COD Experts: Maria Ritzema

Maria Ritzema is an Associate Professor of History at COD. Ritzema has held history adjunct positions at a variety of higher education institutions, including University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Carroll University, Madison Area Technical College and Milwaukee Area Technical College. She hopes her students learn how important it is to know the past in order to understand the present.

Ritzema decided to pursue a Ph.D. in History at UIC focusing on South Asia – specifically Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Contact Ritzema at ritzemam@cod.edu or (630) 942-3283.

John Paris

I have always been fascinated with peoples’ immigration stories. What made people leave their homes and come to the United States? What was happening in their homes that made the U.S. seem like a place to move to?

- Maria Ritzema, Associate Professor of History

Areas of Expertise

  • Modern Sri Lanka
  • Modern South Asia
  • Colonialism
  • Nationalism
  • China’s Growing Sphere of Economic Influence

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