Searle Newsletter

Join the Searle Center for a dynamic lineup of events designed to bolster student success and instructor vitality.

We're also bringing you a special interview with Liz McCabe, new Director of Academic Initiatives in the Office of Undergraduate Education!

Educator Spotlight: Liz McCabe

By Laura Ferdinand, Assistant Director of Content and Communications

In early January, the Office of the Provost announced Liz McCabe as the new Director of Academic Initiatives. As she begins to define the newly created role and identify priorities in collaboration with Associate Provost Karen Smilowitz and the undergraduate education team, McCabe is undertaking a listening tour to bring the perspectives, needs, and experiences of folks across the University into conversation. In doing so, she is enacting her core values as an educator, co-creating a space of community and curiosity in which to address some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in higher education.

Last week, I sat down with McCabe at a mainstay of downtown Evanston dining to learn more about her new role. As we were settling in, she reminisced about sharing a meal with her parents at this same restaurant many years ago as a new graduate student, how they were comforted to know she could get a good meal far from her native New York. It is a fitting coincidence that we should meet here at the beginning of another exciting chapter of her Northwestern career.

Less than five weeks into her new position, which purposefully preserves her direct connection with students in the classroom, I was honored that she made time to meet with me. I was also surprised that she was as interested in learning about me as I was about her. Her spirit of generosity and connection infuses everything she does, from her role as an Associate Professor of Instruction, board member of several nonprofits, and former director of the Chicago Field Studies Program in Weinberg. McCabe deeply prizes a sense of co-created community, a space where every student feels invited and integral to its success.

In these first few weeks, McCabe is already forging the relationships that will support thoughtful work on emergent issues including academic integrity, teaching evaluations, and teaching and learning in the age of generative AI. We look forward to partnering with her as she helps shape Northwestern’s next chapter.

Read the interview.

Pedagogical Innovations in the Humanities

February 24 | 3–4:00 PM

Discover new ways to enrich engagement in humanities classrooms by exploring how digital archives can spark student curiosity and motivation. In this online session, Johana Godfrey shares inspiring, practice‑focused teaching approaches that instructors can bring into their own courses.

Learning Lab on Open Educational Resources

March 3 | 2:30–4 PM

Explore high‑quality OERs that enhance learning while reducing student costs. Led by curriculum innovation librarian Mackenzie Salisbury, this in-person, interactive session invites instructors to experiment with new tools and approaches in celebration of Open Education Week—co‑sponsored by University Libraries.

The Salon

March 4 | 4–5:15 PM

Deepen your understanding of contemplative practice, holistic wellness, and how to sustain yourself throughout academic life. This warm, intergenerational space welcomes all members of the Northwestern community seeking an opportunity to pause, connect, and recharge—co‑sponsored with CSAW and the Department of Black Studies.

Mini-Retreat on Grading

March 10 | 11 AM–1:00 PM

Explore sustainable grading practices with Searle Center Distinguished Fellows and members of the Community for Ongoing Reflection in Education. This community‑centered mini‑ retreat offers teaching‑line faculty a space to share approaches, exchange insights, and connect over a seasonal catered lunch.

Centering Black Women and Black Gender-Expansive Instructors

March 10 | 4–6:00 PM

Connect, reflect, and center collective care. This in-person event cultivates a space where all are welcome to deepen community among instructors. This quarter's event will take place on the Chicago Campus—co-sponsored by the Women's Center.

Teaching with Generative AI: Community for Evidence-Driven Exploration

2026–27 Academic Year

Examine how generative AI shapes student learning so you can design meaningful, evidence-driven course improvements. This yearlong cohort offers a collaborative, inquiry-focused experience for instructors to exchange ideas, refine research designs, and share findings.

University Practicum

Explore innovative, evidence-based strategies grounded in core learning principles—not only to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, but to shape its future. This year's flexible, online University Practicum focuses on the science of how students learn, enhancing effective teaching strategies grounded in leading-edge research.

A signature feature of the Practicum are Learning Labs, which offer hands-on opportunities to apply what you’re learning. These sessions provide structured time to build concrete elements of your teaching and leave with tangible products ready for use. Check out the topics for this year's Learning Labs below.

Learning Lab on Catalyzing Engagement

February 26 | 12–1:00 PM

Harness the science of learning within a technology-infused learning ecosystem to catalyze student engagement and success. In this hybrid session, learning engineers and AV support specialists from NUIT provide guided, hands-on time to enhance active learning in your teaching.

Learning Lab on Activating Metacognition

March 5 | 12–1:00 PM

Enhance metacognition in your teaching to promote student development. In this online session, biomedical engineering professor Chamille Lescott provides guided, hands-on time to design new activities that help students self-regulate learning.

Learning Lab on Prioritizing Critical Thinking

March 12 | 12–1:00 PM

Create learning environments where students can make meaningful, effective connections. In this online session, Searle Center educational developers discuss how to help students prioritize critical thinking in the age of generative AI.

Register for the University Practicum

Now through March 12

If you have already registered for the Practicum, invitations to all events—including the Learning Labs—have already been sent to your Outlook calendar.

Graduate Teaching Fellows Workshop Series

Graduate Teaching Fellows are highly accomplished graduate students who spend a full year deepening their pedagogical knowledge and practice with the Searle Center to strengthen the culture of learning and teaching at Northwestern. Drawing on this training, they design and facilitate interactive, interdisciplinary workshops on timely special interest topics. This quarter, we are proud to feature two of their workshops.

Designing and Implementing Rubrics

February 27 | 12:30–2 PM

Strengthen your assessment practice with practical techniques for designing clear, supportive rubrics that meaningfully guide student learning. This workshop equips instructors and TAs to create transparent, effective rubrics that enhance engagement and promote deeper learning.

Exploring Assessment Techniques in STEM

March 9 | 11 AM–12:30 PM

Boost student participation with practical STEM assessment techniques you can implement immediately in your courses. This workshop supports instructors and TAs aiming to support deeper student engagement to cultivate interactive, transparent learning environments.

Save the date for our second annual Searle Center Community Celebration from 2–4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3, 2026!

This festive gathering brings our learning and teaching community together to celebrate our collective accomplishments, honor our partners, and present this year's Spirit of Searle Awards.