Dear colleagues,

It's hard to believe that Fall Quarter has finished and winter recess is around the corner. This busy season is usually filled with finishing up projects, planning for holidays and, for many of us, finalizing the initiatives and events that will land in the beginning of the new year.

Looking ahead to 2024, the Office of the Provost will offer a full slate of professional development programs, starting with our second Coffee With Colleagues, which will take place after our All-Staff Meeting on Feb. 7. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for further communications about this event as well as other learning and networking opportunities that will be available to staff over the course of the winter and spring.

2023 was a productive and exciting year. I’m proud of all that our team accomplished supporting our outstanding faculty and students, and we have much more to look forward to in 2024. I hope you will find the time to recharge and enjoy the company of your loved ones during the break, and I look forward to seeing you when we all return.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor

All about the staff

Meet Stephen Hill

Stephen Hill is Senior Associate Director for Operations in the Office of Fellowships as well as a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology. Steve first came to Northwestern in 2001 for a three-year replacement position in the Bienen School of Music. In 2004, he moved to the Office of Fellowships, where he manages several fellowships competitions and leads grant-writing workshops. 

What do you enjoy most about your role at the Office of Fellowships?

The single most satisfying part of the job is to work with excellent students as they develop their projects and ability to clearly articulate ideas. Nearly all students at Northwestern are good writers, but often not in the "fellowship proposal genre." I get to guide them as they begin to deeply understand their own project (I have a world-class ability to ask dumb questions), while simultaneously discovering ways to effectively translate those realizations to their intended audience. 

You have worked in the Office of Fellowships for almost 20 years. What is the most marked change in the fellowship world that you can share?

This is sort of a good news/bad news story. First the bad news. As recently as 10 years ago, many graduate students could expect to begin their dissertation research with an internal “starter” award, then secure one major external award to complete the remainder of the research. Unfortunately, we have seen a contraction in the number of major awards that would allow a student to complete their research. Today, more students need to cobble together several smaller awards. The good news is that the number of funding opportunities continues to increase, filling the gap mentioned above. For entrepreneurial applicants who look deeply into their own academic area, there are plenty of “niche” awards for which they are excellent candidates. The proof is that, for the past 10 years, the number and range of awards — as well as total number of recipients — has steadily increased. 

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

I am a woodworker and motorcyclist — but not at the same time! One of my youthful rebellions was to avoid my father’s wood shop. What an idiot! That lasted until I married, and we moved into a house. Since then, I have collected tools like a madman and built the last two dining room tables for my family. I have driven motorcycles since my teen years and fondly remember my first real motorcycle: a 1978 BMW R80/7. A dream to ride! I now have a 2008 BMW R1200RT, which I adore and ride very safely. 

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 November

Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

• Kyounghee Lee, Immigration Compliance Specialist, Office of International Student and Scholar Services
• Grace Lewis, Senior Accounting Specialist

Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion

• Jamiece Adams, Facilitator and Program Manager, IDEA 

Undergraduate Admission

• Henna Ahmed, Assistant Director of Admissions
• Melanie Gray, Recruitment Operations Specialist 

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. Questions may be directed to honorarydegree@northwestern.edu.

Buffett at Global Climate Summit

Supported by Northwestern Buffett, a delegation of 12 Northwestern faculty and graduate students — who span five Northwestern schools and who have examined climate change through a variety of disciplinary lenses — traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to attend COP28, the world’s largest annual international treaty negotiations and climate summit. They shared their thought leadership in panel discussions and research presentations and attended events hosted by climate leaders across the world. Read more.

News from the Office of Human Resources

• As mentioned in the November 2023 Staff Newsletter, the Office of Human Resources is encouraging all faculty and staff to opt for receiving only a digital W-2 for 2023. To do so, sign into myHR, select the “Pay” tile and choose “W-2 Electronic Consent” by Dec. 31. Your consent will remain valid for future years.

• HR has rolled out a personalized Total Compensation Statement that demonstrates the value of your benefits package and time off policies while also displaying all the benefits and programs available to you and your family. To understand the statement, review an annotated total compensation statement that includes descriptions of each section or read the FAQ page.

• In 2010, Northwestern staff and faculty collaborated to create NU Cares, a fund built from employee contributions to help colleagues experiencing financial difficulty due to a catastrophic event. Contributions are greatly appreciated by recipients.

• Posting a note of appreciation on Northwestern’s Gratitude Wall is a great way to spread some holiday cheer by recognizing one of your fellow colleagues who has gone above and beyond.

• All faculty, staff and students are entitled to a complimentary membership to Care.com. With this membership, you can easily access services for childcare, adult and senior care, pet care and household help.

Staff health and wellness

• Northwestern's Employee Assistance Program 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.
  
• Flu season is upon us 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

• Deborah Cohen, the Richard W. Leopold Professor of History, has been named the interim executive director of the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, effective Jan. 1. She will replace Annelise Riles, who is stepping down after five years in the role.
• Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Robin R. Means Coleman will step down from her administrative and faculty roles at Northwestern on Jan. 1. Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Michelle Manno will serve as OIDI’s interim leader.
• Institutional Research has published this year’s Survey of New Students. 
• View more news from around the University. 

Mark your calendar

University event highlights 

• Jan. 26-July 7: Actions for the Earth: Art, Care and Ecology, a touring exhibition coming to The Block Museum of Art, will consider how artists use strategies of kinship, healing and restorative intervention to foster a deeper awareness of our interconnectedness with the earth. The Opening Conversation is Feb. 3.

Key dates 

• Dec. 22: Winter recess begins (University closed until Jan. 2)
• Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (University closed)
• Jan. 28: Deadline to submit work to "Well Versed,"  a Northwestern community art show that will take place Feb. 20-March 15 at the Dittmar Gallery at Norris University Center and will explore the intertwining of art and language through poetry. All members of the Northwestern community are invited to contribute work. 
• Feb 7: Office of the Provost Winter Quarter All-Staff Meeting
• March 1: 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.