We honor and congratulate Dr. Daniel Cabrera for 25 years of service assisting staff, students, and educators at Northern Illinois University. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) asked Dr. Cabrera to discuss his rich and diverse background and to share some insights on the journey that led to his career as both an educator and the Multimedia Coordinator.
CITL: Where are you from and what brought you to NIU?
Dr. Cabrera: I’m originally from Los Angeles, California. In 1996, I was completing my Ph.D. in Public Health Studies at UCLA. A teaching position at NIU caught my eye, so I flew out for an interview. Several days later, I accepted an Assistant Professor position within the College of Health and Human Sciences. At the time, the department I was joining was called the School of Allied Health Professions, and I was a faculty member in Public Health Program.
CITL: What is your educational background, and what degrees have you earned?
- University of California at Santa Barbara B.A physical anthropology
- California State University at Los Angeles B.S. psychology
- California State University at Los Angeles M.A. psychology
- University of California at Los Angeles M.S. public health
- University of California at Los Angeles PhD. Public health
CITL: What stands out to you about your career?
Dr. Cabrera: I came to NIU as a tenure-track professor, but I started to pull away from it when I began attending faculty development workshops. I saw the attraction to improving my teaching by applying some of these pedagogies and technologies to instruction. I went on to become one of the first faculty members to build a webpage and post content online. This was back in 1998—there was no standardization, we were using dial-up internet, and it felt like the wild west back then.
CITL: How has your role within CITL evolved?
Dr. Cabrera: It didn’t always used to be called The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL). I joined in 2002 when it was still the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. I attended so many workshops that the Director, Dr. Murali Krishnamurthi, eventually recruited me. I watched some of our initial workshops go from being very rudimentary to something far more advanced. The Center expanded due to faculty demand, and new staff members with special skills and education joined the team.
CITL has this ability to change. Most recently, we stepped up to meet the needs of our NIU educators during the pandemic. We were tasked with teaching faculty and instructors who had never taught online how to teach in a remote setting. Now, as we explore the new normal, we’ll continue to adapt as we’re needed. It’s very gratifying to work with a team that always supports you, helps you, and works with you to grow something even better.
CITL: What NIU projects are you most proud of?
Dr. Cabrera: I collaborated with NIU colleagues across the university to develop academic integrity training modules, effective presentation skills videos, faculty-student relationship tutorials, and an On-Base database tutorial. I am also proud of my work as a member of the Presidential Commission on Persons with Disabilities Committee, which serves as a university-wide advocate promoting awareness, educating the university community, and assisting individuals with disability-related issues.
CITL: What piece of advice would you give NIU faculty?
Dr. Cabrera: That’s easy. Never be satisfied. Try to look at your course through the eyes of a brand-new student. Can you find the syllabus? Is the course easy to navigate? Do you have an instructor presence? Do your students know you, or more importantly, do they know each other? It doesn’t matter if you are teaching online or face-to-face; there is always room to improve.
CITL: What do you do outside of your work in CITL and instructing at NIU?
Dr. Cabrera: My martial arts journey began in the early 1970’s, when a close friend of mine was training with a longtime Chinese Kung-Fu Grand Master, Ark Y. Wong, in Chinatown (Los Angeles). I trained for many years under Sifu John Lem. After relocating to DeKalb in 1996, I learned that Kung-Fu was being practiced in the area, in a student organization. I became involved with the group by serving as the Faculty Adviser to the Chinese Kung Fu Club, and have become an instructor. I have seen many cohorts of NIU students participate in the club during 
their time at NIU. The club has always seemed more like a community of family members than a martial arts organization. I have earned the rank of Black Sash, Fifth Masters Level Sifu Instructor. In 2022, I will be celebrating 50 years as a member of the martial arts community.
Dan and his family have a long tradition at NIU. He and his wife, Ellen, recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. Ellen worked in the NIU Department of Public Administration for 19 years and retired in August 2020. Dan and Ellen’s daughter, Christiana, earned an M.S. in Public Administration at NIU. Their son, Matthew, earned a B.A. in Communication Studies and a B.S. in Computer Science. It’s safe to say that the Cabrera family are devoted NIU Huskies!
