The Northern Way

A roundup of 71 North updates

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71 NORTH
September 30, 2025

The Northern Way

This week brings a steady lineup of familiar favorites and ongoing events to keep you connected and informed. Among these, don’t miss our featured Northern Exposure session, where NIU experts lead engaging discussions on research topics.

Recurring every Friday, our Northern Exposure series brings you engaging conversations and fresh insights from Northern Illinois University professors and experts. From health to climate change and technology, these sessions offer a relaxed space to explore important topics and connect with ideas shaping our world. Join us and experience The Northern Way of discovery and community.

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 “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

— Albert Einstein

Northern Exposure: Where Curiosity Meets Research

calendar.niu.edu/event/northern-exposure-where-curiosity-meets-research

This Week at 71 North

Tuesday:

9:00-11:00 AM: Morning Brew & Write - Writing Group for Grad Students & Post-Doc

12:00-1:00 PM: Innovation Pages, Hooked - Facilitator: Matt Deitch

2:30-3:30 PM: Innovation Pages, Leaders Eat Last - Facilitator: Jordan York

3:30-4:30 PM: LEAP - Lean & Agile Community of Practice Meetup

5:00-6:30 PM: Tech+Tacos Tuesday - Markdown, featuring Dr. Anna Klis

Tech+Tacos Fall 25

calendar.niu.edu/event/tech-tacos-fall-25

Wednesday:

1:30-3:00 PM: HuskieVerse Planning Meeting

3:15-4:45 PM: NNGO 352 - Nonprofit Program and Development

3:30-4:30 PM: Innovation Pages, Give and Take - Facilitator: Dr. Anna Klis

Innovation Pages

Author: Adam Grant — how generosity and reciprocity fuel collaboration and long-term success.

calendar.niu.edu/event/innovation-pages

5:00-7:45 PM: ECON 691 Research Tools for Economists

5:30-6:30 PM: C.A.U.S.E. Student Club Meeting

Thursday:

10:00 AM-12:00 PM: Faculty Writing Group - The Faculty Grant Writing Group is open to all NIU faculty and will provide participants with quiet, dedicated time and space to work on writing for external funding pursuits. 

12:00-1:00 PM: Unplugged Conversations - Step away from screens and rediscover the art of conversation, Facilitated by Julie Ann O'Connell

Unplugged Conversations

Each session invites us to slow down, listen deeply, and explore ideas together in an open, welcoming circle. No phones. No laptops. Just people, presence, and meaningful exchange.

calendar.niu.edu/event/unplugged-conversations

3:00-6:30 PM: HON-310 Open Source

4:30-6:00 PM: Indie Game Developers Org Meeting

Northern Exposure: Where Curiosity Meets Research

Microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm) have become almost ubiquitously detectable in the environment. I use laboratory experiments, fieldwork, and numerical modeling to investigate the full impacts of the transport and retention of microplastics (MP) in groundwater. Current projects investigate potential changes in aquifer properties with the transport of MP in groundwater and the impact of agricultural processes on the occurrence of MP in surface and groundwater.

calendar.niu.edu/event/northern-exposure-where-curiosity-meets-research

Friday:

11:00-4:00 PM: VespaMode - Development of Vespa Simulator in VR

1:00-2:00 PM: Northern Exposure: Microplastics: Small Size, Big Problems, by Megan Brown, PhD

3:00-5:00 PM: HuskieHackers - embark on coding adventures.

6:00-7:00 PM: Proxima Centauri Alpha - Ingenuity in action - STEM Focused Students Organization

Monday

3:00-4:45 NNGO- Nonprofit Program and Development

5:00-7:20 PM: Opportunity DeKalb: Breakthrough Community Business Academy

Looking Ahead:

RHoK NIU - October 8

Random Hack of Kindness - Northern Illinois University - DeKalb

rhokniu.github.io

In this competition-like scenario, participating teams are given random innovation elements to create a fictional product and then pitch it in a fun and entertaining way. 

Looking Back:

Anitha Saravanan, PhD discussing health in the digital age.

Random Hack of Kindness went amazing!

Take a moment to review 71 North on Google Maps