Viking Preview Days offer you a firsthand taste of the 窪蹋勛圖 experience by allowing you to connect with our community and learn about our vibrant student life. Viking Preview Days are an ideal opportunity for students to take the next step in their college journey and discover what makes North Park special.

Highlights:
-Attend “Coffee with Coaches” and learn more about Viking Athletics (optional)
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by North Park students
-Get all your questions answered about your admissions application and financial aid

Jamey Lundblad C���95 loves Chicago. As chief marketing officer for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, his job is to promote the city���s many cultural offerings. It���s one he relishes.

“Chicago is an arts powerhouse and a global cultural destination���the birthplace of the skyscraper and modern architecture, storefront theatre, improv, the urban blues, and more,��� Lundblad says. ���I’m passionate about making the arts and local culture available to Chicagoans and visitors, and I love going to see exhibits, theatre,泭and dance myself���every chance I get. So, I’m grateful that my job allows me to advocate for the arts and Chicago every day.”

The communication arts and Swedish double major says North Park prepared him well for his high-profile position with the city, where he���s responsible for marketing Chicago���s many festivals and promoting Millennium Park, the number-one tourist attraction in the Midwest.

���My classes at 窪蹋勛圖 were terrific and provided a solid foundation for my career,��� says the Minnesota native. ���But what really shaped me were my experiences outside the classroom and around the world,��� including his semester in Sweden and his role as Student Government president his senior year.

���My study abroad in Sweden gave me confidence and a more expansive worldview,��� says Lundblad, who was mentored by many beloved North Park professors and staff, including David and Sue Horner, Melissa Morris-Olson, and Charles Peterson, among others.

After graduation, Lundblad got his career off the ground as an editor and event planner for North Park. Then he moved on to roles at marketing agency VSA Partners and as director of marketing for the Chicago Public Library.

Now a frequent world traveler, Lundblad also serves on the board of directors of Edgar Miller Legacy, a group whose mission is to preserve the architect���s ���handmade homes��� throughout the country, but especially in the Chicagoland area.

In fact, Lundblad and his husband, Bill Melamed, held their recent wedding in the R.W. Glasner Studio, a building designed by Miller, who was known as a master painter, wood carver,泭and stained-glass maker. Lundblad and Melamed are committed to supporting the arts, as well as a variety of LGBTQ causes.

Lundblad hails from a long line of North Park alumni: his aunt, uncle, brother, and sister-in-law all attended North Park.

���I���m proud to call myself a North Park Legacy,��� Lundblad says.

Did a novel or other work of literature change your life? If so, North Park English Professor Nancy Arnesen wants to hear from you.

Dr. Arnesen begins a yearlong sabbatical this summer, exploring the meaning of literature outside the classroom and in the broader world. As part of her research, she would like to hear from former students (along with their friends and family) about how a specific piece of literature changed their lives.

���I���d be interested to hear from alums about a literary work they read in college, or since, that has been important to them in some way,��� says Dr. Arnesen, who has taught writing and literature for more than 30 years. ���As part of my research, I���ll be asking ���why bother with literature?��� and ���how can literature serve the common good?������

In addition to reading works by authors who examine literature and its relationship to the common good, Dr. Arnesen will be searching out internship opportunities for students as part of North Park���s Catalyst 606__ program, in which Chicago serves as North Park���s extended classroom. To do so, Dr. Arnesen will be spending time exploring Chicago-based clubs and other non-profits that encourage the use of literature as a way to improve people���s lives.

If you���d like to assist Dr. Arnesen with her project, reach out to her at narnesen@northpark.edu.

More About Dr. Arnesen

North Park students, faculty, advisors, and family gathered May 2 at the Johnson Center for the 12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Organized by the Undergraduate Research Committee, the 25 student presenters first submitted an abstract to the committee for entrance into the symposium.

���Most of these student scholars conduct their research in their Directed Research course throughout the academic year,��� said Dr. Yoojin Choi, chair of the committee. ���Students really learn best when doing authentic inquiry,��� added Dr. Choi.

As part of the Directed Research course and/or independent studies coursework, the research topics represented students majoring in biology, psychology, exercise science, physics and engineering, nursing, philosophy, environmental science, English, chemistry, and biochemistry.

���This is the best learning experience I���ve had at 窪蹋勛圖泭because we can apply what we���ve learned,��� said Eleanor Manning, a physics and engineering major. She credits her understanding of the mechanics of prosthetics to participating in undergraduate Directed Research coursework.

���Conducting research projects is the best way to learn research and it allows our top students to shine,��� said Provost Michael O. Emerson.

Exercise science major Victoria Pudussery expressed her gratitude for her learning experience.

���I now have perspective on how large research is and am fortunate to learn the research process as an undergrad,��� said Pudussery. Post-graduation, Pudussery will pursue a degree in physical therapy at Northwestern University.

Students displayed the practical, career-building skills they acquired at 窪蹋勛圖 via media such as charts and graphs. Physics and engineering senior Kristina Lundeen illustrated an analysis of wind in her presentation of Improving a Pedestrian Comfort Model for Arbitrary Geometries.泭Nursing student Aisha Badla presented statistical reporting and data analysis that answered Does Breastfeeding a Neonate Improve Oxygen Saturation Levels Without Any Other Intervention?

Spending hours in North Park���s Brandel Library conducting in-depth research, the participants further developed their critical thinking, case study reading, oral presentation, and confidence in fielding questions from the audience.

���The Undergraduate Research Symposium is a magnificent泭spotlight on what is great about a North Park education,��� said Provost Emerson.

���Most grad schools require research experience in the undergrad years and having the Research Symposium on your CV is very good,��� said Dr. Choi. The CV credential is a bonus���but even more, these students displayed true to North Park form their appreciation for research, gratitude to their mentors, and exceptional work ethic.

Acknowledgments

The Undergraduate Research Symposium wishes to thank the students and faculty mentors for their efforts at creating original works of knowledge. This year���s Undergraduate Research Committee consisted of Professors Yoojin Choi, Gianfranco Farruggia, You-Seong Kim, Suzen Moeller, Rachel Schmale, Sarah Thorngate, and Joel Willitts. Special thanks to Brandel Library, Provost Emerson, and Interim President Balsam for their support and for underwriting the cost of the symposium.