Jennifer Bivens

What is your title?

Lead Business Analyst, Weinberg College IT Solutions (WITS)

Month and Year You Started Working at Northwestern.

January 2012

Tell us a bit about your Northwestern journey.

While I started work as an adult at Northwestern in 2012, I started work as a work-study student in September 1990; I was a research assistant to then Associate Professor Rebecca Blank in the Department of Economics and the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP). I was her assistant for two years and full time one summer until I took a leave from school and returned with a different major (Comparative Literature) and so decided to shift my work-study to the literary magazine.

What do you find the most rewarding and fulfilling about your work?

As many here would say: I love learning and institutions that encourage the pursuit of learning and other humans that share those loves. I like change—hopefully, change for the better and for the greater good—so where better to be than higher ed IT in the 21^st century?

Your favorite spot to visit on campus.

I love the lakefill in front of Norris and the entire path around the lakefill. You can see the Chicago skyline, the breadth of Lake Michigan, and a nice view of campus. We celebrated my son’s 9^th birthday several years ago in the game room in the basement of Norris, and that was a blast (If anyone ever wants to play ping pong down there, let me know.).

What’s something you couldn’t function without?

Bicycle and public transportation. I mean, technically, I could function without these, but I like living in Evanston where just about everything I need is reachable by foot, bicycle, or public transportation. I aspire to get back to pre-pandemic times when I rode my bicycle everywhere.

What’s on your bucket list?

I would love to see the Northern lights. I would love to go to Ireland with my children and husband who all have last names beginning with “O” + apostrophe.

Interesting fact about you.

I taught myself to juggle my senior year of high school, and I regret not teaching myself to ride a unicycle.

Any organizations in which you participate at Northwestern or elsewhere.

Unfortunately, not currently, but this is an excellent kick to change that. Pre-pandemic, I ran a math club at Oakton Elementary School in Evanston for about four years, and I still miss that. My husband is deeply involved in the Chicago theater scene, and that connects me to some excellent community work by default. I have begun to help out with some band events (jazz band, marching band) at Evanston Township High School, and I hope to expand that volunteer work when both kids are at the high school next year.