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| Staff Newsletter | February 2024 |
Dear colleagues,
At our most recent Office of the Provost All Staff Meeting, we heard four terrific presentations: a preview of what to expect during Northwestern's 10-year HLC re-accreditation process from Mearah Quinn-Brauner and Andrianna Kurzenberger; a recap of the insightful research conducted by the Institutional Research team, shared by Amit Prachand; an overview of Northwestern’s Academic Program Review process from Jordan Hughes; and a look at the unique programming that, each year, delivers an enriching One Book, One Northwestern experience for our entire community, presented by Nancy Cunniff.
I was struck, as I am time and again, by just how much impactful work the Office of the Provost does for the University, and how proud I am of our staff. I strongly believe in the importance of celebrating excellence, and that is why I am so delighted that the Office of the Provost has a new awards program to do just that.
I would like to take this opportunity to provide some details about this program, so that you can nominate your colleagues for their exceptional contributions to both the Office of the Provost and the University at large.
Our inaugural awards will be the Innovation Award and the Community Award. Staff are encouraged to nominate one colleague (or, for the Innovation Award, a team of up to seven people). Recipients will be honored during the spring Office of the Provost All Staff Meeting, where the winners and the nominator will be invited to speak.
The nomination deadline for both awards is March 15. To learn more, please refer to the Office of the Provost Staff Awards page on our new Office of the Provost Professional Development website (which, I might add, has a whole line-up of staff-focused programs that are worth exploring).
With your input, I look forward to recognizing the exceptional work being done across our units every day.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Hagerty |
All about the staff |
Meet Anthony McCray
Anthony McCray serves as the Communications Specialist for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), leading the office’s strategic communications for internal and external audiences. In his role, he combines content creation, storytelling and meaningful pedagogical engagement with a broad group of stakeholders to develop and advance OIDI’s presence. He has been at Northwestern just over a year.
Where did you grow up, and how did your childhood interests influence your career path?
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where my passion for art — particularly drawing — took root. During my childhood, I wanted to become an animation cartoonist because I enjoyed creating narratives around the many characters I had drawn. I also loved painting and sculpting. Over time, my passion for drawing transitioned into digital art and design, leading me to pursue an undergraduate degree in graphic design. While I did not have this particular career path in mind as a child, I was certain that whatever I pursued would allow me to leverage my creativity to convey a range of messages.
What has been your most memorable experience at Northwestern so far?
As I just reached my one-year anniversary here at Northwestern, I am sure my list of memorable experiences will grow. As of now, I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance (NAISA) Pow Wow. It was my first Pow Wow, and it was exciting to watch the celebration. What was most memorable was being invited — along with all the attendees — to join in the circle and dance. I remember it being a joyous and freeing experience. I would recommend going to this April's Pow Wow to everyone.
Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
I’ve been skydiving three times! The first time I went as a “youthful” experience. I knew it would be scary for me, but I thought it would be something fun to do in my early 20s. Looking outside the plane at about 10,000 feet above ground and the actual jump are probably the scariest parts of the whole experience. However, once you jump out, it’s smooth sailing from there. You are soaring like a bird. I enjoyed it so much that I went two more times and plan to do it again! So far, all my jumps have been tandem, but I am considering taking classes to do it solo; I am still debating if I want that type of thrill in my life.
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 January
Block Museum
Chicago Biomedical Consortium
Financial Aid
Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Office of the Provost
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News, notes and need to know |
New professional development programs The Office of the Provost Professional Development programs are well underway. The second Coffee With Colleagues, held Feb. 7, was a successful, chocolate-infused affair; you can see a few photos from that event, along with descriptions of all the programs being offered, at the Office of the Provost Professional Development website. The following events are coming up:
Shown above: Melissa Rice, Academic Program Review Program Administrator; Nick Radmer, Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions; and Alyssa Martinez, Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions, at February's Coffee With Colleagues.
Office of Fellowships call for student referrals The Office of Fellowships depends on referrals as it advises Northwestern students about the wide range of external funding opportunities available to them. To recommend student candidates, please email the following information to Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe, Director, Office of Fellowships:
News from the Office of Human Resources The Winter Quarter Well-being Grant application is open through March 1. Grants help support the well-being of faculty and staff by providing funding for a well-being activity, event and/or space. View examples of funded grants.
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More resources 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. |
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