McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University
Murphy Institute
The Murphy Institute
The Murphy Institute is a program that enables a group of McCormick's best undergraduates to engage in self-directed activities of interest to them, with support from faculty advisors. These activities could include on-campus research, involvement with design projects, or engagement in off-campus scholarly work. A Murphy Institute Scholar may follow an existing curriculum, or the Scholar may design his or her own curriculum with individual interests in mind through the Combined Studies degree program.
The program offer students several unique opportunities:
Major Project
Murphy Institute Scholars are able to define and pursue a research or design project throughout their four years at Northwestern. Laboratory research, design, entrepreneurial activities, and public policy are among the many possibilities that Scholars might choose to explore. Mechanical engineering student Marrisa Krotter simulates the mixing of materials using computer models. Her work with senior associate dean Richard Lueptow has implications that range from pharmaceuticals to geophysical science.
Each Murphy Institute Scholar receives an award that is intended to cover supplemental expenses. On-campus activities may be enhanced through summer internships or international programs. For example, Xiongfan (Sail) Wu was awarded a Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Scholarship to study at the Technical University of Munich for a summer. Andrea Fraga heads to South Africa as part of the Global Health Technologies Study Abroad Program.
Advising
Murphy Institute Scholars will be advised by an interdisciplinary team of Faculty Fellows, which has been assembled with the interests of the Scholars in mind. Some members of the advising team may be from other Northwestern schools, from outside the University, or from Northwestern's alumni base.
Seminars
Murphy Institute Scholars take part in an interdisciplinary seminar series, Engineering Dialog, organized and presented by Murphy Institute Faculty Fellows and Scholars. Presentations cover diverse topics and change with each quarter. To name just a few examples, Professor David Kelso described fighting disease in Africa with engineering solutions. Professor Elizabeth Gerber, along with Murphy Scholar Nana Ohene Adu, discussed their roles in Design for America. Professor Hani Mammisani talked about solutions for traffic gridlock, while Professor Katherine Faber described the McCormick School's role in research at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Courses
Murphy Institute Scholars will follow the course curriculum of their chosen major or design a curriculum specifically chosen to their interests. In the Engineering First® series, Murphy Scholars will enroll in a special section of Engineering Design and Communication I and II that incorporates concepts from Engineering Analysis. Some Murphy Scholars add a second major or a certificate program in Engineering Design or from the Kellogg School of Management, for example, to supplement their studies.
Murphy Scholars are involved in a wide variety of other activities on campus and throughout the community. Katie Bradford is active in the Associated Student Government (ASG). Taiyo Sogawa serves as President of the Residential College Executive Board, and has chaired Welcome Week's "Rock the Beach."
Meet a few of the Murphy Institute Scholars:
Mark Fischer Isabelle Ji Greg McGlynn Becky Penskar Albert Lyu
Becoming a Murphy Scholar
Participation in the Murphy Institute is by invitation only. Students are invited to serve as Murphy Institute Scholars on the basis of their Northwestern applications.
Recent Projects
Below are Powerpoint slides illustrating recent projects completed by students in the program.
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