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
- Jan202026
SoC I EPICS: Industry Connect - Arts, Culture, Theatre, & Nonprofit
5:30 PM
601 University Place, Evanston, IL 60208Connect with experienced alumni and professionals from the arts, culture, theatre, & nonprofit sectors for an evening of networking. Meet in small groups, hear their experiences, and get career advice.
- Jan282026
SoC I EPICS: Internship Search Strategies
12:00 PM
2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208Internship and job searching can feel overwhelming, especially during the winter recruiting rush, but having a clear plan makes all the difference. This session will focus on preparing for summer opportunities, navigating the busiest application window and staying organized as key deadlines approach. You’ll leave with personalized next steps to help you stay competitive and confident throughout the winter recruiting season.
- Jan302026
SoC I EPICS: Q&A With Janet Lin
3:00 PM
1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208Join us for a Q&A with Emmy-Nominated Writer Janet Lin moderated by Assistant Professor Brett Neveu. She is currently developing three series – a DC Wonder Woman series Paradise Lost for HBOMax, a show set in the Game of Thrones universe, The Golden Empire of Yi Ti for HBO, as well as a genre procedural about a werewolf in a retirement home, RISC, for FOX. She has most recently staffed on two upcoming series for Amazon, 56 Days and Rise of the Empress. Her credits also include: Bridgerton, Cursed, The Orville, Forever, The Night Shift and Bones. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two stretchy sons.
- Feb032026
SoC I EPICS: Life After NU - Data Meets Design: The Art & Science of Engagement
5:00 PM
How do you capture attention and create meaningful engagement in today’s digital-first world? At the intersection of art, technology, and strategy, alumni are shaping the future of connection through sports marketing, analytics, digital media, and game design. In this Life After NU panel, you’ll hear from alumni as they share their career paths, industry insights, and advice for navigating what comes next.
- Feb062026
SoC I EPICS: Site Visit to Chicago Advertising Career Day
8:00 AM
1213 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607Ready to step inside the world of advertising? EPICS is covering tickets for a select group of students to attend Chicago Advertising Federation’s (CAF) Career Day —a high-energy, full-day experience that brings together 300+ students, grads, and early-career creatives who are serious about breaking into Chicago’s ad scene. If you want to understand how advertising actually works—and how to get hired—this is the place to be.
Communication Studies undergraduate students are being given first priority for registration. Don't miss out!
This event will include:
-Keynotes that inspire
-Panels that spill the industry secrets
-Networking lunch with agency pros
-Connection to people who recruit talent
-ickets are intended for students able to participate in the full day.Need a ride? If transportation to UIC is a barrier for you to attend, please let us know in your registration. We are exploring options for transportation if needed.
Registration Requirement:
To secure your EPICS-sponsored spot, please submit a brief (2–4 sentence) note sharing why attending CAF Career Day would support your career development.
Spots are limited—don’t wait to make connections, gain information, and prepare for your next career move.
- Feb112026
SoC I EPICS: NUTS! Film Screening and Q&A with Filmmaker Penny Lane
10:00 AM
1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208Join us for a screening NUTS! and a Q&A with filmmaker Penny Lane moderated by Eric Patrick, Dir. MFA in Documentary Media.
NUTS! is a feature length documentary about Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire in Depression-era America with a goat testicle impotence cure and a million watt radio station. Using animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and a hilariously unreliable narrator, NUTS! traces Brinkley’s rise from poverty and obscurity to the heights of celebrity, wealth and influence in Depression-era America.
- 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.