Asian Pacific Islander Desi American+ Heritage Month at NEIU celebrates the accomplishments of the varied communities that make up the ADIPA+ population. The Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs has developed a variety of online programming to foster engagement and support, and the NEIU Library has created a virtual book display featuring APIDA+ authors or identity. Join us virtually throughout the month of April, and please check out the APIDA Heritage Month calendar for a full list of programming.
Aside from submitting our tax returns, April is also the time when we gather together at NEIU to celebrate the research and creative accomplishments of our faculty during the previous calendar year. Each year the Libraries and Academic Affairs host a reception to honor those faculty who have published books and articles or participated in other creative and scholarly activities.
More cruel than April itself, COVID-19 has thrown up an obstacle to that reception and hampered our plans to congratulate our colleagues. We are feeling this loss acutely in the Libraries and are suffering an emotion that is not unlike grief. There have been a lot of losses at NEIU this spring: the end of face-to-face teaching (much less general interactions with our communities), programs canceled, postponed commencement and related ceremonies recognizing graduation. So I suspect we are all feeling some level of grief.
But, while grief is a noun, grieve is a verb. It is a process that helps us heal. An element that I think is necessary for the grieving process to succeed is gratitude. We may never get over the things that we have lost, but feeling grateful for what we still have helps us to carry on. And what we still have is our wonderful faculty colleagues AND the excellent works they have created.
So, in place of the reception that was scheduled for April 13, we ask that you view this online exhibit that recognizes their scholarly and creative accomplishments. Take a moment to view their work and voice your admiration and respect to them personally. At the same time, I want to express my personal gratitude to Bonnie Pfeiffelman and Robin Harris on the library staff for creating and posting this wonderful exhibit. I am grateful that I work at a great place like NEIU. I’m also grateful that I don’t have to submit my tax return until July.
Faculty Publications and Creative Works 2019