2012 News Stories
- January 2012 News Stories
- Paula Olszewski-Kubilius Wins Award for Paper on Acceleration for Gifted Minority Students
A paper co-authored by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, who is director of the Center for Talent Development at SESP, won the Gifted Child Quarterly Paper of the Year Award.
1/9/12 - Sophomore Brianna Castle Appears in Chick-fil-A Scholarship Commercial
In a Chick-fil-A commercial that ran during the recent bowl game, sophomore sophomore Brianna Castle represents the company's scholarship program for team members who excel in the classroom and contribute to their community.
1/10/12 - Pat Fitzgerald (BS97) Named to AFCA Board of Directors
Northwestern University head coach and SESP graduate Pat Fitzgerald (BS97) was elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association. Fitzgerald, along with three other college head coaches, was elected by members attending the 2012 AFCA convention in San Antonio, Texas.
1/11/12 - Jon Guryan Co-Heads Urban Education Lab Researching Chicago School Day
The Urban Education Lab, co-directed by SESP associate professor Jon Guryan, will partner with the City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools to study the effects of the extended school day initiative in Chicago.
1/12/12 - New Project-Based Science Curriculum Available to Schools
A three-year middle school science curriculum series, Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology (IQWST), developed by a team led by SESP professor Brian Reiser and his collaborators, was commercially released for the 2012 school year.
9/8/11 - John McKnight Starts 'Abundant Community' Blog for Families and Neighborhoods
John McKnight, founder and co-director of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) at SESP, is blogging at http://www.abundantcommunity.com.
1/17/12 - Daily Northwestern Quotes Diane Schanzenbach on Lifelong Impact of Teachers
Two studies by SESP assistant professor Diane Schanzenbach and her colleagues show that "a good teacher makes a lifetime impact on his or her students," Schanzenbach tells the Daily Northwestern. Early school experiences affect college attendance, salary and interpersonal skills later on, she explains.
1/17/12 - Researcher Megan Hopkins Comments on NPR on Bilingual Teaching
As the Hispanic population rises in many districts, postdoctoral researcher Megan Hopkins tells NPR why says schools need Spanish-speaking educators to fill the role of bilingual teachers.
1/7/12 - Education Week Features Kirabo Jackson's Research on Single-Sex Schools
Education Week describes assistant professor Kirabo Jackson's study on public schools in Trinidad and Tobago, which found that, while single-sex schools may benefit female students who prefer a single-sex environment, they are not inherently beneficial for boys or most girls.
1/18/12 - Fast Company Quotes Kemi Jona on the Advantages of Remote Science Labs
In Fast Company research associate professor Kemi Jona describes how iLabs allow high school students to run remote experiments. "Remote labs can be transformative," he says, noting that students who use the labs show increases in test scores.
1/22/12 - Brian Reiser Gives Presentation on National Science Standards
Professor Brian Reiser will give a workshop for educators entitled "Implications of the New National Research Council Framework and National Science Standards for Curriculum Materials and Classroom Teaching" on January 27 in Minnesota.
1/24/12 - Megha Agrawal (BS10) Pursues Career in Global Engagement
Megha Agrawal (BS10) is director of The Unreasonable Institute, which supports entrepreneurs who tackle the world’s greatest environmental and social challenges.
1/31/12 - Video Festival Offers New Angle on Adulthood and Aging Topics
With the “First-Ever Adulthood and Aging Video Clip Festival,” students in research associate professor Gina Logan’s Adulthood and Aging class brought to life topics they studied this quarter by sharing brief videos.
12/24/11 - Atlantic Uses Fay Cook's Survey of Wealthiest 1% to Explain Congressional Politics
The Atlantic cites professor Fay Cook's study showing that wealthy Americans are far more likely to be active in politics than less-affluent citizens. Editor Derek Thompson uses it as an argument for why Congress might be swayed to keep investment regulations and taxes and low.
1/3/12 - SESP Undergrads Steer Public Interest Fellowship Program
SESP students Alexa Herzog, Josh Parish, Becca Portman and Jake Rosner head up the unique Northwestern University Public Interest Program (NUPIP), which places Northwestern graduates in public interest jobs.
1/26/12
- February 2012 News Stories
- Bart Hirsch Wins Social Policy Book Award
SESP professor Barton Hirsch and his co-authors Nancy Deutsch (PhD04) and David DuBois won the 2012 SRA social policy book award for best multi-authored volume for their book After-School Centers and Youth Development: Case Studies of Success and Failure.
3/7/12 - NU-TEACH Launches Peter Goff on Path to Professorship
NU-TEACH graduate Peter Goff's high-flying act in education has taken him from the high school classroom to a tenure track at a university. Starting in September, Goff will be an assistant professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
3/13/12 - Stan Polit (BS10) Plans Public Speaking Conference at Northwestern for Chicago Students
Former speech team competitor Stan Polit (BS10) received a $5,000 grant to run a conference for Chicago high school students on public speaking and leadership. The conference is May 5 at Northwestern.
3/13/12 - Julie Kornfeld (BS11) Blogs on Her Fellowship Year in Uganda
Recent graduate Julie Kornfeld, who is working in Uganda for her Princeton in Africa fellowship, is keeping a blog at jujintheug.blogspot.com. She also continues to volunteer for Kayda, an orphanage that helps street children.
2/2/12 - New York Times Updates John McKnight's Term 'Redlining' as 'Weblining'
In an article called "Facebook Is Using You," the New York Times refers to the term redlining popularized by professor emeritus John McKnight in the 1970s. Today data aggregation results in "weblining," denying people opportunities based on their digital selves, according to Lori Andrews.
2/7/12 - David Figlio Comments on School Choice in New Hampshire
Professor Figlio warns New Hampshire not to expect revolutionary changes with school choice, based on his study of the Florida law. "Anybody who was looking for a miracle has to keep looking," he tells the New Hampshire News.
2/7/12 - Dan McAdams to Discuss Psychology of Sex and Religion in Hesperia
Professor Dan McAdams will discuss "Who We Are vs. Who We Were" in a post-show lecture at 6 p.m. on March 10 with Randall Colburn, the playwright of Hesperia at Writers Theatre in Glencoe.
2/8/12 - Fellowships Build Skills for SESP Students
David Kane, Shira Bergstein, Susan MacDougall, Lauren Parnell Marino, Stacy Pancratz, Casey Shea, Sam Schiller and Keenya Hofmaier are some of the recent SESP graduates who have gained valuable experience and credentials through fellowships.
3/8/12 - Reed Stevens Clarifies How Kids and Adults Learn Together with Media
In a new report entitled “The New Co-Viewing,” professor Reed Stevens describes the kind of shared engagement with media that is most productive for adults and kids. The report identifies seven principles for fostering the ideal type of joint experiences with media.
3/8/12 - Kirabo Jackson Finds College-Prep Incentive Programs Have Long-Term Effects
Research by assistant professor Kirabo Jackson shows the effectiveness of incentive-based college preparatory programs for disadvantaged students. He found that a cash rewards program for high school students and teachers in inner-city schools boosted the students’ college attendance and employment.
3/12/12 - Learning Sciences Master’s Program Encourages Innovation in Education
Innovation is at the heart of the Learning Sciences Master of Arts (LSMA) program, a full-time, 11-month course of study that prepares researchers, developers and practitioners to advance the scientific understanding and practice of teaching and learning.
3/12/12 - Education Week Cites Kirabo Jackson's Study of Single-Sex Schools
In "Why Science Doesn't Support Single-Sex Schooling," Education Week cites assistant professor Kirabo Jackson's study of single-sex schools in Trinidad and Tobago. He found that while sex-segregated classrooms may benefit a subset of girls, they don’t automatically benefit all girls and boys.
2/21/12 - Lindsay Chase-Lansdale Named Ascend Fellow at Aspen Institute
Human development and social policy professor P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale was selected to be one of 20 inaugural Ascend Fellows at the Aspen Institute.
2/15/12 - SESP Senior John Shurna Breaks Wildcat Scoring Record
Senior John Shurna broke Northwestern's scoring record during the Wildcats win over Minnesota on February 18. Shurna has scored 1,902 points.
2/19/12 - Doug Medin Presides over Association for Psychological Science Convention
Professor Douglas Medin, president of the Association for Psychological Science, will chair the presidential symposium at the organization's convention from May 24 to 27.
2/23/12 - Video by Meixi Ng (BS11) Features Boy Who Compares Mexican and U.S. Education
In Presa de Maravillas as part of her Princeton in Latin America fellowship, Meixi Ng (BS11) is using a method of tutoring called relacion tutora. Ng's blog about her experiences in Mexico is at http://meixi.wordpress.com/.
2/28/12 - Dan McAdams Discusses His Psycho-biography of Bush with Digital Journal
Digital Journal interviews professor Dan McAdams about his psycho-biography of former president George W. Bush, especially his methods of personality analysis.
2/28/12 - Chronicle of Higher Ed: Kirabo Jackson's Study Shows Minority Students Benefit from Incentive Programs
Incentive-based college-preparatory programs for minority and low-income students improve their college-going, graduation and employment rates, says a report by assistant professor Kirabo Jackson, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
2/28/12 - Kelly O’Donnell (BS87) Delivers Keynote at A Day with Northwestern April 14
At this year's A Day with Northwestern, the School of Education and Social Policy will be represented by afternoon keynote speaker Kelly O’Donnell (BS87), Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News. Her presentation will be “Observations from the Political Trail."
2/28/12
- March 2012 News Stories
- AERA Honors James Spillane for Outstanding Research, Elects Barbara Schneider (PhD79) President
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) recently named SESP professor James Spillane an AERA Fellow in honor of his exceptional research. The new president-elect of AERA is SESP alumna Barbara Schneider (PhD79) of Michigan State University.
3/7/12 - Junior Zoe Goodman a Finalist for Truman Fellowship
Zoe Goodman, a junior social policy major, has become a finalist for the Truman Fellowship. The Harry S. Truman Foundation recognizes college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in public service.
3/1/12 - U.S. News Ranks SESP Number 9 in the Nation
Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) ranks number seven in the nation, according to the new 2013 ranking of graduate schools of education by U.S.News & World Report.
3/12/12 - Graduate Students Win Digital Media Learning Competition
Daniel Rees Lewis and Jonathan Lesser, both 2011 graduates of the Learning Sciences Master of Arts (LSMA) program, recently won a digital media learning competition for their idea for an online badge system.
3/14/12 - Pat Fitzgerald (BS97) Receives Alumni Merit Award
Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald (BS97) is the 2012 recipient of the Northwestern Alumni Association Alumni Merit Award from the School of Education and Social Policy.
3/20/12 - Higher Education Student Nate Randall Wins Education Pioneers Fellowship
Nathan Randall, a graduate student in the Higher Education Administration and Policy master’s program, was awarded an Education Pioneers Fellowship for a summer project in education entrepreneurship.
3/20/12 - Jim Spillane Addresses Asia Leadership Conference
Professor James Spillane gave a keynote address at the Asia Leadership Roundtable 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 12. His topic was the instructional leadership role of the school principal.
3/20/12 - CivicWeek: A Different Type of Spring Break for High School Students
Each spring CivicWeek, a program of the Civic Education Project at Center for Talent Development, offers gifted students from across the country the opportunity to serve communities, explore a career, and learn how to make a difference.
3/22/12 - Education Week Quotes Jon Guryan on Efforts to Streamline Innovation in Education
Jon Guryan addressed a meeting of the League of Effective Schools in Houston last week about the challenges of helping school districts improve schools’ technology purchasing decisions to speed up education innovation. “We don’t know enough about what works,” Guryan said.
3/22/12 - Extracurricular Design-Based Learning: A New Model for Innovation Education
Two SESP faculty members and a SESP alumna have found evidence that extracurricular design-based learning prepares students for careers in innovation.
3/27/12 - Run to the East Event Features Film, Talk
SESP is hosting a screening and special guest talk on April 3 for Run to the East, a documentary that tells of three Native American high school students who beat the odds and earn college scholarships because of cross country running. Their running coach, Tim Host, will speak about his experiences working with these students.
3/27/12 - Michael Wolf Spearheads New Plain-Language Effort for Health Literacy
Associate professor of learning sciences Michael Wolf, also a faculty member at Feinberg School of Medicine, aims to improve health literacy among older Americans with new plain-language communications to UnitedHealthcare patients about consistent use of medications.
4/3/12 - TEDx Event on April 18 Features SESP Faculty
SESP faculty members David Figlio, Reed Stevens and Matt Easterday will speak at a TEDx event, "Adventures in Learning," in Evanston on April 18.
3/28/12 - Faculty, Students Give Presentations at AERA Conference
At the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA) from April 13 to 17 in Vancouver, 57 Northwestern University faculty members and graduate students will give presentations about their education research.
3/22/12
- April 2012 News Stories
- Fay Lomax Cook Honored for 15 Years as Institute for Policy Research Director
On May 10 the Institute for Policy Research hosted a celebration in honor of SESP professor Fay Lomax Cook, who has been director of IPR for 15 years.
5/6/12 - Project Excite Expands Enrichment of Gifted Minority Students’ Learning
Project Excite, a program of the Center for Talent Development that gives gifted minority students sustained enrichment through eighth grade, is seeing success on many fronts. The _-year-old collaboration with Evanston/Skokie District 65 provides classes on Saturdays and during the summer.
5/6/12 - Diana Mendley Rauner to Give Convocation Address
The speaker at SESP Convocation will be Diana Mendley Rauner, president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, which advocates for policies and programs to benefit young children and families.
5/6/12 - Graduate Students Jamie Hoversen, Christine Yang Win Fulbrights
Master’s student Jamie Hoversen and doctoral student Christine Yang won Fulbright awards for the 2012-13 academic year. Hoversen will spend her Fulbright year working and teaching in Hungary, and Yang will do research on mathematical learning in South Korea.
5/2/12 - Seven SESP Students Win Summer Research Grants
To support their independent research, Michal Boyars, Gillian Feldmeth, Alexa Herzog, Alyssa Lloyd, Heather Ma, Joshua Parish and Adriana Stanovici received Summer Undergraduate Research Grants from the Office of the Provost.
5/2/12 - David Figlio Discusses School Vouchers with WRKF Radio
As Louisiana passes a law allowing school vouchers for low-income students, professor David Figlio discusses his research on Florida's system. Performance of participating students improved a little bit, and schools competing with the private schools involved improved.
4/3/12 - Susan Popkin (PhD82), Stefanie DeLuca (PhD03) to Speak at Housing Policy Briefing on April 30
At an Institute for Policy Research briefing on April 30, SESP alumnae Susan Popkin and Stefanie DeLuca, who are national experts on housing policy, will describe the impact of recent housing mobility programs.
4/4/12 - Education Week Highlights Kirabo Jackson's Research on Paying Students for AP Scores
An Education Week blog invites responses to assistant professor Kirabo Jackson's research finding that a college preparatory program paying students for AP scores increases educational attainment.
4/11/12 - Lindsay Till Hoyt Receives Child Development Research Award
Lindsay Till Hoyt, a doctoral student in the Human Development and Social Policy Program, was one of five recipients of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Dissertation Funding Award.
4/4/12 - Dan McAdams Discusses Narrative Psychology with Salon
"We define ourselves using narratives," explains professor Dan McAdams, a leading researcher in narrative psychology. He is quoted in a Salon article about how people explain luck.
4/16/12 - Atlantic Focuses on Results from Kirabo Jackson's Cash Incentives Study
Kirabo Jackson's study of a Texas cash rewards system found students in the program took more AP classes, passed more AP tests, enrolled in four-year college in higher numbers, were more likely to graduate and be employed, and had higher lifetime earnings. Atlantic sees the program as a way to gain students' attention and make a difference.
4/24/12 - Junior Aria Fiat Plans Supplies for Dreams Benefit April 26
Supplies for Dreams, a nonprofit co-founded by SESP student Aria Fiat, is holding a gala on April 26 to raise funds for the coming year. The organization provides Chicago students in need with school supplies and field trips.
4/23/12 - Huffington Post: Learning Sciences Collaborates on Graphic Textbooks
Huffington Post reports on the Reading with Pictures project to create graphic textbooks as a way to teach a range of subjects. Associate professor David Rapp spearheads research with the nonprofit, which aims to teach content covering common core standards nationwide.
4/24/12 - Douglas Medin Named to National Academy of Education
Learning Sciences professor Douglas Medin was elected to membership in the National Academy of Education because of his pioneering efforts in education research and policy development.
4/24/12 - MSLOC Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program marks its 10th anniversary with a celebration this spring. Since 2002 the program has expanded by offering community, innovation and the marriage of theory to practice — and it now encompasses students from around the world.
4/26/12 - Promote 360 Hosts Chicago-Area Students for Campus Visits
Promote 360, the SESP student organization that promotes minority well being, is hosting younger students at several mentoring events this spring. “We want to empower minorities in their educational journeys, starting at a young age,” says co-president Leah Martinez.
5/6/12
- May 2012 News Stories
- Jeremy Ebert (BS12) Drafted by New England Patriots
SESP alum Jeremy Ebert (BS12), one of the most prolific pass catchers during the 2011 football season, was a seventh-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft. He was chosen by the New England Patriots.
5/1/12 - Brian Reiser Gives Presentation on National Science Standards
At a May 10 symposium, professor Brian Reiser will present on the new National Research Council framework and national science standards for science teaching.
5/1/12 - Jim Spillane Talks on Irish Radio about Education Leadership and Policy
On a Dublin radio program, professor James Spillane discusses topics including how educational policy can be implemented, how change can occur at the school level and increasing the impact of education research in Ireland.
5/1/12 - Daily Northwestern: Dan Lewis Represents Northwestern on Homelessness Board
SESP professor Dan Lewis represented Northwestern University on Evanston's homelessness task force, emphasized a "housing first" approach. Much of Lewis's career has been dedicated to working on helping people live and work together.
5/2/12 - Rayane Alamuddin, Lindsay Till Hoyt Named AAUW Fellows
Human Development and Social Policy doctoral students Rayane Alamuddin and Lindsay Till Hoyt both won American Association of University Women (AAUW) fellowships. Alamuddin received the international fellowship, and Hoyt received the American fellowship.
5/6/12 - Heather Johnson (PhD12) Helps Vanderbilt Win Education Engagement Award
Under the guidance of Vanderbilt assistant professor Heather Johnson (PhD12) and others, a Vanderbilt team developed an educational program for underserved middle schools in Nashville. A combined team from Vanderbilt Engineering’s Aerospace Club and Peabody’s Department of Teaching and Learning won a prestigious award from NASA – the 2012 Educational Engagement Award – for inspiring students in the study of rocketry and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics.
5/2/12 - Terri Cramer Finalist for Employee of the Year, Coleen Coleman Honored for 20 Years
Terri Cramer, associate director of the program, was selected as a finalist for Employee of the Year at Northwestern. SESP associate dean Coleen Coleman was honored for her 20 years of service.
5/6/12 - Paula Olszewski-Kubilius Asserts Gifted Students Are Shortchanged
In The Hill's Congress Blog, professor Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, president of the National Association for Gifted Children, asserts that gifted children in the U.S. are shortchanged.
5/15/12 - Comics Alliance Highlights David Rapp's Research on Learning with Comics
David Rapp is overseeing an impact study to see if comics can improve learning engagement, efficiency and effectiveness over traditional materials. The study is tied to The Graphic Textbook, a project of Josh Elder at Reading with Pictures, who was interviewed by Comics Alliance.
5/15/12
