Cover Story
The Optimistic Economist
Nobel Prize winner and historian Joel Mokyr says the future looks brighter than ever.
Spring 2026
Voices
Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective medical care, yet hundreds of thousands of Americans are harmed each year by misdiagnosis. Improving outcomes will require not just better technology but a renewed emphasis on bedside skills, observation and human connection.
From discovering up-and-coming artists to forming new friendships, alumni recount their special experiences at Northwestern’s spring music festival.
Jake Lyons ’22 started playing the online game GeoGuessr in high school but didn’t get serious about it until his junior year at Northwestern. Today, he’s turned his hobby into a career as a professional GeoGuessr player, tournament broadcaster and content creator.
Discovery
Lyme disease poses a serious threat to public health. Professor Brandon Jutras and his research team have made breakthrough discoveries that could improve treatment options and could also explain why some patients continue to experience chronic Lyme symptoms.
News
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.
On Sept. 28, 2025, Taeyoung Lee ’26 finished his sixth international Ironman triathlon, becoming the youngest person to complete an Ironman on six continents.
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.
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.
Alumni
The Northwestern Alumni Association often assists Northwestern groups interested in planning a meetup, event or reunion. From alumni outreach to logistical and communications support, the NAA helps alumni build on the social experiences they had as students by facilitating opportunities to reconnect.
As president of the NU Club of Greater New York, Idil Kara ’21 is creating spaces for alumni to connect and build community. Through events and outreach, she brings a sense of Northwestern to life in the city.
My Northwestern Direction
As an undergrad, Rita Chang-Eppig ’04 realized that she didn’t understand people very well. Her writing is now informed by years of talking about human struggles as a clinical psychologist.
Impact
Professor John Rogers shares how the new Querrey Simpson Institute for Translational Engineering for Advanced Medical Systems (QSI-TEAMS) will help bring breakthrough medical technologies to market.
A new destination for global engagement and innovative learning on Northwestern’s Evanston campus will bear the name of a steadfast supporter and distinguished alumna of the Kellogg School of Management. Opening in fall 2027, the Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center will be home to Kellogg’s executive MBA and executive education programs while also housing programming for all Kellogg students.
People
An impromptu jam session might just be a musician’s breakthrough moment. JamCorder ensures they never have to worry about recording it.
As a talent agent for Creative Artists Agency, Shauna Perlman ’09 represents an impressive list of award-winning clients, including movie and TV stars like Sebastian Stan, Danielle Brooks and Anthony Ramos. “Helping make people’s dreams come true is really amazing,” Perlman says.
As mayor of Highland Park, Ill., Nancy Rotering ’85 MBA prioritizes fiscal responsibility, public safety and community building. She also has a passion for teaching young people to advocate for themselves.
Emmy-winning Severance actor talks about Northwestern friendships, her tightrope-walking aspirations and the importance of being present.
While producing a client event the Kentucky Derby Museum in 2019, Nancy Hays ’84 MS discovered a dimly lit gallery that highlighted the history of Black jockeys. She spent the next seven years uncovering the history of Isaac Burns Murphy, one of the most decorated athletes of the 19th century.
Julie Ritchey ’07 created Forts: Build Your Own Adventure, a unique theatrical experience that gives children the opportunity to exercise agency and tell their own stories through unstructured, unscripted playtime.
Jason Rickard ’11 and his brother, Jordan, own and run FioRito, a “Midwest Italian” restaurant in their hometown of Wichita, Kan. This year they were named James Beard Award semifinalists in the Best Chef: Midwest category.
Wall Street Journal editor Justin Baer ’97 MS explores the famously secretive, family-owned company Fidelity in his new book, House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing.
Barry Slotnick ’93, ’00 MBA knew about the fitness benefits of slide boards — smooth, low-friction devices designed to facilitate low-impact lateral movement exercises and mimic speed skating technique. Looking for an indoor activity to maintain his lower body strength in the winter, Slotnick built a slide board in his off-campus apartment in the fall of his senior year — and UltraSlide was born.
If Glenn DeWeirdt ’84 DDS is not in his dental office, he’s probably on a racetrack. From April through October, DeWeirdt moonlights as a high-performance vehicle driving instructor, an avocation that involves “hours of boredom tempered by moments of sheer terror.”
Former Northwestern Wildcat Ike Kepford and his fellow Jolly Rogers in Fighter Squadron 17 helped foil what could have been a devastating Japanese anti-carrier attack in the early days of the Pacific War. For most of 1944, Kepford was the Navy’s leading ace with a total of 16 aerial victories, and for his service, he was awarded two Navy Crosses, a Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross.
