Gary Dittmer

Dr. Lucinda Juel Dittmer believed strongly in pursuing a good education and that education creates opportunities. She and her husband Gary raised two daughters, Susan and Sarah. They have instilled in them many valuable life lessons including the importance of family and following dreams. Lucinda believed preparing students for the future meant meeting them at their intellectual level and providing them with problem solving skills across the mathematics, science, and technology fields. Born into a family that placed a high value on education, Lucinda received her bachelor’s degree in education from Western Illinois University, her M.B.A. from Florida Atlantic, and her Ph.D. from NIU. Teaching was the common thread that ran through her professional life. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Florida, then moved into the corporate world in the airline industry. Even while working from 1979-1989 in finance for United and Eastern, Lucinda continued to teach through staff training in various areas with the airlines.Lucinda’s love for teaching brought her back into the middle school classroom in St. Charles, Illinois, from 1999-2007. There, she would develop middle school curriculum including problem-based learning units and coordinate the annual math fair. In 2007, she took a job with the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and taught problem-based learning to other teachers and offered them mentoring. At the same time, she decided to return to school to earn her Ph.D.It was also at this time in 2013 that Lucinda was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Lucinda completed her thesis on problem-based learning from her hospital bed the day before she was to undergo brain surgery.In her personal life, Lucinda gave generously of her time to organizations she cared deeply about. During her daughters’ early years, she was very involved in their activities and education. She was a Girl Scout leader, homeless shelter volunteer, and contributed her expertise to many school and educational programs.Together, the family has established this scholarship agreement to remember Lucinda’s legacy and help further the education of students studying elementary education at NIU.