News
Northwestern student Aanya Dhruv has been active in environmental advocacy since high school. When she learned that officials in her hometown were proposing to rezone a beloved nature preserve for a multifamily residential development, she launched a campaign to rally her neighbors and protect the green space.
College roommates Mateo Garcia-Bryce ’26, Jackson Heller ’26 and Luca Hirsch ’26 created the Prattic, a stand-up comedy space in the attic of their off-campus house. For 16 months, they welcomed over 100 performers, from first-timers to seasoned stand-up acts, and countless students to their shows every Monday night.
Mung Chiang, former president of Purdue University, took the reins as Northwestern’s 18th president on July 1, 2026, following an extensive global search led by representatives of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees and select faculty, staff, students and alumni. Chiang has built a reputation as an innovative researcher, an award-winning educator and an exceptional leader in higher education.
A student at Northwestern in the early 1920s, Sybil Bauer set 23 world records in women’s backstroke and was the first woman to break a men’s world record in swimming. One of the greatest athletes of her time, Bauer’s career was cut short when she died of cancer at age 23.
Cosmia Opera Collective is breathing new life into a classical art form. The student-run opera group focuses on promoting contemporary works by women and other underrepresented creatives.
Daniel Svärd is one of only three Wildcat golfers to win two individual Big Ten Championships, joining Sidney Richardson ’39 in 1937–38 and Luke Donald ’01 in 2000–01.
On Sept. 28, 2025, Taeyoung Lee ’26 finished his sixth international Ironman triathlon, becoming the youngest person to complete an Ironman on six continents.
Northwestern researchers discovered that an experimental drug called NU-9 shows promise as an early intervention for Alzheimer’s disease. Invented by chemistry professor Richard Silverman, NU-9 is a small molecule compound that is currently being tested as a treatment for ALS.
Nikash Khanna’s viral documentary series, Portraits, features informal interviews with people Khanna meets in his everyday life. His goal, he says, is to connect viewers with stories they might not otherwise encounter.
In a partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden, faculty, students and alumni of Northwestern’s Program in Plant Biology and Conservation study carnivorous plants, tequila’s source, life in forest canopies and more.
