NIU Today

Affordability and convenient location were not the primary reasons that freshman physics major Gabriela Arriaga chose NIU. It was the opportunity to be involved in research as a freshman through NIU’s Research Rookies program that provided the deciding factor. “The best part about being involved with Research Rookies is being able to get hands-on experience...

Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, will host its 10th annual Graduate Student Presentation Contest from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in Room 201 of La Tourette Hall. This contest occurs during the spring semester prior to the Sigma Xi annual meeting. Students are required to give 15-minute PowerPoint presentations about their research...

The popular Bright Futures series launches its spring 2013 season at local public libraries in February. Hands-on activities for children and their families will spark their understanding of energy, electricity and electrical engineering. Funded by the grant from the DeKalb County Community Foundation, Bright Futures is a partnership of NIU STEM Outreach with libraries in...

Responding to requests from suburban parents, STEM Outreach is offering the popular STEM Saturday classes at both NIU’s DeKalb and Naperville campuses. Parents have joined the STEM Outreach staff in looking for ways to get K-12 students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. “Our DeKalb-based classes tend to sell out overnight, and we are...

As a Chicago native working for the Plant Innovation Center (PIC) at the University of Florida, NIU alumnus Kevin Folta has a hard time finding a pizza in Gainesville that is on par with those he grew up eating. After failing to find a pizza he liked, Folta took it upon himself to create a...

When Katie Seelinger and her husband made the decision to study at NIU, she wanted to become a doctor. As she began working toward this goal, her courses followed the expected path, touching on important aspects of biology, chemistry and anatomy. That trail was diverted the day Seelinger discovered the Women’s Studies Program. While browsing...

As morning dawned Saturday, Oct. 20, on the NIU Convocation Center, thousands of spectators eagerly waited to see what the third annual STEMfest would have in store. Visitors from all over Illinois and Indiana traveled to DeKalb to witness a unique experience of science, technology, engineering and mathematics under one roof. STEMfest continues to grow...

Children young and old are invited to bring their imagination and sense of wonder to the NIU campus this October for a day of hands-on activities, demonstrations and exhibits focused on the marvels of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). For the third straight year, STEMfest will wow spectators at the NIU Convocation Center from...

When NIU alumna Peg Keiner was growing up, she took apart nearly anything she could get her hands on just to see what made it tick. Sometimes the most interesting challenge was learning if she could put it back together. Now, as an instructional technology coach in Oak Lawn, she remains just as enthusiastic as...

You might have heard that spider’s silk is one of the strongest materials in the natural world, but did you know that scientists are working to develop genetically-engineered goats that can produce a spider-like silk in their milk? That’s just one of the weird and fascinating things happening in the world of materials science, a...

NIU’s Enhancing Engineering Pathways (NIU-EEP) aims to establish a sustainable pathway for girls into the field of engineering. To create and strengthen the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) pipeline, another year of NIU-EEP’s free summer camp will take place from June 11 through June 15. The application is available online. Launched in 2008, and...

Is the world really going to end Dec. 21, 2012? Are pharmaceutical companies hiding the truth about natural cures? What should we fear besides fear itself? As the kickoff to a new and monthly “STEM Café” event, Northern Illinois University physics professor Suzanne Willis will discuss how pseudoscience has permeated our culture and how to...