School of Education and Social Policy

Adrienne Scheide Wildcat Welcome

Adrienne Scheide

Adrienne Scheide

Adrienne Scheide

Meet one of our recent graduates: Adrienne Scheide! Known for her signature pink attire, Adrienne strengthened the SESP community through two organizations she founded: the Solidarity and Survivorship Collective and Rural and Small Towns NU.

Story by Grace Gormley (Medill27): spr.ly/6184AIoUs

Juniper Shelley Ty Moyer Sara Pena Figueroa (WW Board of Directors- SESP Director)

David Gormley Michael Jurek Adrian Ayala-Perez Payton Lowenthal-Wojcik

Matthew Jamil Aneela Shemsu David Gormley

Nahla Idris Habona Gia Mosely Evan Hostetler

Thanks to our amazing 2025 SESP peer advisors! 💜

Adrian Ayala-Perez
Sara Pena Figueroa
David Gormley
Nahla Idris Habona
Evan Hostetler
Matthew Jamil
Michael Jurek
Payton Lowenthal-Wojcik
Gia Mosely
Ty Moyer
Juniper Shelley
Aneela Shemsu

📸 Jen Pasek

Doug Medin

🎉 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. 👏

➡️ Read more: spr.ly/6183Aoqef.

Adrian Ayala-Perez

Adrian Ayala-Perez

Adrian Ayala-Perez

From serving on student government to connecting with his culture through the Latin dance club and learning consulting in Milan, Adrian Ayala-Perez is making the most of his opportunities at Northwestern.

Story by Grace Gormley (Medill27): spr.ly/63327AmJgP

Alumni homecoming lunch

Alumni homecoming lunch

Alumni homecoming lunch

Alumni homecoming lunch

Thank you to our generous alumni who returned for the annual homecoming luncheon in Annenberg Hall, including Kwei Akuete, Gia DiGiacobbe, Barry Goldberg, Samantha Gerber, Rabeya Mallick, Anisa Mian, Kathleen Snow and Antoinette White. We are so grateful! 💜 💜

Sepehr Vakil and Claudia Haase

Nichole Turner Lee

Kirabo Jackson

Bryan Brayboy

We recently launched a multidisciplinary research hub called the Center for Responsible Technology, Policy, and Public Dialogue to explore questions of ethics, fairness, and innovation in the age of AI.

Learn more about our new center: spr.ly/6188AiifA.

Uri Wilensky

SESP professor Uri Wilensky, a preeminent scholar in computer modeling and simulations, has been awarded the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Research, the world's largest prize in education. 💜 🎉 🤸

📰 spr.ly/63328A57NY

📸 Stephen J. Lewis

Veteran Center Jackson Carsello Anchors Northwestern’s Line - Northwestern Athletics When Jackson Carsello lined up at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium on Sept. 13, the graduate student center knew one of his toughest tests in 20...

Turning a hometown dream into reality.

Graduate student Jackson Carsello, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics, has grown into a Big Ten starter and an anchor on the o-line ⬇️

SESP Ice cream social

SESP Ice cream social

SESP Ice cream social

SESP Ice cream social

Just another sunny, warm and beautiful day in Evanston -- perfect for the ice cream social (or a dip in Lake Michigan, where the water is 70° F.) Special thanks to Clarence and Wendy of C&W in Evanston, a family owned market and ice cream parlor. 🍦 💜

SESP Wildcat Welcome

SESP Wildcat Welcome

SESP Wildcat Welcome

SESP Wildcat Welcome

Welcome SESP Class of 2029 and transfer students. We are so happy to have you on board. 💜 🤸

📸 Jen Pasek + David Johnson

DuVal and Brayboy

Faisal Mohyuddin

Liz Shulman

Bill Healy

Dean Bryan Brayboy will speak with Pulitzer Prize-winner Kathleen DuVal at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7 during the 40th annual PrintersRowFest. Other SESP participants: instructor Liz Shulman and alumni Bill Healy and Faisal Mohyuddin.

➡️ Read more: spr.ly/63323A8qBJ.

Olga Vaskova

Olga Vaskova, who is pursuing a master’s degree in learning sciences, earned a $500 prize for her English language arts lesson focused on The Wizard of Oz, one of her daughter’s favorite books.

Read more ➡️ spr.ly/63322fhUYY.

Graduates holding MSLOC sign

Tomorrow! Sept. 2
6 p.m. (CDT)
Don’t miss our MSLOC Capstone presentations —a chance to see students bring their research to life and demonstrate how learning turns into real impact.


🔗 Learn more: spr.ly/6044fWLfn.

#Capstone #orgchange #organizationalchange #learning #MSLOC

Shirin Vossoughi

Professor Shirin Vossoughi was named co-editor of the journal Cognition & Instruction. 👏 🎉

Read her transition letter: ➡️ spr.ly/6185fAihV

Sepehr Vakil and Charles Logan

🎉 Big congrats to Charles Logan (right) who successfully defended his dissertation: “‘A Future To Fight For’: Resisting and Reimagining AI in Education Through Technoskeptical Inquiry, Speculative Design, + Ideological Sensemaking.”

Gratitude to his committee: Sepehr Vakil, Eva Lam, Antero Garcia.

MSLOC capstone

Bold ideas. Real-world impact.

On Sept 2, MSLOC students will showcase their Capstone research—tackling big workplace challenges with smart, strategic solutions.

If you're exploring grad school, this is your front-row seat to see what MSLOC is all about.

🔗 Register now: spr.ly/6044fWLfn.

Zuvi Anarwala

Meet Zuviriya Anarwala, a student in our Master of Science in Education program, who:

✅ speaks six languages
✅ plans to teach high school English
✅ founded Rumaan Academy, an organization that teaches women how to read and understand Arabic.

More: spr.ly/63322fo452.

Michelle Albaugh

Improve your coaching at our 5-week, online course led by MSLOC's Michelle Albaugh.

✅ Sept. 2 – Oct. 7, 2025
✅ 3 hrs/week
✅ Includes Hogan + ILP
✅ Certificate

Register by Aug. 25.
🔗 spr.ly/63329fxGzx

#MSLOC #Northwestern

Capstone presentations

Join us for MSLOC Capstone Presentations on Sept. 2 as students tackle real workplace challenges and deliver innovative solutions for learning, leadership, and change. 👀 See your future here.

🔗 Register: spr.ly/63324fU7mM.

Bryan Brayboy

SESP Dean Bryan Brayboy will deliver the AERA Distinguished Lecture at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 8–12. 👏 💜

🔗 spr.ly/63328fWQ4A.

“Dynamic Family Size Preferences During the COVID-19 Mortality Crisis”: @leticiamarteleto.bsky.social & S. Kumar report 40% of women w/ children changed desired family size toward having more kids. @pennpsc.bsky.social @sesp-nu.bsky.social @dzc-upenn.bsky.social read.dukeupress.edu/demography/a...

Tre Wells

Tre Wells received the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship—one of just seven nationwide. His research looks at federal policy, HBCUs, and Pell Grants. He'll present at the 2026 AERA meeting in LA! 👏

➡️ spr.ly/63325fltYt.

Julia Narvaez Munguia

Julia Narvaez Munguia

Julia Narvaez Munguia

Julia Narvaez Munguia

Meet Julia Narvaez Munguia, who earned Northwestern University's first dual degree in education/social policy and journalism. If there ever were an ideal candidate for this program, it was Julia! 💜

➡️ More on her journey: spr.ly/6182fdkjY.

MSLOC logo superimposed over aerial view of Chicagoland

🌟 Discover how our Master's in Learning and Organizational Change programs can help you drive transformation in organizations, empower others, and create meaningful change.

✅ MSLOC coaching info session: Aug. 20, Noon – 1:30 PM CT
spr.ly/604244ln4.

Group of Abell Scholars

Brian Reiser

Alejandra Frausto-Aceves

Abell Institute

We brought more than two dozen of the world’s most promising emerging scholars in science education to campus for the 2025 Sandra K. Abell Institute for Doctoral Students.
Read more ➡️ spr.ly/6185fuqMF.
📸 Eileen Molony

Priya Fremerman

🌟 Discover how our Master's in Learning and Organizational Change programs can help you drive transformation in organizations, empower others, and create meaningful change.

✅ Tomorrow! MSLOC virtual chat with current student Priya Fremerman: July 22, Noon – 12:30 PM CT
spr.ly/604944lnF

Book Cover: The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump and headshot of Dan McAdams

SESP psychologist Dan P. McAdams, the author of “The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump", told Huffington Post “Trump is an ‘episodic man’ who focuses on winning each day or each moment, with very little concern for yesterday or tomorrow."

➡️ HuffPo article: spr.ly/6189f6WuW

James Spillane

James Spillane (middle)

James Spillane (left)

James Spillane presenting

James Spillane, president of @icsei.bsky.social traveled to Cardiff for an event that brought together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers within Wales and other countries to share experiences, knowledge, and expertise.

Life expectancy in California has not recovered since the pandemic Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the globe saw unprecedented causalities and increased mortality. While many nations have since recovered, new Northwestern University research shows that California has not rebounded to pre-pandemic life expectancy, based on early data obtained from the state.

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 and led by School of Education and Social Policy economist Hannes Schwandt.

Life Expectancy Drops in California Post-Covid California has not rebounded to pre-pandemic life expectancy, based on early data obtained from the state, according to new research published in AMA Open.

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 and led by School of Education and Social Policy economist Hannes Schwandt.