Qualifications
Curious and creative problem solver
Works collaboratively to use state-of-the-art technology to solve unanswered questions in biomedicine
Mentor
Trains the next generation of scientists
Teacher and Administrator
Teaches medical and graduate school
Member of numerous curriculum committees
I want to bring my scientific background and approach to D102. I want our district to inspire all students to be fearless life-long learners that can tackle any problem through creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking.
Why I’m running for D102 School Board
Goals
Execute Strategic Plan and RenewD102 for current and future students
Continue Curriculum Evaluations, especially in the Sciences
Enhance achievement and identify new tools to facilitate closing the achievement gap
Continue to improve fiscal efficiency
About Jordan
Jordan and his wife Sarah-Jaine live in La Grange with their two future Cossitt Tigers - Olympia (age 4) and Avalon (age 1). They spend their free time at the La Grange parks, library, and tracking down the best sweet potato fries in the area.
Jordan was born in Flint, Michigan and raised near Cleveland, Ohio, where he received his PhD in Physiology from Case Western Reserve University. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He joined Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 2017 and is now a tenured Associate-Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology.
Dr. Beach’s Research
I am a biomedical research scientist. In addition to teaching medical and graduate students, I run a research lab at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. We used advanced microscopy and engineering techniques to explore how cells generate and respond to mechanical forces. We think about how cells change their shape to enable movement (relevant in immune and cancer cell migration) and how this movement contributes to decision making. We study a wide array of mechanical processes including fibroblast cell migration, smooth muscle cell plasticity during aortic aneurysm, and neuronal development and degeneration. Our lab has been proudly supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health to improve our understanding of the biological world to help improve human health.
Videos: The dynamic actin cytoskeleton of a fibroblast cell (left) and early neuron (right) imaged using confocal microscopy.
Video credits: Dr. Melissa Quintanilla, Phd.D (left; Beach Lab) and Joseph Tidei (right; Beach Lab)