Staff Spotlight: Jonathan Maendel
Jonathan Maendel is a familiar face in the Chemistry department. Jonathan joined the Northwestern staff in 2007, when he was hired as a graduate program assistant. He has served the department in various student-interfacing roles and is currently the graduate program coordinator for the Chemistry Ph.D. program.
Jonathan was born in Belfast, Maine but shortly thereafter moved to Evanston Illinois where he spent most of his childhood and teenage years. After graduating from Evanston Township High School, Jonathan enrolled at Dominican University in Oak Park River Forest. At Dominican he continued his love of soccer by contributing to a very successful soccer program, and forming lifelong friendships that have impacted his life journey.
After graduating Dominican University in 2005, Jonathan had the pleasure of moving to South Africa to volunteer as a teacher at Sparrow Schools for a one-year term. Simply put, it was the most challenging, rewarding, exciting, and eye opening experience of his young life and has shaped much of his career missions moving forward. After the year was complete, the pleasure of paying student loan debt brought Jonathan back to Evanston where he was hired by the Chemistry Department. He has continued to pursue his passion of soccer as a youth soccer coach in the Northshore area where he has had the pleasure of watching many young people develop both on and off the soccer field.
Jonathan is currently attending classes part-time toward a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy at Northwestern University. He enjoys bringing what he learns in the classroom back into his day-to-day work with students. Outside of work, he recently got married and his wife and him have caught a bit of the travel bug. They have traveled to Greece, Spain, and Thailand with trips to South Africa and Italy in the works. His travel hidden gem is Folegandros Island. It’s only a short ferry ride from Santorini and is well worth the trip for the authentic Greek culture experience (He says you must try the Matsata while you’re there!)