North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School鈥檚 global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we鈥檝e learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don鈥檛 see what you鈥檙e looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university鈥檚 mission and alumni needs.
The honors convocation recognized six North Park soon-to-graduate seniors for their exceptional achievements.
Monday, April 23, 2018鈥攎usic, prayer, inspirational stories鈥攕et the stage in honoring six North Park soon-to-graduate seniors for their exceptional achievement. A proud staff, faculty, and student community observed the honorees as they reflected on their involvement as instructors, mentors, supervisors, and supporters.
As nominees, the six scholars interviewed before a committee鈥攕peaking on their research projects, passions for social justice and teamwork, volunteerism, and both honors and challenges. Already excelling in academics and extracurricular activities like athletics, music, and campus organizations, these remarkable students are living lives of significance and service seeking opportunities to give back to others. Representing the diverse disciplines across campus, the Honors Convocation recognized:
Renee Baker
Nicholas Canete
Jared Koehler
Jessica Kooi
Carl Lindberg
Jomarie Perlas
Baker and Canete received the Distinguished Senior Award. Baker who will graduate with a B.S. in environmental science and a minor in physics, spent last summer as an intern with NASA in what she calls 鈥渢he best summer I鈥檝e ever had.鈥� Baker鈥檚 future goals include graduate school and a possible second stint with NASA. Canete, a Politics and Government major, served in the United States Navy before coming to North Park. Canete who will complete his degree in three years says, 鈥淓veryone is willing to invest in the students here.鈥� Post-graduation, Canete will start his position as Operations Management Trainee at LSG Group.
Other awards included recipients in Academic Excellence in Schools, Service/Leadership, Faculty/Staff, and Dean鈥檚 List.
The purpose of the Honors Convocation is to recognize academic achievement, outstanding service, and leadership. In addition, an award is given to a staff member who actively engages with students and embodies the mission of 萝莉社 and a faculty member who is an outstanding teacher and leader. 聽聽
The 萝莉社 Board of Trustees has nominated Mary Karsten Surridge, the University鈥檚 vice president for advancement since 2008, to serve as the school鈥檚 10th president, effective at the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year.
The 萝莉社 Board of Trustees has nominated Mary Karsten Surridge, the University鈥檚 vice president for advancement since 2008, to serve as the school鈥檚 10th president, effective at the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year.
The Trustee’s unanimous nomination has been ratified by the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park鈥檚 founder and sponsoring denomination, and will be presented to the Annual Meeting of the Covenant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 22. Under the constitution and bylaws of both the Covenant Church and 萝莉社, the president must be officially called by vote of the Annual Meeting.
The nomination concludes a nationwide, 13-month search for a president who will help to cement North Park鈥檚 place as the nation鈥檚 leading city-centered Christian university.
鈥淣orth Park is a strong, vibrant and uniquely positioned institution within Christian higher education, and we offer an excellent academic, co-curricular and personal experience to students who seek to learn and grow in our stimulating urban environment,鈥� Surridge said. 鈥淚鈥檓 honored and grateful to respond with enthusiasm to this nomination and the endorsement of the search committee, our Trustees, and the Executive Board of the Church.鈥�
Surridge鈥檚 North Park career has been highlighted by her direction of Campaign North Park, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the school鈥檚 history, with $63 million in commitments, including $41 million for the Johnson Center for Science and Community Life. Most recently, in addition to her duties in advancement, she has been leading undergraduate admissions while the University searches for a new vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing.
A 15-person search committee, including 9 members of the Board of Trustees and 6 from the campus community, conducted the search and recommended Surridge to the Board of Trustees this week. 鈥淲e undertook a comprehensive search with the help of CarterBaldwin, a search firm with wide experience in higher education and particularly Christian higher education,鈥� said Owen R. Youngman, chair of the committee and a North Park trustee. 鈥淲e evaluated nominations and applications from more than 50 qualified candidates with deep Christian faith and distinguished careers, both inside and outside the academy. Mary is the right person to lead the University at this important juncture.鈥�
鈥淭he Board sought a candidate who combines knowledge of higher education, an abiding belief in the mission of North Park, and a deep and ongoing connection to the Covenant Church,鈥� said Dr. Kristine Strand, North Park鈥檚 board chair. 鈥淢ary鈥檚 proven ability to secure critical resources for students, faculty and staff, and her recent success in overseeing undergraduate admissions, will serve the campus, the Church, and our many constituents well for years to come.鈥�
Surridge鈥檚 previous higher education experience includes several years as an associate director of planned and major gifts at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; director of residence life and student activities at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin; and dean of students at Marian College (now Marian University) in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She holds a B.S. in communications from Northwestern and an M.S. in student personnel administration from Concordia. She and her husband Jack, North Park鈥檚 longtime athletic director, are members of North Park Covenant Church near the University鈥檚 North Side campus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been my privilege to work with our devoted alumni and friends for over two decades,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have deep respect for the legacy of North Park and broad confidence in its future.鈥�
Surridge, 55, would succeed David L. Parkyn, who retired at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, to become North Park鈥檚 first female president. Carl E. Balsam, who has served as interim president since that time, will remain in that role through August 15, 2018.
Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of Arts and Sciences, was elected President of the Austrian Studies Association, a member institution of the American Council of Learned Societies.
Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of Arts and Sciences, was elected President of the Austrian Studies Association, a member institution of the American Council of Learned Societies. Thuswaldner will serve a two-year term as President. The US-based Austrian Studies Association was founded in 1961 to promote the study of Austrian, Austro-Hungarian, and Habsburg culture, literature, history, and politics. The Austrian Studies Association publishes a quarterly scholarly journal, the Journal of Austrian Studies (University of Nebraska Press) and organizes annual conferences. As President, Thuswaldner also serves as the association’s Chief Executive Officer Liaison to and ex-officio Board Member of the American Council of Learned Societies.
A new major, offered exclusively online, will instruct students in the latest geospatial technologies and their application in a variety of careers.
Johannes Buerger, coordinator of the new location intelligence program at 萝莉社, appreciates the reliable real estate maxim 鈥渓ocation, location, location.鈥�
Led by Buerger, North Park recently launched a major in location intelligence offered through the School of Professional Studies. 鈥淭here are many students who come out of high school with a dream to change the world, and I think that location intelligence, which is related to geography and sustainable environmental planning, is something that gives you the opportunity to make changes in the world,鈥� says Buerger.
Anyone who has done the research of buying a home or renting an apartment has likely used a simple form of a geographic information system (GIS), a tool applied in the study of location intelligence (LOCI). Using that information to choose a house or apartment is a perfect example of a practical, everyday use of location intelligence.
鈥淟ocation matters in your everyday life,鈥� says Buerger, noting that skills acquired in the study of location intelligence can be applied to a broad range of disciplines, from digital marketing to biology.
In the LOCI program, students learn in-demand tech skills such as utilizing GIS鈥攕oftware specifically designed to collect and manage geographic data. Other skill sets students will develop include map design, remote sensing, urban planning, and geomarketing.
From elevation to demographics of consumers in a neighborhood 鈥� location intelligence analyzes this type of valuable information and applies it to businesses and everyday life. While expertise or a degree in math is not required, a statistics background is an advantage in such areas as creating and analyzing maps.
As the field of location intelligence is relatively new and broadly applicable, location intelligence professionals are highly valuable to businesses who already implement GIS in small ways and those who have yet to implement these tools. 鈥淟ocation intelligence offers a very desirable skill set because you can do big data management and spatial analysis, which are required in so many different fields,鈥� Buerger says.
Graduates with a degree in location intelligence have many exciting career options such as urban planning, disaster management, community service, and geo-marketing. For instance, city and retail planners use location intelligence to choose the spot for a new bus stop, find out where the next viable franchise location is, and assess where it is most profitable for a company to make deliveries.
Location intelligence is not limited to urban planning or urban studies 鈥� it can be used to assess weather patterns, sales, marketing, and even the natural sciences. 鈥淟ocation intelligence is such an interdisciplinary program which opens many doors, not just one,鈥� says Buerger.
The MLKJ Award highlights those on campus who are doing exceptional work in the area of restorative justice and racial reconciliation.
Daniel White Hodge, 萝莉社鈥檚 assistant professor of intercultural communication, is the 2018 recipient of North Park鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
Hodge, who before coming to North Park spent 17 years working with urban youth through organizations such as Young Life and World Vision, continues to advocate for urban youth justice issues.
He鈥檚 also a recognized youth culture expert and cultural literacy scholar. At North Park and at schools including Fuller Theological Seminary, Hodge has taught classes on race and ethnicity in religion, black popular culture, and聽hip-hop discourse.
The MLKJ Award was created in 2017 by Jacqueline Strapp C鈥�08, head of the Office of Diversity, to highlight those on campus who are doing exceptional work in the area of restorative justice and racial reconciliation.
Dr. Mary Trujillo, a communication arts professor, was the recipient of North Park鈥檚 first MLKJ award last year.
Trujillo and Hodge were recognized for working continuously with the community, faculty, staff, and students to 鈥渂e disciplined in our demeanor in not being divisive, to continue to do better, and strive for peace at the forefront鈥攚ith peace being what MLK fought for,鈥� Strapp said.
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Park, Gregor Thuswaldner joined the ACAD Board of Directors’ Class of 2019 and will serve a two-year term.
Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was elected as a Board Member of the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD) at the Annual ACAD/AAC&U Conference in Washington, DC. Thuswaldner joined the Board of Directors’ Class of 2019 and will serve a two-year term.
The American Conference of Academic Deans was founded in 1945 to support the work and development of provosts, deans, and other university leaders. According to their website, “ACAD provides academic leaders who share a commitment to student learning and to the ideals of liberal education with networking and professional development opportunities to support them in their work as educational leaders.”
On聽Friday, February 9th,聽萝莉社 is canceling classes and administrative offices ahead of the winter storm that is expected beginning Thursday night.
Campus Weather Alert
On聽Friday, February 9th,聽all 萝莉社 classes will be canceled. Administrative offices will also be closed. Campus facilities will operate on a limited basis but residential students will have access to food services in the Magnuson Center dining hall.
The trustee scholar event, hosted by the Office of Admission, will continue as planned.
The Brandel Library and Helwig Recreation Center will close at 11 p.m. Thursday. Both facilities will be open on Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Staff for Physical Plant and Aramark will work regular schedules.
Thursday evening classes are not affected and will continue as scheduled.
A look at the unique messaging of North Park’s new marketing campaign.
A new marketing campaign for 萝莉社 will soon be featured on billboards throughout the city of Chicago as well as on traditional FM radio and Spotify Radio ads. For聽interested members of the North Park community, the University offers this insight into the campaign’s unique message.
Campaign description:聽“True Leaders are Truth Seekers” is a bold educational message that is unique in the market. Passion, Purpose, Preparation, and Direction are overly used competitor positions that cannot compare to the strength and purity of the word Truth. North Park’s Truth statement embodies personal truth, social truth, and spiritual truth as well as the belief that education pursues and values those truths. The North Park educational experience helps to create, foster, and direct students to be true to themselves, true to their faith, true to their principles, and therefore to be true leaders in every facet or path their career takes them.
Campaign imagery: To keep the Truth Seeker message honest and true, it was important to use real North Park students in real campus situations to embody and impart the spirit and validity of the campaign. To accomplish this, the campaign features real North Park students photographed on campus, in their environment, showing the diversity, breadth of culture, ethnicity, and individualism that is a strength of the University. The tone and style of the photography exude a quiet and strong confidence in the student’s decision, their future, and their personal truth that is inspirational and aspirational. This direction was achieved through subtle smiles, comfortable body language that is not forced, and a variety of poses and perspectives that do not always involve looking directly at the camera鈥攁ll in context of their real academic situations. The strategic direction of these visuals connect to the audience and embody not only Christian values but socially conscious positions that are very much relevant in the world today. The presentation of these powerful images in billboard executions with a clean and uncluttered messaging hierarchy and call to action maximizes impact and creates a distinctive, strong brand in a cluttered and saturated education landscape.
North Park Senior Renee Baker is nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship after completing an internship with NASA.
North Park Senior Renee Baker has been nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding natural science major at one of the six colleges recognized by the Swedish Council of America as a Swedish Heritage College. North Park is recognized as such an institution because of its active connection with modern Scandinavia, via its language studies聽and academic exchange programs.
鈥淚鈥檓 so incredibly honored to be nominated for this scholarship,鈥� said Baker, an environmental science major, of the award named for the famed Swedish chemist.
She鈥檚 certainly worthy: while many college kids spend their break on the beach or working a part-time job, Baker was doing test flights with NASA. Last summer, Baker spent two months in California interning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, tagging along on plane rides, collecting atmospheric data and learning how various instruments worked.
The Carol Stream, Illinois native actually applied for the NASA internship on something of a whim. 鈥淚 honestly just got an email from [chemistry professor] Dr. Rienstra-Kiracofe, and I applied because, why not?鈥� Baker says. Rienstra-Kiracofe provided a letter of recommendation, and the next thing Baker knew, she was on her way to Irvine, Ca.
In addition to the flying experience, Baker spent several weeks on campus聽at the University of California, Irvine, where she learned how to use tools to perform remote sensing and took a trip to the Jet Propulsion Lab. At the end of the internship, she and her group presented to a group of NASA employees and fellow students.
Ultimately, Baker, a physics minor, plans to pursue a career in alternative energy and biomimicry engineering, a field of science that seeks sustainable solutions to human-generated problems by copying patterns in nature. For instance, scientists who specialize in biomimicry are testing new plumbing and electric systems that mimic the branch-like structure of trees and leaves, as they may be more efficient than pipes positioned at right angles.
Baker will find out in March if she has won the coveted Seaborg prize, which includes airfare to Sweden, a living stipend, and participation in December鈥檚 Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, a weeklong series of events arranged in connection with Nobel Peace Prize activities.
North Park Seminary has honored the Rev. Dr. Richard W. Carlson by dedicating a room in Nyvall Hall to the late professor, a lifelong learner who spent his life fighting racial injustices.
North Park Seminary has honored the Rev. Dr. Richard W. Carlson by dedicating a room in Nyvall Hall to the late professor, a lifelong learner who spent his life fighting racial injustices.
The space is called Richard鈥檚 Renaissance Room, a nod to Carlson鈥檚 devotion to a variety of pursuits, from history to baseball, Civil Rights, poetry, and biblical scholarship. Carlson鈥檚 wife, Jolene Bergstrom Carlson, said her husband also loved spending time with his children and spent his life fighting against societal hatred and violence.
鈥淩ichard especially had a head and heart for racial justice, lamenting over racial injustices until his final moments,鈥� Jolene said. 鈥淭o Richard, all people belonged and had worth.鈥�
The Richard Renaissance Room, designed as a place to read, pray, and connect with others, is being furnished by $30,000 in private donations to the Seminary. The money also provides tuition assistance via the Richard and Jolene Carlson Scholarship Fund to a seminarian whose studies focus on justice issues.
鈥淩ichard was brilliant, but he never used his mind as anything but a tool to encourage his students to engage with the complexities of faith and life through thoughtful questions and readings,鈥� Jolene Carlson said.
The dedication took place Jan. 24, during the ECC’s Midwinter Conference.
To donate to the fund, visit , select 鈥渙ther鈥� and include 鈥淩ichard Carlson Memorial Fund鈥� in the comment box to designate your giving. You may also mail checks to 萝莉社鈥檚 Development Office:
萝莉社
Development Box 6
3225 W. Foster Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625.
Author onlinemediaPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Stories
Daniel White Hodge, 萝莉社鈥檚 assistant professor of intercultural communication, is the 2018 recipient of North Park鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
North Park Senior Renee Baker has been nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding natural science major at one of the six colleges recognized by the Swedish Council of America as a Swedish Heritage College. North Park is recognized as such an institution because of its active connection with modern Scandinavia, via its language studies聽and academic exchange programs.