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People & Profiles

Hired in June 2021 as the first Black chief curator at the Guggenheim, Naomi Beckwith oversees the museum’s collections, exhibitions, publications, and curatorial programs and archives. And, importantly, she strives to create a more inclusive collection that reflects the diverse community the contemporary art museum serves.

Step inside the museum with Beckwith

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After learning how to bake alongside a Parisian chef during her study abroad year, Melanie Moss launched Mini Melanie, a direct-to-consumer bakery in New York City delivering custom cakes, cake pops, brownies, truffles and more nationwide. Since then, Moss has appeared on popular Food Network shows Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay — and she’s not stopping there.

Learn what inspired Moss

Melanie Truffles
Grace Lightner ’13 was cleaning out her grandmother’s house in Ohio with her mother, Lorraine Stewart ’80, ’81 MS, when she stumbled upon a box of preserved wedding dresses belonging to Stewart and her sister. Stewart immediately teared up, and in that moment, inspiration struck.

Learn about the startup

Unbox the Dress
On May 3, 1968, just one month after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., James Turner ’68 MA led 120 students in a peaceful, 38-hour sit-in at Northwestern’s bursar’s office to protest the racism and injustices Black students faced on campus, now commonly referred to as the Bursar’s Office Takeover. Northwestern Magazine remembers his legacy.

Learn about Turner's legacy

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When Natalie Y. Moore ’99 MS started writing The Billboard, her new play about reproductive rights, in 2018, she never imagined that the script might hit the stage in a post-Roe world.

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Fifty years ago, Congress passed Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. Though not the primary or only result of the legislation, participation in women’s athletics increased dramatically thanks to Title IX.

Hear from former Wildcats

Chinazo Cunningham HERO
Members of the Class of 2022 from across the University reflect on their Northwestern experience.

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Grads to Celebrate Hero
As an associate producer at The Washington Post, Chris Vazquez ’21, ’21 MS is part of a three-person team tasked with creating content for the publication’s TikTok channel. Every day, Vazquez scripts, records and edits short videos offering a comedic take on current events, ranging from mask mandates to inflation to President Joe Biden’s approval rating.

Read the story

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The Northwestern community shares tips for tricky situations.

Hear tips from ’Cats

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My players inspire me the most. These young women come in as 17- and 18-year-olds and leave as leaders with a degree from Northwestern.

Hear from Fuchs

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