Mark Schuller
The Northern Illinois University Center for Non-Governmental Organization Leadership and Development (NGOLD) and the Department of Anthropology announced that Mark Schuller has accepted a joint appointment as an assistant professor.
Schuller grew up in the Chicago area, graduating from Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2007. He was hired by NIU following a national search, and is the first joint appointment between NGOLD and anthropology.
Supported by the National Science Foundation, among others, Schuller’s research on globalization, NGOs, gender and disasters in Haiti has been published in 20 peer-reviewed articles or book chapters as well as in traditional media outlets.
He is the author of “Killing with Kindness: Haiti, International Aid, and NGOs” (Rutgers, 2012) and co-editor of four volumes, including “Tectonic Shifts: Haiti Since the Earthquake” (Kumarian Press, 2012). He is the co-director and co-producer of the documentary “Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy” (Documentary Educational Resources, 2009) and a series co-editor for “Catastrophes in Context” (Kumarian Press).
Schuller is also a regular contributor for The Huffington Post and has been interviewed in several media outlets. He chairs the Society for Applied Anthropology’s Human Rights and Social Justice Committee.
Schuller also brings an international collaboration to NIU.
Since 2003, he has been an affiliate of the Faculté d’Ethnologie, l’Université d’État d’Haïti, where he teaches during intersessions and where he has supervised more than a dozen student-research assistants. In 2011, Schuller brought five students to Haiti to join their Haitian counterparts.
As an activist for Haiti solidarity and other global-justice efforts, Schuller has presented before Congress, the World Bank, USAID and international agencies in Haiti.
“We are so pleased to welcome Professor Schuller to NIU. His international expertise and affiliation with Faculté d’Ethnologie, l’Université d’État d’Haïti reinforce our global perspective,” said Nancy Castle, acting director of NGOLD.
“At the same time, Mark’s background in community organizing allows him to share valuable domestic, in-the-trenches experiences with our students, too. His experience and expertise, combined with his enthusiasm for the subject, make him an excellent addition to NGOLD faculty teaching in the Community Leadership and Civic Engagement undergraduate major.”
Before obtaining his doctorate, Schuller was a community organizer in St. Paul, Minn. His most recent position prior to starting at NIU was assistant professor of African-American studies and anthropology at City University of New York.
“Professor Schuller employs a ground-up and cross-cultural comparative approach to critically understand NGOs and the communities they work in,” said Kendall Thu, chair of the NIU Department of Anthropology. “His work sets a high bar that will no doubt help forge a unique and bright future for NGOLD and anthropology. I’m delighted that he chose NIU and look forward to continuing collaboration between anthropology and NGOLD.”
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