Free Lecture: “An Evening with Dr. Ngozi Ezike” 7:30 p.m. Apr. 25

Northeastern Illinois University features former Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in “An Evening with Dr. Ngozi Ezike” 7:30 p.m. April 25 in the Auditorium on the Main Campus, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago. The lecture, part of the eighth Daniel L. Goodwin Lecture Series will also be live streamed on neiu.edu/lectures.

Ezike was the first Black woman appointed to lead IDPH in its 145-year history as a state agency. For nearly three years, she helped the state navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a board-certified internist and pediatrician who previously worked for Cook County Health, the hospital and healthcare system addressing the needs of the residents of Cook County, for more than 15 years. Ezike is a nationally recognized expert in the area of healthcare within the juvenile detention and justice systems.

In the press conference announcing her resignation, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared March 1, 2022, as “Dr. Ngozi Ezike Day” and noted that his top health advisor “will go down in the Illinois history books as a woman who changed our state for the better.” USA Today recently named Ezike the 2022 Illinois Honoree for their “Woman of the Year” project. An advocate for maintaining work-life balance, particularly in challenging times, Ezike is an avid tennis player and reader, and is fluent in Spanish and French.

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required as seating is limited. Masks will be required to be worn while on campus, per the University’s interim COVID-19 policy. Tickets are currently available to the public at neiu.edu/tickets, in person at the University’s Welcome Desk and Box Office or by calling (773) 442-4636.

The Daniel L. Goodwin Distinguished Lecture Series was created in 2015 by Daniel L. Goodwin, Chairman and CEO of Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., as part of his historic $2.5 million commitment to Northeastern Illinois University. The lecture series fund supports freedom of speech by providing prominent thinkers representing all sides of issues.