Elizabeth Horn and Xiaowei Wang have been named the 2026 recipients of the Alumnae of Northwestern University’s Award for Curriculum Innovation. The award, which is administered by the Office of the Provost, provides $12,500 in funding to support faculty with new ideas for courses, teaching methods, or improvements to existing classes.
Horn’s project introduces an experiential-learning course where students will use theatre-based strategies with pediatric hospital patients. The class builds on introductory offerings such as “Storytelling” and “Creative Drama” in the Theatre for Young Audiences module. Students will develop a multisensory play tailored to individual children’s needs and study arts-based pediatric programming across the United States. Two students from this course will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, to present their work at the 2026 National Festival and Conference for Theatre for Young Audiences/USA in May.
Elizabeth Horn joined Northwestern in 2025 and specializes in theatre for young audiences and creative drama. Her interests include personal narrative and devised theatre, applied theatre, and arts and wellness.
Wang’s curricular innovation is an advanced undergraduate course titled Computing and the Environment. This class examines how computing intersects with environmental justice and climate issues. Students will construct a solar-powered server as part of their coursework, which will help them learn about AI’s social and environmental impacts. The hands-on project also covers topics such as data sovereignty, ethical data practices, energy consumption related to websites, internet protocols, hardware use, and electronic waste.
Xiaowei Wang is a Mancosh Postdoctoral Scholar in the School of Communication whose multidisciplinary work spans public art, technology, social justice, and environmental justice over the past 15 years.
“The award recognizes and supports faculty with innovative ideas for new courses, methods of instruction and enhancements to existing classes,” according to Northwestern University.
The funding includes stipends for both recipients as well as support for their home departments.
