The English department has named Deborah Holdstein, currently a professor at Governors State University, as the new chair, active July 1, 2005.

“I’m particularly excited to be in a fine department with an extremely strong reputation at an institution that also is known for very solid programs and good students,” Holdstein said.

During her time at Governors State, the university awarded her three Student Choice Awards for teaching and a faculty excellence award.

“I’ve been committed for many years to working with my colleagues to provide quality, public education to highly diverse student populations, and together I believe that my colleagues and I at Northern can continue to meet the particularly unique challenges that face us in Illinois,” Holdstein said.

The English department chair has been vacant since 2003 when former chair Heather Hardy left NIU to become dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University.

Linguistic English professor Doris Macdonald has served as interim chair.

“She [Holdstein] has had administrative experience and she is very active in the professional organizations in her field,” Macdonald said.

During the English department’s year and a half search for a new chair, the candidate had to be a full professor, have significant administrative experience, have a distinguished scholarly record and have a national or international reputation, along with numerous other criteria.

“She has a very distinguished publication record, has proved her capability as an administrator at Governors State University, and impressed the committee as someone who would work very hard to foster the English department’s tradition of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service,” said Associate English Professor, Michael Day.