Sera Young’s Research Featured in Walder Foundation Newsletter

Center for Synthetic Biology faculty member Sera Young, Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern, was featured in the Walder Foundation’s March 2026 newsletter. The Foundation’s President & CEO, Elizabeth Walder, highlighted Sera’s work in the foreword. Read her letter below and click here to read the Foundation’s story about her work.

Dear supporters, partners, and friends,

Have you ever stopped to think about safe, clean water? It is central to our existence and essential for our communities. While we may not think about it that often, there are populations around the world whose experience with water is characterized by scarcity and insecurity. Their lack of reliable access to clean water harms their health and impedes basic activities of daily living.

That is why I became an early funder for the important work of Sera Young, Ph.D. Sera and her team at Northwestern University have developed a transformative survey tool, called the Water Insecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales, to measure the human experience of water insecurity. Today, WISE Scales data are informing water practices and policies across more than 60 countries.

I met Sera in 2024, at the early stages of her WISE project. I believed in her confidence, her passion, and her comprehensive project plan. Here was an innovative leader with a lot of the right stuff. When providing her project with its initial funding, it created a major ripple effect, opening doors to more sources of support and new opportunities. Two years later, I am gratified to see the global impact of taking that initial plunge to support Sera’s vision.

This is an example of what I call the philanthropic Nachshon effect — named for the Biblical character who, according to Jewish tradition, jumped into the Red Sea before it famously split to reveal a way forward. By jumping in early in support of promising people and ideas, we too can help forge new pathways ahead.

In this newsletter, you will learn of promising individuals and organizations that are:

• advancing structural biology research;
• leading community-wide stormwater management initiatives;
• expanding legal supports for immigrant and refugee communities;
• enriching neighborhoods through artistic and cultural innovation; and
• strengthening food access and providing safe shelter to those who need it most.

As you read about Sera and others, consider how you might support the way forward for someone’s worthy aspirations and vision. Your help could be financial, or it could be an offer of mentorship, an invitation to a gathering, or simply an encouraging word. Your generosity of spirit could make a spectacular impact on someone’s life. And you never know what new destinies might be revealed.

Warmly,

Elizabeth Walder
President & CEO