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The year in Northwestern news

Stories from 2024 that highlight our community, research breakthroughs and reasons to smile
December 20, 2024 | By Northwestern Now Staff
year in review
As Northwestern’s 2024 commencement speaker Kathryn Hahn ’95 described it, this was “a very special class.” One that missed their high school graduations and picked their next four years “sight unseen. Good choice.” Photo by Jim Prisching

As the year ends, Northwestern Now looks back at the stories that defined 2024, including history makers, record breakers, incredible discoveries, new campus spaces and major events that brought the community together.

Research and innovation

Northwestern ended the fiscal year with $1.05 billion in research funding, a 5% increase since 2023 and a jump of more than 75% over the past decade, which helped fuel a ceaseless flow of important achievements and discoveries by the University’s researchers and scholars across disciplines ranging from the biosciences, artificial intelligence and the arts to business, law, politics and beyond.

Read on for a few highlights.

Immigrants are less likely to commit a crime

Using incarceration rates as a proxy for crime, a team, including Northwestern economists, analyzed 150 years of U.S. Census data and found immigrants were consistently less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S.

Finding a cause of lupus

Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists discovered a molecular defect that promotes the pathologic immune response in lupus and show that reversing this defect may potentially reverse the disease.

Why is maternal mortality up?

The U.S. maternal mortality rate is accelerating at an alarming rate, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine. But the reason is not what many people think it is.

Dirt-powered fuel cell runs forever

A Northwestern-led team of researchers developed a new fuel cell — about the size of a paperback book — that harvests energy from microbes living in dirt. The technology could fuel underground sensors used in precision agriculture and green infrastructure.

From upper left: The Potocsnak Longevity Institute at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine launched the Human Longevity Laboratory; microstructure of a new bioactive material; scientists have pinpointed a way to potentially reverse lupus; a new fuel cell coated in dirt after being pulled from the ground.

Consistent patterns of loneliness

Northwestern Medicine examined nine longitudinal studies from around the world to pinpoint the times in life when adults are most susceptible to heightened loneliness.

Election forecast driven by bettors

For the second U.S. presidential election in a row, a Northwestern data scientist ran a forecasting platform so precise that followers could see how single events — such as a debate or legal ruling — might affect the potential outcome of the race.

How old are you, really?

At Northwestern’s Human Longevity Lab, scientists are investigating the relationship between chronological age and biological age in an effort to slow or reverse the aging process and improve the lifespan.

Regenerating cartilage, quickly

Northwestern researchers introduced an injectable new therapy, which harnessed fast-moving “dancing molecules,” to repair tissues and reverse paralysis after severe spinal cord injuries in 2021. This year, the group applied the therapeutic strategy to damaged human cartilage cells, and the treatment activated the gene expression necessary to regenerate cartilage in a matter of hours. In another study, scientists developed a new material that successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage in the knee joints of a large-animal model.

Giant Magellan Telescope

Northwestern is a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope currently under construction in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Launching in the 2030s, it will be the world’s most powerful optical telescope, able to explore the distant universe and search for signs of life outside Earth’s solar system.
From upper left: Northwestern field hockey won its second national championship in four seasons, defeating St. Joseph's 5-0; work continues on the new Ryan Field; University Library presented items from the special collection of Hollywood legend Garry Marshall; Mallory Thompson retired as Northwestern’s first woman director of bands; and members of the Class of 2028 marched onto campus to start their Northwestern careers.

Campus and community

The year on campus was filled with good news and time well spent together as the football team played games on campus, field hockey made a historic run to a national championship, lacrosse fell one goal short of its own NCAA title and men’s basketball advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Transformational building projects began, the community celebrated grads and welcomed a new class.

Read on for more highlights.

Farewell, Mallory!

Northwestern celebrated the retirement of Mallory Thompson the University’s first woman director of bands and just the third person to hold that title.

Home games on campus

Northwestern football, lacrosse and soccer played home games this fall at Northwestern Medicine Field, a temporary structure with views of the lake, north campus and downtown Chicago, while work continues on the new Ryan Field project.

Congrats, grads!

As this year’s commencement speaker Kathryn Hahn ’95 described it, the Class of 2024 was “a very special class” — one that missed high school graduations and made their college choice “sight unseen. Good choice!”

New Ryan Field

In June, Northwestern celebrated the formal groundbreaking for the new Ryan Field, a 100% privately funded project that is bringing thousands of jobs and nearly $660 million in economic impact to the City of Evanston and surrounding areas.

Celebrating the Mee-Ow Show

After 50 years, 419 performances, 301 cast members and countless laughs, April 6, 2024, was declared “Mee-Ow Show Day” by Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss during an event where current and past performers honored America’s longest running college improv and sketch comedy show.

Transformational campus projects

There are several construction projects underway on the Evanston campus, but the redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn promises to be transformational, creating a new campus hub — renamed the Cohen Lawn — where students can relax and socialize.

Solar eclipse

On April 8, the much-hyped total solar eclipse arrived, passing across North America, the Chicago-area and Northwestern.

Meet the Class of 2028

When undergraduate classes began in September, Northwestern welcomed more than 2,100 new first-year students as members of the Class of 2028, as well as more than 250 transfer students. These newest Wildcats came from 50 states, more than 90 countries and 1,400 high schools.

Highest ranking ever

At the same time, U.S. News & World Report released its 2025 Best Colleges rankings, ranking Northwestern sixth in the National Universities category, its highest ranking ever. President Michael Schill said part of what makes Northwestern such a great place to learn is having a diverse student body, through which students are exposed to different viewpoints.

One Book, One Northwestern

Louise Erdrich, this year’s One Book One Northwestern author, spoke Oct. 15 on the Evanston campus about the Native people who inspired her book “The Night Watchman.”

Remembering a Hollywood legend

During fall quarter, Northwestern University Library showcased dozens of items from the one-of-a-kind Garry Marshall Collection. Marshall ’56, who passed away in 2016, has countless blockbuster titles to his credit, including “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries.”

Capturing the political moment

This summer a group of Medill students got the chance to witness — and report on — political history-in-the-making during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

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