Northwestern welcomes two new Faculty-in-Residence
I am most excited about the opportunity to build meaningful connections with students by engaging with them in ways that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom.”
Ordel Brown
Associate Professor of Instruction, McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering
A Look Inside FIR Events
FIRs live and learn within residential communities
Years after completing his own undergraduate degree, Aaron Shaw, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Sociology, found himself moving back into a residence hall–this time with his own family, plus a mission to create a welcoming community for Northwestern students as a Faculty-in-Residence (FIR).
Shaw considers his own time in a dorm during college as “transformative” and is keen to be part of such a foundational part of the Northwestern journey.
“I believe my role as a FIR is to help create a platform for Northwestern students to experience collective living, explore the university, pursue their goals and build integrative experiences—whatever that means for them,” Shaw said.
Northwestern’s FIR program includes five faculty members who live in apartments within several of the on-campus residence halls, providing a distinct opportunity for professors and students to connect outside of the classroom. These faculty host events for students, provide mentorship, foster academic dialogue and create a comforting community within their residential areas.
This year, Northwestern welcomed Shaw as well as Ordel Brown, Associate Professor of Instruction in the McCormick Office of Undergraduate Engineering, as new FIRs for the Southwest and Northeast Areas, respectively.
“I am most excited about the opportunity to build meaningful connections with students by engaging with them in ways that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom,” Brown said. “I get to be part of their daily campus experience in an organic, informal and authentic manner through, for example, shared meals, casual conversations and collaborative explorations.
For Shaw, cultivating these connections also means bringing his partner, Hannah, and their three young children into the University community.
“Being a FIR is an amazing opportunity to connect our family with Northwestern students and campus life in ways that hopefully create mutual benefits and opportunities for area residents as well as our kids,” Shaw said.
“For the kids, they'll get exposed to an incredibly diverse and accomplished community of Northwestern students. For the students, we think it might be nice to have a few preschoolers around to keep things fun and unpredictable.”
Brown hosted a vision board event for students in the Northeast Area to plan their experiences this quarter. This chance to interact on the personal level also creates an accessible avenue into academic ideas from the FIRs’ areas of expertise, which they introduce to students in creative ways through events and discussions. Brown, for example, studies ethics and empathy in engineering design. She plans to host creative challenges and maker nights that get students thinking about design principles.
“I see the FIR program as being altogether enriching,” Brown said. “It creates an avenue for students and faculty to learn from each other, to share ideas, laughter and moments of growth that strengthen Northwestern’s living-learning culture and make this campus a vibrant place."