NIU Today

Drawing on his Texas roots, NIU student Thomas Rhoden recently released “Texaners,” a collection of eight short stories published by Etoile Solitaire Press. It is the sixth book for Rhoden, a doctoral student in political science. “I’ve spent about a decade in Southeast Asia, but for the last two years I’ve been in Thailand,” said...

In 1978, the Department of Political Science hired Dwight King, an Indonesian specialist from Connecticut College. Clark Neher had been teaching political science and Thai studies at NIU for nearly a decade, and the two Southeast Asian scholars soon became fast friends as colleagues, neighbors and as companions on early morning runs four times a...

Nearly 80 Thai scholars from near and far will convene at Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center this weekend for the 41st Council on Thai Studies (COTS) conference. The annual meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, with a talk by NIU alumnus Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of the Center for Conflict Studies and Cultural...

NIU awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Wednesday to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, who addressed an audience of about 300 people during the ceremony. “As I travel to many countries, I think we should share our experiences and learn from one another,” Her Royal Highness said. “I appreciate...

While NIU has been coordinating logistics and protocol with the Royal Thai Embassy for the Wednesday, Sept. 18, visit by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, art historian Catherine Raymond has been curating an exhibition of Tai art and artifacts from three NIU collections in honor of the occasion. The exhibition, “Tai Cultures at...

Northern Illinois University is gearing up for a historic visit from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, who will be honored for her many good works in science and education and on humanitarian fronts. Her Royal Highness will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during a special ceremony at...

NIU will welcome royalty to campus this fall. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is scheduled to visit the university Wednesday, Sept. 18, when she will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during a special ceremony at Altgeld Hall. “Her scheduled visit brings great honor to NIU,” says Deborah...

Thai Ambassador to the United States Chaiyong Satjipanon made his third visit to NIU in five months Thursday, June 20. This time, the ambassador presented a Royal Thai Embassy grant to develop a 40-lesson Thai language program that can be accessed on a hand-held mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer. Speaking at...

April’s Asian American Heritage Month activities begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4, with the Taste of Asia at Campus Recreation. Doors open at 6 p.m. Keynote speaker Tereza Lee will share her story of being a former undocumented immigrant student, including her challenges, barriers and successes. Lee’s powerful story inspired Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin to author...

Offered in conjunction with the NIU Art Museum’s upcoming Southeast Asian Exhibition Suite, “Karen: A People on the Border” chronicles the lives of the Karen people as they have struggled to survive on the Thai-Burma border since 1962 and cope with the repercussions of a 60-year civil war. This exhibition featuring the documentary photography of...

Can a few lines on a scuffed up scrap of paper really hold the key to changing your life? Yes, they can, says NIU alumnus John Brandon, but only if you remain open to the opportunities they might present. While attending Drew University, Brandon picked up a flyer for the “Princeton in Asia” program, which...

It’s a cool concept: Turn Peace Corps volunteers into an army of travel authors. That’s the aim of a new startup publishing house, Other Places Publishing, and NIU’s Thomas Rhoden, a doctoral student in political science, is one of its word-wielding soldiers. For seven years, Rhoden made Thailand his second home, experiencing and exploring the...