- 71 North Pulse
- Posts
- The AHA Way
The AHA Way
A roundup of 71 North updates
71 NORTH
March 25, 2025
The AHA Way
This week, 71 North invites you to reach for the cloud and connect at the heart of faculty research and student innovation. Two exciting events—happening side by side—highlight what makes our community thrive: exploration, collaboration, and impact.
💡 For Faculty: Research Funding with AHA
📍 Friday | 2:00–3:00 PM
The College of Health and Human Sciences and the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships are pleased to welcome Belinda Orland, National Senior Director of Research and Grants from the American Heart Association (AHA).
This session is designed for NIU faculty to learn about grant opportunities, funding priorities, and how AHA supports health-related research across disciplines. Don’t miss this chance to engage, ask questions, and elevate your research.
🎨 For Students: Pizza Hack: Cloud Edition
📍 Friday | 2:00–4:00 PM
Air Drawing, now on the cloud!
Join the Huskie Hackers for this month’s Pizza Hack, where you’ll build and test a real-time, cloud-powered collaborative art project.
Draw in the air using computer vision (OpenCV + MediaPipe)
Share a virtual canvas with friends in real-time from different locations
Learn the basics of cloud computing and live networking
Whether you’re a faculty, a student, or a staff member, Thank You for pushing the boundaries.
See you at 71 North!
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles one has overcome.
HuskieVerse Featured Experience Available through March, “Nano” You've never experienced biology or gaming like this. There are multiple opportunities to explore virtual reality each week. Visit the HuskieVerse booking page to reserve your spot. |  Master a cell's living systems: generate energy from food molecules, use the cell's DNA to manufacture a variety of proteins to keep the cell alive, and to combat invaders. A game based on real science. |
This Week at 71 North
Tuesday:
8:30 - 11:00 AM Morning Writing Group: Facilitated by Dr. Anna Klis, this interdisciplinary group invites you to start your day with coffee and creativity.
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Office Hour with Richard Mocarski • Stop by during lunch to connect with NIU’s Vice President of Research (BYOL).
12:30 - 2:00 PM: The Gateway Podcast • Biagio, Russ, Amin.
2:00 - 3:00 PM: LEAP from Project to Product Management • Meetup.
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM: NICCS Day - A time to discuss and workshop topics connected with the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS).
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: TechTaco - An introduction to Python with Jupyter Notebook by special guest Dr. Nathan Krislock.
Wednesday:
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Creators Campus Market - An engaged and passionate community of creators sharing their work in the Opportunity Zone.
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Huskie Frontier Team - Group 1.
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Huskie Hackers - Next generation of technology leaders and entrepreneurs participating in MLH Official Hackathons.
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM: HuskieVerse - Vespa Mode
4:00 - 6:00 PM: NIU Makers Club - Where creativity meets craft.
5:30 - 6:30 PM: CAUSE - Social Entrepreneurship & Community Service.
Thursday:
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Huskie Frontier Team - Group 2.
12:00 - 1:00 PM Partnership with Industry - Webinar Great Lakes I-Corps.
3:00 - 5:00 PM Huskie Hackers
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM: HuskieVerse - VR Exploration
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Innovation Club - A student-led organization welcoming creative thinkers from all corners of campus who are interested in making the world a better place.
Faculty with research related to cardiovascular health are encouraged to attend an open forum on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the 71 North Partnership Studio to learn about funding opportunities and engage with AHA representative.
Please register here: AHA open forum registration.
Friday:
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM: AHA - Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training in Research.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: AHA - Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships.
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Vespa Mode - A collaborative project to develop a simulator for riding a vintage Vespa in virtual reality. Vespa Mode is part of the Huskieverse program.
2:00 - 3:00 PM HealthIER - AHA edition
2:00 - 4:00 PM Huskie Hackers - Pizza Hack
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM: HuskieVerse - VR Exploration
Monday:
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Breakthrough Business Community Academy - Opportunity DeKalb Business Community Academy.
Looking Ahead:
Looking Back:
RHoK NIU - Day 1 - RHoK is a global movement that brings people together to tackle local community challenges through collaborative, creative problem-solving. This spring at NIU, we are working on finding solutions to help the Huskie Food Pantry improve its operations and outreach.
RHoK NIU - Day 1
