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Global

An accomplished scholar of European and global history, Deborah Cohen has led the Northwestern Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs since January 2024. During this time, her team has launched a raft of programs that build on the institute’s mission of fostering interdisciplinary teaching and research about the world beyond U.S.

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Deborah Cohen smiles at the camera in front of a blue background. She wears a purple shirt, a dark blue jacket and glasses.
Our alumni will travel the world for a scoop. Meet the foreign correspondents, filmmakers and producers who are shining lights on stories from India, Colombia, Israel, Ukraine and elsewhere.

Learn about their work

Josh Lederman stands in a desert landscape in Gaza. He is wearing a blue denim shirt, black pants, and a black bulletproof vest labeled ‘PRESS’ on the front.
The Lucks Laboratory developed a home test that can detect common contaminants in water. The technology, called ROSALIND, harnesses the “molecular taste buds” found in bacteria and programs them to glow when they detect a contaminant.

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In a lab environment, Julius Lucks, wearing a dark suit and a purple striped tie, stands beside a Northwestern researcher wearing a light blue lab coat. Their mouths are open as though in conversation, and they are gesturing while looking at a laptop screen.
As the world’s population rises and the effects of climate change threaten crop yields, food insecurity is an urgent matter. With the support of University Trustee Melih Keyman and Zeynep Keyman, Northwestern researchers are pursuing a novel approach to farming with the potential to make a substantial impact on the global food crisis.

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Sarah Sobol, wearing safety glasses, a light blue lab coat with a Northwestern research logo and orange gloves, is conducting synthetic biology research in a lab.
Earth and planetary sciences professor Andy Jacobson leads a team of researchers at Northwestern and the Chicago Botanic Garden investigating the effects of soil additives on agricultural fields.

Learn about the research

A photo of a crop field with many uniform rows of unidentified green plants growing. The crop field extends far into the distance, where some mountains are visible against a horizon and a setting sun. The sky is slightly cloudy.
Co-founded by Andrew Youn ’06 MBA, ’19 H, One Acre Fund is a nonprofit that provides training and equipment to 4 million farm families across nine countries in eastern and southern Africa.

Read Youn’s essay

A black and white pencil-drawn illustration of Andrew Youn wearing rectangular glasses and smiling at the viewer.
From Mali to Greenland, these Northwestern researchers are studying tiny creatures and sometimes unseen changes to develop important research conclusions.

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Haiti is embroiled in a humanitarian crisis, with gangs controlling around 80% of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Freelance journalist and Haitian democracy activist Monique Clesca ’81 MS, who has been sheltering in place at her home in Port-au-Prince, spoke with Northwestern Magazine about the origins of the crisis and how the country might restore stability, democracy and equity.

Read the Q&A with Clesca

Monique Clesca leans up against a wall in Miami. She is smiling and wearing a white blouse. Her hair is in a bun.

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Winter 2024
Driven to capture rare and unexpected images of fragile landscapes, Los Angeles-based photographer Josh Anon has had his share of awe-inspiring encounters with wildlife around the world. Anon, a Roblox product lead by day, has captured images of penguins, polar bears, walruses and much more.

See his photos

penguins on ice in antarctica
Snorkeling, tightrope walking, woodworking and competitive whistling — you won’t believe what Northwestern community members are up to outside of the classroom and office!

Check out these hobbies

Portrait of Jeffery Coleman curling