Evanston resident Anita Gewurz (Feinberg ’85) lives near the Northwestern president’s house. During her more than 50 years in the city, she said she’s seen a plethora of different NU presidents, some who were extroverted and others who made the house seem “forbidding.”
Gewurz is just one Evanston community member anticipating the presidency of Mung Chiang, whom the Board of Trustees announced as the University’s 18th president Monday. Chiang is currently Purdue University’s president and will start at NU on July 1.
Relationships between NU and Evanston have been contentious at times, most recently with the rebuilding of Ryan Field.
Gewurz said she hopes Chiang takes some time as president to listen to the Evanston community’s varying points of view, including the perspectives of those affected by the Ryan Field rebuild.
“For better or worse, Evanston and Northwestern are intertwined, and this has been true since its founding,” Gewurz said. “There have been times where relations have been frayed or fraught, and perhaps this is an opportunity to develop more productive, cordial (relations).”
Gewurz said she thinks Chiang will help the University through a period of “accelerated technological change” and be able to navigate discussions with the federal government.
She added that she benefits from the cultural opportunities that come with living near NU, such as film festivals and the ability to get involved with the University. But she said she also hopes to benefit more from the University.
“There should be an interest in reaching out to the community and stimulating philanthropy,” she said.
Gewurz wants Chiang to institute dialogue and collaboration between the community and NU by hosting meetings and getting to know Evanston’s wards, she said.
Evanston resident John Hughes also hopes Chiang promotes good relationships between the city and the University, he said.
“I’m hopeful that he understands that there’s a necessity to have a good relationship with the city, and that hopefully he understands there’s a value of Evanston being a good and safe and welcoming and supportive city for Northwestern to exist in,” Hughes said.
He said this sometimes means more financial collaboration between the city and NU, as well as a better understanding of what benefits Evanston residents get from their proximity to the University.
Evanston resident and Purdue alumna Peggy LaJoie said she’s optimistic about Chiang’s upcoming tenure.
“Purdue’s so different from Northwestern, even though they’re both Big Ten schools,” LaJoie said. “It’s very focused on engineering and technology, whereas I see Northwestern having more graduate programs, medical school, arts, that type of thing.”
LaJoie said it will be an interesting transition, but added that she thinks Chiang came to Northwestern seeking a different kind of environment.
She said she’s excited to see the changes Chiang might make as president.
“I’ve got confidence that if he was successful at Purdue, he’s going to bring good things to Northwestern,” LaJoie said.
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