News

Palfrey Calls for Collaborative Leadership at Loeschner Lecture

November 24, 2025

MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey was the featured speaker for Northwestern University’s annual Loeschner Leadership Lecture Series.

David Rapp on Why Misinformation Sticks

November 21, 2025

After we take in information — whether true or not — it’s nearly impossible to avoid using it, Northwestern University psychologist David Rapp explained during the “Science of Reading: The Podcast.”

New Guidance Aims to Strengthen Education Research

November 19, 2025

A new Spencer Foundation report calls for a fresh approach to graduate education to better prepares researchers to improve schools and communities.

Duval-Diop Joins New Master’s Program

November 18, 2025

Dominique Duval-Diop has joined the faculty for the School of Education and Social Policy's Master’s in Technology, People, and Policy program at Northwestern.

Northwestern Expands STEM Partnership with Baxter Foundation

November 7, 2025

The School Education and Social Policy will continue its longstanding partnership with The Baxter Foundation to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education across the Chicagoland area.

Study: Moving Between Languages Improves Learning

October 30, 2025

A new Northwestern University study shows that students who write in multiple languages can challenge English-centered norms in higher education and highlight often overlooked ways of learning.

MacArthur's John Palfrey Headlines Loeschner Lecture

October 22, 2025

John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is the featured speaker for the 2025 Ray and Nancy Loeschner Lecture Series on Leadership on Nov. 19 at Northwestern University.

When Yahtzee and Legos Add Up to Math

October 20, 2025

Northwestern University’s Jen Munson has received a five-year, $815,789 CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to design spaces that make math as enjoyable as recreational reading.

Alumna Named to Crain’s 40 Under 40 List

October 14, 2025

Alumna Izzy Dobbel (BS20), deputy chief of staff for the Illinois House Speaker, was named to the Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2025.

Uttal Awarded Spatial Thinking/STEM-Related Grants

October 9, 2025

Professor David Uttal received three research grants from the National Science Foundation to advance the science of spatial thinking—an essential yet often overlooked skill that underpins success STEM.

Adrienne Sheide: Wearing Pink and Speaking Up

October 9, 2025

As a freshman, Adrienne Scheide nearly always wore a classic pink beret which made her something of a campus celebrity.

Medin Wins $100,000 Rumelhart Prize

September 30, 2025

Doug Medin, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, received the David E. Rumelhart Prize, the most important award in the field of cognitive science.

Uri Wilensky Awarded 2025 Yidan Prize

September 29, 2025

Uri Wilensky, a preeminent scholar in computer modeling and simulations, received the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Research, the world’s largest prize in education.

'And' Is in His DNA

September 25, 2025

Senior Adrian Ayala-Perez is making the most out of his opportunities at Northwestern.

New Center to Guide Ethical Tech Policy

September 23, 2025

Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy has launched a new initiative to explore how rapid technological change can be guided by both scientific research and values of fairness, ethics, and social good.

Dean, Alumni Join Printers Row Lit Fest

September 3, 2025

School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy will speak with Pulitzer Prize-winner Kathleen DuVal during the 40th annual Printers Row Lit Fest—the largest literary festival in the Midwest and one of the longest-running in the country.

Olga Vaskova Creates Award-Winning Lesson Plan

August 30, 2025

Olga Vaskova, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Education and Social Policy Program, earned a $500 prize in the Tzu Chi Center’s Character Education Lesson Plan Competition for her English language arts lesson focused on The Wizard of Oz, one of her daughter’s favorite books.

McAdams Receives Third Lifetime Career Award

August 14, 2025

Northwestern University psychologist Dan P. McAdams has been selected to receive the International Society for Self and Identity’s 2025 Distinguished Lifetime Career Award for his contributions to the understanding of self and identity throughout his academic career.

MSLOC Book Talk: Ready for Disruption?

August 14, 2025

Aaron Olson and BK Simerson, co-authors of Strategy and Change, will discuss how business leaders can make insightful decisions and manage risk in unpredictable environments.

Language Lover Builds Rumaan Academy

August 10, 2025

Zuviriya Anarwala may be preparing to teach English, but that’s just one of six languages she speaks. A self-described “lover of languages,” she also speaks Gujarati (her native language), Hindi, Urdu, Turkish and Arabic.

Wells Wins 2026 AERA Fellowship

August 9, 2025

Tre Wells, a Northwestern University doctoral candidate, received an AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research for 2025–26.

From Doubt to Dual Degrees

August 4, 2025

When Julia Narvaez Munguia arrived at Northwestern, she faced a tough decision: journalism or education and social policy?

Northwestern Brings Emerging Science Educators to Campus

July 27, 2025

More than two dozen of the world’s most promising emerging scholars in science education gathered at Northwestern University's Evanston campus for the 2025 Sandra K. Abell Institute for Doctoral Students.

Life Expectancy Drops in California Post-Covid

July 14, 2025

California has not rebounded to pre-pandemic life expectancy, based on early data obtained from the state, according to new research published in the medical journal JAMA Open.

Shared Politics Strengthen Teacher Relationships

July 7, 2025

High school teachers bond over shared political beliefs, according to a new study by Melanie Muskin, a PhD candidate in human development and social policy.

Brayboy, Bang Honored During Investiture Ceremonies

July 1, 2025

Northwestern University celebrated the distinguished careers of Dean Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy and Professor Megan Bang during investiture ceremonies that recognized their groundbreaking contributions to education, access, and community-centered research.

“My name is Sarah Krueper Futa, and I am SESP.”

June 19, 2025

Sarah Futa was a 45-year-old single mom of four when she returned to graduate school to refresh her skills and reclaim a part of herself that had long been missing.

Doctoral Students Honored

June 19, 2025

A dozen new PhDs were honored and gifted regalia before the 2025 convocation celebration during the second annual doctoral robing ceremony at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

2025 Graduate Student Awards Roundup

June 19, 2025

Northwestern University’s Katarzyna (Kasia) Pomian Bogdanov, who just received her doctorate in learning sciences from the School of Education and Social Policy, received a 2025 Jhumki Basu Scholar Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching.

Ahn Wins Undergraduate Leadership Award

June 17, 2025

Graduating senior Kaylyn Ahn, one of the most decorated students in SESP history, received the Outstanding Undergraduate Leadership Award from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Larissa FastHorse: ‘Take a Big Swing’

June 17, 2025

Award-winning writer and choreographer Larissa FastHorse encouraged graduates to say “no” at times when others may feel forced into a “yes” during her 2025 convocation address at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Litman: “Cultivate a Thick Skin”

June 12, 2025

Amanda Litman is on a mission to help young people run for political office. For the brave souls who do, she offers a warning: Prepare to be unpopular.

SESP’s Elite Athletes Shine

June 12, 2025

From Olympic competition to record-breaking performances on campus, Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy athletes balanced academics and elite competition during the 2024-25 school year.

Northwestern Launches MOD for Emerging Leaders

June 6, 2025

Applications are open for Northwestern University’s new Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics (MOD) for recent college graduates seeking to become leaders in learning, change, and innovation across today’s complex workplaces.

Honors Students Celebrated

June 5, 2025

Undergraduate researchers examined everything from consumer behavior and supports for dyslexic students to whether Hawai’i is truly a paradise as part of their senior thesis research projects.

Undergrads Win Awards at Research Expo

June 5, 2025

Seniors Lillian Fu, Mia Xia, and Adrienne Scheide were honored for their research at Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Research & Arts Expo, which celebrates the accomplishments and discoveries of undergraduates through poster presentations and curated student panel talks.

Binhao Wu Wins Best Oral Presentation

June 5, 2025

SESP senior Binhao Wu’s research looking at social identity and perception won Top Oral Presentation at the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium, one of the largest annual undergraduate research conferences in the country.

Celebrating Teachers Who Change Lives

June 3, 2025

Four high school educators who left a deep imprint on their students’ lives will be honored with the prestigious Morton Schapiro Distinguished Secondary School Teacher Award during Northwestern University’s 2025 Convocation ceremony on Sunday, June 15.

Graduate Student Designs Workshop in India

May 23, 2025

The Indian town of Pithoragarh is nestled in the hills beneath the towering and picturesque Himalayas. Decades ago, Gautam Bisht’s grandmother moved away from this region to seek a better education and more opportunities for her family.

Student presenting to the mayor's office

Crafting Child Policy

May 20, 2025

Northwestern undergraduates wrestled with complex challenges in early childhood education before presenting policy recommendations to the Mayor's Office.

Scholarships Expand Opportunities

May 9, 2025

A new Northwestern University-powered scholarship initiative is designed to help Evanston students find and join high-quality after-school or summer programs.

BitCrush: Evanston’s First Music + Code Competition

May 9, 2025

The BitCrush Music + Code Competition, a new kind of performance, debuts on May 10 at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center in Evanston as part of a day celebrating science, technology engineering, math and music.

Michael Horn Honored for Teaching Excellence

May 8, 2025

Michael Horn was awarded the Charles Deering Professor of Teaching Excellence Award for his innovative approach to computer science and his ability to inspire a lifelong love of learning—a critical skill in our rapidly changing world.

Bathtubs and Labor Markets

April 30, 2025

Bathtubs can help us understand what’s happening in the labor market, Northwestern University economist Kirabo Jackson said in a piece that aired on the radio program Marketplace, which focuses on business and the economy.

Symposium Examines Learning Sciences, Education, AI

April 30, 2025

An upcoming Northwestern University symposium will examine the influence of artificial intelligence on teachers, students and learning environments.

Coburn Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

April 25, 2025

Professor Cynthia Coburn was one of nine Northwestern University faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.

Scholars Present at AERA 2025

April 21, 2025

Faculty, alumni and and students will showcase their research at the 2025 American Educational Research Association’s meeting in Denver.

FastHorse to Deliver 2025 Convocation Address

April 16, 2025

Trailblazing playwright and choreographer Larissa FastHorse, whose work blends sharp humor with social commentary, will deliver the 2025 convocation address.

Zenzile Riddick Joins SESP Faculty

April 14, 2025

Zenzile Riddick, whose research straddles education, history and Black Studies, has joined the School of Education and Social Policy as assistant professor of human development and social policy.

Brayboy To Speak at CNAIR Research Symposium

April 7, 2025

Bryan Brayboy, Dean of Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy and the Carlos Montezuma Professor, will deliver a keynote for the 7th annual Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) research symposium.

FUSE FUTURES Day Celebrates Learning

March 25, 2025

Chicago middle school students explored virtual welding, robotics, and more at FUSE FUTURES, a celebration of science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs and career paths at Richard J. Daley College.

Angela Dixon Joins SESP Faculty

March 24, 2025

Sociologist Angela Dixon, whose current research investigates how lives and families are transformed by loss, has joined Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy as assistant professor of learning sciences.

Tre Wells Selected for Bouchet Honor Society

March 19, 2025

Tre Wells, a graduate student studying human development and social policy, has been selected for the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, which recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and excellence in doctoral education.

New Master’s Program Welcomes Lee, Marda

March 12, 2025

Tech policy experts Nicol Turner Lee and Nik Marda will be teaching classes for the School of Education and Social Policy’s newest offering, the Master’s in Technology, People, and Policy program.

Anti-DEI: A Playbook from the Past

March 11, 2025

The current anti-DEI movement relies on a decades-old playbook that frames equity programs and policy as a threat to the excellence of colleges, according to new research co-authored by Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy political scientist Quinn Mulroy.

Global Practicum Program Expands

March 11, 2025

Undergraduate students will be able to complete their practicum through the Global Engagement Summer Institute (GESI) study abroad program beginning in summer of 2025.

Easterday: Start Civic Education Early

March 10, 2025

Early exposure to civic education is essential to a functioning society, but it’s often taught too late in life or not at all, according to Matt Easterday, associate professor of learning sciences at Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy.

Alumna Returns as IPR’s Inaugural Visiting Scholar

February 19, 2025

Alumna Stefanie DeLuca (PhD02), a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University and one of the nation’s leading experts on housing mobility, vouchers, and policy will be joining Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research as its inaugural visiting scholar in May 2025.