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The Northern Exposure Way

The Northern Exposure Way

A roundup of 71 North updates

71 NORTH
January 20, 2026

The Northern Exposure Way

Building on its fall debut, the 71 North Partnership Studio is pleased to continue Northern Exposure, a weekly series that showcases NIU faculty research in a relaxed, conversational setting, designed to highlight innovative work, spark interdisciplinary dialogue, and inspire new collaborations across campus. Northern Exposure invites everyone to bring their curiosity and join the conversation.

We had a strong fall semester and are excited to kick off the spring semester on January 30 with Dr. Anna Klis, followed by Dr. Mahdi Vaezi on February 6. Be sure to come by for some excellent presentations starting next week!

Get ready for the first Northern Exposure of the season on January 30th, featuring our own Dr. Anna Klis!

❝

“The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one”

Malcolm Forbes

Tuesday:

3:00-5:00 PM: CHILL - Mindful Art Creations to Inspire Innovation with Dr. Lynn Herrmann and Vana Dakarian

CHILL- Mindful Art

Come relax with some fun art activities!

71north.github.io/programs/chill

4:00-5:00PM: Zcrafter - Launch & networking mixer

Zcrafter Zen - Northern Illinois University · Luma

Join Zcrafter an AI software startup made by NIU students for an exclusive launch event and networking mixer for NIU STEM students. We are bridging the gap…

luma.com/7lnp2zxe

Wednesday:

3:30-5:00PM: Synergy Lab - Orientation

Synergylab

Synergy Lab is a people-centered skills accelerator within the 71 North Partnership Studio. It’s for students who want more than classes, who want to build in-demand skills through free, industry-aligned programs like Google Career Certificates, UXCEL, and similar platforms.

71north.github.io/programs/SynergyLab

Thursday:

10:00-12:00 PM: Drop-In Writing Time

Friday:

9:00-12:00 PM: HON-310 Startup Standup

12:00-2:00 PM: VespaMode - Development of Vespa Simulator in VR

Monday:

2:00-3:00 PM: Innovation Pages, Leaders Eat Last - Facilitator: Jordan York

6:30-8:00 PM: HuskieHackers - embark on coding adventures.