The announcement follows an inclusive year-long
national search focused on the University's renewed commitment to
its mission with an eye toward the future.
CHICAGO, July 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Northeastern Illinois University Board of Trustees
announces the selection of Dr. Katrina E.
Bell-Jordan as the University's eighth president.
For the past year, Dr. Bell-Jordan has served as Interim
President at NEIU, a public university that stands out in
Chicago's higher education
landscape for its inclusion of full-time, transfer,
non-traditional, graduate, and international students.
"During her time as interim president, Dr. Bell-Jordan has
proven to be a leader whose consensus-building, growth-oriented,
fiscally-responsible style will continue to unite the NEIU
community and propel us forward," Chair of the NEIU Board of
Trustees J. Todd Phillips
said. "The Board sees NEIU as the region's destination of
choice for higher ed students, faculty and staff from all walks of
life. The vision, inclusive approach, and steady hand that Dr.
Bell-Jordan brings to the President's Office reinforces our
unwavering commitment to the excellence NEIU students deserve."
The selection of Dr. Bell-Jordan as NEIU President follows a
thorough year-long national search that included feedback and
participation from Board members, faculty, students, and other NEIU
stakeholders.
"NEIU is about to embark on a renaissance that stands firmly on
its roots, and Dr. Bell-Jordan is the right leader to move NEIU
from the shadows as we claim our space as the premier university
for Latino/a/x students and nontraditional students," Vice Chair
of the NEIU Board of Trustees
Michelle Morales said. "Dr. Bell-Jordan's
leadership affirms NEIU's commitment to social justice and its
legacy as the longest federally-recognized, four-year Hispanic
Serving Institution in the Midwest."
Dr. Bell-Jordan's new role will take effect August 1, 2024, and her appointment will be
confirmed at an upcoming Special Meeting of the NEIU Board of
Trustees. Her journey at Northeastern Illinois
University began in 1997 when she joined as an Assistant
Professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre
(CMT). She has since held various leadership roles, including
serving as CMT Department Chair, Associate Dean in NEIU's College
of Arts and Sciences, and Interim Dean. She was appointed Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences in March
2020 and took on the role of Interim President on
July 1, 2023.
"As I begin my term as Northeastern
Illinois University's eighth President, I am filled with
gratitude and admiration for this incredible institution and for
the diverse community of students we serve," Dr. Bell-Jordan
said. "After nearly 27 years at Northeastern, I am proud to
support its mission as an Hispanic-Serving Institution and
Minority-Serving Institution, and I am honored to have the
opportunity to lead as President. I am eager to collaborate with
the University community to plan our future and showcase the impact
and spirit of NEIU—our adaptability, resilience, and unwavering
commitment to access, excellence, and the success of our
students."
During her time as Interim President, Dr. Bell-Jordan recruited
several exceptional leaders to key positions to help situate the
University for success, managed in a fiscally-responsible way, and
implemented changes to retain and grow the NEIU student body and
modernize the campus.
Dr. Bell-Jordan earned a Ph.D. in Rhetorical Studies and Media
Studies and a M.A. in Rhetorical Studies at the Ohio University School of Interpersonal
Communication. She earned a B.S.J. in News Editorial Journalism
from the Ohio University E.W. Scripps
School of Journalism.
Her teaching background includes media literacy and media
theory, rhetorical theory and criticism, and news
writing/journalism. Her research has focused on critical media
studies, including the politics of gender, race, and representation
in the media, the rhetoric of popular culture, and news
culture.
Dr. Bell-Jordan has served in leadership roles on various
advisory, curriculum, and hiring committees at NEIU, including
serving on the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Team for NEIU's
2017 accreditation visit, the NEIU Baccalaureate Goals Working
Group, and NEIU's first Writing Intensive Faculty Advisory
Committee (WI-FAC) as Co-Chair. She also co-led the two-year
(2015-2017) NEIU Economic Inequality Initiative, a partnership
between the College of Arts and Sciences and the NEIU Division of
Student Affairs.
She is an elected member of the Board of Education
for Skokie, Illinois District
68, where she has served four terms since 2011 and is currently
Board Vice President. She is also a member of the Alumni Advisory
Council of the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio,
Dr. Bell-Jordan appreciates the support of her husband and son and
enjoys travel and culinary experiences, vintage bookstores, trivia,
and movies.
ABOUT NORTHEASTERN
ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Northeastern Illinois
University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree
and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree,
certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is
located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the
Northwest Side of Chicago. Founded
in 1867, Northeastern is a Minority-Serving Institution and the
longest-standing four-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution in
the Midwest. The University has additional Chicagoland locations,
including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El
Centro, and the University Center of Lake
County.
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SOURCE NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY