Joe and Karen Grush

Joe and Karen Grush came to the DeKalb area in the fall of 1974. Joe started as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Northern Illinois University. Karen began as a public health nurse at the DeKalb County Public Health Department. Joe was tenured and promoted through the academic ranks from assistant to associate and full professor. Joe also entered and progressed through the administrative ranks at NIU. He served as Director of Graduate Studies and Chair of the Department of Psychology, as Associate Dean and Acting Dean of the college of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and now was Vice Provost for Resource Planning. Karen also rose through the administrative ranks in her profession. She was promoted from public health nurse to Director of Nursing and went on to her current position as Director of the DeKalb County Public Health Department. Joe obtained his B.A. degree in Philosophy from Quincy College in Quincy, IL, and his Ph.D. degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois. Karen got her Registered Nurse Diploma from Holy Cross School of Nursing in South Bend, Indiana, her B.S. degree in Nursing from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her M.S. degree in Nursing from Northern Illinois University.