Urbana North Elementary Principal Julie Willoughby received her doctorate in School Leadership on May 7 from Concordia of Chicago in River Forest, Illinois. Her dissertation, “How Primary Teachers Understand the Team Protocol in Ohio,” focused on how teachers understand the five-step process in Teacher-Based Teams.

She began working on her doctorate seven years ago while working as elementary principal at New Knoxville Local Schools.

Willoughby received her bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University and her master of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Bowling Green State University. She graduated from Wapakoneta High School and is the daughter of Joe and Dottie Morgan of Wapakoneta. She has served as principal at both North and East elementaries in Urbana.

Willoughby lives in Sidney with her husband, John. They have four children: Bobby and Dylan Vanderpool, and Jaclyn and Taylor Willoughby.