Northern Exposure: Where Curiosity Meets Research
Northern Exposure is a weekly meetup where NIU faculty open the door to their research worlds.
In a relaxed, conversational format, you'll explore different fields, hear about active and relevant
problems, and discover why solving them matters.
Join Us
Come with your curiosity and leave with new connections, ideas, and inspiration. Northern
Exposure is open to all NIU students, faculty, and staff.
• When: Fridays, 1:00-2:00 PM
• Where: 71 North Partnership Studio
Why Attend?
At Northern Exposure, you’ll have the chance to meet faculty researchers in an approachable
setting, hear directly from them about why their work is important, and learn how their research
connects to real-world challenges. It’s also a valuable way to discover ideas for projects,
proposals, or collaborations while building connections with faculty and peers across campus.
Who Should Come?
• Students curious about research and its impact
• Student innovators seeking expert connections and problem spaces
• Anyone looking for inspiration and new ideas
How It Works
• Welcome & Intro – 5 min
• Faculty Talk – 20 min
• Q&A – 10 min
• Open discussion: Why It Matters + Open Problems – 15 min
• Networking – 10 min
Research Topics Across Disciplines
Presentations will represent a wide range of fields, from the sciences and engineering to the arts,
humanities, and social sciences. The goal is to offer a broad view of the active, relevant problems
NIU faculty are working on and to show how different disciplines approach solving them.
Fall 2025 Schedule
• 9/12 – Matt Deitch, PhD: From Streams to Wetlands: The Importance of Scientific
Approaches in Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems.
• 9/19 – Pallavi Singh, PhD: Antimicrobials Around Us: Connecting Health Across
Humans, Animals, and the Environment.
• 9/26 – Anitha Saravanan, PhD: How to Enhance Health in Older Adults in a Digital
Era.
• 10/03 – Megan Brown, PhD: Microplastics: Small Size, Big Problems.
• 10/10 – Nathan Stansell, PhD: Glaciers and Climate Change in the Tropical Andes.
• 10/17 – Angela Grippo, PhD: The Heart-Brain Connection: How Coping with Stress
Promotes Health.
• 10/24 – Roland Winkler, PhD: Altermagnets: A New Type of Magnetism Emerges.
• 10/31 – David Gunkel, PhD: Person, Thing, Robot OR LLM 101: A Critical
Introduction to Large Language Models.
• 11/07 – Lynn Herrman, PhD: Make Your Move: Is Technology a Help or Hindrance to
Your Well-being?
• 11/14 – Biagio Palese, PhD: Bridging Minds and Machines: A Balanced Approach to AI
for Teaching
