Category: Research
Calling all aspiring app developers: NIU’s Division of Information Technology is offering up to $30,000 per year for three years to students, faculty and staff who can develop applications that help society using broadband connectivity. The Broadband Innovation Grant Opportunity competition builds upon more than a decade of NIU work with community partners to establish...
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...
You know that crabby co-worker who gets bent out of shape over the slightest things? Could be that he or she just isn’t getting enough sleep. So say NIU psychology professor Larissa Barber and graduate student Christopher Budnick. They say results of a new study demonstrate that sleepiness causes workers to become more likely to...
Some big cities, particularly those located in hot and humid environments, actually birth more thunderstorms than surrounding rural areas, according to a new study led by Alex Haberlie, an NIU Ph.D. student in geogaphy. The conclusion is one of several fascinating findings from the first long-term, systematic assessment of the influence of urban land use...
Northern Illinois University Vice President Lesley Rigg, who oversees the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships, will be leaving NIU to pursue a professional opportunity in her native Canada as dean of the faculty of science at the University of Calgary, effective July 1, 2015. “I am thankful to Dr. Rigg for her tireless work...
Having just returned from a highly successful research expedition in Antarctica, NIU geologists Ross Powell and Reed Scherer appeared as guests during Tuesday evening’s broadcast of Chicago Tonight on WTTW11. The interview and a Q&A with the researchers is available online. Powell led a National Science Foundation-funded science team that became the first ever to...
Mechanism design and analysis students at NIU’s College of Engineering & Engineering Technology were recently assigned a challenging project—create a six-legged walking robot complete with a Hoeckens Linkage to compete with fellow student teams. Post-design, they enlisted the services of Rockford-based EIGERlab to print their creation utilizing additive manufacturing, commonly called 3D printing. Haley Cummings, a junior mechanical...
Having just returned from a highly successful research expedition in Antarctica, NIU geologists Ross Powell and Reed Scherer will appear as guests during Tuesday’s 7 p.m. broadcast of Chicago Tonight on WTTW11. The scientists will be interviewed by popular host Phil Ponce. Powell led a National Science Foundation-funded science team that became the first ever...
The novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” introduced BDSM into polite public discourse – and now the movie version is set to be in theaters by Valentine’s Day. If you’re wondering who in real life does this stuff and what effects it has on people, NIU psychology professor Brad Sagarin has some answers. Sagarin, who conducts...
Recent Pew Research Center surveys show stark differences between scientists and the general public on a range of science, engineering and technology issues, including global warming and evolution. NIU’s Daniel Gebo, a preeminent scientist and the “Illinois Professor of the Year,” weighs in on why those differences exist. See his view in the NIU Newsroom.
The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition – NIU President Doug Baker serves as chair of the board – realized unprecedented growth and impact in 2014 that strengthened Illinois’ position as a hub for innovation. Created by the State of Illinois 25 years ago as a public-private partnership, ISTC now harnesses a network of more than 40 academic,...
A new book by a Northern Illinois University professor sheds light on X-rays. Michel van Veenendaal, distinguished research professor in the NIU Department of Physics and physicist at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, is the author of the book titled, “Theory of Inelastic Scattering and Absorption of X-rays” (Cambridge University Press). “The book...
