Megan Greenfield works to connect graduate students across McCormick and Northwestern
While Megan Greenfield is a graduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, her advisers, Monica Olvera de la Cruz and Samuel Stupp, are professors in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She collaborates with students and faculty across the sciences — and is working to build a graduate student network at Northwestern.
As cofounder of the McCormick Graduate Leadership Council (MGLC), Greenfield has helped create an organization whose goal is to build the graduate student community at McCormick. She now serves as president of Northwestern’s Graduate Student Association, which connects graduate students across the campus. She also works extensively with the Women’s Center at Northwestern, which has honored her for her efforts in encouraging and mentoring women at the University.
What’s your current research?
I study the self-assembly of small molecules into materials that can be used in regenerative medicine. Specifically, I study the role of electrostatic interactions in peptide amphiphile self-assembly with the aim of exploiting these interactions to make nanofiber networks that can direct cell behavior and faceted vesicles that can be used as drug-delivery vehicles. I spend a lot of my time in the Biological Imaging Facility — their equipment is perfect for my work. I’m their biggest fan!
Why McCormick?
I decided to come to Northwestern because of the many opportunities to collaborate across departmental and even school lines on biomaterials research. Once I was here, I saw Monica Olvera de la Cruz give a very passionate talk about the role of electrostatics, and once we figured out how to set up an experimental collaboration with Samuel Stupp, I was sold. I enjoy being part of two research groups because you have plenty of opportunities to learn about areas outside of your primary focus, and we have a lot of collaborations.
Tell us about MGLC.
Last spring Dean Ottino held a reception for graduate students that very few people attended. It was there that I met Binoy Shah (a graduate student in mechanical engineering), and together we discussed how we could improve graduate student life in McCormick. Over the course of the next few months we worked with Bruce Lindvall [assistant dean for graduate studies] and Gina Myerson [assistant dean and director of marketing] to put MGLC together. Previously, most events were department specific, and graduate students rarely interacted with students outside their departments. We wanted to change that, so we organized a group that plans academic, professional, and social events for all McCormick graduate students.
The group consists of two cochairs and two representatives from each department. This year Binoy and I are no longer cochairs, which I think is our crowning achievement. It’s exciting to see people step up and take over the leadership of the organization. This fall 150 students showed up for our first event — quite a change from last year!
What are your other activities?
I’m president of the Graduate Student Association, which represents all the students in the Graduate School and advocates for improved health care and child care, protection of student rights, and better housing resources. We also hold financial seminars and social events, like the recent GSA 5K Run/Walk. This year we are rolling out a comprehensive department representative program to increase our communication with students, especially those in smaller programs.
My longest-standing involvement at Northwestern has been with the Women’s Center. I help plan Northwestern’s extensive Take Your Daughter to Work Day program; each year I strive to add more math, science, and engineering sessions to encourage the girls to become engineers. I’m also involved in intramural sports and just finished my first triathlon as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program to raise money in support of two of my friends who are battling blood cancer.
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