Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies Continuum Magazine - 2007 by Northwestern University School of Professional Studies

the maga zine of the Northwestern universit y school of continuing studies

Continuum Spring 2007

contents Green town, summer in the city 2 An innovative program explores environmental sustainability in and around Chicago

Continuum is published by the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies for its students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. Editors: Brad Farrar, Tom Fredrickson, Margaret McCarthy

Going global 7 Today SCS draws students not just from Chicago but also from China and the Middle East

Designer: Vickie Lata

Rx for medical education 10 SCS’s prehealth professional programs keep pace with changes in the health care industry — and blaze new trails as well

Writer: Leanne Star Photos: Kevin Weinstein, Sally Ryan, Steve Anzaldi Photo montage of the CIty Hall roof

departments

garden on page 4 by Dennis Light/Light Photographic. Back cover:

Student profile: Terence Rau 16 7 Faculty profile: Eric Fridman 18

Charles Whitaker, assistant professor of journalism and director of the Medill

SCS news 20 Scholarships for SCS students; new programs; Wieboldt Hall renovation update

School’s Academy of Alternative Journalism, teaches Advanced Feature Writing at SCS. The former senior editor of Ebony magazine was the 2004 Charles Deering McCormick

SCS people 23 News from alumni, students, and faculty

Views expressed in Continuum do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the University.

SCS

northwestern universit y school of continuing studies

From the dean

Dear SCS Friends, “SCS’s pulse is a little closer to society’s.” These words of Kimberly Gray, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern, could well sum up this issue of Continuum and the recent SCS initiatives highlighted within. Our lead story (pages 2–6) describes SCS’s pioneering Green City Summer Institute, an exploration of efforts in and around the city of Chicago to design and support environmentally sound practices and communities. Drawing on the expertise of the Northwestern faculty and local professionals, the institute addresses issues in a way that no other school or program has. SCS’s programs for students pursuing careers in health care professions have a longstanding reputation for quality and rigor. And as these professions change, so does SCS — a point demonstrated in the suite of articles on pages 10–15. Our curriculum reflects the variety of career options available in the field today. Among the most exciting is medical informatics, a marriage of medicine and information technology that promises to revolutionize patient care. SCS’s innovative master’s degree program, offered in partnership with Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, is offered both on site and online, matching course content and educational method to put students on the cutting edge of the cutting edge. Another new area where SCS has found success is in customized education programs for business people — both in local institutions and from much farther afield. In one recent example (described on pages 7–9) SCS adapted an existing English-language program to the needs of a group of city administrators from Beijing. That the Chinese delegation chose SCS over other programs speaks to the success of these efforts and of our increasing international reach. The international flavor of SCS is also evident in the profile of student Terence Rau (pages 16– 17), who recounts his amazing journey from Asia to SCS. While his story is singular, Terence shares with so many of our students a vision of the future that is best reached through SCS. Every school is a laboratory for the future, and every dean hopes important work is being done in his or her lab. I believe an important gauge of our success at SCS is how closely the work of our students, faculty members, and alumni mirrors and anticipates the needs of society. And based on the evidence in this magazine, I am proud of the progress we are making. Sincerely,

Thomas F. Gibbons, Dean May 2007

Spring 2007 Continuum 1

SCS focus

Green town, summer in the city Environmental institute showcases Chicago

Like most things green, it started with a seed— actually, a few seeds and a little crosspollination.

collaboration between SCS’s Summer A common interest in sustainability Session and the Robert R. McCormick The Ford building also supplied an important link School of Engineering and Applied when its project manager directed Teterycz to a Science grew into Northwestern’s inaugural Northwestern faculty member, Kimberly Gray, Green City Summer Institute, three days of professor of civil and environmental engineering at presentations and field trips highlighting the McCormick and a specialist on a wide array of topics practice and promise of sustainability. ranging from alternative energy to urban redevelop“The original seed came from Jack Clegg, ment to natural systems such as wetlands and the Great who was overseeing our landLakes. Gray, who has long advocated scape design program,” says Stephanie for more environmentally based Don’t miss the 2007 Teterycz, director of Summer Session. classes at Northwestern, embraced the Green City Summer “He brought the idea to the table, we idea of a summer institute and agreed Institute began gathering information, and we to serve as its academic leader. “Years found that the Chicago area offered ago I began lobbying the University A Field Study in Chicago: a plethora of resources for studying to become more interested in the area Past, Present, and Future environmental issues.” of sustainability,” says Gray, who has August 2–4 One of those resources was right conducted research on how to harness For more information, on the Evanston campus. The Ford light energy to catalyze reactions to see www.scs.northwestern Motor Company Engineering Design attack pollutants or make chemical .edu/summernu/programs Center, completed in October 2005 fuels. “Summer Session was the /greencity.cfm. to house the McCormick School’s perfect place to nurture interest in design-focused programs, was the first sustainability. SCS’s pulse is a little University building to gain certificacloser to society’s.” tion from the U.S. Green Building Council under Gray recruited other Northwestern experts to pre its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental sent information on their specialties, while Teterycz Design) Rating System. The building, which had to contacted the city of Chicago for the names of commeet national benchmarks for environmental sustainmunity activists, architects, and urban planners. Soon ability in five key areas — site development, water savthe program had an impressive roster of presenters and ings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor an inspired format for studying environmental issues environmental quality — provided the ideal home base in summertime Chicago: a mix of presentations in the for the institute.

2 Continuum Spring 2007

Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, with field trips to relevant sites in and around Chicago — all built around the theme of the past, present, and future state of the environment. “We took advantage of Chicago’s well-earned reputation as one of America’s greenest cities,” says Teterycz, noting that the city has pledged to lead the nation in the urban environmental movement. “Partnering with the city of Chicago was very gratifying.” Teterycz took a green approach to marketing the summer institute, too, using mostly electronic media that depleted neither forests nor the program budget. The institute attracted an eager and eclectic group of 32 participants that included an educator from the Shedd Aquarium, a vice president of strategic planning, a botanist, a master gardener, professors, a real estate appraiser, architects, a rabbi, an academic program manager, a city project manager, and a graduate student in civil engineering. Participant Keith Bodger (see accompanying article) says that the group enjoyed great camaraderie because of their common interest in green cities. Bodger adds that he had been waiting for a program like this to appear: “There wasn’t anything like this out there. I received cutting-edge information that I can use in my work.” The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center was a fitting home for the Green City Summer Institute, given its LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Spring 2007 Continuum 3

City Hall’s roof garden (left) is a symbol and proof of Chicago’s place as one of America’s greenest cities.

Factories and fishing, side by side

August 9 was Day 1 of the program, which focused on “The Big Picture and the Past.” The group hit the ground running, with several hours of presentations from Gray, who spoke on “Sustainability: Fad or Necessity,” and three others. Henry Binford, associate professor of history at the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and at SCS, discussed the role of nature in shaping cities. David Lentz, vice president of scientific affairs and senior scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, explored the effect of 12,000 years of climate change and human activities on plant life in Illinois. Carla Ng, a PhD candidate in chemical and biological engineering at McCormick, spoke on “Green City, Brown Lake” — restoration strategies for sustainable ecosystems in an evolving biological landscape.

Participants then piled into a bus for a site visit to the Calumet region in far south Chicago, an area that has come almost full circle ecologically. Once one of the largest and most diverse natural wetland complexes in lower North America, the Calumet region began, with the industrial boom of the mid-1800s, to produce the building blocks of a growing nation: steel, brick, glass, paint, and petroleum products. More than a century later the result was a 15,000-acre brownfield of abandoned industrial sites and noxious landfills, intermingled with the remnants of a highly endangered ecosystem. In June 2000 the city and state partnered to launch the Calumet Initiative,

4 Continuum Spring 2007

with the mission of rehabbing both the region’s open space parcels and its economy to demonstrate that ecological and economic restoration can occur in a complementary process. What the Green City participants saw — a mix of wetlands, prairies, industrial sites, and neighborhoods — impressed them. “People were fishing,” says Bodger, “and an auto parts factory was being built next to an auto plant to minimize transport.” Picnic in the city

The second day of the program —

“The Present” — began with a presentation by Evanston architect Nathan Kipnis 2 on sustainable architecture and a talk by transportation expert Joseph Schofer, professor of civil and environmental engineering at McCormick, titled “Transportation, Location, and Sustainable Urban Travel.” Then it was on to downtown Chicago for a visit to City Hall’s rooftop garden, the first such green roof on a municipal building in the United States and one of 200 planted roofs in Chicago that help cool the city and reduce the amount of storm water entering the sewer system. The next stop turned Chicago’s motto, Urbs in Horto (or “city in a garden”), into “garden in the city.” City Farm is a 1-1/2 acre organic farm on a once-vacant lot near Clybourn Avenue and Division Street. Because most Chicago soil contains lead, the ground is covered with three feet of composted soil, moved from the farm’s first location on the city’s South Side. According to City Farm founder Ken Dunn, who spoke to partici-

pants, Chicago has 90,000 vacant lots, totaling 10,000 acres. With City Farm as a model, the idea is that, as lots become developed and communities grow, the composted soil will be moved and reused. Compost for City Farm is generated by a dozen of the city’s finest restaurants (hotspots like Frontera Grill and Scoozi!), which in turn purchase the produce grown on the farm. Their chefs are thrilled with the range and quality of the produce — 30 varieties of tomatoes as well as beets, carrots, potatoes, gourmet lettuces, herbs, and melons — as were the Green City participants, who feasted on a picnic lunch that featured the farm’s offerings. After lunch the group made its way to the West Side to visit the Center for Green Technology, a cityowned, mixed-use facility reborn from a former industrial building and dumping ground. When the Center for Green Technology was inaugurated in 2002, it was one of only five buildings in the country to receive the highest LEED rating of Platinum (the Ford building is Silver); currently there are 20 Platinum buildings in the United States. Kevin Pierce, then a principal architect for Farr Associates, the firm that designed the building, led participants on a tour that highlighted sustainable practices: the extensive use of recycled or salvaged materials; water-storage cisterns and a green roof to minimize run-off and irrigate native plants; and a ground-source heat/cooling pump

system that includes 28 vertical wells drilled 200 feet into the earth. “It was inspiring,” says Bodger. “It caused us to examine how we live our lives.”

Participants in SCS’s Green CIty Summer Institute explored the past, present, and future of sustainability in the Chicago area:

From wetland to brownfield, the Calumet region has charted the environmental impact of industrialization. Now, thanks to the Calumet Initiative, the area is home to a mix of wetlands, prairies, industrial sites, neighborhoods — and even a rare yellowwinged blackbird. Photos by Rob Curtis.

Some of Chicago’s best restaurants provide compost for the City Farm and reap a harvest of high-quality produce in return. Photos by Janel Laban.

Built on what was once a rubble-strewn industrial site, the Center for Green Technology employs recycled building materials, solar panels, smart lighting, and a green roof — and is home to companies with an environmental bent. Photos © Farr Associates Architecture | Planning | Preservation, Chicago, Illinois.

Spring 2007 Continuum 5

A Green Cit y a lumnus puts new idea s to work Keith Bodger was not playing hooky from work when he spent three days in August picnicking, strolling through prairies, and taking in the scenery from a rooftop garden. In fact, Bodger’s employer sponsored his participation in Northwestern’s Green City Summer Institute, which included thoughtprovoking lectures on sustainability along with the picnicking (see accompanying article). Bodger, a senior environmental specialist at Nicor Gas, the Northern Illinois natural gas distribution company, says he Keith Bodger is eager to implement in his workplace the ideas he picked up at the summer program. “Seeing how rubber tires were recycled at the Chicago Center for Green Technology made me think about how we can recycle plastic pipe at Nicor,” says Bodger, who has worked at the company since 2001. “We can also do things like retrofitting lighting to be more energy efficient. Nicor’s already planting prairies — eight acres last year in Naperville and Elgin.” As pleased as he is with his company’s interest in the environment, Bodger is practical: “I have to take the emotion out of it and present sustainability to the company as a sound business move.” Bodger has a long-standing interest in the environment and in Northwestern. In 1995, two years after moving to Chicago from his home near Ottawa, Bodger, who had earned an associate’s degree in geotechnical engineering in Canada, began taking classes at SCS while working at a consulting firm. By 2000 Bodger had earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. “After I finished at Northwestern I couldn’t wait to go back to school,” says Bodger, but his busy work and family schedule kept him from doing so until last summer, when he heard about the Green City institute. “My boss was very interested in what I learned at the institute, and we’ve been meeting with key personnel at Nicor to plant the seeds for new approaches to environmental issues,” says Bodger, who believes that what he learned in the program will further develop his career. At Nicor, Bodger works on maintaining environmental compliance. He leads classes for employees on topics such as spill response and is involved in committees that write regulations, including the Illinois underground storage tank regulations, which were rewritten in 2003 with the participation of stakeholders like Nicor. Bodger is also the author of a book, Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling, published in 2003. As knowledgeable as Bodger is about environmental issues, the summer institute introduced him to several firsts. “I had read about LEED–certified buildings, but I had never been in one,” says Bodger, who noted details like minimal drywall and recycled glass steps in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, where classes were held. “I had never seen a green roof before,” says Bodger, “and now we’re thinking of doing it at Nicor.” The biggest surprise for Bodger was City Farm: “I was amazed at what they’re doing in the middle of downtown Chicago. Ken Dunn [the founder of City Farm] is making a real difference.” And, says Bodger, the picnic lunch prepared from organic City Farm produce was “outstanding.”

6 Continuum Spring 2007

Development on the prairie

On the final day the topic was “The Future.” To catch a glimpse of what that might hold, the group traveled to far north suburban Grayslake to stroll through Prairie Crossing, a self-identified “Conservation Com munity.” The 10-year-old development mixes 359 single-family homes and 36 condominiums with shared open land — in the same space that might have motivated a conventional developer to erect thousands of homes. Designed to combine responsible development, the preservation of open land, and easy commuting by rail, Prairie Crossing is Prairie Crossing now considered by many to be a national example of how to design communities to support a better way of life. “Going to Prairie Crossing opened my eyes,” says Gray, who confessed that before she visited the development she thought its status as a green community might have been hype. “Learning the history of it and understanding all the obstacles that had to be overcome to develop it, I came away with a new appreciation for what’s involved in creating and marketing a sustainable community.” The entire program was an eye-opener for Teterycz. “The Green City Summer Institute was a tremendous learning experience for me,” says Teterycz, who in addition to being an administrator is a graduate student in organizational change at the School of Education and Social Policy and was able to use her summer experience for field research. “It went beyond doing my job. It stimulated my interest in the field. We talked about what we could do to make our lives more sustainable — on a personal level, a corporate level, a community level.” For presenter Kipnis, variety was the spice of the institute. “The neat thing about it was that the participants and the presenters all had varied backgrounds. The mix of lectures and field trips gave an overview of the subject, a nice snapshot of sustainable practices in the past, present, and future,” says Kipnis. “I haven’t seen another program on sustainability as comprehensive as the Green City Summer Institute.” Teterycz is already gearing up for this summer, when the institute will be repeated but with new site visits and the latest information. “I’m thinking about what we can do to make the program itself greener,” says Teterycz. “Definitely less plastic with the catering.”

Going global SCS expands international ties

“Dear Mayor Daley,” begins the letter dated May 17, 2006. “We are a group of 22 civil servants from different departments of the Beijing Municipal Government. We are currently studying English at North western University School of Continuing Studies in order to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games.” The group ends the letter by inviting Mayor Richard M. Daley to meet with the class, sweetening the deal by promising to supply tips on how Chicago might win its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. On June 29 Mayor Daley welcomed the group to City Hall. The courses taken by the Beijing municipal employees represent one of several ways SCS has expanded its outreach far beyond the Chicago area to create global ties. “Increasingly, SCS is seeking to offer programs or courses with an international focus, reflecting the University-wide commitment to offer programs that span the globe and promote cross-cultural understanding,” says Peter Kaye, assistant dean for undergraduate and credit professional programs at SCS.

Language skills help professionals advance

SCS developed a customized program to fit the needs of the Chinese delegation based on its Professional English Communication series, formerly known as English as a Second Language for Professionals. Leading SCS’s efforts in this area is Julia Moore, who holds a three-way appointment at SCS, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Northwestern’s Graduate School. At the Graduate School she runs the International Summer Institute, which provides intensive language instruction for international PhD students. Moore directs classes and tutoring yearround. She earned a PhD in linguistics from Northwestern in 2004 and specializes in language acquisition, pedagogy, and pragmatics. Moore helped develop a roster of seven courses in the Professional English Communication series aimed at Chicago-area professionals in business, medicine, research, and academia who have intermediate to advanced proficiency in English. “Communication is important in the workplace,” says Moore. “Even small talk and socializing play a part. Our students know that refining their English skills will help them advance in their work.” The classes, which emphasize speaking rather than reading and writing English, are a lively mix of role playing and interactive exercises designed to promote practice. “If you walk into a class you’ll hear the students speaking to one another, with the professors providing feedback,” says Moore. “Our goal is comprehensibility and effective communication. We don’t want students to get hung up on perfect pronunciation. We try to let them hear the difference in intonation through repetition and correction.”

Left: Julia Moore Below: Joann Dobbie, SCS director of corporate education (left), with students Zhu Linyan (center) and Xu Lu (right). Bottom right: The Beijing municipal employees visit Mayor Richard M. Daley at City Hall.

Welcoming visitors with a customized curriculum

In addition to regularly scheduled courses, SCS tailors special offerings to visiting groups, like the Chinese delegation that visited last spring. SCS also developed an intensive program last summer for a group of five police officers from the United Arab Emirates. The program included specialized vocabulary that included the nomenclature of accident investigation and traffic engineering. By fall the five were equipped to join native English speakers in classes at Northwestern’s Center for Public Safety, where they will complete their course work in police traffic management in June. “Having SCS bring ESL instruction to this group made a big difference,” says Alexander Weiss, director of the Center for Public Safety. “In the future we hope to include this as part of our program for international visitors.” Because Chinese speakers make up the largest group in the Professional English Communication series, SCS instructors already had a good grasp of the issues involved in teaching English to the municipal workers from Beijing. “Pitch is important in both Chinese and English,” says Moore. “But in Chinese pitch operates at the level of individual words — these are called tones. In English we use changes in pitch at the sentence level — intonation — to carry meaning, some of which is also conveyed in social cues. This takes some getting used to for non-English speakers.”

SCS’s experience teaching English to Chinese speakers was one of the factors that led Chinese officials to select Northwestern from a group of 12 schools originally considered; the Chicago setting was another plus. Gearing up for the 2008 Olympic Games, the government of Beijing wanted to ramp up training for municipal workers who will have increased communications in English with international visitors. SCS also had the advantage of working with “a wonderful group of partners,” says Moore. International Student Friendship Chicago provided weeklong home stays with host families for complete immersion in English. Licheng Gu, chair of Chinese language and literature in Northwestern’s Department of African and Asian Languages, arranged for American students learning Chinese to meet with the visitors. Volunteers from the Northwestern chapter of the Community Council for International Students and from SCS’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute also provided important support. Practicing English in the Windy City

The Chinese municipal workers arrived in April and spent 13 weeks in the United States. Most of their time was devoted to the SCS program, but they also fit in a 10-day tour to a few national highlights: Yellowstone National Park, New York City, and Washington, D.C. At SCS’s new Loop space at 210 South Clark Street, they took classes in listening and translation, conversation, pronunciation, and presentations. “It’s a wonderful facility, with state-of-the-art classrooms and beautiful views of downtown Chicago,” says Moore.

The program was customized for the specific needs of the group. Translation skills were emphasized because, says Moore, “when they return to Beijing they will be the English experts in their departments, called on to translate.” To accommodate differences in proficiency, they were divided into small groups for some subjects, like pronunciation. An extra-long break was scheduled at lunch to allow students time for the nap often built into the Chinese school day. On Fridays the students received one-on-one tutoring and took a project-based learning class that included numerous field trips, like a visit to a Borders bookstore to look for nouns and verbs. The group also enjoyed a tour of Chicago’s architecture and activities organized by their instructors. Z. J. Tong, who taught their listening and translation class, planned a party, and another instructor arranged for the group to attend the opera Nixon in China. “All of the instructors helped make Chicago a second home for the students,” says Moore. It was an in-class writing exercise that spurred the students to invite Mayor Daley to meet with them. During the visit to City Hall that resulted, the mayor delivered a short address to the delegation in which he recounted a recent visit to Beijing and commented upon Chicago’s efforts to increase awareness of Chinese culture. The students discussed the city’s government with Eileen Hubbard, director of the Office of Protocol, and shared their experiences in Beijing’s government with her. A look at City Hall’s rooftop gardens provided

an opportunity for a member of Beijing’s Bureau of Environmental Services to converse with her Chicago counterpart. “The visit with the mayor was wonderful because it came at the end of the program,” says Moore, “and the students were able to use all the skills they had developed over the past three months to speak about topics specific to their interests.” Moore says she was very happy with the prog“ Communication is important ress the group made. “I in the workplace. Even small saw a wonderful improvement in their English. talk and socializing play a They now have a broader, part. Our students know that more international perspective.” She adds that refining their English skills the experience was equally will help them advance.” valuable for SCS. “We learned a great deal about logistics that will be helpful in hosting other groups.” Moore is exploring English tutoring options for business professionals from Argentina and continues to work with international law students from China, Israel, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. During their months in Chicago the Chinese municipal workers formed strong bonds with their instructors and with the city, says Moore. “When they arrived they were homesick for China. When they left they were homesick for Chicago.”

Rx for medical education SCS offerings mirror trends in health care

10 Continuum Spring 2007

Advice for those considering a career in health care

Jocelyn Hirschman he practice of medicine More paths to a career in medicine “I like the idea of taking small steps. in the United States has The options for those interested in If there’s a voice in your head saying changed in many ways health care professions are multi‘Be a doctor,’ start with a class or over the last quarter century — an plying at SCS. Chief among these two. That voice spoke louder to me in upsurge in managed care, increased options is Northwestern’s Professional my 30s than it did in my 20s.” use of information technology, a Health Careers Professional Developproliferation of high-tech diagnostic ment Program, which consists of four Vu Le and therapeutic tools — but one concentrations that prepare students "If you’re thinking deep down thing has barely budged: the numto apply to schools of that becoming a doctor is your ber of medical school graduates. In • medicine and related professions calling, give it a shot, but don’t quit 1980 U.S. medical schools graduated — dentistry, veterinary medicine, your day job. One class will give you 16,935 new physicians, versus 15,925 physician assistant, pharmacy, an idea of how hard it is and whether in 2006 — a 6 percent decrease that osteopathy, and podiatry this will work in your life’s plan. Even coincided with a 32 percent increase • physical therapy students who took premed classes years ago will want to retake science in the U.S. population. • nursing classes before taking the MCAT.” Does this mean that the nation • clinical psychology is experiencing a severe shortage of Other career possibilities lie in doctors? Not necessarily. For one the rapidly growing field of medithing, graduates of foreign medical cal informatics, a hybrid discipline schools represent about one in four physicians practicing in that merges information technology with the practice of the United States. For another, the responsibilities of health medicine to improve patient care. Northwestern’s Master care professionals have shifted, with physician assistants of Science in Medical Informatics (MMI) degree program, and nurse practitioners assuming some of the duties once founded in 2006 and based on the Chicago campus, now restricted to physicians. offers an option for online study, giving students who live Nevertheless, the Association of American Medical thousands of miles away access to this nationally recognized Colleges (AAMC) reports mounting evidence that suggests program (see accompanying article). current trends will culminate in a shortage of physicians SCS’s approach to medical education dovetails with within the next few decades. The AAMC further points out changes in medical practice and education. “Increasingly, existing shortages in particular specialties and underserved medical schools aren’t limiting their admissions to biology populations. But because enrollment numbers in medical majors as they had in the past,” says Peter Kaye, assistant schools are nationally regulated, an increase in the number dean for undergraduate and credit professional programs of available slots may be years away. at SCS. “Now they’re drawing on a candidate pool with What this means is that anyone hoping to gain admismore diverse experience — which fits nicely with what sion to medical school in the immediate future will have we’re doing at SCS.” The varied backgrounds of SCS’s to vie for about the same number of openings as far fewer premedical students enrich the classes, says Kaye, citing candidates did a generation ago. Last year approximately some of their fields: law, social work, psychology, software 39,000 applicants competed for 17,000 slots, making the programming, physics, finance, and microbiology. odds of getting into medical school less than 1 in 2. What Even with that diverse experience, these budding docis a would-be doctor to do? tors must still meet the same prerequisites for admission to

Spring 2007 Continuum 11

medical school as the biology majors with whom they compete. That often entails going back to school, typically in a postbaccalaureate premedical program, to study subjects like biochemistry. Of postbaccalaureate premedical programs listed on the AAMC web site, Northwestern’s is highlighted for its focus on career changers. (For the story of one such career changer, read the accompanying profile of student Vu Le, an experienced mechanical engineer about to enter dental school.) “For some it’s not only a career change but a life change,” says Kaye. “Their interest in medicine might be precipitated by incidents in their lives.” These career changers also tend to be older than the freshly minted college graduates who represented most medical school enrollees in the past but who today make up only about half of entering classes. “Being older can be a plus,” says Kaye. “Life experience helps physicians relate to patients.” Almost a third of current applicants are between 24 and 27, and 16 percent are older than 27. Students in this category are sometimes referred to as “nontraditional” — a label that not so long ago referred to women and minorities applying to medical school. Jocelyn Hirschman, a veteran of SCS’s premedical program who began medical school last fall (see accompanying profile), said that at age 34 she expected to be the oldest in her medical school class — but discovered that one of her classmates was 44. In addition to their diverse professional backgrounds, SCS premed students represent varied geographic territory. “The publicity about the program on the AAMC web site attracted national and international interest,” says Carolyn Feller, an academic counselor at SCS. Feller says that students from throughout the country, including California, Colorado, and Georgia, have relocated to the Chicago area to attend Northwestern’s program and that inquiries have come from China, India, Ireland, Korea, and Turkey. What attracts these far-flung students to Northwestern’s premedical programs? “Northwestern’s reputation and the rigorous curriculum are primary reasons,” says Feller, “but SCS’s flexibility is equally important.” Because most classes are held at night on the Evanston campus, where lab space is available, students can keep their day jobs. A prospective student might choose to test the waters with a single course as a student at large or apply to enroll in a premed professional development program. Enrolling in the program qualifies students for federal financial aid

12 Continuum Spring 2007

and allows them use of the recommendation file service when applying to medical school. Another option might be to earn a second bachelor’s degree in a subject like human biology. A sense of community

Kaye says that a big draw for premeds at SCS is their sense of community, and he believes they deserve the credit for this. “They’re very supportive of one another. One of the best aspects of the program is the student group. I applaud them for their energy and initiative.” That student group, Northwestern University Pre-health Professionals (NUPP), identifies itself as “a community dedicated to the successful admission of its members into programs that lead to careers in medical, health, and veterinary practice.” To that end, students share relevant information and meet to hear speakers on topics of interest. Some of what students share might be tips on applying to medical school, suggestions for presenting themselves during the requisite interviews, and — something that looms very large — how to do well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). “Numbers aren’t the whole story,” says Feller, “but students who get into medical school usually score 30 or higher on the MCAT and have a GPA of 3.5 or above.” No figures are available for how SCS premed students score on the MCAT, but Hirschman says that her score shot up by seven points after she took classes at SCS, as measured against two earlier attempts. Kaye says that the rigor of the curriculum prepares students for more than that important exam. “After taking the MCAT one student told me, ‘We were pushed so hard in organic chemistry that I knew all the material.’” Kaye says that in addition to being rigorous the SCS curriculum offers some unique opportunities, including the only undergraduate anatomy class at Northwestern. He adds that SCS pays attention to what medical schools want, such as more emphasis on biochemistry. “The strength and rigor of our program fit into our larger mission, which is to make top-quality education available to those who might not otherwise have access to it,” says Kaye. “Our hope is that it will open doors of possibility to our students — and that the medical com munity will benefit.”

Pre-premed: Time for experience before medical school About half of all medical students go straight

health degree to work doing infectious disease

wide range of backgrounds and their maturity.”

from college to medical school. For the other

surveillance for the Arizona Department of Public

Hirschman also praises the student group, NUPP.

half the path may be circuitous. “I thought

Health and studying how poverty influences

“The support of the community made the deci-

about medical school in college,” says Jocelyn

health outcomes at Chicago’s Sinai Urban Health

sion to go to medical school much easier.”

Hirschman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in

Institute.

The hardest decision for Hirschman, who

She liked epidemiology but felt she could

was accepted at several top medical schools,

Champaign in 1994, “but I wasn’t prepared to

do more as a doctor. To begin to realize that goal,

proved to be picking which school to attend.

go to school for another 10 years.” Apparently

she took general chemistry and physics at SCS

Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine

timing was everything for Hirschman. Last fall,

as a student at large.

a dozen years later — and rich with experience

“The classes made it

— she entered Northwestern’s Feinberg School

clear to me that this

of Medicine.

was what I wanted

biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-

The intervening years took Hirschman around

“ I felt very well prepared. I’m confident I can do this.”

to do,” says Hirschman, who went on to finish

won out. Hirschman notes that her friends at SCS also were accepted into their programs of choice in medicine, veterinary

medicine, and physical therapy. Her first day in medical school was “exciting

the world, first to New Orleans for a master’s

the Professional Health Careers Professional

degree in public health at Tulane University. For

Development Program with a concentration in

and a little scary,” but she soon discovered that

her capstone project in epidemiology she served

premedicine in two years.

her units in biochemistry and cell biology were

as a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso in

The environment at SCS enhanced her experi-

similar to what she had studied at SCS. “I felt

West Africa, training a management committee

ence. “It was good to be with others who were

very well prepared,” says Hirschman. “I’m confi-

at a small village health center in budgeting and

going through the same thing,” says Hirschman.

dent I can do this.”

program planning. Hirschman next put her public

“I really liked my fellow students, with their

Spring 2007 Continuum 13

SCS student chooses the road not taken — and it leads to dental school Vu Le was working 60-hour weeks as an auto-

undergraduate, he could have applied to medi-

Le applied some of his professional skills as a

motive engineer at a Ford assembly plant on

cal school after taking only two SCS courses,

team leader, matching committee members with

Chicago’s South Side when he revisited his

biology and organic chemistry. But Le found

specific responsibilities, clarifying accounting,

dream of a career in medicine. His sister, an

his classes so absorbing that he resigned from

and negotiating an agreement with Kaplan Test

endodontist, had previously prodded him to

his job to focus on his studies. “I thought the

Prep and Admissions — SCS had an existing

consider such a move, but at that time he lived

upper-level biology classes

in Michigan and had been unable to find a pre-

of the bachelor’s program

medical program that would allow him to con-

would help me stand out

tinue to work. When he moved to Chicago, he

from other applicants,”

discovered SCS. “It was exactly what I needed,”

says Le.

says Le, who plans to attend dental school after

One valuable source

he completes a bachelor’s degree in biology at

of information for Le was

Northwestern in June.

NUPP, the student organiza-

Le had earned bachelor’s and master’s

tion for pre-health profes-

“ If I graduate from dental school when I’m 40, I’ll still have 25 years to practice, and I’ll be doing work that I find truly satisfying.”

relationship with the Princeton Review — so that students could obtain discounts at both. NUPP also facilitates tutoring for premedical students. Le has no regrets about the effort it takes to switch careers. “I realized I didn’t want to do my old job for another 30 years,” says Le, who is 34. “If I graduate from

degrees in mechanical engineering and

sionals. “NUPP showed me

amassed years of experience in the automotive

how to be a more competitive applicant,”

dental school when I’m 40, I’ll still have 25 years

industry in Detroit when he and his wife relo-

says Le, who is now the group’s president.

to practice, and I’ll be doing work that I find

cated to Chicago in 2004. Because Le had taken

“They gave me a lot of information, and I

truly satisfying.”

many of the necessary premed courses as an

wanted to give something back.” To that end

14 Continuum Spring 2007

Medical informatics: High-tech help for healing Online option brings the classroom anywhere

he cutting edge of the cutting edge in health care can be found in SCS’s newest distance learning initiative, the online version of its rigorous Master of Science in Medical Informatics (MMI) program. Com bining information technology (IT) with medicine, the MMI program now offers students the choice between the classroom and the computer — anywhere in the world. Offered by SCS in partnership with the Feinberg School of Medicine, the 11-course MMI program received a Creative Credit Academic Program Award from the University Continuing Education Association in 2006. Students follow one of two entry tracks depending on whether their backgrounds are in health care or IT. Program director David Liebovitz has expertise in both areas — he majored in electrical engineering before attending medical school — and serves as chief medical informatics officer for the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and as medical director for clinical information systems at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Liebovitz is enthusiastic about how medical informatics can improve patient care and streamline administrative practices. “Medical informatics facilitates and guides medical decision making, increasing the probability of safe and effective care — it can help save lives by preventing medical errors,” says Liebovitz. “It also improves communication and acts as a bridge between patients and physicians. And it can save money — potentially billions of dollars annually.”

In Introduction to Clinical Thinking, an entry course geared to nonclinicians, Liebovitz addresses topics like the recording of medical information. “We look at how structured data differs from a free text and why it’s important to strike a balance between the two in presenting a patient narrative. Here’s an example: A 65-year-old woman returns from her niece’s wedding and sees that her feet are swollen; she’s also anxious and short of breath. The detail about the wedding — where she may have indulged in dietary indiscretions, such as too much salt — may provide an important direction for testing.” In a parallel entry track, Intro duction to Medical Informatics, students with clinical experience explore how IT applies to health care. One instructor for this course is Linda Salchenberger, associate dean of academics at SCS. Salchenberger, who earned a PhD in decision sciences, has published research on data mining and neural network applications in health care. Salchenberger says that the MMI program lends itself perfectly to its new online learning option, which began in January: “MMI students are highly motivated and very tech savvy. They’ll find this a natural way to learn.” She adds that online learning can serve local students with demanding work and travel schedules as well as those thousands of miles away. “Our audience of adult learners shouldn’t be constrained by geographic boundaries,” says Salchenberger. To reach that audience, SCS Dean Thomas F. Gibbons has

launched several distance-learning initiatives. “We’re experimenting with three different learning-delivery methodologies,” says Salchenberger. An undergraduate major in organization behavior, designed around the theme of leadership, blends classroom and online learning to cut face-to-face class time in half by adding online work. A noncredit course, Basics of Futures and Options Trading, gives students the choice between coming to class in person or participating in classes using web conferencing — an example of synchronous learning, where students connect at the same time, wherever they may be. The online option for the MMI program combines synchronous and asynchronous learning. Professors schedule weekly sessions with students using WebEx™ conferencing; the sessions are recorded and archived. Students can access other material and homework exercises at their convenience via Blackboard, an online course management program. The online option remains separate from the on-campus program, although students can transfer between them. Salchenberger says that as the technology becomes more sophisticated, SCS program planners hope to build more collaborative tools. “Our focus is on creating a good distance learning experience for students,” says Salchenberger. “No talking heads, no professors delivering canned lectures. We’re trying to recreate the environment of a real classroom.”

Spring 2007 Continuum 15

Student profile

When Terence Rau speaks of the “less linear” lives of SCS students, it quickly becomes clear his own life may be the ultimate example: Born in Singapore, Rau spent his early years — some of them homeless — in Indonesia and Malaysia before making a career in private security in various trouble spots throughout Asia. When his wife started law school in Chicago, Rau followed. At SCS he is completing a BSGS in political science this year with an eye to applying to law school. While taking classes he works as an options trader and personal fitness trainer.

What did you do before coming to SCS?

Why did you choose SCS?

There are private security companies that support

I was looking for a real education. I could have done

government agencies and private corporations in

it much quicker at other schools, but after weighing

their operations overseas, and I worked for one

the options and really looking at my life, I chose the

of these companies. These are often very volatile

program where I would be intellectually challenged

regions, and people can get themselves into trouble

and could get as much exposure to real academia as

— sometimes through their own actions, sometimes

I could.

as targets of indigenous groups waging political fights or simply kidnapping for money. I worked

Also, the value of a flexible program that allows

throughout Asia: Pakistan, India, northwestern

one to make a living while receiving the quality of

China on the border of Tajikistan — that was my

education that Northwestern provides is priceless.

last posting before coming to Chicago.

For all us SCS folk who experienced a “less linear” path in life, this program is a privilege.

How did this experience lead you to SCS? I came away not entirely convinced that these

What is the best thing about being a student

companies are the best way to solve a lot of the

at Northwestern?

problems they are called on to solve. At best we were

The professors. They not only facilitate a level of

bandages; we weren’t solving problems. I started

education that promotes critical thinking but also

looking for more long-term solutions, and I think a

introduce tools for continued self-education.

lot of it has to do with how countries are governed. Naturally these are huge, multidimensional

What have been your favorite classes?

challenges, but I began looking at where I could

I took the African survey class by Jeff Rice [history]

have the most impact. I knew I needed to go to

last summer and the anthropological cultural

law school — with a focus on comparative law or

survey of North Africa by Katherine Hoffman

comparative constitutional law — and that meant I

[anthropology] last spring. For a continent that

needed to brush up my academic credentials before

provides so much of the world’s resources, headlines,

applying.

engagement rings, and kids for celebrities, it does

16 Continuum Spring 2007

What’s your favorite thing about Chicago? Winter. (Kidding.) The opportunity to interact with Midwesterners. I have come to realize how different Chicagoans and Midwesterners are in their self-view, perception, and conception of America and its other regions as compared with Southerners. (I used to live in Texas and traveled extensively through the Southern states.) The local political scene, city infrastructure, and acquiescent class system as viewed through the experiences of my peers are fascinating. What book is on your nightstand? not command a proportionate share of intellectual

Snow by Orhan Parmuk (translated from

attention. That we have scholars like Rice, Hoffman,

Turkish). It’s a social and political commentary on

Georgi Derluguian [sociology], and Will Reno

Turkey (intentionally, superficially) couched in the

[political science] at Northwestern with both deep

style of a narrated travelogue. It reads like you’re

field and intellectual knowledge of Africa is a

watching a movie. Over the years the author has

testament to the justified national reputation of the

been in and out of jail for the political subtext of

University.

his works. The book provides excellent insight into the complexities of Turkish society and sovereign

Who are your favorite professors?

identity in the world community through the story

William Arndt [finance], Michelle Christensen

of a rural community. Even if politics and social

[political science], Liuba Kurtynova-Derluguian

commentary are not your cup of tea, it holds its own

[history], Georgi Derluguian, Tolga Esmer [history],

as a novel.

(if he visits again), Roshen Hendrickson [political science], Katherine Hoffman, Ian Hurd [political

What is your greatest achievement?

science], Deepasriya Sampath-Kumar [economics],

Ask me again when I’m 90.

Jerome Lassa [organizational behavior], Will Reno, Jeffery Rice, Torrey Shanks [political science], David Tully [political science]: Their classes have been engaging and challenging and allow you to stretch your mind as far as you want. These professors are also great communicators, possess interesting and diverse worldviews, and are accessible outside class. Their publications contain powerful ideas and offer rich bibliographies for further research. Spring 2007 Continuum 17

Faculty profile

An authentic teacher Eric Fridman riffs on the art of leadership

hen Franz Paul walked into Eric Fridman’s class last June, he thought he knew what to expect from Topics in Management: Leadership and Decision Making. “I thought we’d read about Patton or other military leaders,” says Paul, an options trader who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from SCS in December. He could not have been more wrong. Rather than study General George Patton, the class watched a routine by comedian George Carlin. Instead of PowerPoint presentations, students recited poems and belted out gospel music. “Eric approached the subject in an unexpected way,” says Paul. “When he first talked about the art of leadership and about authenticity, I had no idea how these would fit in. In the end I came away with a much deeper understanding of what leadership is. Out more than 20 classes I took at SCS, this was one of the very best.” It should come as no surprise that Paul’s instructor, a rookie at SCS but no novice in the classroom, hit one out of the park, or that his class is sure to be offered again, probably next fall. Fridman, assistant dean and director of marketing for executive education at the J. L. Kellogg School of Management, is a seasoned teacher and student of leadership, a subject he knows firsthand from more than 20 years as an executive in the telecommunications industry. “I think of leaders more as artists than generals or football coaches,” says Fridman. “Leaders must be creative to solve organizational issues. Like artists, they have to be able to improvise on the spot. I try to use the classroom as a studio, a creative environment where students not only learn about leadership but practice it.” In keeping with that goal, Fridman started the first class — without introducing himself —

18 Continuum Spring 2007

by asking a question: “How many of you have walked into a room where a group of people are sitting and waiting for you?” A few hands went up, and Fridman followed with another question: “OK, since you understand my situation, how should I start?” As students made suggestions — “You could tell a joke” — Fridman asked another question: “Why?” Soon the entire class was engaged in dialogue. The questions and dialogue at the heart of Fridman’s teaching reflect his background. “Most of my schooling was in the humanities,” says Fridman, who earned a master’s degree in general studies in the humanities at the University of Chicago, where he studied Chinese philosophy — he is proficient in Mandarin — and crafted a thesis on Ezra Pound. Fridman later earned an MBA from Kellogg. “Studying the Greeks and Plato gave me a lifelong appreciation for the Socratic method. One of the first skills I introduce to my students is how to engage in dialogue with another person.” Students in Fridman’s class quickly learned to expect the unexpected. They read Ellen Langer’s On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity and kept personal journals to identify obstacles that kept them from fulfilling their creative

potential. Why read Langer and explore mindfulness? “Mindfulness is a personal capacity leaders must cultivate,” says Fridman. “Most of us spend 90 percent of our time worrying about the past or future rather than paying attention to what’s happening right now. Multitasking is the antithesis of mindfulness; it prevents you from becoming the leader you can become.” Fridman led students through a series of exercises designed to help them experience the qualities of leadership. To learn about personal presence, Fridman asked students to select a reading of personal importance and present it to the class in a way that would establish a direct, emotional connection. One student brought a guitar and sang a blues song he wrote about his wife. Another read a citation for a friend in the Marines who lost his life in the Sudan, and one read an inspirational passage from a diet book. Fridman went last, reciting a William Carlos Williams poem, “Danse Russe.” Anyone wandering into Fridman’s classroom during moments like these might have wondered,

marketing and more like a class in cooking, painting, or sculpture, where instead of one right answer there are several.” Fridman’s approach to teaching leadership, with its emphasis on authenticity and creativity, may be unconventional, but it does not lack rigor. “Sometimes I had to remind myself that this was an undergraduate class,” says Paul. “He brought the intellectual rigor of a graduate business school program to the classroom.” Paul adds, “People responded eagerly to his teaching style. He truly listens and adds fresh ideas.” Fridman would call his teaching prowess simply being a good leader. He credits his SCS students for their willingness to engage and to see things in new ways: “SCS students are really hungry to learn. They believe their education will make a profound difference in their lives — and it will.” At home in Glenview, Fridman takes great pleasure in his family. He and his wife of 15 years are parents to an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, both of whom are following their dad’s lead by learning Chi-

“ I try to use the classroom as a studio, a creative environment where students not only learn about leadership but practice it.” What does this have to do with leadership? “Leaders must be authentic,” says Fridman. “Their actions have to be consistent with their personal values. Trust has to grow between leaders and followers.” When asked why trust is essential, Fridman gives a pointed answer: “Look at Enron.” The role of the leader, says Fridman, is to create an environment in which all factions can engage in candid dialogue and create solutions that give everyone something of what they want. “The best metaphor I can think of for leadership is the leader as a chef and the organization he leads as a pressure cooker,” says Fridman. “That’s why the leadership classroom comes to look less like a class in chemistry or algebra or even

nese. Fridman’s leisure pursuits, he says, are unremarkable. When asked about a creative outlet, however, he does not hesitate: “Teaching. That’s what I do for fun.” No wonder Fridman’s students are eager to follow this leader.

Spring 2007 Continuum 19

SCS news

Lab science degree focuses on quality, regulatory standards

The pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnology industries are moving at an increasingly rapid pace, with pressure to get new products to market quickly while assuring consumers and regulatory agencies that these products are effective and safe. Scientists in these fields are often forced to juggle the demands of consumers, government regulations, business, and science itself. A new SCS graduate program, the Master of Science in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Science (MQARS), aims to give these laboratory scientists the knowledge, expertise, and skills to create and implement efficient and effective quality systems as well as understand the regulatory and compliance environment.

“Life scientists are unique in that the quality of their work, when used for the good of mankind, will be the difference between suffering or relief, life or death for many people over many, many years,” said Neal Siegel, chief scientist of Sword Diagnostic and an MQARS board member. Scientists with undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields such as biology, chemistry, bioengineering, biotechnology, and chemical engineering routinely find themselves asked to play a leadership role in quality assurance, yet they are unlikely to have any formal education in this increasingly complex field. Pharmaceutical, food, medical device, and other similarly regulated industries face many overlapping quality challenges that are better

addressed by a rigorous professional master’s degree than by internal training programs. The industry-standard MQARS program is ideal for scientists and quality-affairs professionals as well as scientists with undergraduate or graduate degrees in the life sciences intending to pursue a career in regulatory affairs. The degree is offered in partnership with the Department of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and combines leadership and communication skills with applied science and project management as well as risk assessment and risk management. A faculty consisting of University faculty and specialists from FDAregulated companies leads students through a 10-course curriculum

designed to bridge instruction in the life sciences with the demands of industry. Highlights of the program include a leadership series and a capstone project that combine theoretical and applied approaches in a cross-industry fashion. SCS also offers a five-course Professional Graduate Series Certificate that consists of core classes and electives for students seeking a more focused program of study. For more information, contact Cary Nathenson, assistant dean of graduate programs, at 847-4914340.

University Circle scholarship aids SCS students

Employees of Northwestern enrolled in SCS are eligible for a scholarship of up to $1,000 from the University Circle, an organization founded to provide opportunities for service, scholarship, and social activities that enhance the University community. The award helps cover tuition toward a certificate or degree program at the undergraduate or graduate level. The University Circle established the scholarship in 2004 and awarded the first one in spring 2005. In 2006 the University Circle awarded two scholarships in response to the number and quality of applications. They were presented to two Feinberg School of Medicine employees: Laura Guzman and Silvia Skripkauskas (see SCS people). The application deadline is March 1, and the winner is announced at the May annual meeting of the Circle. The scholarship may be applied to tuition for the following summer, fall, or winter quarters. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must have been employed by Northwestern for more than one year. The scholarship committee considers clarity of and dedication to stated goals, past academic record, financial need, and Northwestern University or other community involvement when assessing applications.

20 Continuum Spring 2007

The scholarship is funded through donations from University Circle members and friends. The Circle had its origins in 1915 when a group of Northwestern faculty wives formed the Faculty Women’s Club to help build a facility for female students. Today any person with an official relationship to Northwestern University, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, or Seabury-Western Theological Seminary is eligible to become a member of the Circle, as are spouses and parents of those persons. Information about the scholarship and application forms are available at www.northwestern.edu/university-circle.

New program targets white-collar crime

Center for Public Safety moves to 1801 Maple

In wake of Enron, WorldCom, and other corporate scandals,

The Center for Public Safety

Americans are increasingly aware that crimes of the executive suite can be just as destructive as crimes of the street. To address this trend, SCS has launched Investigation and Prevention of Commercial Fraud, a new certificate program designed to help professionals meet the growing challenges associated with internal fraud and white-collar crime. The curriculum is designed for audit committee members, executive management and owners of small and mid-sized companies, accountants, internal auditors, attorneys, law enforcement and government investigators, and career changers who have an interest in this growing field. Susan Henry, program adviser and instructor, says, “Professionals responsible for investigating and preventing fraud within their organizations need critical resources — beyond standard academic studies and on-thejob training — to maximize their effectiveness. This program provides a foundation for individuals to learn best practices in fraud investigation and prevention from top instructors in the industry.” Students in the program learn about various forms of financial statement fraud (including billing schemes, cash larceny, bribery, and corruption), legal requirements for fraud prevention within an organization, data investigation techniques used in the course of fraud investigation, interview and interrogation techniques employed in fraud examinations, and how to utilize forensic accounting, data analysis, and computer forensics to conduct a fraud investigation. Students earn the certificate when they complete four six-week courses within one year. The evening courses are held at SCS’s Loop location, 210 South Clark Street. For additional information, contact Laura Salus at 312-503-4846 or visit www.scs.northwestern.edu/fraud.

has moved to new headquarters in SCS’s main Evanston building at 1801 Maple Avenue. The move consolidates all of the center’s programs — except for Traffic Safety School — into one facility. The center was established in 1936 as the Traffic Institute and joined SCS in 2004. It provides continuing education, consulting, and research for law enforcement agencies throughout the world. In its new space on the first and third floors of 1801 Maple, the center has two 50-person “smart” conference rooms, a 60-seat multi purpose room, a forensics room, and administrative offices. The conference rooms serve law enforcement and traffic personnel who attend the center’s professional education and training courses. About 2,000 people attend courses each

year on campus and in locations in other states and foreign countries. Courses are offered on such topics as supervision of police and personnel, crime control strategies, police ethics, and traffic accident investigation and reconstruction.

Wieboldt Hall update

State-of-the-art “smart” classrooms are key features of the Wieboldt Hall renovation.

In late January the renovation of Wieboldt Hall shifted into high gear as contractors worked roundthe-clock to overhaul the lobby and the fourth and fifth floors. To minimize disruption of SCS activities, demolition was limited to a brief period ending in February and occurred entirely at night. Teams of electricians, HVAC specialists, carpenters, and other contractors worked during the day to modernize the SCS facilities. The reconstruction will continue through the spring and summer, with August 31 set as the target for completion. In addition to improved electrical, heating, and cooling systems,

Wieboldt Hall will have 18 new classrooms — including one seating 75 and two outfitted for videoconferencing — three group study rooms, a computer lab, and two student lounges on the fourth and fifth floors. The mechanicals and cab interiors of the two main elevators will also be updated. The new lobby will serve as an enhanced entryway to SCS, with a reception area featuring an online registration kiosk and new signage. To track the progress of the project and see construction photos, visit www.scs.northwestern.edu /renovation.

Spring 2007 Continuum 21

SCS Snapshot The mix of traditional and modern architecture on Northwestern’s Evanston campus mirrors the Univer sity’s academic breadth.

22 Continuum Spring 2007

SCS people

Faculty New director for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute At the October 2006 annual meeting of SCS’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), 150 lifelong learners welcomed the institute’s new director, Judy Mann. Mann comes to OLLI after 12 years at Chicago’s Council for Jewish Elderly, where she developed educational programs for older adults and coordinated marketing and outreach efforts. OLLI offers peer-led, noncredit seminar-style courses to more than 500 mature learners on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses of Northwestern each year. “As it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, OLLI has new leadership, new energy, and a new commitment to lifelong learning, “ says Linda Salchenberger, associate dean of academics at SCS. “With the hiring of Judy Mann, OLLI will continue to seek innovative ways to best serve its members.” Mann is excited about her new role. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me to focus my passion for lifelong learning,” she says. “I believe that adult development is a lifelong process and that continued growth and learning are keys to successful aging. OLLI members are extremely passionate about learning and committed to the program. It is a pleasure to work with people who are so enthusiastic.” Mann cited the lack of classroom space on the Evanston campus as one of the immediate challenges OLLI faces, adding that efforts are under way to secure space for classes near the Evanston campus by fall 2007. She also said that OLLI would have to address the influence of external forces. “Changing demographics, new retirement patterns, and increasing lifelong learning alternatives are driving a strategic exploration at SCS of how to maintain OLLI’s core program yet keep the program fresh,” she said. “I am looking forward to exploring the opportunities that these challenges present.”

Alumni and students Roy Alexander (54) of New York City heads a consulting firm noted for sales and communications consultations in energyrelated fields. He recently revised and updated Secrets of Closing Sales (Portfolio, 2004). Harold V. Anagnos (76, Kellogg 90) of Long Grove, Illinois, is managing director of BXA Associates in Palatine. He started BXA, a technology investing and technology marketing advisory services firm, after the merger of Lumex Inc. into Illinois Tool Works. He remains CEO of Lumex, a company that he cofounded more than 25 years ago. Cynthia L. Berry (98) of Des Plaines, Illinois, is vice president of Professional Prodigy Inc., an organization she cofounded to empower, educate, and inspire women. She cowrote When the Vow Breaks (Professional Prodigy, 2005), an inspirational story of triumph through tribulation. She is an activist against domestic violence in Chicago and a volunteer with a local shelter. Troy Bradford (02) of Wilmette, Illinois, is president and founder of Triad Business Consulting, a company that provides sales training, sales management, and marketing services.

23 Continuum Spring 2007

David R. Donohue (94) of Waukegan, Illinois, is a communication researcher at Qualitative Technologies Inc. at the North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He produced “Analyzing Factors Affecting Functional Literacy in the Context of Primary Care Patient/Provider Communication,” a research study in functional health care literacy, at the North Chicago VA Medical Center and the Naval Hospital at Great Lakes. Patti Solis Doyle (90) is manager of the presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D–New York). She has worked with Clinton since 1991 and served as a special assistant to the president and director of scheduling for the First Lady during the Clinton administration. Solis Doyle was chief of staff on Clinton’s campaign for the Senate in 2000 and managed her successful 2006 reelection campaign. Solis Doyle was also executive director of HillPAC, the political action committee of Senator Clinton. She is the first Hispanic ever to manage a presidential campaign. Kathryn McAuliffe Duda (76) of Naperville, Illinois, worked as a staffing coordinator in information technology for 12 years. She also has worked in marketing communications, writing, and advertising. Her twin sons graduated from college in spring 2006.

Marjorie “Mar” Sue Durrbeck (80) of Evanston, a financial planner at New England Securities in Northbrook, Illinois, received the registered financial consultant designation from the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants in February. She has been a financial planner since 1997. Mary Franklin (95) of Evanston, vice president of administration and publishing at Diamond Headache Clinic, cowrote Headache Through the Ages (Professional Communications, 2005), which describes headaches as represented in the Bible, literature, and art and introduces headache sufferers from throughout the centuries. Thomas Gary (99) of Oak Park, Illinois, is on active duty with the U.S. Navy. He is assisting in the training of Iraqi army units and the preparation of civil affairs projects. He is on leave from his position with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Laura Guzman received a 2006 University Circle Scholarship, available to Northwestern University employees enrolled in SCS (see SCS News). Originally from Colombia, Guzman is a research technologist in the Department of Dermatology in the Feinberg School of Medicine. She is working toward a master of arts in literature degree in SCS’s MALit program, and her goal is to teach at the college level and edit, translate, and write literary works.

Spring 2007 Continuum 23

SCS People

Alumni and students, continued Dominic Henry (96) of Chicago was named assistant chief engineer at O’Hare International Airport in May. Lousanne Halverson Lofgren (77, 79) of Oak Park, Illinois, became executive director of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society in Rosemont in August 2005. Anita Lynch (05) is working on an MBA at Harvard Business School after having been accepted to both Harvard and Dartmouth. At SCS she was an economics major and a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, the national honor society for adult students in continuing higher education. Thomas Mudloff (88) of Wheeling, Illinois, is a lecturer and instructor of Egyptology at the Field Museum in Chicago and a lecturer at SCS. He wrote Hieroglyphs for Travelers: What Do Those Little Pictures Mean? (R. E. Fellows Publishing, 1999). Mudloff leads tours to Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. Lindsey Parker Novak (78) of Chicago, author of the nationally syndicated workplace advice column “At Work,” opened a businesswriting consultancy. She is also a writing instructor and corporate writing trainer. She received a Northwestern Alumni Association Merit Award in 2004.

24 Continuum Spring 2007

Lowell D. Parker (71) of Roseburg, Oregon, retired in 1985 from his position as lieutenant colonel and deputy director of the Alaska State Troopers. He enjoys traveling and would enjoy hearing from classmates. Edgar Sanchez (00) of Glendale Heights, Illinois, accepted a senior specialist role as infrastructure design architect at Accenture in Chicago. Mark Schmidt (92) of Park Ridge, Illinois, in April 2005 was named Midwest regional manager for Daifuku America Corp., designers and manufacturers of materials handling automation. Don L. Scott (94) of North Riverside, Illinois, became proposal manager of client services for LaSalle Investment Management in October 2005. Silvia Skripkauskas received a 2006 University Circle Scholarship, available to Northwestern University employees enrolled in SCS (see SCS News). She is a health literacy research coordinator for the Institute for Healthcare Studies in the Feinberg School of Medicine. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public health policy in SCS’s MPPA program with the long-term goal of becoming a physician. Hunt H. Unger (72) of Evanston is an executive career consultant and life coach.

In memoriam Edward J. Adesko Jr. (76), Vancouver, Washington Peter Anderson (59), Jackson, Michigan Hermine Beukema (55, C60),

Chicago Edward W. Bilinski (60),

Northbrook, Illinois Alexander H. Briddwell (81),

Winnetka, Illinois James F. Cooke (52),

Marshall, Michigan Charlyne MacKay Davie (44),

Chicago Laverne Decker (56), Calumet City, Illinois Samuel Curtis Finley (82),

Evanston Claire Rose Hellstern (72),

Chicago Clarence W. Hubbard (53), Hampstead, North Carolina Jacqueline Evers Kellogg

(WCAS83, 87), Wilmette, Illinois Ronald A. Kober (CB71, 75,

79), Scottsdale, Arizona Mitchell H. Lane (55), Park

Forest, Illinois David H. Poirier (73),

Geneva, Illinois Helen Youngreen Rapp (38),

Homewood, Illinois Nino C. Salerno (64),

Hudson, Florida Robert J. Skup (58), Wheaton, Illinois; survivors include his wife, Patricia Bragwell Skup (51) Joseph J. Sterkowicz (60),

Chicago James E. Sykes (60),

Portland, Oregon Chesna Cohen Weisberg

Nancy Faulkner Wiersum (82) of Naperville, Illinois, became community development director for Naperville Community Television in fall 2005.

(40), Pacifica, California Elsie E. Wilgen (61), Ottawa,

Illinois

William H. Guthman (51), 81, Westport, Connecticut, Dec. 28, 2005. Specializing in early Americana, Guthman became a well-respected antiques dealer and appraiser. In 1966 Guthman quit his job as an executive at a manufacturing company to pursue his interest in colonial military artifacts that ranged from carved powder horns to painted militia drums. Besides establishing Guthman Americana, he regularly exhibited his collections, valued at between $3 million and $5 million, at New York’s Winter Antiques Show. He also appeared as a guest appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his children, Scott and Pamela; his stepchildren, Alice and Amelia; and two grandchildren.

Blueberry Hill, Goshen, VT, by Ethel Peterson. Reprinted with permission from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Journal.

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