impact
Your community college
Vol. 1, No. 2
Tests of
faith
Mobilizing a generation
to build a better world
Former COD student Eboo Patel helped to advance
President Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service
Campus Challenge through his work on the White House
Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Advisory Council.
Eboo Patel is a man on a mission—a really big mission
of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University
Patel leads the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based said Patel, whose outreach vision has captured
and its pioneering study of America’s changing
international nonprofit organization he founded in
the attention of people in high places, including
religious
landscape.
2002 as a way to connect young people of all faiths
President Barack Obama.
Named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S.
through community service and, in a big way, build
Patel serves on the Advisory Council of the White
News and World Report (2009), he also writes The
cooperation in a world often divided by religion.
House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood
“There are a lot of people who believe we are
Partnerships, an opportunity he attributes to friends, Faith Divide blog for the Washington Post and is a
regular contributor to National Public
better apart, whether that’s Muslims
Radio,
USA Today and CNN. In his
and Christians or blacks and whites or
—Eboo Patel
book, “Acts of Faith: The Story of an
Americans and Arabs,” he said. “I believe
American Muslim, the Struggle for the
we are better together. In a variety of
Soul of a Generation,” Patel chronicles
ways, I make that idea reality.”
his personal journey, from a young boy
That idea has inspired the Rhodes
growing up in Glen Ellyn to a young
Scholar and former COD student to take
man discovering his global purpose.
many bold steps in a career even he admits
“We are all many possible people.
can be hard to wrap your head around.
How we become who we are has
Internationally, Patel’s organization
everything to do with which of those
has partnered with the New Delhi-based
possibilities is nurtured,” he said.
Kutumb Foundation to tackle issues
“College of DuPage helped nurture the
like education, women’s health, the
intellectually curious, ethically focused
environment and conflict resolution. He
Eboo Patel.”
has partnered also with the LondonThe son of COD Accounting
based Three Faiths Forum to start social
Professor Rukshad Patel explored many
action projects on their campuses. Closer
college subjects during his high school
to home, IFYC has teamed with One
years.
“Here was this wonderful resource
Chicago, One Nation, a philanthropic
Eboo Patel first met the Dalai Lama when his Interfaith Youth Core was just an idea.
right around the corner from where we
collaborative spearheading Better
Twelve years later, the former COD student had an opportunity to thank the Buddhist
spiritual leader for his encouragement and guidance. (photo by Matt Stone/The Courier-Journal)
lived,” he said, recalling the classes, the
Together events throughout the area,
professors, even some of the lectures
including an interfaith community
that became his introduction to some really big ideas.
service day held in April, a joint venture with the
peers and contemporaries who likely recommended
“I am personally glad that what I got to do at
Benedictine University Unity Foundation benefitting the activist, writer and teacher with a doctorate from
College of DuPage was wander off the beaten path of
the Wayside Cross Homeless Shelter in Aurora.
Oxford University.
typical professions, to whet my intellectual appetite
“We want to create a movement in America
The 35-year-old delivered closing remarks at this
a little bit, and then to follow that path to where it
with tens of thousands of college students who are
year’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum and has spoken at
would lead me.”
committed to the idea that we’re better together,”
the TED Conference, the Clinton Global Initiative
and universities around the world. He is an affiliate
“I believe we are better together.”
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
1
Taking a
Healthy interest
Adventist CT Scanner Donation
Delivers Better-Than-X-ray Vision
COD Surgical Technology student Danielle Odstrcilek is becoming well-versed in
operating room protocol.
Behind Every Good Surgeon is a
Skilled Technologist
The next time you or a loved one need surgery, Danielle Odstrcilek may be part
of the team keeping you safe.
The 27-year-old has more than 20 operating room procedures under her belt,
with many more to come in the months ahead, all part of her training in COD’s
Surgical Technology program. Odstrcilek will complete three clinical rotations—
at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Rush Medical Center in Chicago
and Hinsdale Hospital—along with classroom and lab instruction before earning
her Surgical Technology certificate in December.
“It’s a very intense program. COD instructors do a great job preparing us
for what it will be like,” she said, adding that one of her Gottlieb preceptors, a
graduate of the COD program, serves as a mentor and an inspiration.
“She’s showing me that it’s possible,” said Odstrcilek.
After carefully researching her options, the Lemont resident decided on a
health care career that not only piques her interest in anatomy and physiology,
but also challenges her in a variety of ways.
“Surgical techs are the surgeon’s right hand. We prep the operating room,
check the supplies, pass the instruments and make sure the environment is
sterile,” she explained. “We have to be conscious of what we’re doing all the time.”
Odstrcilek is prepared for the challenge and looks forward to helping surgical
patients at a hospital near you. More profiles on page 4 ➜
Suppose you have a pain in the neck, or the abdomen, or the head.
You’re scared. You want it diagnosed and treated pronto. First up, your
physician orders a CT scan.
Short for “computerized tomography,” a CT scan uses a series of X-ray
views from different angles to make cross-sectional images of the bones and
soft tissues of your body.
The question is: Do you want a CT scanner operated by a medical
professional who trained primarily by observing—or someone who’s had
hands-on experience from Day One?
The answer is easy. And thanks to a generous donation by Adventist
Hinsdale Hospital, College of DuPage is now the first community college in
the nation with its own CT scanner. That, in turn, means COD graduates
in such areas as radiation therapy, radiography and nuclear medicine can
move into jobs at Adventist and other medical facilities with been-there,
done-that expertise.
“The students who will use the CT at COD could be among Adventist
Hinsdale Hospital’s future X-ray technicians and sonographers,” said Alan
Schneider, a COD graduate who’s now Adventist Hinsdale’s chief patient
services officer. “Donating the machine benefits not only these students,
who get real-world experience,
but also our patients, who get
high-quality care.”
It was Schneider who
worked with COD Radiation
Therapy Professor Jeff Papp
to arrange the donation.
The scanner came from an
Adventist hospital in Florida
that had a CT scanner being
replaced with a new unit. In
addition to the multimilliondollar machine, the hospital
also covered the cost of delivery
and installation. The COD
Foundation provided $250,000
A computerized tomography (CT) scan showing
to prepare the Health and
cross-sectional images of a human brain.
Science Center classroom
where the scanner is housed.
“I’m really excited,” said Papp. “Hospitals and clinics use their CT scanners
around the clock. Therefore, when our students were working at clinical
sites, they mainly learned about CTs through observation. Now we can use
our scanner to give students the hands-on experience they need. There are
university medical centers that don’t have scanners in the classroom. Now, we
can strengthen our position as a leader in health care education.”
Did You Know?
COD is an excellent source for some
of your health care needs. We offer
ultrasound scanning and blood pressure
screening at no charge, and routine
dental services at minimal cost.
Visit cod.edu/impact for more details.
The Dental Hygiene program seeks patients of all ages. Students learn a
variety of preventive services under supervision of COD faculty.
2
The First and Only
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
College of DuPage students are now using a GE CT
scanner for health care education, making COD the
only community college in the nation to own this
important piece of equipment. The scanner was
a gift from Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and made
possible by former COD student, Alan Schneider,
the hospital’s chief patient services officer.
3
Changing
The U.S. higher
roughly the sam
Lisa Lanagan, Nuclear Medicine Technician
and Radiation Therapist, Hinsdale Hospital
Kelly Braun, Registered Nurse,
Downers Grove South High School
Catherine McMillan, Physical Therapist
Assistant, Action Therapy Services, Naperville
Carol Williams, Epic Application Coordinator,
Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield
✚
We Care About your Health Care
COD Alums Enhance Your Health and Well Being
From paramedics to nurses to therapists to testing
technicians, COD educates the professionals you
count on to keep you healthy. Our top-notch facilities,
high-tech equipment and outstanding faculty make
sure your health care providers are trained and ready
when you need them.
New ways to earn require new ways to learn
As the economy grows and changes, more workers will need a college
education. But the traditional four-year, bricks-and-mortar college
model won’t train and graduate the numbers we need at a cost students
can afford or on a schedule that fits their lives.
If higher education doesn’t come to grips with big barriers to college
graduation—capacity, accessibility, retention and affordability—experts
believe our workforce could be competitively disadvantaged.
“Without college-level learning, workers simply won’t have the
knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today’s global economy,”
said Jamie P. Merisotis, president of Lumina Foundation for Education.
Chris Ryba, Paramedic, Superior
Ambulance Service, Lisle
Keri Dorushka, Surgical Technician, Gottlieb
Memorial Hospital, Melrose Park
4
Julie Belsanti, Dental Hygienist,
Private Dental Practice, Glenview
Naomi Jones, Respiratory Therapist,
St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates
Changing the model
To recruit and retain more students, our colleges and universities
must educate a higher percentage of the population in more creative,
affordable ways. Fortunately, College of DuPage is creating many
options to make it easier for our residents to afford and complete a
quality education for today’s world. A few examples:
Lewis University 3+1
Four years at a residential university can easily cost $150,000 or more.
But through an innovative partnership starting this fall, criminal/social
justice students can complete three years of study in COD classes at
affordable COD rates, then finish their bachelor’s degree via one year
of Lewis courses with Lewis faculty at a significant discount. All four
years will take place at the new Homeland Security Education Center
on the COD campus.
The program is available to students who’ve completed their
associate’s degree at College of DuPage and want to earn a bachelor’s.
“The main attraction to me is that I get to stay on campus,” said
Criminal Justice student Betsy Bowden. “The people who started
the program with me are going to grow with me and then graduate
with me.”
the Landscape of Education
education system has been using the same methods to educate
me proportion of the population for the last 40 years.
COD is changing that.
Meteorology Professor Paul Sirvatka’s class meets a Nebraska thunderstorm head-on to analyze, track and observe real-time weather (photo by David Mayhew.)
Zen at 130 miles per hour
One key to retaining and graduating more students is to make learning
more relatable. Two new philosophy courses are doing just that this summer.
Combining his expertise in
philosophy and his interest
in auto racing, Associate
Professor John Santiago will
put students on a race track
to test their critical thinking
skills with high performance
driving. It’s an innovative
way to tie philosophical
concepts to practical
experience.
Associate Professor John Santiago prepares student
Jonathan Alvarado (in the driver’s seat) at NASA at
Autobahn. The road trip was par for the course—or in
this case, two philosophy courses—and a unique lesson
in critical thinking.
Online education
If you work the third shift,
have an unpredictable
schedule, or serve in the
military, online education can make learning more accessible.
The second largest provider of online education in Illinois, COD offers
more than 170 online courses in 41 disciplines. Fifteen certificates and six
associate degrees can be earned entirely online.
Chasing Storms
Experiential learning engages students in ways classroom work can’t. COD
Meteorology Professor Paul Sirvatka takes his students to the storm. Five
times a year Sirvatka and his class hit the road, sometimes traveling 1,000
miles per day in search of thunderstorms to study. The program gives students
the unique opportunity to analyze real data and apply what they have learned
to find and track storms. Once found, the students observe and learn how real
weather works.
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
Global Negotiations
Technology can be a catalyst for learning as in the case of the International
Negotiation Modules Project. Designed to infuse an international perspective
into classes, the web-based negotiation simulation program enables students to
explore contemporary global issues in areas such as Global Economics, Security,
Human Rights/Immigration, and the Environment.
Students in classes from Economics to English research a variety of topics and,
using the Internet, negotiate positions and perspectives with students in other
classes and at other colleges as if they were representing a specific country.
“It changes the dynamic in the classroom,” said Sandra Anderson, COD INMP
Faculty Coordinator. “I learn as much as the students.”
Students gain a deeper
understanding of global
issues and exercise critical
thinking skills by learning to
frame issues and solutions as
part of a negotiation process.
Hybrid learning
When dealing with online
and classroom instruction,
researchers are learning that
English Professor Jason Snart uses 21st century
it’s not just one or the other.
COD English Professor Jason technologies like “Second Life” and Google Earth to
connect students to 18th century poetry.
Snart has just published his
book “Hybrid Learning: The Perils and Promise of Blending Online and Faceto-Face Instruction in Higher Education.” And he practices what he preaches
at COD, including using the online virtual world of “Second Life” and Google
Earth applications to teach English.
In addition to giving students more flexibility and faculty an opportunity to
integrate different components into their classroom, “the benefit will ideally
be better student engagement, which is a perennial problem across higher
education,” says Snart.
5
impact: around your
China Educators Visit
When educators from China wanted to learn more
about community colleges, they chose College
of DuPage, the second-largest provider of higher
education in Illinois.
A group of 19 educators from China visited in
January and the guests included principals from
elementary, middle and high schools in Shanghai.
The visitors met with COD President Dr. Robert
L. Breuder, administrators and staff to learn more
about the role of community colleges in the U.S.
educational system.
Alum at Lyric Opera
A personal message from College of DuPage
President Robert L. Breuder
Dear Neighbors,
Chances are, when you think of a community
college, you think of its impact on the local
community and surrounding region. But in our
ever-more interconnected world, College of
DuPage is increasingly making an impact on the
world—and vice versa. That international reach and
understanding, in turn, has remarkable benefits for
our local community and its residents.
Dave Govertsen grew up in a musical family, but
while he initially set forth to play an instrument, he
eventually took to singing.
The switch paid off, leading the Glen Ellyn native
to a full scholarship at Northern Illinois University
before embarking on a graduate program at
Northwestern University. Finishing up his graduate
studies in spring 2011, Govertsen started the next
chapter of his career, having recently been accepted
to the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at
Lyric Opera of Chicago.
“This program is one of the best programs in the
country and it’s an honor to be selected,” said the
1999 COD graduate.
In this issue, you see a world of impact from COD:
A former student now touching lives around the
world through work with the White House.
Faculty members gleaning and sharing lessons
from the Japan earthquake, tsunami and
nuclear crises.
Foreign dignitaries learning at our school—
and getting to know our state and community in
the process.
A world of campus technology teaching new ways
to learn—and new ways to diagnose illness.
As always, I welcome your feedback and insights
as to how COD can benefit your world.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
President, College of DuPage

Visit Us on the Web
We hope you enjoy this issue of impact and discover
something new about your community college.
There’s more to these stories, so be sure to check out
our impact web page for other highlights, photos
and video interviews.
cod.edu/impact
6
Chinese delegation members learned about COD’s role in
the U.S. education system.
Anjum at Argonne
After College of DuPage offered him a scholarship,
Azeam Anjum researched the school and applied.
He’s never doubted the decision. In 2010, Anjum was
one of two science students from College of DuPage
to participate in summer internships at Fermilab.
This year Anjum earned a place in Argonne
Laboratory’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory
Internship program. “At Fermilab I was designing
and doing mechanical engineering,” he said. “At
Argonne I am basically a computer programmer.”
Anjum is working on a program that calculates the
emissions and fuel use of many vehicles. “It’s basically
all collaborated in Excel sheets and it is 50 pages long
and has been maintained for 15 years,” Anjum said. “It
is being converted into a real program now in .NET
and I need to help with the conversion process.”
Anjum plans to transfer this fall and pursue a
bachelor’s degree in Engineering at the University of
Illinois-Chicago. “COD has great opportunities,” he
said. “All of the science classes transfer, and I could
take upper-level courses. To study thermodynamics
at a two-year college is impressive.” Lt. Governor Simon
Tours COD
Taking physics at COD opened up the world for
José Gallegos.
Army Vet Gallegos
Interns at Fermilab
Aurora resident, Army veteran and College of
DuPage student José Gallegos began his 10-week
internship at Fermilab in May.
“I’m pretty excited,” Gallegos said. “I’ll be working
on a research project with scientists and engineers
that will consist of assembling, operating and
testing ultra high vacuum systems and high-power
microwave electronics.”
Gallegos was a squad leader and a section
sergeant before working in the quality assurance
shop for helicopters, where he would inspect the
work of other soldiers before a helicopter would
take flight. In August of 2009, only a few days after
leaving the Army, Gallegos began taking classes at
College of DuPage.
“I’m in school because of Army benefits,” he said,
“And I chose COD’s Engineering program because it
has such a strong reputation. I never took physics in
high school. But when I took it here for the first time,
it opened up the world to me. I can see how things
work, and I’m now hooked on the subject.”
Looking for innovative ways to improve college
completion rates, Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon
brought her Complete College Tour to College of
DuPage on April 20 to hear about a new way the
school plans to graduate criminal justice majors.
College of DuPage has launched a 3+1 partnership
with Lewis University to make it easier and more
affordable for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice.
“Illinois is serious about increasing college
course, certificate and degree completion,” Simon
said. “We must increase completion rates so that
more students who walk in the door of community
colleges walk across the stage at graduation and into
an Illinois workplace.”
Lt. Governor Sheila Simon (right), joins COD President
Robert L. Breuder (center), and State Representative Kirk
Dillard (second from right) during a tour of the Homeland
Security Education Center.
campus, your world
Crisis in
Japan
Lessons Learned
From a Triple
Crisis in Japan
In March, a massive tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan, triggered by
one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. Then, these natural disasters were
compounded by a man-made catastrophe at a nuclear power plant. It was, as
COD Chemistry Professor Richard Jarman dubbed it, “a trifecta of horrors.”
far more than its fossil fuel counterparts. Consequently, said Carter, no nuclear
plants have been built in the U.S. for 30 years.
If the financing were there, or some kind of government incentive, Carter said
nuclear plant design and operations can be safe.
Avoid complacency
When it comes to such crises, COD Meteorology Professor Paul Sirvatka says
the first and most-valuable lesson we should learn is the risk of growing too
comfortable and confident.
“People get complacent,” said Sirvatka.
“Catastrophes wake us from our slumber.
Whether it’s nuclear power or nature, we
can’t afford to be complacent.”
But once we’re shaken from our
comfort zone, how do we better
prepare? Sirvatka says money is often a
bigger issue than engineering when it
comes to preparedness.
Safety is dependent on the industry
“Nuclear power is as safe as the culture of the industry that makes it,” Carter
said. “If utilities get cavalier and take it for granted, then you’re headed for
catastrophe. If they take nuclear plant
safety to the extent of paranoia, you’ll
be okay.”
Jarman, whose expertise includes
nanotechnology, alternative energy,
recycling, fuel cells and batteries, agrees.
“What is most striking to me [from
the Japan crisis] is the extent to which
nuclear power is still capable of exciting
terror in the general public,” said
Jarman. “Even after it has established
a record of comparatively very few
safety problems compared with other
major energy sources, a bit of radiation
leakage trumps any giant oil spill or
mining disaster in the public’s mind.”
The safety vs. cost equation
“It’s all a cost-benefit analysis,” said
Sirvatka. “A 9.0 earthquake in the U.S.
would cause considerable damage. In
most parts of our country, our buildings
are not made to the codes of Japan.”
Accurate public information
But, he said, the risk of such a powerful
Jarman is amazed that Americans
quake is lower in most parts of the U.S.
than it is in Japan, so there’s less chance Police officers continue to search amongst rubble seven km from the troubled Fukushima rushed out after the Japan quake to buy
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
iodine tablets, when their everyday
the higher cost of stricter standards is
lives expose them to far more radiation
worth it.
through such sources as radon, televisions, chest X-rays and cosmic rays.
COD Physics Professor Tom Carter, who worked on radiation safety and
His main takeaway from Japan: “We can still do a much better job of
recovery in the military, said the same cost-benefit issues apply to nuclear power.
educating the populace regarding the facts of nuclear energy and radiation.”
It’s not about the science
“We could always improve safety. We could always build more redundant
Nuclear power safety depends on the culture of the industry that makes it
systems,” said Carter. “But that costs money.” Despite design and back-up power
After the Japan earthquake, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ordered special
flaws that contributed to the Japan crisis and garnered the most media attention,
inspections of U.S. nuclear reactors and found many to be vulnerable.
“the problem is not physics or engineering; that’s solvable. It’s the cost.”
A few, including the Dresden plant in northern Illinois seem to be doing a better
To illustrate, Carter explained how a highly visible accident like Fukushima in
job than most. Officials say the Illinois plant is prepared to ride out a 6.9-Richter
Japan, Chernobyl in the Ukraine or Three Mile Island in the U.S. can transform a
earthquake and moderate flooding according to the inspection report.
billion-dollar nuclear asset into a multibillion-dollar liability.
At the Byron, Illinois, plant decisions to repeatedly lower the minimum required
Even if the inherent problems can be solved, “No banker wants to touch that
thickness on corroding pipes rather than replace them led to a leak in 2007. The NRC
[investment risk],” said Carter, so nuclear power generation ends up costing
hadn’t inspected the pipes in eight years leading up to the leak.
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
7
impact
Vol. 1, No. 2
Published June 2011 by the Office of Marketing and
Creative Services at College of DuPage
President
Assistant Editors
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
Jeff Elijah, Jane Lelugas
Associate Vice President Writers
of External Relations
Jeff Elijah, Bruce Hetrick,
Joseph Moore
Jane Lelugas, Jim Vosicky
Marketing Director
Art Director
Laurie Jorgensen
Lou Demas
Editor
Designer
Jim Vosicky
Mark Brady
Photography
Rich Malec
Direct all comments and questions to the editor at
impact@cod.edu. ©2011 College of DuPage. All rights reserved.
“The students who will
be using the CT at COD
could be among Adventist
Hinsdale Hospital’s future
X-ray technicians and
sonographers. Donating
the machine benefits not
only these students, but
also our patients, who
get high-quality care.”
College of DuPage Board of Trustees
David Carlin
Kim Savage
Board Chairman
Darien
Naperville
Nancy Svoboda
Erin Birt
Downers Grove
Board Vice Chairman
Joseph C. Wozniak
Wheaton
Naperville
Allison O’Donnell
Lydia Whitten
Board Secretary
Student Trustee
Winfield
Woodridge
Dianne McGuire
Naperville
— Alan Schneider, Adventist Hinsdale
Hospital’s chief patient services officer
and a former COD student. (see page 2)
impact
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
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U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 164
Glen Ellyn, IL
Your community college Vol. 1, No. 2
In this issue
The first and only. COD is the only community
college in the nation to own and operate a CT scanner.
Changing the landscape of education. To increase
the number of college graduates, COD is finding
ways to make higher education more flexible, more
creative and more affordable.
The crisis in Japan. Faculty comment on what it
takes to avoid the mistakes made in Japan and
provide insight into the future of nuclear power.
The surgeon’s right hand woman. Surgical
Technology student Danielle Odstrcilek shares what
it takes to earn a place in the operating room.
Finding out what makes COD tick. Lt. Governor
Simon visits campus looking for innovative ways to
improve college completion rates.
impact
Your community college
Vol. 1, No. 2
Tests of Faith
Former COD student Eboo Patel
has captured the attention of leaders
across the globe.
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Residential Customer