Pharez Whitted, instructor of trumpet in the NIU School of Music's Jazz Studies program is one of the newest inductees...
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Luminarts Jazz Improvisation fellowship finalists include NIU Music alumni Gabriel Wade and Arman Sangalang
NIU School of Music jazz alumni Arman Sangalang and Gabriel Wade are finalists for Luminarts Jazz Improvisation...
From NIU to the Ivy League, Skye McCord to study archaeology at Cornell University
Skye McCord remembers becoming fascinated by archaeology by watching as many documentaries and PBS Nova episodes on...
Nora (Balayti) Reuter, ’06, combines her interests in a new children’s book on someone’s first trip to Wrigley Field
When Nora (Balayti) Reuter was working shifts as a bartender at Murphy’s Bleachers, the popular sports bar located just steps from the bleacher entrance of beautiful and historic Wrigley Field, little did she know that she was also doing prep work for a future book...
National Art Education Association honors NIU’s Kerry Freedman with Eisner Award
Dr. Kerry Freedman, professor of art and design education in the NIU School of Art and Design is the 2026 recipient of the National Art Education Association’s Eisner Lifetime Achievement Award. Freedman has previously been honored by the NAEA with the National Higher...
Theatre students spend an evening with Ian McKellan
Twenty-six NIU School of Theatre and Dance students were among those who had the opportunity to attend a special event featuring acting legend Ian McKellan. Titled, "One Knight Only," Sir Ian shared insights on his career, this love of theater and discussed his love...
Huskie Spotlight – Lane Staffeldt, Art and Design Education
Lane Staffeldt, is a senior art and design education major who graduated from Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Illinois and transferred to NIU from College of DuPage. Staffeldt is working as a research assistant to Kelly Gross, assistant professor of art and...
Theatre and Dance BFA Acting presents Nostalgia Prom Night fundraiser
The 2026 B.F.A. in acting class is excited to announce the School of Theatre and Dance Nostalgia Prom Night! An open-to-all celebration for people and NIU students to come together, dress up, and enjoy a night of music, food, and community. The prom will take place on...
NIU connections abound in Trap Door Theatre’s production of “Green Corridors”
The United States premiere of Green Corridors, a work from Ukrainian playwright Natalka Vorozhbyt features a number of connections to the NIU School of Theatre and Dance. Green Corridors, which opened January 15 at Trap Door Theatre in Chicago, is directed by Kay...
Music’s Bobby Broom selected by Herbie Hancock for International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert
Bobby Broom, associate professor of jazz guitar and jazz studies in the NIU School of Music, whose most recent album, More Amor spent several weeks atop Jazz Week's North American Jazz Radio chart, has been selected to perform in this spring's 15th Annual...
Huskie Spotlight Lilliana Benitez, Music Education, Euphonium
Lilliana Benitez, a music education major with an instrumental emphasis in euphonium from McHenry, Illinois is the subject of an NIU Huskie Spotlight. A proud member of the Huskie Marching Band, she appreciates the mentorship of Dr. Tom Bough both on the field and in...
Stanley Schultz, ’04: Designing the Digital Backbone
Behind every click, stream and swipe lies a vast network of data centers — the backbone of our daily lives. “From 911 calls to banking, food production to aviation, medical to gas industries, the digital and physical systems that support modern living all pass through...