Faces of NLU: Meet Dr. Margena Christian

A media scholar and professor uses her doctoral research at NLU to publish multiple books and highlight the accomplishments of diverse figures in media.

At National Louis University (NLU), we know that the job market is ever-changing: demand for certain positions goes up and down, requirements shift, and workers change jobs more frequently than ever before. That’s why we prepare our graduates to apply their skills to a wide range of positions rather than training them for one specific job description. Dr. Margena A. Christian, a 2013 graduate of NLU, adapted her skills to the twists and turns her career took in order to build a unique position where she can pursue her interests and exercise her strengths. Before earning her Ed.D. in Adult and Continuing Education at NLU, she spent twenty years in the publishing industry, editing and writing for the historic EBONY magazine, as well as various other publications under the Johnson Publishing Company umbrella.

Flexibility was paramount for Dr. Christian when she was choosing a program, as she was working not one, but two jobs while earning her doctorate.

“I worked full time and held down a part-time position as an adjunct professor at two of the City Colleges of Chicago,” Dr. Christian says. “[National Louis University] made it possible for working students to attend school and finish in a timely manner. Careful attention and concern were placed on the work-life balance with schedules at NLU. That’s something I appreciated the most.”

Through earning her doctorate, Dr. Christian became inspired to write and publish her own research, something she previously had not done.

 “After earning my doctorate, I did something drastic by self-publishing my research in the book Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built.”

Dr. Christian went on to publish another book, Wally, Where’d You Get Those Glasses? My Life Through the Lens of Parliament, Pendergrass and Prince (2019), and she is currently working on a third.

“I am hard at work on a third book about the late Sylvia Moy. She made history as Motown’s first in-house female songwriter and producer who also helped to save Stevie Wonder’s early career when the teen was nearly dropped from the label,” Dr. Christian says.

Dr. Christian says the Ed.D. program in Adult and Continuing Education has influenced her career as both an educator and scholar.

“My primary advisor, Dr. Scipio Colin III, made quite an impact on my life,” Dr. Christian says. “The program as a whole molded and shaped me as a scholar [...] I’ve been able to apply my studies from my time at NLU into my career because my work exemplifies and illustrates teaching excellence in the classroom and on the world stage known through the media.”

Dr. Christian wears a number of different hats in her job, including that of an author, researcher and teacher.

“As a media scholar, I contribute to Oxford University Press’ (OUP) American National Biography (ANB) where I pen biographical reference essays, rooted in popular culture, about influential figures in American history,” Dr. Christian says. “I was approached by OUP in 2017 to assist in increasing the overall diversity and inclusivity of the ANB while building up archival coverage of subjects who had died in the last 15-20 years. My area of specialization is biographies about African Americans who have contributed in the fields of music and media.”

Along with her scholarly work, Dr. Chrisitan is also a Senior Lecturer in the English and Professional Writing Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she teaches courses on African Americans in the media and serves as an authority on the best practices for anti-racist teaching.

“Most recently I was the recipient of The HistoryMakers 2022-2023 Faculty Innovations in Pedagogy & Teaching Fellowship, and I was selected for the 2022-2023 OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship at the University of Illinois System,” Dr. Christian says.

A successful scholar, author and teacher, Dr. Christian encourages current NLU students to trust in their abilities, even if their path seems unclear at the moment:

“I want current NLU students to trust the process and to keep the faith. One day it will all make sense if the pieces aren’t coming together now.”

Interested in our doctoral programs in education? You can also view all of NLU’s degree programs here. We also invite you to contact an Enrollment Specialist online or call (888) 658-8632 to discuss your personal and professional goals.