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COLLEGE NEWS Spring/Summer 2024
New Historical Marker Unveiled, New Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Music and Art Programs Earn Accreditation, Dr. Mary Groll, MD, Named Dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences, Innovative Program Receives State Funding
CAMPUS
New Historical Marker Unveiled
Replacement acknowledges land that was home to the Potawatomi people
North Central College held a dedication ceremony on April 23, 2024, for a new historical marker on campus. Located between New Hall and the recently constructed parking pavilion, the new marker replaces a previous one commemorating Fort Payne. The fort was constructed in 1832 during the Black Hawk War, on land that is now part of the College campus.
Originally erected in 1964, the previous sign included a historically inaccurate description of the events of the Black Hawk War and was insensitive to Native American culture. A team of North Central students, led by history and secondary education major Raygn Jordan ’24, with support from faculty including Dr.Ann Keating, Dr. C. Frederick Toenniges Professor of History, and Dr. Luke Franks, associate professor of history and chair of the history department, worked together to create language for a new marker and to rededicate the land.
The team consulted with several local historical organizations, including Naper Settlement, the DuPage County Historical Society, and the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS), as well as with members of the Potawatomi Nation. The replacement of the marker was funded by the ISHS.
“Today, 60 years later, our understanding has broadened and deepened,” said Jordan. “We recognize that this marker stands not only as a way to honor Captain Payne, but also to acknowledge the Potawatomi people, whose roots and connection to this land extend far beyond any physical structure or historical event reported by those who came after them.”
The new marker acknowledges that the land was home to the Potawatomi people before they were pushed out by waves of U.S. settlers and federal policies forcing their removal. The federal government ultimately took control of the land, along with nearby rivers and other resources, through the Chicago Treaty of 1833.
After the unveiling, George Godfrey, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, offered a silent prayer and blessing for the new marker.
LEADERSHIP
New Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Dr. David Green was appointed as the new dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE), effective July1,2024. He has been the division chair of accounting, finance, management information systems, and economics, and professor of management information systems, at Governors State University in University Park, Ill.
“Dr. Green is a highly respected researcher, educator and administrator who will have an immediate impact on our students, faculty and staff in the College’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship,” said Abiódún GòkèPariolá, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “He is a collaborative and innovative leader who understands and appreciates the importance of interdisciplinary studies, which is at the heart of a North Central College education.”
In his 16 years at Governors State, Green was heavily involved in the College of Business’ ongoing AACSB accreditation, strategic planning initiatives, and assurance of learning efforts. He also helped lead development of a master’s degree program in the emerging field of business analytics.
“North Central has a long history of excellence through its impressive faculty, innovative teaching, engaged students, diverse academic curricular and cocurricular experiences, and collaborative interdisciplinary programs,” said Green.
He added, “I am proud to join the Cardinal family and contribute to SBE’s mission to develop principled leaders through a dynamic business education grounded in the liberal arts.”
Green is an active scholar with more than 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals. His areas of expertise include insider threats to information security, human computer interaction, and business and information systems education.
He holds a Ph.D. in business administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Green earned a MBA in management information systems and a BBA in computer information systems; business and marketing education from Morehead State University.
ACCREDITATION
Music and Art Programs Earn Accreditation
In November 2023, all of the College’s music programs and all of its art and design programs received accreditation — external markers of excellence — from organizations that establish national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees.
North Central’s department of music offers degree programs in music (liberal arts track), music performance, music composition, music education (choral or instrumental tracks), and jazz studies. All of the programs were accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) after a three-year process led by Dr. Jonathon Kirk, professor of music, and Dr. Susan Chou, assistant professor of music and chair of the department of music.
The art and design programs — which include graphic design, studio art, art education, and art history — received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The effort was led by Hale Ekinci, professor of art and design and department chair, and Christine Rabenold, assistant professor of art.
“This is such an important step — not just for these programs and the College of Arts and Sciences, but for the institution,” said Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We didn’t need an outside agency to help us understand how good we are, but it is reassuring to earn the recognition nonetheless.”
As part of NASM, North Central is among approximately 628 accredited institutional members, including schools, conservatories, colleges, and universities. NASAD has more than 320 accredited institutional members.
LEADERSHIP
Dr. Mary Groll, MD, Named Dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences
In May, the College announced Dr. Mary Groll, MD, as the new dean of the School of Education and Health Sciences (SEHS), effective immediately. She has served as interim dean of the SEHS since July 2023.
A board-certified pediatrician, passionate educator, and program developer, Groll arrived at North Central in 2019 as founding director of the College’s master of physician assistant studies program. She later became chair of the department of medical sciences. Prior to joining North Central, Groll was a faculty member and founding medical director of the physician assistant program at Dominican University.
“Dr. Groll has been instrumental in the successful growth of our graduate health sciences programs, and she is a talented leader and educator with a strong vision for the future of SEHS as a whole,” said Abiódún Gòkè-Pariolá, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Groll completed her pediatric residency at the University of Chicago and served as an attending physician in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units at University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital.
She earned her medical degree from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, her master’s degree from Northern Illinois University, and her bachelor’s degree from Knox College. She has received numerous accolades for her service as an educator and pediatric care provider, including the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Child Advocacy Award; the Feinberg School of Medicine Teaching Award; and the Feinberg School of Medicine Frederick and Harriett Stenn Fund Award for Humanism in Medicine.
“It is an honor to continue to serve North Central College and its amazing faculty, staff and students in this role,” Groll said. “Together, we will double our efforts to educate the next generation of competent and compassionate educators and healthcare providers, as agents of change.”
NEW GRANT
Innovative Program Receives State Funding
More than 95 percent of new North Central students receive some form of financial assistance from the College. Most merit-based and need-based scholarships only cover tuition, fees and sometimes housing and meal plans. As a result, some students can struggle to afford basic needs, such as food, clothing, transportation and healthcare.
Last December, North Central College was awarded the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s End Student Housing Insecurity grant to expand its innovative efforts to provide direct support to students who are experiencing housing and basic needs insecurity.
Those efforts include Cardinal Operation Hope and Help, which provides emergency financial support for basic needs.
Additionally, Cardinal Textbooks — a program run by the College’s Oesterle Library — provides students with free access to textbooks. The grant has also made it possible for the College to launch a new technology loan program, among other services.
“North Central College is committed to providing a holistic set of resources to help all students succeed,” said Dr. Jessica Brown, vice president for student affairs and athletics, the grant project team lead. “This grant funding will help students overcome some of the day-to-day obstacles that can otherwise derail their progress toward a college degree.”
