To launch the search for Northwestern’s 18th president, the University formed a committee to recruit and interview candidates. Chair of NU’s Board of Trustees Peter Barris announced the search committee in a statement Dec. 17.
Trustee Steve Cahillane (Weinberg ’87) will chair the committee. The other members were selected from a pool of candidates nominated by NU community members, according to the University.
Trustees
Steve Cahillane is the incoming CEO of the food and beverage company Kraft Heinz, continuing his decades-long career in the industry. In 2024, Cahillane and his wife, Tracy Tappan Cahillane (Weinberg ’88) contributed $10 million to the renovation of the Donald P. Jacobs Center.
Trustee Courtney Armstrong (McCormick ’93) (Kellogg ’97, Pritzker ’97) is the chief operating officer at Paramount Pictures, following an 18-year career at Warner Bros. He jointly funds the Professor Joyce A. Hughes Endowed Scholarship for students that are first-generation, will diversify their school or focus on underrepresentation.
Trustee Heather Baker (Weinberg ’92) is a philanthropist who primarily supports hearing loss research, healthcare, Jewish causes and the arts. The Baker Program in Undergraduate Research was started by her and her husband, Felix Baker, to fund research opportunities for NU students.
Trustee and Board Chair Peter Barris (McCormick ’74) is chairman emeritus at the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates. He and his wife, Adrienne Barris, have donated millions including to hire more faculty in computer science and other areas, support the Bienen School of Music to bring in student musicians and endow scholarships for Northwestern students from Chicago Public Schools.
Trustee Jane Hoffman (Communication ’86) was a longtime public servant in New York City government and civic advocacy, after stints in finance and media. She is a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is also the author of “Your Data, Their Billions: Unraveling and Simplifying Big Tech,” a book about privacy in the digital age.
Trustee and Board Vice Chair Adam Karr (Weinberg ’93) is the president and portfolio manager at Orbis Investments. He and his wife, Tonia Karr, established The Karr Family Professorship at the McCormick School of Engineering and contributed to three undergraduate scholarships promoting diversity at Northwestern.
Trustee Jennifer Leischner Litowitz (Weinberg ’91) is the director of hospitality for the Litowitz family office, QStar Capital. Along with her husband, Alec Litowitz, she gifted $20 million to the Center for Enlightened Disagreement in September. The couple also donated $10 million to establish a joint masters program for creative writing and English at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences in 2017.
Trustee Milton Morris (McCormick ’92, Kellogg ’04) has worked a long career in biomedical and medical-device development. He is currently the independent director of numerous companies, like Nordson Corp., Myomo, Inc., and embecta.
Trustee Kimberly Querrey is a private capital executive who has long worked in investment management. She donated $29 million to establish a new institute to fast-track academic research into practical medical tools in November and previously gifted the University $121 million to support biomedical research.
Trustee Patrick Ryan Jr. (Kellogg ’97, Pritzker ’97) has worked in finance and technology investment and founded several companies. His parents, Pat and Shirley Ryan, are major NU donors. As CEO of Ryan Sports Development, Ryan Jr. is overseeing the construction of the new Ryan Field.
Trustee David Sachs (McCormick ’81) is a partner at Ares Management, a global alternative investment manager, where he has worked since 1997. Sachs and his wife, Karen Richards Sachs, donated $5 million each to establish new professorships at McCormick.
Trustee and Board Vice Chair Mike Shannon (Kellogg ’83) has worked across commercial banking, resort development and private equity. He and his wife, Mary Sue Shannon, were listed as top donors in Kellogg’s Transforming Together fundraising campaign.
Trustee Tim Sullivan is the current vice chairman and longtime partner at Madison Dearborn Partners, a private equity firm. NU Athletics and Recreation received a donation from Sullivan and his wife, Sue Sullivan, one of two couples who helped fund the head men’s basketball coach’s salary. The Sullivans were also listed as supporters of the 2017-18 renovation of the Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Faculty
Political Science Prof. Ian Hurd is the director of the International Studies Program at Weinberg. He serves as president of the Faculty Senate.
Feinberg Prof. Susan Quaggin is the chair of the Department of Medicine, the first woman to hold the position. She also directs the Feinberg School of Medicine Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute and is the Irving S. Cutter Professor of Medicine in Nephrology and Hypertension.
McCormick and Chemistry Prof. Ted Sargent is a faculty member in Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also serves as the executive director of the Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy.
English Prof. Natasha Trethewey previously served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014 and wrote five poetry collections.
Staff
Lesley-Ann Brown-Henderson serves as the assistant vice president and chief of staff for Student Affairs. She oversaw the 2019-21 renovation of the Black House and chaired the Black Student Experience Report Task Force.
Student
Jackson Gordwin (SESP ’25) is a first-year Pritzker student. As an NU undergraduate, he graduated with honors with a degree in learning and organizational change. He was the president of Strive club for supporting and empowering Black men on campus.
Alumni leadership
Kristin McDonnell (McCormick ’85) is the president of the NU Alumni Association and an ex officio trustee. She is currently the managing partner and founder of investment firm Silicon Valley, Menlo Group.
Advisors
Life trustee and former Board chair Bill Osborn (Weinberg ’69, Kellogg ’73) is the retired chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Corporation, a financial services company. He and his wife, Cathy McCurdy Osborn (Weinberg ’72), have donated to Kellogg School of Management, Feinberg, Bienen and Northwestern Athletics. The couple also established the Bill and Cathy Osborn Professorships, which endow positions that focus on artificial intelligence and diversity, in 2017.
Life trustee and former Board chair Patrick Ryan (Kellogg ’59) is a longtime NU donor whose family is the University’s largest benefactor in history. Ryan built a long career in the insurance industry and global business. Along with his wife, Shirley Ryan, he has donated to a wide range of initiatives like the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Hall for nanotechnology and a historic $480 million gift to support research and fund the new Ryan Field.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Brown-Henderson’s position at the University. The Daily regrets this error.
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