Jim Sikora

Born in Chicago, Dr. Sikora served in the Marine Corps and managed Kroger stores before completing his B.A. in Sociology at Southern Illinois University--Carbondale in 1968, followed by an A.M. and Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1970 and 1972 respectively.

In 1973, he began teaching and later became an administrator at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. While there he was a researcher and volunteer consultant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Georgia Department of Corrections, Chattanooga Human Relations Council, Hamilton County Juvenile Courts, Chattanooga Police Department, and Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. 

From 1979-1995, he chaired the Department of Sociology at IWU.  During that time he has worked and continues to work with numerous area not-for profits organizations. In 2003, he and Professor James Simeone established the Action Research Center (ARC), pairing students and faculty with community partners in not-for-profits.  ARC, through the current efforts of its coordinator, Deborah Halperin, immerses students and faculty in community-wide, quality of life research projects.

He was president of the Illinois Sociological Association in 1986. He served on the American Sociological Association’s Committee on Teaching from 1989-92 and chaired the group in 1991-92. In 2007 he received The Pantagraph Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is campus coordinator for the Chicago Urban Semester. Dr. Sikora’s current courses include Introductory Sociology, Social Problems, Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency, Communities and Urban Society, and internship supervision.

 Contact Dr. Sikora at jsikora@iwu.edu

Jim Simeone

Professor Simeone teaches two courses in the Environmental Studies Program and supervises ARC interns for the department of political science. His interest in environmental studies led to ARC's river monitoring projects on the Mackinaw River and Kickapoo Creek during May Term in 2006.  He will teach the Action Research Seminar in the fall of 2007.

Professor Simeone's academic research looks at how political ideologies and institutions have combined to produce illiberal outcomes in the context of American democracy. He believes that identifying the causal mechanisms which move democracies to produce illiberal policies can help in the effort to avoid these mechanisms and outcomes in the future. He carries this focus into his action research agenda. He believes that student civic engagement can counteract the mistrust, misinformation, and lack of organization which have in the past fed the illiberal impulses in American political development.        

His research on frontier agrarianism has resulted in connections with contemporary efforts to promote Central Illinois farm communities including the Spence Farm Foundation and the Land Connection.

He enjoys life as a citizen in Bloomington, serving as a board member and treasurer of the Old House Society from 1999-2004.  From 2004-2006 he served as secretary of Founders' Grove Neighborhood Association and is currently serving a two-year term as president.

 Contact Dr. Simeone at jsimeone@iwu.edu

Deborah Halperin is the Coordinator of the Action Research Center.  She has over 20 years of experience with not-for-profit organizations.  Her resume includes work with the YWCA, Planned Parenthood, the National Runaway Switchboard, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the American Red Cross.  As a not-for-profit management consultant, Deborah has worked with clients in Chicago and local clients including Western Avenue Community Center and MARC. 

Deborah is committed to the long-term viability of organizations.She has been responsible for reengineering small and large workforces, improving program design and conducting research.  Deborah has also worked as a grant writer, a marketing manager and volunteer coordinator. 

Deborah is an active citizen in the Bloomington-Normal community.  Deborah serves as President of Board of the Day Care Center of McLean County and also on the Board of the Founder’s Grove Neighborhood Association.  Deborah has also volunteered as an ESL tutor for the STAR Literacy program, serves as a member of the Hispanic Families Work Group, and will be a Wish Grantor for the Make a Wish Foundation.  In 2006, Deborah served as a General Coordinator of the Washington School Playground – a community-wide effort that built a $120,000 playground in a barn-raising style over 5 days with the help of 1400 volunteers. 

Deborah attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.  As a sociology major, Deborah participated in an internship with the YWCA Critical Services department.  She worked with domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors in the emergency room, in shelters and through the court system.  She found the experience a defining factor in her personal and professional life. 

Originally from Hawaii, Deborah moved to Bloomington in 2003.  She is married to Gregory Halperin, an ophthalmologist at the Gailey Eye Clinic.  They have two children: Griffin Max and Tess. 

Contact Deborah at dhalperi@iwu.edu