Fremd teacher earns U of C Outstanding Educator Award

Martin Zacharia, an advance placement history teacher at William Fremd High School, received the University of Chicago's Outstanding Educator Award. The award recognizes teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the educational and personal development of their students. Zacharia, who also serves as dean of students and the debate team coach, was nominated by Fremd alumnus and University of Chicago student Mingda Zhang, who said he had matured under the guidance of Zacharia.

• Rheumatologist Dr. Ladonna R. Koziol has joined the Northwest Community Healthcare Medical Group practice at 2101 S. Arlington Heights Road, Suite 108, in Arlington Heights. Koziol attended Northwestern University in Evanston and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She studied internal medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. She completed her residency at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and a fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carilina.

Koziol has a special interest in osteoporosis and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and the International Society of Clinical Densitometry. She has been published in medical journals on the topics of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, and has presented for the Illinois Department of Public Health and the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

• District 15 Nutrition Services employee Aimee Brunllieb was honored by the board of education for exhibiting exemplary care and kindness to a complete stranger, who turned out to be a District 15 student. Brunllieb was walking her dog recently when she noticed someone sitting on the ground in obvious distress. She approached the young man and quickly realized he was a special needs student she would often serve lunch to at school. Brunllieb chose to stay with the boy, listening to why he was outside on the dark, cold evening. After explaining to her that he was running away from home, Brunllieb was able to calm him down and walk him back home.

• Schaumburg-based Lavelle Law announced that associate Jennifer Burt Tee was made a partner at the firm effective Jan. 1. Tee joined Lavelle Law in 2012. Her work deals with a variety of matters, including commercial, business, contract, probate and employment litigation. She holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

• Submit you 'Neighbor in the News' items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyherald.com.