North Central College welcomes near record number of tenure-track faculty

Fourteen new tenure-track faculty members—representing all academic divisions, including arts and letters, business and economics, human thought and behavior, and science—started the 2015-2016 academic year at North Central College.

The 14 new faculty is the largest class of tenure-track hires in 27 years and rivals the double-digit, tenure-track hires in the years 1988-1990 when graduate computer science and business programs were launched.

“North Central’s addition of 14 tenure-track faculty is a rarity for any institution on any level,” says Abiodun “G-P” Goke-Pariola, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, who began his position on July 1. “The exceptional number speaks to the College’s strength and confidence in its future as well as its continuing commitment to strengthening our academic programs.”

At a time when many colleges and universities are adding fewer tenure-track faculty and hiring more part-time and teaching assistant positions in an effort to reduce costs, North Central has made a long-term commitment to increase its tenured faculty. This conscious effort has and will continue to attract quality faculty who are dedicated to the College’s mission: to prepare students to be informed, involved, principled and productive citizens and leaders over their lifetime.  

North Central College’s new tenure-track faculty members (photos below) are:

GR Arora, associate professor of media studies. B.C. in business administration from Delhi University, M.F.A. in graphic design from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Nicholas Boaz, assistant professor of chemistry. B.S. in chemistry from Lebanon Valley College, M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton University.

Alexis Chambers, assistant professor of psychology. B.S. in psychological science from Ball State University, M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Notre Dame.  

Chetan Chawla, assistant professor of management. B.A. in English from the University of Delhi, M.B.A. in international business from the University of Southern California, Ph.D. in strategic management from the University of Massachusetts.

Emily M. Cramer, assistant professor of communication. B.A. in communication and English from Marquette University, M.A. in multicultural and organizational communication from DePaul University, Ph.D. in communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, previously held a visiting position at North Central College.

Jermaine Hill, assistant professor of theatre. B.M. in vocal performance from Ithaca College, M.M. in vocal performance from New England Conservatory of Music, previously a lecturer of music at North Central and assistant director of musical organizations at Purdue University.

Sean Kelley, assistant professor of music. B.M.E. from Wittenberg University, M.M. in music education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, M.M. in wind conducting from Wright State University, D.M.A. in wind conducting from the University of Oklahoma.  

Laura Lodewyck, assistant professor of theatre. B.A. in communication and theatre from the University of Notre Dame, M.F.A. in acting performance from Roosevelt University, Ph.D. in theatre and drama from Northwestern University.  

Alyx Mark, assistant professor of political science. B.A. in political science from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from The George Washington University.  

Nicholas Mauro, assistant professor of physics. B. A. in physics from Lawrence University, M.A. and Ph.D. in physics from Washington University, previously a visiting assistant professor at Lawrence University.  

Chandreyee Mitra, assistant professor of biology. B.A. in human ecology from College of the Atlantic, M.S. and Ph.D. in biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, previously an NIH IRACDA Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Training Fellow at the University of Arizona.

Jason Rice, assistant professor of sport management. B.A. in business administration-marketing from Transylvania University, M.S. in sport administration, Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational development-sport administration from the University of Louisville.

Lindsay Shannon, assistant professor of art history. B.F.A. in studio arts from Iowa State University, M.A. in modern art history from Richmond, The American International University in London, Ph.D. in American art history from the University of Iowa, previously an instructor of art history at Coe College.

Rebecca Hazelton Stafford, assistant professor of English. B.A. in English from Davidson College, M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Notre Dame, Ph.D. in creative writing from the Florida State University, previously a visiting assistant professor of English at Oklahoma State University.

Of the College’s 150 full-time faculty, 117 of those are tenure-track positions with nearly all holding terminal degrees.

Also this fall, North Central welcomed three full-time visiting and nine half-time faculty, as well as Esra Tasdelen, assistant professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, and Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Maha Moustafa Mourad from Egypt.

Photos, top row, from left: Nicholas Boaz, Alexis Chambers, Chetan Chawla, Emily M. Cramer, Jermaine Hill, Sean Kelley, Laura Lodewyck. Bottom row, from left: Alyx Mark, Nicholas Mauro, Chandreyee Mitra, Jason Rice, Lindsay Shannon, Rebecca Hazelton Stafford, GR Arora