Brian Glasby’s approval by Community High School District 99’s Board of Education deemed him DGN’s science department chairperson effective July 1. Glasby succeeds Mike Heinz who held the position for the previous 14 years.
“I’ve heard what an amazing place this district is and this school in particular,” Glasby said. “I had pretty high standards and they meet and exceed, it’s been a really good fit.”
Glasby attended Michigan State University where he graduated in 2007 with a bachelors’ degree in microbiology, on the pre-med track. He then moved down to Florida where he worked for an internship dealing with biological aspects of life at Disney World’s educational program.
“Science has always been that common thread of who I am, but then I found that education piece too. I found my passion,” Glasby said.
Glasby’s time in Florida advanced his path to a career of education when he attended University of Central Florida and graduated in 2011 with a master’s degree in science education. After teaching in Florida for seven years and meeting his wife, Glasby moved to Illinois and chose to pursue another degree. He attended North Central College and graduated in 2020 with a master’s degree in educational leadership.
“Ultimately his genuine excitement and love of being around students and sharing his passion for science with them definitely stuck out throughout the interview process,” DGN Principal Dr. Courtney DeMent said. “He is very knowledgeable about both science curriculum and leadership.”
Glasby has been in education for 17 years and some of his past jobs include teaching high school biology, eighth grade science, and administrative work as an assistant principal. At his previous school, Naperville North High School, he was involved in ‘Dog Pound’, their student section for athletic events.
“I’m doing the student section here too, the N-Zone. I’ll be at all the football games,” Glasby said.
The new chairperson of DGN is involved at the school in a variety of ways. He will be both leading the science department and its curriculum as well as teaching biology courses.
“A department chair is a really difficult job because you have to have the perspective of your department and of the larger building, sometimes bringing those things together can be difficult,” DeMent said. “I feel confident that he will bring all of those things together to help create space for all of our students to grow.”
So far, Glasby’s presence here at DGN has been significant. Students and staff have adjusted very well to the new department chair, and he has made a noticeable positive impact on the school.
“Mr. Glasby has a lot of high energy, he’s very intelligent, and he brings us a lot of knowledge,” science teacher Kathleen Troyer said. “I’m looking forward to this next period where we have an excited department chair who loves science and likes to encourage teachers to think outside the box and help us be better teachers for the students at north.”
Lots of confidence and excitement exists with Glasby being the one to replace the role of science department chair. The future of science at DGN has a very optimistic outlook.
“I want to make sure that we at DGN have courses that will best prepare the students for the next step of their life,” Glasby said. “Ultimately, how we can ensure that the youth is going to find that place as a citizen in our world to make the best difference that they can make, that’s my job.”
