Catalyst
Explore how the passion of our faculty, paired with the generosity of our community, is having a profoundly positive impact on our College, particularly for our students. Thank you for being a part of the College of Science community.
Message from Dean Sive
Dear Northeastern University families, alumni and friends,
Collaboration is the rule in science. Ants work together to move a piece of leaf, bacteria work together to form biofilms that can be useful or a problem, single cells stick together to build every part of your body. Your brain includes 1,000 trillion connections between neurons (nerve cells), that collaborate and somehow allow you to think. Myriad life forms and non-living entities – water, rocks, soil, air – collaborate to build ecosystems. Fundamental particles collaborate to build atoms which in turn collaborate to make molecules. Molecules love to collaborate through chemical reactions. The elusive qubits of quantum systems show deep collaboration called ‘entanglement’. And numbers collaborate with one another and with functions to build the great language of mathematics.
At Northeastern University, and in the College of Science we embrace collaboration. Within and across departments, across colleges, across our Global University, we promote education and research that’s collaborative. Collaboration is a key aspect of every Northeastern University College of Science student’s education. Collaboration is truly useful, in combined majors, in research projects, in coop positions and in student groups. And collaboration helps build inclusiveness and community, so that each student understands they are forever a Science Husky and belong in the Northeastern University College of Science.
Most of the exceptional ‘anything-is-possible’ research in the College of Science is collaborative, much of it cross-disciplinary. Our researchers connect across fields, departments, colleges and institutions, bringing together different methods, techniques and understanding of a research challenge. Collaboration is empowering and wonderful – making connections with colleagues you did not know, and research that breaks through frontiers of discovery or application.
In our exciting Strategic Plan: CONNECTIONS to the Future, collaborations are embedded in every goal, and all of our education and research connects to the Good Power of Science, our unique framework that promotes ethical and responsible work.
I want to thank you – our wonderful alumni, families, and friends for your contributions to science education and research in so many areas. I am deeply grateful for your connection with the Northeastern University College of Science. Thank you for helping build empowering collaborations. Thank you for being part of the Good Power of Science.
Warm regards,
Hazel Sive PhD (she/hers)
Dean, College of Science
A celebration of undergraduate researchers
This fall, we celebrated the outstanding research opportunities offered to our undergraduate students, made possible through generous donors and the Dean’s Fund which supports critical initiatives like the new Dean’s Undergraduate Research Scholars program—designed to immerse students in cutting-edge discoveries as early as their first year. Students presented the important research they’ve been working on with their faculty mentors to families, friends, faculty, staff, and donors during a special showcase. We’re immensely proud of our exceptional undergraduate students! Read more >>
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Undergraduates shine at Psychology & the Other Conference in London
This past July 13-14, Aaron B. Daniels, associate teaching professor of psychology, took 22 undergraduate students to run and present papers at a Psychology & the Other Conference, held at Northeastern’s London campus. The students were part of Professor Daniels’s Psychological Humanities at Northeastern University (PH@NU) Workgroup and were generously supported by the College of Science Dean’s Fund. Read more >>
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Spotlight: College of Science Dean’s Fund
This year, the Dean’s Fund proudly supported students through unique experiential and global learning experiences, such as attending and presenting at conferences at Psychology and the Other, National Society of Black Engineers, and the American Physical Society Division of Particles and Fields. Additionally, the Dean’s Fund through the Emergency Program supports studetns through temporary financial challenges and hardships that may impact their ability to continue their education.
Northeastern physics faculty bring major international conference to Boston campus
This summer, the Department of Physics hosted the 2024 Large Hadron Collider Physics (LHCP) Conference gathering 450 physicists from over 20 countries to discuss topics like Standard Model Physics, the Higgs Boson, Heavy Quark Physics, and LHC upgrades. Supported by the Equity Action Program Fund, the conference also offered valuable learning and networking opportunities for students interested in particle physics and highlighted the significant contributions of Northeastern University’s faculty and students to global research. Read more >>
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Empowering underrepresented scientists in the digital age
Three graduate students from the College of Science launched the inaugural Belonging in Media: Opportunities in Digital Academic Landscapes (BIMODAL) workshop with support from the Equity Action Program Fund. Aimed at improving science communication and promoting belonging in STEM for underrepresented groups, BIMODAL provided students tools for enhancing digital presence, science writing, and networking in virtual academic spaces. Read more >>
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Spotlight: Equity Action Program Fund
This year, the College was proud to support important initiatives – through the Equity Action Program Fund – led by the Indian Cultural Association and Science is a Drag! and programs including the Large Hadron Collider Physics Conference, REALTIME Summer Research Program, Belonging in Media: Opportunities in Digital Academic Landscapes (BIMODAL) workshop, and Psychology DEI Seminars—all promoting belonging and increasing access to science!
Congratulations to the 2024 Advancing Women in Science Scholars!
We’re proud to share that ten outstanding women joined the Advancing Women in Science community. As part of the scholarship, they will participate in quarterly meetings with a cohort of fellow recipients focused on professional development and mentoring skills. Read more >>
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Honoring Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Lakshmibai Venkatramani
Professor Lakshmibai Venkatramani was one of the inspiring women who helped pave the way to a more inclusive STEM workforce. In honor of her achievements, her son, Girish Venkataramani, established the Lakshmibai Venkatramani Fund for Math Graduate Students, which supports a fellowship that celebrates Venkatramani’s life, and her role in elevating women and people from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in mathematics. Read more >>
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Ocean Genome Legacy Center celebrates 20 Years
The Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL) is a nonprofit marine research facility and genome bank within Northeastern’s Marine Science Center dedicated to exploring and preserving the threatened biological diversity of the sea. Hear from OGL’s director, staff, and partnering faculty whose collaborative efforts are advancing research to protect marine ecosystems and improve the human condition. Watch the video >>
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Giving Opportunities
There are many ways to give back to support the College of Science. Visit the Giving website to search for and contribute to a fund or discuss opportunities for personalized giving with our Development Team.
Partner with us
The Northeastern College of Science is a hub of Research, Education, and Innovation. Our faculty are pushing research frontiers to solve our planet’s greatest challenges. Through innovative, research-linked, experiential learning, our students are empowered to be confident, entrepreneurial problem-solvers with flexible skills for a vast spectrum of careers. And we embrace a culture of respect and belonging—where each person feels valued for their contribution and is treated fairly.
- Scholarships: The College of Science recruits exceptional students who reflect the diversity of society. Scholarships help us attract top students, and expand access to a Northeastern College of Science education through full and partial awards.
- Support Experiential Learning: The College of Science is broadening access to and scope of work experience-based education at all levels. Support a co-op in research, medicine, and across a broad landscape of opportunities, or subsidize international co-ops. Help make these learning experiences a reality for our students!
- INVEST in Faculty: The College seeks funding to recruit promising PhD candidates directly into tenure track positions, with extensive mentoring and research support. Through this innovative plan, the College will recruit a talented and diverse pool of faculty.
- Graduate Fellowships: In the College’s new Connected Science PhD students understand how the PhD opens a vast array of top career options. Students carry out groundbreaking research, explore opportunities, for cross-disciplinary research, and connect with outside work experience that may set up their next steps. COS seeks fellowship funding to support the next generation of science trainees.
- Undergraduate Research: COS is committed to providing all of its undergraduate students with a lab-based research opportunity during their time at Northeastern. Support for undergraduate research will promote the creation of additional opportunities for students to work alongside faculty and graduate student mentors, and gain valuable experience in traditional and emerging fields across the College.
- Summer Research Program: The new College of Science Summer Research Program will bring outstanding undergraduate students to Northeastern, where they will benefit from our hallmark experiential education opportunities. Support will enable the College to place students in research positions and encourage their future training at Northeastern.
- Entrepreneurship: The College of Science encourages a culture of entrepreneurship and translational innovation across faculty and students. Support helps the College establish an ecosystem with features such as venture bootcamps, grand challenge-focused hack-a-thons, and funding that promotes a startup culture.
- Space of the Future: The College of Science must be at the forefront of providing advanced research space that promotes collaboration and cross-disciplinary research, as well as support platforms and technologies that accelerate the rate of discovery.
Read past issues of Catalyst
