Category: Research

Sustainability center gains momentum

Biologists Holly Jones and Wes Swingley win NSF grant awards

  • August 31, 2020
DeKalb, Ill. —  The planned Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS) continues to gain momentum, with new faces on campus who will help heighten its profile and faculty affiliates…

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NIU, Argonne scientists turn carbon dioxide into liquid fuel

Electrocatalyst discovered in NIU lab efficiently converts CO2 into ethanol

  • August 10, 2020
DeKalb, Ill. —  A research team, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory in collaboration with Northern Illinois University, has discovered a new electrocatalyst that converts carbon…

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Two vital buffers against climate change are just offshore

New study underscores need to conserve and restore mangroves, coral reefs

  • June 1, 2020
DeKalb, Ill. — A new study finds that about 31 million people worldwide live in coastal regions that are “highly vulnerable” to future tropical storms and sea-level rise driven by climate change….

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Climate change could dramatically reduce U.S. snowstorms

Study: Across North America, warming could shorten snow season

  • May 25, 2020
Updated May 27, 2020 DeKalb, Ill. — A new study led by Northern Illinois University scientists suggests American winters late this century could experience significant decreases in the frequency, intensity and size…

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NIU faculty ramp up COVID-19 research

  • April 14, 2020
DeKalb, Ill. — Amid the busy transition to remote teaching, NIU faculty members also have pivoted aspects of their research programs to turn attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the university, in…

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Undergraduate research project goes the distance

Study in children with autism spectrum disorder sheds light on repetitive speech

  • February 27, 2020
Cassidy VanZuiden’s Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (URAD) project — exploring why children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) echo or parody speech — grew into a national award-winning project and…

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Where the wild things are—on NIU’s campus

Urban ecologist John Vanek has seen (and photographed) it all

  • February 26, 2020
DeKalb, Ill. — If you’re hoping to spot a deer, fox or coyote while strolling through campus at NIU, graduate student John Vanek is your man. While working toward his Ph.D. in…

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