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Across engineering, medicine, communications technology and more, faculty share why conducting basic science research is fundamentally important, opening paths to medical breakthroughs and innovation.

Learn why it’s critical

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Since 2015, the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs has opened new vistas for international research and teaching.

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Roberta Buffett Elliott sits down with four students for a conversation indoors.
Interdisciplinary teams of Northwestern scholars are working tirelessly every day on the foundational science that could help us live longer and healthier lives in a cleaner, more sustainable world. They ask big questions, follow their instincts and analyze data to solve tough problems and turn bold ideas into real solutions.

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Red, green and cream-colored illustrations of a medicine vial, a double helix, a microscope and a bird’s eye view of a brain scan.
Materials scientist Cécile Chazot and her team are striving to boost the functionality of polymers and design new, more sustainable materials — ones that not only are functional and high-performing but also can be manufactured with a far lower carbon footprint and recycled more easily.

Learn more about Chazot’s research

A white machine holds a spool of thread.

Tough on Turf

Spring 2025
Conservation scientist Becky Barak ’12 MS, ’17 PhD is exploring alternatives to conventional turf lawns. She shares her path to research and her passion for conservation and restoration.

Read Barak’s essay

Becky Barak sits cross-legged in the dirt with a green clipboard on her lap and a pen in hand. Native plants can be seen in the forefront of the image, with tall green trees in the background.
A new fellowship program is helping Northwestern MBA and graduate students address the urgent challenges of climate change. The Abrams Climate Academy will empower the next generation of leaders in business, science, engineering, product design, communication, law and public service to act on climate problems.

Learn more about the academy

A student speaks with her hand raised at the Kellogg Climate Conference, as two students watch her in the background.
The Block of Museum of Art’s Woven Being exhibit showcases Chicagoland’s many Indigenous art histories, with more than 80 works of various materials — including painting, basket weaving, bead work, sculpture, photography and mixed media.

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An acrylic painting of humanoid creatures, painted in blue, red, green and tan.

Bird Watcher

Winter 2025
Photographer and avid birder Collin Porter ’24 spent his days at Northwestern going on early-morning bird walks, during which he spotted 196 unique avian species on the Evanston campus. As he prepares to pursue graduate studies in ecological and evolutionary research and ornithology, he shares his photographs with the hope that they will inspire others to seek out and marvel at the diversity of birds, both on campus and beyond.

Get into bird-watching

Photo of a white and brown striped bird in a tree.
The Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has launched a new course, Innovate for Climate, which encourages students to engage in climate-conscious problem-solving and business ventures.

Read about the course

Ben Szczygiel holds a large yellow buoy fitted with solar panels on its side while Sydney Williams observes. There is a waterway in the background, with a truck and boat parked nearby. Szczygiel is wearing a red long sleeve shirt, blue baseball cap and sunglasses, and Williams is wearing a lavender sweatshirt.
Ryan Cook ’12 and Mitch Lee ’11 met at Northwestern, where they both studied mechanical engineering, and later worked together at Boeing. They co-founded Arc in 2021, and in early 2024 the company unveiled its first mass-market model, the Arc Sport, a high-performance EV boat designed for wake sports.

Learn more about Arc

Three people sit aboard the Arc Sport EV boat. A woman wake boarder in a silver suit rides on a board behind the boat. Her back is to the viewer. There are green trees in the background.