Health & Science
As a dentist and an educator, Juliann Bluitt Foster blazed a trail. First, she earned a degree from Howard University College of Dentistry in 1962, when a tiny fraction of U.S.
Humanity has made a mess of our precious planet. These researchers are developing amazing new ways to help restore it.
Parkinson’s disease often causes hand tremors and muscle rigidity, making it difficult to write by hand. After her grandpa was diagnosed with the disease and could no longer write, journalism major Izzy Mokotoff teamed up with biomedical engineering major Alexis Chan to develop SteadyScrib, a special pen and clipboard system that helps counteract Parkinson’s symptoms.
Lizards can regrow their tails and crabs their severed claws. Now, after decades of research, scientists including Samuel Stupp ’77 PhD are closer than ever to unlocking the human body’s healing powers.
Mesmin Destin’s psychosocial experiments have shown that social forces such as peers, parents, teachers and financial resources shape the academic experiences and life paths of young people. “The right message at the right time can change how someone feels about themself and transform the type of education and life that they might envision and pursue,” he says.
Classroom trips brought Northwestern students around the globe to conduct research on the history of midwivery in England, investigate reports of a power plant sickening residents in Panama, study how Israel is becoming a worldwide leader in water management, and more.
Now in its 15th year, Northwestern’s Ryan Graduate Fellowship program comprises more than 200 fellows and spans the globe, bound only by science’s smallest unit of measurement. The program supports graduate students dedicated to the exploration of fundamental nanoscale science — and turning that knowledge into practical applications that benefit society — thanks to a generous gift from the Ryan Family.
Lucy London, a senior performance studies major from Petaluma, Calif., turned resignation into action, working toward environmental justice on campus and beyond.
University-wide research institutes and centers (URICs) are a fundamentally important and vibrant nexus of innovation and discovery at Northwestern. Continued investments in these hubs have strengthened the work of faculty and students who seek to benefit humankind through advancements in fields ranging from medicine and engineering to nanotechnology and materials science.
For six years, journalist and professor Thrasher followed the case of Michael Johnson, a gay Black man in St Louis who was sentenced in 2015 to more than 30 years in prison for not disclosing his HIV-positive status to his sexual partners. Thrasher has reported on policing, LGBTQ rights, racism and HIV/AIDS for more than a decade, pursuing controversial stories and even helping change the law.
