Click below to read the news release about these eight impressive NU students.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Roslyn Brock, a nationally recognized civil rights, health policy, and equity advocate, is the recipient of The Alumnae of Northwestern University’s 2021 Alumnae Award. She is currently Chief Global Equity Officer for Abt Associates, a social impact research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people’s lives worldwide. Brock is Chairman Emeritus of the National Board of Directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She was the youngest person ever elected NAACP chairman and the fourth woman to hold the position.
The Alumnae Award recognizes a woman who has brought honor to Northwestern University through outstanding professional contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition. Established in 1976, the Alumnae Award has been presented every year to an alumna who has had a significant impact in her field of endeavor. Educators, journalists, doctors, scientists, and artists are included among The Alumnae’s roster of awardees.
“As the 45th recipient of our Alumnae Award, Roslyn will join a distinguished group of women bringing honor to Northwestern University,” say The Alumnae president Carolyn Krulee.
As NAACP National Board Chairman, Brock championed the board’s policy engagement in health care reform and access. In 2003, she founded the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, which is a recruitment and training initiative to cultivate a new generation of civil rights leaders. This initiative contributed nearly $2 million to support the organization’s civil rights programs.
Brock’s social impact extends globally. She built cross-cultural understanding and professional networks with young leaders in China as a Young Leaders Fellow with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Brock’s personal philosophy is embodied in an African proverb: “Care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.” Her trademarked mantra is “Courage will not skip this generation!”® When talking about mentoring, Brock notes: “Mentoring is incredibly beneficial in career advancement, when women in leadership positions mentor other women; it not only gives them those opportunities but also gives them a space and network for support.”
Brock has served as Chief Advocacy Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health, a top 20 health care delivery system, where she advanced health equity, health policy reform and social justice initiatives for vulnerable and under-resourced populations. She also managed and directed domestic and international health programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, and the New York State Health Department.
Recognized for her leadership skills and publications, in 2020 Brock was featured on CBS Nightly News commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage. She received the 2018 Distinguished Health Care Leader Award from the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE); the 2018 Schaffner Award for Social Impact from Northwestern University; the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Leadership Award; Essence magazine’s list of “40 Fierce and Fabulous Women Who are Changing the World;” and Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) inaugural “Black Girls Rock” broadcast, among other accolades.
In addition, Brock is a Board Trustee at The George Washington University and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility; Chairman, International Connection/Social Action Committee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Chairman Women’s Caucus, Comcast NBC Universal Joint Diversity Advisory Council; and former Chair, Board of Advisors, Milken Institute of Public Health, The George Washington University; among other affiliations.
Brock graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Union University, earned a master’s degree in health services administration from George Washington University, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a master’s degree in divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She holds four honorary doctorate degrees.
Roslyn Brock will receive her award virtually on Monday, October 18, 2021, at 11 a.m. She will be introduced by Robin Means Coleman, vice president & associate provost of diversity and inclusion, Norhtwestern University, and Ellen Taaffe, clinical assistant professor of leadership and director, Women’s Leadership Programming, at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
The Alumnae of Northwestern is an all-volunteer organization of women that raises funds for a wide range of projects to benefit the University. It shares the University’s academic resources with the community through its Continuing Education program, which is celebrating its 53rd year of bringing daytime noncredit courses to the public. The Alumnae has given more than $9.5 million to the University in the form of grants, fellowships, scholarships, and an endowed
professorship, and has provided funds for special university projects and summer internships. For more information, visit The Alumnae website (www.nualumnae.org).
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NR 2021 Alumnae Award – Brock/mb

Evanston, Ill. --- Chloe Wong is the recipient of the 2021 Senior Woman’s Service Award given by The Alumnae of Northwestern University. The award, established by The Alumnae in 2002, honors a senior woman who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service to the campus and community while at Northwestern University.

“Chloe is a model for volunteer service on the Northwestern campus. She embodies the mission and spirit of the Senior Woman’s Service Award – what an amazing woman,” notes Julie McDowell, chair of The Alumnae’s Senior Woman’s Service Award committee. She adds, “Chloe embodies the character and accomplishments The Alumnae is looking to honor.”

Chloe, from New York City, NY, is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. Other majors are: Global Health Studies and Asian American Studies. Chloe received honors such as: Dean’s List in 2019, Council of 100 Trailblazer Award, Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grant, Diamond Scholarship, Bonnie and Mike Daniels’ GESI Scholar, and Clinton Global Initiative Fellow.

Click here to read the complete news release.

Click here to read about five programs that have been awarded funding from The Alumnae of Northwestern University to bring guest artists and distinguished scholars and speakers to campus. 

Click here to read about the outstanding 29 students who will be doing undergraduate research this summer (2021).

Click here to read about Chloe Wong's impressive volunteer service to the Northwestern University community.

After a review of 24 proposals, The Alumnae of Northwestern has awarded full or partial funding to 12 projects sponsored by Northwestern entities or schools; five are fully funded; seven are partially funded. Submissions came from Asian Languages and Cultures, Bienen School of Music, Block Museum of Art, Center for Native American and Indigenous Research and Office for Undergraduate Research, Cook Family Writing Program McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Norris Technical Services, Political Science, Pritzker School of Law, and Religious Studies Department and History Department.

Click HERE to read the full News Release.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Heather Headley, singer, songwriter, and actress, is the recipient of The Alumnae of Northwestern University’s 2020 Alumnae Award. She was honored with the 2000 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in Aida.
The Alumnae Award recognizes a woman who has brought honor to Northwestern University through outstanding professional contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition. Established in 1976, the Alumnae Award has been presented every year to an alumna who has had a significant impact in her field of endeavor. Educators, journalists, doctors, scientists, and artists are included among The Alumnae’s roster of awardees.
“As the 44th recipient of our Alumnae Award, Heather will join a distinguished group of women bringing honor to Northwestern University,” say Alumnae Award committee co-chairs Mary Schuette and Susie Stein.
Following high school participation in choir and musicals, the multi-faceted Headley attended Northwestern University, studying communications and musical theater until the last day of her junior year on 1996, when she made the decision to become part of the musical Ragtime and drop out of school. In 1997, she originated the role of Nala in the Broadway musical The Lion King. Following, she originated the title role of the Nubian princess in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 2000.
She has performed in other musicals including Do Re Mi, Dreamgirls, and Promises, Promises. From November 2012 until August 2013, Headley played the role of Rachel Marron in the musical adaptation of Whitney Houston’s 1992 movie, The Bodyguard, at London’s Adelphi Theatre. She was nominated for an Olivier Award and a What’s On Stage Award for this performance.
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In 2016, she assumed the role of Shug Avery from Jennifer Hudson in a revival of the Tony-Award winning The Color Purple and co-starred in the Spike Lee reboot of She’s Gotta Have It as Dr. Clara Jamison.
Musically, she released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 with RCA Records. The work on this album earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best New Artist, making her the first Tony Award winner to be nominated for this award. Two songs from this album emerged as Top 5 R&B and Dance chart hits. A song from her second album, In My Mind, served to promote Headley’s March of Dimes educational campaign “I Want My 9 months.”
In 2010, she won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for Audience of One on the EMI Gospel label. She has appeared with Andrea Bocelli on his Christmas tour and on America’s Got Talent television show.
In 2017, Headley began appearing in recurring roles on the TV series She’s Gotta Have It and the following year, she began appearing as Gwen Garrett in a recurring role on the TV series Chicago Med. In 2019, Headley was cast as one of the three leads in the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, which has been renewed for a second season. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and three children.
Among her many awards, Headley received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and was listed as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence magazine’s 30 Women to Watch.
Heather Headley will receive her award virtually on Monday, October 19, 2020, at 10 a.m. She will be introduced by noted opera singer Nancy Gustafson (The Alumnae’s 2007 Alumnae Award recipient), and Dominic Missimi (founder and former director of Northwestern’s Music Theater Program and former director of Waa-Mu, having staged 17 of the original student reviews).

For more information:
Michele Bresler, Public Relations Chair
The Alumnae of Northwestern University
847-867-5412; [email protected]
Heather Headley to Receive 2020 Alumnae Award
From The Alumnae of Northwestern University
(Photo available)

See attached news release.

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