CatalystNU: Strengthening Dialogue Across Northwestern

On February 18, more than 100 faculty and staff gathered for the first full-day session of CatalystNU, a signature initiative of the Office of Community Enrichment (OCE). Participants represented all 12 of Northwestern’s schools and colleges, along with major administrative units across Evanston, Chicago, and Qatar. Together, they came with a shared goal: to strengthen how we navigate difficult conversations.

CatalystNU is a strategic investment in building a university culture rooted in curiosity, accountability, and courageous dialogue. In partnership with Human Resources, the Office of the Ombusperson, and the Center for Leadership, the program equips faculty and staff with practical tools to navigate conflict and complexity in their classrooms, teams, and communities. Just as importantly, it fosters something Northwestern needs now more than ever: a shared language.

During the first session, participants explored the foundations of conflict, examining how identity, emotion, difference, and perception shape the way we show up in challenging moments. Through interactive exercises, scenario work, and small-group dialogue, they practiced slowing down assumptions, asking better questions, and recognizing their own conflict tendencies.

As one participant reflected:

“CatalystNU is more than a program; it’s a movement toward braver conversations and stronger communities. It reaffirmed our shared belief that geography is no barrier when we share the same Purple Heart; whether in Evanston, Chicago, or Doha, our challenges are more alike than we think, and real progress begins when we choose understanding over assumption. From the very first session, I felt empowered to reflect, take accountability, and actively build common ground.”
— Nidal Nassar, Assistant Director of Admissions, Northwestern Qatar

The emphasis throughout the day was not on winning disagreements, but on building understanding.

As another participant shared:

“When having difficult conversations, the goal isn’t to ask the other person to give up a piece of their identity; it’s to learn more about it and figure out how to help each other get to a place of understanding.”
— Kat Nydegger, Award Setup Associate, Office of Research

What makes CatalystNU distinctive is its reach. The room itself reflected Northwestern’s breadth, with faculty, administrators, clinicians, researchers, and staff learning alongside one another. The diversity of perspectives strengthened the experience and challenged participants to see conflict not only as interpersonal tension, but as something shaped by systems, culture, and context.

As Amy Sindelar, Assistant Clinical Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator in the School of Communication, noted:

“The CatalystNU training has had a profound impact on how I look at and engage in various situations, especially difficult discussions. The group collaboration and ability to discuss scenarios were invaluable to my learning. I am confident that this training had a positive and profound impact for me and all of the other participants on how we communicate with others.”

With two full-day sessions remaining, the program will continue building on these foundations, exploring the broader contexts that influence conflict and applying these tools to real-world situations.

Learn more about CatalystNU.