Research is most impactful when it connects people, ideas, and communities. The Life-Span Development Lab maintains strong interdisciplinary ties with colleagues and organizations at Northwestern, as well as across the country and worldwide.
The Chicago Consortium on Longevity
Claudia Haase is the co-director of the Chicago Consortium on Longevity (CCL), which aims to enhance and improve the aging experience in the greater Chicagoland area and beyond. Her co-director is DePaul Professor Joseph Mikels. The consortium’s goal is to provide resources and connections through interdisciplinary education and research, as well as interprofessional support services, for organizations and initiatives dedicated to lifelong learning and development. This is especially important because the U.S. population, like that of many other countries, is seeing a growing number of older adults. The hope is that older adults from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the greater Chicagoland area and beyond will benefit from the consortium’s research and resources. Every spring, the consortium hosts a summit that brings together scholars, students, practitioners, and community members of diverse ages and generations. The 2025 summit, hosted at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, focused on social connection within and across generations.
The Center for Responsible Tech, Policy, and Public Dialogue
Claudia Haase also serves as the faculty co-director of The Center for Technology, Policy, and Public Dialogue, a multidisciplinary research hub at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. Her co-director is Sepehr Vakil, an associate professor of Learning Sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy. The center was established to investigate how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are shaping society, including human relationships, education, creativity, democracy, and the environment. Bringing together scholars and ideas from diverse fields, the center collaborates with students, families, and community partners to explore significant questions about ethics, fairness, and innovation. The center aims to guide technology toward a more accessible, responsible, and sustainable future, with the Life-Span Development Lab (as part of the center) focusing on how we keep human relationships at the heart of this future, even as we move into a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and other potentially dehumanizing technologies.