A champion for gender equity and inclusion

Women’s Center director Sekile Nzinga stepped into the role of interim chief diversity officer last year during a pivotal time in history: the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide push for social justice. Earlier this month, Northwestern welcomed Robin Means Coleman as vice president and associate provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

Now, the two will collaborate through their joint work within the Office of the Provost to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the University.

We sat down with Nzinga to discuss what’s next for her, the Women’s Center and Northwestern’s progress on DEI efforts.

Three named Sloan Research Fellows

Three faculty members — mathematician Xiumin Du, chemist Julia Kalow and mathematician Ilya Khayutin — each have been awarded a prestigious 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. They are among the 128 outstanding early-career scholars to be recognized for achievements and potential to bring substantial contributions to their fields.

Dialogue in your dreams?

Dreams happen while we're fast asleep. So, you might not expect that a person in the midst of a vivid dream would also be able to communicate with another person. But a new study led by Northwestern researchers shows how it’s possible.

Read more about the study.

Funding available for research

The Office of the Provost is accepting applications now to support scholarly and creative work for faculty in fields with little external or startup funding through the Provost Grants for Research in Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts. Proposals are due by March 29.

Other News

• A new report from Northwestern’s Meridian 180 community sounds the alarm that nuclear disaster victims remain inadequately compensated. The report will be released during a virtual event March 9.

• Cognitive SuperAger brains resist the protein tangles that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have found.

• Americans are less afraid of dying from COVID-19 as support for a vaccine mandate grows, according to a new study.

Lifesaver: Alyssa Martinez, a second-year student in the Feinberg School of Medicine, put her newly acquired medical skills to use to help save a man’s life. Photo by Erin Spain