northwestern undergraduate research

• Research Opportunities

Start your undergraduate research

Undergraduate research is open to every undergraduate in any discipline.

But you can do so much more than conduct research. That's just the starting point for experiences that can connect you to students and faculty around the University, country and world. 

• Attend or present at the Undergraduate Research and Arts Expo
• Apply for an Undergraduate Research Grant
• Publish findings in the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal
• Submit your work to the Undergraduate Awards , an international pan-discipline awards program
• Contact the Office of Fellowships to see if you qualify for a fellowship

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

What direction will your research take you?

As an undergraduate at Northwestern, not only do you have the option to engage in scholarly research, regardless of your school, but your options for undergraduate research are almost endless. Here’s where it’s taken six of our undergraduates.

I’m working on a research project to develop the chemical vapor deposition of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides for applications in nanoscale photonics and solid-state devices.”

Spencer Park McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science Dual-Degree Program: Trumpet Performance & Materials Science and Engineering; Business Institutions Program minor

I recently had an Undergraduate Research Grant to research indigenous language maintenance within the Lepcha community of India. My research advisor is helping me put my research into the bigger picture of language revitalization work.”

Steffi Brock-Wilson Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Economics major; Certificate in Civic Engagement

I’m working in a lab with Dr. Beverly Wright. I am being considered a peer among faculty members. It's an amazing opportunity to get started on research very early in my undergraduate experience.”

Simran Chadha School of Communication Communication Sciences and Disorders major; Global Health and/or Political Science minor

I worked with a professor to research and edit a textbook on social media. Also, I spent several quarters working with the professor who founded “The Youth Project,” a Medill-run publication centered on issues of social justice.”

Carter Sherman Medill School of Journalism Journalism and International Studies double major

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Offering an integrated portfolio of expert services and resources, the Office for Research (OR) partners with stakeholders across the University to provide critical strategic and operational support to Northwestern’s research community. From research safety and compliance to innovation, translation and sponsored funding, the Office is a catalyst for research excellence. OR also oversees Northwestern’s core facilities—shared laboratory spaces with cutting-edge instrumentation and PhD-level staff.

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Spotlight on Sustainablity

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Trienens Institute researchers advance global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement.

Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy website

Spotlight on Synthetic Biology

Center for Synthetic Biology

CSB researchers build new biological systems to tackle societal challenges such as providing sustainable manufacturing, advanced materials, and targeted therapeutics.

Center for Synthetic Biology website

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Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

CIERA researchers collaborate across disciplines to find AI solutions to the challenges of modern astronomy.

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Research News

Curriculum enhancements will build awareness of ethics in technology and add language practice opportunities

Three to receive Alumnae of Northwestern University’s annual curriculum innovation award

Dirt-powered fuel cell runs forever

New tech harvests energy from microbes in soil to power sensors, communications

Unstable ‘fluttering’ predicts aortic aneurysm

With 98% accuracy, new metric predicted aneurysm development on average three years prior to occurrence

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Translational Research

From idea to commercialization.

Northwestern features a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, both for faculty and students. Much of the infrastructure and many of the resources for our success in this arena involve INVO, the University’s Innovation and New Ventures Office. INVO manages our researchers’ intellectual property and helps faculty turn their ideas into companies. Among the assets INVO oversees is the Querrey InQbation Lab, an on-campus technology accelerator designed to turbocharge innovation.

INNOVATION & NEW VENTures OFFICE (INVO)

Undergraduate Research

At northwestern, student research starts on day 1..

The Office of Undergraduate Research awards funding to hundreds of students each year; a majority of these students are engaged in independent research and creative projects.

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Academic Catalog

2023-2024 Edition

Undergraduate Research

Fellowships.

northwestern.edu/fellowships

Northwestern undergraduates win an array of national and international fellowships. Such awards fund study, research, and service opportunities in the United States and around the globe. The Office of Fellowships works with students in group and individual advising sessions to identify fellowships that fit their educational, professional, and personal goals. The office offers guidance on the preparation of written applications and conducts practice interviews.

Independent Study (399)

Many departments offer seminars and independent studies for qualified undergraduates. An independent study, typically numbered 399, in any department enables a student to engage in individual special study and research, which may involve work in a laboratory or library, fieldwork outside the University, or the creation of a work of art. The maximum credit a student may receive for 399 (or equivalent independent study) during any quarter is 2 units.

Support for Undergraduate Research Endeavors

undergradresearch.northwestern.edu

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) awards more than $1.5 million annually to students pursuing research and creative projects across all fields of study.  OUR uses an advising-centric model that focuses on helping students learn how to get started and how to write successful grant proposals; OUR advisors meet one-on-one with more than 500 students a year, totaling over 1,200 advising appointments.

OUR has three core programs. The Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) allows faculty to apply for funding to hire students to help with their own projects in a formal mentoring environment designed to foster rapid development. The program focuses on assisting students just getting started in research and prefers disciplines where funding for undergraduates is hard to get, such as in the humanities or creative arts.  The Undergraduate Research Grant (URG) program funds independent research and creative projects across all disciplines.  The 35+ member faculty review committee is currently charged with offering a strictly merit-based review of grant proposals.  This process means that the committee can fund any and all projects that they feel are worthy.  If a student has a solid idea, works with faculty mentors, and uses the Office’s advising to learn how to write a successful grant proposal, then the competition is not between students, but rather challenges the individual student to discover what is needed in a field and create a project to potentially address this need to gain funding.  These grants regularly transform a student's experience of college and beyond.  Finally, OUR runs the Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition, an annual showcase of student work through oral presentations, posters, and a Creative Arts Festival.  For all participants, OUR runs workshops designed to help students develop strong and effective communication skills, specifically for an audience that isn’t already familiar with their field of interest. 

Other OUR grants provide support for intensive language study or for conference travel. An annual $9,500 award—the Circumnavigators Travel-Study Grant, jointly funded by Northwestern University and the Circumnavigators Club ­Foundation—enables one undergraduate researcher to undertake around-the-world travel during the summer before their senior year.  OUR recently launched the Emerging Scholars Program, a 15-month funded program specifically for students who identify as first generation, lower income, people of color, and/or marginalized.  This grant focuses on providing opportunities for students to get started in research and/or creative activities in the arts, humanities, journalism, and social sciences, and this program is focused on supporting research and creative art that speaks to issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, OUR maintains a comprehensive website full of resources for students looking to get started in research.

The Office of Undergraduate Research also collaborates with a variety of student organizations committed to supporting research, including the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal (NURJ) , the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) , and TEDx Northwestern . 

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DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

• Undergraduate
• Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Political science research.

It can be hard to know where to begin with research. This video, courtesy of  Northwestern’s Office of Undergraduate Research , outlines research paths in Political Science.

• What ideas interest you when you think about politics?
• How can you convert an interest into a project?
• How do you ask for faculty mentorship?
• Is there a research method that would best fit your project's goals?

Take advantage of several exciting research opportunities, ranging from collaboration with faculty to engaging in your own research.

Political Science Department Opportunities

Farrell Fellowship In our competitive research mentorship program, Political Science majors work alongside professors on faculty-generated research projects. As paid research assistants, Farrell Fellow receive in-depth research training and learn the process of conducting academic research from faculty mentors.

Ginsberg Undergraduate Research Grants Have an idea of your own for a research project? Ginsberg Grants support student-initiated projects conducted in the collaboration with a Political Science faculty member.

Honors Thesis Did a class or experience inspire you to think more deeply about a topic? Paired with a faculty advisor, conduct your own research and write an honors thesis in the political science honors program.

Additional research opportunities

Northwestern offers a range of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in conducting research. Political Science students are encouraged to explore the variety of research opportunities available throughout Northwestern. Some of the research opportunities and resources that Political Science students commonly purus include:

• Opportunities and resources offered by the Northwestern Office of Undergraduate Research: t he Office of Undergraduate Research offers the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) for students to gain research experience through working with faculty; research grants during the summer and academic year for students to pursue their own research; and advising and resources on finding research opportunities or working on your own research project.
• Research programs offered by other departments and research centers, such as the Institute for Policy Research's Summer Undergraduate Research Assistant Program and the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies' Leopold Fellowship .

Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Department of molecular biosciences.

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Undergraduate Research

• Programs Home
• Summer Research and Outreach Programs

Research Resources

• Biological Sciences Major
• Research Mentors
• Science Research Workshop

Why participate in undergraduate research?

• Through the challenge of state-of-the-art research opportunities undergraduates receive training that develops and improves their scientific skill set.  
• Personalized mentored research at the undergraduate level provides undergraduates with training and experience to go on to competitive professional/graduate schools and career positions in research laboratories.  
• Undergraduates who take on research projects become full members of an active research laboratory, enriching their educational experience and providing them with opportunities for major scientific discovery.  
• Society benefits through such discovery and Biological Sciences majors become active participants in this process.

Mentored Research Opportunities in the Department

• Faculty with active research programs in a variety of scientific disciplines offer undergraduates opportunities for multi-year participation in the laboratory.  
• In addition to overall guidance from the principal investigator, undergraduates are matched with day-to-day research mentors to guide their development as young scientists.  
• Finding the right laboratory can be facilitated through participation in Northwestern University’s Science Research Workshop or simply by emailing Faculty Research Mentors to determine if there are openings, and to request in-person interviews.

Summer Research Grant Opportunities

Several sources are available for undergraduates to land research grants that allow them to start or continue their projects full time over the summer.  Applications are due during Spring Quarter. 

• Northwestern University Undergraduate Research Grants
• Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
• The Program in Biological Sciences

Academic Year Research Grants 

Undergraduate research grants to offset the cost of research for the host laboratory are awarded by the Undergraduate Research Grants Committee throughout the academic year.

Award-winning Undergraduate Research

Research by undergraduates in the Department of Molecular Biosciences is recognized through numerous summer research grant opportunities and research prizes.

Research prizes are awarded to Biological Sciences majors who have achieved excellence in their research projects and have written up their results into a Senior Thesis as part of the Honors Program requirements. These prizes include:

The David Shemin Research Prize

The Constance Campbell Research Prize

The Emanuel Margoliash Research Prize

The Irving Klotz Research Prize

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DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

• Undergraduate

Undergraduate Research

Northwestern is a top research university and our undergraduates often play a role as research assistants in advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

Most students who work as research assistants are hired by professors who have had them in class. Successful candidates for research assistant positions have generally taken some level of econometrics, and it is often useful to have some background in coding.  However, this is not universal for all projects.

Options for research within the Economics Department:  

EconLab (read more below)

• Honors in Economics
• ECON 399 Independent Study

EconLab is a space for undergraduates to engage in part-time research and work closely with an Economics faculty member.  Undergraduate students can participate in EconLab in two ways:

• Become an EconLab research assistant  and work for a professor between 10 and 20 hours per week during the quarter.
• Join the   general research assistant database   to perform tasks in a more sporadic fashion. While this would not allow you to dig as deeply into a project, these opportunities are more flexible.

Learn MOre - FAQs

Insights From Participants

Sara johns '17.

“I worked as a research assistant with Professor Mar Reguant on a project assessing the cost of increased renewable generation on the grid, specifically comparing empirical results to engineering estimates. At the same time, I was also working on my senior honors thesis with Professor Reguant as my advisor. It was incredibly helpful to see first-hand how Professor Reguant approached the research process and to apply those skills to my independent work. The experience also helped me decide to pursue a PhD and research as a career. After graduation, I took a two year research fellowship in economics and this fall I am starting a PhD program at University of California, Berkeley's Agricultural and Resource Economics department to study energy economics.”

Helen Burkhardt '19

"I worked as a Research Assistant through EconLab for Professor Matt Notowidigdo during my Junior year. As a RA, I studied how changes in government employment affected local labor markets. The opportunity exposed me to the research process and gave me a chance to really dig into some data. The technical skills and appreciation for research cultivated during the experience proved very useful when writing my senior thesis and during my work as an RA for the Chicago Fed."

Michael Cahana '18

"I joined the EconLab when I was a junior at Northwestern, working as a research assistant for Prof. Mar Reguant. I worked with Mar on a variety of research topics, ranging from renewable energy policy in California to real-time electricity pricing in Spain. Getting exposure to rigorous economics research in such variety was a fantastic learning experience; I developed skills in coding, data analysis, and research management that I still turn back to after graduation. The research environment really fostered my growth - I had freedom to come up with my own solutions to problems, was encouraged to try things I hadn’t done before, and was given the resources and attention I needed to thrive. Mar was (and remains) a terrific mentor who always made time for me; someone interested in my personal growth as well as my professional development. She ended up serving as the advisor for my senior thesis. Thanks in large part to my experience working with Mar in the EconLab, I ended up joining a research lab focused on energy & environmental policy after graduation."

Matthew Stadnicki '18

"As an EconLab research assistant, I helped Prof. Mar Reguant with a project on the effects of wind volatility on adjustment costs in Spanish electricity markets. This experience was incredibly valuable in developing my skills in Stata, data visualization, and causal inference, and I learned what it takes to conduct rigorous economics research. Whereas my econometrics coursework primarily used very clean data to illustrate concepts in data analysis, real world data can be very messy. By working as a research assistant, I gained experience in applying what I learned in my econometrics classes to messy, real data. My time in the EconLab helped me decide to pursue economics research full time after graduation as a research assistant, and I continue to rely on the skills I gained there on a daily basis. Most importantly, I met some really awesome people at the EconLab. Whether it was getting career advice from Mar as I prepared for graduation, or learning about machine learning clustering methods in our weekly staff meetings, the people I met taught me a lot, prepared me for my first job post graduation, and serve as strong mentors to this day."

Professor Mar Reguant

“It has been very rewarding to share the research process with undergraduates while teaching them tools that complement the classroom materials. Several of my students have gone into a research path, and I like to think that their experience at the EconLab has given them insights on how to navigate the process. The EconLab has also been very helpful in pushing my research forward.”

Other Research Options at Northwestern

There are several other ways of getting involved with research throughout the University.  One is with Northwestern's   Institute for Policy Research   (IPR), which has opportunities to work on faculty projects during the summer.  Some students also find research work with   Kellogg faculty .  There are funding resources and guidance on conducting research both in the summer and academic year through the   Office of Undergraduate Research .

• Summer Undergraduate Research Grant  for independent work (supervised by a professor)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant Program  (to work in a project that the professor is conducting)
• Kellogg School of Management RA/TA opportunities in behavioral research and computing

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

• Undergraduate

Why pursue research as an undergraduate?

Undergraduate Research is a great way to gain experience, prepare for graduate studies, work at the forefront of knowledge and discovery, deepen your understanding of a specific field, make connections with graduate students and faculty members, and boost your resume. 

To learn about research opportunities in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, visit our research opportunities page. Click here for an overview on faculty research areas.

For in-depth information on all of the research groups in the Physics department, go to the research page.  See also Departmental Honors.

Undergraduate Research Grants

Get started at the Office of Undergraduate Research .

Learn more about applying for an Undergraduate Research Grant .

The most common grants among physics students are:

• Illinois Space Grant Research
• Summer Undergraduate Research Grant
• Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grant
• Conference Travel Grant
• Weinberg Grants for Undergraduate Research 

For more information, email the Director of Undergraduate Studies at [email protected] . 

For advice from Current/Former Physics Majors, join the Facebook Group.

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Undergraduate
• Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students have many opportunities to become involved in conducting psychological research in our department. PSYCH 397 and 399 allow students to do research for course credit . Some students have work-study positions in psychology labs. Northwestern University, Weinberg College, and the Department of Psychology all provide funding to support student research conducted under the guidance of members of our faculty. These include both academic-year grants and summer fellowships, both awarded on a competitive basis. Students can also apply for funding to present their work at professional conferences.

Northwestern Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES

• Undergraduate

Undergraduate Research

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) provides a wide range of undergraduate research opportunities that develop professional experience before graduation. With a faculty advisor, students may undertake field work in local to remote locations, collect and analyze research samples and instrumental data, or utilize a range of computational and/or analytical methods. Analysis methods and training include high-performance computing clusters, mass spectrometers, and seismometers. Undergraduate research can be pursued to gain valuable experience, or in support of a senior honors thesis . EPS undergraduate research projects are often published in top-ranked peer-reviewed journals. If you are interested in undertaking a research project, we encourage you to contact a faculty member, or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, as soon as possible. The earlier a project begins, the greater the research potential.

Some examples of past undergraduate research experiences:

Karalyn Berman

Karalyn Berman ’18 is an Earth and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Sciences double major. She worked in Professor Axford’s Quaternary Sediment Lab for almost four years. Karalyn employed both geochemical and paleobiological techniques in her research, which investigated the timing of postglacial isostatic emergence of the southwest Greenland coast and developed a paleobiological reconstruction of environmental change there throughout the past 8000 years. She presented her thesis project at the NU Undergraduate Expo and at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. In addition to pursuing this geological research, Karalyn also explored her interest in the intersections between environmental science and policy as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar in the Western U.S. during the summers after her sophomore and junior years.

Katie Braun

Katie Braun is working with EPS professors Daniel Horton and Matt Hurtgen, along with Ethan Theuerkauf of the Illinois State Geological Survey, on quantifying the amount of carbon in a rapidly eroding Illinois wetland. Previous studies of carbon movement through coastal wetlands have overlooked the export of carbon through shoreline erosion. Katie’s field site at Illinois Beach State Park is particularly interesting because this wetland has experienced massive erosion in the past few years of high lake level; the shoreline stepped back over 5 meters in the summer of 2017 alone. This rapid erosion likely means large quantities of carbon have been released into Lake Michigan, where the carbon can return to the atmosphere and contribute to greenhouse warming. To quantify this carbon loss, Katie gathers sediment cores and GPS data from her field site and analyzes those cores in the Sedimentary Geochemistry Lab and the Quaternary Sediment Lab on campus. By combining the carbon content of the cores with ArcGIS analysis of GPS data and historic aerial photographs, she will create a mass balance model of wetland carbon. Katie has been awarded a Northwestern Undergraduate Research Grant to complete this work and aims to determine whether this wetland currently functions as a sink or source of carbon. 

Michael Campbell

Michael Campbell is currently working with Donna Jurdy to reinterpret seismic reflection lines underneath Lake Superior, mapping subsurface structures and determining subsurface velocities to understand the tectonics of the midcontinent rift. Using magnetic, gravimetric, and stratigraphic data, Michael is working towards characterizing an anomalous area near Isle Royale. Previous studies either ignore this feature or classify it as an “accommodation zone,” pointing towards a possible active fault or fault zone. Michael has also worked with Seth Stein and graduate student Leah Salditch, working to explain Cascadia earthquake probability models to general audiences. This has been combined with sports analogies and presented as a teaching tool at the Geological Society of America Fall 2017 Meeting and the American Geophysical Society Fall 2017 Meeting. He is also a co-author of, “Is the Coast Toast? Exploring Cascadia Earthquake Probabilities” published in GSA Today.

Hannah Dion-Kirschner

Hannah Dion-Kirschner is working with Maggie Osburn and Yarrow Axford to investigate lipid biomarker paleoclimate proxies. Specifically, she is aiming to better constrain these proxies for their use in high-latitude lacustrine environments. The long-chain lipids that coat the leaves of plants are well-preserved in sedimentary records, making them useful biomarkers, and their carbon chain lengths and isotopic compositions can reveal information about past hydrology, ecology, and climate. However, numerous factors complicate the use of these lipid characteristics to reconstruct climate. Hannah is working to deconvolute the effects of plant type, plant physiology, and climate in the creation of particular lipid biomarker signatures, and she is creating a calibration that is specific to the Arctic, where a short growing season, characterized by cool temperatures and continuous light, adds further potential complications. Her calibration will also enable a highly accurate reconstruction of recent climate using a lacustrine sediment core from western Greenland.

Chris Callahan

Chris Callahan is an environmental science major working with Dr. Daniel Horton to determine the influence of climate change on extreme air quality events. The occurrence of extremely poor air quality is strongly influenced by meteorological conditions. Low wind speeds, a lack of precipitation, and vertical temperature inversions impede pollutant dispersal, and their co-occurrence with harmful pollutants can lead to hazardous air quality conditions. Determining whether climate change has altered the occurrence, duration, or intensity of these meteorological conditions in events such as Beijing’s January 2013 “airpocalypse” requires analyzing large sets of observational data, climate model simulations, and statistical analyses that separate climate change trends from underlying weather noise. This research constitutes Chris’s senior honor’s thesis and will be presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in December 2017.

Monica nhi ha

Monica Nhi Ha worked with Professor van der Lee on mapping the deep subsurface beneath the eastern third of North America. The map would reveal where Proterozoic lithosphere ends, where oceanic lithosphere begins, how much and what type of Phanerozoic lithosphere underlies the Appalachian Mountains and eastern seaboard of the USA, and how this might affect the dynamics, seismicity, heat flow, and morphology of that area. To do so, she looked at a lot of squiggly lines of seismograms (time series of ground motion caused by distant earthquakes) on a lab computer with a decent screen, and aligned them by similarity. She also runs various scripts and programs written in unix and Python to prepare the data for the alignment and to analyze the results afterwards. Older lithosphere has cooled longer, which makes it stiffer and thereby more efficient at propagating seismic waves, which were recorded into seismograms by Earthscope-USArray seismic stations. Monica’s alignments measure how efficiently the wave propagated.

John M. Hayes

EPS and ES major John Hayes has been studying the organic geochemistry of the reservoir Lake Decatur in Illinois. Reservoirs, as a group, have been recognized as globally important sites of C-sequestration and methane production because of their large number (~20 million worldwide). Lake Decatur is in the Sangamon River watershed and is part of the NSF-supported Intensively Managed Landscape – Critical Zone Observatory, which seeks to understand how landscape engineering shapes biogeochemical cycling. John is using a novel broad-spectrum biomarker approach to deconstruct the history of organic C inputs to the lake since its creation in 1922. Using a combination of lipid and lignin biomarkers coupled with carbon isotope information, an evolution from local vegetation upon initial valley flooding, to eroded soils from agricultural fields, to finally algal production resulting from eutrophication of the lake can be discerned in the lake sediments. This type of information will be valuable for constraining the behavior of reservoirs in global C-cycle models. John has received a WCAS Undergraduate Research Grant for summer support.

Laura Beckerman

Laura Beckerman worked with EPS graduate student Maya Gomes to explore the relationship between the geochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in the Cretaceous Period. More specifically, she investigated the possible role that massive volcanism may have played in driving widespread oxygen deficiency in the oceans (Oceanic Anoxic Event 2). This work involved cutting and crushing sedimentary rocks, performing a host of chemical extractions in the laboratory in order to isolate distinct chemical phases, and then utilizing an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure the carbon and sulfur isotope composition of various chemical phases. Laura was awarded a Northwestern Undergraduate Research Award to complete this work and presented the results at the 2013 Northwestern Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition.

Nora Richter

EPS and ISP major Nora Richter has been conducting paleoclimate and geochemical research in EPS labs since her freshman year at Northwestern.

Early in her career, Nora worked in the Organic Geochemistry Lab. For one project, she extracted leaf wax lipids from plants collected by graduate student Rosemary Bush along a transect across the U.S. For another, she examined lipids in the sediments of an Icelandic lake, with the goal of identifying periods of soil erosion in Iceland. More recently, Nora used the microscopes in Yarrow Axford's Quaternary Sediment Lab to analyze insect (Chironomidae) remains in lake sediments from Greenland. Insect species assemblages provide a valuable method for reconstructing past climate changes in the high Arctic. Nora's research on a northwest Greenland lake was part of Dr. Axford's ongoing collaborative research aimed at understanding how the extent of the Greenland Ice Sheet has varied over the past ten thousand years as a result of climate change – and by inference, how the vast ice sheet (and thus global sea level) might respond to future climate change. This summer, Nora expanded her expertise as a polar researcher by conducting fieldwork on the arctic island of Spitsbergen, having successfully applied to a National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program there. As a senior, Nora will follow up with lab investigations of samples she collected on Spitsbergen.

Kristen Bartucci

Working with Dr. Yarrow Axford, Kristen studied past Arctic climate through paleolimnology—the study of lakes and lake sediments. Kristen researched sediment cores from a lake on the southwest coast of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS). This research focuses on the recent geologic past—the last 10,000 years or so of the Earth’s history. Analyzing the abundance of certain fly larvae, or midges, from lake sediment cores is a good indicator of past temperatures. Certain species only live in certain temperature ranges. Therefore, knowing the magnitude of species at different times makes it possible to recreate temperature profiles of the area. At the current melt rate of the GIS, understanding how sensitive it is to changes in temperature is crucial in order to predict what may happen with future warming.

It is then possible to decipher the relative sensitivities of the ice sheet to temperature changes by comparing rates of glacial retreat and past temperature. The midge data they hope to find are crucial to determining the response of the Greenland ice sheet to current warming, as the ice sheet is 2 miles thick and is capable of a rise of 22 feet in sea level if melted completely.

Alexa Socianu

Alexa's research, "Reconstructing p CO2 values during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum," focused on a novel method of calculating paleo- p CO2 levels using pedogenic carbonate nodules in conjunction with leaf wax n -alkanes from paleosol horizons in the Big Horn Basin, WY dating back approximately 57 Ma. This time period, referred to as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, represents a period in Earth’s history when global surface temperatures had warmed by up to approximately 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Analysis of paleo-pCO2 levels allows us to understand the causes for this dramatic warming event. Current soil carbonate proxies used to estimate paleo- p CO2 rely on bulk organic matter δ13C values, however this method of calculation is flawed. By refining the method for calculating paleo-pCO2 levels, she hopes to more accurately assess and understand paleoenviornments as well as gain a better understanding of the effects of quantifiable increases in CO2 on global temperature change.

Joseph Walkowicz

Joseph's research, entitled R econstruction of an Ordovician Megalograptus from Virginia , revolved around the identification and classification of an extinct group of arthropods called eurypterids. Although these ancient "sea scorpions" lived hundreds of millions of years ago, their phylogenetic characterization pertains to modern horseshoe crabs and scorpions, among other arthropods such as insects. Collaborating between many institutions, including the University of Illinois, Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History, Joseph's research intends to reconstruct and identify a particularly rare eurypterid from its fossilized remains.

NSF Undergraduate Research Program

Experience a transformative ten-week summer undergraduate research program in synthetic biology funded by the NSF, combining laboratory skills training and hands-on research in Northwestern University’s cutting-edge laboratories.

Synthetic Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates

SynBREU is an NSF-funded program that supports ten students for a ten-week summer program of mentored, research-intensive activities in the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology. In this program, students carry out independent laboratory and/or computational synthetic biology projects such as the development of new biosensors for contaminants in water, self-healing materials, new gene therapy delivery mechanisms, and more. This research is done under the guidance of one or more of the program’s faculty mentors from departments including Molecular Biosciences, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Engineering Science and Applied Mathematics, and Civil and Environmental Engineering.

During the program, students will participate in a carefully designed curriculum to expose them to a variety of laboratory techniques as well as the skills necessary for success in their future STEM careers, including ethics, responsible conduct of research, communication, and networking.

Specific curricular activities include:

• Laboratory skills training and introduction to synthetic biology techniques
• Workshops, seminars, and activities to strengthen related skillsets including communication, design, ethics, teamwork, and entrepreneurship
• Tea time with faculty
• Field trips to local synthetic biology companies.

At the end of the program, students will present their projects and results at a research symposium. A stipend will be provided, along with housing, funds to cover some meals, and a travel allowance. Applications will be accepted at the REU website each year, and reviewed by participating faculty and an admissions committee.

Program Duration

This year the program will take place from June 17th – August 23rd, 2024.

• Participants must be available for 9 of the 10 weeks of the program starting June 17th.

Application Deadlines

The deadline for the receipt of applications: January 19th, 2024

Decisions expected: Thank you for your interest! We have formed our cohort for summer 2024. We encourage you to check the NSF ETAP site for information on other REUs that are still recruiting.

This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. Participants will receive partial or full room and board, paid travel expenses for those not in the Chicagoland area, meal plan, and a $6,500 stipend.

Eligibility

In order to participate in the program, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen , permanent resident and/or U.S. national
• Be an undergraduate . If you have not graduated by the program end date, you are eligible All majors are eligible given your your academic and career interests in related subject matter. We prioritize diversity of majors and interests
• Be available for at least 9 weeks during the summer of 2024

No prior research experience is required.

• We look for students with and without experience

Students from universities without a PhD program in a synthetic biology-related area (such as biology, bioengineering, or chemistry) are especially encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Complete and submit the required online application. In the application, you will be asked to upload the following documents as PDFs :

• Transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted)
• One reference
• Questionnaire and Supplemental Essays

Have Questions?

Q: When will applications open?

A: The application site becomes available November 6th, 2023.

Q: My major is ____, will I be considered for this if I apply?

A: Yes! We ask about your field of study only to ensure that each cohort includes a diverse set of backgrounds, and no application will be declined simply because of major.

Q: I don’t have previous research experience. Should I wait to apply until my resume is stronger?

A: No! Apply every year that you are eligible, if it is in line with your interests. We consider candidates with and without research experience, and at least half of our cohort will not have research opportunities at their home institution. This does not count against you, and conversely, those with experience are not favored or biased against either. We are looking for diverse backgrounds and training for each summer cohort.

Q: If I am only able to participate for 8 weeks, could I still attend?

A: Unfortunately, no. You must be available to work on projects full-time for at least 9 weeks of Summer 2024, starting June 17 th .

Q: Will this be a remote, hybrid, or on-campus opportunity?

A: This is an on-campus opportunity but recognize that with the changing circumstances this may become either hybrid (on-campus for some and remote for others) or fully remote. We will update the website with the latest information as we have it. If you have extenuating circumstances that would permit only your remote participation, please still apply but note this in your application.

Q: Who should write my letter of recommendation?

A: We encourage you to seek a letter from someone who can speak to your academic and/or professional work ethic and engagement. This can be a professor or supervisor. Please do not solicit recommendations from friends and relatives.

Q: What are some projects previous students have worked on?

A: Some titles of previous SynBREU student projects include, “ Investigating PduM’s role in Pdu Microcompartment Assembly “, “ Utilizing Synthetic Biology for Infectious Disease Applications ”, and “ Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy screening for genetic determinants of secondary gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake in Bacillus subtilis biofilms ”.

Please contact us with any question about the program at [email protected].

SynBREU Leadership Team

Danielle Tullman-Ercek

SynBREU Director

Gabe Rocklin

SynBREU Co-Director

Christine Akdeniz

SynBREU Coordinator

BAKER PROGRAM IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Baker program in undergraduate research, funding for student research.

Supporting undergraduate students in independent research, creative work, and presentations at academic conferences

The Baker Program in Undergraduate Research at Weinberg College offers grants to support undergraduate students in independent research, creative work, and presentations at academic conferences. These grants are funded by the Weinberg College Dean’s Office and Weinberg College alumni, including the Baker family , whose support makes these undergraduate research grants possible. Learn more

Types of Student Research & Grants

The chance to deeply explore an issue or question of great consequence alongside a renowned faculty member is increasingly becoming a defining learning experience.

Working as a Research Assistant

Grants for Student Research

Research through Independent Study

Support undergraduate research.

Learn how to establish a scholarship, fellowship, or grant. Explore different types of research grants at Weinberg College.

Research Grants

Meet the Bakers

Research has played a pivotal role in their lives..

Heather ’92 and Felix Baker believe that the intellectual challenge of doing academic research at the Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences can be transformative for undergraduate students.

• Contact Info

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

• Undergraduate

Research and Opportunities

Independent Study

To Enroll in MATH 399-0 Independent Study with a Faculty Member:

• Consult with the faculty member, and submit a Petition for Independent Study .  

Not a Math Major or Minor (yet)?  You can schedule an advising appointment with the DUS by contacting our UG Program Assistant:

• Jenima Lyon: Lunt 106A or [email protected]  

For Calculus advising , contact the Director of Calculus .

For MENU advising , contact the Director of MENU .

Current Mathematics Majors and Minors can schedule advising appointments through ConnectNU.

Undergraduate Research at Northwestern

• Undergraduate Research Projects in Mathematics
• Sample Summer Undergraduate Research Grant Proposal in Mathematics
• WCAS Undergraduate Research Grants  

Undergraduate Research at Other Institutions

• Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Programs (AMS)
• REU Sites: Mathematical Sciences (NSF)
• Penn State Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters (MASS)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory Undergraduate Student Internship Program

Directed Reading Program

• News and Events

Northwestern Celebrates Research Achievement and Discovery at CoDEx 2024

Posted Date: April 11, 2024

The growing interconnectedness of technology and research across disciplines is not just blurring the lines between traditional fields; it's creating entirely new landscapes of knowledge and innovation.”

Joe Paris, Senior Director of Research Computing and Technology Support Services, Northwestern IT

April showers did not dampen the enthusiasm of the more than 200 Northwestern research community members who attended the Computation and Data Exchange ( CoDEx ) symposium on April 2 at the Norris University Center. The campus-wide event, hosted by Northwestern Information Technology ( IT ) and sponsored by the Office of the Provost , showcased innovative approaches to computational and data-intensive research.

The program began with early morning interactive workshops led by Northwestern IT Research Computing and Data Services (RCDS) staff . These workshops offered review and evaluation tips for coders using ChatGPT, ways to improve research collaboration using Github, and tools to help enhance the clarity and impact of data with visualizations.

“I joined Northwestern nearly 10 years ago when the University was providing only high-performance computing (HPC) services for our researchers, and even then, Northwestern was a leader in that space,” said Milhans. “Research has now become more complex and more complicated. We are seeing bigger collaborations, data sets grow in size and complexity, and data-sharing requirements for federally funded research require more planning and effort around how we manage and provide access to our research data. Data security concerns and regulations can introduce barriers to research productivity, or it can certainly feel that way, and the list goes on.”

Milhans commented on how recent technological advances are impacting research methods and strategies. “Now, we are seeing an increased use of AI, machine learning, and data science methods. More people are learning programming skills, improving their data literacy, and using powerful data resources to improve their research. I am thrilled that Northwestern is choosing to grow in these areas, and I'm happy to say that the Research Computing and Data Services team has expanded its expertise to support researchers in navigating this evolving landscape.”

Sumit Dhar, associate provost for faculty, Office of the Provost, introduced the morning guest keynote and praised the RCDS team. “I want to take a moment to recognize the enormous amount of work the team has accomplished, not only in organizing CoDEx but also in expanding the services they offer to the research community. Their knowledge, promptness, and completeness of the services they provide are impressive. If you haven't taken advantage of all they offer, please do!”

Keynote Recaps

Guest keynote speaker Beth A. Plale, Michael A. and Laurie Burns McRobbie bicentennial professor of computer engineering and executive director, Pervasive Technology Institute, Indiana University, gave a talk titled, Navigating the Dynamic Landscape of Computational Research: Artificial Intelligence, Open Science, and Reproducibility .

She also shared how researchers can continue strengthening their partnerships and professional engagement. One suggestion was advocating for the growing call to develop what she called “the missing middle” tier of “by community for community” research governance that would facilitate researchers in establishing collective standards and oversight for open research and data sources. The proposed tier would supplement the other government-imposed and University-imposed research governance categories.

Plale also urged researchers to support the widespread adoption of both ORCiD (Open Research Contributor ID), which ensures researchers maintain consistent authoring credit for their published work on a global scale, and PIDs (persistent identifiers), which are long-lasting, globally reliable, unique references associated with a specific digital entity. Unlike URLs, which may break over time or have access restrictions, a PID is intended to ensure that people, grants, organizations, projects, software, and outputs that are openly sourced remain recognized and linked to their originators.

Thomas McDade, Carlos Montezuma professor and faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research, Department of Anthropology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, gave the afternoon keynote. His talk was titled, Illuminating the Determinants of Health at the Interface of the Social and Biological Sciences .

He focused on research tracking a correlation between inflammation later in life (a standard indicator of the body's defense against bacteria or other harms) and the experience of being breastfed in infancy. In turn, these findings can help inform policy to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.

Spotlight on Student Researchers

Throughout the day, attendees engaged in talks on topics ranging from Detecting Gender Embodiment Using 3D Video Analysis to Paradigms and Hierarchies: Linking Knowledge Structures and Social Order in Science, and a panel discussion on The Future of AI-aided Research: The Confluence of Human, Artificial, and Collective Intelligence.

Participants were treated to an impressive array of posters , visualizations , and lightning talks presented by postdocs and graduate and undergraduate students eager to share their research discoveries. Awards were presented for outstanding poster presentations and data visualizations .

Looking Ahead at Connections Between Research and Technology

Joe Paris, senior director of research computing and technology support services in Northwestern IT, concluded the day by thanking those in attendance for their extraordinary research efforts. “The growing interconnectedness of technology and research across disciplines is not just blurring the lines between traditional fields; it's creating entirely new landscapes of knowledge and innovation. Embracing these opportunities requires us to come together, [at events such as CoDEx] harnessing diverse expertise and perspectives, to address complex challenges and unlock the full potential of interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Northwestern IT is already busy planning for CoDEx 2025. Until then, please visit the Research Computing and Data Services website to learn about upcoming workshops, events, and resources for our research community.

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Researchers Take a Step Closer to Better, More Affordable Solar Cells

Innovative technique leads to perovskite-based solar cells with record-breaking efficiency, the problem:.

Scaling single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been challenging.

A new technique applied during crystal formation that allows PSCs with an ‘inverted’ or ‘pin’ structure – known for their stability – to exhibit high efficiency.

Why it Matters:

The breakthrough means PSCs are closer to scaling, bringing them nearer their potential to contribute to the decarbonization of the electricity supply.

Professor Ted Sargent, Research Assistant Professor Bin Chen, Postdoctoral Researcher Hao Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow Cheng Liu

An international team of researchers, including a group from Northwestern Engineering and Northwestern Chemistry , has set a new world record for power conversion efficiency (PCE) of single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

These solar cells – created from an emerging solar material – have the potential to generate greater solar energy at a lower cost than today’s industry-standard silicon solar cells, but scaling the technology has its challenges. Until now, PSCs have shown either high stability and lower efficiency or vice versa, depending on their structure.

Yet this team’s work has resulted in a highly stable, highly efficient 0.05cm 2 perovskite solar cell with a PCE of 26.15 percent certified by a National Renewable Energy Laboratory -accredited facility. The prior certified world record published in a scientific journal was 25.73 percent.

A 1.04 cm 2 device had a certified power conversion efficiency of 24.74 percent, also a record for its size. The best devices retained 95 percent of their initial PCE following 1,200 hours of continuous solar illumination at a temperature of 65 degrees.

“Perovskite-based solar cells have the potential to contribute to the decarbonization of the electricity supply once we finalize their design, achieve the union of performance and durability, and scale the devices,” said Ted Sargent , Lynn Hopton Davis and Greg Davis Professor of Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northwestern University, co-executive director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy , and co-corresponding author of the paper. “Our team has discovered a new technique applied during crystal formation that allows PSCs with an ‘inverted’ or ‘pin’ structure – known for their stability – to exhibit high efficiency. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Our team has discovered a new technique applied during crystal formation that allows perovskite solar cells with an ‘inverted’ or ‘pin’ structure – known for their stability – to exhibit high efficiency. It’s the best of both worlds.

Ted Sargent Lynn Hopton Davis and Greg Davis Professor of Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering

"Until today, a promising and more stable perovskite solar cell - inverted perovskite solar cells - have suffered lower energy efficiencies than those achieved in their non-inverted counterparts. This work represents an important milestone by crossing the efficiency-parity threshold," said Zhijun Ning, co-corresponding author and assistant professor at ShanghaiTech University.

Findings were reported April 11 in the journal Science.

A new approach to treating defects

The basic structure of “inverted” PSCs consists of an outer electron-transporting layer (ETL), a hole transporting layer (HTL), an anode, and a cathode. The energetic losses for the cells occur primarily at the interfaces between the perovskites and the ETL and HTL layers in places where there are tiny defects in the crystals.

Prior attempts at reducing energy loss have included the use of additive or surface treatments to passivate the defects. Sargent’s team noted that the molecules in these treatments bonded at a single site on the defects in a perpendicular orientation, forcing the electrons to travel a long distance up through the material, causing resistance and lowering efficiency.

The team set out to find a molecule that would bond on two neighboring sites on the defects in a horizontal orientation, reducing the distance the electrons needed to travel and improving efficiency. They identified one molecule – 4- chlorobenzenesulfonate – that could lay down at the surface of the perovskites by forming strong Cl-Pb and SO 3 -Pb bonds with the undercoordinated Pb 2+ and led to improved performance of the devices.

“By carefully selecting molecules that lie flat on the perovskite surface, binding to two sites simultaneously, our new strategy reduced the interface resistance:  the result is much higher fill factor in solar cells, reaching 95 percent of the theoretical limit," said Jian Xu, co-first author and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.

“Not only did the addition of these molecules improve efficiency, they also simplified the manufacturing process,” noted Hao Chen , a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern Engineering and co-first author of the paper. “When added to the perovskites precursor, these molecules automatically go to the surface of the perovskite layer to patch defects during the crystallization process. This removes the need to treat the surface defects, an extra step that often results in uneven coverage of passivators and poor stability of the devices.”

This discovery builds on prior research conducted by the Sargent Group , which has explored various strategies to improve PSC performance and stability to make them a viable alternative to silicon solar cells. Next, the team will look toward scaling the devices.

“Northwestern is really at the forefront of renewable energy technology research,” said Bin Chen , co-corresponding author and research assistant professor at Northwestern Engineering. “By focusing on stable inverted perovskites and making breakthroughs in their performance, we are  developing a solar technology that can be a gamechanger in the field.”

"With the efficiency discrepancy solved, the large and growing perovskite community will focus even more of its firepower on the inverted perovskite solar cell architecture in light of its stability advantages," said Aidan Maxwell, co-first author of the paper and a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

“We were thrilled when we achieved an independently certified efficiency of 26.1 percent for inverted perovskite solar cells: this was the first to surpass the record for the conventional structure,” added Cheng Liu , postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern Chemistry and co-first author of the paper. “The accomplishment motivates not only our own team but will also inspires further collective efforts across the wide and productive global perovskite community."

Additional authors on the paper include Yi Yang, Abdulaziz S. R. Bati, Yuan Liu, and Mercouri G. Kanatzidis of Northwestern Chemistry; Haoyue Wan, Zaiwei Wang, Lewei Zeng, Junke Wang, Sam Teale, Yanjiang Liu, Sjoerd Hoogland, Peter Serles, and Tobin Filleter of the University of Toronto; Wei Zhou and Qilin Zhou of ShanghaiTech University; Makhsud I. Saidaminov of the University of Victoria; and Muzhi Li and Nicholas Rolston of Arizona State University.

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Two Northwestern students named Truman Scholars

• School of Education and Social Policy
• Student Awards
• Weinberg College

Northwestern students Kaylyn Ahn and Anna Dellit have been named 2024 Truman Scholars in recognition of their academic achievement and commitment to leadership and service.

Ahn inspired and testified in support of a bill to close a legal loophole in Illinois sexual assault law, stemming from her own experience in 2021. Since the bill’s passage, police departments across the state have trained officers in proper enforcement, rendering thousands of previously unaddressed sexual assault cases eligible for prosecution.

Now an advocate, Ahn travels across the country to speak at colleges, town halls and political events as a domestic violence survivor.

In 2021, she was named one of GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 LGBTQ+ changemakers for helping shape the future of activism.

The social policy and legal studies major from the School of Education and Social Policy plans to use her Truman Scholarship to pursue a law degree. She hopes to explore conflict-related sexual violence and international human rights in the future.

> Related story from SESP magazine: How trauma led to advocacy

“Through my position on the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, my internship with the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, and my upcoming summer at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa, I learned I could leverage my voice to help bring systemic change and fight for all survivors, past and present,” Ahn said. “My politics are personal because I am one of few who live to tell my story; my advocacy is my means to strengthen the courage of those I love.”

Anna Dellit

With a passion for ending mass incarceration and addressing racial discrimination in the legal and carceral systems, Dellit volunteers as a peer mentor at Illinois Youth Center-Chicago, helping prepare students for college. She also serves in a leadership role with Northwestern’s Undergraduate Prison Education Partnership.

As a multiracial Vietnamese American, she is interested in comparative race studies and transracial coalition building. At Northwestern, she is double majoring in legal studies and Black studies in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and has completed a certificate in civic engagement.

After she graduates, Dellit plans to pursue a law degree at an institution that holds a similar standard of having race-centered programs to create a holistic and community-centric educational approach that can be translated into her mission to abolish capital punishment.

“I have worked with and been in community with people impacted by the inequity and violence of incarceration within my family, at my local shelter and at the juvenile detention centers,” she said. “As I continue this summer to learn from those most impacted by the carceral state through my internship with the Tennessee Post Conviction Defender’s Office — assisting in providing legal care for incarcerated persons on death row — I hope to harness the momentum of this scholarship to honor all those who have supported and put their trust in me.”

The Truman Scholarship, awarded to a small number of college juniors each year, recognizes outstanding academic achievement combined with exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector. Each scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

“Kaylyn and Anna have already made a profound impact in their home communities, on our campus and around the world,” said Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe, director of the Office of Fellowships. “Although raised in different states and enrolled in different schools at Northwestern, they share a vision of public service that depends upon understanding U.S. policy issues in international context.

“Both women worked on their Truman policy proposals while studying abroad, Ahn in Ecuador and Dellit in Vietnam. Their shared commitment to improve American lives reflects their embrace of a sophisticated, global perspective paired with pragmatic, local, problem-solving acumen that leaves leaders twice their age in awe.”

With Ahn and Dellit, there are now 22 Northwestern students who have earned a Truman Scholarship. They join a community of more than 3,500 Truman Scholars named since the first awards in 1977.

Any Northwestern student interested in pursuing scholarship and fellowship opportunities can contact the Office of Fellowships to learn more.

Editor’s Picks

Redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn to begin this summer

‘the night watchman’ named next one book selection, the healing powers of theater, related stories.

Northwestern named top Fulbright producing institution for the 20th year

Scholar-activist nia robles del pino named 2024 global rhodes scholar, shae murphy receives obama-chesky voyager scholarship.

Jeffrey Yuan

by vls0546 | Apr 11, 2024 | Student Feature

Conference Travel Grant

Please provide the tile and a brief summary of your research/conference presentation. Learngle: Addition of an Analytics Dashboard to a Study Resource for the Clinical Informatics Board Exam

Learngle is an educational resource for clinical informatics that healthcare professionals use to prepare for the Clinical Informatics Board Exam. As of the 2023 exam cycle, we have over 50 user subscriptions and a 100% exam success rate. Learngle has a rich array of features that all actively contibute to the automation of generation of the most upto date information, provide detailed user performance analytics, and the utilization of a comprehensive ML algorithm to determing the optimal inter-repitition interval for each item in our educational resources.

What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular? I initially became interested in my project when I found out about the field of clinical informatics. I had always wanted to integrate my interests in informatics and information theory with healthcare, and clinical informatics was my way to do so. I developed this project in order to increase the presence of this field, as with the evolving pool of technologies, understanding and implementing these resources are going to be critical for the future of patient care. This project serves to be an educational resource for healthcare professionals, whether it’s for their own personal education or for their preparation for the Clinical Informatics Board Exam.

What conference(s) did you present at and how did you find out about them? I presented at the American Medical Informatics Association 2024 Informatics Summit. I found out about the conference through my lab at the Massachusetts General Hospital

What was it like presenting at a conference? Anything that you didn’t expect? It was a great experience to be at the conference and see all the work that is being done with all the new technologies and data that are available in the healthcare scene. The conference was 4 days long, with a keynote speaker, oral presentations, expert panels, and poster sessions every day, but everything was something new that I hadn’t seen before. I didn’t expect for everyone to be so open to having conversations with me and connecting me with their colleagues, as I was definitely the minority as an undergraduate in such a highly acclaimed conference.

Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in presenting at a conference one day? I had a 30 minute oral presentation and systems demonstration. This initially made me nervous as I was expected to fill up the whole 30 minutes, so I had written up a script that I was memorizing and had planned out every action that I would take during my presentation. However, after actually getting into the presentation, I found that I had begun ignoring my script and premade plans, making me feel more comfortable on stage as everything came out naturally and not as if I was reciting a speech or reading a script. I would recommend that you don’t write up a comprehensive script and only develop a rough outline of everything you want to cover. You are the expert of your research so just go up and enjoy the experience.

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Brayboy, Bang to Chair One Book One Northwestern

Dean Bryan Brayboy (left) and Megan Bang are co-chairs of the One Book  One Northwestern program  for 2024-25

School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan Brayboy and Professor Megan Bang, director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, will serve as 2024-2025 co-chairs for for One Book One Northwestern.

The 2024-25 selection is The Night Watchman , Louise Erdrich’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a fictional tribal leader who stands up to Congress when, in the 1950s, the U.S. government sought to disband tribes and take their land.

The book tells the story of tribal chairman Thomas Wazhashk, a night watchman for a factory where women of the Turtle Mountain Band, his niece Patrice among them, make Bulova watches and Defense Department ordnances with drill bits made of gemstones.

Charged with guarding the gems from theft, Wazhashk spends his long shifts keeping up with his work as leader of the tribal council and comes to realize the hidden objective of a bill proposed by Congress. If passed, the “termination bill” would overturn long-standing Native American tribal rights.

The book “reflects many important rich dimensions of history, community, family and more broadly human experience on the 100-year anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act,” Bang said.

“I hope the book and the programming next year helps ignite our imaginations about what the next 100 years could and should be as we delve into all of the complexities Erdrich has masterly woven in her novel.” 

All incoming first-year and transfer students will receive a physical or electronic copy of the book. Students are encouraged to read the book to promote thought-provoking and authentic conversations across campus. There will also be a variety of University-wide programming surrounding the book.

“Louise Erdrich is not only an incredible writer, but she is also a remarkable storyteller,” Brayboy said. “All her books, and especially ‘The Night Watchman,’ help readers understand the human condition, the suffering and true stories of resistance attached to policies like termination. I love this book.”

Read more on Northwestern Now.

• News & Publications
• Deering Library to be renovated

Deering Library to be renovated beginning June 2024

This investment is about creating a space where campus and community can come together to share ideas and work together across disciplines.”

Xuemao Wang Dean of Libraries

Deering Library, which has enchanted students, scholars, and visitors for more than 90 years, is slated for a major renovation that will markedly improve the facility while preserving its history.  

After years of planning, the renovation will begin in June, following commencement. The work will include the renovation of select prominent public spaces and upgrades to attendant infrastructure. There will be no public access to Deering Library during construction, which is expected to conclude in September 2025.  

“This renovation underscores Northwestern Libraries’ commitment to research and collaboration,” said Xuemao Wang, Dean of Libraries and Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian. “This investment is about creating a space where campus and community can come together to share ideas and work together across disciplines.”  

The Deering Library renovation is being funded entirely by philanthropic gifts. The project will focus on the renovation and restoration of the Eloise W. Martin Reading Room, the third-floor lobby, and room 208. These spaces will see restored woodwork, furnishings, and flooring, as well as retrofitted historic lighting, technology upgrades, and furniture. The work in the Martin Reading Room will include the removal of all non-original, free-standing bookshelves, creating space for more seating. Room 208 will be re-worked to serve as both a reading room and an event space, providing the Libraries and campus with another much-needed gathering space. The project will also improve accessibility in the building by adding a new elevator and renovating restrooms.

During construction, the Libraries will take all available measures to make library collections and services readily available. Although there will be no public access to Deering Library for the duration of the work, library staff will be able to retrieve requested books and research materials. Circulating materials from the Art and Asian Languages collections will be available by request via the NUsearch library for pick-up at the University Library circulation desk or delivery to faculty offices. Access to the holdings of the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives will be made available in a temporary reading room in University Library. Additionally, the Libraries will provide more quiet study spaces in University Library to compensate for the closure of the Martin Reading Room, one of the most popular quiet study spaces on campus.

Responses to frequently asked questions and updates about the project will be posted on an ongoing basis at  libraries.nu/deering .

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PROGRAM IN GLOBAL HEALTH STUDIES

Ghs faculty members sarah rodriguez and sokhieng au each awarded nu undergraduate research grant.

October 24, 2023