North Central Now Spring 2011 | North Central College

Dr. Isaac Einsel ’19: Generous Underwriter of Dr. Koten’s Laboratory

Among the many extraordinary North Central College teachers of science was Dr. Irvin A. Koten, professor of chemistry, whose active research lab gave dozens of chemistry, zoology and biology majors a head start in their quest for medical and graduate school admission.

The Legacy of Dr. Albert Goldspohn

As the flourishing young campus of North-Western College needed more space, President H. J. Kiekhoefer (1889-1910) pushed for the building of a new science hall. In his 1899-1900 report to the Board of Trustees, Kiekhoefer recognized the need for a “special building for the study of science.”

His appeals were first answered by the area church conferences, but by May 1903, only $1,438 had been raised. The science hall finally became a reality when Dr. Albert Goldspohn,

Japan disasters alter students’ plans

Life in Japan is gradually returning to normal for North Central student Ereka Funkhouser ’12.

Funkhouser, who’s majoring in Japanese and classical civilization, studies abroad at Iwate University in Morioka, a town of about 300,000 located in the Iwate Prefecture. She was shaken by the March 11 earthquake, but her school, 40 miles from the coast, was not directly impacted by the devastating tsunami. “The coastline was really decimated by the tsunami, but Morioka’s own earthquake damage was minimal,” she said in mid-April.

Kathy Graham 1993

Kathy Graham wrote a book titled “Graham’s Manual of Style for Resumes and Cover Letters.” She’s the founder of HQ Search, Inc., HQ Seminars, Inc., HQ Scripts, Inc. and HQ Services, Inc. in Naperville. Each company focuses on different aspects of career development for professionals. She presented the Career Strategies for You Workshop for the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group in February. Her workshops have received positive feedback due to the high rate of success individuals are experiencing in securing their ideal career goals, even in a challenging economic climate.

Highlights from a lively calendar of events

Rebecca Skloot

Author Rebecca Skloot spoke at North Central as part of an Anderson’s Book Shop event about her book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Lacks’ cells were used after her 1951 death for scientific research into in vitro fertilization, cloning and gene mapping. The book required 10 years of investigation and was one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2010.

Peter Wexler’s “Theatrical Models”

Brooke Simon 1994

Brooke Simon joined Rezin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine as a certified nurse practitioner for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Eric Ortinau. She assists in surgery and provides services, including diagnosis and treatment of patients. As a registered nurse in Loyola University Medical Center’s operating room, she worked as a research study nurse on National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute breast cancer research. Simon also worked as a family nurse practitioner for Take Care Health Systems, a division of Walgreens Pharmacy.

New surface, new look for stadium turf

This summer, the College will install a new state-of-the-art FieldTurf playing surface at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium for football, soccer and lacrosse. North Central was among the first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin institutions to install an artificial playing surface in 2001. Synthetic fields typically have a 10-year life span. Once the new artificial turf is installed, the eight-lane Buikema Track will be resurfaced. The entire project will be completed in time for fall sports to begin practice in August.

Mary Perhay 1996

Mary Perhay of Financial Network was named to the list of FIVE STAR Wealth Managers for 2010 in the November 2010 issue of Chicago magazine. She is among the less than 2 percent of wealth managers in the Chicagoland area selected for the honor and has more than 13 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Jim Harper 1957

Jim Harper spoke about growing up in Culver, IN, at the Culver-Union Township Public Library in honor of Black History Month. Culver was once home to a thriving African-American community, which included members of the first integrated high school basketball team in Indiana (in 1922) and an African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1950, Harper left Culver to attend North Central College where, he said, “My first year at college I was the only person of color in Naperville and at the school, but it didn’t seem to make a big difference.

Michael Reedy 1996

Michael Reedy showed a collection of his artwork, titled “Recent Works,” at The Kishwaukee College Art Gallery in Malta, IL. Recognized with numerous awards, his work has been widely exhibited across the country in a variety of local, regional and international exhibitions and can be viewed in many notable private and institutional collections.