NORTHERN TODAY 3 FALL 2015 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT James M. Smith, President As fall semester nears its end, I find myself reflecting on what has been an eventful, successful few months for our university. First, let me thank you all for making our 100th anniversary celebration of Gypsy Days such a terrific success! The Gypsy Day Parade was magnificent in size and composition – and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Our students, faculty and staff were excited to welcome alumni back to campus. The unveiling of the superb new statue of Millicent Atkins only made this occasion more momentous for us. And, the following week, we named the School of Education for Ms. Atkins – what a joy that is to celebrate such a remarkable woman, whose contributions will make a very profound impact on our students. Our greenhouse is up and running, and it is impressive indeed; it looks especially beautiful as it is illuminated at night and in the early morning. Students and faculty are actively engaged in research designed specifically for this new greenhouse. We’re particularly proud of our 2015 Undergraduate Competitive Research Grant winner, Sienna Marcott. Sienna’s project will involve distilling essential oils from plants to test their effectiveness as an organic fungicide. We’re excited to see her project develop, and we’re thrilled that our greenhouse will be such an integral part of her work. You’ll read about her work in this issue, along with some of our other stellar students – including a few who have landed prestigious internships. You’ll also read about some of our generous alums, and meet our new artist-inresidence. You’ll get updates on our volleyball team, which has had an incredible season, and on our Confucius Institute, which has experienced a very successful first six months of operation. Speaking of updates, our Johnson Fine Arts Center continues to take shape. The look of the expanded space can now be identified, and the Black Box will stand tall as this structure is finalized. We hope to be open and fully operational by July 15. Like you, I can’t wait to see how our talented students and faculty utilize this amazingly upgraded facility! Many of you have, no doubt, been following the Blue Ribbon Task Force for K-12 Reform. NSU has been extremely active in working with that task force. Our Center for Statewide E-learning is leading the way with new ideas on how best to bring teaching expertise to small and isolated communities statewide. Watch for upcoming legislation that will make the work of the task force reality – and do know that NSU will continue to help shape education policy throughout the state, just as we have done since 1901. Please continue to follow the work of your university. We are extremely proud of all that we have done in the past few years and hope to do more and more as future semesters fly by – as they almost always do! Enjoy this issue, and Go Wolves! G R E E T I N G S F R O M N O R T H E R N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y !
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