Staff Bio

Rob Wildeboer

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE & COORDINATOR OF MUSIC

Rob spent 19 years as a reporter and editor for WBEZ, 91.5, the public radio station in Chicago. He covered criminal and legal affairs. He led the WBEZ newsroom editing daily news, politics, criminal justice and a bunch of other subjects he knows little about including education, arts, transportation, presidential politics and on and on. The work was always interesting! Rob also ran a team of investigative criminal just reporters that produced the podcast "16 shots" on the killing of Laquan McDonald by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, as well as seasons of "Motive" including one on the Illinois Prison system and the killing of an incarcerated man by guards and one season on Chicago's anti-violence workers. His work has been featured on NPR, PBS, BBC, CBC among others. 

Rob studied at Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles as part of its journalism law school program, and was a Guggenheim Fellow at the City University of New York and spent the 2014-15 academic year as the Knight Wallace Law fellow at the University of Michigan. He has an M. A. in Journalism from Columbia College and a B. A. in Philosophy from Calvin College. He has taught journalism at North Park University and in Columbia College's graduate program. 

Rob left journalism in 2023 to study piano. He is taking private lessons and classes and can often be found in the sanctuary during the week practicing really annoying stuff over and over.

Where do you live and with who? My wife Christine and I live in the Ukrainian Village.

What is your favorite drink? Whatever I've got in the house while I smoke some Seattle pipe club plum pudding blend on my back porch. 

What are some favorite ways to recharge? See earlier question re: plum pudding blend.

What are you enjoying about your role at LaSalle right now? I quit my job as a journalist to learn music and practice and play and I'm doing all three!