NIU Today

Heinz Osterle, professor emeritus of German foreign languages and literatures at NIU, died Monday, May 4. He was 82. “Heinz was a well-liked teacher and a special mentor to everybody in German, always very supportive,” said Katharina Barbe, chair of the NIU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. “He and his wife Dale were also...

NIU history professor Beatrix Hoffman will use her expertise of the past to inspire the future generation of physicians Saturday, May 16, when she gives the keynote address at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine commencement. “Loyola is one of few medical schools in the country that really emphasizes a physician’s social responsibility,” said Hoffman,...

Jaime Schumacher, the University Libraries’ new director of scholarly communications, will join leaders in the field of digital preservation in Washington, D.C., next month to tackle the complex challenge of preserving email. The Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration will co-host an event to bring together representatives of various federal agencies,...

NIU will award an honorary doctoral degree Friday, May 8, to acclaimed physicist Nigel Lockyer, director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Lockyer will earn his honorary doctorate during the NIU Graduate School commencement ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center. “Fermilab is America’s premier laboratory for particle physics research,” said NIU President Doug...

In response to the April 9 tornado in the northern Illinois region, the NIU Department of Geography is inviting the public to a tornado and weather preparedness symposium that will feature talks by weather and emergency-response experts. It will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the auditorium of Montgomery Hall...

Students looking for fun, hands-on ways to explore new careers this summer can register for Northern Illinois University’s summer camps. NIU’s day and residential camps run throughout June, July and August and cover a variety of topics to keep students in elementary school through high school engaged in learning and growing. They also offer students...

Feeling the pressure of upcoming finals? Take a break at the NIU Anthropology Museum, which will be transformed into a “no-stress zone” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 28th. Students can sip a cup of calming tea, play board games, participate in art activities, get free massages and enjoy guided meditation as well as...

Over the weekend, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator began its second act. After two years of upgrades and repairs, proton beams once again circulated around the Large Hadron Collider, located at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. It’s an important and exciting project for scientists and students in the Northern Illinois University physics department...

The Chicago White Sox and NIU have partnered to host NIU Night at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday, June 17, when the White Sox host the Pittsburgh Pirates (7:10 p.m. start). NIU Night includes specially priced tickets and a giveaway item for the university’s students, alumni and fans. The first 1,500 fans who purchase their...

Memory, impressions and social perceptions are among the research specialties of psychology professor John Skowronski, Northern Illinois University’s newly named 2015 Board of Trustees Professor. And NIU students who have taken his courses will tell you the professor certainly is unforgettable. Alumnus Randy McCarthy remembers Skowronski’s “smooth lectures,” the precise way he communicated complex topics...

Some are community advisers and dining hall managers in the residence halls. Some are tutors at ACCESS. Some are employed at Career Services. Two students are working this semester as web application developers for Housing & Dining – and, like several of their fellow Huskies, earning internship credit or transcript notations along the way. And...

There is no debating that it has been a stellar season for the NIU Forensics team. From the 2015 Illinois Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament held at NIU, to the Novice Nationals tournament held at Butler University, Huskies continue to earn top honors this March in formal speech and debate competitions. “The coaching staff is...