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Benedictine University is an inclusive academic community dedicated to teaching and learning, scholarship and service, truth and justice, as inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the social teaching of the Church, and the principles of wisdom in the Rule of St. Benedict.
Benedictine University aspires to be a thought leader in Catholic higher education. We seek to provide a transformative and integrative educational experience grounded in Benedictine values, helping students shape lives of meaning and purpose as engaged citizens who care for the earth, welcome people of diverse faiths and cultures, and promote the common good.
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Michael Abernathy is a Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, serving as Global Leader of Intellectual Property Life Science Litigation, member of the Firm’s Global Advisory Committee and a member of the management team of the Firm’s Chicago office. Abernathy has 30 years of litigation experience, frequently advising corporations on the strategic use of intellectual property assets, post grant review, licensing programs, the Hatch-Waxman Act, and patent due diligence issues. He also has litigated emergency injunction proceedings involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices, computer software, trademark counterfeiting, and industrial espionage.
A frequent speaker, Mike has presented lectures on trial advocacy to the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, the Practicing Law Institute, the International Trademark Association, the Northwestern University School of Law, the Bureau of National Affairs, PricewaterhouseCoopers National Expert Forum, and the National Business Institute. His topics include effective presentation of electronic demonstratives, use of electronically stored information under the Federal Rules of Evidence, and retention of technical and damages experts.
Abernathy is a faculty member at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and an adjunct professor of clinical trial advocacy at Northwestern University School of Law. He sits on the Board of Trustees for All Saints Catholic Academy and was Chair of the Board of Directors for St. Francis High School from 2003-2004.
Abernathy received his Bachelor of Arts from Benedictine University, Magna Cum Laude in 1979 and his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 1982.
Aimee J. Allbritton, Ph.D., is vice president of Organization Development and chief learning officer at Memorial Health System in Springfield, Ill. Allbritton began her career as an educator in Educational Resources at Memorial Medical Center in 2000. She later served as director of Educational Resources and system director of Organization Learning and Development for the health system from 2002-2009. In 2009, she was named system administrator of Organization Development, and served in that capacity until expanding into her current role in 2012.
Allbritton serves on Memorial Medical Center’s executive leadership team. Her responsibilities include identifying, diagnosing, designing and leading change among the health system’s structures, behaviors and processes. She also leads the organization’s efforts to develop its leadership team by developing and facilitating a leadership development program. In addition, she is responsible for strategic leadership for the development, implementation, coordination and evaluation of a comprehensive educational infrastructure that ensures that the workforce has the needed knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve the organization’s desired outcomes. She also provides strategic leadership for the development and maintenance of employee engagement programs to effectively manage and enhance the employee experience across the organization.
Allbritton provides executive leadership for the workforce development, organization development, workforce planning and simulation and clinical development departments within the Memorial Health System. She is also responsible for design, construction oversight and operations of the Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation, which opened in spring 2015.
Active in community affairs, Allbritton is a member and serves on the scholarship committee of Illinois Women in Leadership, which encourages and equips women to become effective leaders in Illinois businesses. She is also a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois. She volunteers annually at Memorial Medical Center’s Be Aware Women’s Fair and at the Memorial Medical Center Foundation’s Festival of Trees.
Allbritton is also active in healthcare and organizational associations. She is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the Association of Talent Development and the Organization Development Network. She is a certified technical trainer with CompTIA, a FranklinCovey certified facilitator, a Microsoft authorized instructor, and a registered organization development consultant. She has earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
Allbritton earned a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior and a Ph.D. in Organization Development at Benedictine University at Springfield (Ill.). She has presented nationally and internationally as an expert on executive leadership transitions and her work has been published. She is currently working on a book for health care leaders to assist in executive leadership transitions. Allbritton and her husband, Chris, live in Springfield with their blended family of four teenagers – Micalister, Andrew, Caidin and Carolyn.
Jerry Bell Jr., Ph.D. is a former enlisted medic, West Point graduate and a former Aviation Officer where he flew the UH60 blackhawk and is the owner of JBJ Business Group Inc (JBJ) a CVE SDVOSB and SBA 8 a management consulting firm. Since 1998, Jerry has worked with many leading corporations and the military with his unique workforce development processes. Jerry works with clients to lead, design and deliver transformational change programs through an integrated approach that focuses on proactively managing risk to drive desired business benefits leveraging validated assessments and tools.
Jerry helps his clients achieve improvement in efficiencies, effectiveness, and accountability by leveraging scholar practitioner organization development frameworks, leveraging change management strategies, and utilizing training design frameworks. JBJ has provided these services to the Department of Veterans Affairs and small businesses in the construction industry.
Jerry has spoken and presented at various conferences, most notably the Midwest Academy of Management Conference, Lyon Conference in Lyon, France, and the Command and General Staff for the Marine War University in Quantico, VA where he has presented on servant leadership, job fit for veterans, and group dynamics.
Bell received his Master of Business Administration and his Ph.D. in Organization Development from Benedictine University. He has adjunct faculty experience at Lewis University, Benedictine University and has been published in a book providing insight on power in organizations.
Mary Ann Bobosky spent 38 years in the field of education, closing her career in administration at Naperville Community Unit School District 203. As an administrator, she formed the Naperville Education Foundation, formed business, community and education partnerships, and fostered parent involvement and retiree activities in the district. Currently she serves as president of Advocates Building Communities Inc.
Active in many community organizations, Bobosky is on the community advisory council of Loaves & Fishes Community Services and KidsMatter Inc. She serves on the board of directors of Naperville Bank & Trust and is a member of the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise. She is also a past member of the Benedictine University President’s Advisory Council.
Bobosky has been featured for her leadership in Working Mother magazine and Midwest Living magazine. She has received leadership awards from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA of Metro Chicago, the Daily Herald Business Ledger, Citibank, American Association of University Women and the Naperville Jaycees.
Bobosky earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of St. Francis in Joliet and a Master of Science and Master of Education at Northern Illinois University.
W. Brand Bobosky is a lifelong Naperville resident who has practiced law in the area for many years. Few exemplify Naperville’s community spirit better than Bobosky, a true professional who is dedicated to serving his clients, his community and his family.
Bobosky has served as chair of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and president of Little Friends Inc., and is a member of the Rotary Club of Naperville, the Naperville Jaycees and the Benedictine University Alumni Board of Directors.
Nicknamed “Naperville’s Idea Man,” Bobosky has spearheaded many Naperville initiatives. As president of the Century Walk Corporation since its founding in 1996, he spurred the introduction and promotion of public art throughout Naperville. He was recognized as Benedictine University’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in 2009.
Bobosky graduated from St. Procopius College with a Bachelor of Arts and earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois.
Former Lisle Mayor Joe Broda was the longest, continuously serving public official in the village’s history. Broda served as village trustee for 15 years before being elected mayor in 2001. His tenure as mayor allowed Broda to serve both Lisle and the county through his active role in the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, where he was on the conference’s Legislative Committee after serving as president of the conference in 2008.
Broda was elected in 2009 to the board of directors of the Illinois Municipal League (IML) as one of its vice presidents. He was appointed to the IML Executive Committee and served on the Legislative Committee, advocating legislation on behalf of Lisle and all DuPage communities. In 2012, he became a board member for DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM) and became an executive committee member in 2013. Broda was also appointed by the mayors of County Board District 2 to serve as a commissioner on the DuPage Water Commission. In addition, the mayor also served on the board of directors of the Lisle Chamber of Commerce and the Lisle Convention & Visitors Bureau.
A 31-year veteran of Lucent Technologies, his professional career took him through the company’s evolution from Western Electric to AT&T to Lucent before he retired in 2001. He earned an associate degree from DeVry University and graduated from the Institute for Management at Benedictine University in 1982.
Broda and his wife Joanne have lived in Lisle for more than 38 years, raising their three daughters here. They are also the very proud grandparents of Jacob, Samantha, Carter and Cooper. Throughout his time in Lisle, he has been an active member of St. Margaret Mary Church, serving as a greeter and as a committee chairman for parish Men’s Club events. All of these activities contribute to Broda’s involvement in the community.
Tom Carmazzi is Tuthill Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer. His role, simply stated, is to bring to life the COMPASS of the Corporation. The COMPASS is Tuthill’s version of a Vision & Mission statement however it is radically different from the norm. Our version is all about ALIVENESS with a Purpose to Wake the World. This HUGE undertaking takes a culture where folks want to live into their full potential not only for the company, but for their families, their community, and the world!
Tom has spoken to various organizations on the benefits of a powerful culture. Those include Center for Innovative Cultures (Collaborative Cultures Summit), International Leadership Association, Manufacturing Alliance & Productivity Institute (MAPI Summit), Executive Breakfast Club of Oakbrook, University of Illinois, Benedictine University, University of Notre Dame; University of Chicago, St. Francis University, Quincy University, Girls Scouts, and boys/girls athletic clubs. Tom has been active on the Oakbrook Executive Breakfast Club.
Tom has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from the
During his 35-year career, Kenneth D. Carruthers has provided sales, marketing and consulting competencies to the commercial employer market, government and health plan segments while working for Alere Inc., Intracorp (subsidiary of Cigna), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Rush Prudential Health Plans in Chicago and Health Risk Management in Minneapolis.
He has successfully provided experience covering sales and consultative competencies in a variety of managed health care initiatives including network recruiting and contracting, developed capitation-pricing models for various network product offerings (PPO, EPO and HMO), and conducted feasibility studies for payers. He also has care management product expertise in network, medical, case, wellness, demand and disease management.
Carruthers earned a bachelor of arts at Illinois Benedictine College in 1976. Upon graduation, he was a high school teacher, coach and guidance counselor. He signed as a free agent with both the New York Giants (1977) and Denver Broncos (1979) of the National Football League.
Amania Drane began her career in the auto claims division before moving into human resources at State Farm Insurance, where she worked for 25 years. Her life aspiration is to utilize her leadership, research and organizational skills and vast travel experience to optimize the personal and professional development of others. Drane has set up a mentorship program and founded the Celebrating Success Scholarship for African-American students at Benedictine University. She leads by example in every endeavor she undertakes. She has a real passion for education and wants to make sure all students and alumni of Benedictine University live up to their full potential.
Drane is a member of the Zeta Omicron Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. She is president of the board of directors of Asserting Achievement, Literacy & Resiliency and the Two Rubies Foundation. She also serves in leadership roles at the Board of the Illinois Friends of ACT-SO, Mombasa Relief Initiative and Advisory Council for the National Latino Education Institute. Drane also received the Benedictine University Alumni Service Award in 2014.
Drane earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at the University of Louisville and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior at Benedictine University.
Bev Patterson Frier is a community activist. A Naperville resident since 1962, Frier founded Patterson Pianos and Organs in 1967 with stores in Woodfield Mall, Fox Valley Mall, Addison and Naperville. A member since 1966, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. She has also been a member of the Naperville Country Club since 1967.
Frier has served on many boards. She was the first woman to serve on the board of the National Association of Music Merchants and currently serves on the board of Martin Avenue Apartments in Naperville, a housing development for seniors or persons with disabilities on a limited income. She is a founding emeritus member of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Benedictine University, founding co-chair of the City of Naperville’s Senior Task Force, founder of the Omnia Performing Arts Center and an emeritus trustee of Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan.
In 2011, 23-year-old Chris Glover became the youngest person ever elected to the Mesa City Council. He served as vice mayor from April 2014 to January 2015 and is serving his second term as District 4 councilmember. His term runs through January 2019.
Glover is currently serving his fifth term on the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Steering Committee, and his fifth term on the National League of Cities’ Council on Youth, Education and Families. He is also a member of the National League of Cities Board of Directors. He is the youngest member of the board and joins vice mayor Dennis Kavanaugh as the only representatives from Mesa to serve on the National League of Cities Board of Directors.
Active in the community, Glover serves on the board of directors for the Barry and Peggy Goldwater Center for Democracy, the Child Crisis Arizona, the Downtown Mesa Association and A New Leaf, among others. He is chair of the City of Mesa Audit, Finance and Enterprise Committee and also sits on the City of Mesa Public Safety Committee.
Glover earned a Master of Science in Management at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. While completing his Bachelor of Science in Political Science at Arizona State University, Glover earned degrees in History and Spanish, certificates in Latin American Studies and International Studies, and was a Capitol Scholar and Junior Fellow. Glover also studied at the Universidad de Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and served as an intern in Washington, D.C., for Sen. John Ensign (R-Nevada).
Glover is an adjunct professor in the Business department at Mesa Community College, served as the assistant program director of the EU Belgium Study Abroad program for Maricopa Community Colleges, and was an associate professor at Arizona State and Northern Arizona Universities.
Richard Grimley joined Ball Corporation, the world’s largest beverage packaging business, as senior vice president of Global Operations in July 2016. His responsibilities include overseeing global manufacturing, engineering, innovation, strategy and environmental, health and safety for Ball’s 75 worldwide facilities. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., Ball has approximately $13 billion in annual revenue.
Prior to Ball, Grimley worked for Rexam Beverage Can North America (BCNA) as vice president of manufacturing in 2001. Chicago-based Rexam BCNA is one of the largest global beverage can manufacturers in the world with approximately $7 billion in revenue. The company's roots in the Chicago area can be traced to the turn of the 20th century when the beverage can was first introduced. Grimley proceeded through levels of increased responsibility with the company. He served as a Rexam BCNA global manufacturing lead, guiding the company's more than 55 worldwide manufacturing plants, and as chief operating officer. He began his tenure as president and CEO of Rexam BCNA in 2012.
Grimley has also worked for several leading organizations such as National Can, American National Can, Reynolds Metals and Ball Corporation in various operational leadership roles. He was also a principal owner of Bev-Pak Inc., a beverage can manufacturer.
A former member of the Museum of Science and Industry Board of Trustees, Grimley is currently a board member of Big Shoulders of Chicago, leads sponsorship of Naperville Responds For Our Veterans, and supports the United Way Worldwide.
Grimley earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa and a Master of Business Administration at Benedictine University. He was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Benedictine in 2014.
Hopinkah Hannan’s tenure in the accounting profession reflects more than 30 years of expertise with a series of leadership roles within KPMG, including managing partner-Tax, vice chair of Human Resources, chief diversity officer and chief corporate responsibility officer, chair of the Diversity Advisory Board, founder and chair of the Women's Advisory Board and board member of the KPMG Foundation. As a senior partner, she worked with the Board Leadership Center to broaden governance discussions regarding business and society. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Women Corporate Directors Foundation, a group which promotes and strengthens women in the boardroom, and is the co-chair of the Thought Leadership Committee. Hopinkah Hannan is the chair of the national board of directors of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Hopinkah Hannan has been recognized by numerous civic organizations, and is a frequent speaker at various corporate and civic events on the topics of ethics, leadership, governance, diversity, sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Kareem Irfan is an internationally-recognized interfaith leader. He served as the first-ever Muslim president of the prestigious Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago and chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago during the critical post-9/11 years. He serves as the imam for Muslim Friday prayers and Eid sermons at multiple mosques and congregations in Chicago and other cities.
Irfan was a member of the boards of the Interfaith Youth Core, Catholic Theological Union, Islamic Society of North America and American Islamic College, and was chair of the Muslim American Advisory Council for the governor of Illinois. He recently helped found the Bangalore Christian-Muslim Solidarity Forum in India which convenes prominent interfaith leaders to address civic rights and the needs of minorities.
In the civic engagement arena, Irfan has lead peace-building and interreligious delegations and advised governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), law enforcement agencies and police departments on nurturing peace programs and multi-faith relationships, community-engaged policing, collaborative government and community programs, and counter-extremism initiatives in the United States, Vatican City, Europe, Gulf Corporation Council countries, India, Japan, the Middle East, Netherlands, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. He supports international projects in ethical and service-oriented leadership development, principled and sustainable corporate social responsibility, interreligious collaborations, visionary youth-mentoring and education, upliftment of minorities, sustainable dispute resolution, advocacy and partnership with government and law agencies.
Irfan has been featured on global media including CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, BBC, Time magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel, Deccan Herald, The Times of India and The Hindu. He has offered convocation speeches at major universities; Islamic invocations for the Chicago City Council and inaugurations of Chicago mayors Rahm Emanuel and Richard Daley; sensitivity training and partnership lectures for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), state and city police departments in the United States and abroad; interfaith and cultural sensitivity talks and training at Fortune 500 companies, chambers of commerce and global forums, including Doha World Interfaith Dialogue conferences; and 9/11 and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorials.
Irfan’s community leadership recognitions include the FBI director’s Community Leadership Award from the U.S. Department of Justice; Distinguished Interfaith Collaboration Award from former Chicago mayor Richard Daley; Interfaith Leadership Award from the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago; the Outstanding Religious Services Award from Imam W.D. Mohammed’s African-American Muslim community; and other community service awards in the United States and abroad.
He is also a frequent speaker at business and interreligious forums.
On the professional side, Irfan is an executive, business strategist and legal expert with more than 30 years of leadership experience. He currently is the Chicago-based chief executive officer of Cranes Software International Limited, an international business group providing information technology (IT), big-data analytics, business intelligence, education and training with headquarters and multinational corporations in the U.S., Europe and India. He previously served as chief strategy officer for Cranes Software; a general counsel for Schneider Electric (a $30 billion Paris-based energy management group); chief international property (IP)/IT counsel for Square D (an American manufacturer of electrical equipment) and practiced IP law at two global law firms in the U.S. Irfan also advises global NGOs, nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and universities on strategic planning, governance and compliance, faith and cultural sensitivity, global joint ventures and collaborations, and business-oriented management and education programs.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree at DePaul University, a Master of Science in Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering at Bangalore University.
Erik Johnson is the medical director for Pediatric Services for AMITA Health. He has played a vital role in expanding pediatric services to the west and northwest suburbs.
After college, Johnson began his medical career at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine. His plans of surgery quickly changed and he completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine. He received numerous accolades during his residency, including Resident of the Year and the P. Colin Kelly “Pediatrician who Teaches” Award.
Johnson serves on the boards of AMITA Health Medical Group, AMITA Health CIN and Alexian Brothers Women’s and Children’s Foundation. He is also on the Executive Leadership Team for the March of Dimes Northwest Suburban March for Babies.
Johnson earned a Master of Science in Biochemistry at Illinois Benedictine College and a Doctor of Medicine at Loyola University.
Dr. Khatua is a family medicine physician who graduated from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland and trained at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital where he served as chief resident. In addition, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Practitioners. Dr. Khatua also serves on the board of directors of 360 Youth Services and the advisory board for the Forward Initiative.
John F. Knobloch is the founder of the Knobloch Law Firm based in Naperville. His law firm is a general practice with concentrations in real estate law (including corporate relocation) and estate planning.
A resident of Naperville since 1969, Knobloch graduated from Benet Academy prior to obtaining an undergraduate degree at Benedictine University in 1978. He subsequently earned a law degree at Loyola University Chicago and was in private practice with several DuPage County law firms prior to establishing his own firm in 2000. He has been active in the law profession outside the courtroom, serving 18 years on the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly and as committee chairman for multiple committees of the DuPage County Bar Association. Knobloch is also a former adjunct faculty member in the department of Political Science at Benedictine, where he taught classes in legal research and writing, law and politics, and civil liberties.
Knobloch served on the board of directors of the Benedictine University Alumni Association, including two, non-consecutive terms as president, for 20 years. He is active in the local community, formerly serving as trustee and president of the Naperville Public Library board of trustees, director and Legislative Committee chairman of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, and director and chairman of the Naperville Area Chamber Political Action Committee (NACPAC). He is also the current director and former chairman of Naperville Citizens Appreciate Public Safety (CAPS) and a longtime member and board member of the Rotary Club of Naperville.
John McGuinn joined the legal department of Bechtel Group Inc. after practicing law for a number of years. Bechtel Group Inc. was founded in 1898 and continues to be the world’s largest engineering and construction firms and one of the largest privately owned companies in the United States. McGuinn retired from Bechtel Group as senior vice president and assistant general counsel.
McGuinn and his wife are active in a number of philanthropies. They support theaters, museums and educational institutions, as well as organizations dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the poor and homeless. They have given to Raphael House, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Oakland Museum of California, Emily’s List, state and national Democratic Party candidates and Benedictine University.
McGuinn has been actively involved in various nonprofit organizations, serving as chair of the Board of Spirituality at Work, Confirm not Conform, American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction and American College of Construction Lawyers, and has served as a board member of Transparency International, Episcopal Charities and Benedictine University’s Alumni Board. He was honored with the Benedictine University Alumni Service Award in 2001.
McGuinn earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature at St. Procopius College and a Juris Doctor at the University of Illinois College of Law.
James F. Miller is the senior pastor of DuPage African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Lisle, Ill.
He is an ordained itinerant elder, denominational representative on the Ecumenical Stewardship Advisory Council, director of stewardship for the church’s 4th district and chairman of the executive board for the Regularly Extending Assistance to Community and Humanity (REACH) food pantry.
Since October 1989, Miller has led DuPage AME Church in increasing membership from 150 to nearly 2,300 parishioners and in building a $7 million worship facility.
Miller shares his knowledge of stewardship and church growth with other congregations across Christendom, and is the author of “Go Grow Your Church!: Spiritual Leadership for African American Congregations.”
His professional affiliations include membership with the Chicago Conference Board of Trustees, the Chicago Conference Board of Examiners, the Finance Committee of the Chicago Conference and North District Statistician, the NAACP and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
Miller earned a bachelor’s degree at Morris Brown College, and a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry at McCormick Theological Seminary.
Bart S. Ng currently holds the title of Marvin L. Bittinger Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences and Dean Emeritus of the School of Science at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Ng earned a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, at Saint Joseph’s College in 1968, and a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1973. After completing his postdoctoral studies at the University of Toronto, he joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences at IUPUI in 1975 and served as chair of the department from 1986 to 1997. He became a member of the Founding Faculty of University College at IUPUI in 1997, and was appointed Marvin L. Bittinger Professor in 2004. He was Acting Dean of Science at IUPUI from 2008 until his retirement from Indiana University in 2011. He was then appointed Dean of the College of Science at Benedictine University in 2011 and served in that position until 2016.
Ng’s research interests are in linear and nonlinear hydrodynamic stability, asymptotic theory for higher-order turning-point problems, singular perturbation techniques and their applications to fluid dynamics, and scientific computing.
Among Ng’s numerous professional service appointments are: Program Director for Applied Mathematics, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC, 1988–89; Vice President for Programs, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), 1992–97; Chair, SIAM Forum on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1992–1993; Member, Advisory Panel for the AMS–IMS–SIAM Joint Summer Research Conferences, 2001–2005; Member AMS Data Committee. He has also held visiting positions at Old Dominion University, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Ohio State University.
As Co-Director of the IU/NSF Mathematics Across the Curriculum Project from 1996 to 2011, Ng played a leadership role in promoting undergraduate mathematics curriculum reform nationwide. Ng was also active in faculty governance. He served two consecutive terms (2004–08) as President of IUPUI Faculty Council, and Co-Secretary of the Indiana University Faculty Council.
Ng is a recipient of the IUPUI School of Science Faculty Teaching Award (2004), the IUPUI School of Science Faculty Service Award (2006), the Chancellor Gerald L. Bepko Outstanding Academic Administrator Award (2011), and the Indiana University Presidential Distinguished Service Medal (2011).
Mary Nicholas, Ph.D., is committed to promoting healthier populations and more equitable communities in the United States and around the globe. She brings more than 10 years of professional experience in health care, philanthropy, research institutions and government. Nicholas has a deep appreciation for complex systems, ranging from the genetic basis of disease to the socioeconomic and cultural drivers of health.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Benedictine University, Nicholas earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Illinois and published several research articles on gene regulation. Nicholas then joined St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a Howard Hughes Postdoctoral Fellow, investigating and publishing findings on the molecular basis of cancer.
Over the years, Nicholas was competitively selected and awarded a number of science and technology policy fellowships and global health and development fellowships by several prestigious organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the U.S. National Academies. These fellowships enabled her to work at the intersection of health, science and technology, public policy and global health.
These opportunities also launched her into several exciting careers—from the director of Genomic Resources at Kaiser Permanente, program officer at the Gates Foundation and health scientist at the National Cancer Institute to policy analyst in the Office of Autism Research Coordination at the National Institute of Mental Health. Nicholas has had the opportunity to travel the world and work with a global network of partners seeking to promote equitable communities. In 2015, Nicholas was honored as a Rising Star in the Who’s Who Among Benedictine University Alumni.
Chris Pohlman Jr. is a senior managing director and relationship manager for the Retirement Planning and Advisory business at Mesirow Financial, helping qualified retirement plan sponsors develop creative solutions that help drive positive outcomes for organizations and their employees. Pohlman focuses on establishing defined plan management strategies and workflow processes for employers and manages high-level vendor relationships. He also partners with high net worth individuals, business owners and not-for-profit entities to create comprehensive wealth management strategies.
Pohlman began his career at Mesirow Financial in 1999. He maintains a senior leadership position in the firm’s Retirement Planning and Advisory business, which encompasses more than 300 client relationships and has more than $4 billion in assets under advisement and management. Pohlman is also a member of the group’s investment committee, which is responsible for establishing the asset allocation guidelines for the group’s model investment portfolios and performs due diligence functions on the external money managers.
A member of the board of directors for Choose DuPage, an economic development organization, and a member of the boards of numerous nonprofits, Pohlman recently received the “Rising Star” award from Benedictine University for career leadership and innovation dedicated to philanthropy.
A graduate of Benedictine University, Pohlman is a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) and has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation.
Pohlman is the founder and lead guitarist of the Mesirow Financial corporate band, Cassius King, which was a finalist at the 2013 and 2014 Rock “N” Roll Hall of Fame Corporate Battle of the Bands contests.
Torian Richardson is an international thought leader whose expertise lies in analytics, culture and people development, strategy and stewardship. With more than 16 years of professional competence, he is a firm believer in lifelong learning through experience and immersion. His own experiential path has led to him living and working on four continents and journeying through more than 55 countries.
Richardson has held a variety of leadership roles in the United States and United Kingdom in finance, education and transportation, with general management responsibilities of more than $80 million in Profit and Loss (P&L) leadership. As Pearson Education’s business solutions director in Africa, he was responsible for successfully building educational technology and service-based businesses throughout the continent. As an entrepreneur in China, he founded Guanxi Universal and TORIANITE, Inc., and lectured in marketing, management and finance at the University of International Business and Economics (Beijing) and Changchun Finance College.
Richardson is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and completed the 20th session of the General Management Program. He earned a Master of Public Administration in International Development at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance at Benedictine University.
John Steffek retired from his position as investment advisor representative for William Financial Group (WFG) Advisors LP in Geneva, Ill., in November 2016 after more than 31 years in the finance industry. Prior to joining WFG, Steffek retired from American International Group (AIG) Retirement Advisors Inc. and went to work for NatCity Investments Inc. and National City Bank, which were acquired by and are now PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Steffek is a great supporter of Benedictine University, serving as a past president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1987-1989. He has attended the Educare Ball, alumni picnics, golf outings, the Great Issues-Great Ideas lecture series and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. Steffek played football and participated in track while a student at Illinois Benedictine College.
Mike retired from Sikich LLP as Senior Partner (2010 – 2017) in the technology service area, a national CPA, Technology and Advisory Firm based out of Naperville, IL. Mike had a leadership role in managing the firm’s national Microsoft Dynamics ERP practice. With more than 30 years of business, technology and enterprise resource planning experience, Mike was responsible for leading the firm’s ERP team with a focus on integrating systems, people and processes. Mike was an Executive Board member at Sikich LLP from 2010 – 2013 during which time the firm doubled in size and transitioned into a national CPA/Technology Firm. Previously, Mike was the Founder and President of MAS Consulting (1989 – 2010) before merging with Sikich LLP in January 2010. MAS Consulting implemented Microsoft Accounting Systems at many small and medium sized businesses in Chicago. Several Chicago clients of MAS included Chicago Yacht Club, University Club of Chicago, Harpo Studios (Oprah Winfrey Show), WTTW, Ravinia Festival and Arthur Andersen. As President and CEO at MAS Consulting, Mike developed the vision and managed the sales and delivery of Microsoft Accounting Systems to hundreds of small and medium sized businesses in the Chicago area.
Mike is a graduate of Benedictine (BA, Accounting) and CPA, Illinois (currently non-practicing). Also, while at Benedictine, Mike was awarded first team All-American honors playing baseball for legendary coach, John Ostrowski.
Dalitso Sulamoyo is CEO of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, an organization that works with local government agencies and the public in community planning, loan management, economic development, transportation planning and engineering, and geographic information systems. Sulamoyo was previously president and CEO of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, a membership organization of 40 nonprofits and public entities that serve communities and the economically challenged citizens of Illinois. In that capacity, he championed public policy initiatives at various levels that have benefited the disadvantaged in Illinois.
Sulamoyo was also the president and CEO of the Illinois Community Action Development Corporation, a statewide affordable housing development corporation, and the Illinois Community Action Fund, the advocacy arm for Community Action in Illinois.
Published in books and leading journals on the subjects of global organization development, capacity building and change management, Sulamoyo has presented both nationally and internationally on his work of facilitating change within mission-driven organizations and the understanding of African culture within the context of organization development. He is also a distinguished visiting scholar in the Ph.D. program at Benedictine University.
Sulamoyo serves on numerous local, state, national and regional boards. He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Mu Delta Lambda Chapter of Springfield, Ill. He has received numerous awards for his work in economic and social justice.
A magna cum laude graduate of Illinois College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations, he earned a graduate certificate in Public Sector Labor Relations and two master’s degrees in Political Studies and Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit management from the University of Illinois at Springfield. He also earned a Ph.D. in Organization Development from Benedictine University.
Shefali Trivedi is the Executive Director of Giving DuPage, also known as the DuPage County Volunteer Center. She joined the organization in September 2013, with a 25-year career in marketing, sales and project management as well as a background of working in service for over a decade. Her nonprofit experience includes working for one of the largest food banks in the country, Greater Chicago Food Depository, as well as a small environmental education center. Her service career extended to government as she worked on countywide environmental initiatives in DuPage County.
During her tenure, Shefali is most proud of a few signature accomplishments for Giving DuPage. Since 2013, the organization has increased volunteer engagement by 250% generating an average of 4 volunteer connections every day via their Volunteer Portal site. Also, she has grown the organization’s presence on social media networks by 550% on Facebook and over 225% on Twitter. The best part is that over 80% of the social media content is to raise awareness for the needs of 350 local nonprofit partners.
In 2017, Giving DuPage launched Do GOOD DuPage, the largest service project in DuPage County history, with a goal to engage 150,000 people to do a few good things to improve their
Joseph Ward is a recreation guest experience manager at the Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with a minor in Theology from Benedictine University in 2015. As a two-term president of the University’s Student Senate, Ward influenced many improvements and served as an honorary member of the Benedictine University Board of Trustees.
After graduation, Ward accepted a management internship in recreation at Disney’s All-Star Resort and was hired as a recreation manager at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Joan Wrenn is president and the CEO of Hudson Precision Products Company located in Broadview, Ill. Since 1905, Hudson Precision Products has served the national market with quality, innovation, service and experience. The company is committed to continuous improvement through investment in the latest technology for precise, high-speed manufacturing combined with ongoing training. The family-owned company with a close-knit culture has created a sense of pride that is reflected in the facility, people and products.
Wrenn was director of Riveredge School, consulting staff at Riveredge Hospital and an adjunct faculty member at Triton College. She was a member of the local school council at Austin Polytechnical Academy High School; a member of the Executive Committee of the board of directors for the Greater North Pulaski Development Corporation; and a member of the board of trustees for Sacred Heart Schools in Chicago and the Workers’ Compensation Trust of Illinois.
Wrenn was also a member of the board of directors for the Tooling & Manufacturing Association; a member of the Advisory Council for Chicago Public Schools for Manufacturing; and a member of the Chicago Workforce Board for the Youth Council, School-to-Work.
Wrenn is currently a member of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council, a consultant and design team for Austin Polytechnical Academy, and is a member of the board of directors for Hudson Technology Inc., Hudson Precision Products Company.
Wrenn earned an associate degree in Business at Northwestern University, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at DePaul University, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology at George Williams College of Aurora University, and a Master of Arts in Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University.
Dana R. Wright earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management in 2010 and a Master of Science in Leadership in 2012 from Benedictine University. She is the chief executive officer for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, has nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience and more than 10 years of administrative, managerial and leadership experience with one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the nation. She is also a graduate of the highly competitive FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., after being selected as the first female from her organization to attend.
Wright has experienced success in creating cohesive, collaborative and productive teams within the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, having previously served as their executive director of training. She volunteers with the Rhea of Hope Foundation, where she utilizes her experiences as an executive leader to mentor and coach young women.
In June 2013, she started her own consulting, mentoring and coaching business. Wright Vision Consulting, LLC, works to enable clients to realize their greatest potential by experiencing continued life changing breakthroughs, leading to maximized growth and success in both their personal and professional lives.
Among Wright’s many honors and awards are: Beyond Survival Toward Officer Wellness (BeSTOW) Symposium participant – FBI Behavioral Science Unit; Women's Institute for Global Leadership "Outstanding Student Leader"; Benedictine University Top 40 Under 40 (2013); Benedictine University Alumni Service Award (2013); and Diversity MBA Magazine – Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders.
Kathleen Yosko is past president and chief executive officer of Marianjoy Inc., Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Marianjoy Medical Group having served in this capacity since 1998. Marianjoy is a network of inpatient, subacute and outpatient physical rehabilitation delivering a full range of services to both adults and children. The Marianjoy network includes the Marianjoy Medical Group, a physician group that specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Under Yosko’s leadership, in 2001 Marianjoy launched AbilityLinks, an award-winning website that matches jobseekers who have a disability with businesses seeking to hire qualified workers. The program has helped to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Prior to joining Marianjoy in 1978, Yosko served as president and chief executive officer of Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital. Founded in 1912, Schwab’s care network grew extensively under her leadership and now operates eight facilities in the Chicago area.
Yosko began her career as a registered nurse and clinical specialist in rehabilitation at the Veterans Hospital University and Highland Drive Campuses in Pittsburgh, Pa., during the Vietnam War. It was through providing care to those young wounded warriors that she developed her 40-year history of serving people with disabilities as a clinician, administrator and disability advocate.
Yosko served as the chairperson of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) from 2007-08. Yosko also served as the chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities in 1997, and as the chairperson of the American Rehabilitation Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization representing providers of rehabilitation services, in 1994.
During her career in health care, Yosko has received a series of national and local achievement awards. She received the West Suburban Philanthropy Network’s Nonprofit Executive of the Year Award in 2012; the inaugural Inspired, Notable, Dedicated Efforts award from the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association in 2004; the YWCA Outstanding Woman Leader Award in 2002; the Business Ledger’s Influential Women in Business Award in 2001; the Don Burke Award for Executive Excellence, given by the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, in 1995; the Chicago Area Health Care Planning and Marketing Award in 1989 and the American Hospital Association’s Hospital Society for Planning and Marketing’s First Annual Strategy Award in 1988.
Yosko currently serves on the boards of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association; Access DuPage; DuPage County Workforce; Illinois Performance Excellence (ILPEx); American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA); Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) and the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention. She is a member of the Chicago Network, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Executives’ Club of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the International Women’s Forum.
