Northwestern Intersections

Gallagher is a television producer and author based in Los Angeles. She worked on MTV’s wildly successful The Real World and went on to become an executive producer for several major reality TV shows, including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Married at First Sight. Join us as she talks about her time in Hollywood and how she found the inspiration for her Twist My Charm young adult book series.

Jackson is an author, playwright, and poet currently serving as the Illinois Poet Laureate. She is a Chicagoan through and through, having grown up on the South Side, and uses her experiences in the area as inspiration for her poems and novels. Her works have been awarded major literary honors, including the Pushcart Prize, Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and American Book Award. Join us as we talk through her creative trajectory and the sights, smells, and sounds of Chicago that influenced some of her most recognizable projects.

Lord is a Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist, an author, and a Vietnam War veteran. He went from a career in television news management to writing the book, 50 Years After Vietnam: Lessons and Letters from the War I Hated Fighting, in 2018. Lord has reported in several major American cities, including Nashville, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, and was also a correspondent for NBC News. Join us as he discusses breaking news, pursuing the truth, and sharing your own story.

Arana is a prize-winning author, literary critic, and inaugural literary director of the Library of Congress. She has been an executive at publishing houses Simon & Schuster and Harcourt Brace, a judge for the National Book Awards and Pulitzer Prizes, a Latin America columnist for the New York Times editorial page, a media commentator for numerous news outlets, and editor in chief of Book World at the Washington Post. Join us as we explore her incredible literary contributions and discuss her upcoming projects.

Alomá is a CEO, lecturer, and author based in Chicago. He went from working in communications and consulting to lecturing at Northwestern to founding his own marketing company, Threadline. Alomá applies his knowledge of narrative psychology to the practice of marketing and branding, serving as a self-described “couples therapist” for clients and their customers. Join us as Alomá talks about his journey toward founding his dream company and finding time to write a bestselling book, Start with the Story: Brand-Building in a Narrative Economy.

Ginni Rometty came to Northwestern after a challenging childhood and left with a computer science degree that would help her change the world of technology. In 1981, she joined IBM as a systems engineer and worked her way to becoming chairman, president and CEO of the company. Ms. Rometty helped revolutionize the global tech giant in the 2010s and became one of the country’s most influential business leaders. In this special episode, we share a fireside chat between Rometty and Northwestern President Michael Schill from an event last spring. The pair discusses changemaking leadership, the future of technology, and her new bestselling book, “Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World.” Don’t miss important lessons and advice from one of Northwestern’s most influential alums.

Ayun Halliday is a writer, illustrator, and actor based out of New York City. She is a creative jack-of-all-trades, serving as the architect for plays, books, and her own zine, the award-winning East Village Inky. Halliday's unique comedic style has won her acclaim for her creative projects, and she’s taken the road less traveled to her current work. Join us as she discusses her new book, creative background, and wide-reaching (and usually hilarious) job history.

Mary Jo Bang is an award-winning poet and professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. After finishing her sociology degree at Northwestern, she took a winding road to becoming a poet, working in medicine and photography before her first teaching job. Her path to poetry paid off: she's now published eight books of poetry, earned fellowships from Princeton University and the Guggenheim Foundation, and featured in The New Yorker and other publications. Join us as Professor Bang discusses her unique career trajectory and how she produced one of her most recognizable works, a pop-culture laden translation of Dante's Inferno.

Award-winning author, blogger, podcaster, and proud Northwestern alumnus, Phil Yu '00 first came to prominence as the author of the popular entertainment website Angry Asian Man. In this special episode, Phil is interviewed by author and Northwestern Asian and Asian American Alumni Association (NU-A5) member Kathy Khang '92. Phil shares how his experiences at Northwestern and beyond helped to develop his own personal identity as an Asian American man and influenced his career as a blogger and author of recent release, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now

It started with the first Women in Medicine Tea hosted at The Drake Hotel in Chicago in 2017. It was a chance for Feinberg School of Medicine alumnae across generations to come together in one place to freely share their stories, their challenges, and their victories. Ghoshal recalls asking, “How do we bottle this moment?” The mission of the Women in Medicine (WIM) subcommittee of the Medical Alumni Association Board is to elevate and amplify the voices of fellow women in medicine. In part 2 of this episode, Flais, Gandhi, and Ghoshal share their thoughts on work-life balance for women in medicine, how allies can help move the needle forward, and the importance of showing up with intention. Show notes:Women in Medicine Facebook Group Women in Medicine Instagram More about Northwestern Medicine and Women in Medicine (pg 42) About the Mary Ann Frable, MD Women in Medicine Dean's Scholarship Ways to give to the Mary Ann Frable, MD Women in Medicine Dean's Scholarship, and other funds

It started with the first Women in Medicine Tea hosted at The Drake Hotel in Chicago in 2017. It was a chance for Feinberg School of Medicine alumnae across generations to come together in one place to freely share their stories, their challenges, and their victories. Ghoshal recalls asking, “How do we bottle this moment?” The mission of the Women in Medicine (WIM) subcommittee of the Medical Alumni Association Board is to elevate and amplify the voices of fellow women in medicine. In part 1 of this episode, Flais, Gandhi, and Ghoshal share how they all came to be involved with WIM and highlight the subcommittee’s mentorship and philanthropic initiatives. They’ll also explain how the most important instigator of progress is showing up and being intentional about change. Show notes: Women in Medicine Facebook Group Women in Medicine Instagram More about Northwestern Medicine and Women in Medicine (pg 42) About the Mary Ann Frable, MD Women in Medicine Dean's Scholarship Ways to give to the Mary Ann Frable,

Northwestern Intersections records for the first time from Northwestern San Francisco! Learn from a panel of recent alumnae in a range of tech specialties as they share how they navigated early career decisions. Panelists Moy, Turner, and Wu will offer insights on pursuing advanced degrees, changing industries, recognizing your transferrable skills, and how they’re navigating a rapidly evolving field. They will also share how they answered (and are still answering) what’s next in their career.

Iga Kozlowska ’14, ’17 PhD graduated from Northwestern with a doctorate in sociology and now is the program manager of Responsible AI at Meta. How did she make the transition? And how is sociology relevant to technology? Kozlowska joins the podcast to highlight the transferrable skills she learned as a student and share the process behind her transition into tech with zero previous experience. She also reinforces how imperative it is for people with humanities backgrounds to be involved in the development of artificial intelligence and other advancements as technology becomes more deeply intertwined in our lives. Show notes: Northwestern Intersections Podcast: What's Next Live from San Francisco!

Terry Franklin—an attorney, writer, and storyteller—shares how finding the will of his fourth great-grandfather, John Sutton, revealed the emancipation story of his fourth great-grandmother, Lucy Sutton, and their children, which included a legal battle over John’s intentions in freeing his family. Franklin describes the deeply personal journey of discovering his family’s history and how he is using creative pursuits to amplify his ancestors’ story, demonstrating that we all have a role to play in shaping the arc of history. This episode also includes a preview of Franklin's most recent endeavor: The Lucy Sutton Suite: A Truth-Telling in Four Parts. Show Notes: For more on Lucy Sutton: Bending the Arc of History TedX Talk Webite: LucySutton.com Podcast: The Last Will of Lucy Sutton For more on Terry Franklin: Trust Litigation Storytelling with NUEA West: The Letter Scare and Resistance & the Will American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) podcast: Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future.

Kevin Yu ’19 MS joins Northwestern Intersections to share the personal story of how he pivoted from a career in finance to a licensed marriage and family counselor and founder of Soulstice Therapy, and how an increased understanding of his relationships led to this unique transition. Additionally, Yu explains how social media and content creation are changing the ways we discuss and perceive mental health. And why he encourages Soulstice practioners to create mental wellness content. Finally, he offers his perspective on how mental health companies and the demand for access to mental health professionals are impacting private practice.  Shownotes: Soulstice Therapy

Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler shares how she is working to provide mental health resources—including accurate information, access to identity-based providers and treatments, and psychotherapy in community-based settings—to underserved populations in Chicago. Author of Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women, Burnett-Zeigler also reveals the inspiration behind her book, its intersections with her research as a scholar and clinician, and how she hopes it will help readers identify their own struggles and paths toward healing.  Shownotes: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women

The Northwestern Alumni Medal celebrates alumni who have had a transformative impact on their field, who have performed exemplary volunteer service to society, or who have demonstrated an outstanding record of service and support to the University. Jeff Ubben ’87 MBA (’20 P) is founder, managing partner, and portfolio manager of Inclusive Capital Partners, a San Francisco–based investment management firm. He has championed environmental and social responsibility in business and advanced global sustainability and college access at Northwestern and beyond. Ubben has served on the Kellogg Alumni Council and was a member of the steering committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern. Shownotes: If you know a Northwestern alum whose life, work, and service truly exemplify the University’s ideals and deserve recognition for their accomplishments, please visit alumni.northwestern.edu/medal for information about how to nominate someone for an Alumni Medal. President's Alumni Panel: My Northwestern Direction

The Northwestern Alumni Medal celebrates alumni who have had a transformative impact on their field, who have performed exemplary volunteer service to society, or who have demonstrated an outstanding record of service and support to the University.  Until his recent retirement, David Louie ’72 was the business editor and technology reporter for ABC Disney’s KGO-TV San Francisco, for which he become the first Asian American reporter in 1972. A trailblazing reporter and editor, he worked in television for more than 50 years and has held leadership roles in several prominent news organizations. He is a former member of the Medill Board of Advisers and was an inaugural inductee to the school’s Hall of Achievement in 1997.  Shownotes: If you know a Northwestern alum whose life, work, and service truly exemplify the University’s ideals and deserve recognition for their accomplishments, please visit alumni.northwestern.edu/medal for information about how to nominate someone for an Alumni Medal. President's Alumni

The Northwestern Alumni Medal celebrates alumni who have had a transformative impact on their field, who have performed exemplary volunteer service to society, or who have demonstrated an outstanding record of service and support to the University.  Cindy Chupack ’87 is a prolific storyteller whose work across television, film, and other media has been recognized with several accolades, including Emmy Awards and Golden Globes. Her credits include Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family, Better Things, Divorce, and Fleishman Is in Trouble. She was inducted in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications’ Hall of Achievement in 2020 and is an active member of Northwestern’s Council of One Hundred.  Shownotes: If you know a Northwestern alum whose life, work, and service truly exemplify the University’s ideals and deserve recognition for their accomplishments, please visit alumni.northwestern.edu/medal for information about how to nominate someone for an Alumni Me

Melissa Dawn Simkins ’01 MS shares how her experiences in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications’ IMC master’s program gave her an edge when the field of marketing was starting to shift. Her multidisciplinary approach led her to pioneer celebrity and influencer branding, which in turn helped transform the field of marketing and branding into what we know today. She also imparts the personal story that inspired her to launch Velvet Suite and the She-Suite to support women in the workplace and help them lead with purpose in work and well-being. Shownotes: Velvet Suite The She-Suite