Dr. John and Mrs. Margaret Christiano

John came to the United States from Italy when he was just 10 years old. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a faculty member for 20 years. In 1959, he came to NIU as a professor of mathematics and helped establish a strong program. NIU had recently gone from a teachers’ college to a university. John says, “I knew there was a future here and a lot of work to be done. I like to think I helped move the university forward.” Margaret, who was born in Iowa, followed her dream to become a nurse. Early in her career she was a maternity unit supervisor, instructor and nurse anesthetist. She received a certificate of advanced graduate studies from Boston University. In 1968, she came to NIU and helped develop a graduate program that targeted those who couldn’t attend school full time. John and Margaret met at NIU after John’s wife, Mary, died in 1978. The Christianos retired in 1982, but their ties to NIU remain strong. “We are proud of Northern and of the job it is doing to educate students.”