NIU Today

NIU honors students were captivated Wednesday as they listened to alum Yao Lin play the piano and share her love of music, which she described as the universal language. Lin, known as Lina on campus, came to NIU in 2009 from Beijing to study piano performance with William Goldenberg, a distinguished professor in the NIU...

Sunday marked the annual University Honors Program Recognition Ceremony for graduating Honors students. The ceremony recognizes NIU honors students who have completed the necessary requirements to graduate from the University Honors Program. Family, friends, faculty and staff were in attendance for the ceremony which took place in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. Students in the University...

Jaclyn Vasquez told honors students on Wednesday to be ready for the “politics of life,” something often discovered on the job and not in the classroom. The students, who came to meet the NIU alum and have lunch as part of Souper Wednesday, learned that Vasquez faced a roadblock from coworkers and administration during her...

Alum Robert Adducci posed the “key question in life” to honors students today, asking them what they would do with the rest of their lives if they never had to worry about money. The students, who had gathered for lunch and some time with Adducci as part of University Honor’s Souper Wednesday program, had some...

A recent meme circulating on the Internet states: “I wish I had never gone traveling. Said no one. Ever!!” Recognizing that the world, its cultures, peoples and states have much to offer, Northern Illinois University’s University Honors Program, in close cooperation with the Study Abroad Office, has worked to provide its students (and students across...

Alumna Monica Wallace, a Chicago lawyer, told honors students Wednesday to stay open to new ideas and evaluate their resume and interviewing strategies so they stand out in the crowd. By staying open-minded, Wallace ended up becoming a lawyer. Although she initially wasn’t interested in the profession, she decided to give law school a try...

During Souper Wednesday, alumnus Peter Garrity gave invaluable tips on how to be successful during an interview and on the job. Although this weekly lunch hour event is designed for University Honors students to learn from alumni, his tips are beneficial to anyone who is searching for a job or already employed. Garrity, who serves...

The University Honors Program focuses not only on the academic involvement of its students, but also on their engagement beyond the classroom. With the help of the Study Abroad Office, the University Honors Program has worked to offer students several unique study abroad opportunities for the summer of 2014. The study abroad experience in Montreal,...

Marc Strauss, vice chair of the NIU Board of Trustees, gave honors students some insight on university plans and his work in the community. The most important issue facing the university is creating a sustainable financial model, Strauss said during Souper Wednesday, sponsored by the NIU Alumni Association, the University Honors Program and Housing and...

Many college students encounter situations in which they need to make ethical decisions. Often, these situations prompt consideration on what makes a decision ethical. NIU President Doug Baker addressed this question Feb. 27 when he discussed ethical decision making in higher education with honors students. Baker was a guest speaker at the Ethical Leadership Workshop...

On Souper Wednesday, honors students learned why NIU icon Sally Stevens keeps giving. “I never took a class at NIU. But I will always consider myself as one of the best alums that NIU has,” said Stevens, who served as secretary for six NIU presidents over a 32-year span. Stevens, who graduated with a sociology...

Paul Palian, NIU’s director of media and public relations, talked to honors students this week about its networking opportunities. The NIU Alumni Association sponsors “Souper Wednesday” each week at the Campus Life Building so honors students can meet successful alumni and relax with their peers during a soup lunch. “The Honors Program is why I...