Meet the Professors
Department Chair
Professor Lynn Harper started as a full-time instructor at CLC in 2007, teaching Public speaking, honors public speaking, dynamics of small group communication and interviewing. Having a competitive background in Public Speaking and Oral Interpretation, naturally she specializes in both. She has conducted multiple workshops on and off campus focusing in areas of leadership skills, how to effectively communicate with your professor and how to improve public speaking skills.
Her greatest passion is Forensics, better known as the Speech and Debate team. Professor Harper began as the assistant director in 2007, then became the director in 2010. In 2016 she stepped down to pursue other avenues in higher education. During her tenure as director of forensics, she was honored with the National Phi Rho Pi Collie-Taylor award for Coach of the year in 2012 and 2013.
Professor Harper attended a community college receiving her A.A.S. before acquiring both her B.A. & M.A. in Communication Studies from Eastern Illinois University. Her B.A. focuses on Corporate Communication while her M.A. focuses on Community College Pedagogy. Prior to teaching at CLC, she taught at Eastern Illinois University and Danville Area Community College.
“在上课的第一天，建立一种让学生感到安全和舒适的氛围是很重要的。我希望他们分享自己的想法、观点和信仰，而不被评判。我们每天都分享信息。你会怎么处理你的信息?创造、分享和改变世界。”
Professor Rick Soller serves as Chair of the Communication Department and recently completed one of several terms as past President of the Faculty Union. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from The Ohio State University, and a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from Northern Illinois University. He took four years of doctoral coursework in Communication at The Ohio State University and is currently finishing a doctoral program in Education at Northern Illinois University. Previously Mr. Soller taught at Northern Illinois University as a graduate assistant and at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as a full-time instructor. He has also taught at Columbus State Community College as an adjunct faculty member and at The Ohio State University as a graduate student.
Professor Soller gained extensive debate experience over the years. He successfully debated in high school, competed on the intercollegiate team at The Ohio State University, coached debate as a Graduate Assistant at Northern Illinois University, coached debate as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and directed the CLC program for one year. He has also participated in debates with international teams including a team from Russia and a team from New Zealand.
索勒教授自从被CLC聘用以来，已经教授了很多课程。其中包括人际沟通、沟通基础、小组沟通、采访实践和大众传媒传播。最近，他在自己期待教授的课程中增加了一门“论证与辩论”课程。目前，他主要教授面试实践，涵盖了最新的面试技术，如调查猴子，互联网求职网站，聊天机器人，加上他的工作，使所有课程材料可在黑板上，使学生不需要购买教科书，使课程负担得起。
Faculty/Academic Advisors
Joel Chmara于2004年开始在Lake County学院任教。他教授公共演讲、小组交流，他还开发了一门口头演绎表演艺术课程，每年春季学期开课。乔尔在演讲队担任了8年的主教练，现在担任助理教练。他还是一位在美国和欧洲巡回演出的表演诗人。乔尔曾上过HBO电视台的Def Poetry节目，参加过全国诗歌大满贯决赛，参与创作并主演了一个Big 10 Basketball广告，还曾因不为米歇尔·奥巴马(Michelle Obama)表演而获得报酬。他是诗歌大满贯创始人马克·史密斯的“Speak 'Easy”组合的成员，该组合曾在芝加哥、德国、瑞士和法国的音乐节上演出。乔尔是北亚利桑那大学和伊利诺斯州立大学的校友。
It all began when I fell off a roof. After graduating from Franklin High School in Milwaukee I obtained a certificate in carpentry from Milwaukee Area Technical College, after which I immediately became a carpenter's apprentice. Two months into the job, I was hammering nails into the roof of a house and I day-dreamed myself backwards off that roof and landed nine feet below on the grass. That crash landing inspired to work with my mind rather than my hands, thus initiated my trip through higher education. The journey led me to the acquisition of a bachelor’s degree then master’s degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and, ultimately, to a professorship at the College of Lake County.
虽然我接受的非正式教育和正式教育都很有价值，但我在CLC教书的25年里从1000名学生身上学到的东西是无价的。我相信教室里的每个人都是老师和学生;每个人，无论是否在大学，都为别人提供了学习的机会。虽然我在CLC教授各种各样的交际课程，但我认为自己是跨文化交际专家，但我自豪地知道，我们的每一门交际系的课程都有可能改变你的生活。
When I received the gift of employment at CLC, I had no idea how high the incredible faculty, staff, and students would elevate me off that unforgiving ground I fell to decades ago. I hope to see you elevate yourself in one of our courses soon.
Kari Proft教授拥有伊利诺伊州立大学公共关系学士学位和传播学硕士学位。她的高等教育和成人学习博士学位将于2018年完成。在她在CLC任职之前，Kari在芝加哥地区的非营利部门工作，并经营一个小型的基于网络的公司，开发公共教育网站。一九九九年，她开始以夜校教学为爱好，参与社区教育。2008年秋，她的“爱好”变成了从事教学工作，成为CLC的全职终身教员。她对学生的成功有着真正的热情，帮助他们建立所需的学术技能，无论下一步是职业选择还是转到四年制学校。
Having her office at the CLC Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills, provides Professor Proft with the opportunity to teach a variety of communication courses: Public Speaking, Intercultural Communication, Interviewing Practices, and Communication Skills. In addition to teaching, Kari serves on the CLC Foundation Board and serves on various committees with the purpose to enhance the teaching and learning environment. By living in the community near the Southlake Campus, Kari enjoys the opportunities she has to promote the services and quality of education provided by CLC. When she is not at CLC, students will see her at music festivals, high school sporting events, and the local Starbuck’s.
Cindu is a tenured professor of Communication Studies specializing in Public Speaking, Intercultural Communication, and Online Education. Cindu was nationally recognized for her skill, expertise, and commitment to Education in 2017 when she was awarded the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award.
In addition to her faculty role at CLC, Cindu is committed and invested in the college’s diversity initiatives. She served as the first faculty chair of CLC’s currentdiversity commissionfrom 2011-2014 and is also the co-founder and Lead Trainer for theDiversity and Equity Infusion Project (DEIP), an institutionalized training program that is committed to preparing faculty and staff to work towards creating a college culture that promotes and values diversity, inclusion, and equity to better serve the increasingly diverse students, staff, and faculty at the CLC. Additionally, Cindu is the Founder and Principal Trainer ofShakti Diversity and Equity Trainingwhere she designs and facilitates professional development workshops that promote equity, cultural competence, and effective and strategic communication for organizations across a variety of industries.
Cindu began her career as an adjunct faculty member at San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco. She holds an M.A. in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University where she learned the art of teaching, public speaking, and the importance and relevance that diversity and social justice education has in our world.