Alumnae Award for Curriculum Innovation
The Alumnae of Northwestern University Award for Curriculum Innovation supports faculty innovations that enhance the undergraduate curriculum such as new courses, new course materials or components for existing courses, and/or new approaches to instruction.
AWARD AND APPLICATION INFORMATIONPast Recipients
Please direct questions to curriculumaward@northwestern.edu.
Read about the 2025 winners in Northwestern Now.
Congratulations to the 2025 Recipients
Spencer Striker
Associate Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern Qatar
Spencer's Striker's curricular innovation is to integrate creative production curriculum with NU-Q’s AIM Lab research to advance human centered AI innovation in media, creative production and digital communication.
By incorporating AI tools across various courses and leveraging AIM Lab's research infrastructure and partnerships, Striker seeks to establish a sustainable model for long-term innovation in creative technology education that will benefit NU-Q students for years to come.
Claudia Quevedo-Webb
Assistant Professor of Instruction in Spanish
María Jesús Barros García
Professor of Instruction in Spanish, Director of the Spanish Language Program
César Hoyos Álvarez
Assistant Professor of Instruction in Spanish
Claudia Quevedo-Webb, César Enrique Hoyas Álvarez, and María Jesús Barros García, all faculty members in the Spanish and Portuguese department at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, have begun using VR technology to create cultural immersion learning experiences for students within the Northwestern classroom.
Although study abroad experiences are recognized for developing critical intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in language learners, not all students can study abroad, and if they do, they may not have the opportunity to take part in cultural practices. The team's curricular innovation utilizes VR to immerse students in various scenarios and real-life situations. Paired with classroom discussions, cultural comparisons, and self-reflection, this approach helps students develop cultural competence and a deeper appreciation for different cultures.
