DCSSC Speakers

Dr. Julie Thomas Achettu is Education Consultant for the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI). With over twenty years of experience as a teacher, district leader, and consultant, she has developed Asian American Literature and Ethnic Studies curricula in multiple states. She designs and leads workshops that fulfill the Illinois TEAACH Act, supporting educators in integrating South Asian American voices into K–12 curricula. Previously, she also taught at Loyola University Chicago She has presented nationally at universities and on numerous panels about Asian American education and policy.

Judge Robert Anderson is a retired DuPage County Circuit Judge who served in the Divorce, Felony, and Juvenile Courts for 27 years. He graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a B.A. and J.D. Judge Anderson has been honored for his work in violence prevention, promoting education on domestic violence and juvenile issues. He is an adjunct professor at Loyola University School of Law and he regularly presents at local and national law and social studies conferences. He is a past President of the Illinois Judges Association and a past Chair of the DuPage County Circuit Court Family Violence Coordinating Council.

Dr. Will Barnett is Professor of History at North Central College. He earned his B.A. in History from Yale University, his M.A. in History from the University of Texas at Austin, and his Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A former high school teacher, he now teaches a variety of U.S. history classes. Barnett’s research focuses on environmental and urban history, and he is co-editor of City of Lake and Prairie: Chicago’s Environmental History.

Dr. Karen Benjamin is the Lester Brune and Joan Brune Endowed Chair of History at Elmhurst University. She graduated with a Ph.D. in History and Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2007. Her wide-ranging courses include Colonial America, Revolutionary America, Industrial-Age America, Twentieth-Century U.S., Environmental History, U.S. West, U.S. South, and The Formation of the Chicago Ghetto. She received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2021. Her new book, Good Parents, Better Homes, and Great Schools: Selling Segregation before the New Deal was published in 2025.

Sheriff John Bertuca served as a DuPage County Sheriff for 24 years and previously worked in Cook County Corrections. He has participated in numerous student panels, sharing insights into policing, corrections, and the social dimensions of criminal justice.

Dr. Laura Brandt teaches AP Psychology and serves as the Social Studies department chair at Libertyville high school in the Chicago suburbs. She also teaches for the Center for Talent Development through Northwestern University. Laura has served on the TOPSS executive board, which represents high school psychology instructors within the American Psychological Association and as a table and question leader for the AP Psychology exam. Laura is a co-creator of the I-Score 5 review, the Books for Psychology Class blog, and the co-author of the 3rd edition AMSCO book for AP Psychology. Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master’s degree in U.S. History from Northern Illinois University and Master’s degree in Psychology from DePaul University, and her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University.

Dr. Laura Brueck is a Professor of South Asian and Comparative Literature at Northwestern University, where she also directs the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities. Her areas of expertise include anti-caste literature, the intersections of caste and race, popular vernacular genres of South Asian literature, and the theory and practice of translation. She is the author of Writing Resistance: The Rhetorical Imagination of Hindi Dalit Literature (Columbia University Press, 2014), has published numerous translations of Hindi literature, and edited several scholarly volumes, most recently the Routledge Companion to Postcolonial and Decolonial Literature (2025).

Ms. Lisa Carnahan has over 25 years of experience teaching high school English language learners. She began her career at Waubonsie Valley High School, where she earned her ELL certification and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. During a break from full-time teaching, she worked part-time at the College of DuPage in the ELL and Adult Education Program and as a writing instructor at several area high schools, supporting students in strengthening their communication skills. Since returning to full-time teaching at Metea Valley High School, Lisa has co-taught a wide range of courses. She is passionate about co-teaching and values the opportunity to support both content teachers and students in achieving academic success.

Mr. Nick Caltagirone is a veteran social studies teacher at West Chicago Community High School, where he has taught AP World History, World Studies, U.S. History, and Philosophy for 25 years. He studied history and philosophy at Northern Illinois University and education at Benedictine University. Caltagirone is known for his thoughtful approach to DBQ instruction—and for spending his free time with books, coffee, and jazz.

Mr. Arpan Chokshi is a National Board Certified Teacher and instructional coach at Hinsdale Township District 86. He provides professional development on education technology and student-centered pedagogy. Chokshi earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Education Technology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned a second Masters in Teaching & Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is nationally recognized for his writing and workshops on AI in schools. Chokshi also trains teachers on implementing blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning as an Expert Mentor for the Modern Classroom Project.

Mr. John Chisholm is a social studies teacher at West Chicago Community High School with two decades of classroom experience. He has taught AP U.S. History for over 13 years, along with courses in government, U.S. history, and world wars. Chisholm focuses on collaborative, inquiry-based learning and works closely with colleagues to vertically align AP writing instruction. He is a graduate of Augustana College and received his Masters of Education from Concordia. Mr. Nick Caltagirone is a veteran social studies teacher at West Chicago Community High School, where he has taught AP World History, World Studies, U.S. History, and Philosophy for 25 years. He studied history and philosophy at Northern Illinois University and education at Benedictine University. Caltagirone is known for his thoughtful approach to DBQ instruction—and for spending his free time with books, coffee, and jazz.

Dr. April K. Clark is Assistant Chair of the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois University and a former research associate at the Pew Research Center. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Santa Barbara, California, and her B.A. from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her work focuses on political behavior, public opinion, and civic engagement. Her research and commentary have appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, USA Today, and NBC.com, and she teaches courses on political psychology and American politics.

Dr. Peter Cole is Professor of History and Distinguished University Professor at Western Illinois University, and a research associate in the Society, Work, and Politics Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He is the award-winning author of Dockworker Power:Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area and Wobblies on the Waterfront: Interracial Unionism in Progressive-Era Philadelphia. Dr. Cole founded and co-directs the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project.

Dr. Shana Bushyhead Condill, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is Executive Director of the Museum of the Cherokee People in North Carolina. With more than twenty years in museums and cultural work, she has advanced Native representation at institutions including the National Gallery of Art and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as serving on multiple state commissions. She holds degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Delaware and is pursuing a PhD at George Mason University. Condill advocates for the intentional combining of mainstream best practices with Native best practices in cultural preservation.

Ms. Mary Ellen Daneels taught social studies at West Chicago Community High School for 27 years and now directs the Illinois Democracy Schools Network. She provides professional development on civic learning across disciplines and has been featured in Education Week, Social Education, and Educational Leadership. Daneels has advised lawmakers on civic education and helped develop the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap.

Mr. Ryan Dengel is a Social Studies teacher at Naperville North High School, where he teaches Sociology, 20th Century History, and World Religions. With a focus on fostering civic engagement and critical thinking, Ryan regularly incorporates guest speakers and real-world perspectives into his classes to help students connect academic study with contemporary issues. He has organized the Criminal Justice speaker series for over a decade, bringing professionals from law enforcement, legal practice, and public service into the classroom to enrich student learning.

Dr. David Faris is Professor of Political Science at Roosevelt University in Chicago and a contributing writer for Slate and Newsweek. He is the author of The Kids Are All Left and It’s Time to Fight Dirty, as well as scholarly work on digital activism and Middle East politics. Faris frequently comments on democracy, reform, and political strategy in national media outlets.

Dr. Richard Farkas is a professor of political science at DePaul University. In his over forty year career, he has lectured widely in Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Croatia. His research compares strategies for political and economic development in post-Communist and post-conflict societies. A designated Fulbright Senior Specialist, he has consulted for major corporations and appeared frequently in U.S. and international media to explain global politics.

Dr. Andrea Field is curator of history at Naper Settlement. She holds an MA and PhD in public history and American history from Arizona State University. Her work explores the intertwined histories of race and economics, especially housing. She helped lead the IMLS-funded Unvarnished project on housing discrimination and is the creator of teacher professional development, public programs, and the podcast Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian.

Dr. Jenn Finn is Associate Professor and chair of Classical Studies at Loyola University Chicago. She holds doctorates in Greek and Roman History and in Assyriology. Her research spans Mediterranean and Near Eastern history, including cross-cultural contact, military history, and the Roman reception of Alexander the Great. She is the author of Much Ado about Marduk and Contested Pasts: A Determinist History of Alexander the Great in the Roman Empire.

Dr. Luke Franks is a Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History at North Central College. He teaches courses on Japan, East Asia, and transnational history, and directs the department’s Capstone research program. His research explores the transformation of Japan’s samurai order into a modern bureaucratic system, with a focus on regional and local developments in Okinawa. His recent publications include “The Endless Postwar: Okinawa at the Modern Frontier” (2023), “Ulysses S. Grant and the Governors: Local Politics on Display in Early Meiji Japan” (2022), and “The Politics of Stalemate: Local Power, U.S. Military Bases, and the Japanese Courts” (2017).

Dr. Catherine Hawke is Deputy Director of the ABA’s Division for Public Education. She develops professional learning programs on constitutional law, the Supreme Court, and the rule of law, helping educators bring complex legal issues into K–12 classrooms.

Dr. Shawn Healy leads iCivics’ policy and advocacy work through the CivXNow Coalition and oversees state and national civic education campaigns. He also serves as an adjunct Public Policy professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and on the Board of Directors of the Legislative Semester, Inc., and the Student Press Law Center. He began his career as a social studies teacher in Wisconsin and Illinois. A 2001 James Madison Fellow, Healy holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in political science, and a bachelor’s degree with distinction in Political Science, History, and Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Dr. Brian Hoffert is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and History at North Central College, where he also coordinates the History of Ideas Honors Program and East Asian Studies. He holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and has studied in Toronto, Taipei, and Hawaiʻi. His work focuses on Chinese philosophy, East Asian religions, and cross-cultural intellectual exchange. His academic preparation and extensive research on a number of important East Asian topics allow him to speak expertly on this region of the world.

Council Dr. Ian Holzhauer is a Naperville North alumnus, Naperville City Council member, and former prosecutor and defense attorney in the U.S. Air Force. He frequently speaks with District 203 students about criminal justice and civic responsibility.

Ms. Heather Jamieson is a Certified Domestic Violence Professional and supervisor of the Family Shelter Service court program. Since 1995, she has worked in shelter counseling, court advocacy, and systems coordination. Jamieson serves on multiple councils and boards focused on family violence, legal aid, and child-friendly courts and received the 2025 Liberty Bell Award from the DuPage County Bar Association. Heather graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. She is also a Certified Domestic Violence Professional. Heather was the recipient of the 2025 Liberty Bell Award from the DCBA.

Dr. Stephanie Krzeminski has taught high school social studies for nearly 20 years and received her PhD in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Gratz College in 2024. Over the course of her career, she has pursued fellowships that have brought her to Europe, Asia, and Africa which enriched her understanding of the events and the impact that these genocides and crimes against humanity still carry. She has served on the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s Educator Advisory Committee since 2016, and has taught at Oswego East High School since 2015.

Dr. Michael Manderino is Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Northern Illinois University. His research focuses on digital literacies for disciplinary learning, particularly with adolescent students. He is co-director of NIU’s Social Justice Summer Camp for Educators, incoming co-editor of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and co-author of several books, including Graphic Novels in High School and Middle School Classrooms: A Disciplinary Approach

Dr. Michael P. Maniacci, Psy.D, is a licensed clinical psychologist with practices in Naperville and Chicago. He has been in the field since 1981 and has worked in numerous settings, including community mental health centers, private hospitals, rehabilitation centers, residential programs and private practice. A former high school teacher, Dr. Maniacci has over 50 publications, including five textbooks, and has been a core faculty member and instructor at several graduate programs throughout the area

Mr. Ralph Martire is the executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and the Rubloff Professor of Public Policy at Roosevelt University. He has played a key role in major Illinois reforms, including the Evidence-Based Model of school funding and a state Earned Income Tax Credit. A frequent columnist and media commentator, Martire serves on multiple state commissions, including Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker’s Transition Team and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Chicago Fiscal Sustainability Working Group. Mr. Martire graduated with highest honors from Indiana University with a B.A. in history and received his JD from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Brenden Mason is the Associate Professor of Economics at North Central College. He teaches courses on Macroeconomics, Money & Banking, Financial Economics, and International Economics. His current research focuses on how economic agents respond to restrictions on interest rates in credit markets; cash usage and the phenomenon of dollarization; and the links between the formal and informal economy. He holds a PhD in Economics from Temple University

Dr. Kate Masur is a professor at Northwestern University specializing in the history of nineteenth-century U.S. history. In 2024 she published Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C., Region, co-authored with illustrator Liz Clarke. She’s also the author of Until Justice Be Done: America’s First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History and a New York Times "critics' pick" for 2021. She has appeared in documentary films and regularly collaborates with museums and other nonprofits

Dr. Jennifer McNabb is Professor and Head of the Department of History at the University of Northern Iowa. A specialist in early modern European and English history, she has authored courses for The Great Courses and published widely on family, gender, and society. She serves as a Councilor in the Professional Division of the American Historical Association and president of the Midwest Conference on British Studies.

Dr. Caitlin Mercier is an Assistant Professor at Illinois State University where she teaches and researches psychological consequences of colorism (skin tone bias) and racism. She has published in leading journals on counseling, teaching and learning, and health psychology, and regularly presents her work to regional, national, and international audiences. Dr. Mercier has dedicated her expertise to promote socially just practices and efforts to address colorism in all contexts, including education, social policy, and health settings

Ms. Tiffany Middleton is a manager of program and research in the American Bar Association’s Division for Public Education. She oversees initiatives such as Law Day, the Gavel Awards, Insights on Law & Society, and “Lessons on the Law.” A historian, she holds degrees from Capital University and Case Western Reserve University.

Mr. Tom Murray is a retired social studies teacher and founder of the DuPage County Law Education Workshop for Teachers and worked for 12 years as Project Evaluator on three successive Teaching American History federal grants.. He graduated from Western Illinois University with a B.A. in American History. He earned his M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Chicago State University and in Law Policy & Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Chief Philip Norton has served the Glen Ellyn Police Department since 1986 and has been chief since 2001. A graduate of Northwestern’s Police Staff & Command and the FBI National Academy, he is active in regional public safety organizations and community service initiatives.

Dr. Febe Pamonag is Professor of History at Western Illinois University. Her research focuses on modern Japan, women’s movements, public health, and food history in Asia. She has published widely, including work on women’s activism in the Philippines under U.S. colonial rule, and has a forthcoming book from the University of Illinois Press. Pamonag brings rich comparative perspectives to teaching modern East and Southeast Asia.

Ms. Teresa Rioux is a DuPage County public defender with prior experience in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. She has handled high-profile cases and regularly speaks to students about defense work, due process, and justice system inequities.

Dr. Tim Roberts is chair of the Department of History at Western Illinois University. He teaches courses on the early United States, the history of American law, and the Civil War era. He has published books on American responses to the 1848 Revolutions, the history of the idea of American exceptionalism, and the Civil War’s impact on a military family of Lewistown, Illinois. He is currently writing a book about the role of Algeria in Franco-American relations. He is also interested in digital tools to teach history and has created an interactive history game for high school and college students, “Lincoln’s Decision.” Tim is also a consultant for the College Board for development of the AP Seminar (Capstone) course.

Dr. Rex (RJ) Rowley is a Professor of Geography in the Department of Geography, Geology and the Environment at Illinois State University. Dr. Rowley has a B.S. in geography from Brigham Young University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in geography from the University of Kansas. At ISU, he teaches GIS, National Parks Geography, Human Geography, Maps and Society, World Geography and field classes to explore cultural landscapes in the American Southwest and Japan. He serves as the geography program internship coordinator and his research examines cultural landscapes, sense of place, and geographic information science. Rowley is the author of Everyday Las Vegas: Local Life in a Tourist Town and has published widely in geography journals and edited volumes.

Dr. Steven D. Schwinn is a professor of law at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. He teaches, writes, and speaks widely on constitutional law and human rights and he edits the Constitutional Law Prof Blog and the American Constitution Society Supreme Court Review. He contributes regularly to the ABA Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases and other legal publications.

Ms.Shobhana Johri Verma is the Executive Director of the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI). A trusted leader in the South Asian American community, Shobhana continues to advance research, advocacy, and coalition-building efforts on a wide range of human rights and social justice issues in Chicago and beyond through her work. Before joining SAAPRI, Shobhana led a South Asian voter engagement program at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners (CBOE). In addition, Shobhana has held roles as a journalist, educator, and researcher, with a strong focus on advocating for environmental justice, immigrant rights, gender equity, and support for survivors of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and domestic violence. She has written for and been published in both the United States and India. Shobhana holds two Master’s degrees in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies - one from the University of Cincinnati and another from Lucknow University.

Dr. Charles Wheelan teaches at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He holds a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Chicago, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. He is a former correspondent for The Economist and the author of numerous books, including Naked Economics, Naked Money, and Naked Statistics. Dr. Wheelan has a passion for making economics and public policy interesting and understandable to lay people. He is also the author of The Centrist Manifesto, a book that grew out of his experience as a candidate for Congress in Chicago in 2009. He is the founder and chair emeritus of Unite America, a non-partisan movement working to put voters first by fostering a more representative and functional government.