Northwestern Intersections

It was during his undergraduate years that Brian Mustanski knew he wanted to combine the perspectives of biology and psychology in the world of human sexuality research. He now serves as the Director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, the Co-Director of the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, and he is a tenured Professor at Northwestern. In this episode, Mustanski enlightens us with how his identity has impacted his career as well as his passion for influencing local policy makers on public health. Tune in as Mustanski talks us through fighting for equality, how to be allies to show solidarity with the LGBT community, and how to form collaborative partnerships.

Earlier this spring, the NAA hosted Campus to City, an event where four recent alumni returned to campus from San Francisco,Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago to share advice with the Class of 2019 to help prepare them for the transition from campus to post-graduate life. They candidly chatted about staying in touch with Northwestern after graduation, managing work, life, relationships, and more after leaving campus. Whether you are graduating this month or you graduated years ago, we hope you enjoy this conversation moderated by Andrew Harlan '19 featuring panelists, Fenit Nirappil '12, Zoe Goodman '13, Xiomara Contreras '17, and Rodney Orr '18.

Mallory Thompson graduated from the Bienen School of Music in 1980 and is now only the third person in the university's history to hold the director of bands position. Beloved by the Northwestern music community, Thompson shared stories about helping students and alumni network with each other, but even more importantly, make lasting connections with one another in informal settings. She talked us through the challenges and opportunities that she faced in her career as well as issues like burnout, and the importance of getting to know oneself, that musicians face throughout their lifetime.

Mallory Thompson will also be conducting for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble 50th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. Central. SWE alumni from virtually every major orchestra and military ensemble will perform a program of ensemble favorites and wind masterworks to commemorate the 50th anniversary of SWE's founding. Visit music.northwestern.edu/events/live after 7:20 p.m. Central to view the live stream.

In honor of one year of incredible alumni stories on this show, the Northwestern Alumni Association hosted a live panel of recent alumni who shared stories about what it takes to make a major transition early in their careers. You won't want to miss what our panelists, Victor Shao '13, Brittany Croone '13, Colette Ghunim '14, and Michael San Gabino '13, had to share about taking feedback and making tough decisions in their careers.

Discover What's Next in your career by listening to the recording of our first ever live podcast experience.

Sometimes, taking one step in the right direction is all you need to go from feeling stalled to having momentum in your career journey. Carol Ross '83, '87 MS hosted a webinar for the NAA in April 2019 where she coached three volunteers, with three common career challenges, to get back on track with their careers. After the webinar, Carol had a conversation with Northwestern Intersections host Cassie Petoskey about major themes that came up in the coaching, the emotions behind career changes, and what was surprising from the session. Tune in for validation that you are not alone if you are feeling confused about, or stalled in, your career journey. You'll walk away with hope, inspiration, and new perspectives.

To celebrate the podcast turning one on April 12, 2019, we wanted to share what resonated with our alumni through their voices. We asked alumni to share their name, class year, and what stuck with them from a Northwestern Intersections episode thus far. Tune in to hear what career stories have inspired alumni over the last year.

Take a tour through Northwestern University's Evanston campus with this specially curated audio guide by the University Archivist and alumnus Kevin Leonard '77, '82 MS. Leonard shares stories of what campus life was like after worldwide historic events as well as perceptions of spaces on campus over the years all while talking you through the history behind the buildings that make up this great campus. Listen while you walk around campus or tune in to reminisce about your time in Evanston, you won't want to miss this audio tour!

We also hope you enjoy the music throughout the tour, all of which are recordings of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra (NUSO) conducted by Victor Yampolsky in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

After being let go from his first job after college, Tony Wilkins '79 learned to always plan for the next step even before knowing what that next step would be. This perspective on how to prepare and his drive to be financially independent have led to a successful journey from one role and industry to the next. Wilkins started in engineering, transitioned into finance after earning an MBA, and is now investing in early-stage ventures. You won't want to miss his insights on prioritizing authenticity and coachability above everything else.

At graduation, she didn't know if she would find a job she would enjoy that allowed her to use her communications degree, but Deena Beach '03 was able to do just that. Though she didn't start out on a traditional career path, Beach quickly found her way into a media agency and on her way to leadership positions: she is currently the Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Disney ABC Television Group–Freeform. We talked about some of the challenges of management, got real about motherhood, and left the interview inspired by her insight that you are not in competition with the world.

Founding Mariachi Northwestern while he was a student at Northwestern was just one of the many ways that Daniel Flores is leaving a legacy within his communities. Flores is heavily involved with QuestBridge, the organization he earned a scholarship from to come to Northwestern, and has touched many lives through his work with this program. Flores has now found a role where he is aligning his career goals with his personal goals as the Growth Projects Associate for The Chicago Public Education Fund. Tune in for practical career transition insights from a recent alumnus who has already made several successful moves in his journey.