Our mission is to provide urban experiential education from a Christian perspective that equips students for integrated personal, professional and public lives.

Erik Nussbaum has taught the Arts & the City course since joining Chicago Semester in the fall of 2008.  His favorite part of teaching the class is discussing the many amazing art events they see together. He enjoys the different perspectives students bring to understanding their experience, and finds it fulfilling to witness the growth within each student as the semester progresses. Erik feels this embodies, in part, the mission of the entire program.

Born in Eureka, IL, Erik attended Knox College for his undergraduate degree and Westminster for his graduate work. He made the leap from small town to huge city when a job with the Chicago Children’s Choir led him to Chicago in 2000. Serving in several south and west side public elementary schools greatly expanded his understanding of life in the city.

When Erik isn’t teaching at Chicago Semester, you can often find him writing music for his church music ministry. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, whether making music together, playing Frisbee, watching movies or playing with their senior cat, Charlie.

Mackenzi has served as Executive Director of Chicago Semester since July 2014. Passionate about the program’s mission to provide experiential learning opportunities, rooted in a Christian perspective, she is constantly inspired by student and alumni stories about how the program has shaped their ideas regarding urban life and work.

Originally from western Michigan, Mackenzi is now deeply committed to living in the city and continually explores questions about what it means for Christians to engage in urban life. She is excited to lead CS as it seeks possible answers through working with students. Prior to joining the CS staff, she served as Dean for Faculty Development and Academic Programs and Professor of Social Work at Trinity Christian College’s Palos Heights campus.

Mackenzi lives in the south side Hyde Park neighborhood with her family. She enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting museums and neighborhood restaurants throughout the city, and attending LaSalle Street Church where she and her family are members.

Michael joined the Chicago Semester in mid-2021 after having graduated from Hope College with a BA in Business Administration and a minor in Jazz Studies. During his time there, he found a strong passion for serving students through leadership capacities across campus and connecting with others through music, justice, and community building.

As an international TCK student from Honduras and study abroad alumnus with IES Vienna, Michael recognizes the value of global citizenship and experiential learning. He is excited to empower students in their personal and professional development journeys and accompany them in understanding what it means to live and learn in the city of Chicago.

Michael is residing in the Ravenswood neighborhood which is conveniently located near the Brown Line, which takes him right to the Merchandise Mart. He spends a lot of time composing and playing music in the Midwest area, collaborating with creatives, and working on entrepreneurial and philanthropic projects both here and in Honduras.

Michelle decided to move from patient care into education because she believes that nurses are called to a profession and that by answering that call nurses are obedient to God. A lifelong resident of Chicago, she began teaching at Chicago Semester in fall of 2005.

She earned her BS in Nursing from Chicago State University, her MS in Nursing from Saint Xavier University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Loyola University New Orleans. She has extensive experience in maternal and child health, women’s primary care, primary care in the retail health setting and nursing education. Her special interests include perinatal loss, childbirth and lactation education.

Michelle currently lives on the north side of Chicago. When she is not teaching at Chicago Semester, she enjoys being actively involved in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also loves taking in music in the city, going to movies and trying one of the many local restaurants with friends.

Rebecca loves Chicago Semester because of its potential to impact students as they transition from college to the real world. She also loves engaging students in learning about, and working with, urban communities.

Born and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Rebecca lived on both the East and West coasts before finding a happy medium in Chicago. Prior to joining Chicago Semester in the spring of 2007, Rebecca worked extensively in the social justice realm, writing her dissertation in Cuba on the negotiation of motherhood, wage-earning and civic engagement in the Cuban context. She also spent several years studying the impact of Latino churches on Chicago communities through the Center for the Study of Latino Religion at the University of Notre Dame.

She earned her MA and PhD in sociology at Loyola University Chicago, and continues to research and write about issues related to race, inequality and social justice. Rebecca currently lives on Chicago’s northwest side and counts herself extraordinarily blessed with a close family, great group of friends and faith community she loves.