Among several changes that are taking place on and around campus are the appointments of new faculty and staff. Some of these faces are new to NEIU while others have been on campus for a while.
Francesca Morgan is an assistant professor in the history department. Previously, Morgan was an instructor here at NEIU. She comes from Northwestern University in Evanston where she was a visiting scholar.
“How much time do you have? I love it here,” Morgan said when asked what she liked about Northeastern. In particular, Morgan said that while she loves teaching all students, she finds that first generation students are really eager to learn.
Morgan earned both a doctorate and a master’s in history from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in history from Harvard University. She is currently teaching several history courses on from the intro level to advanced history.
Eddie Rubinowitz is an assistant professor in the communications, media and theater who taught as an adjunct professor last semester.
Rubinowitz earned a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and earned a bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Rubinowitz currently works as an on-air reporter for Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ 91.5 FM).
Michael Armato is an assistant professor in the sociology department. He comes from New York University where he was an instructor and where he also earned his doctorate in sociology.
He came to Northeastern because of its location. He wanted to teach in an urban area. Armato was also impressed by what the students were studying and he thought the classes being offered linked sociology to community activism.
Armato said that his experience at the university has been a good one so far and he likes seeing the students sharing their ideas and insights.
Armato currently teaches sociological theory and urban sociology, but in the future would also like to teach classes on sex and gender or social psychology. Next spring he is teaching social inequalities and plans on sticking around for some time to come.
Jeanine Ntihirageza is now an assistant professor in the linguistics department and is also the coordinator of the English Language Program. She has been here for seven years said her experience here has been wonderful.
Ntihirageza holds a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Chicago and a master’s in teaching English as a second language (T.E.S.L.) from SIU in Carbondale. Here she teaches general education courses as well as graduate-level T.E.S.L courses.
“The students here are great, and returning students are so motivated to learn”, said Ntihirageza. She feels that she is here to stay and looks forward to continually working with the students.