Skip to main content

People & Profiles

Rooted in Research

Winter 2026
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.

Dig into the research

A field of agave plants on a sunny day with white clouds in a blue sky.
People and organizations are most capable of real change when faced with crisis, says communications executive Bradley Akubuiro ’11. He speaks from personal and professional experience.

Read Akubuiro’s essay

Two men in suits speak to each other while seated at microphones in front of a glass window.

 A Nobel Honor

Winter 2026
Professor of economics and history Joel Mokyr won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Mokyr has taught at Northwestern for more than five decades.

Get to know a Nobel winner

Joel Mokyr, wearing a purple Northwestern tie and dark gray suit, smiles at the camera in front of a blurred background.

Hoop Dreams

Winter 2026
After four years as one of the best defenders in NCAA women’s lacrosse, Sammy White ’25 returned to Northwestern to accomplish her dream of playing women’s basketball. Now she’s back in a Wildcats uniform as a grad student, hitting the hardwood in the Big Ten.

From lacrosse to basketball

An action shot of Sammy White, wearing a Northwestern basketball uniform, palming a basketball.

Tell Me Your Story

Winter 2026
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.

Get to know Khanna

Nikash Khanna stands in front of a concrete underpass. He wears dark jeans and a dark jacket and holds his camera in one hand.
Before he became a fire chief, Chris Serb dreamed of writing for a national magazine. Now, he might be the only Chicago Fire Department member moonlighting as a freelance writer.

Learn about Serb

A drawn illustration of a smiling Chris Serb from the chest up wearing a Chicago firefighter’s uniform and hat.
Comedian Jenny Hagel ’09 MFA loves to give advice, so much she made a show about it, touring the country with Jenny Hagel Gives Advice, an interactive comedy where she and a guest answer audience questions. After her performance at Chicago’s Lincoln Lodge in September, Northwestern Magazine asked her for tips for making people laugh.

Tips from an expert

Jenny Hagel wears a brown leather jacket and black pants. She is sitting on a gray couch, pointing to a stack of three metal buckets beside her that are labeled “Financial Advice,” “Love Advice” and “Job Advice.”
Current students reflect on the alumni they’d most like to meet, including writers, royalty, game developers and others.

Check out students’ picks

Headshots of Meghan Markle, George R.R. Martin, and Steven Colbert
Professor Jonathan Rivnay and his team have designed biohybrid implantable devices that can manufacture and dispense medicine on demand from within the body. These “living pharmacies” could have broad applications, delivering therapies for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and more.

Learn about the devices

A drawn illustration shows a blue outline of a human body’s upper half against a black background. Inside the body is a large pill, from which many bright, colorful dots and triangles are radiating outward.

One of a Kind

Winter 2026
The hilarious and easily recognizable Richard Kind ’78 is well known for playing brash and unorthodox characters on TV, such as Vince Fish on Only Murders in the Building and the insufferable Cousin Andy on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Get to know Kind

Richard Kind stands on the edge of a park bench with his arm outstretched as he leans over to his side, using his arm to brace himself against a streetlight on a stone walkway. He wears a white collared shirt and black slacks and is grinning at the camera. Trees are visible in the background.