General

Nick Davis was introduced as the 2017 Teaching Professor, a three year award, at the University Teaching Awards. He is pictured here with Susie Phillips, the previous recipient. 

May 22, 2017

Nick Davis Awarded Alumnae Teaching Professorship

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Nick Davis, associate professor who holds dual appointments in English and in gender and sexuality studies, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS), is the recipient of the 2017 Alumnae Teaching Professorship Award given by The Alumnae of Northwestern University.  The three-year award honors a tenured faculty member for excellence in teaching and curriculum innovation.  Professor Davis received the honor at the University Teaching Awards ceremony, held May 18, 2017, in the Guild Lounge in Scott Hall.

Professor Davis’ undergraduate teaching ranges across the entire spectrum, from first-year seminars to large introductory lectures to research-intensive upper-division courses to one-on-one advising. Colleagues describe Davis as “both a teacher and a mentor who provides a personalized, rigorous, capacious, and joyful educational experience that enables Northwestern’s undergraduates from all backgrounds, with all levels of preparation, to thrive.” One student notes, “Professor Davis’ incisive mind bolstered my thinking and argumentation.”  

Davis received his Ph.D. in English and American literature with a concentration in film and video studies from Cornell University, where he also earned his M.A.; he received his A.B., summa cum laude, in English and American Literature & Language, from Harvard University. He came to Northwestern in 2006 and has received numerous teaching awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award (WCAS), the Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award from the School of Professional Studies, and three appointments to the Faculty Honor Roll. Davis’ writings have appeared in numerous journals and professional publications. His research focuses primarily on commercial narrative cinema in the U.S. and elsewhere, especially from queer and feminist vantages.

Letters in support of Professor Davis’ nomination are filled with accolades and words of praise from faculty and students.  “With his exuberant blend of uncompromising rigor and unfailing generosity, Davis has transformed not only the curricula of English and Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS), but also the lives of his students, whether entering first-years, graduating seniors, or PhD. Candidates.”  “Professor Davis is truly an exceptional professor and person, whose presence at Northwestern is crucial to the intellectual, academic, and personal development of countless students.”  “Davis’ well-calibrated assignments help students craft college-level writing and hone crucial analytical skills that will enable future success, within the university and beyond.” His flagship course, Introduction to Film and its Literatures, which was added to the Weinberg curriculum in 2014, attracts more than 150 students who appreciate the “thought-provoking” and “challenging” nature of the class, as well as Davis’ “enthusiastic teaching,” his “brilliant sense of humor,” and his “passion for the materials.”

The Alumnae Teaching Professorship, which honors a faculty member for excellence in teaching and curriculum innovation, is funded by interest generated by an Endowment Fund established on The Alumnae’s 75^th Anniversary in 1991, and enhanced with a gift from The Alumnae on the occasion of Northwestern University’s Sesquicentennial in 2000. 

The Alumnae of Northwestern University is an all-volunteer organization of women that raises funds for a wide range of projects to benefit the University, including fellowships, scholarships academic conferences, awards to faculty and students, and technical equipment, as well as special University projects.  Founded in 1916, and celebrating its Centennial in 2016, The Alumnae has given more than $8 million to the University in the form of grants, fellowships, scholarships, an endowed professorship, funding for special university projects, and summer internships.  For more information visit The Alumnae website (www.nualumnae.org).

For more information:

Michele Bresler, President & Chair, Public Relations

The Alumnae of Northwestern University

847/869-1010 [email protected]

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NR 2017 Alumnae Teaching Professorship Davis/mb

Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Lisa M. Franchetti, recipient of The Alumnae of Northwestern University’s 2016 Alumnae Award, was recently assigned as chief of staff, J5, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. Prior to this promotion, she served as commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, with additional duty as commander, Carrier Strike Group Fifteen, San Diego, California.

Businesswoman, engineer, “rocket scientist,” and mentor are just some of the terms used to describe Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, a commercial space exploration company, and recipient of The Alumnae of Northwestern University’s 2015 Centennial Alumnae Award.
Ms. Shotwell received, with honors, her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 and Masters of Science degree in applied mathematics in 1988, both from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She currently serves on McCormick’s Advisory Council and spoke as McCormick’s convocation speaker in 2011. Prior to joining SpaceX, Shotwell spent more than 10 years at the Aerospace Corporation. There she held positions in Space Systems Engineering & Technology, as well as Project Management. She was promoted to the role of Chief Engineer of an MLV-class satellite program (medium launch vehicle), managed a landmark study for the Federal Aviation Administration on commercial space transportation, and completed an extensive analysis of space for NASA’s future investment in space transportation. She was subsequently recruited to be Director of Microcosm’s Space Systems Division where she served on the executive committee and directed corporate business development.
Shotwell was SpaceX’s seventh employee when she joined as Vice President of Business Development in 2002. In that position she helped develop the Falcon rocket family of vehicles, which resulted in more than 50 space launches, representing over $5 billion in revenue. Today as president and chief operating officer, Shotwell is responsible for day-to-day operations, managing over $7 billion in contracts, including multiple contracts with NASA to deliver supplies and eventually crew to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has grown to more than 3,500 employees, three launch sites, a rocket-development facility in Texas, and a 550,000 square foot factory with offices in Hawthorne, California. The company designs, manufactures and tests the majority of the components of its space vehicles in-house. The company is currently making final modifications to its Dragon spacecraft to ready the spacecraft for human transport, and was recently certified by the United States Air Force to launch national security payloads to space, which represents the largest market for launch services in the world. In 2014, Shotwell was appointed to the United States Export Import Bank’s Advisory Committee and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Management Advisory Council. She has been awarded the World Technology Award for individual Achievement in Space (2011), has been inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame (2012), and was elected to the honorable grade of Fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 2015, she was listed as the 90th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. SpaceX supports science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs locally near its offices, as well as at national engineering programs and competitions. Through leadership in both corporate and external programs, Shotwell has helped raise more than $1 million for STEM education programs reaching thousands of students nationwide.

Website by Cary Lee

ELECTIONS 1916 AND 2016: WHAT HAS A CENTURY CHANGED?
David Zarefsky, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Communication Studies
Tuesday, September 20, 2016, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Norris University Center, McCormick Auditorium, is SOLD OUT. All tickets are SOLD, and none are available for sale at the door the day of the lecture.

It is past the deadline for the 2016 Academic Enrichment proposals.

Click for Performance Dates and Patron Ticket Information

It is past the deadline for 2016 Alumnae Grants.

The Alumnae of Northwestern University has selected 20 students to receive grants to fund summer internships. The Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) provides undergraduate students a $3000 stipend for completing an unpaid summer internship while simultaneously participating in a professional development program offered by Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) (formerly University Career Services).

NCA serves as the program administrator with financial support coming from the Alumnae of Northwestern University, other generous alumni donors, and the President and Provost offices. SIGP numbers have soared since the program’s first year, when grants of $2,000 were awarded to 10 students out of 90 applicants. This year there were over 700 applicants, with over half receiving the stipend of $3,000. The Alumnae of Northwestern has been a staunch supporter of the SIGP program since 2010 and participates in selecting the awardees as well as funding them.

Click the Alumnae NR 2016 SIGP Awards-final attachment below for complete information.

Click below for 2016-17 Alumnae Graduate Fellowship Information. It is past the deadline for applications for the 2016-2017 Graduate Fellowship.

Susan ("Susie") Phillips, associate professor of English and associate department chair, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of the 2014 Alumnae Teaching Professorship Award. The three-year award honors a tenured faculty member for excellence in teaching and curriculum innovation.