NIU Today

Saturday’s annual STEMfest provided free fun-filled activities that exposed students to science, technology, engineering and math careers. Frisbee-throwing robots, laser labs and haunted physics labs were just a few favorites showcased at the event hosted by NIU STEM Outreach. The fest included more than 200-hands-on exhibits, attracted nearly 5,000 spectators. Melinda Morrison from Rock Island,...

NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology will host a job fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, in Room 354 of the Engineering Building. The job fair is designed specifically around placing students interested in careers or internships in the engineering, technology or computer science fields, specifically with an interest in...

STEMfest will wow spectators at the NIU Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. This annual festival introduces learners of all ages to cutting-edge technologies and intriguing science phenomena that will amaze students, parents and educators alike. The event is open to the public. Parking and admission are free. Hosted by...

Across the United States, engineering and manufacturing companies are struggling to find engineers to steer the country out of a recession. It is estimated that by 2018, the nation will have a shortfall of more than 250,000 engineers. At the same time, 16 of the top 20 growing occupations will require science, technology, engineering and...

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that NIU will receive $2.4 million to develop tools for process control and qualifying parts made with layer-by-layer additive-manufacturing processes. Benefits of additive manufacturing include producing goods quickly and on-demand, with greater customization and complexity and less material waste. “It is...

Amanda Emrich, a biomedical engineering student in NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, spent her summer interning for one of the largest U.S. multinational conglomerate corporations, General Electric. Emrich focused on CT scanners (a dream for biomedical engineering majors) at General Electric Healthcare. CT scanners (computerized tomography) are responsible for medicine and biology diagnosis...

Through the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET), Huskie Pride is crossing borders and changing lives. Pettee Guerrero, a mechanical engineering graduate student and president of the NIU Society of Women Engineers, left the comforts of summer in DeKalb to bring the knowledge she has gained at NIU to Camp Eureka in Puerto Rico....

How can U.S. teachers build the coming generation of U.S. students do to build STEM pipelines? NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology introduced more than 30 middle and high school teachers of science, math and technology to engineering careers through an ASM Materials Science professional development program. The program, which inspires and motivates teachers...

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has awarded a grant to the Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center based at Northern Illinois University to assist with adoption of electronic health records for Medicaid providers in Illinois (outside the 606 ZIP code area). The grant provides up to $2 million in funding to...

“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering and math.” — First Lady Michelle Obama It has become crucial for the students...

Proton Computed Tomography. STEM education. Aerospace job creation. NIU’s significant accomplishments in advancing the creation and application of knowledge will move into the spotlight today in Washington, D.C., where federal lawmakers and their representatives will participate in the university’s first Research Roundtable. Led by President Doug Baker, Board of Trustees Chair John Butler and immediate...

John Lewis, senior research scholar at NIU’s Regional Development Institute, moderated a panel of experts in the fiber optics industry May 30 at the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp. Broadband and Economic Development Technology Focus Luncheon. About 150 attendees learned about the importance of high-speed fiber and broadband to economic development in the region. Matthew...