Morton Schapiro's Presidency
Explore highlights and achievements from the past 11 years.
2009
Morton Schapiro inaugurated as Northwestern’s 16th president
Schapiro receives a “NU Survival Kit” that includes a roll of quarters for downtown parking meters from then-Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, a supply of warm clothes from the Northwestern Alumni Association and a picture of The Rock from the Associated Student Government. John Legend performs in a concert at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman speaks at the event. Watch a video of the event highlights.
March Through the Arch
A new tradition is born as the Class of 2013 and transfer students March Through the Arch during Wildcat Welcome for the first time. Read about the tradition's origins.
2010
“Conversations With the President”
President Schapiro and University leadership update the community on the state of the University at this inaugural event.
Nobel Prize in Economics
Weinberg professor Dale Mortensen – along with Peter Diamond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Christopher Pissarides, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom – are recognized for their analysis of markets with search frictions.
2011
Distinguished Secondary Teacher Award
President Schapiro begins a new tradition, inviting graduating seniors to nominate high school teachers who have had a transforming impact on their lives. Teachers are recognized each year at commencement.
2012
Lacrosse wins 7th NCAA championship
Women’s lacrosse wins their seventh NCAA title in eight years, beating Syracuse 8-6 in the championship game.
First commencement at Northwestern University in Qatar
The first class of students at Northwestern University in Qatar graduate in Doha, Qatar.
2013
Wildcats end 64-year bowl drought
Led by coach Pat Fitzgerald, the football team beats Mississippi State 34-20 in the Gator Bowl – their first bowl victory in 64 years.
2014
President Barack Obama visits campus
President Obama speaks at Cahn Auditorium, becoming the first sitting president to visit Northwestern since Dwight D. Eisenhower. Watch highlights from the visit.
2016
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Weinberg professor Sir Fraser Stoddart -- along with Jean-Pierre Sauvage, University of Strasbourg, France, and Bernard L. Feringa, University of Groningen, the Netherlands – are recognized for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. Read about the groudbreaking achievement.
2017
First NCAA tournament bid
In their first ever NCAA tournament appearance, Northwestern's men’s basketball team defeats Vanderbilt in the first round before falling to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King, global sports icon and pioneering advocate for equal rights and opportunities, delivers the Commencement address, telling graduates, “It is time for your generation to win and to shape the future.” Watch her full speech.
2018
NUSO tours China
The Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra conducts a three-city tour of Asia showcasing 87 of the Bienen School of Music’s top undergraduate and graduate student musicians.
President Joe Biden visits campus
President Joe Biden (then former Vice President Biden) visits campus, encouraging students to embrace policies to narrow the income gap in a speech at the Kellogg School of Management.
“A Starry Night”
Acclaimed alumni from the School of Communication come together to pay tribute to the school’s storied past and celebrate its exciting future in a variety show, hosted at the new Ryan Fieldhouse. Watch highlights from the evening.
2019
“Caravans of Gold” debuts
“Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa” opens at Block Museum, setting an attendance record its first day. The exhibit later traveled to the Smithsonian Institute and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. View the exhibit page.
Marking 150 years of women on campus
The University hosts a year-long celebration and commemoration marking 150 years since women could enroll at Northwestern. Learn more about the catalysts who shaped the University.
2020
Northwestern hosts Global U7+ Summit
Dozens of University presidents from around the world join the U7+ summit to explore solutions to critical global issues. The event largely took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
President Schapiro Announces Departure
President Morton Schapiro announces his 13-year term will end August 2022.