2009 News Stories
- January 2009 News Stories
- Maddie Orenstein Receives Grant to Work with Chicago Students
Senior Maddie Orenstein received a $1,000 grant from the nonprofit Campus Compact to facilitate programs where Northwestern students partner with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. She will be collaborating with the SESP student organization Promote 360.
1/5/09 - Lindsay Chase-Lansdale in Sun-Times: 'Early Education a Must'
Professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale's letter to the editor in the Chicago Sun-Times advises the new Secretary of Education Arne Duncan of the critical importance of early childhood education.
1/5/09 - Neal Sales-Griffin: Linking Learning and Organizational Change to Student Government
Neal Sales-Griffin, a SESP senior who is president of Associated Student Government at Northwestern, walks out of his learning and organizational change classes at Annenberg Hall and heads straight over to Norris Center to put what he's learned into action.
1/7/09 - Penelope Peterson to Present at National Teacher Education Conference
Penelope Peterson, dean of Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy, will consider trends in international research when she presents at the annual conference of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) in Chicago on February 7.
1/19/09 - SESP Faculty, Staff, Students Invited to Black History Month Discussions
In honor of Black History Month, faculty, staff and students of the School of Education and Social Policy are invited to participate in interpretive discussions of the meanings of two speeches.
1/21/09 - Chase-Lansdale Partners on Research to Support Young Parents' Education
Partnering with the Ounce of Prevention Fund, SESP professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn of Columbia University will undertake a Gates-funded project to investigate ways to boost postsecondary education among young, low-income parents.
1/26/09 - Camillia Matuk Organizes Campus Darwin Exhibit
As a Darwin Fellow with the One Book One Northwestern initiative, learning sciences doctoral student Camillia Matuk is organizing a campus-wide exhibit in honor of Charles Darwin's birthday.
1/25/09
- February 2009 News Stories
- McAdams's Book The Redemptive Self Has Innovative New Web Site
The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By, the acclaimed book by professor Dan McAdams, now has a new web site, with the entire contents of the book available online.
2/3/09 - Jerry Stermer Named Illinois Governor's Chief of Staff
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn named Jerry Stermer, a longtime adjunct instructor in the School of Education and Social Policy, his chief of staff on February 9. Stermer was president of Voices for Illinois Children for 22 years.
2/10/09 - Uri Wilensky's BugHunt Game Launches for Darwin's Birthday
An online computer game that mimics Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, created by SESP professor Uri Wilensky and researcher Michael Novak, was launched on February 12 in celebration of Darwin's birthday.
2/11/09 - Tiffany Simons Chan Becomes First Kinship Fellow
Tiffany Simons Chan, a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences program, is the first recipient of the Kinship Environmental Education Fellowship.
2/23/09 - Center for Talent Development Expands with New Options
Three new options mark the latest growth for SESP's Center for Talent Development (CTD), which serves gifted children and their families.
2/24/09
- March 2009 News Stories
- Four Juniors Win Prestigious Public Policy Fellowships
Four SESP students were accepted into the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellowship program this summer: Carla Argueta, Tabitha Bentley, Shari Lewis and Tasha Richardson.
3/10/09 - Enjoy Monday's Noontime Concert in Annenberg Hall
The Noontime Concert Series continues on March 9 with a special concert in Annenberg Hall featuring School of Music students. Masterworks for soloists and chamber ensembles are on the bill.
2/28/09 - Scott Galson (MS06) Wins Siemens AP Teacher Award for Illinois
Scott Galson, a graduate of both the Master of Science in Education and the NU-TEACH alternative certification programs, won the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement as the top AP teacher for Illinois.
3/2/09 - Karen Fuson's Math Curriculum Excels, New Study Finds
A mathematics curriculum authored by SESP professor emeritus Karen Fuson came out on top in a new large-scale study of early mathematics programs.
3/11/09 - Seniors Launch Philanthropy Web Site
Seniors Jackson Froliklong and Matt Cynamon launched an innovative web site, www.BeExtraordinary.org, which allows users to raise funds for charities by posting challenges.
3/11/09 - A Day with Northwestern Features Talk by Regina Logan
At A Day with Northwestern on April 18, SESP research assistant professor Regina Logan (PhD93) will address alumni about current trends in midlife careers.
3/17/09 - Three Master's Students Selected for 'Economic Innovators' Project
Katherine Bower, Mandy Cheung and Kristine Nirdlinger, students in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program, were selected for a special nationwide project on "Economic Innovators."
3/23/09
- April 2009 News Stories
- Carol Lee to Give Distinguished Educator Series Lecture on April 29
Professor Carol Lee is one of the nationally prominent educators slated to lecture in Pace University's Distinguished Educators Series, "The Pedagogy of Success in Urban Schools."
3/31/09 - New Community Projects Seek to Improve Schools, Health
The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) has two new grant-funded projects that focus on school improvement in Chicago and health betterment in Rochester, New York.
4/1/09 - Rosenbaum's Study Sheds Light on Government Housing Policies
Government programs that move low-income families to different housing can greatly improve education and employment — but only if the moves are to neighborhoods with significant advantages and the families have support services — according to research by SESP professor James Rosenbaum and Stefanie DeLuca (PhD03).
4/6/09 - Sophomore Meixi Ng Selected for Global Leaders Program
SESP sophomore Meixi Ng was selected as one of 16 students nationwide for the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program.
4/7/09 - Stacy Pancratz Wins Fulbright Fellowship for Morocco Research
Honors senior Stacy Pancratz has been selected for a Fulbright fellowship to pursue research in Morocco.
4/8/09 - Faculty, Students Present at American Education Research Association Conference
At the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA) from April 13 to 17 in San Diego, 52 Northwestern University faculty members and graduate students will give presentations.
4/1/09 - Enjoy the April 22 Noontime Concert in Annenberg
A special concert in Annenberg Hall on April 22 features Bienen School of Music students.
4/5/09 - SESP Ranks Number 7
Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) ranks number seven in the nation, according to the new 2010 ranking of graduate schools of education by U.S.News and World Report.
4/22/09 - Susan Popkin (PhD88) to Head Urban Institute's Youth Development Program
Susan J. Popkin (BS82, MA86, PhD88), a senior fellow in the Urban Institute's Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center and an expert on public housing, was named the director of the Institute's new Program on Neighborhoods and Youth Development.
4/27/09 - Nancy Deutsch (PhD04) Receives Scholar Award
Nancy Deutsch (PhD04), an assistant professor of education at the University of Virginia, was the first person to be awarded the Emerging Scholar Award by the Out-of-School Group of the American Education Research Association.
4/27/09 - Tatiana Rostovtseva Wins American India Foundation Fellowship
Senior Tatiana Rostovtseva has been awarded a Service Corps Fellowship by the American India Foundation.
4/28/09 - May 7 Innovator Event Discusses 'Space Matters'
On May 7 the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program is co-hosting an expert panel to discuss "Space Matters," how design and space affect an organization's culture.
4/28/09 - Wayne Watson (PhD72) Named President of Chicago State University
School of Education and Social Policy alumnus Wayne Watson (BS69, MS70, PhD72) was named president of Chicago State University.
4/29/09
- May 2009 News Stories
- Kelly Kirkpatrick Wins Princeton in Asia Fellowship
Honors senior Kelly Kirkpatrick, who studied in Thailand during her junior year, will return to a different part of the country for a Princeton in Asia fellowship year. She was awarded the highly selective fellowship to work with the Life Skills Development Foundation, a Thai-run nongovernmental organization based in Chiang Mai.
5/26/09 - Scholars Debate Spatial Thinking and Science Learning at Conference
Scholars from across the nation explore spatial thinking in relation to science learning at a May 5 conference, "Spatial Thinking and Science Learning," sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences.
5/4/09 - Jennifer Stephan Wins Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
Jennifer Stephan, a doctoral student in the Human Development and Social Policy program, won a Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship for her research on the transition from high school to college for low-income students.
5/4/09 - SESP Students Visit Supreme Court for Redding Case
On April 21, instructor Cindy Conlon and nine of her students in Social Policy 351 saw the oral argument before the Supreme Court in the Savana Redding case.
5/5/09 - Enjoy the May 13 Noontime Concert in Annenberg Hall
A special noontime concert on May 13 at Annenberg Hall features a sampling of operatic masterworks performed by School of Music students.
5/3/09 - Christine Leung Awarded the Broad Residency in Urban Education
Christine Leung (MS08), an alumna of the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program, was recently awarded a Broad Residency in Urban Education.
5/13/09 - Two SESP Seniors Receive Kapnick Prize
Seniors Neal Sales-Griffin and David Hoffman, who are both majoring in learning and organizational change, received the Kapnick Prize in the Harvey Kapnick Business Institutions Program.
5/13/09 - Center for Talent Development Hosts Family Conference on June 27
Gifted students and their families and teachers will learn more about making wise educational decisions at the family conference presented by the Center for Talent Development (CTD) on June 27.
5/26/09 - NUPIP Announces SESP Fellows, Seeks Alumni Participation
Northwestern's Public Interest Program (NUPIP), which places Northwestern graduates in public interest jobs, announced four SESP seniors among its 19 fellows for 2009-10: Sunny Lin, Elsa Sackett, Sam Schiller and Katie Wright.
5/26/09 - Two SESP Graduate Students Named Education Pioneers Fellows
Erica Labovitz, a student in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program, and Rob Kimball, a student in the Learning Sciences master's program, were awarded Education Pioneers Fellowships to work with charter schools.
5/26/09
- June 2009 News Stories
- July 2009 News Stories
- August 2009 News Stories
- September 2009 News Stories
- Live Science: Online Labs Aim to Revolutionize High School Science
A report in Live Science features the online laboratories, or iLabs, that allow high school students to conduct experiments remotely. Kemi Jona, research associate professor and director of the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Partnerships, and his partners at MIT received a $1 million grant to put iLabs online.
9/30/09 - In Business Week, David Figlio Advises How to Get Best School Quality for Home Price
In a Business Week article, professor David Figlio advises home buyers how to get "more for your buck" in relation to school quality and home prices.
9/26/09 - NU-TEACH Alum Sarena Johnson Chosen as WGN-TV's Teacher of the Month
Sarena Johnson, who completed the NU-TEACH alternative certification program, was awarded Teacher of the Month by WGN-TV. She was featured on the 9 p.m. news on September 23.
9/26/09 - Carol Lee Contributes to Carnegie Council's Call to Make Adolescent Literacy a National Priority
Adolescent literacy should be at the heart of education reform, according to a new Carnegie Council for Advancing Adolescent Literacy report, A Time to Act, coauthored by SESP professor Carol Lee.
9/23/09 - Paula Olszewski-Kubilius to Become President of National Gifted Organization
SESP faculty member Paula Olszewski-Kubilius is slated to become the next president of the National Association of Gifted Children, the nation's most prominent organization in the field of gifted education.
9/2/09 - Jim Rosenbaum Comments on Community Colleges in Education Week
Professor James Rosenbaum tells Education Week about his research showing that community colleges could learn from private two-year colleges, which have higher graduation rates. Private colleges help students make a career decision early and then provide a set curriculum for efficient training, he notes.
9/3/09 - Online iLabs Let High School Students Test Cell Phones for Dangers
Online science labs called iLabs allow Blue Island high school students to test cell phones for radiation dangers. Kemi Jona, director of the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Partnerships, paved the way for making Northwestern resources available to high school kids.
9/2/09 - Office of Research Features Video on Students Learning about Oncofertility
A summer research fellowship teaches students and teachers about oncofertility. Kemi Jona, director of the Office of STEM Education Partnerships, describes the program, and students and teachers tell about their experiences.
9/8/09 - David Figlio Comments on Florida Accountability System
Professor David Figlio, an expert on school accountability programs, comments in a Journal Gazette article that the accountability system put in place by Governor Jeb Bush of Florida is unlikely to improve student achievement.
9/9/09
- October 2009 News Stories
- American Prospect Article on College Accessibility Cites SESP Research
In "The Graduation Gap," Harvard professor Christopher Jencks cites studies by Thomas Cook, Manyee Wong and Peter Steiner about the academic preparation of American students and James Rosenbaum and Jennifer Stephan about ways to improve graduation rates at community colleges.
10/29/09 - Allan Collins Unveils New Book and Web Site about Rethinking Education
Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America, a new book by Allan Collins, professor emeritus of education and social policy, reveals how new technologies are changing education.
10/29/09 - If H1N1 Closes Schools, How Can Students Keep Learning?
VOISE Academy is demonstrating strategies that keep students learning even in case of school closures due to H1N1 outbreaks, according to SESP research associate professor Kemi Jona.
10/28/09 - MSLOC Student Empowers Women Entrepreneurs in India
For her graduate internship in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program, Kate Jones traveled to Jodhpur, India, to work on empowering women entrepreneurs.
10/28/09 - Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon Brings Author to Class
Columbia University professor Anna Neumann, who recently completed the book Professing to Learn, visited Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon's MSEd 406 class to discuss academic research and maintaining passion for a subject.
10/27/09 - Barrel of Monkeys, Co-Founded by Erica Halverson (PhD05), Turns Kids' Writing into Plays
For eight years Barrel of Monkeys, co-founded by Erica Halverson (PhD05) to teach writing workshops and create plays from the kids' writing, has presented "That's Weird, Grandma."
10/27/09 - Nichole Pinkard (PhD98), Founder of Digital Youth Network, Discusses Digital Literacy on WBEZ
LS alumna Nichole Pinkard (Phd98) is the founder of Digital Youth Network, which gives middle and high school students on the South Side access to the latest digital technology. On WBEZ's "Visionary Profile" on October 27 she commented on why digital literacy is the key to developing citizens of the future.
10/27/09 - James Rosenbaum Researches Impact of College Advising on Chicago High School Students
Professor James Rosenbaum's research team is assessing the impact of a new advising model adopted by Chicago Public Schools that provides "college coaches" for high school students to help them learn about the college application process.
10/14/09 - Symposium Assesses State of Science Education Today
SESP professor James Spillane will be the rapporteur at the Third Annual Lecture on Science and Technology on October 22 that will consider how policy, research and funding affect science learning.
10/13/09 - Illinois Issues Features Cover Story on Jerry Stermer, Former SESP Instructor
Jerry Stermer, a longtime SESP instructor, took the job of the chief administrator in Illinois government after working many years as president of the child advocacy organization Voices for Illinois Children.
10/13/09 - Daily Northwestern: Junior Emmaline Pohnl Helps Start Evanston Food Co-op
In a Daily Northwestern article, SESP junior Emmaline Pohnl discusses the Davis Street Food Co-op, which she helped organize to bring a new option for locally grown food to the Evanston community.
10/14/09 - Boston Globe Quotes Dan McAdams on Happiness of Activists
In a Boston Globe article about political activism, professor Dan McAdams, who researches generativity, comments that political activists feel like role models who are making a difference in the world.
10/12/09 - SION: New Group Explores Organizations, Presents Symposium
Professors Jeannette Colyvas and James Spillane, with other Northwestern faculty members, co-founded Social Interaction and Organizing at Northwestern. An inaugural symposium will be held on October 16.
10/8/09 - Daily Northwestern Features iLab Virtual Laboratories for High Schools
The Daily Northwestern featured the iLab network, which uses the Internet to give high school students remote access to the science labs of universities around the world. Kemi Jona, principal investigator for the iLab project and director of OSEP, is interviewed.
10/1/09 - Inside Higher Ed: James Rosenbaum Comments on Student Aid at For-Profit Colleges
An Inside Higher Ed article points out that for-profit colleges lead the way in Pell Grant funding. Professor James Rosenbaum explains how for-profit colleges help students get financial aid.
10/8/09 - Red Orbit: Online iLabs Revolutionize High School Science
The iLab project of the Office of STEM Education Partnerships Project makes online laboratories available to high school students, allowing them to gather real scientific data and think more like scientists.
10/8/09 - Symposia to Honor Morton Schapiro's Inauguration
Morton Schapiro, a new SESP faculty member, will be inaugurated as president of Northwestern University on Friday, October 9. Two academic symposia that day will honor the occasion of his inauguration as the 16th president of the University.
10/7/09
- November 2009 News Stories
- Jelani Mandara's Study Finds Ethnic Pride Key to Black Teen Mental Health
A new study by professor Jelani Mandara and his colleagues finds that ethnic pride may be as important as self-esteem, particularly for boys.
12/3/09 - Allan Collins Encourages Use of Digital Media in Schools
The Daily Texan reports on professor emeritus Allan Collins, author of Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology, speaking to education students at the University of Texas to stress the importance of using of digital media in schools.
12/3/09 - Hear the Podcast of Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon on WGN Radio
On a panel for the Milt Rosenberg Show on WGN radio, Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon, director of the Master of Science in Education program, discussed her contribution to the new book The Child.
11/24/09 - Education Week Chat: David Figlio Comments on School Choice
During a chat for Education Week, David Figlio discusses the impact of school choice, based on his study of Florida's corporate tax credit scholarship program.
11/18/09 - Hear a Podcast of Regina Logan's Career Talk on 'Giving Back'
SESP research assistant professor Regina Logan (PhD93) spoke to alumni at the 2009 Day with Northwestern about "Giving Back: Midlife Career Change and Generativity."
11/18/09 - Innovative Learning Technology Gives 1,000 U.S. Students Remote Access to Science Labs
Kemi Jona, director of the Office of STEM Education Partnerships, comments on the potential of iLabs to give students access to science laboratories worldwide.
11/17/09 - Intergenerational Exchange Brings Older Adults to College
Regina Logan's Adulthood and Aging class held discussions with older adults from Chicago and Evanston for the second "intergenerational exchange" on November 11.
11/11/09 - David Figlio Reports How School Ratings Affect Donations
Professor David Figlio's study of the Florida system revealed how school ratings affect donations to the school. Low ratings reduced donations while high ratings did not increase donations.
11/4/09 - PsychCentral: Jelani Mandara's Study Finds Ethnic Pride Improves Teen Mental Health
A new study carried out by associate professor Jelani Mandara with researchers at Loyola University Chicago and Walden University found that ethnic pride is important for African American adolescents' mental health. The research was published in Child Development.
11/17/09
- December 2009 News Stories
- New York Times Quotes David Figlio on Chicago's New Criteria for Diversity
New York Times quotes professor David Figlio about Chicago's response to a court desegregation ruling: a plan to use students’ social and economic profiles instead of race to achieve classroom diversity at magnet schools. Figlio says the use of social and economic factors does not compensate for the fact that the neighborhoods from which special-enrollment schools draw their students are not integrated.
12/22/09 - Three SESP Projects Receive Stimulus Funding
Three projects at the School of Education and Social Policy, led by Emma Adams, Kemi Jona and Steven McGee, have been funded by the stimulus package President Obama signed into law in 2009.
12/22/09 - Chronicle Features Kemi Jona's Demonstration of Virtual Labs
Research associate professor Kemi Jona, director of the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Partnerships, advocates virtual labs for preparing students for modern laboratory research. He presented iLab virtual labs to leaders of the Southern Regional Education Board on December 9.
12/10/09 - Report Calls for National Initiative to Boost Mathematics Education for Preschoolers
Early childhood mathematics is vitally important for young children's educational success, says a new report from the National Research Council. Karen Fuson, SESP professor emerita, is a member of the committee issuing the report.
12/9/09 - Carol Lee Wins National Pacesetter Award
Professor Carol Lee, together with her husband, Haki Madhubuti, will receive the President's Pacesetters Award from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. The award will be presented at the organization's national conference on March 26.
12/9/09 - Crain's Quotes Dan McAdams on Genetic Predisposition to Altruism
In "Volunteering on Overdrive" in Crain's Chicago Business, professor Dan McAdams says certain people are genetically predisposed to higher levels of altruism, and as they move into middle age, they grow more concerned with leaving a better world to the next generation.
12/8/09
