COS News

Let me begin by thanking so many of you for participating in COS Commencement Celebrations! How wonderful was the day, how proud we are of our wonderful graduates! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and effort that helped make everything work smoothly. Special thanks to Linda Aryapetov, Reyes Lopez, Melissa Rubock and Caroline Leary...

It took me a while, to be honest, to understand the importance of academic graduations. I attended my high school ceremony and was pleased to be awarded the scholarship star, but I was mostly pleased this meant I would be going to Wits University next. For serendipitous reasons, I was unable to attend either my...

I worry that our students are worrying. Rather than celebrating a successful Northeastern year or degree, feeling triumphant, our students are worrying that their futures are uncertain. They should not worry. During Admissions days, when students are considering Northeastern, I encourage them that a degree in Science is a hugely smart choice, as it’s a...

Amidst the swirl of ongoing uncertainty and extraordinary actions by our federal government, we are continuing to deal with events as they arise. Please look at the Northeastern FAQs that are updated as needed, for responses by our university. Our commitment to top quality education and brilliant, crucial research is unwavering. This week brought brightness through Northeastern...

Here’s your Friday question: who are you collaborating with? Take a moment, because it’s a big question that applies to everyone across the College of Science. We know it applies to you because Associate Dean Tara Duffy and Associate Director Marya Mahmood have been collating your responses to our third COS climate survey since 2020...

My dad came home once with a small radio for my sister, forgetting she had been gifted one for her birthday. So, he offered it to me, even though I was six years younger, even though my mom was dubious I was old enough. I remember being cozy in bed that night and feeling unbelievably...

Mrs. Rubin, a substitute Biology teacher sometime during high school, opened my eyes to hands-in education. We were learning Ecology the rote-memorization way, a large number of animal groups, eating one other, up the food chain. One morning, Mrs. Rubin gave each of us four stakes, a ball of twine, a ruler and some small...

There’s a WORRY around that is almost something you can touch. I feel it from faculty, staff, students at every level. I feel your worry, I understand it and let’s have a chat. Externally, there are worries around the swirl of extraordinary actions of some government officials or un-officials, often the reversal of these actions,...

Let’s Stand Up for Science. And to do it, I want you (yes, you) to answer the question: ‘How have I benefitted from Science?” Give it a moment, and your answers will come tumbling in. They can start in the kitchen, where the coffee you just brewed and the cranberry bread you’re making for supper...

This week, I passed by a new construction, and maybe the smell of the concrete took me far back, to our friends, the Fishers. Marie and Terry Fisher lived way out in the dry highveld grassland near Johannesburg. Theirs was the only house for miles and they had a windmill. Terry was building their house, room by...

This week, for required viewing, I might choose the Australian series Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix), that has clear lessons for those dangerously acting on our health and biomedical research landscapes. The series is factually based and follows two young women on their quest for ‘natural’ cancer therapies. One of the main characters has cancer but is terrified...

The Importance of Research, our topic today, is always timely and always necessary. As a member of the College of Science, you may be asked something like: What exactly is research for and is it worth my tax dollars? And why don’t we have a cure for a specific disease? You can answer with something...