Member Spotlight: In Life, a Northwestern Through Line
Posted on Monday, June 24, 2024
Northwestern University was always an influential presence for John Franklin ’18, who grew up in Chicago. His father, John E. Franklin ’15 MA (’18 P), is a psychiatrist, professor, and associate dean at Feinberg School of Medicine. In middle school, the younger Franklin attended robotics camp at Annenberg Hall on the Evanston campus. He was also a participant in track meets held near campus at Evanston Township High School.
Although Franklin considered many schools when applying for his undergraduate studies, ultimately, he was looking for a place that would let him pursue his many interests, which included computer science, computer engineering, and music composition. “Northwestern shone as a place that was as well-rounded as I was,” Franklin says. “Proximity to home, the lake, and a vibrant city ultimately sealed the deal for me.”
Franklin graduated from the McCormick School of Engineering with degrees in computer science and computer engineering, which led him to work for Pixar Animation Studios in California as a machine learning researcher. He later moved to New York City, where he is a product manager at Google and helps lead the foldable phone program. He believes his time at Northwestern set him up for career success. “It’s easy to find the through line between my Northwestern training and what I do today,” he says.
At The Garage, Northwestern’s student startup space, “I got my hands dirty with product development and exposure to non-business engineering roles,” Franklin explains. “My machine learning courses gave me the necessary vocabulary for understanding generative AI features emerging at Google. And Northwestern Engineering’s San Francisco Bay Area Immersion Program got me on the ground in Silicon Valley well before I graduated.”
Outside of work, Franklin also drew on his Northwestern experiences. In 2023, he competed on—and won!—the 35th season of the CBS travel reality competition show, The Amazing Race. After a five-month application process, Franklin and his brother, Greg, traveled the world completing mental and physical challenges and competing against 13 other duos for the chance to win $1 million.
He credits their Amazing Race victory in part to the problem-solving skills, fitness habits, and knack for travel he honed during his school years. “My journey at Northwestern played a crucial role in shaping my abilities. It was there that I grew stronger as a storyteller, gained confidence in my identity, and became more comfortable with productions through RTVF (Radio, Television, and Film) classes,” Franklin says. “Undoubtedly, Northwestern provided me with a diverse range of experiences. Whether I was navigating the challenges in India, Thailand, Slovenia, or even Los Angeles, the education and skills I acquired in college gave me the context to excel in each leg of the race.”
Franklin prioritizes giving back to Northwestern and has done so every year since his graduation, making him a silver-level NU Loyal member. “Giving annually reminds me of what I care about, prompts me to assess the issues I find most crucial, and makes me think about how I can positively impact the world beyond my day-to-day job,” he says.
Franklin consistently spreads the word to fellow alumni that they can contribute to specific areas of the University that hold significance for them. His own objective is to reduce barriers to students to pursue their passions. Franklin notes that his favorite areas to support are the ones that invested in him during his time on campus. This includes The Garage, Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and the National Society of Black Engineers, which he calls “a crucial space where I could connect and collaborate with like-minded peers.” Finally, as a former jazz radio host for WNUR, Franklin says, “The radio station is one of my favorite groups to contribute to, so that current students have the opportunity to dive into production.” The campus organizations and programs he supports “played a significant role in shaping my identity, and by paying it forward, I can help current students have the same kind of enriching opportunities I did.”
Looking ahead, Franklin has high hopes for the direction of the University. “I look forward to seeing Northwestern’s continued embrace of future technologies and innovative teaching methods. I deeply appreciated the value of project-based courses and extracurricular activities, and I’m enthusiastic about the ongoing development of these by faculty and staff,” he says. “The Garage, in particular, fostered a community of entrepreneurs, and I hope to see it expand as more engineering students engage in real-world product solutions.”
Reflecting on his loyalty to the University, Franklin says, “Representing an institution that takes decisive action and prioritizes its student body is a source of great pride for me. In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, I have confidence that Northwestern and its alumni will continue to lead.”