your data, read these directions. This can be done up to Dec. 16, 2016.
Students will have access to the entire Office 365 suite, including email, OneDrive, Skype and Office downloads for 400 days after graduation. After 400 days, the account will go through multiple states before data deletion. To keep an NIU email address after a year, consider joining the NIU Alumni Association.
Faculty Considerations
Because students will have diminished availability to their email during the week of May 31, it is suggested to limit student email communications during the cut-over week.
For information regarding calendaring, the discontinuation of Google Sites and other information about Office 365 for Education, see the DoIT website.
John L. Lewis, a champion of community engagement whose NIU career spanned nearly four decades, and whose work will live on through myriad economic development initiatives, died Friday, May 13, in Chicago. He was 71.
Lewis retired from NIU in June of 2014 as senior research scholar for health and information technologies, a role in which he also was the grant co-principal investigator for the Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (IL-HITREC).
He also headed iFiber, provider of extremely high speed (up to 1Gb) network transport services to the public and private sector. Construction of the $69 million iFiber Broadband Project was completed Dec. 31, 2013.
“John was a driving force behind this division’s focus on regional development and engagement. His many connections with state agency staff and municipal officials led to multiple projects and ongoing partnerships,” said Anne Kaplan, vice president of NIU’s Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development.
“He believed in the public purposes of public higher education,” Kaplan added, “and his career sets a high standard for like-minded colleagues.”
From 2004 until 2011, he served as associate vice president for what then was known as the Division of Administration and University Outreach, leading a team of professionals in building partnerships that provide support services, research and entrepreneurial solutions to regional issues.
Lewis became a senior research associate at the NIU Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) in 1991, climbing to associate director two years later. He delivered numerous community and economic development projects, health care research and data mapping services to community stakeholders.
Working with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, now called the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, he led the CGS team in building the Land of Lincoln’s five-year development strategy in the late 1990s.
He also created a baseline economic development study with strategies for economic growth in northwest Illinois, frequently participated in Rockford community planning and helped to attract new industry to Rockford.
Lisa Bergeron, associate director of CGS and director of both IL-HITREC as well as Health & Technology Initiatives for NIU Regional Development, worked closely with Lewis on several initiatives.
“John had a unique ability to create synergies where little existed, pull together competing interests and build initiatives that served NIU, the region and the state,” Bergeron said.
Michael T. Peddle, an associate professor in the NIU Department of Public Administration, collaborated extensively with Lewis over the last 25 years, including the advisement of local governments and other organizations on economic development, revenue structure, management and more.
Lewis “was always looking out for opportunities for CGS and for NIU in general,” Peddle says.
“Much of John’s legacy was developed through his ability to put together effective teams for our economic development and strategic planning work. He shared his contacts and connections and made sure that colleagues like myself and Carol Zar gained the faith and confidence of the key players in state and regional economic development that John had already earned,” Peddle says.
“Through his leadership, CGS became the ‘go to’ resource for many major and influential agencies and organizations at the state and regional level,” he adds. “The region would look very different today but for the leadership and energy of John.”
Born Jan. 29, 1945, in Galesburg, Ill., Lewis held a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He earned a master’s degree in economics from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s in business and economics from Monmouth College.
He trained educators to teach economics from 1974 to 1987, first as director of the Center for Economic Education at Ball State University and then as executive director of the Illinois Council for Economic Education, which is now an NIU Outreach unit.
John Lewis, Matt Parks, Clayton Black, Paul Borek and Scot Eberle attend a 2013 DCEDC luncheon.
Recent years saw Lewis leading many federal and state initiatives focused on broadband infrastructure development and health information technology. He also served as an adjunct professor, teaching the economics of health care within NIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
In 2011, he opened J. Lewis & Associates, LLC, which provided consulting assistance to organizations involved in economic development and health care.
A memorial service begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at Butala Funeral Home and Crematory, 1405 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore. The visitation is scheduled from 4 to 6:30 p.m. that day.
Date posted: May 23, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on NIU remembers John L. Lewis
Participants will learn what defines a donation and how donations are processed. This presentation also will cover how to handle unusual donations, such as gifts-in-kind, donations of equipment and donations associated with an event.
The weekly presentations and Q-and-As are hosted by the Alumni Association and the NIU Foundation to demonstrate how they can support the campus.
Northern Public Radio is seeking submissions from visual artists in our listening area to be featured in the 2017 WNIJ/WNIU wall calendar. Regional visual artists working in any medium are invited to enter one original work for consideration.
This is the second year for the calendar, which presents a different artist each month. WNIJ/WNIU developed the calendar contest to introduce and engage the listening audience and supporters with outstanding work by artists across the region.
This year, the station invited Rockford Art Museum Curator Carrie Johnson to help select the featured artwork.
“It is a privilege to work with the museum because we share their passion for communicating the pleasure and appreciation of the visual arts in our region,” says General Manager Staci Hoste. “We are grateful for their professional contribution to this project, and we hope it serves the artists well.”
The deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, June 17.
Artists must comply with all contest rules and are limited to one entry. Each entry must include a completed registration form and a digital image of the artwork, which must meet specifications outlined in the rules. Contest rules, including image specifications, and the registration form are available online.
Entries that are incomplete or do not comply with contest rules will not be considered.
There is no cost to enter. There is no financial compensation. Contest winners will be notified in advance of the printing of the publication.
For more information, call (815) 753-9000.
Date posted: May 23, 2016 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on WNIJ/WNIU invites visual artists to enter 2017 calendar contest
NIU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming is spreading the word on two cool Academic Summer Day Camp options for students entering sixth- through eighth-grades.
