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Campus News
NEWLY STRUCTURED COLLEGE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOCUSES ON LONG-TERM SUCCESS
The retirement and departure of three vice presidents in the past 12 months presented an opportunity to update and shift responsibilities among the College’s executive leadership team. The individuals who serve on the President’s Cabinet help guide North Central’s strategic direction, and identify and oversee major plans, initiatives and policies that affect the broader institution.
“Without exception, the people who make up the College’s Cabinet are selfless, student-focused and committed to the long-term success of North Central College,” said President Troy Hammond. “At a time when we were going to welcome new members to the executive leadership team, it was an opportunity to reshape their roles and use their talents to (the) fullest.”
Recent additions to the President’s Cabinet include:
Rebecca Gordon, assistant vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion, was appointed to the new role of chief diversity officer. Gordon has been a leading partner on a number of important DEI initiatives on campus.
Jessica Brown joined North Central College in August as vice president for student affairs and athletics, the latter a new area of oversight for the position. Most recently Brown was dean of student services, engagement and leadership at Eureka College and her experience includes extensive work in athletic administration and coaching.
Christine Bell is interim vice president for enrollment management and marketing, and brings interim leadership experience from 18 institutions of higher learning. The marketing and digital staff members who were previously part of Institutional Advancement will join Bell’s team in navigating the fiercely competitive recruitment landscape.
TROY HAMMOND, PRESIDENT
Jim Godo ’93 has been promoted to vice president for communication and strategic initiatives and special assistant to the president. He will oversee the communications and sports information teams while leading a variety of institution-wide strategic initiatives.
In addition, Adrian Aldrich ’02 has been promoted to assistant vice presidentfor institutional advancement, overseeing the alumni and development areas of the College and serving as the College’s primary fundraising officer. He will report directly to Hammond and will also join the President’s Council, which consists of the Cabinet, academic deans and several other key campus administrators.
Estate gift builds in support for Shimer
Great new things are in store for the Shimer Great Books School as it reaps the benefits of a $4 million gift from the estate of William J. Davis.
A Mount Carol, Ill., businessperson, Davis made clear in his will that the funds were to be used to support Shimer. “In keeping with the College’s system for processing this kind of gift, we asked the faculty to guide us in deciding how to use the funds,” explained Adrian Aldrich ’02, assistant vice president for institutional advancement. Reflecting that faculty input, the College decided to use the gift to create a staff position dedicated to coordinating Shimer recruitment and programmatic leadership; to provide faculty and scholarship support; and to increase marketing resources.
The funds will also enable Shimer Great Books School to move into a centrally located space at the corner of Benton Avenue and Loomis Street, across from the Harold and Eva White Activities Center. The duplex, which was acquired by the College earlier this year, will also house staff offices for the College’s graduate programs—a move that will free up space in Rall House for additional offices for health sciences faculty and staff members. gift. It’s a big material vote of confidence in the dogged but realistic optimism that has sustained Shimer for many decades.”
ADRIAN ALDRICH ’02, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
“We have a long history of surviving against the odds, and not just through our own efforts but crucially with the support of enlightened generosity from alumni and friends like William J. Davis,” said Stuart Patterson, associate professor and chair of the Shimer Great Books School. “I know that the Shimer faculty and alumni alike also take spiritual sustenance from the “We’re grateful to William Davis for his generosity, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to invest further in the future and growth of Shimer Great Books School,” added Aldrich. "This is a shining example of the huge impact an estate gift can have on the College.”
For information about making an estate gift, please contact Adrian Aldrich at amaldrich@noctrl.edu or 630-637-5201.
Teagle grant encourages underserved students to explore the humanities
North Central College has received a $25,000 planning grant from the Teagle Foundation to help the College create the Civic Humanities Project (CHP), a bold initiative designed to increase exposure to the humanities, enhance college readiness, and cultivate service to the community for an increasingly diverse body of students.
Stuart Patterson, associate professor and chair of the Shimer Great Books School at North Central College, was at the forefront of securing the grant for the College. The CHP will bring rising high school seniors—called Freedom Scholars— from at-risk Chicagoland school districts to North Central’s campus for instruction beginning in June 2022. The project will entail three phases: a three-week series of seminars during the summer, which the students will take while staying on campus; mentoring sessions the following fall to help the students learn best practices for being a succesful college student; and service projects the students will design themselves.
The Freedom Scholars will experience engaging college-level humanities teaching and discussion and meet current North Central students, who are participating in planning for the CHP and will also be key to its implementation. Two Shimer Great Books School students, Claire Mikulcik ’23 and Alexandra Huston’22, are helping plan the syllabus for the summer seminars along with a panel of College faculty.
“(North Central) students from all majors will be able to serve as teaching assistants and residential counselors during the summer program, as mentors on college applications during the fall and as assistants to the Freedom Scholars as they devise and implement their civic engagement project in the spring semesters,” said Patterson. “The project brings students to campus who can speak from experience about deeply inequitable aspects of American society, while it also aims to encourage them to conceive ways to mitigate those inequities.”
The planning process for the CHP includes preparing an application for a follow-up grant from the Teagle Foundation. That $350,000 implementation grant would allow the College to operate the project for three years.
A conversation on LGBTQIA+ issues
Here we highlight the outstanding work by our faculty to help North Central students examine key issues for the LGBTQIA+ community. Carly Drake, assistant professor of marketing, and Suzanne Chod, professor of political science and coordinator of gender and sexuality studies, share their expertise.
Q: How can marketers properly reach out to consumers from the LGBTQIA+ community in today's climate?
Carly Drake: Marketing is impactful because it is all around us, all the time. Marketing that clashes with, threatens, or diminishes our identities, including those related to gender and sexuality, can be devastating. Subtle cues about gender and sexuality are present even in mundane advertising. For example, we often see advertisements with straight couples or even gay couples, but how might marketers represent bisexuality in advertising? Making these kinds of representations feel like a normal part of our cultural landscape could be really powerful.
Marketers can learn a lot from talking to LGBTQIA+ consumers. Empathy goes a long way in any conversation, as does amplifying voices that are typically marginalized. Ask people how they are doing and what they need and listen to the answers. Recognize that if you are coming from a position of power, you cannot know this issue better than those who experience it every day.
Q: What is rainbow washing and how can it be identified? Why is it problematic?
Drake: Rainbow washing is when firms appear to be celebrating pride or promoting LGBTQIA+ rights without doing anything to change the structural forces, such as discriminatory policies, that keep LGBTQIA+ individuals marginalized socially, politically and economically.
On a social level, rainbow washing gives the appearance of social progress without anyone having to do the work of enacting that social progress, like political organizing or ensuring the equitable distribution of resources. For consumers, rainbow washing can be misleading. We think we are supporting or promoting socially progressive companies, or even donating to their causes, but our involvement with them will have little measurable impact on the causes we care about.
Q: What is your strategy for engaging students in discussions of gender identity and sexuality?
Suzanne Chod: As a political scientist and coordinator of the College’s gender and sexuality studies program, my job is to open up dialogues about the institutional and societal inequities, especially in an intersectional way. This can be challenging, especially in the current political climate. Speaking from the U.S. context, I center the discussion on the 14th Amendment that provides equal protection under the law. More specifically, it prohibits states from making or enforcing any law that discriminates against citizens.
Living as one’s true, authentic self is living as a full citizen; and full citizenship is afforded to all in the 14th Amendment. This approach asks students to think about personhood and how the Constitution, laws, and Court rulings have addressed it. It helps them see how they might have privileges that make it easier for them to move through the public sphere in ways others cannot.
Drake: My strategy in discussing these topics with students is to weave them into everyday learning. It isn’t enough to have one week out of a 16-week class be devoted to talking about social issues, because these issues permeate every aspect of our very social jobs as marketers.
I want marketing to make people feel included, and there is no place in my classroom for discrimination or hate. I am completely steadfast and unapologetic in setting this tone, which means my students know they can be vulnerable in their learning. They can ask big questions and share their experiences. When we realize that we are all trying to be better together, the classroom becomes less about getting and giving grades and more about helping each other.
Q: Why is it vital for students to think and talk about gender and sexuality?
Drake: The world is changing every day, and it’s becoming less feasible to be insulated from conversations about gender and sexuality. This is a good thing. Being a part of these conversations will make us better learners, but also better family members, friends, and colleagues. When we see the changing world as an opportunity, rather than a threat, that can make all the difference.
Chod: None of us is immune to the effects of white supremacy and systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia. Whether you benefit from them, or are oppressed by them, these discussions are paramount in understanding our own experiences in the context of others’. Examining ourselves is an integral part of the College experience, and we cannot examine ourselves and our identities without being pushed to see outside our bubbles.
NEW MAJOR IN NUTRITION READIES GRADS FOR GROWING PROFESSION
Experiential opportunities will be a hallmark of the new bachelor of science degree in nutrition science, which was added to the College’s health science offerings this fall. The program is designed so students are highly competitive for internships, graduate school and the job market, while at the same time giving them a wealth of practical knowledge. The program is a didactic program in dietetics, which prepares students for dietetic internships and to sit for the registered dietitian nutritionist exam.
“We’re very excited to bring a nutrition science undergraduate degree to North Central as part of our strategic plan to grow the College’s health professional degree programs,” said Marci J. Swede, dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences.
Directing the new program is Kim Milano, visiting assistant professor of health sciences. She and other faculty designed the program to take full advantage of various campus programs and facilities. Students will experience how nutrition can be applied in a variety of settings while preparing to be successful registered dietitians or to excel in other entry level nutrition-related jobs.
As early as their first year, students will benefit from hands-on experiences across campus, including with Chartwells, which is the College’s on-campus dining service; the community garden; Dyson Wellness Center; and Cardinal Fit, which provides students, staff and faculty with fitness assessments and counseling from exercise science students under the supervision of program faculty. Many of these experiences would not typically be available to students until they entered a graduate-level program.
For more information on North Central College’s degree in nutrition science, visit: northcentralcollege.edu/program/ nutrition-science.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Jeffrey Jankowski, professor of chemistry, was honored as the first recipient of the Horizons by Gold Eagle “Agile Innovator Award” presented by Gold Eagle Company. Jankowski was recognized for his commitment, innovative mindset and leadership as the official liaison with Horizons by Gold Eagle: a product innovation lab and incubator founded in 2018 by Gold Eagle Company and housed at North Central College. The unique partnership is dedicated to involving North Central College staff and students in helping identify, develop, and commercialize new products.
“Dr. Jankowski displayed a willingness to proactively take on unique challenges, learn from trial and experimentation, and keep moving the team forward with one purpose: To solve consumer problems,” said Gold Eagle CEO Marc Blackman.
Rebecca Stafford, associate professor of English, was one of 24 artists who were recipients of a $15,000 award from the Illinois Art Council Agency (IACA) in recognition of their outstanding work and commitment within the arts. The Artist Fellowship Awards program provides funding in eight artistic disciplines and Stafford received her fellowship in the poetry category.
Gerald Thalmann, associate professor of accounting, was honored by the Illinois CPA Society with a 2021 Outstanding Educator Award which celebrates educators who have made significant contributions to the education of accounting students through their leadership, teaching excellence, and active involvement in the accounting profession. Thalmann was cited for his commitment as an advisor to Enactus and director of North Central’s Coffee Lab.
“Thalmann’s innovative approach to teaching accounting and ethical business practices includes utilizing the Coffee Lab to provide students a hands-on learning medium with immersive case studies and real-life accounting and socially responsible business experiences,” according to the award citation.
Anne Groggel, assistant professor of sociology, was awarded a competitive fellowship from the American Sociological Association’s Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline (FAD). She received $4,726 for her research “Mediated Communication and Perceptions of Sexual Consent.” This study evaluates implicit meanings of sexual consent between college students, as conveyed through mediated communication such as Snapchat conversations that use emojis—which sheds light into the dynamics of sexual consent on college campuses. FAD awards scholars with “seed money” for innovative research that has the potential for challenging the discipline, stimulating new lines of research and creating new networks of scientific collaboration.
AWARD-WINING PLAYWRIGHT: “I WAS MEANT TO BE A WRITER”
Gelaine Vestal ’21 won the 2021 Judith Barlow prize earlier this year for their original one-act play, “The Shop.” The award is sponsored by History Matters, a national coalition of theater professionals that promotes the study and production of women playwrights and their plays.
Inspired by Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal,” studied in a North Central literature course, Vestal penned “The Shop” during summer 2020. “Since we were all in quarantine, I had a lot of time to make it the best it could be,” they said. After revisions, Vestal completed the application with the help of Laura Lodewyck, assistant professor of theatre. In March, Vestal learned they had won first prize, along with its $2,500 award. “It was such a great feeling to be recognized and praised for something I am so passionate about. It really reinforced what I believed about myself: that I was meant to be a writer.” “I believe that writing, especially playwriting, can be a tool for creating positive representation and acceptance of the queer community—this is what’s at the heart of my writing. My hope is that I can make a difference in the world for my community through writing.”
GELAINE VESTAL ’21
Vestal plans to begin working toward an MFA in playwriting and in the meantime, they’re working remotely as an editor and brand ambassador for Minerva Rising Press, a publishing company focused on women writers. “Although I do not know exactly where the future will take me,” they said, “I plan to always keep writing as part of my life.”
North Central forensics team makes history at national competitions
North Central College forensics, a campus program since the College opened in 1861, competed virtually for the first time during the 2020-2021 season. The Cardinals entered four different national competitions to conclude their season. "We worked incredibly hard under the difficult constraints of online competition, but that didn’t slow down our students,” said John Stanley, associate professor of communication and director of forensics.
The College had nine students compete at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament held March 18-21. Jessica Wycha ’21 won a national championship (first place out of 125 students) in extemporaneous speaking and took second place in interviewing (out of 129 students). Diego Mateo ’23 took second place in prose interpretation (out of 77).
The team also took part in the fourth annual National Speech Championship on March 19-21. North Central placed ninth and Wycha again won a national championship. Only in remote competition can one student win two national titles in the same event on the same day at two different national tournaments.
At the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament on April 3-5, Wycha was chosen as an All-American for her success in forensics, outstanding academic performance and remarkable service.
Finally, the team competed at the 50th National Forensic Association national tournament on April 16-19 and placed ninth in President’s Division II.
Notably, the team welcomed five students who had never competed in forensics prior to coming to North Central: Kaitlyn Colvin ’22, Luke Kwiatkowski ’23, Gaby Medrano ’23, Sarah Runchey ’22 and Angel Tovar ’23.
COMMENCEMENT X 4
North Central College celebrated the graduates of 2020 and 2021 with not one, not two, not three but FOUR commencement ceremonies, carefully conducted to follow all COVID-19 protocols. Held May 8 and 9, 2021, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, students and faculty were organized into the School of Business and Entrepreneurship; Health Sciences and Education; the College of Arts and Sciences—arts majors and Shimer Great Books School; and the College of Arts and Sciences—science majors. For a summary of the day, watch clips of the four student speakers on the North Central College YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6I2WMXsJIQ.
