School of Education & Social Policy

January 2008 News Stories
- Mathematics Conference Tackles 'Teacher Noticing'
  A working conference called ″Characterizing the Nature and Development of Mathematics Teachers' Noticing,″ was held at the School of Education and Social Policy on January 18 and 19. The conference, organized by Miriam Sherin, brought together leading researchers.
  1/19/08
- Thomas Cook Assesses No Child Left Behind at San Francisco Event
  SESP professor Thomas Cook, a member of the independent review panel for the No Child Left Behind Act, will present an assessment of the law a Northwestern University alumni event in San Francisco on March 16.
  1/21/08
- Stem Cell Symposium Draws Educators
  Science educators are attending the Chicagoland Stem Cell Science Education Symposium on February 22 at Northwestern University's Allen Center. The Office of STEM Educator Partners at the School of Education and Social Policy is one of the sponsors.
  1/20/08
- There's More to Photos Than Meets the Eye
  Young children learn to understand photographs through an interesting series of developmental events, new research by SESP associate professor David Uttal and his colleagues has found.
  1/29/08
- New Long-Term Study Examines Midlife Adult Development
  Professor Dan McAdams is launching a new longitudinal study of midlife adults, the Foley Longitudinal Study of Adulthood. The study will examine a wide range of psychological, social and cultural factors, with an emphasis on how people's life stories change in late midlife.
  1/29/08
February 2008 News Stories
- Hands-On Saturday Academy Excites Girls about Medical Careers
  As part of a major oncofertility project at Northwestern University, a new educational program is immersing high school girls in the excitement of medical careers.
  2/4/08
- Multidisciplinary Doctoral Program Makes Strides in Education Research
  Over its short three-year history, the Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences (MPES) has amassed a wide array of honors and accomplishments. The goal of MPES is to prepare a cadre of young scholars to conduct rigorous research in education.
  2/12/08
- Junior Nicky Smith Shares His Global Cities Experience
  SESP student Nicky Smith is spending his junior year participating in Northwestern's new Global Cities program. His blog at nickysmith.wordpress.com details his experiences in Mexico City.
  2/19/08
- Stefanie DeLuca Wins W. T. Grant Scholars Award
  Stefanie DeLuca (PhD03) was recently awarded the William T. Grant Scholars Award, a major fellowship for early-career scholars conducting high-quality research.
  2/20/08
- Konstantopoulos Reports Findings on Class Size and Achievement Gap
  New evidence from School of Education and Social Policy assistant professor Spyros Konstantopoulos suggests that while decreasing class size may increase achievement on average, it may not reduce the achievement gap within a class.
  2/26/08
March 2008 News Stories
- Carol Lee Elected President of American Educational Research Association
  Professor Carol Lee was recently elected president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
  3/6/08
- Faculty and Students Present, Carol Lee Honored at American Education Research Association Conference
  At the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA) from March 24 to 28 in New York City, nearly 40 Northwestern faculty members and graduate students will give presentations. As a highlight, professor Carol Lee will give the Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture.
  3/10/08
- April 5 Conference on Sustainability Open to All
  The annual conference of the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program will focus on the topic of sustainability on April 5 with "Making Sustainable Choices."
  3/11/08
- Teacher Quality Conference Features Leading Scholars on May 1
  On May 1 at Northwestern University, a conference on the topic of "Teacher Quality: Broadening and Deepening the Debate" will examine the research on teacher quality and explore promising new lines of inquiry.
  3/9/08
- Fay Cook Speaks to Alumni on Social Security's Future, April 19
  Fay Cook, School of Education and Social Policy professor and director of the Institute for Policy Research, will deliver the lecture ″Getting Behind the Rhetoric on Social Security″ from 1:15-2:15 p.m. as part of A Day with Northwestern in Evanston.
  3/17/08
- SESP Student Athletes Named Lacrosse Players of the Week
  SESP juniors Hilary Bowen and Hannah Nielsen were named the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Players of the Week.
  3/10/08
- Senior Alyssa Kasten Heads New Arts Festival, April 12
  For the first time Northwestern Community Development Corps (NCDC) is organizing an Arts Festival, and SESP senior Alyssa Kasten is the co-organizer of the April 12 event.
  3/30/08
April 2008 News Stories
- Meg Burns (MS06) Publishes Teacher Research on Arts and Reading
  Fifth-grade teacher Meg Burns (MS06), who followed up on the research she did for her master's degree, is now seeing the results of her study published in a book about teacher research.
  3/31/08
- Five SESP Alumnae Named Golden Apple Finalists
  Five alumni of the Master of Science in Education Program were recently honored as finalists for the 2008 Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence for grades 4 to 8.
  4/1/08
- Social Policy Students Observe at U.S. Supreme Court
  Professor Cindy Conlon gave her social policy class an enlightening behind-the-scenes view of the U.S. Supreme Court when she took them to Washington, D.C., last quarter to hear arguments and talk with lawyers involved with Supreme Court cases.
  4/1/08
- Greg Duncan Heads Population Association of America Conference, April 17-19
  As president of the Population Association of America for 2008, professor Greg Duncan will deliver the presidential address on April 17 at the organization's annual meeting in New Orleans.
  4/2/08
- Professor Emeritus Lindley Stiles Dies at 94
  Professor Emeritus Lindley W. Stiles, a prominent educator, died on Sunday at the age of 94. He joined the Northwestern University faculty in 1968 as the university's first Interdisciplinary Professor of Education.
  4/7/08
- SESP Hosts Conference on Mixed Methods in Educational Research
  A conference on mixed methods in educational research on April 17 and 18 is the capstone of a 10-year doctoral training project for the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP).
  4/7/08
- SESP Students Take Part in Global Engagement Summit, April 16-20
  A number of SESP students are integral to Northwestern's five-day Global Engagement Summit, April 16 to 20, which draws delegates from around the world and builds the capabilities of the next generation of change leaders to create sustainable solutions to global problems.
  4/15/08
- Elizabeth van Es (PhD04) Wins Knowles Fellowship
  Elizabeth van Es, a 2004 graduate of SESP's Learning Sciences doctoral program, is one of four scholars in the nation selected to receive the 2008 Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Young Scholars Fellowship.
  4/16/08
- Susan Fuhrman Will Address Graduates at Convocation
  Susan Fuhrman (MA66, BA65), president of Teachers College, Columbia University, will be the featured speaker at the SESP Convocation on June 21.
  4/16/08
- Fay Cook Analyzes the Politics of Social Security
  At A Day with Northwestern on April 19, professor Fay Cook spoke to alumni about the truth about Social Security in her talk "Getting Behind the Rhetoric on Social Security: Problems, Politics and Policy Solutions."
  4/23/08
- Enid Rosario-Ramos Wins National Academy of Education Fellowship
  Enid Rosario-Ramos, a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences program, won a prestigious National Academy of Education Predoctoral Fellowship in Adolescent Literacy.
  4/23/08
- Day on Campus Introduces Urban Teens to College
  To reinforce science learning and build motivation for college attendance, the Meaningful Science Consortium hosts 80 teenagers from five Chicago high schools for a campus visit on May 13.
  4/28/08
- Carol Lee Receives Walder Award for Research Excellence
  Carol Lee, professor of learning sciences at the School of Education and Social Policy, has been named the recipient of the Martin E. and Gertrude G. Walder Award for Research Excellence.
  4/29/08
May 2008 News Stories
- MSLOC Student Christine Leung Named Education Pioneers Fellow
  Christine Leung, a student in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program, was recently awarded an Education Pioneers Fellowship to intern in Boston for CityYear.
  5/12/08
- Senior Receives Award for Research on British Religious Education
  Priya Fielding-Singh, a senior in social policy, won the award for Best Social Sciences Poster Presentation at the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) on April 26. She also won a fellowship for a German exchange program.
  5/5/08
- Service Learning Students Receive Alumnae Grant
  SESP sophomore Jane Wong and junior Bradford Whitman received a grant from the Alumnae of Northwestern for their service learning project to initiate a peer jury system in Evanston middle schools.
  5/6/08
- Amanda Dixon (BS07), Whitney Eulich (BS05) Win Rotary Scholarships
  SESP alumnae Whitney Eulich (BS05) and Amanda Dixon (BS07) were awarded Rotary Ambassadorial scholarships.
  5/12/08
- Greg Duncan's Book Higher Ground Wins Lester Prize
  Higher Ground: New Hope for the Working Poor and Their Children by SESP professor Greg Duncan and co-authors Aletha Huston and Thomas Weisner was awarded the Richard A. Lester Prize for the Outstanding Book in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations published in 2007.
  5/13/08
- Sports on the Moon? High School Students Explain How It's Done
  Ninety Chicago high school students presented their science projects to real-life scientists and science graduate students when they and their teachers visited Northwestern and toured science labs on May 13.
  5/19/08
- Camillia Matuk Wins Two Fellowships for Work on Evolution
  Within two days, Learning Sciences doctoral student Camillia Matuk was awarded two graduate fellowships — a Northwestern University Cognitive Science Graduate Fellowship and a doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
  5/20/08
- Scott Wolf (BS04) Chosen Teacher of the Year for Silicon Valley
  Scott Wolf (BS04), a fourth-grade teacher at Arbuckle Elementary School in San Jose, California, was selected as the 2007–08 Teacher of the Year for Silicon Valley.
  5/26/08
- 8 SESP Students National Lacrosse Champions
  Eight SESP students are members of the women's lacrosse team that took its fourth straight national title on May 25.
  5/27/08
June 2008 News Stories
- Boeing Grant Will Enhance Meaningful Science Teaching
  The Meaningful Science Consortium received a grant from Boeing to support development of an online tool to aid teachers with lesson planning. The Consortium offers innovative science curricula and teacher professional development to Chicago Public Schools.
  6/2/08
- Pioneering Health Literacy Project Receives New $2M Grant
  With a new grant, SESP associate professor David Rapp is collaborating with Feinberg School of Medicine faculty member Michael Wolf (MS07) on an innovative project to improve patients' understanding of medical information critical to their health.
  6/3/08
- Senior Honors Students Present Research
  Six School of Education and Social Policy seniors in the undergraduate honors program presented posters of their research projects on June 6 in Annenberg Hall.
  6/7/08
- Service Learning Students Display Capstone Projects
  Students completing SESP's Certificate in Service Learning program in 2008 presented posters of their Capstone Projects at a reception on June 6.
  6/17/08
- Nine SESP Faculty, Staff Members Voted to Honor Roll
  Students elected nine SESP professors, instructors and advisors to the Associated Student Government (ASG) faculty honor roll for 2008.
  6/18/08
- Memorial Funds Honor Matthew Sunshine
  A message regarding the passing of freshman Matthew Sunshine and memorial funds in his honor.
  6/10/08
- SESP Recognizes Fellowship Winners
  Thirteen SESP students have won fellowships for study, community projects and research in 2008–09.
  6/18/08
- Marquette Honors Ed de St. Aubin (PhD94) with Teaching Award
  Edward de St. Aubin (PhD94), associate professor of psychology at Marquette University, recently received the university's highest teaching honor, the Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence.
  6/23/08
- Convocation Features Address by Columbia Teachers College President Susan Fuhrman (BA65, MA66)
  Stressing the influence of learning environments, Columbia University Teachers College President Susan Fuhrman (BA65, MA66) addressed the School of Education and Social Policy Convocation on June 20.
  6/24/08
July 2008 News Stories
- SESP Students Lead Northwestern's Public Interest Program
  Northwestern's Public Interest Program (NUPIP), which is the only student-run fellowship program of its kind in the nation, is coordinated by four SESP students. The program, founded by two SESP alumni, places Northwestern graduates in public interest jobs throughout the Chicago area for one year.
  7/7/08
- iLab Project Gives High Schools Access to World-Class Science Labs
  The iLab Network, which recently received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, allows science students to access world-class laboratory equipment remotely. The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Partnerships (OSEP) is developing a series of remote laboratory experiments geared for high schoolers.
  7/16/08
- Spillane, Reininger Address Educators at AP Institute
  James Spillane and Michelle Reininger are the keynote speakers for the fifth annual Advanced Placement Summer Institute at Northwestern from July 21 to August 1.
  7/16/08
- U.S. Women's Bureau, Led by Shinae Chun (MA71), Promotes Financial Education for Employees
  The Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, headed by SESP alumna Shinae Chun (MA71), hosted a conference for executives of Fortune 1,000 companies on its "Wi$eUp″ financial education program for employees.
  7/28/08
August 2008 News Stories
- Larry Hedges Trains Education Researchers in Rigorous Methods
  Professor Larry Hedges led the first of a series of Institute of Education Sciences institutes this summer to train education researchers to conduct rigorous evaluations of education practices.
  8/13/08
- Nancy Deutsch (PhD04) Releases New Book, Pride in the Projects
  Nancy Deutsch (PhD04), assistant professor of education at University of Virginia, released a new book, Pride in the Projects, based on her doctoral research at SESP.
  8/13/08
- New Students Participate in One Book One Northwestern Project
  Incoming SESP students will join with students and across the university to participate in Northwestern's One Book One Northwestern project, with special programs beginning in September.
  8/19/08
- Learning Sciences Students Receive Grant for Professional Development Series
  This year Learning Sciences graduate students will be able to attend a series of professional development events about the wide spectrum of career opportunities related to education research and design. The series is made possible by a grant from Northwestern's Graduate School.
  8/27/08
September 2008 News Stories
- Barbara Smith Wynne Honored with Alumni Award
  Barbara Smith Wynne (BS55) of Indianapolis, a magazine publisher, community leader and child advocate, is the recipient of the 2008 Northwestern University Alumni Association Alumni Merit Award for SESP.
  9/8/08
- MSLOC Unveils New Schedule Option for Change Management Certificate
  The Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program offers a new scheduling option for the Certificate in Strategic Change Management that combines online learning with campus coursework.
  9/9/08
- Web Site Addressing Cancer Patients' Fertility Concerns Debuts
  SESP faculty and staff developed a new educational web site, MyOncofertility.org, to provide information, support and inspiration for young cancer patients.
  9/10/08
- SESP Welcomes New Students, Hosts All-School Social
  Even before classes start on September 23, Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy has a busy week of orientation activities, including an All-School Ice Cream Social on September 26.
  9/15/08
- Join SESP for Reunion Activities on October 17
  Informative seminars and panel discussions for Reunion Weekend on October 17 — two of them featuring School of Education and Social Policy professors — are free and open to all.
  9/24/08
- October 21 Innovator Lecture Features Author/Entrepreneur Craig Wortmann
  The Center for Learning and Organizational Change will present an Innovator Lecture on October 21 by Craig Wortmann, author of What's Your Story? Using Stories to Ignite Performance and Be More Successful and president and CEO of WisdomTools.
  9/29/08
October 2008 News Stories
- Upcoming Conference Explores Mentoring New Teachers
  "The Next Generation of Teachers: How Do We Support Them?" will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 1 at Norris Center. The workshop is sponsored by the Urban/Suburban Northwestern Consortium and the Master of Science in Education Program at Northwestern.
  10/20/08
- Penny Bender Sebring (PhD85) Discusses 'Is Great Teaching Enough?'
  At a Chicago Schools Policy lecture series, Penny Bender Sebring, co-director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research, and author Charles Payne discuss the evidence about the impact of school-community connections on the achievement gap.
  10/29/08
November 2008 News Stories
- Larry Hedges to Co-Head Center for Advancing Research and Communication
  The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) will establish a new research center, co-headed by professor Larry Hedges, to assist the National Science Foundation in communicating the knowledge generated by research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
  11/10/08
- AT&T Supports Project Excite Expansion Beyond 8th Grade
  With support from AT&T, the Center for Talent Development (CTD) will expand Project Excite with a summer program for students heading for high school.
  11/11/08
- 'Intergenerational Exchange' Pairs Undergrads and Older Adults
  Older men and women from diverse Chicago communities joined the students in Regina Logan's Adulthood and Aging class for an "intergenerational exchange" to give students insight into the transitions of late adulthood.
  11/18/08
- Lauren Parnell Marino (BS07) Receives Mitchell Scholarship
  Lauren Parnell Marino (BS07) was among 12 U.S. university students named 2009-10 George J. Mitchell Scholars.
  11/24/08
- SESP Professors to Speak at State Poverty Summit
  SESP professors Fay Cook, Dan Lewis and James Rosenbaum are among the speakers when a state Poverty Summit on December 9 and 10 tackles the issue of how to reduce extreme poverty in Illinois.
  11/18/08
- Vicki Lautsch (BS07) Wins National Nike Grant for School
  Vicki Lautsch (BS07), a sixth-grade teacher in Glendale, Arizona, won a national grant through the Nike grants program to support a girls' football team at her school.
  11/27/08
December 2008 News Stories
- Students Look to Apply School Reforms Locally
  A student-organized seminar has spent this fall exploring whether and how innovative school reform efforts might be applied to schools in the local community.
  12/1/08
- Spillane, Collins Comment on National Mathematics Panel Report
  Educational Researcher (ER) responds to the final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel with articles from leading education research experts including SESP professors James Spillane and Allan Collins.
  12/8/08

2008 News Stories