Dear colleagues,

I recently had the unique honor of conferring bachelor's degrees upon 16 men who are part of the Northwestern Prison Education Program — the first incarcerated individuals to earn a degree from a top-ten university. It was a special day that powerfully demonstrated the capacity of education to lift people up.

So many made this possible — Northwestern staff, faculty and volunteers as well as our partners at Oakton College and the Illinois Department of Corrections — and as I looked around the room at my colleagues, the graduates and their families, I felt so much pride in our University. We are all part of an amazing institution that strives to make the world a better place. 

If you want to get a better sense for the inspirational day, which included a video message from Governor J.B. Pritzker and a speech by journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, please view the news coverage by CBS Chicago and other outlets.

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that the Office of the Provost will soon offer a range of professional development opportunities designed to help you do your work more efficiently, connect with your colleagues and more. Our professional development project leads are busy fine-tuning programming and details are forthcoming.

Finally, as we break for Thanksgiving, I want you to know how grateful I am for everyone on the Office of the Provost team. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor

All about the staff

Meet Beth Osterlund

Beth Osterlund serves as the Assistant Director of the Office of Global Safety and Security (OGSS), where she has been since 2013. In her role, she supports undergraduate and graduate travelers, focusing on pre-departure medical management planning, traveler outreach and the preparation and assistance of trip leaders. 

What do you enjoy most about your role at Buffett or in general about working at Northwestern?

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role at Buffett is our commitment to students' safety and security when traveling independently. When a student is traveling and the local situation suddenly changes, as happened recently in Peru and Israel, we support them, provide advice and let them know Northwestern cares. I also enjoy helping students with pre-existing health conditions overcome barriers to traveling abroad. We work closely with our international health insurance partner to match students with globally experienced healthcare professionals so they can create a plan to stay healthy and enjoy their experience.

You are leading OGSS's efforts to support and promote travel abroad among students with disabilities. Can you share what this entails and what we can all learn from your work with students who have disabilities?

One project I’ve worked on is collaborating with vendors to ensure that instructional guides, particularly those concerning remote mental health support for students studying abroad, are accessible. Through informative training sessions offered by Nimisha Joshi in the Office of Global Marketing and Communications, I’ve learned how to build a more inclusive and accessible digital platform. Meeting digital accessibility standards is a simple yet effective strategy that any unit can pursue.

What is an interesting fact people might not know about you?

An interesting facet of my background is my prior work at Rotary International's global headquarters in Evanston. During my 13-year tenure, I had the remarkable opportunity to travel around the world in support of Rotary's international scholarships program. I was drawn to Rotary’s mission of advancing world peace and understanding as well as its extensive global campaign to eradicate polio. My father overcame this life-threatening childhood disease, which makes this particularly meaningful to me.

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.

Staff who started roles in October

Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

• Madeleine Williamson, Executive Assistant
• Gabriela Vazquez, Study Abroad Operations Manager, Office of Global Learning
• Su Yeon Yoo, Program Assistant, Office of International Student and Scholar Services

Center for Civic Engagement

• Heidi Gross, Administrative Assistant
• Angela Jones, Senior Program Coordinator
• Nathaniel Scholl, Public Interest Program Fellow
• Xuandi Wang, Public Interest Program Fellow
• Yuyan Zhang, Public Interest Program Fellow

Office of Financial Aid 

• Jazmin Colon, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Chicago
• Adom Harris, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid, Evanston
• Ashton Linson, Financial Aid Advisor Coordinator, Evanston
• Megan McGovern, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Chicago

Undergraduate Admission

• Safiya Johnson, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
• Nicholas Radmer, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
• Matthew Stalzer, Assistant Director of Admissions
• Natalie Toland, Assistant Director of Admissions

University Registrar

• Brady Richards, Program Assistant

News, notes and need to know

Call for honorary degree nominations

Every year, Northwestern awards honorary degrees to select individuals of exceptional accomplishment, who will be awarded during the Commencement ceremony. Nomination criteria and required materials for 2025 honorary degrees are detailed online. Please complete the online nomination form by March 1, 2024. Questions may be directed to honorarydegree@northwestern.edu.

News from the Office of Human Resources

• The myHR Learn homepage has a new streamlined design and new resources, including the Professional Skills Curriculum and a curated set of playlists focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and personal well-being.
• In an effort to protect sensitive personal information, reduce paper and printing and decrease unnecessary expenses, all faculty and staff will be encouraged to opt for only receiving a digital W-2 for 2023. More information will be coming soon.

 Staff health and wellness

• Northwestern's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, SupportLinc, provides faculty, staff and household members 24/7/365 free and confidential access to a variety of mental health and well-being services and resources, including short-term counseling to help address everyday life challenges in a confidential, professional and supportive manner.
• Beginning Nov. 27, SupportLinc will offer free four-week virtual support groups for Northwestern employees. Groups will be facilitated by a licensed counselor and are specifically for University employees. Two group topics will be available: "Coping with Loss" and "Stress Management in the Workplace." Learn more and register.
• We are entering the thick of flu season and the best way to protect yourself and others from catching influenza is to get the annual flu vaccine. Make an appointment through the MyNM app or website, or call 847-491-8100.

In case you missed it

• David Braun has been named Northwestern University’s Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach. Braun becomes the 30th head football coach in University history.
• Northwestern will hold its 166th Commencement ceremony at the United Center in Chicago. All school convocations will take place on the Evanston campus.
• “I’m First” week at Northwestern celebrated the stories and accomplishments of those in the University community who are first-generation college students. Watch the video.
• View more news from around the University.

Mark your calendar

University event highlights 

• Through Dec. 3: Rosalie Favell: Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera, For One and All: Prints from The Block’s Collection, and The Block Collects 2023
• Through Nov.  30: For Native American and Indigenous Heritage Month 2023, Northwestern is celebrating with 30 Days of Indigenous, a month-long series of programming, educational offerings and invitations to deepen engagement and learning. There are still plenty of ways to learn and celebrate.

Key dates 

• Nov. 22: Thanksgiving vacation begins at 6 p.m.
• Dec. 22: Winter recess begins
• Feb 7: Office of the Provost Winter Quarter All-Staff Meeting
• March 1, 2024: Deadline to submit nominations for honorary degrees

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.