Biography
I became a full-time faculty member at Medill in 1986 after 15 years of part-time teaching. For many years, I was assistant dean and director of undergraduate studies at Medill. Earlier in my career, I worked as an editor and general manager of Quill magazine, published by the Society of Professional Journalists. For nearly two decades I wrote a weekly Chicago Tribune column on numismatics as well as entries on that subject for the Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year. I have taught in the Medill Cherub Program since 1971 and has been director since 1985.
I became an emeritus faculty member in 2005 but I continue to direct the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute, widely known as the Cherub Program. I also serve as faculty chair of Northwestern’s Communications Residential College, and am a member of various University and Medill committees. I have served as parliamentarian of the Northwestern Faculty Senate since 2016. I still serve as a contributing editor of The Numismatist magazine and judge writing competitions, on and off campus.