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| Staff Newsletter | February 2025 |
Dear colleagues,
As I write this note, the University is facing challenges, and I want to start by thanking all of you for meeting the moment and continuing to do great work, even against a backdrop of uncertainty.
I also want to share that, after two successful terms as Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, on Sept. 1, Miriam Gamoran Sherin will return to her full-time role as the Alice Gabrielle Twight Professor of Learning Sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy.
Since joining the Office of the Provost in fall of 2018, Miriam has been a dedicated steward of undergraduate excellence and access at Northwestern. With her intellect, passion and creativity, she has strengthened the Office of the Provost’s connections with partners across the University as well as led key University-wide initiatives. I am particularly grateful to Miriam for her leadership of the Undergraduate Council and the Generative AI Advisory Committee.
Please join me in thanking Miriam for her service and wishing her all the best as she returns to her teaching and scholarly pursuits. She will be missed, but I am happy that she will not be too far away.
Yesterday, I announced plans about our search for the next Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, and I welcome your nominations.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Hagerty |
All about the staff |
Meet Carmen Hernández
Carmen Hernández (shown above overlooking a glacier in southeast Iceland) joined Northwestern in 2018 and now serves as Assistant Director for Student Services and Advising for the Global Learning Office (GLO). In this role, Hernández leads advising for students interested in study abroad opportunities in Spain, Portugal and the Americas. Additionally, she spearheads GLO’s Study Abroad 101 and co-leads the GLObal Co-Lab, a co-curricular program.
What were your interests growing up, and how do they connect with what you do now?
Growing up in one of Chicago's most diverse neighborhoods, Albany Park, I was always curious about other cultures, exploring foods beyond my own Mexican heritage and connecting with people who were different from me. This curiosity sparked an early interest in the arts, particularly photography, which eventually became my college major, along with a growing passion for travel. The global perspective, intercultural skills and openness to diverse viewpoints that I developed over the years are invaluable in helping students navigate their study abroad journeys.
Can you share a bit about your study abroad experience?
I had the opportunity to study abroad twice as an undergraduate, and as a commuter student at UIC, I can honestly say that my study abroad experiences were the highlights of my college years. My first experience was in Rome, Italy, followed by a semester in Santiago, Chile. I have so many fond memories from both countries, but studying in South America truly opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of landscapes. A highlight was seeing the varied terrains in Chile. From the vast Atacama Desert to the Andes Mountains to Easter Island, it was an unforgettable experience!
What is something about you that people may not know?
I'm an avid jump roper! During the pandemic, I picked up a jump rope as a way to stay fit, and four years later, I’m still at it. It’s great for coordination, burns a lot of calories and there’s always a new trick to master. I now take my rope everywhere and have set a goal to jump in different countries.
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 joined the Office of the Provost or started new roles in January
Block Museum
Chicago Biomedical Consortium
International Student Scholar Services
Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
University Registrar
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News, notes and need to know |
Seen at Winter Quarter's Coffee With Colleagues Top, from left to right: Iva Yovcheva, Manager Customer Accounts, Student Finance; Jude Almeida, Systems Analyst, Student Finance; Helen Tsevas, Associate Director Administration, Student Finance; and Erin Herrick, Director of Student Finance
Bottom, from left to right: Lauri Dietz, Director of Pedagogy and Assessment; Lina Rombalsky Eskew, Senior Assistant Director of Equitable Assessment; Laura Ferdinand, Assistant Director of Content and Communications; Erika Nadile, Assistant Director of STEM Education; and Joshua Watson, Assistant Director of Engaged Learning, all from the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning.
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, email their name, a brief supporting note and whether you wish your nomination to remain anonymous to Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe, Director, Office of Fellowships.
Office of the Registrar temporary move The Office of the Registrar is moving to 619 Clark temporarily. It will be there March through June, open during its usual business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The office may be closed for a day during the relocation. If you need to visit the office in person or need to direct others there, please check the website in early March to confirm that the office is open.
Help OGSS promote ITR registration (and GeoBlue coverage) to your student travelers
The Office of Global Safety and Security (OGSS) has developed digital postcards to explain the International Travel Registry requirement for Northwestern-affiliated student independent travel abroad, which are perfect for inclusion in departmental or school newsletters. OGSS also has hard-copy posters for distribution and a standard-size PDF flyer for posting in your workspace. Contact globalsafety@northwestern.edu to request these materials.
From the Office of Human Resources
Lunch with the Buffett Institute Enjoy your lunch with a side of global learning. The remaining installments of the Buffett Institute’s lunch lecture series on landmark peace processes, part of its yearlong international diplomacy initiative, include Europe’s Waiting Room (Bosnia) on Feb. 26 and the Good Friday Agreement (Northern Ireland) on March 5. The next Buffett First Friday Lunch series event features the Department of History’s Professor Kennetta Hammond Perry on “The Prayers of David Oluwale” on March 7.
Conflict resolution training The Mediation, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practices (MCR) Initiative aims to provide the Northwestern community with constructive, empathetic and evidence-based approaches to resolving conflict and settling disputes that do not rise to the level of formal complaints or policy violations. Apply to join an MCR team to get trained to provide mediation services to the Northwestern community upon request. Applicants must be Northwestern faculty or staff. The deadline to apply is May 30. Learn more and apply.
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