Excelling with Rhythm
CCR financial coordinator Sarah Mitchell moves seamlessly from budget planning to piano
When Sarah Mitchell isn’t meticulously reviewing spreadsheets and budgets, you might find her live-streaming music on Twitch, entertaining viewers with her creative and charismatic charm. Her diverse interests and collaborative spirit are greatly appreciated by the Northwestern community.
As a financial coordinator at the NUCATS Institute, Mitchell describes her role as creating, negotiating, and finalizing industry-sponsored clinical trial budgets. She also manages the financial aspects of clinical trials in her portfolio.
“This includes paying internal and external bills, invoicing sponsors, entering subject visit information into finance tracking sheets, reporting on, analyzing, and reconciling payments, and closing out financial accounts when the trial is complete,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell’s diverse professional background contributes greatly to her effectiveness. After earning her undergraduate degree in education, she taught grades four through six for a year before spending an additional four years teaching English as a secondary language (ESL) in Japan. Upon returning to the United States, her career path included passenger service at O’Hare Airport for six years, followed by five years at Kaplan’s International English School in downtown Chicago. Mitchell then found her way to Northwestern, where she worked for six years at the McCormick School of Engineering in the Master of Science in Machine Learning and Data Science program before accepting her current position at NUCATS.
I love the partnerships I’ve been forming with study team members and other administrative staff and I enjoy the feeling of working together towards a common goal as a team, it is very rewarding to experience.”
A typical workday for Mitchell involves maintaining proactive harmony between detailed spreadsheet tasks and active communication with various partner constituents about current projects. She measures a successful day by the clarity and accuracy of the financial data she manages, humorously advising newcomers to the team with the mantra: “ADF! Always double-check formulas!”
What excites Mitchell most about her job are the relationships she fosters with diverse staff and stakeholders.
“I love the partnerships I’ve been forming with study team members and other administrative staff at Feinberg, Northwestern Medicine, and Northwestern University. I enjoy the feeling of working together towards a common goal as a team, it is very rewarding to experience,” Mitchell said.
Further, her enthusiasm for Chicago is evident, appreciating its “diversity, friendliness, opportunities, seasons, craft beer, and restaurants.” Having grown up in Manhattan, Kansas, and York, Nebraska, she has been a Chicago resident for 20 years, spending most of her time in the Old Irving/Avondale neighborhood.
Outside of work, Mitchell engages in creative and charitable endeavors. She live-streams music monthly on Twitch (@mitcheyofficial) and recently showcased her musical talents as a bassist in the Dirty Dancing Project at the annual Covers For Cover fundraiser. Proceeds went to Brave Space Alliance, a youth center on Chicago's South Side providing services, programs, and an affirming space where trans and LGBTQ+ people are centered.
Mitchell also enjoys the company of her two cats, Albus and the Scamp, who further enrich her vibrant life as a Chicagoan. Whether she’s reconciling financial accounts, forming meaningful professional connections, or entertaining an audience with her musical talents, it is clear Mitchell is appreciated by many for her multifaceted contributions.
Written by Alex Miranda
