Before her real-life experiences captivated audiences in Fox’s hit television show “Bones,” Kathy Reichs shared her knowledge of anthropology as a visiting professor at NIU in 1974. An esteemed anthropologist and a distinguished author, Reichs will return to campus at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, as a guest speaker during the 50th anniversary celebration of...

Northern Illinois University graduate Mark Valadez began writing fiction in high school and knew that he wanted to become a writer. Now at 44, he is credited for writing the episode that airs at 8 p.m. (CST) Thursday on the new Fox show “Gang Related.” The series, which premiered May 22, is about Ryan Lopez,...