NU welcomes new development director for research centers & initiatives
Dear Office for Research colleagues,
As we look forward to another year of outstanding Northwestern research achievement, I am excited to announce an important new member of the team who will help support our breakthrough advances.
Effective Jan. 27, Curtrice W. Scott joins the University as our director of development for research centers and initiatives. This senior fundraising role reports directly to Northwestern's Alumni Relations and Development Office with a dotted-line report to the Office for Research, working closely with me to design and implement innovative programs to cultivate support for high-priority research programs.
Curtrice distinguished herself from among an outstanding group of finalists for this position. She brings to the role an abundance of experience. Her multi-sector professional background as an attorney, higher education administrator and entrepreneur, combined with her strong analytical, communication, organizational and strategic thinking skills, makes her a fantastic addition to our team as Northwestern continues to strategically grow its research enterprise.
Most recently, Curtrice served as director of the Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics at the University of Chicago Law School. In this role, she managed the institute's operations, cultivated faculty relationships across campus, partnered closely with alumni relations and development on donor work, and recruited, managed and developed her staff. Prior to this role, Curtrice was a corporate and municipal litigator, as well as an independent business owner. She earned her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor and a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Spelman College.
During my conversations with Curtrice, I was highly impressed by her enthusiasm, experience and professional success, as well as her ability to harness disparate skills and apply them within the context of higher education research fundraising. As she looks forward to joining our team, Curtrice says: "I was drawn to this position because of its focus on fundraising for research, and I accepted because of the people associated with the University. From my earliest days as a products liability lawyer to my most recent time supporting law and economics within higher education, I am thrilled that my passion for learning, relationship building and connecting-the-dots will support VPR Mrksich, amazing faculty and Northwestern's thriving research enterprise. I also am excited for the opportunity to work with talented colleagues to use our professional expertise to help further elevate Northwestern as a global research leader."
Please join me in welcoming Curtrice to Northwestern!
I do also want to thank our colleagues in ARD for their superb partnership in recruiting for this key leadership position, and to all those who helped interview Curtrice and the other candidates for this role.
Milan Mrksich
Vice President for Research