Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion to Showcase Transformative Research, Innovation and Engagement for a Second Year
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
Department of Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Venumadhav Korampally, Ph.D., presents at Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion on May 3, 2024. (Photo: NIU Foundation)
Life-changing research, innovation and engagement are happening across Northern Illinois University’s campus—and now, for a second year in a row, you can see it for yourself at Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion on March 1, 2025.
Last year, the university brought together 13 world-class faculty, staff and students to share their inspiring work with a packed room of alumni, donors, friends, and community leadership, with over a hundred more watching live online.
During the inaugural Huskie Trek Talks (HTT), audience members were enthralled as they discovered NIU research and artistry helping to solve complex problems related to our health, environment and so much more.
Paul Kassel, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, best described HTT as bringing “greater visibility to the passion, intelligence and creativity that are emblematic of the Huskie spirit.”
The NIU Foundation Board of Directors and its grants committee selected four projects based on their vision, impact, collaboration and quality to receive monetary awards totaling $50,000 at the event’s conclusion. The Divisions of Research Innovation Partnerships and Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development provided additional funding for two academic and engagement-focused projects. Since then, these funds have been used to further cultivate project goals and recruit talented students. As a public research university, giving talented students research opportunities and transformational experiences like these is profound.
A few 2024 "Trek Talkers" recently shared their project developments.
Department of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Pallavi Singh, Ph.D., presented “Repercussions of Our Actions: Rise of Superbugs,” where she shared the shocking prediction that by 2050, the number of people dying from superbug infections will surpass the number of people dying from cancer. The research Singh and her team are working on will enhance the understanding of the environmental and public health impact of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant genes that originate from sources we all (directly or indirectly) come in contact with. The research goals are improved preparedness, policy recommendations and effective public health mitigation strategies.
Singh said the funding she received allowed her to establish multidisciplinary research through collaborations across universities and local wastewater treatment facilities. She has also recruited graduates and undergraduates trained in skills to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
“Huskie Trek Talks funding also allowed me to generate preliminary data showcasing the presence of resistant pathogens and total live bacterial counts through our studies, indicating the relevance of this study locally and nationally,” Singh said. “The support from the NIU community for my research has been astounding.”
Chef Bryan Flower, NIU Edible Campus’ assistant director for food systems innovation, wanted the Huskie Trek Talks’ audience to know that on his team, “We aren’t just workers; we are dreamers,” he said.
To that end, Flower’s dream is for NIU to be a national model for building sustainable regional food production systems to address issues like food shortages experienced during the pandemic.
“The funding that we received from Huskie Trek Talks was used to hire two 10-hour nutrition graduate assistants to take the Edible Campus Meal Prep Program to the next level,” Flower said. “They have worked diligently to create nutritiously focused menus to benefit the students that utilize this amazing program Edible Campus offers. They have also been working to showcase and market the meal prep program while collecting data to help us better meet the needs of our students down the road. In total, we have served over 1,500 meals at no cost to the student participants out of the meal prep program.”
Department of Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Venumadhav Korampally, Ph.D., presented “Democratizing Healthcare…With Paper!” at HTT. His project focused on advancing and expanding at-home healthcare diagnostic tests using paper-based technology. The goal was to develop a single test kit capable of detecting multiple common illnesses.
“The project is progressing well and continues to demonstrate significant potential in basic research, commercial applications and healthcare,” Korampally said. “This project has proven to be an invaluable learning experience, both for me and my students, who have been actively engaged in various aspects of the research. Recently, we had the opportunity to present our work and early prototypes at the Chicago Biocapital Summit. We engaged with industry leaders in biotech, showcased our innovation at the Hall of Inventions, where we were honored to be invited to present our technology, and received constructive feedback to further refine our approach.”
Korampally continued, “Additionally, this project has led to new collaborations with Northwestern University, Governors State University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, all of which focus on global health. We are currently in the process of submitting proposals to advance this research further.”
Huskie Trek Talks presenters and attendees gather for a reception after the event on May 3, 2024. (Photo: NIU Foundation)
Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion was created with creativity and care by partnerships between the University Strategic Development Team, which includes the Division of Outreach and Engagement and Regional Development, the Division of University Advancement, the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships, and the Division of Academic Affairs. With continued collaboration and buzz generated after last year's event, the team is thrilled to host alumni and friends again this year at the Holmes Student Center.
“It was a huge accomplishment to put on an event of that magnitude,” said Associate Professor of Sport Psychology and Nadine Zimmerman Endowed Professor Jenn Jacobs, Ph.D., who is the co-founder of Project FLEX. She presented her project, “Building Bridges Behind Bars,” with Associate Professor of Physical Education Teacher Education Zach Wahl-Alexander, Ph.D., which plays a transformative role in rehabilitating incarcerated youth through sport-based youth development programs, among others. Jacobs and Wahl-Alexander won the “Your Choice” favorite presentation award from the live audience and those watching from home.
“Huskie Trek Talks allows NIU to showcase the excellent work that faculty, staff and students are doing across campus,” said Rena Cotsones, vice president for Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development and chief engagement officer. “I am always inspired by the engagement and innovation employed to solve society's most critical issues. Anyone who comes to Huskie Trek Talks will walk away impressed by our people and hopeful for the future."
Please join us at Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Video and in-person Trek Talks begin at 3:00 p.m. RSVP by February 22 here and learn more by watching the following video.