Dear colleagues,

I am hopeful that you found some time to rest and recharge before the academic year. Several of our programs already are underway and Fall Quarter begins in the third week of September, just one week after Michael Schill becomes Northwestern's 17th president.

During this presidential transition, we continue to recognize President Morton Schapiro for his accomplishments and wish him the best in the next phase of his life and career. We will no doubt welcome Morty back to campus on many future occasions. Our thoughts also continue to be with Rebecca Blank and her family during her cancer treatments. I have spoken with her several times since her diagnosis, and she has shared her deep appreciation for the warmth and care expressed by our community.

The Office of the Provost will continue to provide vital leadership and action in the coming year. Earlier this month, we refreshed our strategic priorities, which are guided by the University's goals. Please take the time to review them, and think about how your work and your unit support and contribute to these commitments.

I look forward to another productive year with you, and to a successful first year with President Schill.

Thank you,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor

All about the staff

Meet Borislava Miltcheva

This month’s featured colleague is Borislava Miltcheva, assistant director and program manager in the Academic Support and Learning Advancement (ASLA) office. Borislava joined Northwestern five years ago as program manager of ASLA's Peer-Guided Study Groups Program. She is now an assistant director in ASLA and still manages PGSG while also coordinating ASLA's peer leader recruitment and training efforts.

What kind of work do you do with Northwestern students?

I work with about 120 undergraduate peer leaders who run study groups in about 35 classes throughout the academic year. I recruit, hire and train those peer leaders and ensure they provide the highest quality academic support to their fellow undergrads. I enjoy seeing the growth of the peer leaders throughout the year(s) they’re part of our program. They all want to do such a good job and are truly committed to ASLA’s mission of creating inclusive learning spaces where students can ask questions, collaborate and learn from one another. I enjoy coaching the peer leaders on how to navigate challenging situations and how to grow from those experiences.

What is your proudest accomplishment at Northwestern?

I’m most proud of the growth of the PGSG program. From my first year until the end of this Spring Quarter, we’ve had an increase of 50% in students who have gone through the program. Our highest jump has been during the pandemic as students seek to connect with each other in a small-group environment. The numbers have continued on the same trajectory this year. I couldn’t have accomplished this, of course, without the support of the ASLA team, the Office of the Provost, and the wonderful peer leaders who work with the students directly.

Can you share a personal fun fact about yourself?

I was born and raised in Bulgaria and am fluent in three languages: Bulgarian, Polish and English. Why Polish? It’s a long story, so if you’d like to hear it, we can grab coffee sometime.

Brag about your teammates! We feature one staff member in each newsletter. Nominate someone by emailing the Office of the Provost and telling us, in a sentence or two, how your colleague contributes to Northwestern’s mission and why everyone in the Office of the Provost should get to know them.

New staff arrivals

Academic Support and Learning Advancement

• Valerie Wolf, Senior Program Coordinator

Block Museum of Art

• Ronnie Toca, Executive Assistant

Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

• Andrea Mendoza, Program Coordinator (Global Safety and Security)
• Ryan Rounds, Senior Program Coordinator (Global Learning Office)

Center for Civic Engagement

• Haoshu Deng, PIP Fellow
• Gavin Rosengarten, PIP Fellow

Center for Leadership

• Jacqueline Ashley, Senior Curriculum Coordinator

Chicago Biomedical Consortium

• Elizabeth McMath, Senior Director of New Program Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Financial Aid Chicago

• Matthew Allore, Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Financial Aid Evanston

• Stephany Carranza, Financial Aid Advisor Coordinator

The Garage

• Carly Kramer, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

Office of Equity

• Lehua McAllister, Case Manager
• Kelly Pizarro, Case Manager

Office of Fellowships

• Silvia Nebel, Program Assistant

Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion

• Michelle Manno, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion

Office of the Provost

• Andrianna Kurzenberger, Senior Program Administrator
• Daniel Walsh, Program Coordinator

Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching

• Lina Eskew, Assistant Director of Equitable Assessment

Undergraduate Admissions

• Emma Bausch, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
• Citlally Delgado, Assistant Director of Admissions
• Ian McLean, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
• Nicholas Radmer, Assistant Director of Admissions
• Matthew Stalzer, Recruitment Operations Specialist 
• Julia Wallace, Assistant Director of Admissions

Women's Center

• Mayadet Patitucci Cruz, Program Coordinator

International Education Administrators Awards

News and notes

Vice President for Student Affairs search

A new exhibit at The Block

On Sept. 22, The Block Museum of Art will open "Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s," an exhibition exploring mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia and the Arab diaspora. Comprising nearly 90 works, the exhibition is drawn from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and reflects the wide range of nonfigurative art practices that flourished in the Arab world over the course of four decades. Meanwhile, The Block's previous exhibit, "A Site of Struggle: American Art against Anti-Black Violence," opened on Aug. 13 at the Montgomery (Ala.) Museum of Fine Arts, where it will be on view through Nov. 6. The exhibition was supported by the Office of the Mayor of Montgomery and will connect with the work of the city's landmark institutions such as the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. 

In case you missed it

• Isabella Twocrow, last year's Project Manager Aide for Native American and Indigenous Affairs, is one of two Northwestern undergraduate students who have received national recognition from the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, a federal agency that supports study in fields related to the environment, tribal public policy and Native American health care.
• Northwestern has announced its COVID-19 plans for the fall.
• View more news from around the University.

Mark your calendar

Featured University events

• Sept. 22 through Dec. 4: "Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s" exhibit
• Sept. 28, 6 p.m.: Opening Conversation: "Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s"

Key dates

• Sept. 2: Summer Degrees Conferred
• Sept: 5: Labor Day (University closed)
• Sept. 20: Fall Quarter classes begin
• Oct. 26: Office of the Provost all-staff meeting (save the date; invite to come)

More resources

• University Events
• Academic Calendars
• Past Newsletters

Help us build future newsletters! If your unit is working on a project that is relevant to the entire Office of the Provost, or if you have awards, honors or accomplishments to share, send an email to officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu.