EPICS Events
EPICS and our SoC partners offer in-person and virtual events throughout the academic year. Attend a workshop, masterclass, alumni/industry speaker or networking event, or alumni panel to refine your professional skills, acquire new knowledge and expertise, and explore career paths of interest. These events are tailored to boost your career development, help you learn about industries, and broaden your professional network.
Upcoming Events
You will find EPICS upcoming events for the School of Communication in the calendar feed. Employers and friends of Northwestern can view all events open to the public on the University’s main calendar, PlanIt Purple.
Workshops
A workshop is an organized event or series of sessions designed to help students with their career development. These workshops typically focus on various aspects of career planning and advancement including networking, internship/job search strategies, interviewing, career planning, and resume and cover letter writing.
Masterclasses
A masterclass is a session led by someone who has expert knowledge or skill in a particular area. Every masterclass has an aim or goal that students will learn or complete by the end of the session.
Industry Connect
The Northwestern community stretches far and wide. With EPICS’ Industry Connect evenings, students can see the direction their Northwestern degree can take them. Experienced alumni and professionals discuss their industry, career path, and offer advice to students in a speed networking format. Each Industry Connect event is focused on a specific industry area that aligns with our Career Communities.
Life After NU
This panel series is for students to learn from young alumni about the transition from school to industry. The goal is for our current students to hear from young professionals about their immediate steps after Northwestern and recent steps in their career. Each Life After NU event is focused on a specific industry area that aligns with our Career Communities.
Alumni/Industry Speaker Events
Speaker events are an opportunity to hear directly from an experienced and accomplished alum and/or industry professional and often include a Q&A. They provide an opportunity for students to hear from industry leaders who share about their insight and experience and offer valuable advice.
Program-Specific Events
EPICS partners with our graduate level programs in MA in Sound Arts and Industries, MFA in Documentary Media, MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage, MS in Communication, and MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises to host events specifically for graduate students.
Upcoming Events
- Feb132026
Q&A with Author Gillian Flynn
3:00 PM
1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208Join us for a Q&A with bestselling author and Golden Globe nominated screenwriter Gillian Flynn. Writing Professor Zayd Dohrn will moderate the conversation.
Gillian Flynn is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Gone Girl, for which she wrote the Golden Globe–nominated screenplay; the New York Times bestsellers Dark Places and Sharp Objects; and a novella, The Grownup. A former critic for Entertainment Weekly, she lives in Chicago with her husband and children.
Bindley Family Visiting Artist.
- Feb182026
SoC I EPICS: Life After NU - The Business of Beauty & Fashion Communication
5:00 PM
Curious about careers at the intersection of communication and style? Connect with Northwestern alumni forging careers in brand storytelling, digital strategy, and the evolving landscape of communication in beauty and fashion.
- Feb232026
SoC I EPICS: Beyond The Stage - Unscripted Career Paths In Theatre
12:00 PM
Join us for a virtual Alumni Career Conversation featuring four Northwestern alumni working across different areas of the theatre industry: Ryan Garson, Janie Dickerson, Dylan Pager, and moderated by Laura Matalon.
Theatre careers rarely follow a single script. In this conversation, our alumni guests will share insights into the wide range of opportunities that exist beyond traditional expectations of “working in theatre,” from creative leadership to producing, management, and hybrid roles.
Building on the SoC Board of Advisors mentorship work and the theme of “A Year of Building Northwestern Connections,” this session will explore how alumni leveraged mentorship, and Northwestern networks to navigate uncertainty, pivot when needed, and define success on their own terms. Students will gain practical advice on career exploration, skill-building, and how to cultivate lasting connections beyond graduation.
- Feb242026
SoC I EPICS: Q&A With Larkin Brown
12:30 PM
2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208Have lunch with Larkin Brown, Northwestern alumni and Sr. Director of Research at Pinterest. Hear about Larkin’s work in product research, user experience and design, and fashion across many forms of media and tech.
This event is co-hosted by EPICS and the Department of Communication Studies.
- Feb242026
Dialogue with the Dean: Jameel Jaffer
6:30 PM
1949 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208School of Communication Dean E. Patrick Johnson will engage in dialogue with Jameel Jaffer
Jameel Jaffer is the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Under his leadership, the Institute has filed precedent-setting litigation, undertaken major interdisciplinary research initiatives, and become an influential voice in debates about the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age. Jaffer was once the deputy legal director for the ACLU, where he oversaw the organization’s work on free speech, privacy, technology, national security, and international human rights. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs. He is the executive editor of Just Security, a national security blog, and his most recent book, The Drone Memos, was one of The Guardian's "best books of 2016."
This event may be attended in person at the Clara, Lu 'n' Em Theater or virtually.