SCENES FROM CPSA
Taking Her Degrees to Another Level By Nicholas A. Love
Gia Orr ’01 found that her two degrees from National Louis University — one in education and the other focused on the helping professions — have given her a broad scope of knowledge needed to propel her career forward. Orr, with her M.S. in Human Services Administration and a ’07 M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision, currently wears many hats for the State of Illinois, mainly centered on empowering people and communities. However, her career started out quite differently. She began as a substitute teacher and worked her way to a principal position at Chicago International Charter School. A little too much first-hand experience with the challenging politics of education nudged Orr to a career shift that allows her to use the full spectrum of her skills. “If you wanted to see change, you needed to entrench yourself in change. And I knew I couldn’t continue to do that with 300 or even 3,000 students — it needed to go to another level,” explained Orr of her move into state government. So how many hats does she currently wear? She’s the director of community rights, relationships and resources; an equal employment officer; and a government results officer for the State of Illinois. She’s also a commissioner for the Cook County Human Rights Commission. Add up all those titles and you get an NLU alum who has some serious means to advocate for people who need it most.
DEAN’S PERSPECTIVE
The College of Professional Studies and Advancement (CPSA) at National Louis University is defined by dedication. Our dedication to access and our support of diversity is evidenced in our MBA program that enrolled one of the highest percentages (61%) of minorities among Chicago MBAs in 2015 according to Crain’s Chicago Business. In addition to our focus on access and support, we are proud of our excellent professional preparation outcomes. We continue to see an increase in the number of graduates passing the National Counselor Exam Licensure (83% for 2015). The determination and dedication of our students and faculty, exemplified below, are incredible. Our faculty members continue to demonstrate dedication to leadership in their fields of expertise. Bradley Olson, Ph.D., received an award from the Society for Community Research and Action, recognizing nine years of advocacy and contributions to social change. Suzette Fromm Reed, Ph.D., recently lobbied Congress to invest in strong communities that prevent adverse childhood experiences. Catherine Honig, Ph.D., is a member of the steering committee leading the development of the Online Learning Consortium’s upcoming conference. The same determination and leadership is obvious in our alumni communities. Doctoral program graduates recently landed leadership positions in the Chicago Department of Public Health, research centers and community nonprofits. Criminal justice program grads like Aggie Wajda ’15, recently hired by the Roselle Police Department, are seeing hard work pay off. Established alumni are attaining high-level positions, like John G. Morikis ’89, M.S. in Management and Development of Human Resources, who is the CEO of paint retailer Sherwin-Williams. This sampling of our recent achievements demonstrates the combined dedication of the entire CPSA community, which is truly something to be proud of.
“My day is about what touches and impacts someone else.”
Judah Viola, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Advancement
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National Louis University VIEW | Fall 2016
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