NIU last hosted the Student Affairs 101 Conference in 2021, drawing an impressive 70 people despite the lingering circumstances of COVID-19. Four autumns later, the event returned to DeKalb – as did a crowd. A big crowd. More than 180 people representing
Read moreCOUN 500 graduate students present research on profession-related topics
Burnout. Social anxiety. Communication barriers. Intimacy. Negative parental emotions. New graduate students in COUN 500: Professional Identity and Ethics in Counseling researched these topics and more for the course’s annual poster presentation, held Dec. 8 in the Sky Room. Melissa Fickling, associate
Read moreCounseling faculty win national award for excellence in standards, innovation
When NIU received the national Robert Frank Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award this fall, Suzanne Degges-White was thrilled. But she wasn’t surprised. Just look at the facts, she says. The first in Illinois to receive the seal of approval from the Council
Read moreMary Earick fueled by first Tetova visit, ready to advance longtime partnership
One year after representatives from the University of Tetova visited DeKalb to nurture and advance the longtime partnership, an NIU delegation continued the discussions during a September trip to Macedonia. And, for new College of Education Dean Mary Earick, her first visit
Read moreMWERA researchers present work, gain new ideas, build professional networks
Twenty-eight students, faculty and alumni of the NIU College of Education attended the 47th annual meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association. Held Nov. 5 to 7 in Milwaukee, the conference focused on “Navigating the Future: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in Education for
Read moreEchoes of NIU history resonate loudly for HESA students in archival research
Aspiring practitioners in Higher Education and Student Affairs continue to examine the past to inform their future professional approach, thanks to an assignment in their NIU master’s degree program. For Lauren Asbury, it’s watching how a university president can tread successfully in
Read moreHESA master’s student Sophie Miller celebrates NASPA Rising Star honors
The answers come to Sophie Miller just when she needs them. Growing up in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Miller harbored dual fascinations with communications and political science – and when she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, her solution was to
Read moreCounseling alum Sarah Nauman scores as a ‘Chicago Bears Classroom Legend’
When the caller ID on Sarah Nauman’s ringing phone showed “Chicago Bears,” she knew just what to do. Nothing. “I was like, ‘Telemarketer spam.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not answering that.’ I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ My husband, Tyler, was sitting next to me, and
Read moreCAHE students return from Bucerías trip with hearts of humanity, compassion
During Kristin Lee’s 13 years as a bilingual special education teacher, she shepherded multiple high school groups on global trips. Her chance this spring to flip the script was not one she could pass up. “I’m a huge world traveler. I love
Read morePh.D. candidate Priyanka Jha receives top award for counseling scholarship
Priyanka Jha was barely a teenager in India, and already brimming with ambition and confidence, when her ultimate destination in life came into view. “Since sixth-grade, I’ve always wanted to pursue a doctoral program – and in the U.S.,” Jha says. “I
Read moreGrateful: Double-alumna Mary Noe sees reward in sharing ‘gifts’ of NIU degrees
Mary Noe knows the key to flourishing and informational transactions between high school students and educators. Listening. “I feel that a lot of students do not have many people who would listen to them talk; they would talk at them but not
Read moreQuortne Hutchings among 2025 quintet of ACPA Emerging Scholars in higher ed
Quortne Hutchings believes the mission is to pay it forward. And that, it turns out, is a family tradition. “When I was applying for college, one of the things my mom and my grandma said was, ‘We don’t know if higher education
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