People & Profiles
In his more than 20 years as president of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, Calvin Holmes has guided the nonprofit to lend more than $1 billion, reaching more than 70 low-wealth Chicago-area communities and providing funding for affordable housing, commercial real estate, community spaces and social enterprise.
Stephen Peck, who served with the Marines in Vietnam, is president and CEO of the Los Angeles–based United States Veterans Initiative (U.S.VETS). The nation’s largest veteran services nonprofit, U.S.VETS runs 20 residential sites and nine service centers across the country, offering counseling, job placement, case management, employment assistance, and drug- and alcohol-free housing.
Acclaimed poet and Northwestern alumna Angela Jackson is Illinois' fifth poet laureate. Previous poet laureates include Carl Sandburg and Jackson's idol, Gwendolyn Brooks.
Igor Karlicic ’12 and Bhargav Maganti ’12 founded the Dallas-based sports tech company from Monarc. Their first creation is the Seeker, a smart quarterback that uses positional tracking technology.
Conductor, composer and arranger Kevin Vondrak talks about his new arrangement of Northwestern's “Alma Mater,” his love of a cappella, and how his job as a conductor and artistic associate with The Crossing, a grammy winning choir based in Philadelphia, has changed during COVID-19.
Chicago Red Stars defender Kayla Sharples cherishes growth experiences on and off the pitch. Sharples, the 26th overall in the 2019 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft, was among the first professional athletes in the country to compete last summer through the NWSL’s 2020 Challenge Cup.
Through award-winning mystery novels and popular TV scripts, Attica Locke tells stories of Black Americans’ experiences that probe the inequities of class and race.
The recipients of the 2020 Northwestern Alumni Medal — the Northwestern Alumni Association’s highest honor — are innovators in their fields, compassionate volunteers and outstanding members of the University community.
Broadway actor Adam Kantor ’08 co-founded StoryCourse, which mixes food and theater, creating “a multisensory, delicious, profound, moving experience,” says Kantor. He and his StoryCourse team are now developing at-home interactive theatrical culinary experiences.
Rosa Li grew up drinking her Chinese grandmother’s herbal tonics. Li loved the health benefits — including reduced stress and increased immunity, “but they did not have the most approachable taste.”
