Welcome to Northeastern Alumni Class Notes
Find out what your fellow alumni are up to these days. Share your news and events by submitting a note.
Aaron N. Durnbaugh
(M.A. ‘05 Geography & Environmental Studies)
Durnbaugh presented as the keynote speaker at this year’s Green Initiative Conference at NEIU. He is the director of sustainability at Loyola University, Chicago, IL.
Moneen Jones
(M.A. ‘06 Geography and Environmental Studies; M.S Biology)
Jones recently taught a series of beekeeping classes at NEIU through the NEIU Community and Professional Education (CAPE) program. She received a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Illinois.
Rebecca (Becky) Sarwate
(M.A. ‘07 English)
Sarwate recently published a new book featuring Chicago Cubs fans called “Cubsessions: Famous Fans of Chicago’s North Side Baseball Team.” The book is co-authored with Randy Richardson. Sarwate is a Chicago-based freelance writer whose work appears in Contemptor, The Broadway Blog, and Wrigleyville Nation, PoliticusUSA.com, RootSpeak magazine, EDGE Media Network, NewCity, Make It Better and StreetWise. She is a manifold IWPA award winner, and has been recognized for her work eight times by the National Federation of Press Women.
Ella Whitehead
(B.A. ‘11 History)
Whitehead was awarded the 2018 Black Heritage Alumni Award at the annual Black Heritage Awards Ceremony which took place at the NEIU Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies. She works as a the manager of the Career and Transfer Center at Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, Ill.
Lynda Gibson
(B.A. '11 Psychology)
Gibson recently accepted the position of Director of the Psychological Services Center and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.Gibson is the principal investigator on a grant funded by the American Psychological Association Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. The purpose of this grant is to implement Safe First Steps, a child trauma prevention program. She is also a research collaborator with the University of Illinois Chicago, consulting on two of their grants that are funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Stephanie Gomez
(B.A. ‘12 Sociology)
Gómez was featured by the Mujeres’ Young Professionals Advisory Council. She is the co-director of programs and training at Public Allies Chicago, where she is involved with innovating the training and learning curriculum. Her role offers the opportunity to work with young adults from the city of Chicago.
Carolyn M. Hodrick
(B.A. ‘14 Justice Studies; M.A. ‘17 Inner City Studies)
Hodrick launched a new program called F.E.E.D. (Family, Education, Economics, Acts of Self-Diligence). The initiative hosts book drives for educational programs in Chicago.
Daniel Williams
(B.A. ‘14 History)
Williams was recently named librarian at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in recognition of his strong leadership in promoting local history and cultural institutions. He is currently a library associate at Teen Services at Chicago Public Library.
Bill Harrison
(M.A. ‘15 Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Harrison published an article titled “Counseling people in the performing art” in Counseling Today, the membership magazine of the American Counseling Association.
Esmeralda Mora
(M.A '15 Latin American Literatures and Culture)
Mora released a book with Wayside Publishing, titled "Los Quince de Raquel," a Spanish-language children's book based on her experiences as a Mexican-American teen who had her quinceañera in Guerrero, Mexico. She currently works as a director with the Language Learner Literature Advisory Board.