Messages from President Bell-Jordan
October 26, 2026
From: Katrina E. Bell-Jordan, President
J. Todd Phillips, Chair, Board of Trustees
It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of 鶹 Trustee and alumna Michelle Morales. As the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Michelle brought care, compassion, and a strong commitment to 鶹's students. Her passing is a heartfelt loss for the 鶹 community.
Michelle earned her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from 鶹 in 2012. Her connection to 鶹 continued when the Illinois Senate confirmed her appointment to the Board of Trustees on March 16, 2023, and on April 11, 2024. Her fellow trustees elected her Vice Chair on May 28, 2024.
Michelle strongly advocated for 鶹's mission, vision, and values. She gave generously of her time, talent, and energy, supporting our faculty and staff and keeping student success at the center of her work. As a first-generation U.S.-born Puerto Rican woman, Michelle brought her identity and experiences to her advocacy. She raised awareness about issues affecting Puerto Rican communities and other communities of color, championing racial equity and people's right to help shape decisions that affect their lives. Her advocacy in public education reflected a deeply held belief that every student deserves to be seen, heard, and supported.
As a member of the Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment and Technology Committee of the 鶹 Board of Trustees, Michelle championed student engagement and belonging. She understood that supporting students means recognizing the whole person—their aspirations, their challenges, and their need for a community that cares about their success.
We are grateful for Michelle's leadership and the encouragement she offered the 鶹 community. As both an alumna and a trustee, she helped extend the promise of a 鶹 education to others. We will miss her generosity and compassionate spirit. Her legacy lives on in the students and community she served.
On behalf of the 鶹 community, we extend our deepest condolences to Trustee Morales' family, friends, fellow trustees, and all who knew and worked with her, as we grieve and honor her life and contributions.
September 1, 2026
Today, 鶹 is introducing an evolved logo.
Informed by a year-long process and opportunities for campus engagement, including a campus-wide survey, the evolved logo supports 鶹’s Strategic Plan, Tactic 2: Elevate 鶹’s Identity as an Urban University with Regional Impact.
The new evolved logo:
- Emphasizes “鶹” while reducing reliance on “Northeastern,” which confuses 鶹 with other institutions.
- Provides a more modern look that supports 鶹’s continued growth in a competitive higher education landscape, while remaining rooted in 鶹’s identity
- Provides 鶹’s academic colleges with both horizontal and stacked secondary logos as part of a more modernized look
- Performs effectively across websites, social media, mobile devices, and printed materials.
An updated Brand Book is available to help the campus community use the evolved logo and communicate 鶹’s strengths with a clear, unified voice.
Thank you to everyone who contributed feedback and helped shape this important evolution of the 鶹 brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When will the evolved logo appear on 鶹 materials?
The logo will appear on 鶹’s website, social media channels, and other high-visibility communications beginning on September 1, 2026. Recent visitors to the 鶹 website will need to delete their browsing history to view the it immediately. The logo will be introduced across all 鶹 locations and materials gradually over the next six to 12 months. - Why is 鶹 evolving its logo?
The previous logo was last revised in 2012. The “Flying N” symbol had limited recognition. The evolved logo gives 鶹 a clearer, more flexible, and modern-looking visual identity. - How was the campus community involved?
The campus community, including faculty, staff, administrators, students, and alumni, was invited to participate in a year-long engagement process, which included a campus-wide survey. The selected direction reflects the feedback gathered through that process. - Do departments need to replace existing materials immediately?
No. To manage costs responsibly, departments should continue to use existing supplies and replace materials with the updated logo as inventories are depleted. Items should not be discarded solely because they display the previous logo. - What should departments use when ordering new materials?
Newly designed or reordered materials should use the evolved logo and follow the standards in the new Brand Book. Colleges and departments should use their approved official logo. - Where can I find the evolved logo and Brand Book?
The Brand Book is available through the link here. Questions about logo use or new materials may be directed to the Division of Marketing and Communications marketing@neiu.edu.
We are excited to introduce 鶹’s evolved logo—an important step in presenting a stronger, more consistent identity. It reflects the momentum building across our University campus locations and our enthusiasm for where 鶹 is headed.
April 9, 2026
I am pleased to announce that 鶹 alumna Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (B.A. ’07) will serve as the speaker for our Spring 2026 Commencement.
Dr. Taylor is an award-winning scholar, author, and public intellectual whose work examines racial inequality, public policy, and Black social movements. She is the author of Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History and a National Book Award semifinalist. Her earlier book, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, received the Lannan Cultural Freedom Award, and she is also the editor of How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, which earned a Lambda Literary Award. In recognition of her impactful scholarship and public engagement, Dr. Taylor was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship in 2021.
A proud 鶹 graduate, Dr. Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern in 2007, followed by a Master’s and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She currently serves on the faculty at Princeton University. Her work continues to shape national conversations on race, inequality, and social change, and she is also a contributing writer for The New Yorker.
Dr. Taylor’s achievements exemplify the transformative power of a Northeastern education and reflect our University’s mission to expand opportunity and advance meaningful impact in our communities. We are honored to welcome her back to 鶹 to inspire our graduates.
Spring 2026 Commencement will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. Tickets are required for all guests and will be distributed through the student graduation application process.
Additional details will be shared at neiu.edu/commencement.