Alumni News
1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
1960s
Philip W Stichter (BA '60) writes: "While living in Columbus Ohio, I became aware that the Lincoln Douglas Debates in their entirety were first published in this city with the permission of Lincoln in 1859. This led me to explore how that came to be and then to explore Lincoln's relationships with many Ohioans during the course of his political life and his presidency and to make presentations to Ohio county historical societies and other organizations on this subject. Valerie and I recently moved to North Carolina where a local historical society claims Lincoln was born in this state. A new area of research for me to explore! Most importantly, I was so fortunate to have as my academic advisor, teacher, and friend at Northwestern University, Professor Richard Leopold."
Dominic Candeloro (BA '62) writes: “I continue my work researching and disseminating the history of Italians in Chicago as curator of the CASA ITALIA LIBRARY in Stone Park, IL and as a supporter of the Italian American endowed professorship of Italian American Studies at Loyola University Chicago.”
John Gleason, Jr. (BA '68) and his partner Malissa Nelson have started a podcast called Old-School Confidential. In Episode 2 (“Old-School Influencers, cont.”) they talk at length about NU and several great educators. oldschoolconfidential.libsyn.com
Greg Paus (BA '68) writes: “I am a practicing Architect in Vermont, president of Silver Ridge Design, Inc., Architects. I'm also very involved in community service, currently vice chair of the Vermont Arts Council, past chair and and on the executive committee of the Lamoille County Planning Commission. Enjoying my life, 3 kids and a great wife!”
1970s
John F. Reiger (PhD '70) writes: “Other than my ongoing editing of several unpublished historians' manuscripts, I spend most of my time fighting the anti-democratic forces that continue to influence a frighteningly large percentage of the American people.”
Terrence H. Witkowski (BA '70) writes: "In August 2020 I retired from the Department of Marketing at California State University Long Beach, but continue my research in marketing and consumption history. Below are some articles:
- Witkowski, Terrence H. (2022), “Provisioning Firearms in Latin America: Historical Development and Societal Consequences,” Journal of Macromarketing, available at https://doi.org/10.1177/02761467211065955.
- Witkowski, Terrence H. (2022), “Sources for Advertising and Marketing History at the McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West,” Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, available at https://doi.org/10.1108/JHRM-07-2021-0029.
- Witkowski, Terrence H. (2022), “Historical Research and the Marketing of Heritage,” Japan Marketing History Review 1 (1), 153-162.
- Witkowski, Terrence H. (2021), “Broadening Anti-Consumption Research: A History of Right-Wing Prohibitions, Boycotts, and Resistance to Sustainability,” Journal of Macromarketing 41 (4), 410-425."
John R. M. Wilson (PhD '71) of Costa Mesa, Calif., has retired as professor emeritus after 55 years teaching history at Minot State (ND), Mid-America Nazarene College (KS), and Vanguard University (CA). He has edited a number of books and authored Herbert Hoover and the Armed Forces; Turbulence Aloft: The Civil Aeronautics Administration Amid Wars and Rumors of Wars, 1938-1953; The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; and Jackie Robinson and the American Dilemma.
Margaret (Meg) Weber Burke (BA '72) writes: "I have published a memoir/history of my great grandmother. I did all the research and visited the actual locations where her life took place. It is the story of an ordinary person written by another! The book is Alice's Story, available on Amazon in ebook or paperbook copies."
William White (PhD'74) writes: "Purdue University has extended my contract through May 2026 as a Clinical Associate Professor of Teaching in its nationally renowned Cornerstone Liberal Arts Program. I owe so much to Robert Wiebe who greatly deepened my love of teaching."
Timothy Walch (PhD '75) writes: "On April 1, 2022, I marked my 11th year of retirement after a 40-year career as a public historian. Most of that career was as the last assistant director and the longest-serving director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa. I remain active in the profession as a member of the Iowa State Historical Records Advisory Board and as a volunteer with the State Historical Society of Iowa. I continue to write and comment on historical issues for various Iowa newspapers and on the Iowa and Minnesota Public Radio networks. I also continue as a book reviewer for the Catholic News Service."
Joseph U. Schorer (BA '75) writes: "In October 2021, under the sponsorship of the US Department of Commerce, a friend and I gave two two-hour Zoom lectures to about two dozen members of the Azerbaijan court system, including several members of the Azerbaijan supreme court. The lectures discussed the creation and enforcement, against commercial debtors and third parties, of liens to secure debts for commercial loans. The US Department of Commerce also recently asked me to prepare a series of short videos on key attributes of the US bankruptcy law system. These videos will be shown to lawmakers in developing countries around the world."
Michael D. McCormick (BA '75) writes: "I am an Illinois-licensed attorney working remotely for CNA Financial, living in Sabaneta, Colombia."
Venita Fields (BA '75) writes: "On March 22nd I was proud to receive a Leadership in Action Achievement Award at the 8th Annual Career Mastered Conference in Charlotte, NC and join the Class of 2022! The award is given to those ‘for significantly advancing women's history through extraordinary leadership and exemplary service.’"
Ellen DuBois (PhD '75) writes: “After publishing the first comprehensive history of US woman suffrage in a half-century -- in the middle of covid -- I'm now deep into another comprehensive, a biography of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Been preparing to write this for my own half century.”
Jim Davidson (BA '77) writes: “In December 2020, I retired as a partner in the Ice Miller law firm. I served 11 years as the President of a previous firm (which combined with Ice Miller in 2012), and 3 years as a Managing Partner at Ice Miller. Elected as a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Currently, residing in Dublin, Ohio and also spending time in Colorado, (where two of our children reside) and Northern California. Married to Janis for almost 33 years. We are very proud of our children: Lauren, Robbie and Andrea.”
Mark D. McGarvie ('78), currently a Visiting Scholar at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago, has published his fourth book, The Pragmatic Ideal: Mary Field Parton and the Pursuit of a Progressive Society (Cornell University Press). The book tells the story of an engaging woman who pursued social justice and sexual freedom as a settlement house worker, an advocate for free love, and a crusader for the rights of laborers, transforming pragmatic principles into action.
1980s
Jim Sanders (PhD '80) writes: "I published a poem entitled, ‘Easter,’ in Nova Bards 2021, An Anthology of Northern Virginia Poetry. It is about an Easter Sunday service held in a tent, in a church parking lot. I also published a letter, "The Importance of Postcards," in the March 2022 issue of The American Philatelist. My long-term efforts to encourage financial journalists to tap their muckraker heritage and tell the murky stories of emerging market bonds failed. We moved to Pennsylvania last month. I have started to think Toynbee was right, as our elites seem to have lost their creative power to cope with global challenges."
Nilda Mesa (BA '81) writes: "My book, Collaborating for Climate Resilience, was released in October last year by Routledge. Last semester, I taught energy and climate policy in cities at SciencesPo Paris School of International Affairs, and this semester I'm teaching in the urban planning school at Columbia University."
Laurence (Laurie) Schiller (PhD '82) writes: "Since I retired from being the head fencing coach at NU and Adjunct prof of history, I have been working on a book I began 20 years ago. It is a study of the evolution of cavalry tactics in the American Civil War and studies its roots going back to the earliest mounted forces in the colonies. I recently published an article in North and South Magazine on the development of the mechanized force in the US army in 1940 and its roots in CW cavalry. I also have been elected to the NU athletic hall of fame."
Howard Margulis (BA '84), Senior Managing Director at MaxEn Capital, guided new lithium producer Standard Lithium to a USD $ 100 mm financing with affiliates of Koch Industries to further develop the company's lithium extraction and processing technology to supply the burgeoning EV market in the U.S.
Christopher Patusky (BA '85) writes: “I am happy to report that my family's vineyard and winery business, Slater Run Vineyards, completed its new winery production building in Upperville, Virginia this March. We always enjoy visits from NU alumni and students at the tasting room, and so please come out, wear purple, and talk 'Cats www.slaterrun.com.”
Mary Colby (MA '86) writes: "After over 25 years at Charles Schwab, most recently as an MD heading up the Municipal Research and Investment Stewardship teams, I am retiring from corporate life. However, I'm simultaneously stepping into role of Chair of the Board of Directors for the East Bay Agency for Children which provides mental health and other services to low-income kids in a school-based setting, primarily in Oakland and surrounding areas. My wife, Becky, and I split our time between Oakland and Occidental, CA, a tiny town in Western Sonoma County, amid orchards, vineyards and redwoods. I firmly believe my history background has been a huge boost to my career-- analysis, synthesis and context are useful in most situations!"
1990s
Wayne H. Bowen (PhD '96) serves as interim Associate Dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Professor of History at the University of Central Florida. His most recent manuscript, Spain and the Protestant Reformation, which will be his ninth book, is forthcoming from Routledge Press. It was his joy and privilege to cite a distinguished Northwestern emeritus faculty member, E. William Monter, from whom he took an independent study on Spain in 1992, for this volume.
Michael Tetelman (PhD '97) writes: "I've recently joined the consulting firm Palladium International. I am leading an education finance activity sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The activity focuses on bringing in commercial investment and expertise into the non-state education sector, with a focus on Africa and Latin America/Caribbean."
David Gellman (PhD '97) writes; "I am very pleased to report that my book Liberty's Chain: Slavery, Abolition, and the Jay Family of New York is now in print. I am eager to share it with a wide audience and have several speaking events already scheduled. I continue to teach at DePauw."
Emily Cummins Polk (BA '98) is a social worker for the Lennox School District in Los Angeles County. She recently began in a new role in the district as Social Emotional Learning Coordinator where she is coordinating and creating district-level mental health supports, developing a Social Emotional Learning curriculum, and managing new grant opportunities to address equity and mitigate the impacts of trauma. In addition, she founded a non-profit in the district called Juntos, which cultivates wellness resources for the community.
2000s
Mindy (Hohenstein) Quigley (BA '00) has completed a new, pizza-themed mystery, Six Feet Deep Dish, a "deliciously twisty mystery...packed with local flavor," to be published by St. Martin's Press in August 2022. Her previous series, the Amazon-bestselling Mount Moriah Mysteries, centers on a young, female hospital chaplain living in the North Carolina piedmont.
Wendy (Torigoe) Erskine (BA '01) writes: “I moved back home to Hawaiʻi in July of 2019 and have been working as a High School Principal at Kamehameha Schools. Iʻve been in education since I graduated from Northwestern and have worked in a variety of capacities as a middle school teacher, Teach For America staff and a High School Administrator.”
Andrew Majit (BA '01) writes: “Never known for my adeptness in the performing arts while an active wildcat, I used the time Covid allotted to hone my singing and dancing skills. In February of this year, I led my Synagogue's Children's Choir in a performance of “The Rose,” by Bette Midler. For the upcoming Spring Sing and Dance, I will be leading the Jewish Seniors' Choir in a choreographed performance of “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees. Wish me luck!
Graham Peck (PhD '01) completed his second film: Lincoln & Douglas: Touring Illinois in Tumultuous Times (2021). The University of Illinois Springfield Center for Lincoln Studies is distributing the film here. Peck is currently leading an innovative remote artist in residency program titled “Making our History: Artists Render Lincoln’s Legacy.” The exhibit, featuring work by 20 Illinois artists, will premiere in Springfield this fall.
Sean Field (PhD'02) is proud to have been elected a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 2022. He has a number of books forthcoming, including The Deeds of Philip Augustus (Cornell, 2022), ed. and trans. with Larry F. Field and M. Cecilia Gaposchkin.
Jason Konik (BA '04) just published his first book called The Dharma of the West, which is now available on Amazon. He's currently teaching history at a private high school in San Francisco.
Meg Boyd (Wagner) (BA '04) writes: "While my thesis on Puritan Sexuality didn’t provide an obvious career path, what I gleaned from it has impacted how and when I create policies at my elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’ve been an elementary principal for 7 years, have 4 young children, and enjoyed a return to living near Lake Michigan 8 years ago."
Diana Wu (BA '06) writes: "I am a practicing family physician, and I use my history degree all the time when teaching medical students about social medicine topics, most importantly, race and health equity."
Noah J. Graf (BA '08) writes: "I am now an attorney and am currently serving as Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Chicago Bar Association."
2010s
Jack Neubauer (BA History and Creative Writing '10) received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in Modern China and Global History, and is now an Assistant Professor of History at National Chengchi University in Taipei City, Taiwan.
Daniel Hamburg (BA History and Philosophy '10) serves as a criminal defense attorney with the Bronx Defenders since graduating from Columbia Law School in 2015. Danny zealously and compassionately represents his clients, ensuring that all who work with him receive the justice they deserve.
Wen-Qing Ngoei (PhD '15) recently published a commentary in The Washington Post (April 5, 2022) entitled, "The deeper roots of a potential new Cold War with China." His essay considers how Sino-US tensions today reflect long-standing ideas about race and the legacy of colonialism, and are not merely a Cold War redux or a byproduct of China’s very recent emergence as a superpower.
Andy Baer (PhD '15) published his first book in 2020. Titled Beyond the Usual Beating: The Jon Burge Police Torture Scandal and Social Movements for Police Accountability in Chicago, the monograph from the University of Chicago Press received a Finalist Award for the Langum Foundation's Malott Prize for Recording Community Activism. In 2021, Andy was awarded tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2022, Andy won a Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching from UAB's College of Arts and Sciences.
Marlous van Waijenburg (PhD '17) of the Harvard Business School was awarded a $330,000 research grant (No. 2116150) from the National Science Foundation for her new project, “Investing in Captivity: Financing the Transatlantic Slave Trade.” Professor van Waijenburg shares the grant with her Co-Principal Investigator Professor Anne Ruderman (London School of Economics). The project explores the transnational investment structure behind the transatlantic slave trade and the long-term individual and familial wealth legacies that arose from investing in the trade.
Aram G. Sarkisian (PhD '19) has accepted a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently completing his first book manuscript, a labor and immigration history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. Other recent work includes peer-reviewed articles in The Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies and the Journal of American Ethnic History. He is also a regular contributor to the blog Public Orthodoxy, where he writes on contemporary Orthodox Christianity from a historical perspective.
Benjamin Paolelli (BA '19) writes: "In May, I will complete my Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL, with the intention of working in Catholic evangelization."
2020s
Luthfi Adam (PhD '20) has accepted a research fellowship offer in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks, a research institute of Harvard University. It's a one-year fellowship that starts in September 2022. His project is to finish his first book manuscript, Cultivating Power: Botanic Gardens and Empire-Building in the Netherlands Indies, 1745-1942.
Elizabeth Perkins (BA '20) writes: “I will be starting at Harvard Law this fall! I am forever grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement, as well as the intellectual challenge, that Northwestern History provided during my undergrad years.”
Gabby Plotkin (BA '21) writes: “I started a new job at the EPA as a grants management specialist to the Midwest.”