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Social Issues

Paving the CPA Way

Winter 2025
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.

Learn her history

An illustrated headshot of Mary T. Washington Wylie wearing a white blouse.
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.

Read the story

An acrylic painting of humanoid creatures, painted in blue, red, green and tan.
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.

Meet Sharon Bowen

Sharon Bowen wears a white dress patterned with purple and pink flower blossoms cascading down it. She stands outside the New York Stock Exchange and smiles as she looks away from the camera. American flags can be seen on the building behind her.
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.

Read about the work

Professor Andrew Papachristos standing under a bridge in front of a wall with network science graphics surrounding him. He is wearing a white shirt and dark jeans and has his arms crossed over his chest.
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.

Follow Houchin’s journey

Matt Houchin, wearing a white bathrobe, stands at a table covered in Hard Rock Café T-shirts, ironing one of the shirts.
Beau Tremitiere, counsel at Protect Democracy, is working to restore election integrity and push for more representative and responsive government.

Read Tremitiere’s essay

Beau Tremitiere sits on a ledge in front of a cement building with his arms resting on his thighs and his hands clasped as he looks off into the distance. He is wearing a black suit with a light blue dress shirt.
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.

Read about Korpi’s mission

Annah Abetti Korpi smiles into the camera as she crouches next to her son, Isidoro Korpi, who sits in a wheelchair. There is a playground in the background. Annah is wearing a gray shirt with pink, red, blue and yellow stripes and Isidoro is wearing a gray T-shirt and blue pants.
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.

Learn more

Deborah Cohen smiles at the camera in front of a blue background. She wears a purple shirt, a dark blue jacket and glasses.
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.

Learn about their work

Josh Lederman stands in a desert landscape in Gaza. He is wearing a blue denim shirt, black pants, and a black bulletproof vest labeled ‘PRESS’ on the front.
Harris Forbes ’19 serves as associate producer and postproduction supervisor for America in Black. Produced by CBS News in partnership with BET News, the show airs monthly and covers a range of stories about Black America, from profiles of prominent movers and shakers to deep dives into the Black maternal health crisis and the fight to teach Black history in schools.

Read about Forbes’ work

The words BET News Presents America in Black are displayed on a black background.