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The Welcome Way
71 North Updates
71 NORTH
August 25, 2026
The Welcome Way
Welcome to NIU, Huskies! The fall semester is here! Campus is buzzing with life, and 71 North seems to reflect the invigoration all around us. There’s much to look forward to, but before that, a few updates:
One of our studio members has a brand new book available! Written by Dr. Lynn Herrmann, professor in NIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences, and illustrated by J.A. Allen, an NIU alum and visual learning innovator, Camp Kids in Motion explores exercise at Camp Move Around. As Lotti, Tully, Piper, and JP play games and run relay races, they learn about how their bodies adapt to movement - think breath and heart rate, sweat, and hydration - all presented in a way every age group can understand. If you’re able to support these NIU Huskies, click this link above to purchase Camp Kids in Motion!
We’re welcoming several new faces to the studio, so our senior members are busy on-boarding the rookies and updating our website for the fall semester. Our website, https://71north.github.io/index.html, is getting a bit of TLC from our talented team of tech enthusiasts. A few updates you might’ve noticed:
Fewer dead links
Removal of Disqus widgets
Sidebar list of programs in Programs tab
Dark mode option available
We have many more updates to add, so keep your eyes peeled for future fixes!
Jordan York and Nikhil Doddaga pose for a selfie together.
Blast from the past! Jordan York, a current studio member, ran into a past studio member and friend, Nikhil Doddaga. He founded the Huskie Hackers and worked at the studio as an intern. Huskie Hackers will continue this year with support from 71 North and its members.
71 North has a brand new podcast coming out - 71 North Our Way! We’re creating weekly episodes (with AI assistance) in an effort to communicate the studio’s culture and promote its programs.
Check out our most recent episode about how culture, rituals, shared learning, technical work, collaboration, celebration, and rest helped bring the 71 North Partnership Studio to life at 71 North here!
Starting this fall, 71 North Partnership Studio will host the Undergraduate Research to PhD (UR2PhD) program, expanding opportunities for students to develop research, mentoring, and leadership skills while strengthening the future research workforce.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students can gain hands-on experience through research preparation and training courses, workshops on research careers and graduate school pathways, and funding opportunities that help them continue their research experiences.
Prior research experience is not required for acceptance to the program. The course culminates in the creation of a research proposal that we hope students implement after the course concludes. To apply for the Undergraduate Research Training Course, click on this link.
Graduate Students
Graduate students can strengthen their leadership and mentoring skills through a synchronous virtual mentorship training course that is designed to guide students in developing an effective and personalized mentoring philosophy. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with peers from universities across the country and earn a course completion certificate. If eligible, graduate students who successfully complete the course will be compensated with a stipend of $1,000. To apply, click on this link.
“Nothing can suppress a human’s curiosity.”
🗓Week’s Schedule: August 25th-31st
Tuesday:
9:00-11:00 AM: Morning Brew & Write - NIU Faculty - are you looking for more time to write? We can’t give you more time, but we can provide accountability, community, and coffee to fuel your writing goals.
Come build sustainable writing habits with fellow faculty every Tuesday 9:00-11:00 AM at 71 North Innovation Partnership Studio (Founders Library basement).
Schedule:
8:30-9:00 Slow arrival with coffee & community connection
9:00-9:10 Goal setting
9:10-10:50 Focused writing
10:50-11:00 Wrap-up & goal check-in
Perfect for: Journal articles, book chapters, grant proposals, any writing project
Open to: All faculty across all disciplines
No editing or reading of each other's papers required - just keeping each other accountable, focused, and moving writing projects forward.
Contact Dr. Anna Klis ([email protected]) or Dr. Matthew Deitch ([email protected]).
5:00-6:00 PM: Studio Research Info Session - Join fellow researchers at the 71 North Partnership Studio for an informational gathering about UR2PhD, a national program that NIU is now an institutional partner of through the Computing Research Association.
These sessions will help students understand how the program works and get started on their research journeys.
Wednesday:
5:00-6:00 PM: Studio Research Info Session - Join fellow researchers at the 71 North Partnership Studio for an informational gathering about UR2PhD, a national program that NIU is now an institutional partner of through the Computing Research Association.
These sessions will help students understand how the program works and get started on their research journeys.
Thursday:
5:00-6:00 PM: Studio Research Info Session - Join fellow researchers at the 71 North Partnership Studio for an informational gathering about UR2PhD, a national program that NIU is now an institutional partner of through the Computing Research Association.
These sessions will help students understand how the program works and get started on their research journeys.
Looking Ahead:
NIU’s Fall 2026 Semester starts on August 25th! We look forward to seeing you back in the studio!
UXcel courses and certificates are now available for 71 North Partnership Studio members. The studio will be offering the Pro-Level UXcel benefits (free) to members!
Course Completion Certificates are awarded upon finishing individual interactive lessons or multi-level career paths in UX, Product Management, or AI. These are free for Pro and Team subscribers (not available on the Starter plan) and remain permanently attached to your account even if your subscription expires. They serve as proof of learning and continuous upskilling and are suitable for adding to LinkedIn or portfolios to demonstrate commitment to specific topics.
Learn in-demand UX design, product management & AI skills with bite-sized interactive courses, career paths, and live events. Join 500k+ professionals advancing careers.
In our experience, UXcel courses have been easy to understand and useful in the workplace. If you’re interested in the offered courses, we recommend you check them out!
Looking Back:
Almost exactly a year ago, in the beginning of the 2025 fall semester, Random Hacks of Kindness brought together a group of NIU students from all walks of life in order to create meaningful solutions to problems faced by Well-Being at NIU. With all that innovative spirit built up, it makes you wonder what they’ll do in 2026!
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