DeKALB | A new proton therapy treatment and research center received much of the focus from meetings held by the Board of Trustees committees Thursday.

The Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee and the Finance, Facilities and Operations Committee both met.

The proton therapy center, set to be built at the DuPage National Technology Park in West Chicago, will bring cutting-edge cancer treatment to the people of Illinois and the Midwest, according to committee members. NIU is looking to partner with various medical centers in the Midwest, hospitals and medical schools in the further development of the facility.

Presidential science adviser Jerry Blazey presented some background of proton therapy.

“Essentially, it’s a controlled beam of protons that offer the most precise form of radiation treatment available,” Blazey said. It can reduce healthy tissue damage and focus on the tumor much more than alternative treatments, he also noted.

“There are a number of opportunities we can see coming from this program and some very cutting-edge type of technology, and we see a number of potential for residencies for medical professionals with other medical schools,” said Provost Raymond Alden.

Some of these opportunities would include research, internship and residency for a number of the departments at NIU, he said.

“What excites me personally,” said Cherilyn Murer, chair of the Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee, “is the opportunity to watch NIU take a national leadership role in bringing this state of the art medicine to the Midwest. That is just a tremendous opportunity for us and the integration that we can have among our departments in the university all focused on this.”

NIU endorsed the request to issue requests for proposals for technical specifications necessary to properly evaluate proton particle accelerator systems. The center is set to begin treatment in 2011.

The committee also approved a revised budget for the paving of parking lot W by Grant Towers from the proposed $753,500 to $1.4 million due to secondary improvements needed. The construction will include the paving of the roadway leading to Annie Glidden Road as well.

The request to establish the budget project for the remodeling of the financial area in Swen Parson Hall was also approved. The proposed budget is $300,000 and will provide smaller rooms for direct consultations as opposed to the existing teller stations.