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People & Profiles

The first in his family to go to college, Adam Karr ’93 gained a foundation in behavioral economics at Northwestern and now serves as president and portfolio manager at Orbis Investments and vice chairman of the Northwestern Board of Trustees. He shares why empowering young minds is one of the best investments for the future.

Read his story

An illustrated headshot of Adam Karr, drawn in blue and black lines.
Maria Atanasov, an accomplished business journalist and current president of the NU Club of Southeast Florida, reflects on her time at Northwestern and how she came to be involved with Northwestern’s alumni network.

Get to know Atanasov

Maria Atanasov poses on a boardwalk with her arms propped up on a wooden railing in front of a sunny beach in Florida.
As an undergrad, Julia Starzyk Kersey ’99 raised money for the American Heart Association through Radiothon, an annual fundraising event in honor of an undergraduate student who died of cardiac arrhythmia. Kersey carries campus tradition with her today as a national marketing and communications director for the American Heart Association.

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Julia Starzyk Kersey, wearing a black leather jacket, stands with her arms folded across her chest.
In December Northwestern art history assistant professor Antawan Byrd ’13 MA, ’22 PhD launched Project a Black Planet at the Art Institute of Chicago, the first major exhibit to examine Pan-Africanism, a cultural movement and ideology that promotes Black unity across Africa and the African diaspora.

Read more about the exhibition

A Black man draped in gold jewelry and leopard print clothing wrapped around his waist sits in a leopard-print chair, holding sunflowers, against a colorful patchwork background.
Terry Jacobson ’69, ’74 MS and Morrene Panitch Jacobson ’69 In retrospect, it was fortunate that I was unable to get campus housing until my second quarter at Northwestern. Terry and I met in September 1965 in the Men Off Campus (MOC) lounge in Scott Hall.

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Morrene&Terry Hero

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.

Brothers in Arms

Winter 2025
On the men’s soccer field, brothers Reese Mayer and Bryant Mayer have found an honorary brother in Nigel Prince. The three student-athletes shore up the Wildcats’ back-line defense on the pitch, but they’ve got each other’s backs off the field too.

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Clad in black Northwestern jerseys, Nigel Prince and Reese Mayer offer each other a low-five.
In 2024 interdisciplinary artist Lilli Carré ’16 MFA won a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in the film-video category. Northwestern Magazine asked Carré about the inspiration behind her artwork and what she’s exploring next.

Learn about her art

Lilli Carré wears a red sweater and leans over a workbench in her artist studio, working with clay.
Jehana Ray founded PackLess Travel, a clothing rental service helping tourists travel lighter.

Read on for easier travel

Jehana Ray leans against a fence on a residential street, wearing a blue blouse and jeans with a camera hanging around her neck.
Susan Avery ’90 MS founded the Pacemakers, a dance team fighting stigma around aging. The group has developed a worldwide following.

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Susan Avery, wearing her blue and black Pacemakers uniform and a yellow hat, stands smiling with her hands on her hips in front of a black mural with colorful hearts.