Expansion of Leadership for the Illinois P-20 Network
In recent weeks, a new, integrated collaborative structure between Northern Illinois University’s Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development (OERD) and the College of Education has been launched to support the Illinois P-20 Network. This internal change is designed to only have positive impacts on all of the partners that comprise the Illinois P-20 Network, and we are excited to announce a new key member of the team.
While the goals and values of the Illinois P-20 Network will not change, we are excited to announce that over the coming the months the Illinois P-20 Network will benefit from additional resources and an even closer partnership internally at Northern Illinois University with the NIU College of Education. For nearly three years, Dean of the College of Education Dr. Laurie Elish Piper has officially served in a co-leadership role for the Illinois P-20 Network, and now, as a result of an innovative partnership between NIU’s Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development and NIU’s College of Education, the Illinois P-20 Network will have even more resources and support moving forward.
Beginning this summer, Rodrigo López will serve as the Director of P-20 Initiatives as part of the Center for P-20 Engagement at Northern Illinois University. Rodrigo will serve alongside Jason Klein, who has started in a new collaborative joint appointment.
Rodrigo brings over a decade of experience in student and academic affairs in both high school and postsecondary settings, and throughout his career, he has led key college and career readiness initiatives across secondary and postsecondary education.
As a member of the College Advising Corps, he spent considerable time building partnerships between school districts, postsecondary institutions, and community-based organizations on behalf of Round Lake High School. Most recently, Rodrigo has served as Assistant Dean of College in High School Programs at Elgin Community College (ECC) where he managed the college’s dual credit partnerships and co-chaired the region’s college-career pathway committee. Rodrigo has provided state-wide leadership in early college experiences and policy as part of his roles as the government relations chair and president of the Illinois Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (ILACEP), the state’s chapter of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). He brings strong leadership and administrative experience in research, policy analysis, strategic planning, and program implementation. He received his B.A. and Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is completing his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Illinois State University.
