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After reporter Lauren Chooljian published a story on a COVID outbreak at New Hampshire’s Granite Recovery Centers (GRC), clients and employees of GRC began reaching out to her, alleging that GRC CEO and founder Eric Spofford had been sexually harassing and assaulting clients and colleagues — and paying people to keep quiet. Reported and produced by Chooljian, The 13th Step podcast delves into the allegations against Spofford and why sexual misconduct is pervasive in recovery settings.

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Lauren Chooljian wears headphones while sitting at a desk in a radio studio. There is a microphone at her right labeled “NHPR.”
When the Northwestern alum left journalism in 2018, he joked to a friend that he would only come back to news if he could report on Taylor Swift every day. Five years later, his dream is a reality.

Meet Bryan West

Taylor Swift and Bryan West stand next to each other against a backdrop of golden curtains. Swift’s hand is resting on West’s shoulder. They are both smiling at the camera.
Love can bloom anywhere on campus, from a wrestling match to band camp! Here’s how Northwestern helped bring these couples together.

Meet the couples

Christine Rui Final no names
Chicago has welcomed more than 35,000 migrants since the state of Texas began busing migrants to “sanctuary cities” as part of his border security initiative Operation Lone Star. A longtime knitter, Margie Chan knew she could rally the crafting community to help keep Chicago’s migrant population warm this winter.

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A collection of colorful knitted hats showcasing a variety of textures and patterns.

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Winter 2024
Driven to capture rare and unexpected images of fragile landscapes, Los Angeles-based photographer Josh Anon has had his share of awe-inspiring encounters with wildlife around the world. Anon, a Roblox product lead by day, has captured images of penguins, polar bears, walruses and much more.

See his photos

penguins on ice in antarctica
Women’s Leadership Program director Ellen Taaffe says many women at work encounter the “mirrored door” phenomenon — the internal place where, when presented with opportunities, they reflect inward and hesitate, seeing themselves as unworthy or unready to move forward. This self-judgment, Taaffe says, can cause women to hold back from raising their hands or applying for a new role.

Read Taaffe’s essay

Portrait of Ellen Taaffe
Ruchi Gupta is co-founder of Yobee, a startup that makes an all-natural, topical scalp treatment clinically proven to revitalize the skin’s microbiome and reduce flakiness, itching and redness. In spring 2023 Gupta was one of three women chosen to be part of the inaugural class of FoundHer Fellows, a program supporting women faculty at Northwestern who are first-time founders of entrepreneurial ventures.

Watch our video with Gupta

Portrait of Dr. Ruchi Gupta
Suyash Mohan is co-founder of Breer, a Hong Kong–based startup that upcycles unsold bread from local bakeries into craft beer.

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Gif of an illustration of a beer bottle with little bread slice dominoes falling inside the bottle.
What do a biography of Martin Luther King Jr., an award-winning poetry collection and a bestselling mystery about the dark side of love have in common? They were all written by Northwestern alumni.

Read more about the new directory

A man wearing glasses and a suit smiles while signing a book.
With his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and storied career as a writer, actor, director and producer, Garry Marshall ’56 made an indelible mark on American film and TV. His legacy lives on at Northwestern with the donation of the Garry Marshall Papers to University Archives.

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Portrait of Gary Marshall from Northwestern’s 1956 Syllabus yearbook.