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.