June 13, 2011 | Faculty

David Protess to Retire

Northwestern University announced today that David Protess is retiring effective August 31, 2011. Professor Protess received his Ph.D. in Public Policy in 1974 from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. He joined the faculty of Northwestern University in 1981 and held the rank of Assistant Professor from 1981-1984 and of Associate Professor with tenure from 1986-1992. He was promoted to Professor in 1992.

From 1999 until he went on leave in the Spring Quarter of this year, Professor Protess served as Director of the Medill Innocence Project. The Medill Innocence Project, which is part of the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, allows undergraduate students an opportunity, through course work, to research cases of alleged wrongful convictions. The work done by students who took classes that worked on Innocence Project cases contributed to the exoneration of 11 wrongfully convicted men, five of whom were on death row. That work will continue.