NIU Today

As Congress considers legislation related to the U.S. patent system, American universities and associated technology transfer foundations and organizations stand ready to work together to address problematic patent litigation abuses. Northern Illinois University, along with 143 other colleges and universities, signed a letter to congressional leaders urging them to reconsider legislation that would “hinder the...

Brian Bockelman, a visiting scholar at NIU’s Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, has received a major fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue his research and writing on Argentine history in the late 19th century. The generous award of $50,400 will allow him to work full-time for 12 months on...

As English becomes the “lingua franca of the world” – the language spoken throughout international power circles of business and politics – countries with different native tongues want to ensure their children are prepared. That list includes Ecuador, where profits from its vast oil resources help to fund tuition-free professional development in the United States...

Cultural anthropologist and NIU Presidential Engagement Professor Susan Russell is no stranger to building bridges between people – in particular, those of the United States and of her area of specialty, the Philippines. Since 2004, Russell has directed U.S. Department of State-funded programs to bring Muslim and Christian youth and adult leaders from war-torn Mindanao...

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded NIU’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) two Title VI grants totaling $2 million to continue promoting the study and research of Southeast Asian languages and cultures over the next four years. This is the fifth time CSEAS has received such funding since its designation as a National...

NIU’s Department of Special and Early Education and the eLearning Services Digital Convergence Lab have secured a federal grant to develop an online training tool to meet the needs of teachers of students with visual impairments nationwide. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services awarded the five-year, $500,000 grant in September. Stacy Kelly, an...

Northern Illinois University and its partner, Universidad de La Sabana, were among eight winners of 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grants announced at the Partners of the Americas’ 50th Anniversary Convention. U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Liliana Ayalde announced the winners to more than 400 leaders and volunteers from the Association of Bi-National Centers...

A program aimed at accelerating the engineering and high-tech workforce for Rockford’s burgeoning aerospace industry won a national award this week at the University Economic Development Association’s annual summit in Santa Fe, N.M. JiET-A, or the Joint Institute for Engineering and Technology – Aerospace, is an innovative partnership among aerospace businesses, higher education institutions, and...

Northern Illinois University President Doug Baker was among the leaders discussing the potential impact the new the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII or Digital Lab) will have on the Rockford region and throughout Illinois with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos in Rockford Tuesday morning. “The revitalization of American manufacturing will be...

International Affairs has announced the recipients of this year’s Cobb Fellowships: Marc Adler of chemistry and biochemistry; Kikue Hamayotsu of political science; and Holly Jones of biological sciences. Each fellow will receive a grant of $1,333 to facilitate research collaboration with an international colleague. The Cobb program is funded through an endowment that was established...

Northern Illinois University officials are excited about the university’s developing role in a planned $320 million Digital Lab for Manufacturing, announced today by President Obama in an event at the White House. To be built on Goose Island in Chicago, the Digital Lab will bring together industry, academia and government partners. Obama envisions the Digital...

Northern Illinois University faculty members have been named as recipients of three highly competitive funding awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities. NIU received more grants in this latest award cycle than any other Illinois institution. NEH grants went to: Heide Fehrenbach, a Board of Trustees Professor of history, who received a $50,400 Fellowship...