NIU faculty partnered with Lextech Global Services to offer the series of courses teaching students how to write apps for the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and other mobile devices.
John Barnes, a technical associate with NIU Information Technology Services, took the app development courses to add another tool to his toolbox as an IT professional. He completed the series of courses at the graduate level this semester and became the first recipient of the certificate. It is offered at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
“It’s a new field that’s interesting and fun to program in,” said Barnes, explaining why he decided to pursue the certificate. “It gave me a good foundation (for writing apps). They cover the basics and then some.”
(Left to right) Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Christopher McCord, Lextech CEO Alex Bratton and Computer Science Chair Nicholas Karonis all played key roles in the NIU-Lextech collaboration.
Barnes said he is hoping to develop his own app for personal finances—and he recommends the certificate program for others.
“These classes are definitely worth taking,” he said. “It provides students with a good solid foundation for getting started.”
Nicholas Karonis, chair of the computer science department, said the inaugural certificate is a significant milestone, representing the first fruits of a successful and innovative collaboration between NIU computer science faculty and workplace practitioners, who provided an industry perspective.
“Now that the pipeline has been established, we hope this will be the first of many certificates issued in mobile device programming,” Karonis said. “It all started with a simple conversation we had with Lextech representatives, who just happened to be on campus one day to give a talk.”
Lextech Global Services is a west-suburban Lisle-based company that helps clients with mobile strategy, visual app definition and development of apps across iPhone, iPad and other mobile platforms.
Lextech President and CEO Alex Bratton visited the NIU campus in 2010 to talk to students. He met with Karonis and discovered a common vision for bridging the gap between the needs of corporate America and higher education. By the day’s end, they had outlined a course sequence for the mobile apps certificate program. NIU computer science faculty then worked with Lextech developers to learn the latest details in smartphone programming.
Lextech employees donated their time and talents to help launch the initiative and are occasional guest lecturers during classes.
“I’m excited we’ve been able to take part in developing the curriculum for this program because I want graduates to be successful when they enter the workforce,” Bratton said. “We are very passionate about education at Lextech, and our team has had a great time working with the professors and students.”
A special smart classroom also was developed for the coursework, with each workspace equipped with both Apple and Microsoft computers.
“Our computer science faculty worked hard to establish the certificate program, and we received critical support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Provost’s Office and Information Technology Services,” Karonis said. “They immediately saw the value of the program and provided space and financial and technical support to make it possible.”
In the future, the computer science department hopes to offer the certificate program off campus.
“Because the courses can provide a quick way for working computer professionals to retool and make themselves more marketable, we’re investigating ways to offer the certificate program at NIU regional outreach centers, in Chicago or even online,” Karonis said.
Date posted: December 19, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on App-y Holidays
NIU Chemistry and Biochemistry professor Oliver Hofstetter will continue his collaboration with Australian universities and police departments, developing antibodies for use in the visualization of latent fingerprints.
Professor Hofstetter and his colleagues received about $330,000 in grants – $240,000 from the Australian Research Council and another for $90,000 from the Defence Science & Technology Organisation, a part of the Australian Department of Defence.
The collaboration is a continuation of earlier research performed by Hofstetter and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Hofstetter’s Australian research counterpart and lead investigator is Claude Roux, director of the UTS Centre for Forensic Science.
The new fingerprinting method is intended to make possible the recovery of otherwise unusable or undetected prints from old evidence and from non-porous surfaces.
Latent fingermarks from a male donor developed on aluminium foil. (Image provided by Xanthe Spindler)
The method employs antibodies developed by Professor Hofstetter, which are coupled onto gold nanoparticles and applied to a surface of interest. Due to their unsurpassed specificity, the antibodies bind to molecules present in the fingerprints. The prints are then visualized with the help of dyes.
“Our fingerprint detection method enables the visualization of weak fingerprints that are difficult to develop with current techniques,” Hofstetter said. “We will build upon our successful preliminary work with anti-amino acid antibodies and raise additional antibodies that recognize other ubiquitous components of human sweat.”
The research is a step in the pursuit of a reliable method of recovering fingerprints from human skin.
Xiao is stepping into a role that was filled by Lesley Rigg, who is now serving as interim vice president for research and graduate studies. Xiao’s appointment begins in January and will conclude when Rigg returns, which is expected to by July 1.
“Dr. Xiao brings extraordinary research credentials to the role,” said Chris McCord, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Dr. Xiao holds a joint appointment with the Materials Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, and works in materials science and nanoscience. His work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Toyota InfoTechnology Center USA.”
Xiao was named a Presidential Research Professor in 2010 and a Board of Trustees Professor earlier this year.
Northern Illinois University is now offering a new academic program that will put some undergraduates on the fast track to earn a law degree.
The six-year Accelerated Law Degree program will enable designated political science majors to shave a year’s worth of time and expense off the typical seven years needed to earn both bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from NIU.
“We believe there’s a demand in the market among hard-working, successful students who want to have this type of opportunity,” said David Gaebler, associate dean of the NIU College of Law. “It provides a double financial incentive by allowing students to eliminate the cost of a full year of law school tuition, room and board and to get out into the job market and start earning money a year earlier.”
The potential savings to a student in tuition alone would exceed $20,000, Gaebler added.
“Realistically,” he said, “if a student took law courses over two summers, the program could even be completed in 5½ years.”
Gaebler said the college hopes the Accelerated Law Degree program will attract some of the brightest students from NIU’s high quality political science program, which typically counts about 400 majors. The department has produced five of the last 10 NIU Student Lincoln Laureates, the award for the university’s top senior.
“At recent NIU open house events, I’ve informally discussed this program with recruits, and their eyes light up,” said Matthew Streb, political science chair. “For a certain percentage of our undergraduates who are considering a law degree, it’s an exciting option.”
NIU’s Accelerated Law Degree program isn’t unique, but legal education experts estimate that fewer than 20 U.S. schools could give students this option, according to an Oct. 31 article in U.S. News and World Report.
The NIU program primarily targets high-achieving freshmen and transfer students.
Here’s how it works:
Students first must declare a “politics emphasis” within the Department of Political Science and their intentions to complete the Accelerated Law Degree program.
Program participants must then complete the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) by Feb. 15 of their junior year. By the end of the junior year, students with a minimum GPA of 3.25, a minimum required LSAT score and 90 credit hours of coursework completing their general-education and undergraduate-major requirements can apply for NIU College of Law admission.
Once approved, they can begin taking law classes during their senior year.
Those senior-year courses will count in two directions, fulfilling the remaining requirements for the bachelor’s degree while earning law-degree credits.
Streb said the political science coursework can be completed in three years for students taking the average 15-hour credit load.
“This program begins to address general concerns among the public about the amount of debt that students incur during college,” Streb said. “This is a way for high performing students to earn two degrees, save money and start making a living sooner.”
Streb said his department also will launch a pilot mentoring program this spring.
“By next fall, students seeking to enter the Accelerated Law Degree program will have the option of being paired with a mentor who is a political science alum and has gone onto a career in law,” he said. “So this accelerated program accomplishes two of NIU President Doug Baker’s key objectives. It fits in with the university focus on student career success, as well as efforts to provide more NIU students with alumni mentors.”
For more information on the Acclerated Law Degree, contact professor Andrea Radasanu, director of undergraduate studies in the NIU political science department, at aradasanu@niu.edu.
Date posted: December 5, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on NIU launches accelerated law degree program
In late November, Barbe was presented with the AATG/Goethe-Institut Certificate of Merit during the AATG annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
The certificate is awarded each year to a select group of educators for outstanding achievement in furthering the teaching of German in U.S. schools at all levels.
Former students and colleagues at U.S. universities nominated Barbe for the honor. They cited the NIU professor’s expertise and enthusiasm, as well as her extraordinary dedication to professional development and student career success through mentoring and the creation of learning opportunities.
“Frau Barbe has been a prominent and influential member of the German educator community for over 20 years,” said nominator Karen Calvert, one of Barbe’s former students. Calvert now teaches German at Neuqua Valley High School and serves as president of the Northern Illinois AATG chapter.
Barbe herself has previously served as Northern Illinois AATG program chair, vice president and president. She has published extensively, reviews articles for scholarly journals and has presented on a wide variety of topics at national and international conferences.
A member of the Goethe-Institut Trainer Network who is involved in the writing of the National German Exam, she recently co-authored a book on preparing students for the new AP German exam, “Deutsch als Fremdsprache – Prüfungstraining – AP® German Language and Culture”(Cornelsen, 2013).
“I can personally attest to the fact that she is an outstanding teacher,” Calvert said in her nomination letter. “She always made herself available to me and her other students. She helped me through the process of becoming a German major and selecting courses, she helped me find a study abroad program to meet my needs, and she even met with me in Berlin while I was studying abroad to discuss the transfer of my credits.”
Barbe was also commended for her work promoting the German language and culture in K-12 schools and for developing innovative college curriculum and courses. Her NIU students not only refine their German conversational skills in class but also watch German feature films and assist in other professors’ research by translating German texts into English.
“In my translation classes, I always try to find texts for the students to translate that are actually of use and thus relevant,” Barbe said.
One year, for example, her students translated a chapter of a German book on Jerry Lee Lewis for NIU assistant English professor Joe Bonomo, who was writing a book on the rock musician. Another year, her students translated a radio script for one of Barbe’s German colleagues.
Barbe teaches German language and linguistics classes and has been recognized for excellence within the NIU community as well. In 2006, she won the university’s Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Date posted: December 2, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on Barbe noted for advancing teaching of German
What is the appropriate role of women in political life?
Are women fundamentally different than men? How does “femininity” qualify or disqualify women from political participation?
These questions have been debated for millennia, going back to Plato and the ancient Greeks. But award-winning NIU Department of Political Science professor Andrea Radasanu says the topic has never been more relevant.
“The course will encourage lively debate around questions that have always been and will likely continue to be at the center of humanistic inquiry,” Radasanu says.
Typically, only about 10 percent of NEH Enduring Questions grant proposals are approved for funding. The program supports faculty in the teaching and development of courses that foster intellectual community through the study of questions that have been debated throughout history. Examples include: What is good government? Can war be just? What is evil?
An expert on the history of political thought, Radasanu has long had an interest in the historical views related to the role of women in politics and society. The last century, of course, has seen an unprecedented rise of female political leaders worldwide.
The U.S. Congress now boasts more women than ever, with 20 female senators and 82 female representatives. Yet, those numbers don’t nearly approach 50 percent of congressional membership. Women remain dramatically underrepresented in politics, both nationally and abroad, and U.S. voters have never elected a female president.
“There is still a lot of disparity between women and men participating as representatives in democratic institutions worldwide,” Radasanu says. “Yet, it is the norm to think women should be equally represented, and this is a new way of thinking when you look at women in politics over the past 2,500 years.”
Students taking the new course will study texts from antiquity to the present, including works by such influential thinkers as Plato, Niccolò Machiavelli and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli by Santi di Tito
“In other courses, I’ve had students study themes that are relevant today, such as the justice of war, through historical lenses from antiquity onward,” says Radasanu, who won NIU’s Excellence in Undergraduate TeachingAward in 2012.
“I like presenting the viewpoints of history’s great thinkers who maybe we don’t agree with or who might hold completely different points of view from our own, because then students will interrogate their own views in ways they normally wouldn’t,” she says.
“Throughout classical literature and philosophy, we see all these views of women participating in politics that didn’t reflect the outside world,” she adds. “Because there’s still a disjuncture between theory and practice today, we see institutions trying to figure out ways to institutionalize the equality.”
Radasanu says the course will be “rigorous but fun,” and will incorporate events such as a movie night and speakers. It is geared for any students interested in the topic, and there are no prerequisites.
Famously dubbed the “God particle,” the Higgs bosontook thousands of scientists nearly five decades to discover, at a cost that one journalist estimated at $13.25 billion.
Over the past 18 months, there has been plenty of hype about “the Higgs,” beginning with the boson’s discovery in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Just last month, the Nobel Prize in physics went to Peter Higgs and Francois Englert, two of the scientists who developed theories in the 1960s that predicted the elementary particle.
As part of its STEM Café series, NIU STEM Outreach invites the public to a discussion on the importance of the Higgs discovery.
The free event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Claddagh Irish Pub, in the Geneva Commons. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Northern Illinois University physics professor Dhiman Chakraborty will provide a layman’s perspective on the profound nature of the theory predicting the Higgs and talk about how scientists confirmed the theory experimentally. He leads a group of NIU scientists and students who are members of the ATLAS collaboration at CERN, one of the two experiments that jointly discovered the Higgs boson last year.
Over the past two decades, he has helped shed light on the building blocks of our universe, making contributions to scientific understanding of the subatomic world, the discovery of thetop quark at Fermilab and the pursuit of the Higgs.
Nobel Laureate Peter Higgs visits the ATLAS detector at CERN. (Photo courtesy of CERN)
For decades, the Higgs boson was the holy grail of particle physics. Its detection confirms the existence of the Higgs field, which permeates the universe and gives particles mass. Without the Higgs boson and field, nothing would exist – no animals, oceans, planets or stars.
“My talk will include a discussion about where scientists will go from here experimentally and what benefits these efforts bring to our everyday lives,” Chakraborty said.
“Although producing material benefits is not the primary objective of basic research, I believe the audience will be surprised to learn how particle physics benefits society in a variety of ways,” he added. “They will also be surprised by how much work this research requires and how rigorous and precise we have to be to make these discoveries.”
Geared for the general public, NIU’s monthly STEM Cafés present cutting-edge research in science, technology, engineering and math, followed by question-and-answer sessions led by NIU’s STEM experts.
For more information, contact Judith Dymond at (815) 753-4751 or jdymond@niu.edu.
Date posted: November 18, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on STEM Café to explain mysterious Higgs boson
Giovanni Bennardo standing amid a kape plant, or giant taro, in Tonga, where he will conduct research on the cultural models of nature held by food producers.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $218,000 grant to NIU anthropologist Giovanni Bennardo to lead an international team of scholars in a research project that examines the cultural models of nature held by primary food producers in world regions affected by climate change.
The project involves 15 scholars and six graduate students from 10 universities in the United States, Europe, China and Middle East. They will conduct research at 15 different sites across five continents.
Whether a farmer running an industrial agricultural operation in Pennsylvania, vineyard owners in the Upper Rhine valley of southwestern Germany or fishermen in a coastal Polynesian village, primary food producers feel the impact of climate change more acutely because it affects their daily interaction with the environment, Bennardo says.
“Attempts to deal with climate change typically don’t take into consideration local knowledge, as if it were just a nuisance compared to the available ‘scientific’ knowledge,” he says.
“But if we want to implement any policy about corrective efforts in dealing with climate change, primary food producers are the ones who will be asked to change their behavior first and most profoundly,” Bennardo adds.
A Tongan farmer in a field of taro, a root vegetable.
“Consequently, their knowledge about the environment or nature is of paramount importance when planning and later implementing any type of policy about climate change.”
Researchers will visit small-community field sites and investigate cultural models of nature held by different populations of food producers. Cultural models contribute to how people interpret, reason about and behave in their environments.
Field sites include the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, two river valley villages in Germany, a village in the Italian Alps, a rural town in Lithuania, traditional farming communities in Qatar, a farming community in Japan, a fishing village in the Philippines, a small coastal village in Tonga, foothill settlements in Amazonian Peru, a rural mountainside area of Ecuador, a highlands village in Kenya, a hunting and gathering community in Namibia, five mountain villages in China and a small village in the hills of Pakistan.
“The cultures chosen are representative of areas very sensitive to climate change, such as small islands with rising water levels, drought prone regions, settlements affected by retreating glaciers, and areas where precipitation patterns have dramatically changed in recent times,” Bennardo says.
“Discovering a cultural model takes a long investigation in which ethnographic, linguistic and cognitive data needs to be collected and analyzed,” he said. “The small size of these communities will allow us to conduct intensive studies.”
Giovanni Bennardo typically lives with the same family while doing his research in Tonga. Here he is pictured with his “adopted sister,” Nesi Finau.
The research builds on the results of an NSF-funded workshop organized by Bennardo and held at NIU in September 2011. The current funding supports the first phase of this three-part project that demands three visits to the field sites. It is very likely that the project will see further support from NSF, Bennardo says.
The NIU anthropology professor specializes in linguistic and cognitive anthropology. His primary geographic focus is Oceania, particularly Western Polynesia and the Kingdom of Tonga, where he has conducted extensive fieldwork. He will visit the Tongan archipelago in June 2014 to begin interviewing inhabitants. The first phase of the research is expected to be completed by September 2014.
“This is the first time that research of this magnitude has been attempted on this topic, and the evaluating NSF panel ranked it number one among its many submissions,” Bennardo says. “I’m especially grateful to Kellie Dyslin in the NIU Office of Sponsored Projects. Without her help and support pulling together all the complex pieces of the proposal, I don’t think that this project would have been as well received.”
Date posted: November 7, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on NIU anthropologist to lead global research work on food producers impacted by climate change
The purpose of this conference is to assess, define, refine and invigorate the field of NGO studies as it applies to the anthropological community. More than 130 scholars and practitioners from around the world already have registered for the two-day event.
Organized with concurrent sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to select from 13 different panels on topics ranging from non-governmental politics to the ethical culture of NGOs.
Mark Schuller
The conference schedule also includes networking events, an evening plenary session with five senior scholars and mentoring opportunities. The conference concludes with a discussion charting next steps in the development of the field, institutionally as well as theoretically.
“We were totally blown away by the response to our call. We continue to receive supportive feedback,” Schuller said.
“This shows that the field of NGO studies is gaining a critical mass within anthropology and the field is maturing. This conference represents a vital and diverse set of theoretical, methodological and practical engagements. It will also be an important step in charting new foundations. I’m honored that NGOLD is able to play a role in helping make this happen.”
“This conference marks the first time that anthropologists from around the world will meet to discuss the role and status of NGOs and chart a course for future meetings, collaborations and a shared vision for research to be conducted,” said Nancy Castle, professor and director of NGOLD. “NGOLD is pleased to be a sponsor of this first formal gathering.”
Established in 2010, NGOLD’s purpose is to enhance civil society through academics, research and programming related to non-governmental organizations, nonprofits and other avenues of public service. To do this, NGOLD provides comprehensive programs and services to students, faculty, researchers and organizations.
NGOLD offers the interdisciplinary community leadership and civic engagement (CLCE) undergraduate major, minor and certificate.
NIU Housing and Dining will conduct its second annual customer-satisfaction survey from Monday, Oct. 28, through Friday, Nov. 8.
The survey provides students with an opportunity to provide feedback on their dining experiences. The survey will help NIU Dining enhance its dining options with the goal to be among the nation’s best.
“I encourage all NIU students who live in the residence halls to participate in the survey – all input is very valuable,” said Richard Fritz, director of Residential Dining. “The improvements that you see in Douglas Hall were based on student feedback from the customer-satisfaction survey last year.”
The survey will be distributed electronically through students’ NIU Z-ID e-mail. Each student who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for one of 35 prizes.
Last year was the first year that the survey was given; more than 900 students provided their opinions.
After the survey ends, winners will be contacted with information to collect their prizes. Fliers also will be distributed around the NIU campus about the survey with important dates and information.
For more information, call (815) 753-0561.
Date posted: October 25, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on Survey says: Residential Dining wants feedback
About 45 graduate students and faculty from programs across the country will present their research at the sixth annual History Graduate Student Association (HGHA) Conference from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at Swen Parson Hall on the NIU campus.
This year’s conference honors the work and career of the late Alfred Young, a beloved NIU history professor.
“Alfred Young epitomizes the ideals of the history program at NIU,” said Sean Farrell, associate professor in the Department of History and faculty adviser to the HGSA.
“Here’s someone who produced top-notch scholarship while maintaining a steadfast commitment to being part of an inclusive public university and community,” Farrell added. “The fact that so many people are coming to DeKalb in early November speaks volumes about his impact.”
The conference features a roundtable discussion on Young’s career and impact and the inaugural Alfred F. Young Keynote Lecture, given by noted historian Linda Kerber, May Brodbeck Professor in the Liberal Arts and Professor of History at the University of Iowa.
NIU graduate students played a central role in putting the conference together, organizing panels, contacting faculty and graduate student participants and making sure the logistics of the event are in order.
Ian Burns, a Ph.D. student and one of the chief coordinators of the conference, talked about the sheer amount of work involved: “It’s been a lot of work, but it’s really given me a clear sense of what’s involved in putting on an academic conference.”
Fourteen NIU graduate students will present their work, alongside participants from the University of Georgia, the College of William and Mary, Marquette University, the University of Iowa and others. The conference is open to the public.
Date posted: October 25, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on History graduate student conference honors memory of prominent NIU faculty member
The Northern Illinois University Chemistry Club invites the public to its fall 2013 Chemistry Demo Night at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, in Faraday Hall 143.
The theme will be “When Chemistry Gets Spooky,” and experiments will highlight the more crowd-pleasing aspects of chemistry – explosions, fire and bright and colorful reactions.
“The demo night will feature a variety of experiments, ranging from igniting some loose change to creeping columns of carbon rising out of unassuming beakers,” says Gregory Urquizo, Chem Demo coordinator. “Unlike some of our previous semesters’ work, this semester’s Chem Demo night will feature chemistry experiments that can’t be performed at home.”
Demonstrations will include burning money, exploding bubbles, colored fire, making glow sticks, elephant toothpaste and exploding candy. The evening also will feature a Chem Club specialty – liquid nitrogen ice cream.
The experiments planned for the evening will include loud bangs, bright flashes of light and intermittent periods of low light and/or darkness. For safety precautions, members of the audience are asked to not sit in the bottom row of seating in Faraday Hall 143.
Parking will be available in the NIU Parking Deck along the west side of Normal Road, about one block north of Lincoln Highway (Route 38). The first floor of the parking deck will be available for general parking after 5:30 p.m., except for reserved and handicapped spaces.
Date posted: October 24, 2013 | Author: Thomas Parisi | Comments Off on Chemistry Club prepares show of spooky demos that go ‘boo’ – and ‘boom’ – tonight in Faraday
