UUNIVERSITYNIVERSITY

President/Board of Trustees ...... 60 Dr. Jim Phillips ...... 61 Northern University ... 62-63 Location ...... 64 Yordon Center ...... 65 Huskie Points of Pride ...... 66 nnorthernorthern illinoisillinois uuniversityniversity PRESIDENT DR. JOHN G. PETERS

Dr. John G. Peters is the NIU’s longstanding commitment to regional service has also eleventh president of Northern received new attention and support under Dr. Peters’ leadership. His Illinois University, a post he vision of NIU as “the nation’s premier regional public university” has has held since June 2000. As been the basis for substantial enhancement of regional partnerships NIU’s chief executive offi cer, Dr. with schools, business, health care and local governmental Peters provides strategic direction agencies. In 2005, Dr. Peters established an ambitious fi ve-year and oversight for a nationally- plan that leverages historic NIU strengths by connecting regional recognized, comprehensive engagement and applied research to the university’s well-known university serving more than focus on real-world learning experiences. Fortifi ed by that plan and 25,000 students in 120 areas more than $100 million in private donations, NIU this year launched of study at both undergraduate its fi rst-ever comprehensive capital campaign and began a campus- and graduate levels. Under his wide strategic planning process to focus university resources and leadership, NIU has both expanded efforts in the years ahead. Among its more ambitious components and refi ned its institutional vision is creation of a proton therapy cancer treatment and research center to more closely align teaching, that integrates NIU’s respected physics program with cutting-edge research and outreach efforts with nuclear medicine. emerging needs of the northern Dr. Peters’ reputation as a consensus-builder and education Illinois / Chicagoland region. policy expert puts him much in demand for leadership roles in A native of Strongsville, Ohio, statewide and national organizations. He has served as chair Dr. Peters earned his bachelor’s of the Mid-American Conference Council of Presidents and is a degree in political science at member of that group’s executive committee. His leadership in the Cleveland’s John Carroll University, and a master’s in government area of intercollegiate athletics also includes membership on the from Ohio University in Athens. In 1974, he received his Ph.D. in BCS Presidential Oversight Committee representing the “coalition political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. conferences.” Dr. Peters served as Illinois’ representative to the Prior to assuming the NIU presidency, Dr. Peters was provost and American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). chief operating offi cer at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is a member of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Commission on His distinguished academic career also includes 20 years in teaching International Education; NASULGC’s Commission on Women and administrative roles at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in Higher Education; and is co-chair of Illinois’ Center for Child where he earned numerous awards for work in and out of the Welfare and Education. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Education classroom. named Dr. Peters to a special task force studying math and science Dr. Peters’ presidency at NIU has been marked by substantial education, providing a national perspective for his ongoing work increases in university reputation and new sources of funding. with education and economic development groups throughout the In his fi rst year as president, he gained admission for NIU to Midwest. the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant A political scientist by training, Dr. Peters specializes in studies Colleges (NASULGC), an honor reserved for the top fi ve percent of public policy and Congress. He has published widely, including of universities nationwide. That same year, Dr. Peters secured articles in the Journal of Policy Studies, American Politics Quarterly, NIU’s largest-ever private gift: $20 million for a new College of American Political Science Review, and Legislative Studies Business building. Since that time, President Peters has led efforts Quarterly, and has co-edited two books on American politics. He to expand federal funding of select NIU research programs – a is a Fellow of the Center for Great Plains Studies and has served campaign that has garnered more than $60 million, strengthened as the associate editor of the Great Plains Quarterly. Dr. Peters key partnerships with state and federal research programs, and and his wife, Barbara Cole Peters, have a son, Russell, who lives enhanced NIU’s standing in the prestigious Carnegie Foundation and works in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and young son. rankings of research institutions. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Robert T. Boey Barbara Giorgi Vella George A. Moser Cherilyn G. Murer

Manuel ‘Manny’ Myron E. Siegel Marc J. Strauss Shaun N. Crisler Sanchez (Student Trustee) 60 2008 NORTHERN ILLINOIS BASEBALL nnorthernorthern iillinoisllinois uuniversityniversity ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS DR. JIM PHILLIPS

With a clear vision, boundless Phillips brought two new coaches to Northern Illinois in the last year energy and unwavering emphasis as Ricardo Patton, who led Colorado to multiple NCAA Tournament on providing a world-class berths, arrived to take over the Huskie men’s basketball team, while experience – academically, former DePaul All-America pitcher Lindsay Chouinard was tabbed as athletically, and socially – to each NIU’s new softball coach. That continued Phillips’ trend of bringing of Northern Illinois’ 467 student- in elite former student-athletes and exemplary role models – like athletes, Associate Vice President/ Northern Illinois women’s basketball Hall of Famer Carol Owens and Director of Athletics Dr. Jim Phillips United States track and fi eld Olympian Connie Teaberry - to lead has worked tirelessly to improve Huskie programs. the Huskie athletics program from Northern Illinois has also benefi ted from partnerships Phillips has an educational, fi nancial, structural, developed with media entities such as WSCR-AM (670 The Score) in and facility standpoint while Chicago, a 50,000-watt radio station which broadcasts Huskie football elevating the visibility of Northern and basketball games across the region, and regional sports cable Illinois University on both the station Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Twenty-fi ve of NIU’s last 27 regional and national levels. football games have been televised, including all 13 NIU contests in A Chicago native, Phillips has 2006 and 10 of 12 games last year. made helping NIU’s student- Northern Illinois has inked comprehensive, multi-year apparel and athletes achieve their academic sponsorship agreements with adidas and Gatorade under Phillips, while goals the department’s number one priority. Thus, he is most proud of securing CSTV.com as the Huskies offi cial internet partner. In addition, the fi ve straight 3.0 semesters Northern Illinois student-athletes have is slated to be a host site for soccer competition should posted in the classroom, including a school-record 3.074 mark in Fall Chicago land the 2016 Olympic Games. During the 2006-07 academic 2006. Ten Huskie teams boast a cumulative grade point average above year, NIU’s corporate sponsorships increased 236 percent, while Huskie the 3.0 benchmark, while football recorded its highest team GPA ever licensing hit a new sales record. this past fall. In addition, all 17 Northern Illinois teams exceeded the The work done by Phillips to enhance the student-athlete 925 cut mark for the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) in 2007. experience earned him a 2006 Certifi cate of Recognition from NIU’s Athletically, Northern Illinois teams have reached new heights during Supportive Professional Staff Council, as well as the 2007 Robert R. Phillips’ tenure. In 2005-06, both the NIU football and men’s basketball Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award given by the All-American teams captured MAC West Division titles and football continued its Football Foundation. He has served as chairman of the Mid-American winning ways in 2006 with its seventh consecutive winning season Conference Athletic Director’s Council and on the Executive Council and third straight postseason appearance. That capped a tremendous of the league. He currently serves on the NCAA Division I Women’s fall which also saw the men’s soccer team win the MAC title en route Basketball Committee. to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the 2006 volleyball Phillips came to Northern Illinois after four years at Notre Dame team claim the MAC West Championship, and women’s soccer advance where he served as Associate and then Senior Associate Director of to the fi nals of the league tournament. With 19 wins, the Huskie Athletics for External Affairs, where his duties included fundraising, women’s basketball team achieved its highest win total since 1993-94, developing corporate sponsorships, managing the ticket offi ce and while baseball tied the school record for overall victories. NIU also sent overseeing several sports programs. In 2002-03, he helped launch student-athletes to NCAA Championships in wrestling, gymnastics and the Rockne Heritage Fund, the fi rst Notre Dame athletics annual fund women’s track and fi eld last year. The 2007-08 year began with a bang that directly benefi ted grant-in-aid scholarships; he played an integral as the Huskie football team played Iowa at sold-out Soldier Field, one part in the funding of a $24-million, 96,000-square foot athletics facility of several scheduling agreements secured by Phillips, including home- and assisted in the planning of a campaign that is raising over $105 and-home series with Navy and Wisconsin. million for capital projects. Under Phillips, Northern Illinois has placed renewed emphasis on Prior to his time at Notre Dame, Phillips spent two years at the developing student-athletes as role models and in 2006-07, every NIU University of Tennessee. As an assistant athletics director at UT, he student-athlete was involved in multiple community service activities directed a $12.4 million annual athletics giving program and was totaling over 8,000 hours. responsible for soliciting all major gifts and donations for the Volunteers. In August of 2007, one of Phillips’ primary goals was realized when He helped originate the fi rst capital campaign for athletics, raising over NIU opened the Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Academic and Athletic $50 million for endowments, facilities, and programs, while supervising Performance Center. The $14 million, privately-funded facility serves several Tennessee sports. as the home of the Student-Athlete Academic Support Services Unit, a Phillips began his career as an athletics administrator at Arizona 15,000-square foot strength, speed and conditioning center and a state- State. After beginning his tenure there as a graduate student and of-the-art athletic training room. Construction of an indoor practice restricted earnings basketball coach, Sun Devil athletic director Kevin facility for NIU’s softball, baseball and golf teams was completed this White moved Phillips into the ASU development offi ce where he also fall. worked on a $35 million campaign for facilities. Phillips and the NIU development staff made history by raising over A graduate of Chicago’s Weber Catholic High School, Phillips earned $7.4 million in 18 months for the Yordon Center; during his tenure, a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Illinois in 1990. He added a athletics has secured 27 six-fi gure gifts, three of the fi ve largest master’s of education degree in administration from Arizona State in donations of any kind at NIU. Through the Huskie Athletic Scholarship 1992 and his Ph.D. in education administration from the University of Fund (HASF), the annual giving arm of NIU athletics, Northern Illinois’ Tennessee last summer. sports programs received the fi rst increases to their program budgets He and his wife, the former Laura Hayes of Des Plaines, have four since 1992 with a direct allocation from the HASF in January 2007 and children – Luke, 7; Madeline, 6; Meredith, 4; and John, 3. Laura again in August 2007. Phillips graduated from Illinois in 1989 with a degree in economics and received an MBA from DePaul University in 1993. 61 2008 NORTHERN ILLINOIS BASEBALL NIU QUICK FACTS Founded: 1895

Location: DeKalb, Illinois (Population 40,000 - 65 miles west of downtown Chicago and 45 miles southeast of Rockford)

Under the leadership of President DeKalb campus: 786 acres, 63 major buildings Dr. John G. Peters, Northern Illinois University has experienced an Undergraduate colleges: Business, Education, exciting burst of energy, growth Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and and development. Since his arrival Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Visual and in 2000, Peters has guided the Performing Arts university into the modern digital age Faculty: 1,205 while adhering to the foundations of 1899. In-state tuition and fees (per year): $6,652 Altgeld Hall has been restored to its former glory. Barsema Hall, home Out-of-state tuition and fees (per year): $11,713 to the College of Business, is among the nation’s most technologically- Libraries system: Founders Memorial Library, 7 branch advanced business schools. The NIU libraries, 2 million books, 6,000 electronic journals Convocation Center’s 10,000-seat Northern offers 54 academic majors, 61 minors, 71 arena showcases Huskie athletics emphases, and 8 pre-professional programs. along with the best in entertainment and trade shows. The Barsema Alumni Total Enrollment: 25,208 and Visitors Center has become the percent of all American universities, welcoming gateway to campus and and is a member of the Universities Undergraduate: 18,031 DeKalb. Research Association, a prestigious Graduate and College of Law: 6,789 Northern Illinois’ 25,000-plus consortium of universities across the students can pursue degrees in 54 country that supports the work of Average freshman ACT score: 22 undergraduate majors with master’s important national laboratories. (National average: 21) level work offered in 70 programs. Meanwhile, President Peters has In addition, a variety of doctoral and committed the university to expanding Student/faculty ratio: 17 to 1 specialist degrees, as well as the juris its service to Illinois families through doctor, are granted by NIU. partnerships that improve our cities Average class size: 28 (Senior-level class size: 18) Northern Illinois has received the and towns, our schools and our highest possible designation from the state’s economy. Students receiving fi nancial aid: 71% Carnegie Foundation as a “Doctoral/ Opened in 1899 as the Northern Research University Extensive” Illinois State Normal School, the Amount of fi nancial aid: $153 million institution, putting it in the top four original stated mission was to prepare Student body: 92% from Illinois, 46% men, 54% women, 26% ethnic minorities, 836 international students representing 90 nations

college-educated teachers. Today, NIU has grown into a world-class university that attracts students from around the globe while remaining committed to preparing teachers, and providing an excellent and affordable higher education to Illinois families. NIU’s second century promises a bright future for all of Illinois as we reach beyond our campus to put the lifelong learning we profess into bountiful practice.

The Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center opened its doors in time for the Huskies’ 2005 homecoming and has become a campus landmark. 62 Among the many examples of particles, as well as reading successful Northern Illinois people, comprehension. programs and priorities: • NIU is a partner with the Illinois • Several NIU programs have been State Board of Education, the ranked among the best in the nation Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois including the Master’s in Public Resource Center in a federally-funded Administration (MPA) program, initiative to recruit and train bilingual ranked fourth nationally by U.S. News teachers. & World Report in city and eighth for public fi nance; the NIU • More than 25,000 NIU graduates marketing program, ranked among teach in Illinois and one in every four the top fi ve percent in the nation by Illinois school superintendents owns the Professional Society for Sales and a degree from NIU. Marketing Training; the Department of Accountancy, ranked in the nation’s top 10 by the Public Notable Alumni Report for the last four years; and the NIU College of Business, ranked 65th in BusinessWeek’s 2007 ranking of best undergraduate business Made possible through a $20 million gift by NIU alumnus programs in the country. Dennis Barsema and his wife Stacey, The Barsema Hall for the College of Business opened its doors in 2002 and • NIU’s federally-funded Institute features 22 classrooms with Internet connections and a for NanoScience, Engineering and 375-seat audtitorium. Technology collaborates with Argonne National Laboratory on basic research in nanotechnology, an emerging fi eld that many scientists believe will spur the next technological revolution. Former U.S. Speaker of the House and current • Faculty and students in NIU’s Congressman Dennis Hastert (at left, pictured with Frontier Physics outreach program President John Peters) earned a master’s degree are working to spark interests in from NIU in 1967. science among school children throughout northern Illinois. Over the past three years, the traveling road show has presented eye-popping physics demonstration to 25,000 K- 12 students.

• Black Issues in Higher Education magazine consistently ranks NIU in the top 100 institutions nationwide graduating minority students, including No. 1 in the country for number of graduate degrees in education awarded to African- Paul Sereno (left), a 1979 NIU graduate, has been Americans. credited with fi nding the world’s oldest dinosaur fossil. • NIU is creating an ultra-fast, fi ber- optic communications network that will bring next-generation technology to the northern Illinois region. Dubbed Steve Harris (ABC-TV’s The “NIUNet,” the roughly 175-mile fi ber Practice, three-time Oscar optic loop is expected to be a huge honoree Joan Allen and Dan Castelleneta (the voice of boon to research and economic Homer J. Simpson) are NIU development efforts. alums. • Northern Illinois researchers are on the cutting edge of critical efforts in areas such as global warming, hydrogen power and subatomic 63 The home of Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ill. provides NIU students with a college- town atmosphere in the shadow of one of the world’s great cities. Located just 65 miles west of downtown Chicago and less than half that distance from the city’s ever-expanding western suburbs, DeKalb maintains a unique character and offers a quality existence to its nearly 45,000 residents. DeKalb is successfully combining the old and the new as brick-paved streets and historic homes co-exist with a growing business sector and brand new residential and commercial developments. The proximity of Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, means that local citizens, including NIU student-athletes, have easy access to the city’s many offerings, including cultural events and festivals, professional sports, restaurants, theatres and recreational facilities. Three airports – O’Hare, Midway and Rockford – are within an hour’s drive of the NIU campus. In addition to many activities, including athletics, available on campus, DeKalb is famous for its annual “CornFest,” welcoming students back to town in late August. During CornFest, streets in downtown DeKalb are closed, bands play and vendors open their doors to the returning population. Nearly 10,000 ears of sweet corn from fi elds that surround the city, are given away free at the Corn Boil. A comprehensive bus service, proposed high-speed fi ber-optic cable installation and a young population (25% are age 20-25) make DeKalb a growing and vibrant community in which to live, work and play.

64 Opened in August 2007, the state-of-the-art Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Center benefi ts all 467 Northern Illinois student-athletes and all 17 Huskie programs. In a ceremony prior to last fall’s fi nal home football game on Nov. 17, NIU Athletics announced a $2.5 million gift from Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon. The gift was the largest in the 108-history of Huskie athletics. The Yordon Center provides Huskie student-athletes with brand new facilities in which to develop their minds, bodies and spirits as they work toward achieving academic and athletic success. It is a cornerstone facility in Northern Illinois’ goal to provide each and every student-athlete with a “world-class” experience while wearing the Huskie uniform. The heart of the 62,000-square foot facility is the Frances and George Wilkins Academic Support Center (honoring Carole & Joe Novak), featuring one-on-one tutorial rooms, a group study room and a fully-equipped computer lab, as well as offi ces for the counselors of the Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS). This area brings the staff of SAASS into more direct daily contact with NIU’s student-athletes. Huskie student-athletes have the luxury of working out in the brand new strength and conditioning center. The spacious new area has made an immediate impact on NIU programs as student-athletes will train on new equipment with a variety of machines. The new Strength and Conditioning Center is large enough to enable NIU’s professional strength and conditioning coaches to avoid scheduling confl icts while allowing space for warm-ups, plyometric exercises and speed and agility activities. All Huskie student-athletes also benefi t from the new Athletic Training Room, which dramatically increases the space and improves facilities used by NIU’s professional athletic training staff and the team doctors to prevent, treat and rehabilitate injuries. The nearby Equipment Room provides expanded space for storage of equipment as well as new laundry facilities. Every aspect of the Yordon Center is designed not only to help NIU meet its goal of providing a “world class” experience for its current Huskie student-athletes, but to ensure the ongoing success of the Northern Illinois intercollegiate athletic program by providing an impressive welcome for prospective student-athletes and their families, alumni, donors, guests and visitors.

65 • Northern Illinois student-athletes have combined to post a cumulative grade point average above 3.0 in each of the last fi ve semesters, including the highest athletics cumulative GPA (3.074 by 486 student-athletes) on record in the Fall 2006 and the highest GPA ever recorded by the Huskie football team (Fall 2007).

• NIU moved into the $14 million Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Academic and Athletic Performance Center in August 2007.

• The Huskie Indoor Training, or H.I.T. Center, a new indoor practice building for the Northern Illinois baseball, softball, and golf teams opened in Fall 2007 while preliminary work and planning for a new outdoor track and fi eld/soccer complex is currently underway with ground-breaking scheduled for this spring.

• The Northern Illinois football team made three straight postseason appearances from 2004-06 and advanced to two bowl games – the 2004 Silicon Valley Football Classic (NIU’s fi rst bowl bid in 21 years) and the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl.

• The Huskies have established multi-year partnerships with adidas and Gatorade and signed a fi ve-year agreement with CSTV to host Northern Illinois’ Offi cial Athletics website.

• Northern Illinois’ head coaches include former Olympian Connie Teaberry for women’s track and fi eld, NIU alumna and 2006-07 USA Basketball assistant Carol Owens (women’s basketball) and most recently, Ricardo Patton for men’s basketball and former three-time DePaul All-American • NIU successfully played host to the 2007 NCAA Men’s Golf Lindsay Chouinard for softball. Central Regional at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. • NIU has received 27 $100,000 leadership gifts in the past two years, has seen corporate sponsorship revenues rise 236 • Twenty-fi ve of Northern Illinois last 27 football games, percent, and realized an all-time high in licensing revenue. including a string of 21 straight, were televised from 2005-07. NIU made multiple appearances on on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, • Huskie teams and individuals achieved unprecedented ESPNU and Comcast SportsNet during that time. athletic success in 2006-07 as men’s soccer won the Mid- American Conference title and advanced to the second • Three Huskies – football’s Garrett Wolfe and Doug Free and round of the NCAA Tournament, the volleyball team captured women’s basketball’s Stephanie Raymond – were drafted into the MAC West Division crown, women’s soccer reached the the NFL and WNBA in 2007, with Raymond becoming the MAC Championship Game, baseball tied the school record highest draft pick in school history in any sport (24th). for victories and shot-putter Ashley Morrow advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. • Every Northern Illinois student-athlete participated in a school-sponsored community service activity as part of the • Northern Illinois’ agreement with 50,000-watt Chicago Huskies’ CHAMPS/Life Skills program in 2006-07. sports radio power WSCR-AM 670 broadcasts Huskie games to hundreds of thousands of listeners across the region. • Reliever Matt German became the fi rst NIU baseball player in school history to earn All-America honors while Wolfe, the • Jim Phillips has secured football scheduling agreements NCAA’s leading rusher in 2006, was an All-America choice by with Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, the Associated Press. Navy and Tennessee, and NIU played a home game versus Iowa at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept. 1, 2007 in front of • Gymnast Jody Yednock earned the prestigious Bob James a sold-out crowd. Postgraduate Scholarship from the MAC in 2007, becoming the second straight Northern Illinois student-athlete to be honored (following volleyball’s Marie Zidek in 2006). 66