President
Northern Illinois University
Industry:
Education
Member since:
2019
Membership Type:
Full
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is an engaged public research university that serves a diverse student body. As President, Freeman works to support all aspects of the university’s mission, emphasizing NIU’s continued commitments to promoting the social mobility of Huskie students, producing high impact scholarship, and engaging with our region. She strives to create a learning environment where students, faculty and staff from a wide range of backgrounds feel welcome and included. She takes pride in bringing people, ideas and resources together to promote positive change. Freeman has been a member of NIU’s senior leadership team, and a Professor of Biology since 2010, serving previously as NIU’s Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and Executive Vice President and Provost.
Freeman earned a B.S. in 1981, and a M.S. and D.V.M. in 1986, from Cornell University. She went on to earn a Ph.D. at The Ohio State University in 1989, and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. In 2004-05, Freeman was a Fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) hosted by the University at Buffalo.
In addition to being an accomplished scientist with numerous publications and presentations, Freeman has been recognized widely for contributions to her profession and to the communities where she has lived and worked. Among those honors are being named as the Outstanding Veterinarian of the Year by the Association for Women Veterinarians in 2002 and recognized by Women We Admire as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Education in 2023 and 2024. Freeman has served the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities as a board member and past chair of the Executive Committee of the Commission on Information, Measurement, and Analysis. She is currently on the boards of Altus Academy, Brookfield Zoo, Campus Compact, DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association, and Universities Research Association.