Mystery after a Northwestern professor left her home for a walk on Labor Day and never returned
A 72-year-old Northwestern University professor has gone missing in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, and the institution is asking for the public’s help in locating her.
Nina Kraus, a professor of neurobiology and otolaryngology at the School of Communication, disappeared Monday morning after leaving her home around 9 a.m. for a walk, the University said in a news release. Her family reported her missing after she failed to return for hours.
The Evanston Police Department, supported by Northwestern University’s police, have launched an urgent search.
While not specifically naming Kraus, Evanston PD announced Tuesday morning that they would be flying a drone along the lakefront as part of a missing person investigation.
There is no indication of foul play, ABC7 reports, with Evanston PD Commander Ryan Glew telling the outlet “we checked the areas that we thought she may have walked,” on Tuesday.
“The University is hopeful that with the community’s help, we can find Professor Kraus and assure her safety,” Northwestern said in a news release on Monday, which The Independent was directed to on Tuesday when they asked for comment.
The Independent also contacted Evanston PD for comment.
Authorities describe Kraus as 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing around 140 pounds, with long silver hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing long pants, a windbreaker, and carrying a dark backpack. She left her phone behind, officials said.
Kraus is a distinguished academic, described as a scientist, inventor, amateur musician, and director of the Hugh Knowles Center, who specializes in neurobiology and auditory learning. She holds a PhD from Northwestern and authored the 2022 book Of Sound Mind.
“My research on sound and the brain aims to understand how our life in sound, for better and worse, alters the processing of sound in the brain, makes us us, and affects the world we live in,” her Northwestern bio reads.
Anyone with information on Kraus’ whereabouts is urged to contact the Evanston Police Department at 847‑866‑5000.
