Several IU Northwest faculty members received approval for promotion in the 2024-25 academic year by the Indiana University Board of Trustees. Their promotions are effective July 1, 2024. Tenure is effective July 1, 2025.
Tenure Status
Yllka Azemi, Business and Economics
Scott Hudnall, Library
Margaret Pollak, Anthropology
Promotion to Professor
Nicole Anslover, History
Kristin Huysken, Geosciences
David Parnell, History
Promotion to Associate Professor
Yllka Azemi, Business and Economics
Margaret Pollak, Anthropology
Promotion to Associate Librarian
Scott Hudnall, Library
Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor
Tyra Robinson-Walker, Social Work
Derek Walter, Fine Arts
Faculty and Academic Awards
IU Northwest professors are leading experts, award-winning educators and teacher scholars. To recognize their work, the campus was proud to distribute many teaching, research and service awards during the 2023-24 academic year.
Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Award
Jonathyne Briggs, Professor of History
Distinguished Service Award
Monica Solinas-Saunders, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Founder’s Day Teaching Award
Eunjoo Kim, Assistant Professor of Education
Trustees’ Teaching Awards
Nicole Anslover, Associate Professor of History
Vesna Balac, Assistant Professor of Radiologic Sciences
Natasha Brown, Associate Professor of Communication
Jokima Hiller, Assistant Professor of Business
Margaret Pollak, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Sharon Pratt, Associate Professor of Education
Cecilia Villarruel, Assistant Professor of English
2024-25 Sabbatical Leaves
Congratulations to the following faculty who will be on sabbatical during the upcoming academic year. Their plans are as follows:
Olatunde Abiona, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems
Learn the development and teaching of high-performance computing deployment using Linux Clusters.
Spend time at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, to attend workshops and participate in activities related to high-performance computing, wireless communication security, microprocessor systems and more.
Participate in the development and design of high-performance data centers using a supercomputer to process data.
Natasha Brown, Associate Professor of Communication Arts
Work on a research project tentatively titled “Black women, social support and body image.” Black women are identified as a group at risk for poorer health outcomes when compared to other women. Collect data from at least 2,500 self-identified Black women regarding their experiences regarding social support and feelings regarding their body and body image.
Learn how perceived levels of social support are related to how a woman accepts (or rejects) her body, as well as how often the individual engages in health-promoting activities.
Chae Young Chang, Associate Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Investigate the evolving perceptions of political efficacy and their subsequent effects on various modes and levels of political engagement through “Shifting Tide: Exploring the Political Polarization, Graphic Transformations and Their Impact in South Korea.”
Establish a clear distinction between two key dimensions of political efficacy: internal and external efficacy in South Korea.
Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, Associate Professor of Fine Arts
Continue the body of work and research titled “Floating Monuments” by building new frameworks for public art, challenging conventional formats of production, representation and presentation.
Work on two new collaborative works in the Floating Monument series that relate to underrepresented historical figures, lost architectures and content. Curate continued “pop-up” events that align with work already happening in communities currently engaged.
Jie Wang, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems
Develop innovative learning techniques to overcome a longstanding obstacle in machine learning, the vital importance of annotated data in predictive model training.
Work on a software development project for improving teaching effectiveness and enhancing student performance on an individual basis.
