And They're Off: Weinberg Freshmen Learn the Ropes at Orientation Events
Clockwise, from upper left: Dean Sarah Mangelsdorf; Assistant Dean for Freshmen Lane Fenrich; Student Advisory Board Co-President Brian Wasserman; and a portion of Weinberg's Class of 2013.
Weinberg’s Class of 2013, the most distinguished class yet to enter the College, was welcomed with messages of reassurance and encouragement during a recent Freshman Convocation in Cahn Auditorium.
Both Weinberg Dean Sarah Mangelsdorf and Assistant Dean for Freshmen Lane Fenrich sported attire with purple accents, as did, of course, the a capella group Purple Haze, who performed for the standing-room-only crowd. Peer advisers stood out from the rest of the audience in bright green t-shirts.
Fenrich’s quip-filled talk and similarly reassuring words from Dean Mangelsdorf were geared to provide first-year students with both a warm welcome and a road map to University resources -— from freshman advisers, to professors, to peer advisers.
Calling the freshmen “terrifyingly accomplished,” Fenrich pointed out that their collective average SAT scores were the highest of any class to enter the College. They are also the largest first-year class ever, with 2,000 students University-wide and 1,170 in the College alone.
Dean Mangelsdorf told freshmen not to worry if they hadn’t yet decided on a major. “We are here to help you find your way,” she said. “With 2,000 course offerings, you may take courses and end up majoring in things you have never heard of.”
Student Advisory Board Co-President Brian Wasserman echoed that sentiment. "Life doesn't need to be planned yet. There's plenty of time to figure that out." Wasserman went on to encourage exploration of some of Weinberg's smaller, specialized programs.
A step toward such exploration was quickly forthcoming at the Weinberg Majors Fair, held the following afternoon in the Louis Auditorium at the Norris University Center. Booths featuring faculty members and assistants from every department and program beckoned students with lively presentations and information about requirements. Views of Lake Michigan, beverages, and cookies sweetened the event further for the 800 students who attended.
Freshmen talk with Weinberg department and program faculty to explore the spectrum of options for majors and minors.
Honors and Achievements
Physics and Astronomy professor Jim Sauls has been awarded the Bardeen Prize for his work on superconductivity.
Art Theory & Practice MFA candidate Rachel Niffenegger has been accepted into the two-year, De Ateliers residency program in Amsterdam.
Sarah Jacoby, assistant professor of Religious Studies, has been awarded an ACLS Grant for 2012-2013.
The History Department's Dyan Elliott and Melissa Macauley were offered fellowships at the National Humanities Center for 2012-2013.
Krista Thompson, associate professor of Art History, has been awarded an ACLS fellowship for 2012-2013.
Chemistry professor Tobin Marks received the 2012 National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences.
Mentions in the Media
Michelle Obama, Paradox
"Michelle Obama is a genuine paradox," said Darlene Clark Hine, a professor of African American studies and history at Northwestern University. Hine's lecture, part of a black studies conference at the university last week, argued that the first lady is a "transformative, liberationist" figure -- despite her interest in domestic issues and the long list of magazine cover stories focused on topics such as Obama's approach to motherhood or the importance of healthful eating. washingtonpost.com April 16, 2012 Full story
Seismic hazards: Japan earthquake and other tectonic surprises challenge scientific assumptions
"It's almost impossible to make a sensible earthquake hazard map," argues Northwestern University geophysicist Seth Stein.... "We call this the 'whack-a-mole model' of earthquake hazard mapping. The mole will come up the same hole that it went down," Stein said. And that's rarely the case. washingtonpost.com March 9, 2012 Full story
