Social Issues
By combining elements from seemingly disparate music genres, composer and musician Adegoke Steven Colson ’71 bucked convention and laid the groundwork for contemporary jazz as we know it today. His papers are now collected and publicly available at Northwestern’s Music Library.
The first Black woman to become a certified public accountant in the United States, Mary T. Washington Wylie ’41 broke barriers and opened doors for a new generation of Black CPAs.
The Block of Museum of Art’s Woven Being exhibit showcases Chicagoland’s many Indigenous art histories, with more than 80 works of various materials — including painting, basket weaving, bead work, sculpture, photography and mixed media.
Sharon Bowen ’82 JD, MBA, ’23 H forged a trailblazing path to the New York Stock Exchange. Now, as the first woman and person of color to chair the NYSE’s board of directors, she’s determined to help the next generation follow in her footsteps.
Andy Papachristos is working alongside those most affected by gun violence in order to reduce shootings, understand risk factors and empower communities. His team's research shows that violence intervention efforts are making a difference.
Matt Houchin is breaking records by wearing a Hard Rock Café T-shirt every day in 2024, all in the name of charity. His Hard Rock Shirt-a-thon is raising money for the nonprofit Free Guitars 4 Kids.
Beau Tremitiere, counsel at Protect Democracy, is working to restore election integrity and push for more representative and responsive government.
Inspired by her son, Isidoro, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, Annah Abetti Korpi is working to make school playgrounds inclusive for children with disabilities. Korpi began a campaign that raised nearly $365,000 to finance a playground renovation at her son’s school, Alexander Elementary School, in Albany, Ohio.
An accomplished scholar of European and global history, Deborah Cohen has led the Northwestern Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs since January 2024. During this time, her team has launched a raft of programs that build on the institute’s mission of fostering interdisciplinary teaching and research about the world beyond U.S.
Our alumni will travel the world for a scoop. Meet the foreign correspondents, filmmakers and producers who are shining lights on stories from India, Colombia, Israel, Ukraine and elsewhere.
