On July 14 the Block Museum’s Erin Northington, The Block’s Susan and Stephen Wilson Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement, was announced as a recipient of the 2022 Northwestern Student Affairs Campus Partner Award.

Each year, Northwestern’s Student Affairs recognizes individual staff members, departments, or groups who have done outstanding work in the area of student services. The recipients of these awards are announced at the annual end-of-the-year celebration. Northington was the co-winner of the Division’s Campus Partner Award, alongside the staff members of the COVID Testing Support Team. This award specifically recognizes a faculty or staff member, alumni, or department–who has been an outstanding partner with Student Affairs on a significant initiative to improve the Northwestern experience for students.

Northington was awarded for her extraordinary work in creating strong co-curricular connections around the museum’s program and her leadership and vision for the Student Associates. The Committee noted the ways in which her contributions model the values and behaviors of the Student Affairs’ mission including:

• Leading with compassion – approaching her work and the work of The Block from a place of care and empathy; 
• Commitment to social justice – centering marginalized communities in programs, and seeking out and actively including diverse perspectives;
• Embracing well-being – supporting connections for NU students/community
• Supporting learning through discovery – by supporting students to develop their own capacity and knowledge about art and engaging in dialogue to promote understanding and connection with others’ experiences;

When collaborating with Erin, I’ve had the pleasure of observing how her role extends to interdisciplinary teaching, nurturing co-curricular programming. Her work demonstrates how NU’s Block Museum supports the learning and development of all Northwestern students.  This fall I was thrilled to coordinate a cross-residential college reception for students and fellows, followed by student led tours. The program Erin and the Block Museum staff provided was highly educational and memorable. The Student Associates were so impressive in how they shared their knowledge with their peers and how they engaged visiting students in the artworks, inviting them to share their own observations.  … It was inspirational to witness how the Associates are coached and encouraged in their observations.  I observed an impressive workshop led by Erin, which revealed the quality of experiential learning gained by NU students mentored as museum guides.

Nancy Anderson, Nominator, and Associate Director of Residential Academic Initiatives