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Our Staff

Emily Babb

Associate Vice President for Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance

Emily Babb joined Northwestern in May 2023. As the Associate Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Emily is responsible for leading the University's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance and overseeing the University’s proactive outreach and education, support services, and prompt and equitable resolution processes pursuant to the University’s discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct policies and procedures. Emily also serves as the University's Title IX Coordinator. Prior to joining Northwestern, Emily oversaw civil rights and Title IX processes at the University of Denver and the University of Virginia. Prior to transitioning to higher education, Emily was a Senior Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Dallas Regional Office and the Program Manager and Acting Regional Director at the Cleveland Regional office.  Emily has a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University and has a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. 

Tiffany Little

Director, Equity and Title IX Compliance

Tiffany Little joined Northwestern in January 2023. In her role as Director, Equity and Title IX Compliance, Tiffany is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, which includes overseeing outreach and education, case management, and support services. Prior to joining Northwestern, Tiffany was the Director of Resolution Services and a Deputy Title IX Coordinator at the University of Chicago, where she oversaw the resolution processes for matters involving sexual misconduct, discrimination, and harassment for faculty, postdoc and staff. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, worked in civil rights compliance at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles. Tiffany received her BA in Communications and Psychology and her JD from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family and enjoying concerts, plays, and musical productions with family and friends.
Laura Ellen Conway

Laura Ellen Conway

Associate Director of ADA Compliance | ADA Coordinator

Laura Conway joined Northwestern as the ADA Coordinator in 2018. Laura most recently worked on education law issues at LAF, which provides free legal assistance for Cook County residents living in poverty. Laura, who is hard-of-hearing and uses cochlear implants, has worked in both the public and private sectors on a wide range of issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504. She holds a BA in Political Science from Macalester College and received her law degree from William & Mary Law School. In her free time, Laura enjoys reading, oil painting, creative writing, and playing sand volleyball by Lake Michigan.
Amy A. Truelove

Amy A. Truelove

Senior Equity Specialist

Amy Truelove joined Northwestern in May 2019.  Before joining Northwestern, Amy was a Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Equity Specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago for over three years, where she responded to and investigated complaints of sexual misconduct and discrimination from students, faculty and staff.  Before working at UIC, Amy worked at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Chicago for almost 29 years, where she investigated complaints of discrimination against educational institutions.  Amy  graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Public Policy.  In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with her family (including her two dogs), reading, walking, yoga, traveling and volunteering.

Jill Santos

Senior Equity Specialist

Jill Santos (she/her) joined Northwestern in February of 2023. Before joining Northwestern, Jill was a Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Equity Investigator for Loyola University Chicago, where she investigated complaints of sexual misconduct and discrimination from students, faculty and staff. Prior to working at Loyola, Jill worked at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Civil Rights Office for over 20 years, where she managed civil rights compliance for the agency and investigated complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment from employees and consumers. Jill began her career in civil rights work as an Investigator for the EEOC Chicago District Office and is happy to be back in Chicago.  She has a bachelor’sdegree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Outside of work, Jill enjoys reading, hiking, dancing, and exploring Chicago’s live music scene.

Heather Cohen

Equity Specialist

Heather Cohen serves as an Equity Specialist in OCR. In her role, Heather meets with students, faculty, staff and outside witnesses to investigate reports of discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Heather previously worked with students in Northwestern’s Office of Community Standards for almost four years. Heather has worked in a variety of roles previously, including faculty support, fraternity and sorority life, orientation, and residential life at schools including UIC, NYU, and Duke. Heather has a BA in Political Science from Ohio University and a M.Ed in Higher Education – Student Affairs from North Carolina State University. Heather additionally holds a certificate in Restorative Justice from the University of San Diego. She spends her personal time on Peloton, watching Broadway Performances on YouTube, researching Chicago’s best restaurants, rooting for the Northwestern lacrosse team, and cheering on her daughters in their multitude of activities.

Connor Cerrito

Equity Specialist

Connor Cerrito (he/him) joined Northwestern as an Equity Specialist in March 2023. Before joining Northwestern, Connor worked as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Labor, & Employee Relations Specialist at City Colleges of Chicago’s District Office. Connor holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Michigan State University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Christine Kowalski

Equity Specialist

Christine Kowalski, CJ, joined Northwestern in April 2023 as an Equity Specialist. Previously, CJ worked as a Title IX and Civil Rights Investigator at the University of Illinois Chicago and also has broad experience in employment law, juvenile criminal defense and corporate human resources. She holds a JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a BS in Journalism from the University of Kansas. In her free time, CJ volunteers with CASA and the Ronald McDonald House and spends time with her family, friends and dog.
Chad Bergmann

Chad Bergmann

Senior Affirmative Action Analyst

Chad Bergmann is the Senior Analyst for Affirmative Action in the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance.  In his role as Senior Analyst, Chad oversees the technical development of the University’s Affirmative Action Plan for employees. Chad joined the University in 2009 in the Office of Human Resources and moved into his current role in the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance in 2017.  Chad received his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in history and his master’s degree from Northwestern University in information systems.

Kelly Pizarro

Kelly Pizarro

Case Manager

Kelly Pizarro returned to Northwestern in August 2022 and currently serves as a Case Manager for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. In this role, Kelly conducts initial inquiries to reports made to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance and provides support to impacted parties throughout the process. Kelly previously served as the Director of Student Support Services and Intervention at Elmhurst University, where she coordinated support and resources for students experiencing hardship, including mental health concerns, food/housing insecurity and academic concerns. Prior to that, Kelly worked as a live-on staff member in residence life for five years at institutions including Northwestern (2019-2021), Tulane University and Colorado State University. Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master's in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Colorado State. In her free time, Kelly enjoys spending time with friends, exploring new restaurants in Chicago and traveling as much as possible.

Lehua McAllister

Case Manager

Lehua McAllister serves as one of two Case Managers for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. She, along with her colleague Kelly, are the first point of contact and together they provide daily management of reports of sexual violence, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation that are submitted by students, staff, and faculty. Lehua first came to Northwestern in 2013 as an intern in Health Promotion and Wellness. After spending some time at Jesse Brown Veteran’s hospital and in the hospitality industry, she returned to the Wildcat community in 2019, when she began working in the Dean of Students Office as the Program Coordinator. Most recently, she served as an Assistant Director for the Student Assistance and Support Services team, where she oversaw several endowment funds, managed medical leave/reinstatement requests and assisted students in crisis. Lehua is passionate about wellness and wellbeing. She draws inspiration from all of whom she has worked with, their determination, and overall resilience. Outside of work, she enjoys collecting splat points as an Orangetheory member, exploring Chicago’s eclectic food scene, attending stand-up comedy shows, and training for long distance races. Lehua holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Florida and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Chicago. 

Liv Harmening

Education Coordinator

Liv Harmening (she/her) joined Northwestern in January 2023. In her role as the Outreach and Education Coordinator, Liv collaborates with units across campus to consult, train, and address mandated reporting regarding sexual misconduct, discrimination, and harassment. Most recently, Liv served as the Public Health Manager at the LGBTQ+ Center at Kenneth Young supervising the HIV Prevention and Testing program. Prior to that, she provided comprehensive sex positive workshops as a Sexual Health and Prevention Educator and Medical/Legal Advocate with the Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault. Liv holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Sexual Health Certificate from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. After 5pm, Liv is typically behind a ceramics wheel or repurposing vintage quilts into wearable pieces.
Julie Yoo

Julie Yoo

Program Administrator

Julie Yoo joined Northwestern in 2022 after working for thirteen years as a legal assistant, administrator and operational manager, and currently provides administrative support to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. Outside of the office, Julie is committed to education and volunteering at nursing homes and food pantries.