People & Profiles
In April 1992 — just a few weeks before graduating from Northwestern with a degree in communication studies — Megan Conway Romano walked into Charlie Trotter’s on Halsted Street in Chicago looking for a job in the world of food. Even though she had no formal training, she eventually landed a position in the kitchen, working for a few hundred dollars a week.
Flanked by an arch of rainbow-colored balloons, David Waymer ’14 had an exciting announcement for the nearly 70 members of the class of 2019 standing before him. As president of the Northwestern University Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association (NUGALA), he was speaking at Lavender Graduation — a ceremony held June 18 to celebrate the achievements of graduating students in the University’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and ally community.
Jon Solomon is preparing for his 31st annual “25-Hour Holiday Radio Show,” his Christmas Day tradition at WPRB-FM, Princeton University’s student-run radio station. Solomon, whose holiday collection includes more than 6,000 songs, has only missed one year since — when he went to the 1996 Rose Bowl to cheer on the Wildcats.
Robert Nowakowski ’92 became the third Northwestern alumnus currently serving as a rear admiral or higher from the University’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. He entered the ranks of the Navy’s senior executives in a tradition-filled ceremony at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Waukegan, Ill.
When Claudia López ’19 PhD began her doctorate in political science at Northwestern in 2011, she was already well known in her native Colombia as an activist, political researcher and fearless investigative reporter. Before López was awarded her degree last June, she had also served four years as a Colombian senator, beat cancer, run as the vice presidential candidate for the Green Alliance Party in 2018, triumphed over stereotypes as a proud lesbian and inspired a new generation of voters.
In her new book, New York Times best-selling author Maria Goodavage explores the cutting-edge science behind how dogs are able to detect disease and help people who suffer from a wide range of physical and mental health conditions.
Last month, when Jayne Atkinson stepped out on opening night in her one-woman show, Ann, you first noticed the swirl of white hair. How could you miss it?
Champion triathlete and medical researcher Jacquie Godbe is helping develop and improve stem cell treatments.
As a James Beard Award–winning journalist for New York Magazine, Sierra Tishgart ’12 ate at some of New York City’s finest restaurants, but she wanted to cook better meals at home and realized she needed different pots and pans. Frustrated by the potential expense and unsure about what cookware she needed and why, Tishgart set out to create her own line of kitchenware, Great Jones.
Rosanna Hertz, author of Random Families, interviewed more than 350 children, their parents and gamete donors to explore how they used cultural narratives about genes and genetics to understand their relationship to their immediate families and donor networks.
