Business Administration Faculty

Greetings. My name is Rob Russ. I've been teaching college courses in the areas of business, marketing, and communications as both an adjunct and full-time instructor for more than a dozen years. It's something I've always enjoyed and made time for around my busy schedule. Vocationally, I have a varied background, primarily entrepreneurial. I have also spent several years on both the client- and agency-side in the Marketing Communications field. My areas of expertise are in market re-positioning, corporate identity, product positioning, and brand definition.

Academically, I earned my Associate's degree at Elgin Community College and my Bachelor's degree in Corporate Communications from NIU. I did my graduate studies at Roosevelt University, receiving a Master of Science degree in Marketing Communications. I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Business Administration degree online at Walden University. When I'm not teaching, I'm either consulting with clients (strategic management and marketing planning), or delivering presentations to student or corporate audiences.

To say that my path into teaching was an indirect route would be a bit of an understatement I guess some could even say that teaching found me.

I was out of business school, and working my way up the corporate ladder in the telecommunications industry. As a side job, I had extended my enlistment in the Illinois Air National Guard, enjoying the work and the people in my unit. By chance, I happened to be working at the base when a notice came out that they needed someone to be an instructor for CPR and first aid classes. This was a vital role, as every member of the military must maintain a basic proficiency in buddy care, due to the potential nature of a wartime tasking. Thinking it might be a fun change of pace, I volunteered. To my surprise, teaching fit me like a glove. I would have never guessed back then, that more than 25 years later, I would still be teaching, and having this much fun in my role as a college level, adjunct instructor.

A few years after my early retirement from the military and a major career shift into finance (2001), I started to miss teaching. In 2008, I walked into the office of Tom Johnson, head of the finance department at Harper, and boldly stated; "I want to teach again. Where do you need help?" At that time, Harper's on-line teaching was still in its infancy. Tom asked me to develop a blended course on investing and personal finance (BFC200/MGT170). This course was aimed at both traditional students and adult learners. Since that time, I have been asked to teach additional finance courses, in all modalities: traditional lecture, blended, on-line and fast track. One of my biggest strengths has been in my ability to mix real world experience with the practical application of financial theory. My industry experience allows me to give my students a behind-the-scenes look at how the financial world really operates, beyond the confines of a textbook.

In addition to teaching as a Level II Adjunct Instructor, I am quickly approaching 20 years as an executive in the financial services industry (Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management). I was an executive in the telecommunications industry for 9 years and I'm a 13 year Air Force veteran. I earned my Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) from Western Illinois University and also hold an Associate’s Degree in Applied Sciences - Electronics, from the Community College of the Air Force. My other activities have included, former president of American Marketing Association, member of Rotary International, volunteer with the Ice Age Trail Alliance and I hold board level positions for the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at both the Loyola University (Chicago) and the Western Illinois University chapters.

For the bulk of her business career, Ildi was in the insurance industry, holding various leadership positions in underwriting, operations, reinsurance accounting and finance, with her last role as an Accounting Operations Director. When she retired, she decided to give back through volunteering and teaching, especially at the college level. Luckily the stars aligned, and Ildi was hired in on the ground floor when Harper College partnered to create an Insurance Apprenticeship Program. She helped design the curriculum, recommended learning materials and has taught in the program ever since. The students are amazing, and the program has been a success, helping to build careers and broaden knowledge.

Ildi has always been a huge fan of lifelong learning and had the opportunity to work in many different areas within the insurance industry. The insurance industry has many formal certifications and as her career progressed, she obtained numerous certifications. In addition to her MBA, she is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and has her Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Associate in Regulation and Compliance (ARC), Associate in Accounting and Finance (AIAF), Associate in Management (AIM) and Associate in Insurance (AINS). This knowledge helped her gain expertise in many different disciplines as she took on different leadership roles and was invaluable in her post-retirement teaching career.

In addition to teaching, she is actively involved with a volunteer driven, non-profit job organization that is dedicated to helping clients develop search strategies, skills, and conduct an effective job search. This work blends perfectly with the work she does in the classroom, weaving practical job and career knowledge into the materials and presents a balanced view of the business world.

Ildi also volunteers at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital and is a commissioner for the Village of Lake Zurich Planning and Zoning Commission.

On a personal note, Ildi lives in Lake Zurich, lost her husband in 2022, and has a son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren locally. She also has 2 stepdaughters and 6 grandchildren spread around the country.

Jerry earned his Bachelor's and advanced degrees from DePaul University. He has approximately thirty years of business experience in sales and sales management primarily in the technology sector. For most of this time, he was an adjunct faculty at several local colleges. He then made a career change to college administration. He has approximately ten years of combined experience in college administration as an associate dean, dean, and campus president. During this time, he continued as an adjunct faculty. He is now retired and does volunteer work at a local food bank.

Dr. Karolyn Rubin is an award-winning educator and renown business leader. With an extensive background in organizational change and leadership, training and development, compliance management and strategic planning, her global career spans over several industries including credit and collections, finance, transportation, manufacturing healthcare, insurance, and higher education. Dr. Rubin’s extensive research focuses on emotional intelligence, generational cohorts, organizational change and leadership, and work-life balance in the workplace. Dr. Rubin received her Doctorate of Education specializing in organizational change and leadership at The University of Southern California and a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society. Dr. Rubin currently serves as a department chair and professor at several universities in the Chicagoland area. Dr. Rubin embraces her Why and believes in the power of Being Happy, Healthy, Terrific, and Staying Balanced.