Midwestern University Presents Littlejohn Awards

Midwestern University President and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., honored two new recipients of the Littlejohn Award at the University’s annual faculty and staff recognition event on the Downers Grove Campus.

This year’s honorees are faculty member Kathleen O’Hagan, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine; and Robert Jansey, B.A., Technology Support Specialist, Information Technology (IT) Services, as the 2024 Littlejohn Award recipients for the Downers Grove Campus.

Joining the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) in 1993 as an Assistant Professor, Dr. O’Hagan was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in 1997 and Professor in 2004. Dr. O’Hagan served as Chair of the Department of Physiology (Downers Grove Campus) from 2007-2021. In 2021, she received an administrative appointment as Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, for CCOM with a continuing faculty appointment in the Department of Physiology. Dr. O’Hagan earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Physiology & Neurobiology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She completed postdoctoral training in neural control of circulation at the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In his role at Midwestern University, Robert Jansey is responsible for providing technical support and expertise in managing audio-visual equipment, multimedia systems, and IT infrastructure for students, faculty, and staff. He also collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure seamless operations during lectures and events. Mr. Jansey earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Radio and TV from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC). He currently holds an IT Certification and has completed multiple IT training courses over his career. Before joining the IT Services team at Midwestern University, Mr. Jansey worked as an IT/Audio-Visual Specialist providing in-house technology support for all employees and several clients in a corporate training environment for the Q Center, a meeting and conference center in St. Charles, Illinois.

The prestigious Littlejohn Awards honor individuals whose contributions have had a lasting impact on Midwestern University, its students, and the community. Named after the visionary Littlejohn brothers—John Martin, James Buchanan, and David Littlejohn—who in 1900 laid the foundation for what has become Midwestern University, these awards pay tribute to the legacy of leadership and dedication that shaped the University.