When Matt Vartanian, ’06, and his colleagues at the Elgin, Illinois, Police Department began a new podcast called “Somebody Knows Something” in early 2025, little did they know that it would lead to the solving of a cold case more than 40 years old.

Vartanian and his podcasting partner, Elgin Police Detective Andrew Houghton, were also part of a new Cold Case Unit, which Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley created in May 2024 to investigate unsolved murders, missing persons cases and other serious crimes.

Vartanian and Houghton were putting together the Cold Case Unit, determining which cases would get priority, when Lalley told them she wanted them to do a podcast. Vartanian said while the pair looked at Lalley “like she was crazy” – they had no previous podcasting experience – they were excited to see where it would lead.

“We’re cops, we’re not podcasters; we have no experience in this at all,” Vartanian said. “Then we took a step back and thought objectively and open-mindedly and realized that this could be a really powerful tool for us as law enforcement to generate public interest again and get these cases back out there.”

Vartanian said one purpose of the podcast was to encourage people to come forward with tips, no matter how minor they may think they are.

“That was our big thing, we didn’t care how small of a tip it was, we were going to track it down,” he said. “We wanted people to understand that.”

He continued, “Our idea was, well, maybe there’s somebody in Texas or Colorado or New York that used to live in Elgin, and they remember some of these cases. And maybe this kind of jogs their memory a little bit to provide the information. And for whatever reason, they didn’t before, maybe they will now. So that was a big thing, and the excitement was to be able to get that reach out there, which was really powerful.”

The first cold case they would tackle for the podcast was that of Karen Schepers, a 23-year-old Elgin woman who was last seen alive leaving a Carpentersville, Illinois, bar in her vehicle the night of April 16, 1983.

Vartanian said the Schepers case received attention in the 1980s and then again when the Elgin department looked at the case again in the 2000s. The challenge was that they had no car, and no body.

“There were 42 years of what-ifs out there,” he said.

Throughout the podcast, they not only examined the possibilities of what happened to Schepers, but they also talked with family members and former co-workers about Schepers and who she was as a person. The podcast gave a portrait of Karen Schepers, the human being, as opposed to just a victim or statistic.

Thanks to the podcast, they learned more about Schepers’ case and, ultimately, via the work of a company called Chaos Divers, Schepers’ vehicle and remains were found in the Fox River in March of 2025. After 42 years of not knowing what happened to her, Schepers’ family gained some closure and were finally able to lay their loved one to rest.

The discovery of the car, Schepers’ remains, and the podcast were covered by Chicago-area and national media.

Vartanian said most likely Schepers lost control of the vehicle and drove into the river on that late night in 1983.

“We believe that it’s an unfortunate accident that happened,” he said. “We know that the river was at flood stage a couple days before that night, we know that the conditions were pretty poor that night.”

There was no damage to the car, and the gearbox – the yellow 1980 Toyota was a manual transmission – was in fourth gear, which meant it most likely was going at a good speed when it went into the river, Vartanian said.

Vartanian said that after news of the car recovery had gone public, the team had heard from a co-worker of Schepers who had seen her the night of her disappearance, just before leaving the bar.

“They had an exchange where she said goodbye to her and she watched Karen get into her car by herself,” he said. “So that piece further helps paint the picture that there was nobody else in the car.”

Vartanian said it was important to note that the recovery and solving the cold case was a team effort.

“Our big message that we want to share with other agencies that want to do this type of work is you have to do it full time; you have to have dedicated individuals that will do it,” he said. “And you must be able to work with agencies that are not law enforcement. That’s why we worked with Chaos Divers, and you have to be able to work with families too.”

Learning to Love Law Enforcement

Vartanian, who earned a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU, was recently promoted from detective to sergeant. He joined the Elgin police in 2008, following an internship with the Geneva, Illinois, Police Department.

Vartanian attended high school in St. Charles, Illinois, and took classes at Elgin Community College after graduation before going on to NIU.

When he got to NIU, he wasn’t entirely sure what he would focus on, but a friend of a friend’s dad was a detective sergeant at the Geneva, Illinois, Police Department, and he learned about an internship there. He talked with the connection at Geneva, and then the College of Business worked to custom fit an internship with that police department.

“That’s when I fell in love with law enforcement,” he said. “They took me on like a new police officer, put me through the whole process. I did everything from ride-alongs to traffic stops and took law tests and firearms training. And I was like, yeah, I think I really love this career.”

Vartanian said he had several people at the department tell him while he was going to NIU that he didn’t have to have a criminal justice degree to be an officer.

One has to be well-rounded to be a good officer, he said.

With all of the experience he has now, including this year of cold case work, Vartanian looks forward to guiding new officers.

“I can share everything that I have been taught with new police officers that come in, and mentor the next generation that’s coming up to make sure they’re doing the right thing,” he said.

Taylor Headley, ’25, crossed the stage for commencement this past May with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and is continuing on at NIU for her Master of Science in Digital Marketing. She is achieving her goals thanks in part to the generosity of NIU donors.

Headley, who grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, had a background in cosmetology when the COVID pandemic prompted her to rethink her career path. She started taking classes at Black Hawk Community College and realized she needed a program that aligned with her larger ambitions.

“That’s when I discovered the marketing program at NIU,” she said. “NIU accepted my community college credits and provided a flexible business program that fit perfectly with my goals and schedule.”

Headley has received financial assistance for her NIU education via the Michael and Louise McSweeney Digital Marketing Scholarship.

“Their generous support allowed me to focus more on my studies and less on the financial burden that weighs on many college students,” Headley said. “I approach each course with full dedication, striving to learn as much as possible to achieve success in my future career.”

In addition, she has worked a variety of jobs but found one especially meaningful.

“One of the most rewarding opportunities has been working with the nonprofit PAASSS (Plano Area Alliance Supporting Student Success) which I first encountered through NIU’s Business in Action course,” she said. “I began as an intern last spring, and they recently offered me a flexible role as their marketing consultant. It’s been incredibly fulfilling to contribute to their growth, implementing new marketing strategies and creating tailored brand materials to help their mission thrive.”

Headley counts Michele Kaczka, instructor and internship coordinator in the College of Business, as a great source of support.

“I’ve had the privilege of taking several of her courses, each of which has allowed me to express my creativity and build confidence in my marketing skills for my future career,” Headley said. “Michele has been more than a teacher—she’s been a mentor and confidant, offering encouragement and invaluable feedback. As a distance learner, it’s been great to establish such a strong and reliable connection virtually. I’m forever grateful to have her in my corner.”

Headley encourages alumni and others to support student scholarships.

“Your contribution can truly change lives,” she said. “Scholarships don’t just ease the financial burden for students— they empower us to focus fully on our education and future goals. Your generosity provides opportunities for students to achieve their dreams, explore their passions and create brighter futures. Every donation is an investment in the next generation of leaders, innovators and changemakers.”

To help Huskies like Taylor cross the finish line to graduation, please visit the NIU Forward website.

Laura Mueller, ’96, knew at an early age that she wanted to advocate for employees in the skills and trades industry, but it was NIU faculty who helped her discover her career’s direction and even helped her secure her first job.

Her mother, Linda, raised Mueller on the South Side of Chicago.

“I learned the importance of hard work at a young age,” Mueller said. “Not only did I watch my mother work extremely hard, but I also began riding horses. Every day before and after school, I fed them, groomed them and ensured they had what they needed. It taught me that if something was important in my life, I needed to nurture it and continue pushing at it. And this has been a way of life for me ever since I started riding at seven years old.”

Today, with over 25 years of human resources leadership experience, Mueller is the chief human resources officer for Groundworks, a leading foundation and water management solutions company in the United States and Canada. She specializes in high-growth, multi-location and international organizations—a perfect fit for a rapidly growing company like Groundworks. Most recently, Mueller served as the chief human resources officer at Convergint Technologies, where she supported a workforce of over 10,000 employees across more than 30 countries.

Mueller credits the guidance of former NIU instructor Jim Ward and Professor Terry Bishop, Ph.D., for impacting her professional journey.

“Jim’s guidance helped me to discover the direction I wanted to go in my career and even helped me secure my first job,” she said. “Terry was our Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) chapter leader at that time and emphasized teaching students to think critically. While the two were very different individually, their combined knowledge was instrumental to my experience at NIU. Often, they would argue with each other about a number of HR philosophies, and I just loved listening to their funny, but ultimately educational, banter.”

Mueller chose NIU as it was one of the few universities at the time that had a management degree with a human resources focus. She made a conscious effort to build relationships with her professors and peers.

“I picked the university with the exact program to achieve my goals,” she said. “But I knew making friends could be challenging when transferring from a community college. My NIU classmates had already been together for two years, so I had to find ways to build friendships. I purposely got a dorm room on the business floor and joined a business fraternity, so I spent most of my time with my classmates. My fondest memories come from conversing in the dorms with my peers.”

Approaching graduation, Mueller was offered two jobs—one from a small consulting firm and the other from Honeywell. She chose the smaller firm with the hope of gaining a broader experience, and although it was a challenge, it enabled her to explore every facet of human resources functions. She describes the experience as the “ideal first job everyone hopes for.”

Later in her career, an extremely difficult period became her proudest. While working at Nordex North America, she was forced to close a plant she had previously opened, putting herself and hundreds of others out of work.

“I didn’t want to leave my colleagues without a way to support themselves and their families, so I got to work,” Mueller said. “I utilized my relationship with the Arkansas State Capitol to provide resources to everyone who would be losing their jobs. We brought in resume writing assistance and hosted job fairs and government agencies on-site. The state helped us provide continued education to those who wanted to level up their degree at no cost. In the end, every single person walked away with a new position while still keeping up with business operations until the plant closed. That was an extremely challenging time for me, but I am proud of the way we were able to manage it.”

Continuing to expand her career, Mueller took an international position for Nordex SE in Hamburg, Germany. The exposure to global human resources and the challenges of multiple companies operating under varying rules and regulations helped her learn to identify where issues can arise and when to ask questions.

These pivotal points in her career gave Mueller key experiences and confidence to create and influence change.

“The most fulfilling part of my career is making a positive change for the company, the employees and the customers we serve,” she said. “I focus on delivering a high work ethic, positive energy and intense curiosity, and although unusual for HR professionals, I tend to look at everything through a business lens. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘law’ or the ‘right’ way instead of thinking about how to run a business properly. A different perspective goes a long way.”

She recalls the career advice her father gave to her at her NIU graduation.

“My dad said, ‘Always get there before your boss, leave after your boss, and dress better than your boss,’” Mueller said. “I never took it literally, but it’s stuck with me since that day. You always want to show your boss you’re dedicated and hardworking. If you want to be in their shoes one day, act like it.”

With Huskie pride, Mueller now shares her own wisdom with NIU students by regularly speaking to College of Business students and the SHRM chapter to discuss career tips and current human resources topics.

“Giving back to the university that has given me so much is such an honor,” she said.

With only 20 dollars in his pocket, one semester’s worth of tuition, and the confidence instilled in him by his parents, Promod Vohra, M.S. ’88, Ed.D. ’93, left his home in India and came to the United States to pursue a master’s degree.

NIU set him on a path of self-discovery—first as a student, then as faculty and ultimately during a decade-plus career as dean of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET). At NIU, he uncovered his talent for teaching and the contributions he could make in the classroom.

“One of the best ways to invest in yourself is to invest in your education,” Vohra said. “My parents were always very loving and focused on education. They taught me that education is something nobody can take away from you. They gave me confidence. They always told me, ‘You can do it. You can do whatever you want to do.’”

Today, Vohra and his wife, Anju, are giving back to the place Vohra says “invested in him” and “made his success possible” by naming the NIU Foundation as a beneficiary in their estate and directing funds to CEET and NIU Athletics.

“I attribute my success to NIU,” Vohra said. “NIU gave me the resources so I could afford an education and continued to invest in my career. I evaluated my life and NIU’s role in my career and thought, ‘Why wouldn’t I want others to follow and have similar success?’ Just like parents want for their own children.”

Vohra’s goal is simple: to make an imprint on the lives of others by helping them build the confidence to invest in themselves—the way his parents did for him.

His father used to talk to him about being an engineer, a doctor, or an attorney, and his mother made sure Vohra kept up with his homework. He lived at home, attended college in Delhi, India, and studied engineering. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he was offered a sales and marketing engineer job at Phillips. In 1983, a month before Vohra was to marry Anju, his father passed away.

“My father had always talked to me about going abroad and studying for a higher degree,” Vohra said.

Discovering NIU and Teaching

His father’s dream and his family’s values weighed on him. After about two and a half years, Vohra and Anju left Delhi for the University of Wisconsin. Vohra completed a semester there, earning credits for a master’s in electrical engineering, before transferring to NIU.

“I missed being close to family, and my cousin, who is like a sister to me, used to live in Freeport,” Vohra said. “She told me NIU had a wonderful College of Engineering and suggested I see a department chair there. I went to talk to Dr. Newell, and he said, ‘Promod, we’d love to have you. You’ll be the first graduate student in the college, and we will give you a lab assistantship.’”

Vohra needed the money at the time, and being the first graduate student at the college appealed to him. In 1986, he transferred to NIU, where he remained for 30 years.

“The journey was wonderful,” Vohra said. “The assistantship took care of my tuition and paid me about $250 monthly. That was enough for me to buy groceries, and at that time, Anju and I had a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. We were happy at NIU.”

Then, one day, his professor asked him to fill in and teach a class, and Vohra’s path drastically changed direction.

“Dr. Newell had to attend a meeting and asked me to teach a class in which I was a student,” Vohra said. “I was really very scared because I didn’t know the content, but I prepared. I was surprised when Dr. Newell’s meeting finished early, and he walked into the classroom and sat down. After class, he said, ‘Well, you’ve got the gift of teaching.’”

Vohra was offered to teach a course the following semester and taught three technology courses before finishing his master’s degree. He taught while earning his doctorate, and upon completion, he was selected for an assistant professor position. After moving through the ranks of a professor, Vohra was named associate dean, then acting dean, and finally, 12 years as dean until 2016.

Innovating as CEET Dean

During his leadership tenure, Vohra developed innovative approaches, taking the college to a new level. Through partnerships with more than 200 companies in the area and positioning the college to graduate students with the skills necessary to meet the needs of the local workforce, CEET often saw its student placement rate at 100 percent. He created partnerships in Rockford and brought in federal grants with the help of former NIU President John Peters to invest in the city, rejuvenating manufacturing and creating more jobs to enrich the region’s economy.

Vohra worked to “grow our own so we could retain our own,” he said. With the help of corporations donating roughly six million dollars, CEET was able to start a college in Rockford in partnership with Rock Valley College. CEET created pathways with almost 25 community colleges and worked with several international countries to bring in students.

He was proud to see the demand and college grow with new health systems engineering, biomedical engineering and mechatronics programs. Vohra said serving the place that had given him so much was rewarding, and he had the pleasure of partnering and serving with many of the faculty who had taught him as a student, including Earl Hansen, Dennis Stoia, and Darrell Newell, to name a few.

Re-engineering Retirement

Upon his NIU retirement, Vohra served as chief of human resources and chief talent strategy officer for technology company ACS Solutions before taking on the role of president for Proficient Business Systems, Inc., an auxiliary company. After six years working in the corporate sector, Vohra entered his second retirement.

Now, responding to his internal call to teach, innovate, and help others grow—and his inability to sit idle for too long—Vohra is busy working on three distinct entrepreneurial endeavors.

“My kids came to me a few years ago and said, ‘Dad, we want to start some businesses,’” Vohra said. “We looked at what lines of entrepreneurship held promise for the future and started first as angel investors in seven or eight companies in healthcare, technology, real estate and logistics. My kids are the driving force for this next chapter of my career; that’s certain.”

Vohra and his son, Neil Vohra, are growing Prime HealthCare Staffing, a company with a successful history of more than 25 years working with healthcare providers. As its chairman and CEO, Vohra is eyeing global partnerships and developing innovative methods for staffing healthcare jobs to solve current and future healthcare staffing shortages.

As co-founder and president of SchoolnBeyond, Vohra is joined by his cousin, Vinita Ahuja, and her son, Utkarsh Ahuja, to help prepare students from Southeast Asia for higher education in the U.S. SchoolnBeyond will teach students about life in the U.S., study habits, and things they need to know to thrive while pursuing higher education in the U.S. and eventually help launch their careers. Vohra hopes to transform youth into global success stories like his.

Lastly, Vohra acquired PMA Friction Products with his daughter, Divya Behl ’05, M.S. ’08, and son-in-law, Chris Kaiser, M.B.A. ’13. Behl serves as PMA Friction Products’ president and CEO, with Vohra as chairman and advisor. One of Vohra’s fondest NIU memories was handing Behl her diploma at graduation after earning her bachelor’s and then her master’s in industrial engineering. Behl is also an NIU Alumni Association Board of Directors member and is pursuing her Ph.D. Vohra is proud of Behl for pursuing her Ph.D., although he knows it will be one degree he will not have the honor of handing to her.

A Family Commitment

Discovering new opportunities excites Vohra, and he is grateful to have Anju by his side.

“My best support in my life has been my wife,” he said. “She came from a very good family but did everything with me to make us successful. We distributed newspapers, she babysat, we did everything to make ends meet and never once did she complain about our tough journey. She was always positive that we’d end up somewhere better and is a ray of light when mine is dim.”

Anju served first as a certified cardiac sonographer and then as the technical director of cardiology services at Northwestern Medicine – KishHealth for over 25 years. She is a proud NIU supporter and fan and fondly remembers her days there. She and Vohra remain connected with the NIU community and cherish the gift of their NIU friendships. The couple has a tight-knit family of three children, their loving spouses and seven grandchildren.

“All of our children have connections to NIU in some capacity,” said Anju. “We have shared interests in philanthropy with organizations that have been a source of strength for our family. We have a room at Kishwaukee Hospital named in memory of my parents and a bench at the Barsema Alumni & Visitors Center at NIU. We have raised kind, respectful and responsible citizens; I think that is our biggest accomplishment in life, and we are thankful they all live close by.”

Vohra’s vision for the future is guided by his parents’ wisdom and marked by the words of successful entrepreneurs like Warren Buffet.

“I believe in Warren Buffett’s advice: Make smart decisions. Surround yourself with smart people. Invest in yourself,” Vohra said. “I’m not done yet; I sit on advisory boards, partner with my children on companies with community relevance, and figure out ways to positively impact society and help others invest in themselves. Success is not an isolated identity. Success is how many people you take with you along the way.”

Vohra continued, “God has given me so much, both in professional and personal satisfaction. Now is the time to pay back and develop the next generation of responsible citizens. So, my effort to provide payback to NIU is in gratitude, time, and funding, as well as encouraging others to provide resources so the university can continue to prosper.”

Vohra’s father once said to him, “You are my dream; you are my hope.” These words instilled in him a sense of responsibility and optimism that Vohra carries forward for today’s youth.

“We can provide the best possible opportunities for the younger generation to succeed and change the world,” said Vohra. “They are the future of our country, and it starts with higher education.”

Patrick Crowe, ‘70, is still active as a consultant in the industry where he spent his entire career, as an actuary for farm bureau insurance companies across the country.

After being a regular donor to NIU, he established the Patrick J. Crowe B.S. `70, Scholarship Fund in 2024. The scholarship aids third- and/or fourth-year NIU undergraduate students majoring in mathematics or actuarial science who demonstrate academic merit and financial need.

“This is to provide students with a college education, which is fantastic,” he said. “The best thing I can do for young people is to help them with their education.”

Crowe, who grew up in Chicago, took courses at St. Bede Junior College in Peru, Illinois, before attending NIU because it was close to home and affordable.

“I’ve always had a love for mathematics since I was in the second grade,” he said.

Shortly after beginning his NIU tenure, however, Crowe was given a military draft notice in the fall of 1965 during the height of the Vietnam War. He decided to enlist as a U.S. Marine.

“I always wanted to be a Marine, but I wanted to do it on my terms, so I enlisted in the Marines,” he said.

After three-plus years, he got out of the Marines in January 1969 and re-enrolled in NIU with the goal of finishing his degree in a year and a half.

Crowe and a friend from Chicago drove up to NIU and eventually shared an off-campus apartment with another old friend for the duration of their time in school.

“We met up with an old friend we went to grade school with who’d just gotten out of the Army,” he said. “We got an apartment – two of them shared the bedroom and I slept on a cot in the living room – and we all had a year and a half until we graduated.”

Crowe didn’t have much time for extracurriculars, as he was working hard trying to finish his degree. Although he said that at the time there was a veteran’s club on campus where he and other fellow military veterans would hang out.

“Majoring in math and minoring in physics was a full-time job,” he said. “I was taking 18 hours in classes because I wanted to get through school in a year and a half. I just worked very hard, and I never went home on weekends because I was working on projects. I had to do it the hard way.”

After graduation, he worked at CNA Insurance as an actuary trainee. He worked there for four years, where he specialized in property and casualty insurance. After four years, he decided that he wanted to work for a smaller firm.

“I decided, I don’t want to be a small cheese in a big company, I want to be a big cheese in a small company,” he said.

After leaving CNA, he worked for the Illinois Farm Bureau insurance company in Bloomington for four years, doing actuarial work for farm bureaus across the country. One of his larger accounts was the Kentucky Farm Bureau.

In 1979, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to become the chief actuary of the Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance company. He’s lived in Kentucky ever since.

Since retiring in 2007, Crowe has offered his consulting services to farm bureau insurance companies nationwide. He still has two clients that he services regularly. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, a certified enterprise risk actuary and an associate in risk management.

“I guess I’m a workaholic, but I don’t like that word, because I love what I do,” he said. “Actuarial science is my hobby. It’s not work to me.”

Crowe recommends to young people to find something they are skilled at and enjoy, and they will have a successful career. He also cites his strong faith.

“I tell young people, follow your strengths,” he said. “Everyone’s got gifts, but you have to pray or the Holy Spirit can’t guide you.”

In retirement, while he still works hard, he enjoys spending time with his two children and five grandsons. He’s also active in providing funeral honors for military veterans.

Crowe encourages his fellow Huskies to give back to their communities and to their alma mater.

“With an NIU education, you can come back to your community and contribute to it,” he said. “We have many NIU graduates who have done incredible things.”

For more information on being a philanthropic Huskie, click here!

For the past 15 years, the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning has hosted the Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement, or CURE, NIU’s undergraduate research symposium and culminating event for NIU’s Undergraduate Research Month.

This year’s event was especially popular, as it featured the second largest number of projects in its and a 15% year-on-year increase in the number of projects on display, with 220 projects, 277 student presenters and 101 judges.

Students with exceptional presentations receive a monetary award from a fund sponsored through the generosity of former NIU professor Dr. Arnold Hampel, ’63, and his late wife, Dr. Denise Kennedy, ’84, M.B.A. ’95.

At the 2025 CURE symposium, held on April 29, Hampel attended along with some of Kennedy’s great-nephews and grand-niece, who he said were the inspiration behind his giving.

“This is what this is all about,” he said. “My mission is to promote Denise’s legacy and her wishes.”

Hampel, who taught at NIU as a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 1970 to 1999, said his philanthropy is an expression of his gratitude to NIU.

“I’m so grateful to NIU,” he said. “I could never thank NIU enough for what they have done for me and my life.”

Students who participate in CURE are profoundly impacted by the experience, and say it gives them a forum for future opportunities..

Last year, Elizabeth Nowak took a first-place award for their presentation, “Stronger Storytelling with Museums and Theatre.” They are a theatre studies and anthropology double major planning to graduate in the spring of 2027.

Nowak plans on pursuing a master’s degree or doctorate in museum studies after graduation and hopes to become a natural history museum curator. They said they began their project in the fall of 2023 as a “research rookie,” with help from their mentor, Jessica Cima.

It takes a lot of work to complete a research presentation for CURE.

“We have asked the question, ‘How can a temporary exhibit impact the audience’s understanding of the play?’ To answer this question, I have curated two exhibits for NIU theatre productions,” Nowak said. “Each round of research takes two semesters. I dedicate the fall semester to planning my approach, establishing contacts and conducting background research. I spend the spring semester curating, installing the exhibit, and collecting and analyzing data. Creating the poster takes about a month. I also spend time practicing how I will explain the process, purpose, data and conclusion.”

One of this year’s winners, Willow Phipps, presented “Detecting Storm Mode with Machine Learning.” A transfer student from Illinois State University, Phipps graduated from NIU in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and aims to become a researcher, professor or National Weather Service employee.

“No matter what, I want my career to focus on public service or education,” Phipps said.

Phipps’ project was a collaborative effort with their research partner, Brandon Weart, where they trained a convolutional neural network, or CNN, a type of machine learning model, to detect storm morphologies using radar imagery.

“The shape of a storm can tell us a surprising amount about what type of hazards are most likely to occur and can be surmised by radar imagery that essentially detects the ‘intensity’ of precipitation,” Phipps explained. “Our work resulted in overall accuracies of around 83 percent, which are higher than other machine learning models outside of CNNs, but previous work by a student here at NIU, Jeremy Corner, demonstrated a much higher ceiling for morphology detection using CNNs, around 97 percent.”

First-place winner Stacey Marcinkowski, an environmental science major with a focus on biodiversity and conservation and a minor in biology, presented “Flying Safe: Reducing Bird Strikes at Northern Illinois University.”

“The goal of this project was to identify high target areas for bird strikes around NIU,” she said. “Once we did that it was the goal to find cost alternative methods to mitigate bird strikes, especially during migration season. That is when window markings were applied with markers; the preliminary results showed that the method would be effective.”

Vana Dakarian, a double major in biological sciences and public health, received a CURE award for her presentation, “Flotillin 1 is Required for the Polarized Deposition of Basement Membrane Proteins in Epithelial Cells.” Dakarian hopes to become a physician.

“My project is focused on epithelial cells, one of the most abundant cell types found in humans,” Dakarian explained. “Epithelial cells are characterized by their organized architecture. The basement membrane is an essential component of epithelial architecture that lines one side of epithelia. The follicular epithelium of the Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit fly, ovary is our model system for studying the epithelial polarized architecture and the secretion of basement membrane proteins.”

She continued, “We are researching Flotillins — well-conserved genes involved in proper placement of basement membrane proteins secreted by epithelial cells to form the basement membrane. We identified Flotillin 1 as having a significant role in basement membrane protein secretion. This project sheds light on the mechanisms important for proper basement membrane placement and epithelial architecture, which will impact understanding of various diseases caused by the loss of epithelial structure in humans, such as cancers.”

The students interviewed were grateful to Hampel and Kennedy, and for the CURE experience.

“I never thought that I would be a winner of an award, and I am truly thankful and humbled that my judges gave me such high marks,” Marcinkowski said. “It has given me a major confidence boost in my ability to conduct the research and present it. I feel extremely confident moving forward that I will be able to successfully research the next topic of my choosing.”

Marcinkowski thanked her mentor, Jennifer Koop. Dakarian thanked her mentors as well.

“I wasn’t expecting to win anything, so it was a surprise and honor to have received this award,” Dakarian said. “When I first joined this Biological Sciences lab as a freshman, I was overwhelmed by everything I had to learn. My faculty mentor, Olivier Devergne, and graduate student mentor, Hemin Shah have supported me immensely during the past two years and helped me grow as a researcher. Receiving this award felt like a recognition of all the growth I’ve had and the effort I’ve invested into this project.”

The students expressed that CURE will mean greater professional and academic opportunities in the future.

“I was thrilled to win a CURE award as a first-year student and researcher, representing both anthropology and theatre,” Nowak said. “This will help me be a better candidate for interdisciplinary research positions, museum internships and graduate programs. Already, the award stands out on my resume, and I have since presented at a talk, and will be interning at the Pick Museum of Anthropology this fall.”

Marcinkowski said, “Symposia such as CURE are extremely important, as they give students an opportunity to connect with professors for potential research opportunities. It is also an opportunity to present unique research that, if it is what we want to continue with in the future, can connect us with a professor who may also be interested in the same area and be willing to take us on as grad students and help get funding to further the research.”

Phipps saw CURE as an opportunity to sharpen their professional and research communication skills.

“It affirmed my goals in becoming a professional researcher in the future and made me excited to go to graduate school to pursue a project that I am passionate about,” Phipps said. “In my opinion, research opportunities like CURE are extremely important for undergraduate students who want to pursue academia or higher education, because talking and networking with professionals at a conference is a necessity for a successful career in the field.”

Dakarian said research is an excellent opportunity for students, and CURE gives students a needed platform.

“Research reinforces content from the classroom, enhances critical reasoning skills, and allows students to experience being on the cutting-edge of a field,” she said. “Conferences like CURE provide a platform for students to share their research with the greater community, which I found to be exciting and empowering.”

Impact Networking CEO and Partner Mike Lepper, ’09, was never given anything; he always had to earn it.

“We are ordinary people aiming to achieve extraordinary things,” he said.

Lepper grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois, with loving parents who raised him fairly but pushed him and his two siblings, Karrie and Matt, to be their best. He grew competitive and learned to work hard and persevere even when the odds were stacked against him.

“My upbringing instilled in me a desire to always strive for the best version of myself,” he said. “I thrive on winning and love being part of a team that shares common goals and values.”

Lepper played football in high school and competitively with Pop-Warner Youth Football. He learned to show up always prepared to be his best.

He came to NIU to learn about business and earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational and corporate communications while also being a Huskie Football student-athlete. He says he developed mental strength and resilience at NIU, which helped him learn how to navigate challenges and emerge stronger.

“Being a student-athlete at NIU was an unbelievable experience. I worked hard, but it was all worth it,” he said. “If it wasn’t for NIU, I’m not sure I would be where I am today. Coaches like Joe Novak, P.J. Fleck and Jerry Kill had a profound impact on my life. I am forever grateful for the opportunity, as it helped shape me into who I am today.”

With great memories of playing football at some of the best stadiums in the country in front of huge crowds, Lepper graduated and took his competitiveness to sales, first selling an energy drink. After a few short months, he joined Impact Networking, or “Impact,” as a senior sales representative. He has since worked his way up at Impact, earning partner, and in January 2025, he became CEO.

Founded in 1999, Impact was built on the foundation of partnerships. Today, with approximately 900 employees, it’s their mission to leverage those partnerships to become the world’s largest managed service provider by connecting technology, processes, strategy and branding to elevate data and analytics and transparency for their customers.

“My journey over the last 15 years has been characterized by substantial growth, and while each role has contributed to my development, it is the employees I’ve worked with who have shaped me the most,” Lepper said. “My greatest accomplishments are seeing the people I work with succeed.”

Lepper said he was surprised to discover that success was not as hard as it seemed.

“You just have to be consistent and willing to put in the work,” he said. “My time at NIU taught me the value of earning what you achieve. NIU taught me ‘The Hard Way.’”

His family relationships also play a significant role.

“My wife, Amy, and our two children, son, Rocky, and daughter, Madi, are part of my success,” he said. “Their love and support fuel my days, and I am so grateful. I also have phenomenal relationships with my siblings.”

Lepper gives this advice to students and recent graduates:

“Love what you do and never work a day in your life. Treat people fairly, not equally. Remove emotion from business decisions. Never ask someone to do anything you aren’t willing to do yourself. Carry the Huskie Spirit with pride—after all, once a Huskie, always a Huskie!”

Erin Kirby’s two favorite events are Homecoming’s “Fill the Field” halftime program and “Play with the Pep Band” during “Cram the Convo.” As a Huskie Marching Band Alumni Network (HMBAN) leadership member, she helps coordinate and participates in the events.

She describes the “Fill the Field” event as “a supportive and welcoming atmosphere connecting current marching band students and alumni through song.”

Similarly, at “Cram the Convo,” Huskie Pep Band alumni perform and connect with current band members at the NIU Convocation Center and play some fun rock tunes.

Kirby was inspired to become involved in the HMBAN—first as a member and now as the communications coordinator. She aspires for her volunteer work to have a meaningful impact, viewing it as a way to give back to the Marching Band and the NIU Foundation, organizations that supported her with scholarship assistance as a student. In her role, she oversees communication strategies via social media, email and newsletters.

“Serving on the HMBAN leadership team is a unique experience to see how we, as an alumni network, can positively impact and uphold connections between current and alumni band members,” Kirby said.

As a recent alumna, Kirby easily connects with current band members and fellow young alumni.

“It is truly gratifying to volunteer because I can continue participating in the alumni events I love while also organizing events that I enjoyed participating in as a student in the band,” she said.

While at NIU, Kirby was a drum major for the Huskie Marching Band, where she learned about musicianship and leadership. She performed in two football halftime shows, including the 2021 Cure Bowl and 2018 MAC Championship games.

Kirby was a theory and aural skills supplemental instruction leader, collaborating with graduate students and professors John Novak, Ph.D., and David Maki on tutoring practices for undergraduate students. She was also a 4-year member of The Harmelodics, a student-run, all-treble a cappella group.

“NIU provided me with such enriching learning experiences and performance opportunities as a student,” Kirby said.

NIU Band Director Thomas Bough taught Kirby the importance of positivity in leadership and collaboration between the ensemble when directing rehearsals.

“He instilled in me the value of communication, preparedness, and professionalism as a musician, as well as the importance of prioritizing mental health as a fellow educator,” she said. “The additional life skills of collaboration and compassion that I have learned from all of my professors at NIU are skills that I strive to impart upon my own students.”

Kirby teaches fifth-grade beginning band in Barrington Community Unit School District 220, is involved in community ensembles, and plays the Bb clarinet in the Glenview Community Band and the Knock on Wood Clarinet Choir. She is honored to remain connected and collaborate with fellow HMBAN members and student-teaching cooperating teachers Eric Caliendo, ’91, and Dana Antosz (Young), ’13.

Additionally, Kirby plays at the NIU Clarinet Cornucopia, organized by clarinet Professor Gregory Barrett.

“This is an amazing event where NIU alumni, community members, and current students unite to create clarinet chamber ensemble music that celebrates clarinet repertoire!” she said.

Regardless of the event, Kirby feels a sense of pride and enthusiasm when surrounded by the excellence NIU instills in its students.

NIU alumni volunteer their time in meaningful ways. Want to brainstorm ways you can get involved? Contact Eric Glasby, ’15, M.S.Ed. ’18, at eglasby1@niu.edu.

When NIU recruited Matthew Baltimore, ’16, to play football, he signed on, excited for the athletic and academic opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

However, in his third year as a Huskie, after suffering his fourth concussion—two during high school and two in college—Baltimore was forced to rethink his dream of playing football professionally.

“My experience in marketing and videography as an intern for NIU Athletics helped to reshape my pursuits,” Baltimore said. “Still, having played football most of my life, the shift to no longer being an athlete and pursuing my passion was challenging.”

Baltimore said NIU instilled in him the confidence to learn, grow and thrive in unfamiliar situations.

“That mindset ultimately led to my promotion into my current role, where I now apply my digital media skills in a unique and impactful way,” he said.

After college, Baltimore initially pursued digital media, but later transitioned to a sales role. This transition was difficult, but it gave him invaluable insights into the business and ultimately enabled him to advance into the pet digital education specialist role at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Today, he is back pursuing his passions for storytelling, content strategy and creative leadership.

“My journey is proof that a change in your career path doesn’t have to mean the end of what you’re passionate about or what you’ve studied,” he said.

Baltimore works cross-functionally with marketing, sales and veterinary experts to ensure informative and engaging educational content. This includes scripting and producing training videos, coordinating with designers to enhance visual storytelling, or strategizing how to best deliver information through digital platforms. Baltimore also manages partnerships and training initiatives.

Baltimore is most proud of not his accomplishments but where he’s headed. He takes pride in the fact that he is continuously learning and pushing himself.

“I’m always learning and evolving in my role, and that’s what I love about it,” he said. “I’m always striving for growth through new challenges, evolving roles or continuing my education.”

Helping to refine his skills and expand his expertise, Baltimore is pursuing his master’s in strategic communications from Michigan State University. He says having a goal to reach keeps him motivated, and education has profoundly impacted his life.

“NIU equipped me with technical skills and invaluable life lessons,” Baltimore said. “Department of Communication Instructor Matt Swan was essential in helping me develop my scriptwriting skills and always appreciated my sense of humor, which made learning even more engaging. Media studies Associate Professor Randy Caspersen, on the other hand, gave me the technical foundation I needed to understand film production. What made both of them so impactful was their real-world experience. They weren’t just teaching theory—they had worked in the industry, which gave me something to look up to and strive for. Their guidance made it easier for me to listen, learn and apply those lessons to my own career.”

In addition to faculty, Baltimore said classmates helped him learn to adapt, collaborate and think critically. Working on group projects in media production classes offered unforgettable moments blending creativity, teamwork and hard work.

“I loved collaborating on scripts, bouncing ideas off each other, filming, and even those late-night editing sessions in the lab,” he said.

As a student, Baltimore was inspired by NIU alumnus Bill Weinman, who ignited a spark to look deeper to see what he could become. Baltimore hopes to pay it forward and encourage students and fellow Huskies to look beyond their initial dreams and explore the vast opportunities that lie ahead. He says NIU’s strong and engaging community is the best place to start.

For as long as she can remember, Tricia Despres, ’94, wanted to be a writer—interviewing people and being a voice for their stories.

Today, she’s a freelance writer for impressive publications like PEOPLE magazine, authoring exclusive stories with top country musicians like Luke Combs, Chase Rice and Brooks & Dunn.

“Breaking into PEOPLE magazine in 2018 is my biggest accomplishment,” Despres said. “It was a goal of mine since the beginning.”

Despres’s love for writing began in elementary school in Palos Heights, Illinois, but NIU gave her the skills and direction to launch her career. She chose NIU because it’s where her late father, Thomas Roegner, ’70, attended, and in 2023, after his death, Despres felt a pull to reconnect with her alma mater.

“I loved the feel of Northern from the very start,” Despres said. “My father was quite an active alumni member all my life, so once it was time to pick a college, it really was an easy choice. I have been thinking about how my father gave back to NIU throughout his life, and I decided that maybe it was time for me to do the same thing.”

Despres wants current students to know that a whole band of fellow Huskies is ready to help the right people and encourages them to take advantage of the alumni network in their chosen field.

In addition to forming a strong bond between Despres and her father, NIU is also where she met her husband, Paul ’91, when he returned for an alumni weekend with his fraternity, Phi Kappa Theta. She also met many friends and has fond memories with them at football games, tailgates, parties, lecture halls and studying into the early morning.

Despres was an Alpha Omicron Pi sorority member from 1991 through 1994.

“I loved everything about NIU,” she said. “It’s where I met my best friends to this day. The Greek system was thriving, and the people who made up the Greek system during those years still count as some of the most wonderful people I know.”

She immersed herself on campus and studied journalism. Pursuing her passion, she worked at the Northern Star for her first two years and at TV-8, the student station, for her remaining two.

“I learned all I needed to know about the direction I wanted my life to take,” she said. “My professors truly taught me all I needed to know about the field of journalism. I would not be who I am without NIU.”