CHICAGO-Dr. Jean Puthenpurackal has been promoted to Full Professor at the City Colleges of Chicago, becoming the youngest person of Indian origin to currently hold the prestigious rank in the Health Sciences Department.

The City Colleges of Chicago Board of Trustees confirmed Dr. Puthenpurackal’s promotion to Full Professor on July 9th board meeting. He previously served as Associate Professor and as department Chair of Health Sciences at Malcolm X College.

Dr. Puthenpurackal’s tenure at City Colleges of Chicago began in 2016 when he joined the faculty. Over the past nine years, he has distinguished himself in teaching, scholarship, service and leadership.

In the classroom, Dr. Puthenpurackal has taught courses in Radiologic Sciences and Health Information Technology. His academic career began within the City Colleges system. He immigrated to the United States with his parents and sister in 2004 to join their family in Chicago. After finishing high school education in India, he started his higher education at Wilbur Wright College, one of City Colleges’ seven campuses. From CCC, he earned an Associate in Applied Science with honors before completing a bachelor’s degree with magna cum laude and a master’s degree with distinction. He later earned a Doctor of Philosophy. His published dissertation, “The Socio-Cognitive Aspects of Collaborative Learning and Community Colleges”examines instructional practices in higher education.

Beyond academia, Dr. Puthenpurackal maintains an active role in community service. He served as the founding Vice President of the Keralite American Association, a nonprofit focused on cultural and charity outreach. 

The promotion places Dr. Puthenpurackal among the youngest faculty members to attain full professorship within City Colleges Health Sciences Department. City Colleges of Chicago serves more than 60,000 students annually across seven colleges and is one of the largest community college systems in the United States.

Dr Jean Puthenpurackal