NIU Alumni

Our STEM Cafes are fun, casual gatherings where adults can eat, drink, and chat with STEM professionals about the latest scientific research. These events are free and open to the public and are made possible with the support of NIU STEAM in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association. They’re made possible with support from Bayer Fund. Interested in accessing our previous STEM Café recordings? Find them on our YouTube channel. Don’t miss these STEM Cafés this fall! Sept. 11, 2024 – Critical Minerals: The Hidden Materials Required for Green Energy   Oct. 9, 2024 – Supercomputing to Change the Course of American Science The Aurora Exascale Supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory is one of the world’s fastest supercomputers. It is capable of computing more than a billion calculations per second and takes up the floor space of four tennis courts. This supercomputer promises to accelerate advancements across scientific research, creating complex climate models, cracking cosmic conundrums, and contributing to cures for chronic conditions. In other words, it can potentially change the course of science. Learn more about how supercomputers transform scientific research across many domains, from the laboratory to the cosmos. Speaker: Michael E. Papka, Ph.D., Senior Scientist/Division Director/Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Professor of Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and co-Director of the George Crabtree Institute @ UIC/ANL Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from additional sponsors and individual supporters.   Nov. 6, 2024 – Artificial Intelligence in Sales and Pricing Dec. 4, 2024 – The Fast-Moving World of Electric Vehicles Find details and descriptions on the STEM Café webpage.