Elizabeth Vieyra was little when she first noticed some of her peers did not have the same opportunities she did. Vieyra was always musically inclined, playing flute and violin. But she realized not everyone in her hometown of Aurora who wanted to take up an instrument could do so. “I saw people around me who...

New enrollment data reveals that Northern Illinois University’s innovative Huskie Pledge program was a key factor in lifting enrollment this fall. Created in January of 2020, the program is designed to promote NIU’s commitment to making a college education affordable to qualified students of limited means. Designed to benefit Illinois high school graduates with a...

As the Department of English offers writing courses to almost every first-year student at NIU, they want our university community to know that they have committed to take action to ensure that English is a welcoming place for Black, Indigenous and people of color students, faculty and staff. The Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee,...

Northern Illinois University and the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence have joined forces with community partners in DeKalb and Rockford to offer intersectional conversations hosted by an international expert. All Huskies and members of the public are invited to register and attend “Belonging,” a free event hosted by the University of California, Berkeley’s Dr....

Pi-Sui Hsu Pi-Sui Hsu wants to see more children enter the fields of science and engineering. Hsu, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, has launched numerous initiatives over her career to advance that goal. These have included summer camps for children, online interactions between eighth-graders in Downers Grove and Taiwan to participate in...

The pandemic may have prevented the Latino Resource Center’s typical celebration of Latino Heritage Month, but efforts to embrace the Latino culture at NIU remain strong. And those efforts are growing along with the Latinx population on campus. According to the official census on the 10th day of attendance this year, Latinx enrollment accounts for...

Jim Suttie Jim Suttie was only 4 when he first encountered what has defined the rest of his life and his still-growing list of internationally celebrated accomplishments. “My dad was a physician – a pediatrician – in DeKalb. He played golf, and he got me out there,” says Suttie, one of the country’s top golf coaches...

When given lemons, Tatyana Coleman makes lemonade. It’s fitting for the senior who is majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. Coleman is enrolled in Hospitality 320, a food production course where students create menus, purchase ingredients and prepare meals that are served at Ellington’s Restaurant in the...

Huskies help Huskies, but we also help neighbors and friends. We are innovators, artists, problem-solvers and changemakers. We are “thousands strong” and shaping the world together. In celebration of our impact, Huskies the world over are invited to participate in the NIU Foundation “Thousands Strong” virtual events, Nov. 18-20. Wednesday, Nov. 18 – “Chicago Fire” Star...

Nominations for honorary doctoral degrees to be awarded from Northern Illinois University are now being accepted. Awarding an honorary degree is an opportunity for the university to recognize someone especially outstanding in a field of interest to the university. It is necessary, though not sufficient, for a nominee to be accomplished and renowned in their...

Tim Sleep, M.S.Ed. ’89, does not remember deciding to be a musician, per se. But, then again, he cannot remember a time when he did not play an instrument. The music was always a part of him. “I was very into music as a child and took up playing the clarinet, piano and organ in...

Winter is coming…and so is Game of Thrones and Medieval History. Have you taken a 23andMe test to find out about where you come from? Do you know someone who struggles with addiction or substance abuse? How well acquainted are you with Don Quixote? These are just a few of the themes honors students will...