Congratulations to these alumni of the NIU College of Education!
George Abbott, M.S.Ed. Special Education-Vision Studies, ’93, was appointed to the Braille Institute of America Board of Directors. Abbott’s decades of experience in the field span vision rehabilitation, accessible education, workforce development and nonprofit social enterprise, holding senior leadership roles at three leading organizations in the sector. He most recently served as president and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. in Seattle, overseeing more than 425 employees – including more than 225 who are blind or DeafBlind – and guiding the fiscal and operational strategy of a $95 million organization. Abbott’s leadership also includes service with the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind, VisionServe Alliance, the Lighthouse for the Blind Board of Trustees, and the Illinois Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Dawn Brown, Ed.D. Higher Education, ’22, was reappointed to another term on the Illinois State Board of Health. Brown is the assistant chair of Curricular Affairs and an assistant professor in the Northwestern University Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. She is also an active member and leader within numerous physical therapy and health care associations, including the American Physical Therapy Association and the National Association of Black Physical Therapists.
Susan Carlson, M.S.Ed. Instructional Technology, ’16, joined the faculty of Concordia University Chicago as affiliate instructor and discipline chair for Communication. Carlson brings more than 20 years of experience in video production and media, along with 13 years of teaching experience in higher education. Her research focuses on generative artificial intelligence and student self-efficacy in higher education.
Maurice Davis, Ed.D. Educational Administration,’24, and Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’21, is the new Chief Academic Officer for Sycamore Community School District 427. Davis previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for Freeport School District 145, where he led organizational learning and continuous improvement efforts. Prior to that, he was the assistant director of Interventions and Inclusion for Freeport School District 145, where he oversaw school improvement systems and led professional learning initiatives focused on data-informed decision-making and student success. Davis began his career as a social studies teacher in the Chicago Public Schools and then taught history for the Rockford Public Schools, where he later became Executive Director of Schools, supervising and coaching school principals while supporting districtwide improvement efforts across multiple schools.
Heather Grobe, B.S. Early Childhood Education, ’15, was named executive director of the Dixon Family YMCA. Grobe oversees branch operations, including membership engagement; programming; volunteer and staff development; and community partnerships. Her 19 years of dedicated service to the Y include her most recent role as director of Youth and Child Development along with previous roles in youth sports, member services and more.
Chris Grode, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’03, retired in June after six years as superintendent of Columbia Community Unit School District No. 4. His career in education also included serving as superintendent of Murphysboro CUSD 186 and assistant superintendent and chief financial officer of Canton Unit School District 66. In 2018, Grode received the Superintendent of Distinction by colleagues in the Egyptian Region of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
Patty Grow, Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction-Curriculum Leadership, ’17, is the new principal of John Hersey High School in District 214. Grow began her career at Hersey as a teacher and served as division head for English, English Learner and Fine Arts and as associate principal for Curriculum and Instruction, leading schoolwide efforts connected to curriculum, instruction, professional learning, student success and continuous improvement. She also played a key role in advancing Hersey’s School Improvement Plan, supporting curriculum alignment, strengthening English Learner programming, expanding professional learning, and contributing to systems focused on freshman success, academic integrity, and college, career and life readiness.
Keegan Hill, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’08, is the new varsity football coach at Champaign Centennial High School. Hill’s more than two decades of coaching experience including serving as an assistant coach at Plainfield East in 2025, head coach for Mendota High School for eight years before that and assistant roles at multiple schools in the Rockford area.
Jamie Hooyman, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’86, is serving as the interim president of North Central Missouri College. Hooyman previously spent more than a decade at NCMC, where she held several leadership positions, including vice president of institutional effectiveness. She retired in 2025 as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Northwest Missouri State University, where in 2017 she became the first woman in Northwest’s history to serve as chief academic officer. Her honors include NCMC’s Top Sail Award and Northwest Missouri State University’s Influential Woman Award.
Lissette Jacobson, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’16, M.S.Ed. Literacy Education, ’13, and B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’11, is the new director of Curriculum and Multilingual Learning for Batavia Public School District 101. Jacobson previously served as director of Curriculum for Multilingual Learners with Huntley Community School District 158, where she oversaw multilingual programming and services for students in P-12. She also has held roles as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and district administrator.
Aimee Kasper, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’18, is the new principal of the Early Childhood Learning Center in the Freeport School District where she began her career as a kindergarten teacher. With more than 20 years of experience in education and instructional leadership, and expertise in curriculum development, multilingual learning and data-driven instruction, Kasper previously served as assistant superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment in Crystal Lake School District 47. In that role, she led curriculum initiatives and expanded access to early childhood programs.
Kathleen Kiernan, Ed.D. Adult and Continuing Education, ’03, was appointed to the Board of Directors for Rank One Computing (ROC) Corp. Kiernan’s three-decade résumé of leadership in federal law enforcement and homeland security, combined with executive level private sector biometrics experience, will help the board fortify ROC for its next stage of growth. The former president of NEC National Security Systems already has guided federal government customers to address mission-critical challenges through biometric identity, AI, machine learning and computer vision solutions. Kiernan previously served as assistant director for the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where she led intelligence-driven strategies across explosives, firearms, illegal tobacco diversion and terrorism, and served as the bureau’s representative to the Counterterrorism Center at the Central Intelligence Agency.
Jason Klein, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’19, is the new superintendent of Fenton Community High School District 100. Klein previously served as senior director of Learning Partnerships at the NIU College of Education and Division of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development; part of this role involved the facilitation of development processes with Fenton teachers, counselors and administrators as they created the district’s PaCE Framework (Postsecondary and Career Expectations). Before joining NIU in 2019, he served as a principal in Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15, assistant superintendent of Technology and Learning at Maine Township High School District 207 and in many roles at Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21, first as a teacher and then as a dean, a school principal, and later as the district’s chief information officer.
Shalonda Lane, M.S.Ed. Adult and Higher Education, ’16, is the new director of Equity and Anti-Racism at the Oak Park Public Library. Lane previously served the village of Oak Park as the collective impact manager, leading initiatives that included a comprehensive racial equity assessment, a policy audit and the development of the village’s Language Access Plan. Before that, she worked in higher education at the University of Illinois Chicago and Dominican University.
Amber Lee-Black, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’22, is the new principal of Jones-Farrar School in the Freeport School District. Jones-Farrar is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School open to students in K-7 through an application process conducted each January. Lee-Black previously served as assistant principal at Larsen Middle School in Elgin, overseeing special education compliance and discipline systems. Before that, she spent 11 years with Rockford Public Schools as a teacher and administrator, specializing in data-driven decision-making and staff coaching.
John Liuzzi, M.S.Ed. Special Education, ’13, is the new principal of Woodstock High School. Luizzi previously had served as assistant principal since 2022. He has worked exclusively in Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, where he began his career in 2013 as a life skills special education teacher at Woodstock North High School. Luizzi also has taught history, math, English, reading and in the AVID program, where he provided first-generation potential college students with lessons on career and college readiness.
Sondra Lundvick, M.S.Ed. Sport Management, ’96, is the new superintendent of the Joyce, Washington-based Crescent School District. Lundvick previously served as the district’s K-12 counselor and Teacher on Special Assignment, with a leadership role in student support systems, master scheduling, multi-tiered system of supports implementation, school safety planning, assessment coordination, athletics oversight and college-career readiness initiatives. She also had roles as interim athletic director and substitute principal. During Lundvick’s tenure in the Sitka School District in Alaska, she was recognized as the 2023 Alaska Region V Principal of the Year and the 2018 Alaska Region V Assistant Principal of the Year.
Steven Mauk, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education-Exercise Physiology, ’13, was named to the 2026 list of “Rising Stars: 188 Healthcare Leaders under 40” by Becker’s Hospital Review. The list recognizes health care professionals ages 40 and younger who are some of the most dynamic, creative and forward-thinking minds working across the industry. Mauk has served since 2025 as director of Physician Relations and Network Development at UChicago Medicine, where he leads the pre-launch regional outreach strategy for its oncology portfolio ahead of a new cancer pavilion set to open in April.
Eddie Phillips, Ed.D. Higher Education-Community College Leadership, ’20, is the new president of National Louis University. Phillips joined National Louis in 2021 and was named the university’s provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs in 2022. Before that, he was vice president of Academic and Student Affairs at Kennedy-King College, where he led academic operations, student support services and accreditation and compliance efforts. Phillips also held leadership roles at NIU, Malcolm X College and Rush University Medical Center.
Amanda Sheppard, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education-Exercise Physiology, ’15, and B.S.Ed. Kinesiology, ’13, opened Pittstop Strength in Schererville, Indiana. The barbell-based, strength-training facility aims to help adults build strength, improve mobility and maintain independence, focusing especially on aging adults. Sheppard, who played softball for the NIU Huskies, previously taught strength and conditioning to college athletes in DeKalb and at Sacramento State University in California.
Mike Shukis, M.S.Ed. Counseling, ’89, retired in June after seven years as superintendent of Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock. Shukis had served the Diocese of Rockford in various capacities since 1998, including time as dean of the Deanery for the seven Catholic grade schools in McHenry County.
Nicole Stuckert, Chief School Business Official endorsement, ’13, is the new director of Business and Operations for the Kane County Regional Office of Education. She previously served as assistant superintendent for Business Services and Chief School Business Official at Sycamore Community Unit School District 427, where she spent 17 years. In Kane County, Stuckert oversees budget development; financial reporting; grants and compliance; internal controls; audit preparation; technology infrastructure; data systems; and facilities. She also works directly with districts to facilitate the county’s Chief School Business Officials network and to manage the Health/Life Safety review and permit process.
Beth Summers, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’13, and M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’04, was named assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning for Rock Island-Milan School District 41. Summers, who brings more than 20 years of building- and district-level administrative experience from work in the Freeport, Hononegah, Rockford and Winnebago schools, is also an instructor in the NIU College of Education.
Jacob Weber, B.S.Ed. Physical Education, ’89, is the new head coach of the Fort Dorchester High School swim teams in North Charleston, South Carolina. Weber brings more than 40 years of coaching experience at the high school, college and club levels in Wisconsin and Illinois, most recently working with the North Charleston Sharks Swim Club. He has coached Junior Nationals qualifiers, state champions, state record holders and zone champions.
Jeremy Wickham, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’26, Chief School Business Official endorsement, ’24, and M.S.Ed. Instructional Technology, ’12, was appointed assistant superintendent for Finance and Operations/Chief School Business Official for North Shore School District 112. Wickham joined District 112 in 2019 as an associate principal at Oak Terrace School and later moved into district leadership overseeing technology. He also served as executive director of technology and operations.
Melissa Yarbrough, B.S.Ed. Special Education, ’99, is the new principal at Hope D. Wall School in West Aurora School District 129. Yarbrough previously served as assistant principal, leading instructional improvement efforts, supporting staff development and overseeing systems that ensure compliance and effective service delivery for students with complex needs. She also led District 129’s extended school year programming, ensuring aligned staffing, programming and compliance across special education settings.
If you’re a College of Education grad with news to share, please let us know – and send a photo! Our email address is ceduEdNews@niu.edu.
