KATHRYN HAHN Gets Messy Screen Star Finds Creative Freedom in Complexity
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COVID Survivors Get New Lungs p. 13 … Northwestern’s Miracle “ I’m a person of faith, and the Bible Maker p. 26 … Teaching All of America’s Past p. 40 … Robot gives me a glimpse into what is Quarterback Hits the Field p. 46 … A New Podcast Standard p. 64 beyond my science.” p. 9 WINTER 2021 KATHRYN HAHN Gets Messy Screen star finds creative freedom in complexity. p. 34 MOMENT Skyline Swim Chemistry professor William Dichtel planned to swim the English Channel in June 2020, but the pandemic interrupted those plans. Instead, he completed the Chicago Skyline Swim, which runs the length of the city in Lake Michigan. Finishing the overnight swim in a record 12 hours, 27 minutes and 50 seconds, he swam 26.2 miles from Juneway Beach in Rogers Park to Calumet Beach in Calumet Park. Dichtel, the Robert L. Letsinger Professor of Chemistry, is co-founder of Cyclopure, a company that uses innovative technologies to remove micropollutants from water. PHOTO: SHANE COLLINS NORTHWESTERN WINTER 2021 WINTER 2021 NORTHWESTERN MOMENT Firefly Procession With in-person theater shut down due to the pandemic, members of the Northwestern arts community brought safe, outdoor performances to Chicago-area communities last summer and fall. The Art of Spontaneous Spectacle, organized in part by associate professor of theater Jessica Thebus ’91 MA, ’97 PhD, produced socially distanced participatory processions along Chicago’s lakefront with props, life-size puppets and music. A crowd of roughly 75 people of all ages participated in the “Firefly Procession” at Loyola Beach on Chicago’s North Side in September. PHOTO: JUSTIN BARBIN ’11 NORTHWESTERN WINTER 2021 WINTER 2021 NORTHWESTERN 4 5 WINTER 2021 Contents Vol. 23 Issue 2 FRONT 1 Moment 34 6 Talk Back Free to Play After a number of parts VOICES in “big-swing comedies,” Kathryn Hahn ’95 moved 9 Gerald Gabrielse Balancing science to more substantial roles and faith in uncertain that cemented her place as times a sought-after star. It’s clear 11 Olivia Pura now that she’s in love with Bioscientist finds her work: the deep dives into silver linings in a character, the exploration and pandemic graduation messiness each role brings, the dedication to her fellow NEWS actors — and the creative 16 Student Life magic that results. The show must go on By Clare Milliken for theater groups 21 Innovation COVID-era bus design wins international 13 competition Hope After COVID “WE WILL” UPDATE Northwestern Medicine 22 Social Justice surgeons perform double- Donor gifts advance lung transplants, giving diversity, equity and new life to seven COVID-19 26Stretching the inclusion survivors. Imagination John Rogers founded ALUMNI a whole new field 46 Five Questions of bioelectronics to Sports tech innovators improve human health. create a smart quarterback 50 Class Notes 67 In Memoriam 72 The Other Cover John Rogers tests his latest technology 40 — on himself ← “We have a responsibility to situate all of our work in a historical context so we can realize that history isn’t this thing of the past, but it’s something that we 47 18 experience now.” Star Baker Big Cities Still Matter —Evanston Township High School history teacher Corey Alex Willis ’17 MS earned Innovation depends on the rate of human interaction. Kellogg Winchester ’10, ’20 MA, left, with his brother, Jason Deas, fourth place on The Great professor Hyejin Youn identifies a key population threshold that who graduated from high school in 2020 WINCHESTER ANYA HAHN: BRIAN HIGBEE; WINCHESTER: JIM PRISCHING ROGERS: American Baking Show. allows large metro areas to become innovation hubs. NORTHWESTERN WINTER 2021 Cover: Photograph by Michael Friberg WINTER 2021 NORTHWESTERN 6 FROM THE EDITOR/TALK BACK TALK BACK 7 are featured on page 10 Glad to see that ever moved on campus. He “Shep Shanley magazine and to add diverse [“Profs Discuss Racial Northwestern is at the greeted us when we arrived perspectives from across the Talk Back Justice,” Voices, fall 2020]; and forefront of innovation in the and welcomed us as adults, is indeed a University community while Attica Locke gets a glowing midst of the global pandemic. free to declare ourselves on legend who continuing to tell stories article [“The Write Path,” Josh Zulli our own terms. At Willard, that endear and enlighten. DOCTOR BECOMES way it works for me, and fall 2020]. So it is possible Santa Clara, Calif. he maintained a custom of has made an In short, we want to PATIENT now I work at a higher for talented Black people to inviting groups of newly enormous bring you the best stories education institution where get excellent jobs and speak arrived freshmen to his about the University and Ryan, from what I remember, anti-Blackness prevails openly about American life. If home for Sunday brunch, impact on the its people. And we want to you always had a positive throughout campus. It’s anti-Blackness is still a policy an experience many alumni bring those stories to you outlook in our college days. frightening to think that anywhere, it is under strong recall vividly to this day. Shep minds and lives in the format that works So while I am thankful you we’re clinging to white attack. would often join us for lunch of thousands of best for you. In addition to are still alive and with us, I’m supremacist structures. Ross’ suggestion to in the Willard cafeteria and A NEW CHAPTER producing three print issues not completely surprised you Caitlin Klask ’13 MS abolish schools may be only regularly led the French- Northwestern FOR NORTHWESTERN per year, we will continue to were one of the fortunate Seattle a provocative idea, but she speaking table. He was the students.” MAGAZINE make our digital magazine ones to beat COVID-19. presents no alternative. She undisputed guest of honor — Kenneth J. a place to see and hear more All the best to you in your Several ideas in kihana has every right to be enraged and guiding presence at all ello and Happy from the people who make adventures ahead. Cheers! miraya ross’ faculty about discrimination and our events and parties — Schaefle H New Year! Have Northwestern great. [In response to the profile opinion strike me as highly the murder of Black people. entirely with, but not of, those words ever And while we’re talking of Ryan Padgett, “Doctor problematic. She charges However, as hard as it may the flock. sounded so sweet? about people who make Becomes Patient,” “The that “students may learn that be for African Americans, we At Willard, Shep created I must be Shep’s mistake. Welcome to 2021. It’s Northwestern great, I would Stories of Our Lives,” brutally enslaved Africans all need to speak calmly, refer and curated a culture of Or maybe he was on time for a fresh start! like to recognize former fall 2020.] (enslaved in the first place by to major studies of slavery A NORTHWESTERN respect, consideration and vacation the day my I want to take this executive editor Stephanie Jim Miller ’93 other Africans, it should be and injustice, and recognize LEGEND curiosity. Supporting an application was reviewed. opportunity to introduce Russell for her three Wilmington, Del. mentioned) were ‘workers’ current remedial efforts as agenda that centered around Whatever, Northwestern myself. My name is Sean decades of outstanding who came to the U.S. in the we work to fix our society. As duly noted in the title “A a joyous embrace of life, admitted me. And it has Hargadon, and I am the service to the University Ryan Padgett was a star context of immigration.” Robert W. Thurston ’71 Legend Retires” [Close-up, he led by example with been a privilege to know new editor in chief of and her leadership of, first, student in my neurobiology Maybe some moron said Oxford, Ohio fall 2020], Shep Shanley graciousness, warmth and Shep and a singular Northwestern Magazine. Northwestern Perspective and behavior class. I moved or wrote that, but such is indeed a legend who wisdom. Through Willard, pleasure to have enjoyed his Though I am new to and, for the last 20 years, the final exam so he could nonsense is certainly not in has made an enormous he provided a context that wonderful personality over the position, I am certainly Northwestern Magazine. attend an NFL tryout, but he significant works on slavery INVENTION: AN IMPROVED impact on the minds and informed us of who we the subsequent decades. An not new to the magazine Stephanie loved sharing did not reciprocate with Rose published since Kenneth SWAB lives of thousands of had become as adults and added bonus, I also got to or the University. Since stories about the University Bowl tickets. So I waited in Stampp’s Peculiar Institution Northwestern students. showed a wonderful example know his delightful father, 2003 I have been part of and its people and bringing line at 6 a.m. in Evanston’s (1956). I majored in history The creation of a new nasal To congratulate Shep and of what adulthood could be. Lyn. The apple, as my mother the team that has brought humanity to this institution. cold December, got tickets at Northwestern and never swab [“An Improved Swab,” recognize his extraordinary And to a very large number often said, doesn’t fall far you Northwestern as a It’s been an honor to work for myself and my son and heard such an idea there. Innovation, fall 2020] is 50 years at Northwestern, of us, Shep has become a from the tree. And Shep and print publication and, with her, and we wish her followed Ryan and the team Her idea of anti- great news.