The Northwestern Intersections team is kicking off our latest season with a four part Back to School mini-series, where we will speak with Wildcats at the intersection of education and the pandemic, discussing how they are approaching their work in our ever-changing, virtual world.

Melissa Foster ’96, ’01 MMus, a full time senior lecturer in the theatre department and a member of the musical theatre voice faculty in the School of Communication, occupies a unique position on Northwestern’s campus. She is one of the five Northwestern faculty members that live with their families in residence halls with undergraduate students. In this episode, Melissa guides us through what it’s like building residential community without all members occupying the same space, as well as the intricacies of teaching voice lessons over Zoom calls. Melissa also shares the importance of gratitude and your support network when navigating some of life’s most challenging patches, whatever it entails.