As the son of Double Huskies who went on to be public-school teachers, Eric Michel didn’t always know he wanted to be a teacher. However, after 15 years into his own higher education teaching career began, management assistant professor Michel has reached a milestone reserved for only the best instructors—receiving the 2024 NIU Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
“I have long joked that since I was the product of two public school teachers, I was genetically-engineered to teach,” Michel said. “However, growing up, I never considered teaching as a possible vocation. It was only once I began undergraduate studies at Bradley University, and I was exposed to university faculty, that I thought, ‘These are teachers, too, and maybe I could do this for a career.’”
While earning his bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies, he finally had a clear vision for his career.
“At Bradley, I was fortunate to experience first-hand the outstanding pedagogies of several incredible professors, specifically Mark Gobeyn, Jeanie Bukowski, Larry Weinzimmer, Robert Fuller, and Christine Blouch, who showed me that by both challenging and supporting students and developing connections with them on a personal level, you can transform them not only as students but also as human beings.”
But it was not only his own instructors who influenced his choice to teach.
“My parents, Jeff (B.A. ’71, M.S.Ed. ‘75) and Chris (M.S.Ed. ’76) were huge influences on me,” Michel said of his father who taught high school social studies and coached a variety of sports, and his mother who taught elementary and middle school ages during her career. “It is a special honor and privilege to teach at my parents’ alma mater. My dad was a first-generation college student at NIU and, when I engage students, I always try to treat my students how I would have wanted NIU faculty to have treated him when he first arrived on campus in 1967.”
Today, Michel primarily teaches courses in the human resource management emphasis, and he sees this as his opportunity to make a positive difference in, not only the HR field, but the world of business.
“I love teaching Employment Law because it is an opportunity for me to expand students’ awareness of equity and diversity issues facing HR practitioners,” he said. “Through case analysis and classroom discussion, I open my students’ eyes to the challenges facing vulnerable employee populations, for example undocumented immigrants, low-wage workers, underage minors, and previously incarcerated individuals, who regularly experience discrimination and unfair treatment in their pursuit to secure meaningful work and earn a living wage. It is very moving for me to see students galvanized to take action and use their NIU HR degree to be a force to positively change not only the organizations they work for but also society at large. Truly, HR and business can be a catalyst for building a better world.”
No matter the class, Michel is often struck by the resilience and resourcefulness of his students.
“The NIU students never cease to amaze me. I am always impressed with how adeptly NIU students are juggling multiple responsibilities – school, work, social life, family commitments – and how they are hard-working and resilient. NIU students are inquisitive and have a hunger for knowledge and I love matching their palpable energy in the classroom.”
Michel’s meaningful connections with his students are obvious. During the nominations for this award, 23 individual students voluntarily sent letters of support, nominating their beloved professor for the honor.
Kassandra Flewellin, ’23, an HR Resources specialist and recruiter for AAR Corp, submitted a letter that summed up her experience.
“Within the first week of attending Eric Michel’s Intro to HR course, I knew that this class and this professor was drastically different from any others before,” she said. “I was so intrigued by everything he had to say, I was excited for the upcoming exams, and class projects. I can confidently say that no other professor has ever made me excited for an exam. After the first month had passed, I remember getting into contact with my advisor, and switching my major to human resources. At that moment, I was beyond thrilled for the rest of my time at NIU.”
Besides his gift for connecting in the classroom, Michel has unfortunately had the opportunity to unite his students under tragic circumstances. In 2019, his HR student Trevor Wehner was killed in a workplace shooting. This heartbreak affected management students and faculty alike, and Michel helped to provide a safe space for people to heal while also commemorating Wehner’s memory.
“Trevor Wehner was one of my best HR students. In the Department of Management, we have sought to memorialize his life with the Golden Hearts Scholarship and Remembrance Celebration each year, but for me, having worked personally with Trevor, I try to keep his memory and legacy alive by fostering in others the kindness, warmth, and humor he exhibited,” Michel reflected.
Michel noted that he is very fortunate to work in such a student-centered environment with countless passionate and outstanding educators in both the Department of Management and the College of Business as a whole.
“This award is a testament to our collective work in the college to provide exceptional educational opportunities for our students and to propel them to greater heights,” he said. “Without such strong departmental leadership and supportive colleagues, I would not have been able to achieve my potential as an instructor. And to the students who nominated me, prepared my application, and wrote letters on my behalf, I could not have asked for a better team to share about how I have positively impacted the hearts and minds of the students in my classroom.”
