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Wednesday, May 20, 2026

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Evanston’s housing plan, pencil.nu and Veronica Roth’s visit

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President-elect Mung Chiang talks AI, research funding , engineering background, University goals By DESIREE LUO

campus editor

Northwestern’s Board of Trustees announced Mung Chiang as the University’s 18th president Monday. The current Purdue president

succeeds former NU President Michael Schill, who stepped down from the post in September. Interim President Henry Bienen will retain the position until late June. Chiang assumes the presidency on July 1. Hours after the Board’s announcement, The Daily sat down with Chiang over a slice of

pepperoni pizza in Allison Dining Commons to discuss his engineering background, research funding and goals for the start of his tenure. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily: What drew you to Northwestern? Chiang: NU has this superb

undergrad liberal arts education, and then every comprehensive imaginable research, graduate and professional studies. And the arts. It’s amazing: journalism, communications, marketing — amazing. Then you’ve got Big Ten sports. I know that — somewhat painfully, occasionally. You’ve got the medical

school and the hospital system in NU Medicine innovating ways to save lives. I mean, what other university has that kind of combination? It’s a truly amazing place. The Daily: You have an engineering background. I don’t know if you’ve spoken to incoming Provost Erik Luijten yet, but he also has an

engineering background. Chiang: I haven’t had the pleasure to meet him. In fact, I think after this pizza, my next meeting is with the provost designee and other members of the team. The Daily: What do you think

» See CHIANG, page 8

ETHS celebrates graduates NU housing brings hurdles Actor Lauren Lapkus speaks at commencement By MAX TURETZKY

assistant city editor

Actor and comedian Lauren Lapkus told Evanston Township High School seniors to celebrate their “weirdness” at her Sunday commencement address. “The things that make you weird now are the things that will make you a cool, interesting person as you get older,” said Lapkus, who graduated from ETHS in 2004. “And if you’re already cool in high school, then I’m legit scared of you.”

Recycle Me

More than 800 ETHS seniors received their diplomas at the commencement ceremony, held at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena. After attending DePaul University Lapkus broke out with her role in “Orange is the New Black,” which earned her a Screen Actors Guild award. She later appeared in “The Big Bang Theory” and “Jurassic World.” At ETHS, Lapkus was an editor at The Evanstonian, the school’s newspaper, and performed and produced for YAMO, a student-run sketch comedy and variety show,

where she said she found her love for improv. “Improv teaches us that we already have the answers,” Lapkus said. “And what I mean by that is that your gut knows the right thing to do. Trust that little voice inside of you that knows what’s right and what’s wrong.” She told the crowd they had a “leg up” as natives of Evanston, which she called “the ideal place to grow up.” In particular, she said, the city supports “artists and diversity

» See ETHS, page 15

Accommodation applicants see rejections, errors By TAARIQ AHMED

the daily northwestern

Weinberg first-year Jeremy Tam said he experiences anxiety when he holds in his involuntary tics, especially in front of others. Despite the challenges that come with his Tourette syndrome, he still tried living with a roommate during his first year at Northwestern. He eventually realized he required his own room in order to live comfortably. “I need a place to let those tics

out, to feel comfortable, to relax,” Tam said. “That’s super important for my mental health, for my overall academic performance and generally to make me be me.” For the upcoming school year, Tam applied for housing accommodations through AccessibleNU, the University service that manages such requests, to live in a single room. He said he felt he had adequately explained his reasoning, along with submitting a doctor’s note and a neurologist’s letter supporting his separate academic

accommodations. He did not anticipate that ANU would reject his request, or that he would have to submit a similar note from his doctor again. “I wasn’t exactly sure why I needed to provide another one because it’s not like my Tourette’s went away,” Tam said. Despite the initial rejection, Tam ultimately acquired the accommodations he wanted. But he is just one student who said they have experienced administrative

» See HOUSING, page 15