In Memoriam
In memoriam is a page to read featured obituaries of Northwestern alumni, faculty and staff. Visit Remembrances to read memorials of Northwestern community members submitted by their family or peers. Submit an obituary.
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Adam Goodkind ’23 PhD, CERT, Scarborough, Maine, Oct. 30, 2025, at age 41. At age 9, Goodkind was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), an uncurable, rare genetic disease that causes tumors throughout the nervous system. He participated in multiple trials for NF2 treatments. After pursuing rabbinical studies, Goodkind embarked on a career in finance, working at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs. He developed a passion for computational linguistics — which combines linguistic theory with algorithms to analyze, model and generate human language — and went back to school to earn a doctorate in human-computer interaction at Northwestern. Goodkind applied his skill set to health care, developing communication technologies for people with autism and providing guidance on the programming of auditory devices for deaf people. He is survived by his wife, Shaina; his son, Sammy; his parents, Barbara and Kenneth; his stepfather, Michael; and his sister, Laura.