Northwestern University (NU) — private research university in Evanston, Illinois, established in 1851 (Illinois's oldest chartered university). 22,800 students, 4,018 faculty, $15.3B endowment. Affiliated with 37 Nobel laureates. Center for Robotics and Biosystems + Rubenstein Lab — home to Phantom Twist (RSS 2026), Kilobot, and other swarm-robotics systems.