A new director will be heading NIU’s honors program this year.

NIU named Jeffrey Chown to succeed the retiring F. Marion Miller as the director of University Honors Program.

NIU’s honors program was established in 1970 “to open up the excellence that exists in talented students by providing enriched educational experiences and a small college environment on a big campus,” Miller said.

About 850 students are enrolled in the honors program with academic majors representative of those declared by NIU’s overall undergraduate enrollment of 18,220.

Like Miller, Chown said he plans to combine his new responsibilities as director of the University Honors Program with teaching one class each semester.

Chown said his biggest problem as director will be to maintain programs despite tight state funding.

Chown, an associate professor in Communication Studies who teaches media studies, was a recipient of an NIU Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1989 and also nominated by the university for a New Professor of the Year Award sponsored by a national educational group.

A native of East Lansing, Mich., Chown grew up in Bay City, Mich. and graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1970. He received a B.A. degree in English and journalism from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1974 and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American Studies in 1977 and 1982 from the same university. He also received an M.A. degree in English from the University of Oklahoma, Norman, and did post-doctoral work at Northwestern University, Evanston.

At NIU since 1982, Chown received the prestigious Fulbright research/lecturer grant that enabled him to teach at Dublin City University, Ireland during 1989-90.

Chown’s scholarly interest is media culture and literacy which is exemplified in his book “Hollywood Auteur-Francis Coppolla.”

The author of two full-length original screenplays he is attempting to market to Hollywood producers, Chown has received high teaching ratings from NIU students and “is praised for the excellent rapport he has with students and faculty,” according to a 1988 departmental tenure recommendation.

The son of Janet and Donald Chown, Ann Arbor, Mich., Jeffrey and his wife Stephanie have two children, Patrick and Brianna, and reside in DeKalb.