From Doubt to Dual Degrees

Julia Narvaez Munguia (BS25) faced a tough decision when she arrived at Northwestern: journalism or education and social policy? For two years she went with her first love at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, but she remained passionate about education. When Northwestern launched a dual-degree program through SESP and Medill just before her junior year, Narvaez Munguia couldn’t apply fast enough. In June she became the first graduate of the five-year program in journalism and education and social policy; she’s now working as a multimedia journalist at Spectrum News 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. Hailing from Wilmington, North Carolina, the daughter of Honduran immigrants describes graduation as “double the joy,” in part because her family attended both schools’ convocation ceremonies. Narvaez Munguia’s passion stems from personal experience in underserved schools, where she often skipped class and felt overlooked. “My dream is to report on education at a national level,” she says, aiming to hold systems accountable and spotlight success stories.

New Master's Program Targets Emerging Leaders

SESP’s new Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics program is designed for recent college graduates who want to become leaders in learning, change, and innovation across today’s complex workplaces. The interdisciplinary program builds on the school’s legacy of shaping people-focused leaders who know how to consider different points of view and help create meaningful change in all kinds of workplaces, from businesses and government offices to schools and nonprofits. The program combines simulations, case studies, and client-informed projects to provide real-world leadership experience. The curriculum features nine core courses in people, organizations, and systems thinking, along with electives in areas such as project management, technology implementation, and cultural competence. Students can begin during any quarter; Northwestern undergraduates can begin early through a combined bachelor’s-master’s pathway. Says instructor Terrence Roche, the program “equips leaders to create human-centered change wherever they go.”

Coburn Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Professor Cynthia Coburn was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies, alongside such leaders as Satya Nadella and Gloria Steinem. She joins eight other Northwestern faculty in the 2025 cohort. Coburn, the Margaret Walker Alexander Professor, is renowned for her work on long-term collaborations between educators and researchers. Her own research focuses on how educational policies are interpreted and used in the classroom by teachers and school leaders. Also a member of the National Academy of Education, Coburn has served on advisory boards for the Spencer and Gates Foundations and received numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate from Belgium’s UCLouvain and Northwestern’s Ver Steeg Distinguished Research Fellowship Award.

Dixon, Riddick Join Faculty

Two new assistant professors are exploring how people and communities learn, lead, and heal—one through the effects of bereavement on public health, the other through the history of Black education and activism. Sociologist Angela Dixon studies how loss and hardship shape the lives of families over time. Now assistant professor of learning sciences, she also holds an appointment in the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Dixon earned her PhD in sociology and social policy from Princeton University and was previously on the faculty at Emory University. Her research, blending sociology, demography, and public health, builds tools that help policymakers better support people dealing with bereavement and major life disruptions. Zenzile Riddick, a scholar of education and history who recently earned her doctorate at Harvard, joins SESP as assistant professor of human development and social policy. Her research focuses on Black education in the US, especially the roles of Black women as leaders, organizers, and teachers. Her work is shaped by her own education at an African-centered school in Oakland, California, and she has led mentorship programs for underrepresented students.

eLEAP Expands Learning

A new scholarship initiative helps grade school students access high-quality after-school and summer programs. The Evanston Learning, Empowerment, and Advancement Program (eLEAP) provides $500 per eligible student for approved enrichment opportunities in the city. Families can explore options through Digital Backpack 65, a platform created by Northwestern’s Digital Youth Network to simplify finding local programs. The initiative, designed to make it easier for students to participate in learning experiences outside the classroom, is a partnership of SESP, Evanston/Skokie School District 65, and the City of Evanston. “It’s all about building an ecosystem,” says Nichole Pinkard, the Alice Hamilton Professor of Education and Social Policy and founder of Digital Youth Network. “While it may seem straightforward, the data agreements required to connect in-school and out-of-school learning are complex. Our goal is to understand the information infrastructure necessary to simplify this process.”

Language Lover Builds Rumaan Academy

Though Zuviriya Anarwala is preparing to teach English, it’s just one of six languages she speaks. The self-described “lover of languages” also speaks Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, and Arabic.

Last year the master of science in education student founded Rumaan Academy to teach women how to read Arabic. With backing from Northwestern’s Garage incubator Luminate program, which supports first-generation and lower-income student entrepreneurs, Anarwala transitioned Rumaan from a simple Google form into a full website.

She’s now expanding the program through the Garage’s Jumpstart initiative, with plans to offer in-person sessions soon. She’ll begin her career as a student teacher of English at Illinois’s Niles West High School during winter quarter; her long-term goal is to shape educational policy.