Northeastern Illinois University has awarded emeritus status to eight retiring faculty members.
Northeastern awards the prestigious status to eligible retiring faculty members upon the recommendation of the department or program, with the concurrence of the dean and the provost, and with the approval of the University president.
“The awarding of emeritus status is a signifier of a career grounded in excellence in teaching, research and service,” Provost Richard J. Helldobler said. “The faculty members who have been recommended and received this honor are all worthy of one of the most prestigious titles in academe. Northeastern is proud of the work of these faculty members for their years of service to our students and our institution. They continue a strong tradition of dedication to the success of our diverse population of students.”
The new professors emeriti are:
C. Murray Ardies
Professor Emeritus
Ardies joined the faculty of the Department of Exercise Sciences and Cardiac Rehabilitation—now Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics—in 1989. During his 26 years of service to Northeastern, he worked on defining mechanisms through which repeated endurance exercise reduces risk for chemical toxicities and cancer. He was awarded three grants from the Committee on Organized Research, as well as a Faculty Research and Scholarly Projects grant. His publications include three books, and numerous articles in publications such as Integrative Cancer Therapies, Nutrition and Cancer and Cancer Letters. Ardies served as the undergraduate coordinator for the Bachelor of Arts in Health and Wellness program from 2005 to 2006 and the graduate coordinator for the Master of Science in Exercise Science program from 2006 to 2014.
Lucrecia Artalejo
Associate Professor Emerita
Artalejo joined the faculty of the Department of World Languages and Cultures in 1986. During her 29 years of service, Artalejo received very positive student evaluations for each semester she taught. She supported the creation of the Master of Arts in Latin American Literatures and Cultures, and served as an exemplary advisor for the program since its inception. She is the author of the book “La máscara y el marañón: la identidad nacional cubana,” as well as 11 reviews in leading academic journals. Artalejo has been an inspiration for several generations of Spanish majors, minors and graduate students. Her classes have been famously entertaining and she has inspired many of her students to become teachers and scholars in Chicago and beyond.
Shelley Bannister
Professor Emerita
Bannister joined the faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice—now Justice Studies—in 1987. During her 28 years of service, Bannister excelled at teaching and developing curriculum for the department, and for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. As a feminist social justice activist and scholar with extensive experience as a practicing attorney, Bannister has been a voice for grounding teaching and learning in the experiences of those who are marginalized by power structures of society. She received the Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011, and has been honored with multiple Faculty Excellence Awards for teaching. Her contributions to the University include serving as associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, special assistant to the president and faculty liaison to the provost.
Constantine Loucopoulos
Associate Professor Emeritus
Loucopoulos joined the faculty of the Department of Management and Marketing in 1998. During his 17 years of service, he consistently received positive student evaluations, particularly for the clarity of his presentation of statistical concepts, and for his willingness to hold optional out-of-class review sessions in preparation for each exam. Loucopoulos’ articles have appeared in publications such as Academy of Information and Management Sciences Journal, Annals of Operations Research, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Computers & Operations Research and Omega. He co-authored a presentation for the 2014 meeting of the American Statistical Association. Loucopoulos served the University as chair of the General Travel Fund and member of the Graduate Programs Committee, and he served the College of Business and Management as chair and member of the Research and Faculty Development Committee.
David Rutschman
Professor Emeritus
Rutschman joined the faculty of the Department of Mathematics in 1989. During his 26 years of service, Rutschman excelled at serving and advocating for his students, and was honored with the Faculty Excellence Award in 1994. His contributions to the Department of Mathematics include curriculum development and student project supervision, even as he transitioned into the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office. He served as department chair, associate dean and acting dean. Rutschman was instrumental in the funding and creation of the Student Center for Science Engagement, a transformational project that led to increased support and representation of students in STEM majors at Northeastern. His dedication to the University’s mission and students served as an example to many faculty and staff members.
Zachary Schiffman
Professor Emeritus
Professor Schiffman joined the faculty of the Department of History in 1987, serving as department chair from 1992 to 2000. During his 28 years of service, Schiffman was recognized for his excellence in teaching and mentoring students with four Faculty Excellence Awards. His prolific research resulted in four published books, more than 18 articles and book chapters and being awarded multiple fellowships. In 2012, Prof. Schiffman was honored with the Bernard J. Brommel Distinguished Research Professor Award, the University’s highest research honor for faculty.
Venetia Stifler
Professor Emerita
Professor Stifler joined the faculty of the Department of Music and Dance in 1987. During her 28 years of service, she excelled at teaching and developing curriculum for the Dance program, and taught all but one of its courses. She served as department chair from 1992 to 1998, as well as chair to multiple department committees. Stifler is credited with founding the Ruth Page Dance Series, bringing its work to the international stage of the 1999 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Her creative activities and performances have been recognized worldwide, and she was named in New City’s annual “Players 2015” list, which honors leaders within the arts and culture community for their tireless work behind the scenes to make art happen in Chicago.
Michael Weinberg
Professor Emeritus
Weinberg joined the faculty of the Ronald Williams Library in 1994. During his 21 years of service, he consistently demonstrated a desire to master new technology and apply it to the library setting, an expansive knowledge of a variety of disciplines, a strong commitment to instruction, a solid body of art and research, and an active involvement in shared governance. He has an impressive range of academic expertise in the sciences and the arts, and was a practicing artist, exhibiting his work in Chicago and New York. Weinberg played an important role in the transition from print-based library systems to today’s electronic systems. He was the recipient of a Faculty Excellence Award for the development of online reference tools on the library website.
