Honors Program Faculty & Staff

Dr. Jennifer Jackson co-directs the College Scholars Honors Program. She has been an Associate Professor of English since 1996, specializing in 20th- to 21st-century American literature, rhetoric, and cultural studies, with scholarship on fiction, teaching, and first-year writing, among other subjects. She has served as the English Department chair, directed the Writing Center, and advanced social change initiatives through curricular redesign and outreach to communities as a First-Gen faculty member. As co-chair of the General Education Curriculum Committee, Professor Jackson coordinated revisions to programs across the College. Her work has been recognized through outstanding teaching awards, The Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities Endowed Chair, and a Distinguished Service to the College Award.
 

Dr. Susie Lafferty is a Lecturer in Leadership, Ethics, & Values Program in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship for NCC. She holds a Ph.D. in art education, cultural policy and administration from The Ohio State University and a Master’s in Business and Arts Administration from Indiana University. Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of leadership in community development and educational policy and leadership development, and she has prior experience working with students in residential living-learning communities for career and professional development. Additional research has included developing performance measurements for more reflective practice and positive workforce development within arts and health organizations, leadership trends and issues in non-profit management and public administration in the creative industry sector, and research in practice training for arts leaders at the local, state and national level.

Becca can help answer questions you have regarding your Honors Program application, scheduling a Honors Program visit, and/or the College Scholars experience! She can plan with you how the Honors Program fits into your time left at North Central once you’ve transferred in.

Laura Kendall Zimmermann is the associate director of admission. She appreciates North Central for its commitment to improving and enhancing the community in so many ways, like its green campus initiatives and service programs. She finds NCC students to be enthusiastic, friendly, and inquisitive, and she loves that she gets to help guide students through a decision that is so impactful on their lives.

Associate Professor of English, Dr. Quanisha Charles teaches first-year writing and language study courses. In addition to her teaching role, Dr. Charles serves as a first-gen faculty mentor and advisor on the study abroad committee. She has taught the English language in South Korea, China, and Vietnam. Her research interests center narrative inquiry, racial ideologies, and teacher identity in language education. Moreover, Dr. Charles serves on the international TESOL Journal editorial board and as a U.S. Dept. of State English Language Specialist.

Dr. Barberis teaches a broad range of courses in the history and philosophy of science, particularly the history of the behavioral sciences (biology, psychology and medicine). She teaches at the Shimer Great Books School, in the Environmental Studies program and in the Honors program. Her Shimer classes include the Shimer Natural Sciences sequence, "The Shape of the World," "What is Matter?" and "Evolution, Classification and Human Behavior." She also teaches "Environmental Justice," "The Dark Side of Evolution" and "What is Scientific Objectivity?" Her research focuses on late 19th century French sociology, psychology and philosophy. She has published in disciplinary journals such as Journal for the History of the Behavioral Sciences, Osiris, and History of the Human Sciences and in collected volumes, such as The Cambridge History of French Thought, and Phallacies: Historical Intersections of Disability and Masculinity. Her courses in the Honors program include "Immortality: Science and Science Fiction" and "The Beast Within: Science and Human Nature after WWII." 

Dr. Kotsko is on the faculty of the Shimer Great Books School, where he teaches widely in all areas of the liberal arts. His research interests include continental European philosophy, the history of religions, and popular culture. Among his many books are What is Theology?, an essay collection that aims to show the many ways Christian theology continues to shape the secular world; Neoliberalism's Demons, which explores the ways that contemporary capitalist society shapes our moral intuitions; Why We Love Sociopaths, a study of anti-hero characters in film and television. He is currently at work on a book about Star Trek. 
 

Hector Daniel Rico-Aniles was born in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. He received his Bachelor's degree from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, in 2012, the M. Sc. in electronics degree from the National Institute of Astrophysics Optics and Electronics, in 2014, and the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at New Mexico State University, in 2020. He is an IEEE member and his research interests are low voltage analog circuit design, analog/mixed-signals processing, and hardware design for FPGA, robotics and biomedical devices. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at North Central College where he enjoys exploring new electronic projects and different strategies to engage students in the amazing world of learning.

Dr. Krystina Sarff teaches courses that center on the sport management industry and serves as the clinical coordinator of internships for sport management students. Her first teaching focus is on contemporary issues in sport, which includes how different demographic identities intersect and affect a group’s sport experiences. Her second teaching focus is on sport facilities and event management. Here she aims to provide an interactive educational experience through facility site visits for students. In her research, Dr. Sarff recently completed the Mark H. McCormack Research Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts. This research highlights the evolving experiences of professional female athletes from the 1960s-2000s. Prior to arriving at North Central, Dr. Sarff was an NCAA Division 1 women’s rowing coach for nearly ten years. She utilizes her time in intercollegiate athletics in her teaching to provide students with real-life examples and best practices for entering the sport management work force