Luke Laurin, '02, Recalls Faculty Who Inspired Career Growth in Business
By Tony Scott
Luke Laurin, ’02, is currently a managing director for ProspHire, a national management consulting firm, and he is also a proud Huskie who fondly recalls his NIU days.
Laurin recalled an especially impactful faculty member he had as a student in Operations Management and Information Systems (OMIS).
“Professor Kathleen McFadden’s impact on my education was profound and far-reaching,” Laurin said. “She served as a mentor, guide and source of inspiration for me throughout my college years. She was impactful in my intellectual growth through her engaging lectures, thought-provoking discussions, challenging assignments and helping me develop a deeper understanding of operations in a business setting.”
Laurin grew up on Chicago’s South Side near Midway Airport. His dad was a carpenter and his mom worked in customer service at Rex TV. His sister, Kelly Rogan, ’94, is an NIU alumnus.
When he first decided to attend college, he entered Columbia College where his interest was in radio broadcasting. But he transferred after one semester to attend NIU, partly because of the positive feedback his sister gave him about NIU. He received a scholarship from Sears Roebuck and Company by continuing to work for the company during spring and summer breaks.
Laurin had an active social life while attending NIU.
“I lived on campus at the Phi Kappa Sigma (Skulls) house all three years I attended NIU,” he said. “I played intramural sports and was in a Pearl Jam cover band called the Swiss Richards, where I played the drums. Our band played various social events around campus. I was also a DJ at Molly’s and Amnesia throughout my college career.”
As managing director, Laurin is responsible for ProspHire's Dental Practice Management consulting practice. He explained that dental service organizations (DSOs) and dental providers are often faced with several challenges in operations and technology that affect their ability to stabilize on a current platform, to pursue additional growth opportunities and to deliver high-quality dental care to their patients.
“To succeed, the DSOs and dental providers must look to standardize on a common Dental Practice Management System, optimize their practices workflows, standardize current operating procedures, and look for new clinical offerings that service their patient population,” Laurin explained. “At ProspHire, we address these challenges for our dental clients with innovative solutions that help streamline practice and administrative processes, improve communication and collaboration between DSOs and practices, ensure compliance, enhance revenue cycle management and bolster reporting capabilities. We partner with firms and their vendors to implement standard solutions that are fine-tuned to their unique way of operating dental practices.”
Laurin said creating a successful dental practice management consulting practice can be a rewarding endeavor that comes with its share of challenges.
“Creating a comprehensive and well-researched business model was crucial for our success,” he said. “The dental industry continues to evolve their tech stack with new technologies, equipment integration and techniques being introduced regularly. Staying up to date with these advancements and integrating them into our client’s growth strategies can be expensive and time consuming if it’s all done internally.”
Laurin said being an NIU alumnus is a special thing.
“Being an NIU Huskie represents a sense of belonging, school spirit, and pride in the university's history, achievements, and values,” he said. “It is a shared identity that unites current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters of Northern Illinois University.”