Cover Story
Making Theater Magic
Follow the cast and crew of Man of La Mancha as they create an unforgettable experience.
Fall 2025
Features
The Northwestern Alumni Association bestows its greatest honor, the Alumni Medal, on four alumni for their professional achievement and service to the University.
Voices
The share of Pell Grant–eligible students on campus has reached 21%, a figure that puts Northwestern ahead of all but four of its peer institutions. History professor Kevin Boyle shares his thoughts on Northwestern University’s efforts to invest in a more equitable vision of higher education.
Across engineering, medicine, communications technology and more, faculty share why conducting basic science research is fundamentally important, opening paths to medical breakthroughs and innovation.
Discovery
Northwestern scientists have developed a therapy that combats the progression of neurodegenerative diseases by effectively trapping toxic proteins before they can aggregate into nanofibers that kill neurons. Led by professor Sam Stupp ’77 PhD, the therapy holds promise for Alzheimer’s disease and ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
News
Since 1980, MBA students at the Kellogg School of Management have come together to write, direct and perform in Special K!, a musical comedy show featuring singing, dancing and drama sketches about life at Kellogg.
Divya Gupta explored many avenues during her four years at Northwestern. She became president of the women’s club tennis team, learned about international journalism in Japan, studied abroad in Spain, worked with the Institute for Policy Research and more.
My Northwestern Direction
After interviewing her grandparents about their lives, Elizabeth Weingarten realized the power of asking questions. She explains how facing uncertainty with a curious mind can lead to unexpected clarity.
Impact
Since 2015, the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs has opened new vistas for international research and teaching.
Made possible by a generous gift from University Trustee Kimberly K. Querrey, the new Querrey Simpson Institute for Regenerative Engineering at Northwestern will help accelerate patient recoveries and develop bioengineered tissues and organs.
In 2025 Northwestern is celebrating milestone anniversaries for three premier music and theater venues on the Evanston campus.
People
Emily Glazer ’10, Raj Mankad ’99 and Alissa Zhu ’15 each received 2025 Pulitzer Prizes in national reporting, editorial writing and local reporting.
Northwestern is frequently mentioned in clues and questions on the iconic prime-time quiz show Jeopardy! At least 30 alumni and students have competed for fame and fortune on the show.
Sports executive, actor and former professional soccer player Andy McDermott is founder and CEO of Intentional Sports. The organization’s world-class facility offers free or low-cost sports activities and other programming to kids on Chicago’s northwest side.
Rachel Sillcocks is co-owner and co-founder of the Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Hilda and Jesse, which started as a pop-up and is now well-known for its whimsically styled interior and eclectic dinner and brunch menus.
How would you describe the Mona Lisa or Dalí’s famous melting clocks painting to a toddler? Thanks to MuseKat, an app developed by Bethany Marzewski Crystal ’09, the answers are right at your fingertips.
In Check Please, an award-winning short film by Shane Chung ’24, two co-workers who share Korean heritage fight each other for the right to pay the bill at a restaurant, using Jackie Chan–inspired martial arts.
If you like mystery thrillers, sports, history, magical realism, horror or owls, these alumni have you covered.
While attending a service at a synagogue, Broadway playwright Michele Lowe ’79 realized she might be able to use her stagecraft skills in an unexpected way — to help rabbis connect with their congregations.
