Congratulations to these alumni of the NIU College of Education!
Phil Asbury, M.S.Ed. Adult and Continuing Education, ’ 94, began work Dec. 1 as executive director of the Office of Student Financial Aid at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Asbury’s more than 30 years of experience in financial aid include stops at Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also is a peer reviewer for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and has been a leader in federal negotiated rulemaking with the U.S. Department of Education.
Matthew Cascio, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’08, is the next superintendent of North Boone School District 200. He begins July 1. Cascio is currently assistant superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Learning in Genoa-Kingston School District 424, where he previously served as high school principal.
Jennifer Cogdill, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’02, was named the Canton, Georgia-based Cherokee County School District’s Library Media Specialist of the Year for the second consecutive year. Cogdill, who works at Woodstock High School, also earned the regional honor last year. She previously worked as a classroom teacher, serves on the school’s Instructional Leadership team and sponsors the student government as well as the Student Reading Club. Cogdill is also a Harvard University Library Leadership in a Digital Age Institute scholarship winner and holds Microsoft Innovative Educator and Apple Teacher certifications.
Brenna Crowson, M.S.Ed. Visual Disabilities, ’84, has published “The Healing Journey of Grief: A Roadmap to Hope,” a book about finding a path toward hope and healing following loss and other trials throughout life. Crowson is a certified litigation paralegal, yoga teacher, karate teacher and personal trainer. The book details her personal experiences throughout a decade after the sudden passing of her 28-year-old son.
Maria Cumpata, B.S.Ed. Physical Education, ’88, has retired as director of Elgin’s Parks and Recreation Department after a 35-year career with the city. Hired in February 1990 as a program supervisor, Cumpata helped to plan and oversee the construction of the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin, which opened in 2002. She also helped to launch the expansion of the Elgin Sports Complex and oversaw several other development projects, including the Highlands of Elgin Golf Course; Bowes Creek Golf Course; the aquatics centers at Lords Park and Wing Park; and Hawthorn Hill Nature Center.
Heidi Deininger, M.S.Ed. Learning Disabilities, ’98, is the next superintendent of the West Carroll School District. She begins July 1. Deininger has served as principal of Oregon Junior-Senior High School since 2018. She previously worked as a special educator for the Freeport School District and was a Special Education administrator in the Winnebago County Special Education Cooperative. Other roles in education took place at Belvidere High School, where she was assistant principal, as well as in the Rockford Public Schools and as an adjunct professor at Rockford University.
R.J. Gravel, Ed.S. in Educational Administration, ’19, M.S.Ed. in School Business Management, ’16, Ed.D. in Instructional Technology, ’14, and M.S.Ed. in Instructional Technology, ’09, is the next superintendent of Glenbrook High School District 222. He starts July 1. Gravel is currently deputy superintendent in Glenbrook, where his previousl roles include director of Technology Services, assistant superintendent for Business Services and associate superintendent. He earlier served as director of Instructional Technology in Johnsburg School District 12.
Gregory Harris, (Chief School Business Official endorsement, ’20, is the next assistant superintendent for Business and chief school business official in Downers Grove Grade School District 58. He begins July 1. With more than 20 years of educational experience, Harris currently serves as the assistant superintendent for Finance and Operations at Roselle School District 12. He previously served as the director of grants and accountability for Valley View Community Unit School District 365U, taught English and social studies at Romeoville High School and began his career on the faculty of the High School of St. Thomas More in Champaign.
Ehren Jarrett, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’09, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’06, and M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’04, has chosen to not seek another contract with as superintendnet of Rockford Public Schools 205, a job he has held since 2013. He will remain in that role until the end of his current contract June 30, 2026. Jarrett joined the district in 2011 and served as assistant superintendent. He previously was principal of Hononegah High School in Rockton.
Keiko Kimura, Ed.D, Adult and Higher Education, ’12, is the new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cayuga Community College. Kimura has served in several leadership roles since arriving at Cayuga in 2017, when she began as associate vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the Fulton Campus before being named vice president for Workforce Development and Partnerships in 2021. She led the implantation of the college’s 2022-2025 strategic plan and is an instrumental member of the college’s reaccreditation self-study process. Kimura previously was dean of Language Arts at San Jose City College, served as dean of Academic Enrichment and Language Studies at Harper College and taught in Chile and Japan.
Terese Marinelli, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’18, is the next principal of Goshen Elementary School in Edwardsville Community Unit Schools District 7. She begins July 1. Marinelli will join District 7 from Harlem School District 122, where she is in her third year as the assistant principal at Windsor Elementary School. Marinelli also spent three years as the assistant principal at Harlem Middle School and worked six years in the Rockford Public Schools as a team resource teacher and special education teacher at both the middle and elementary levels. She began her career at Stevenson Elementary School in Bloomington School District 87.
Amy Maxeiner, Ed.D. Adult and Higher Education, ’11, and M.S.Ed. Adult and Continuing Education, ’01, began work Oct. 28 as vice president of Student Success at Minnesota State College Southeast. Maxeiner leads the college’s academic enterprise and student support services, which impact virtually every aspect of the student experience at the college. Her more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration include tenures at Black Hawk College, where she served as vice president for Instruction and Student Services, and at McHenry County College, as dean of Education and executive dean of Mathematics, Sciences and Health Professions. She also worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago as director of Clinical Education and clinical assistant professor and, from 2001 to 2006, was academic coordinator of Clinical Education at NIU.
Amber Melander, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’05, was among the six finalists for the 2026 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year in Suwanee, Georgia. The K-5 computer science teacher at Patrick Elementary School, who joined the district in 2017, is dedicated to preparing her Computer Science students for career readiness by supporting teacher excellence through collaborative future-ready lessons and demonstrating best teacher practices. She previously taught second- and fifth-grades.
Corey Newgent, M.S. Sport Management, ’08, is the new director of parks and recreation at The Lodge at Des Peres, a family-friendly recreation facility serving the community in Missouri. Newgent has been with The Lodge for more than 15 years, serving in various leadership roles in facility management, sports, fitness and aquatics. He also recently earned Certified Parks and Recreation Executive credentials from the National Recreation and Park Association.
Nick Pesik, M.S.Ed. Adult and Higher Education, ’16, has returned to the University of Wisconsin-Stout as offensive coordinator for the Blue Devils football team. Pesik previously held the same role at UW-Stout from 2019 to 2021. He also has served as the wide receivers coach at UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire. His coaching career began in 2011 at NIU, where he worked for three seasons on a coaching staff that led the Huskies to three Mid-American Conference championships and an appearance in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
Stacy Riley, Ed.D. Community College Leadership, ’20, is the new president of Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., where she is working to implement the 2025 strategic plan, oversee upcoming digital initiatives and forge new partnerships for the organization. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Milwaukee, ECE evaluates foreign educational credentials of individuals for the purposes of studying or working in the U.S. and studying in Canada. Riley previously was executive vice president of Gateway Technical College in Kenosha.
Lisa Robinson, B.S.Ed. in Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing, recieved a Rockford-area Golden Apple Award. Robinson is a kindergarten teacher at Rolling Green Elementary School in Rockford Public Schools 205.
Sarah Rodriguez, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’00, is the next principal of Glen Ellyn District 41’s Kindergarten Center. She beings July 1. Rodriguez has worked with District 41 for more than 24 years, most recently as principal of Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. Previous roles include Accelerated and Enriched Curriculum teacher; kindergarten, first- and fourth-grade teacher; and problem-based learning coach.
Marc Schaffer, Ed. Educational Administration, ’09, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’06, and M.S.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, ’96, is the next superintendent of Vernon Hills-based Community High School District 128. He begins July 1. Schaffer has served since 2018 as superintendent of the Thompson School District in Loveland, Colorado. Previous roles in Colorado include assistant superintendent of School Leadership at Boulder Valley School District and director of Middle School Education at Douglas County School District. Earlier, he was a middle school principal, assistant principal and teacher in Northbrook School District 27, and dean of Students at Hamilton High School District 80 in Chandler, Arizona.
Muddassir Siddiqi, Ed.D. Adult and Higher Education, ’15, was named Feb. 20 as the eigth president of the College of DuPage. He begins July 1. Siddiqi currently is the Vice Chancellor of Instructional Innovation and Digital Strategy at the Houston Community College System. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Central College, with is part of the Houston Community College System. Other roles in higher education include interim college president, provost and vice president of Academics and Student Development at Morton College in Cicero, and as executive director of the Manufacturing and Skills Programs at the City Colleges of Chicago.
Jason Stipp, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’02, received the Illinois PTA’s Outstanding Administrator of the Year award in February. Stipp, principal of Waubonsie Valley High School, began his career in educational administration in 2004, beginning as an assistant principal at Wheaton North High School. He later was principal of Monroe Middle School in Wheaton Warrenville School District 200 before taking his current tole in 2012. He also serves as cohost of “The Imperfect Principal” podcast.
Jay Wachtel, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’03, is the new principal of Naperville North High School, where he had been serving as interim principal. Wachtel has held multiple roles at the high school since 2002, including assistant principal of Operations, chair of the Department of Career and Technical Education, business teacher and, during the 2020-21 academic year, an earlier stint as interim principal. He began his career in Colorado and spent three years at Libertyville High School.
Jamie Wilson, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’05, has been serving since Nov. 1 as interim superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools in Alabama. Wilson previously served as chief of staff for Montgomery Public Schools, director of Human Resources for Reynoldsburg City Schools and as a middle school principal.
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.
