Program Staff
Academic Director, Robert Johnston
Robert D. Johnston serves as Academic Director for "Rethinking the Gilded Age and Progressive Era." He is Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he directs UIC's Teaching of History program. An award-winning teacher, Robert has worked extensively with K-12 teachers in dozens of professional development projects and has been academic director of three Teaching American History grants. He authored The Radical Middle Class: Populist Democracy and the Question of Capitalism in Progressive Era Portland, Oregon (Princeton University Press, 2003) and the middle school/high school textbook, The Making of America: The History of the United States from 1492 to the Present (National Geographic, 2002/2010), which received the School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year Award. He currently co-edits the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Robert resides with his family in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood, where he coaches youth baseball, serves on the board of his synagogue, and is working on his next book, about controversies over vaccination in American history (for Oxford University Press). Robert can be reached at johnsto1@uic.edu.
Robert D. Johnston serves as Academic Director for "Rethinking the Gilded Age and Progressive Era." He is Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he directs UIC's Teaching of History program. An award-winning teacher, Robert has worked extensively with K-12 teachers in dozens of professional development projects and has been academic director of three Teaching American History grants. He authored The Radical Middle Class: Populist Democracy and the Question of Capitalism in Progressive Era Portland, Oregon (Princeton University Press, 2003) and the middle school/high school textbook, The Making of America: The History of the United States from 1492 to the Present (National Geographic, 2002/2010), which received the School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year Award. He currently co-edits the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Robert resides with his family in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood, where he coaches youth baseball, serves on the board of his synagogue, and is working on his next book, about controversies over vaccination in American history (for Oxford University Press). Robert can be reached at johnsto1@uic.edu.
Program Director, Charles Tocci
Charles Tocci is Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago. A former Chicago public high school teacher, Charlie was Assistant Professor of Secondary Education and Director of the Secondary Social Studies Education program at National Louis University. Prior to that he was situated at Teachers College, Columbia University where he earned his doctorate in Curriculum & Teaching as well as worked as a senior research associate at the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching. Charlie can be reached at ctocci@luc.edu.
Director of Teracher Supports, Michael Biondo
Michael Biondo is a Social Science Teacher and an Instructional Coach at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. He teaches US History and coordinates student participation in the Chicago Metro History Fair, the local affiliate of National History Day. In his coaching role, he provides one-on-one coaching to teachers, leads staff development programs, and co-directs a district-wide action research cohort. He is a Google for Education Certified Trainer. He earned his BA in History at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. He has an MA in History from Northeastern Illinois University, and an MA in School Leadership from Concordia University Chicago, where he also recently began a doctoral program. Michael was named Illinois Computing Educators (ICE) “Classroom Educator of the Year” in 2015 and the Illinois Patricia Behring NHD Senior Division “Teacher of the Year” in 2016. Michael can be reached at mbiondo@maine207.org or www.biondoteaches.com.
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Master Teacher, Johanna Heppeler
Johanna Heppeler has been a member of the East Leyden Social Studies Department since 2005. Currently, she teaches Advanced Placement United States History and Global Studies Honors. After school, she work as coordinator of the Guided Study program, which provides additional support to students failing one or more core class. She is also the co-adviser for Leyden's National Honor Society Chapter. Johanna was a Scholar in the 2013 GAPE Institute.