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.
Gerald Gems
(B.A. ‘77 Physical Education)
Gems retired as a professor of kinesiology from North Central College, Naperville, IL. He served as the past president of the North American Society for Sport History, is a Fulbright Scholar, received the 2016 Routledge Award for scholarship, and is author of more than 250 publications. He has made more than 70 international presentations of his research and is currently working on his twentieth book.
Jennie (Gardner) Spallone
(M.A.S. ‘77 Special Education)
Spallone recently published a new book titled “Psychobabble,” her fourth psychological thriller in May 2018. She was recently awarded the Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) from Toastmasters, International in recognition of her strong communication skills.
William Kirkwood
(B.A. ‘79 Music; M.A. ‘83 Music)
Kirkwood recently completed a Doctor of Worship Studies degree at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Fla.
Richard Koubek
(B.A. ‘82 Psychology)
The Detroit News reported that alumnus Richard Koubek has been appointed the 10th president of Michigan Tech.
James H. Lawlor
(B.A. ‘83 Business and Management)
Lawlor works as a personal injury trial attorney at Shea Law Group, Chicago, Ill.
Toni Armstrong
(B.A ‘84 Special Education)
Toni Armstrong worked on Hot Wire, a lesbian-oriented magazine during her time at NEIU. Hot Wire endured for 10 years, until the mid-90s.She currently works as a teacher in Oak Park, while still cultivating women's music and culture activities with creating concerts, doing photography work in other women-led publication, and workshops, with a focus on feminist women's music culture.
Melanie (Goto) Dillon
(B.A. ‘85 Speech; M.A. ‘89 Guidance and Counseling)
Dillon is the co-founder of Entourage Clinical Services, one of the first integrated Canna-conscious health care practices in Illinois. In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Dillon is a Certified Holistic Cannabis Practitioner (CHCP).
Loretta Faheem
(B.A. '86 Criminal Justice)
Faheem, a widow at the time, was one of the recipients of the Sheroes Honor. The program is sponsored by Single Women with Children, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was honored because of her work as a mentor with the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., Triangle East Chapter.
Kenneth D. Smith
(B.S. ‘87 Marketing)
Smith serves as a Tax Manager at The Abrix Group LP in Northbrook, Ill.
Dennis Bricault
(M.A. TESL/Applied Linguistics, 1992)
Dr. Bricault spent the fall semester of 2022 as a Fulbright Core Scholar at the International University of Central Asia in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan. He taught courses in the English Linguistics program, gave workshops, observed classes, worked on a curricular project, and served as a consultant at a two-day media literacy workshop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He was previously a Core Scholar in Guatemala in 2014. Since 1992, he has worked in Chicago’s North Park University as a Spanish professor and an ESL program director.
