A Northwestern Direction is a journey that each one of us creates and defines.
Meet a few of the students, faculty, staff and alumni who make up the Northwestern community. You can filter the list by student, faculty, staff or alumni, or just browse. Explore Faculty Accolades to learn how our faculty are making exceptional contributions to society and the world of academia. If you are looking for someone in particular, use the People Directory to find current students, faculty or staff members.
Vineet Aggarwal '16
Economics major and all-star debater working on providing health and social services in rural villages in India
Kranthi Kumar Akula
Regulatory Operations Manager for Institute for Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine
Mariana Alfaro '18
Journalism major and Daily Northwestern editor
Luis Amaral
Physicist conducting research on social and biological systems as a Chemical and Biological Engineering professor
Michael Barratt '85
Astronaut and physician for NASA
Saul Bellow '37
Writer and recipient of the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize for Literature
Beth Bennett
Broadcast Journalism professor and documentary producer
Christine Brennan '80 and '81 MSJ
Sports columnist and commentator with expertise covering Olympic figure skating
Roslyn M. Brock '99
Healthcare executive and chairman of NAACP's National Board of Directors
Zach Brock '99
Jazz violinist and composer
Mara Brock-Akil '92
Television producer and creator of sitcoms, including Girlfriends
Stephanie Brock-Wilson '16
Economics major and fellow at the Center for Civic Engagement
Jian Cao
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation (NIMSI)
Ruben Castillo '79
Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Simran Arinder Chadha '18
Honors Program in Medical Education participant majoring in Human Communication Sciences
Danny Cohen
Professor of Instruction exploring education on the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
Kori Michele Cooper '18
English major whose team won Northwestern's Intramural Global Health Case Competition
Kevin Corkran '18
Double major in Social Policy and Economics with a Chinese Language minor
Lester Crown '46
Businessman and investor
Kathleen Daniels
Business Administrator, Department of English, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Monica Olvera de la Cruz
Materials Science and Engineering professor applying her study of electrostatics and fluids to settings like cell environments
Mesmin Destin
Psychology professor committed to understanding student motivation to begin closing the socioeconomic achievement gap
Jack Doppelt
Journalism professor and reporter committed to telling the stories of immigrants and refugees
Mindy Douthit
Learning and Organizational Change professor focusing on innovation, competitive strategy and cooperative behavior in organizations
Brian Drabik
Director of Financial Aid Operations
Rahm Emanuel '85
Mayor of Chicago and former White House Chief of Staff
Genevieve Baesong Enowmbitang '16
Human Development and Psychological Services major and Northwestern cheerleader
Danny Fisher
Chief Operating Officer at the Kellogg School of Management
Christopher Flaim '18
Theatre Major focusing on musical theater
Gillian Flynn '97
Novelist and screenwriter whose novels include Gone Girl
Shruti Ganguly '04
Filmmaker, producer and Vice President of TV and Video at NYLON
Joe Girardi '86
Former professional baseball player and MLB Network studio analyst
Sarahmaria Gomez '05
Journalist teaching high schoolers how to become smarter news producers and consumers
Matt Grevers '07
Competition swimmer and six-time Olympic medalist
Steve Hafner '97
Travel website CEO and founder of Kayak.com
Zahra Haider '17
Aspiring global reporter majoring in broadcast journalism and political science
Kevin Hardiman '16
Learning and Organizational Change major conducting research on human-computer interaction
David Harris '91 and '97 PhD
Provost of Tufts University and former deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Heather Headley '97
Tony and Grammy award-winning actress and singer
Mark Hersam
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and MacArthur Fellow dedicated to developing new nanomaterials
Yonggang Huang
Mechanical Engineering professor and member of six acclaimed academies
Kirabo Jackson
Labor economist studying education and social policy issues as a professor of Human Development and Social Policy
Hans Jørgen Jensen
Award-winning professor of cello
Paulina Kijek
Assistant Director, Finance, Administration, Northwestern University School of Law
Hayeon Kim '17
American Studies major with an Asian American Studies minor and a passion for social justice
Kyle Kremer '12
A Physics-Trumpet double major awarded the Winston Churchill Scholarship to study Astrophysics
Mihir Kumar '16
Scholar-athlete balancing an Economics major with varsity tennis
Elizabeth Larsen '15
Economics major who used a Circumnavigator grant to study childhood malnutrition around the world
Malcolm Lazarow '17
Dual degree-seeker studying music composition, engineering sciences and applied mathematics
Josephine Lee '99
President and artistic director of the Chicago Children's Choir
Julia Louis-Dreyfus '83
Emmy award-winning actress and comedian
Elisabeth Boyer Lusche '17
Trumpet performance major
Garry Marshall '56
Creator and producer of television shows, film director and actor
George R.R. Martin '70
Writer of short stories and novels including the Game of Thrones fantasy series
Yael Mayer
Research Projects Associate, Office for Research and Business Administrator, Center for Synthetic Biology
Charles Mayo '88
Surgeon and founder of the Mayo Clinic, the first group practice with medical specializations
Dan McAdams
Chair of the Psychology Department and expert in the psychology of the American identity
Bomani McClendon '17
Computer Science major working at Medill's Knight Lab for Innovation
Seth Meyers '96
Comedian and talk show host
Yakira Imaris Mirabito '17
Future engineer who is passionate about materials science and sustainability
Chad Mirkin
Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology, Chemistry professor and advisor to President Obama
Myrtil Nioka Mitanga '17
Music Performance major studying cello who has found a faculty mentor and a newfound love of snowy winters
Gary Saul Morson
Russian literature professor whose courses are among Northwestern's most popular
Francis Mulhern
Chair of the Integrated Marketing Communications department and expert on media technology's impact on marketing.
Wendy Murray
Professor of both Engineering and Physical Science applying biomechanics to understand hand and arm movements
Hamid Naficy
Professor of Radio/Television/Film and leading authority on diaspora and Middle Eastern media
Divya Narendra '12
Creator of SumZero, an online community for investment professionals
Spencer Park '16
Dual-degree seeker studying Music Performance and Materials Science and Engineering
Dorina Aguilar Rasmussen
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
Virginia Rometty '79
Business executive currently Chairman, President and CEO of IBM
Jacob Rosenblum '17
Major in Human Development and Psychological Services conducting research on body image, objectification and surveillance
Patrick Ryan '59
Businessman, founder and former executive chairman of Aon Corporation
Roxana Saberi '99
Journalist and human rights advocate
Eddie Sánchez '17
Acting student pursuing a Theatre major
David Schwimmer '88
Actor and co-founder the Lookingglass Theatre Company
Anna Shapiro
Professor in the MFA Directing Program, Artistic Director of the Steppenwolf Theater Company and Tony Award-winner
Carter Megan Sherman '16
Double major in Journalism and International Studies
Ali Shilatifard
Professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular genetics researching the molecular understanding of childhood leukemia.
Gwynne Shotwell '86 and '88 GMcC
Businesswoman and President of the space transport corporation, SpaceX
Richard Silverman
Chemistry professor whose research on nervous system disorders led him to invent the fibromyalgia drug Lyrica.
Melissa Simon
Health equity leader and physician-scientist combines research and community outreach.
John Paul Stevens '47
Former justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Sir Fraser Stoddart
Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry and recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Donna Wang Su
Associate director of Graduate Admissions & Financial Aid, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
Joan Trimuel Williams
Director, Compliance, Office for Regulatory Affairs; Feinberg School of Medicine
Abhinav Veerina '16
Transfer student studying Religious Studies and Global Health Studies
Wendy Wall
English professor and Director of the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities
Rocky Wirtz '75
Owner and chairman of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks
Andrew Youn '06
Founder of One Acre Fund, a nonprofit that provides agricultural training