Past Forums
The annual Best Practices Forum brings together staff from across the University to showcase the great work that occurs across academic and administrative units. Attendees participate in a number of concurrent sessions to learn from their peers about best practices in a variety of different areas. Addresses from senior leaders and a keynote address are additional highlights that contribute to this high-energy, inspiring day.
Listed below are past forums going back as far as 2008.
2021 Forum
Milan Mrksich, Vice President for Research, led the first session and Jeri Ward, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, concluded the series.
The series featured thirteen webinars on a range of topics, and each of the five weeks had a theme.
2020 Forum
Marianna Kepka, AVP for the Office of Organizational Strategy and Change delivered introductory remarks on tools for navigating change at the virtual Best Practices Forum webinar series. The series featured six webinars on a variety of different topics and engaged more than 350 people. The Forum enabled staff from across our three campuses to reconnect in a different format, continue the tradition of providing peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and highlight examples of positive change and innovation at Northwestern.
2019 Forum
Kimberly Yuracko, Dean of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, delivered a keynote address entitled "The Science and Psychology of Organizational Change Leadership," in which she outlined the collaborations involved and the difficult choices she had to make to bring the Law School onto a firmer financial footing.
Heather Campbell, vice dean for finance and administration at the Feinberg School, delivered closing remarks highlighting the organizational changes that Feinberg leaders have led during a period of unprecedented growth and expansion at the medical school.
2018 Forum
Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, and a Faculty Fellow at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research (IPR), delivered a lunchtime keynote address entitled “The Safety Net that AIDS Activism Built: Lessons for Tackling Big Problems through Transformative Leadership.” Celeste Watkins-Hayes keynote address can be viewed here.
2017 Forum
Provost Dan Linzer moderated a keynote panel discussion featuring the following leaders who have led transformational changes within their units during the past several years.
2016 Forum
Rachel Davis Mersey, Associate Professor of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications, delivered a lunchtime keynote address entitled "The Power of Social Media for Professionals." Rachel Davis Mersey's keynote address can be viewed here.
2015 Forum
Daniel B. Rodriguez, Dean of Northwestern University School of Law and Harold Washington Professor, delivered the keynote address. Rodriguez highlighted many innovative collaborations across Northwestern University that span schools and disciplines. Dean Rodriguez keynote address can be viewed in its entirety here.
2014 Forum
William White, professor of industrial engineering and management sciences, delivered the keynote address entitled “Why Many of the Things You Know About Best Practices May be Wrong.”
2013 Forum
Paul Leonardi, Pentair-Nugent Associate Professor in the Departments of Communication Studies and Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, delivered the keynote address entitled “Not What We Planned! First and Second Effects of Technology Use in Organizations."
2012 Forum
Dr. Teresa Woodruff, Institute for Women's Health Research Chief, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology-Fertility Preservation at Feinberg School of Medicine, delivered the keynote address entitled "Oncofertility: Translation in Multiple Dimensions."
2011 Forum
Sally Blount, Dean of the Kellogg School of Management and the Michael L. Nemmers Professor of Management and Organizations, delivered the keynote address entitled “Making Big Change (without leaving fingerprints) in the Modern Research University."
2010 Forum
Jeff Miller, Vice Dean and Chief Operating Officer, Feinberg School of Medicine, delivered the keynote address entitled “Changing Faculty Behavior Through Incentive Compensation."
2009 Forum
David Besanko, IBM Professor of Regulation & Competitive Practices at Kellogg School of Management, delivered the keynote address entitled “Measuring the External Strength of a School’s Brand: Kellogg’s Media Audit Program and its Implications for Media Relations Strategy."
2008 Forum
The first annual Best Practices Forum was held on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at the Norris Center marking the beginning of a new tradition for staff leaders across Northwestern to learn from each other, network, and build community.