College of Science Archives - Northeastern University College of Science

Join fellow COS undergraduates at a full-day workshop where you’ll participate in team building and leadership activities and a pitch competitions with prizes. This workshop is sponsored by the Science Connects to Innovation program. Transportation, breakfast, and lunch are provided.

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 for their leadership of the celebrations. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

Over the past four years, I’ve put a lot of thought into my Commencement addresses for College of Science students. You can find the talks here. Each has been encouraging and enthusiastic of course, but each has had a clear theme – Walking through Life; How to Deal with Advice; The Power of Play; and this year: Scaling your Future. Judging by letters from students, the topic was one that resonated (which warmed my heart). This is what I said:

“Today, I want to encourage you. I want to encourage you that your future is sound, your opportunities many. When you came into this elite University, I told you that a degree in science is a stepping-stone to anywhere, and a wise investment in your future. That is true in any year, in any economic landscape. It is true today and will be true in years to come.

Your education in the College of Science has given you key knowledge in your area, it has given you problem-solving skills, confidence, a creative, can-do spirit, an ethical and respectful mindset, experience as a responsible worker and as a spokesperson for the Good Power of Science. You have these flexible skills in hand, and they will allow you to take advantage of many career opportunities, and to pivot as market employment shifts. Now and for always, you are among the most employable people on the planet. Well done!

I want to encourage you that your future is in your control, and it will be exciting, exhilarating, interesting, scary, unsettling, empowering, and OKAY. You will find next steps in education, in a job, in a career. Today, I’m not going to tell you to change the world, to follow your passion or to be resilient. Lots of other people who speak to you this weekend will tell you those things, and they are good words for you to consider.

Rather, I want to encourage you today to think in a different way: to think about finding a path forward through Scaling your Future. The word Scale has lots of meanings in English, and for our conversation today, scale means how wide an impact you want to have, how many people you would like to affect in your future, in your future career, whatever that may be. Why is scale important? Because in my view, your work and career should not only be interesting and useful, but should also be comfortable, for your health and satisfaction; and figuring out a scale of work that fits who you are is a most useful thing to consider.

I’m going to get us thinking about Scaling your Future by telling you two stories, stories that have influenced me, and that reference my home country of South Africa.

The first story is called The Egg Man. When I was a little girl, far away in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Egg Man would come to our house. We thought he must be unhoused, and he always carried a large cloth bag and battered suitcase. He had a burlap sack turban and few teeth. He would open the suitcase and ask my mom if she wanted to buy some eggs. The smell indicated that the eggs were very far from fresh and my mom said no, but would he like some food? Mom invited him in, but he preferred to sit on the back steps, and I would sit beside him. He did not talk much, but would show me his toothbrush, a stick with frayed edges and how he used this to clean his remaining teeth. I was not alarmed by the Egg Man because my mom was not. She saw his need and could help. That was all. My mom would make him two very thick sandwiches, peanut butter and jam and put these and two oranges in a brown paper bag. She brought this out with a large tin cup of steaming hot tea, and he started in on a sandwich and the tea while I sat beside him.

When I thought about this story recently, I realized why it’s such a strong memory – it was a small scale of assistance my mom could give, but it made a large scale of immediate difference to one person. The story of the Egg Man remains for me a paradigm that every scale of engagement is important.

None of you will have heard of this Egg Man before. But my next story spans a huge scale and will likely have parts familiar to most of you, that are very personal to me. It’s an empowering, important story all about Epilepsy and the Good Power of Science. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, actually a set of disorders, that affect 1% of earth’s population or 80 million people. You may be affected or know someone who is. I know about this very well, because my dad had severe epilepsy and it was a large part of my childhood. Now, epilepsy involves seizures that happen when nerve cells in your brain, called neurons, that normally send out carefully controlled signals, suddenly send an uncontrolled burst of signals to the body, that cause uncontrolled movements.

My Dad’s seizures punctuated our family and my childhood. Dad was very kind, and smart, but his seizures were terrifying. Sometimes they happened in public, while we were enjoying burgers in a restaurant, and one time while our family was watching a movie in Johannesburg’s biggest theater. The worst part was that no-one in my family would discuss what was wrong. There was no internet to ask in those days, but I found some information in the school library and told my mom that I thought Dad had epilepsy. It was the first time the illness had been openly named in our family.

Before I was born, my parents had journeyed to Boston, to the Massachusetts General Hospital here to get my Dad treatment. He was prescribed a mixture of pills that he took for decades. But the pills only partly fixed his seizures and made him a sleepy, dulled person to whom words came with difficulty. When my Dad was in his seventies, he switched to a new doctor who changed his medicines. There was something new to prescribe. And just like that, amazingly, Dad’s seizures were controlled. And suddenly, he could think and talk easily. It was like a curtain had opened and the person who was really my Dad was revealed. He was funny and could express his opinions easily. He asked me about the research I did. It was absolutely wonderful, and a wonderful demonstration of the power of research.

The understanding that seizures are caused by bursts of overactive nerve cells took millions of hours of scientific research. Neuroscientists (and some of you are trained in this area) had to understand what neurons are, how they communicate and how they coordinate their activity in the brain. Every $ supporting the research has been worth it. In parallel, medical doctors, and scientists trained, like you, in biology, chemistry, physics, biotechnology, bioinformatics, applied math or policy began searching for anti-epileptic medicines. Anti-epileptics target the complex machinery by which neurons send and receive signals. One of the early medicines that my Dad took was called phenytoin – still marketed as Dilantin, which blocks a channel whereby sodium moves out of neurons. The challenge is to get medicines that dampen neuronal activity and suppress seizures, without the side effects like my dad’s. Over many decades new anti-epileptic medicines have been developed, none perfect, but some really effective. It’s a huge triumph of scientific research.

The scale of the impact involved in this story is complex. On one hand the scale was small but deeply important to my Dad and our family; on the other hand tens of millions of affected people have been helped, a huge scale. Importantly, the story is unfinished, because for one third of people affected by epilepsy, 27 million people, existing medicines do not help at all. For these people with presently untreatable epilepsy, there are millions more hours of research needed. Today, we must have an unwavering commitment to perform crucial research that leads to crucial solutions for this and other disorders. The research $ are small, and the impacts are immense.

And now, what about you? What scale in your career might be comfortable for you? You don’t need to answer now. In my own career, I’ve been committed to educating students, to performing important research and to helping run great universities. I’ve taught around 10,000 students total in my classes, and in my own research group, I’ve supervised hundreds of students. I’m most comfortable with the scale of one at a time. Even in a large class, I try to have 300 individual conversations, with each student. That scale is comfortable for me – perhaps it goes back to the Egg Man, so I may contribute directly, individually, usefully.

With the notion of scale in mind, you can explore your interests, and be open to new pathways that will reveal themselves as you walk along your lives. I’d encourage you to draw on your excellent training in the Good Power of Science, folding in consideration of the scale at which you might want to engage. Any scale that is comfortable is fine, and a great start to making the contribution you want to, to give you a meaningful path forward.

I’ll conclude with words of encouragement about working at small scale from the great American poet Emily Dickinson:

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

I’m confident that you will find your unique, interesting, useful pathway, at a scale that is comfortable.

I’m confident that you will take your excellent Northeastern University training, and let it help you move forward.

I’m confident that you will be wonderful, empowered Science Huskies forever.

Congratulations once again!”

Thank you everyone!

Honored graduates, honored guests, esteemed faculty and staff: Good day!

I’m Hazel Sive, Dean of the College of Science at Northeastern University and welcome! This is truly, a wonderful celebratory moment, the culmination of so much hard work with these well-deserved, important awards. Warmest congratulations to each of you Science Huskies graduating! Let’s have a round of applause for each graduate! (Applause)

Your family, supporters and friends have been along for the journey of your degree! Please join me in thanking them! Congratulations Science Husky families! (Applause)

Each of you graduating today has been accompanied by your teachers, mentors and advisors. Please join me in a vote of thanks to everyone responsible for your education! (Applause)

Today, I want to encourage you. I want to encourage you that your future is sound, your opportunities many. When you came into this elite University, I told you that a degree in science is a stepping-stone to anywhere, and a wise investment in your future. That is true in any year, in any economic landscape. It is true today and will be true in years to come.

At this time, I know you’re choosing your next steps – some of you have chosen, others of you are thinking hard. You have great freedom to decide where to put your talent and your time.
I want to encourage you that your future is in your control, and it will be exciting, exhilarating, interesting, scary, unsettling, empowering, and OKAY. You will find next steps in education, in a job, in a career.

Today, I’m not going to tell you to change the world, to follow your passion or to be resilient. Lots of other people who speak to you this weekend will tell you those things, and they are good words for you to consider.

Why is scale important? Because in my view, your work and career should not only be interesting and useful, but should also be comfortable, for your health and satisfaction; and figuring out a scale of work that fits who you are is a most useful thing to consider.

I’m going to get us thinking about Scaling your Future by telling you two stories, stories that have influenced me, and that reference my home country of South Africa.

The first story is called The Egg Man. When I was a little girl, far away in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Egg Man would come to our house. We thought he must be unhoused, and he always carried a large cloth bag and battered suitcase. He had a burlap sack turban and few teeth. He would open the suitcase and ask my mom if she wanted to buy some eggs. The smell indicated that the eggs were very far from fresh and my mom said no, but would he like some food?
Mom invited him in, but he preferred to sit on the back steps, and I would sit beside him. He did not talk much, but would show me his toothbrush, a stick with frayed edges and how he used this to clean his remaining teeth. I was not alarmed by the Egg Man because my mom was not. She saw his need and could help. That was all.

My mom would make him two very thick sandwiches, peanut butter and jam and put these and two oranges in a brown paper bag. She brought this out with a large tin cup of steaming hot tea, and he started in on a sandwich and the tea while I sat beside him.
When I thought about this story recently, I realized why it’s such a strong memory – it was a small scale of assistance my mom could give, but it made a large scale of immediate difference to one person. The story of the Egg Man remains for me a paradigm that every scale of engagement is important.

None of you will have heard of the Egg Man before. But my next story spans a huge scale and will likely have parts familiar to most of you, that are very personal to me. It’s an empowering, important story all about Epilepsy and the Good Power of Science.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, actually a set of disorders, that affect 1% of earth’s population or 80 million people. You may be affected or know someone who is. I know about this very well, because my dad had severe epilepsy and it was a large part of my childhood.
Now, epilepsy involves seizures that happen when nerve cells in your brain, called neurons, that normally send out carefully controlled signals, suddenly send an uncontrolled burst of signals to the body, that cause uncontrolled movements.

In ancient times epilepsy was attributed to punishment by the gods or possession by evil spirits, and until recently, affected people were greatly discriminated against. Even today, there is fear and challenge associated. Two things changed thinking around the disorder: one is the brilliant scientific research that has opened understanding of how our nervous systems work, and the second is identification of effective medicines that combat seizures.

My Dad’s seizures punctuated our family and my childhood. Dad was very kind, and smart, but his seizures were terrifying. Sometimes they happened in public, while we were enjoying burgers in a restaurant, and one time while our family was watching a movie in Johannesburg’s biggest theater.

The worst part was that no-one in my family would discuss what was wrong. There was no internet to ask in those days, but I found some information in the school library and told my mom that I thought Dad had epilepsy. It was the first time the illness had been openly named in our family.

When my Dad was in his seventies, he switched to a new doctor who changed his medicines. There was something new to prescribe. And just like that, amazingly, Dad’s seizures were controlled. And suddenly, he could think and talk easily. It was like a curtain had opened and the person who was really my Dad was revealed. He was funny and could express his opinions easily. He asked me about the research I did. It was absolutely wonderful, and a wonderful demonstration of the power of research.

The understanding that seizures are caused by bursts of overactive nerve cells took millions of hours of scientific research. Neuroscientists (and some of you are trained in this area) had to understand what neurons are, how they communicate and how they coordinate their activity in the brain.

Every $ supporting the research has been worth it.

In parallel, medical doctors, and scientists including biologists, chemists and physicists began searching for anti-epileptic medicines. Anti-epileptics target the complex machinery by which neurons send and receive signals. One of the early medicines that my Dad took was called phenytoin – still marketed as Dilantin, which blocks a channel whereby sodium moves out of neurons. The challenge is to get medicines that dampen neuronal activity and suppress seizures, without the side effects like my dad’s. Over many decades new anti- epileptic medicines have been developed, none perfect, but some really effective. It’s a huge triumph of scientific research.
The scale of the impact involved in this story is complex. On one hand the scale was small but deeply important to my Dad and our family; on the other hand tens of millions of affected people have been helped, a huge scale.

Importantly, the story is unfinished, because for one third of people affected by epilepsy, 27 million people, existing medicines do not help at all. For these people with presently untreatable epilepsy, there are millions more hours of research needed. Today, we must have an unwavering commitment to perform crucial research that leads to crucial solutions for this and other disorders.

The research $ are small, and the impacts are immense.

And now, what about you? What scale in your career might be comfortable for you? You don’t need to answer now.

In my own career, I’ve been committed to educating students, to performing important research and to helping run great universities. I’ve taught around 10,000 students total in my classes, and in my own research group, I’ve supervised hundreds of students. I’m most comfortable with the scale of one at a time. Even in a large class, I try to have 300 individual conversations with each student. That scale is comfortable for me – perhaps it goes back to the Egg Man, so I may contribute directly, individually, usefully.

I’ll conclude with words of encouragement about working at small scale from the great American poet Emily Dickinson:
If I can stop one heart from breaking I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

I’m confident that you will find your unique, interesting, useful pathway, at a scale that is comfortable.

I’m confident that you will take your excellent Northeastern University training, and let it help you move forward.

I’m confident that you will be wonderful, empowered Science Huskies forever. Congratulations once again! (Applause)

For Dillon Nishigaya, a biology major with a minor in health sciences entrepreneurship from San Jose, California, being selected as the College of Science student speaker is more than just an honor.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the COS student speaker,” Nishigaya says. “I am very proud to represent the College of Science, and this will definitely be a highlight of my undergraduate experience.”

Growth Through Mentorship and Friendship

When reflecting on his growth at Northeastern, Nishigaya emphasizes the importance of relationships and expanding his horizons.

“I have grown in a multitude of ways during my time at Northeastern,” he explains. “I have had the opportunity to learn from some outstanding mentors and faculty at the university. I have also made some incredible friendships that I will cherish throughout my life.”

“I will greatly miss all of the amazing people and mentors that helped me along my journey,” he reflects. This appreciation for the human connections forged during his college years speaks to the supportive environment he found at Northeastern.

Perhaps most significantly, Nishigaya learned to embrace ambition.

Global Experiences and Lifelong Memories

Nishigaya’s Northeastern journey began with the N.U.in Program in Thessaloniki, Greece, setting the tone for a college career defined by global exploration and scientific discovery.

His co-op and internship experiences took him across the country and around the world. At Sana Biotechnology in South San Francisco, CA he developed novel allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies. Multiple collaborations with NASA brought him to the Ames Research Center, where he contributed to space biology research and mentored research associates through the Space Life Sciences Training Program.

Nishigaya’s NASA work continued with the Rodent Research-20 mission in Sarasota, Florida, conducting dissections on model organisms sent to space, and at NASA’s National Space Radiation Laboratory in Long Island, New York, focusing on oxidative stress and immune dysregulation.

His scientific pursuits extended to Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, where he conducted stem cell research, and Boston Children’s Hospital, completing observerships in vascular anomalies and pediatric dermatology.

Even his entrepreneurial interests took him abroad, interning with Stoelzle Glass Group in Vienna, Austria, where he focused on global business development.

“I have been able to travel all around the world, excel at my work experiences, and make lifelong memories with my friends,” he shares. This combination of global exploration, professional development, and personal connections has shaped his college experience.

Looking Forward While Appreciating the Present

With medical school applications on the horizon after graduation, Nishigaya takes a moment to share advice with incoming students that reveals his perspective on the college experience.

“I would tell my first-year self to enjoy every single moment and experience as much as possible,” he advises, emphasizing the importance of being present during these formative years.

When asked to describe his graduating class in three words, Nishigaya chose: innovative, inspiring, and dedicated—qualities that have clearly defined both his classmates and his own approach to his Northeastern journey.

For Kimi Nguyen, an applied mathematics master’s student with concentrations in data science, being selected as the student speaker for the 2025 College of Science Graduate Celebration represents a fitting conclusion to her Northeastern journey.

“It is a tremendous honor,” Nguyen says. “As a PlusOne student who also completed my undergraduate degree here, Northeastern has been a second home to me for many years.”

The selection holds special significance for Nguyen. “Closing out my time at Northeastern as the speaker this year is a bittersweet and meaningful way to end this chapter,” she reflects.

Growth Beyond Equations

While Nguyen’s academic journey has certainly strengthened her skills as a mathematician, her Northeastern experience fostered growth in multiple dimensions.

“I’ve grown as a person — in how I communicate, how I handle conflict, and overall, who I am,” she explains. “Each year, I find myself more different than the person I was the year before.”

This evolution from high school student to graduate student represents significant personal development that parallels her academic achievements.

Giving Back to the Math Department

When asked about her proudest accomplishment, Nguyen points to her contributions to the Mathematics Department. “It was never about recognition; I simply enjoyed it,” she says.

Her involvement spanned numerous initiatives, from participating in Bridge to Calculus to taking a leadership role in MathEMA and representing the math and PlusOne programs to prospective students. These efforts became especially meaningful considering that her undergraduate years began during the challenges of COVID.

“I am proud of how much I was able to give back to the community that gave so much to me,” she notes.

The Beauty of Late-Night Study Sessions

Some of Nguyen’s favorite memories revolve around late-night study sessions with fellow students. “Whether it was in the math lounge or at Snell Library, staying up late grinding through assignments with friends became a surprisingly special ritual,” she shares.

Though difficult in the moment, these experiences created lasting bonds. “We would get frustrated, tired, and hungry—but somehow, it bonded us. And even though, at the time, it was terrible and exhausting, we would all still show up the next day to do it all over again.”

This perfect encapsulation of the college experience—”It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”—reflects the unique camaraderie formed through shared academic challenges.

Campus Connections

As graduation approaches, Nguyen will miss the campus environment and the vibrant community of the Mathematics Department.

“I’ll miss running between office hours, the busy semesters spent side by side with friends and a whiteboard, and the small but meaningful moments — like sitting at Centennial Common after finals, reflecting on how far we’d come,” she says.

Her deep appreciation for the Math Department stands out in her reflections: “I am deeply grateful for my time at Northeastern, and I credit the math department, above all, for making it so special.”

Looking Forward While Appreciating the Present

Currently working full-time at Loomis Sayles as a Custom Income Strategies Associate, Nguyen plans to eventually apply to Ph.D. programs in mathematics, applied math, data science, or engineering. She’s also considering returning to Cambodia, where she completed her undergraduate co-op.

Looking back, she offers advice to first-year students that resonates with many graduates: “It’s so cliché, but I would tell my first-year self to slow down and enjoy the moment.”

Throughout her time at Northeastern, Nguyen was often focused on what came next graduating, building a career, and moving forward. Now at that transition point, she has a new perspective: “Now that I’m actually stepping into that next chapter, I look back with a sense of melancholy and gratitude for my time at Northeastern.”

Her parting reflection captures both the anticipation of a new graduate and the nostalgia of a completed journey: “While ambition is important, these moments—both the highs and the struggles—are what make the experience truly special. Because five years could not have gone by any faster.”

When Paola Pimentel Torres first arrived at Northeastern University from her hometown of Carolina, Puerto Rico, she was shy and overwhelmed by the prospect of standing out among so many talented students. Now, as one of the selected undergraduate student speakers for the 2025 College of Science Celebration on May 9^th, the chemistry major with a concentration in chemical biology and a minor in Spanish for healthcare professionals reflects on a journey of remarkable personal and academic growth.

“Being chosen as the COS Celebration student speaker was truly unexpected, and it means more to me than I can fully express,” Pimentel Torres says. “It’s a reflection of the hard work, growth, and resilience that have shaped my journey over the past four years.”

While her initial goal was straightforward—get into medical school—her Northeastern experience provided far more than just academic preparation. Through her classes, she developed confidence and meaningful relationships with professors. She discovered effective study strategies and, perhaps most importantly, learned to believe in herself.

Chemistry Club Legacy

Pimentel Torres points to her involvement with the chemistry club as her proudest achievement at Northeastern. What began as a simple way to make friends and find support evolved into a leadership journey that saw her rise from member to vice president during her freshman year, ultimately becoming president by her senior year.

“I worked to transform the club into a more welcoming space for students of all majors, and I focused on creating activities that have since become lasting traditions,” she explains. Under her leadership, the club became more inclusive while she personally developed greater confidence in her voice and learned to advocate for her beliefs.

The connections she forged with faculty and peers through the club proved invaluable, creating a network that helped shape her educational path and personal development.

Finding School Spirit

Asked about her favorite Northeastern memory, Pimentel Torres recalls attending her first Beanpot hockey game—an experience that ignited school pride she hadn’t anticipated.

“I had no idea how big of a deal hockey was at Northeastern, and to experience a championship win firsthand was unforgettable,” she shares. “The energy in the arena was electric, and it sparked a genuine love for the sport in me.”

The experience deepened her connection to the university community, leading her to proudly wear Northeastern gear more often and embrace campus traditions.

Daily Traditions and Future Plans

As graduation approaches, Pimentel Torres will miss the small daily rituals that made Northeastern feel like home: stopping by Wollaston’s for a large mocha or double chocolate muffin (her favorite sandwich was always the “Lighten Up Francis”), attending classes with friends, and spending hours studying together at Snell Library or EXP.

“Having the freedom to see each other whenever we wanted, whether for schoolwork or to hang out, is something I’ll miss dearly,” she reflects. “It’s the simple moments with the people who became my second family that I’ll always hold closest.”

This fall, Pimentel Torres will begin medical school at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, fulfilling the goal that brought her to Northeastern originally. Before then, she looks forward to her first real break from academics, planning to spend the summer with friends and family.

Advice to First-Year Students

Looking back, Pimentel Torres wishes she had worried less about meeting specific expectations and checking boxes. “I would tell my first-year self to worry less and do more,” she advises. “I spent too much energy trying to fit into a specific mold.”

Her recommendation to incoming students: take risks, be curious, step outside your comfort zone, and don’t worry about what others think. The experiences that seemed most intimidating often became her most rewarding.

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 undergraduate or PhD commencements and received the smart rolled up degree by mail. But, over many years, my understanding of the deeply serious significance of receiving a degree has grown and magnified.

One can spend hours looking through the data, and the summary is fascinating. This year in the United States, around 4 million high school students will receive their diplomas. In higher education, there are ~2 million receiving a bachelor’s degree, with ~300,000 in a STEM discipline; 800,000 master’s degrees, with ~150,000 in a STEM field; and ~200,000 doctoral degrees, with 28,000 in a STEM field. That is a lot of graduations! How wonderful to celebrate all that learning! And for us in the College of Science, how important to acknowledge solid data that demonstrates the worth of a STEM degree for future employment.

What defines the end point of a phase of education, worthy of acknowledgement by a diploma or a degree is an interesting question. Some milestones seem real: learning to read at a level of fluency, competency in basic mathematics. And in the K-12 grades, standardized tests try to define and assess logical milestones. But some of the rules around granting a degree, particularly in higher education seem historic, rather than competency-based.

Nonetheless, agreeing on periodic endpoints in the education trajectory gives a student a valid sense of accomplishment. It’s an opportunity to look back on your learning, to think about how you can do math better now or write more fluently. Students can see how the wide set of subjects they studied in high school becomes narrower and deeper during a bachelor’s degree, still narrower and much deeper in graduate degrees. Not that the earlier learning is lost! The last time I studied French was in high school, but it’s still something I can draw on in a pinch. At its best, the cumulative learning empowers graduates with the skills and confidence relevant for multiple future careers.

The thing I like the best, is that all the millions of graduates are receiving an award. A real, important, personal award of a degree. We give out a few special extra awards, but in fact, the award of the degree is the main thing, and each degree recipient is equally important. Each can be proud they have learned enough for this endpoint, that is truly an accomplishment. The families, friends and supporters who have seen the student work hard, perhaps struggle to achieve, or perhaps fly through with ease, are honestly, heartachingly proud. For many families, a degree in science may be unfamiliar, the first in the family, and a wonderful event indeed.

This week and next we are celebrating our graduates, at this important punctuation point in their educational trajectory. This year the Northeastern University College of Science will celebrate an extraordinary 1,683 Bachelor of Science, 618 MS and 62 PhD degree recipients! And let us celebrate you, for each College of Science graduate owes their education to every member of our faculty and staff in some way. Each person in the College has played a pivotal role in the education of our students. Thank you for contributing to the success of our graduates. Thank you for your wonderful work that has helped to build Science Huskies, who are taking forward the Good Power of Science!

Thank you!

We’re extraordinarily proud to recognize the following College of Science faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions and commitment to leadership, mentorship, research, teaching, innovation, and EDIJ initiatives within the College and Northeastern University.

COS Excellence in Teaching Award

Leila Deravi, Associate Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Benjamin Dittbrenner, Associate Teaching Professor, Marine and Environmental Sciences

Andreia Ionescu, Assistant Professor, Biology

COS Excellence in Research Award

Iva Halacheva, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Paul Whitford, Professor, Physics

Aron Stubbins, Professor, Marine and Environmental Science and Chemistry and Chemical Biology

COS Excellence in Mentorship Award

Roman Manetsch, Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Juliet Davidow, Assistant Professor, Psychology

COS Excellence in EDIJ Award

Johan Bonilla Castro, Assistant Professor, Physics

Marya Mahmood, Associate Director, Belonging and Engagement

COS Staff Award for Excellence and Leadership

Stephanie Frazitta, Director, Undergraduate Advising

COS Staff Award for Excellence in Mentorship

Linda Ayrapetov, Director, Student Programs

COS Rising Star Staff Award

Nicki Hosey, Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising

COS Innovation Award

Missy McElligott, Teaching Professor, Biology

Hari Kumarakuru, Assistant Teaching Professor, Physics

Tracy Tan, Assistant Dean, Professional Programs

Nicole Viquez and Vincent Capone, Senior Academic Advisors, Undergraduate Advising

Congratulations to the newest recipients of the Advancing Women in Science scholarship! These students will take part in a year-long cohort program focused on enhancing their professional development and mentoring abilities, while also building a strong support network to foster their continued growth and success in science. This year, thanks to generous donors, the scholarship was extended to PhD students. Read more about these exceptional scientists below!

Undergraduate Recipients

Amalia Costa, Cell and Molecular Biology

Amalia Costa is a second year cell and molecular biology major with a minor in Ethics. Her hometown is South Kingstown, Rhode Island. On the pre-medical track with an interest in oncology, she is passionate about bridging science and patient care. She is currently on co-op working as a Patient Care Technician. She is a research assistant in the MAdS Lab under Dr. Santos. Her work centers on targeting the BAM complex in Gram-negative bacteria to disrupt their outer membrane formation, with the goal of identifying new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections. In addition to her studies, she served as a teaching assistant for Foundations of Biology. Outside the lab and hospital, she plays the clarinet in the Northeastern University Symphony Orchestra.

Lauren Kong, Behavioral Neuroscience

Lauren Kong is driven by a personal mission to bridge science, innovation, and business strategy in ways that meaningfully transform lives. She is passionate about translating novel research into real-world solutions that are both impactful and equitable, especially for the communities that need them most. Guided by purpose, enthusiasm, and curiosity, Lauren actively seeks out opportunities to learn, grow, and lead. She currently conducts research at The Brain Impact Lab, investigating how exercise influences cognition and brain health, and has held multiple executive roles in Northeastern University’s student organizations, including Evolve and the Entrepreneurs Club. With a deep commitment to healthcare entrepreneurship, Lauren is dedicated to advancing data-driven, human-centered innovation that challenges systemic disparities and redefines what personalized and accessible healthcare can look like.

Imani Mbusu, Behavioral Neuroscience

Imani Mbusu is a second-year behavioral neuroscience student from Westampton, New Jersey. She is particularly interested in studying neurodegenerative diseases, and aspires to become a doctor in a neuroscience-related field of medicine. Currently, Imani is on co-op at Harvard Medical School in the Sinclair Lab, where she studies animal behavior in mouse models, explore chemical reprogramming, and perform various wet-lab techniques.

Doga Oge, Behavioral Neuroscience

Doga Oge is a second-year behavioral neuroscience major on the pre-med track originally from Istanbul, Turkey. She is passionate about psychiatric neuroscience and using technology to make mental health treatment more accessible. Doga will soon join the Visual Cortex Research Project at McLean Hospital, where she will work with psychiatrists from the Psychotic Disorders Division at Harvard Medical School to study visual perception disturbances, brain structure, and early biomarkers of psychosis. She is currently designing a mental health accessibility app that connects underserved communities with top psychiatrists through group therapy sessions. She dreams of becoming a psychiatrist who also codes her own clinical tools to close gaps in care and reach those who are often overlooked. In her free time, she enjoys playing violin, exploring AI, and mentoring others in STEM.

Naadia Rashid, Cell and Molecular Biology

Naadia Rashid is a second-year cell and molecular biology student with a minor in data science from Richmond, Virginia. She is a research assistant in the Apfeld Lab at Northeastern University, where she is studying the interplay between molecular genetics and environmental stressors in the context of aging. Passionate about genomic medicine, she is working on a project investigating how genetic perturbations in the metabolic pathway influence glycogen detoxification. She has also worked on exploring redox properties of small peptides relevant to amyloid-beta and Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis under Dr. Vaso Lykourinou as a Russell Women in Science Scholar. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine with a focus on clinical genetics.

Meera Shukla, Behavioral Neuroscience

Meera Shukla is a second-year behavioral neuroscience major interested in child and adolescent brain development and its impact on health. She currently works as an undergraduate research assistant at the Social Development and Wellbeing lab, as well as a patient navigator at the South End NeighborHealth Clinic with Link Health. In her free time, Meera enjoys writing, listening to podcasts, as well as cooking and creating new recipes. She hopes to one day intertwine her interest in research and patient care after graduation.

PhD Candidate Recipients

Marcela de Barros, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Marcela de Barros is a first-generation chemist from Brazil and a fourth year PhD candidate in chemistry. Her research in the Mattos Lab focuses on understanding disease-related mutations in Ras GTPase proteins, with implications for cancer and developmental disorders. Passionate about fostering inclusion in science, Marcela is actively involved in mentorship and advocacy through organizations such as the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering (ADSE), the Northeastern Section Younger Chemists Committee (NSYCC-ACS), and she is a mentor in the Connected Science Community PhD Mentorship program. She is currently on co-op at Biogen working in the Biotherapeutics Discovery & Delivery group where she is diving into antibody research. In her free time, she enjoys ice skating, solving puzzles, handcrafting, and loves cats and sci-fi!

Angela Jones, Marine and Environmental Sciences

Angela Jones is a fourth year PhD candidate in marine and environmental sciences. She moved to Boston from Arcata, California where she earned her bachelor’s degree in zoology and master’s degrees in biology. Angela’s studies sea star morphology and performance across intertidal and subtidal sites of New England. In her spare time, Angela presses algae, make wheel thrown pottery, and go scuba diving.

Katherine Trice, Psychology

Katherine Trice is a fourth year PhD student from Corning, New York. She works in the Language Acquisition and Brain Laboratory (QLAB) under Dr. Zhenghan Qi, where she studies the neural and cognitive underpinnings of language learning, with a particular interest in atypical populations such as autistic or Deaf individuals. Katherine loves reading, writing, and learning new craft skills, and hopes to someday be a professor at a university and run her own research lab!

The Northeastern undergraduate Class of 2025 studied everything from American Sign Language to theater, completing courses in one — or more — of 329 possible majors and 199 combined majors.

But what did they really learn?

In the university’s annual Last Lecture, William Sharp, professor of psychology, summed it up in a top-10 list.

“I have lots of puns and some words in between them,” Sharp joked Thursday in Curry Ballroom on Northeastern’s Boston campus. “And for those of you who wanted a little bit of the wisdom part, here’s my attempt at that.”

The Last Lecture is a tradition that became popular in the mid-2000s after Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, delivered his final lecture at the school after discovering he had terminal cancer.

The lecture was turned into a book titled “The Last Lecture,” which became a New York Times bestseller in 2008. Since then, universities across the country have adopted their own last lectures for graduating students.

Sharp, a therapist and recently minted full professor as of Thursday morning — which he announced to applause — was selected by the Class of 2025 to deliver the Last Lecture.

The address blended humor, personal stories, reflections and wisdom — drawing on insights from figures as varied as Freud and Mr. Rogers — into a list titled “Things Your Bachelor’s Degree May Actually Have Taught You.”

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

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 stepping stone to almost any career. Director of Marketing and Communications Caroline Leary built this great ‘future career’ word cloud that we share with all incoming COS students, and is relevant to graduating students also.

In fact, the fantastic Northeastern University College of Science education you provide is even more valuable in these uncertain times. With their experiential education, professionalism and problem-solving acumen, College of Science graduates are empowered with flexible skills applicable for employment or next steps in any economic climate. This is what I will remind our graduates at Commencement. I will encourage students that exploring many career options is great, and that every position is an opportunity to learn, earn your way, and build your next steps. THANK YOU for your roles in mentoring, teaching, advising, and supporting our wonderful students.

Every year for Commencement, I have picked a theme for the graduating students. My themes are always encouraging, and I stay away from stressful invocations such as ‘change the world’ ‘follow your passion’ or ‘be resilient’. This year I am tackling ‘Scaling your Future’, and it’s a work in progress. The Google AI entity tells me that ‘scale’ comes with a lot of shopping options, including weighing scales; there are also measurement scales, ratio and proportion, size or level, or music scales. Wikipedia includes scales that cover the skin of fish or reptiles, and the lime coating deposited in pipes. But for ‘Scaling your Future’ I mean the scale at which you want to work, and what number (or scale) of people is comfortable to you. A rule of thumb is that the larger the scale of your work, the fewer people involved you will know. In my view, finding a comfortable scale is crucial for being satisfied in your career, and careers at every scale are valuable. For example, politicians can work at scales ranging from hundreds to millions, while careers that build medicines or devices can touch millions. Doctors and teachers deal in the thousands over their careers. Some careers involve working with just a few people, or just you. As a teacher, I’ve taught about 10,000 students directly, and through online classes probably another 100,000 but I’ve never met any of the online learners. Some months ago, at an event, a person I did not recognize came over and thanked me for the perspective on life that I gave them while teaching a 350 student Introductory Biology class. I was so glad! especially since the scale of the class had prevented me from knowing each student. I’m working further on this Commencement thread and will share the final iteration with you. I do know that I’ll conclude with the beautiful Emily Dickinson poem that speaks so directly to scale:

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

As we complete the Spring semester, a resounding THANK YOU for your outstanding work that is building the Good Power of Science for your students and our brilliant research.

Elliot Grainge, the CEO of Atlantic Music Group and a Northeastern graduate, will be the speaker at the university’s 2025 undergraduate commencement.

The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, at Fenway Park in Boston.

Atlantic played a pivotal role in the careers of such acclaimed artists as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin, and more recently Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Charli xcx.

After establishing his powerhouse indie label 10K Projects, Grainge was tapped, at just 30 years old, to lead Atlantic Music Group’s next chapter.

“Returning to Northeastern to speak at commencement is really meaningful to me,” Grainge said. “This university and my experience in Boston in general helped shape not only the way I think about business and creativity but helped me build a foundation as an independent thinker and entrepreneur.”

“I’m so excited to share my experience with the Class of 2025 and encourage them to trust their own vision as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by Logan Mock

Northeastern University’s highest student and faculty achievers across its 13 global campuses were celebrated Wednesday at the 15th annual Academic Honors Convocation.

Excellence in scholarship, research, teaching and advancing the university’s mission earned members of the Northeastern community their place on the stage at Blackman Auditorium in Ell Hall on the Boston campus.

“When we look at all your achievements and all that you have done, we are extremely excited about the future of this university, the future of this nation and indeed the future of this world,” Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, told the audience. “We cannot afford to be pessimistic when we see the enormous talent in this community. Our future is in your hands, and I want to thank you.”

Joining the honored undergraduate students, graduate students and professors in the lively hall were family, colleagues and friends. Music was provided from the stage by the Northeastern Wind Ensemble.

“Over the past year, you — our honorees — have achieved new heights in scholarship, research, teaching and innovation to embody Northeastern’s core values of interdisciplinary collaboration, infusing experience and entrepreneurial thinking into everything you do and developing solutions with global impact,” said David Madigan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “From research laboratories to art studios, from classrooms to field work across our global network and around the world, you have pushed the limits of what is possible, challenging yourselves, inspiring your peers and truly elevating our university community.”

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Northeastern University student Liza Sheehy recently accompanied a professor to a conference in Paris to present the Jewish Migration Project, a crowd-sourced public digital archive cataloging and mapping objects related to Jewish migration.

Sheehy, a fourth-year student who is co-leading research and design for the grant-funded project, described it as the quintessential Northeastern experience.

“It really speaks to the value of the university and its commitment to student excellence and professors’ support for students that they trust us to represent Northeastern in such a professional environment,” Sheehy said. “It shows that the university supports student research and wants them to excel, and that professors support and encourage their students’ efforts.”

On Tuesday, Sheehy was one of a select group of undergraduates who enjoyed another notable Northeastern experience: induction into the Huntington 100, which honors students whose achievements exemplify the university’s mission.

“You have been chosen because of your enormous impact on the community at large — your fellow students, your faculty and staff who took care of you and nominated you — and also for what you have done outside of Northeastern in your co-ops, in your work with the communities,” President Joseph E. Aoun told inductees during a ceremony on the Boston campus. “You lifted up the whole student body.”

The Huntington 100 honors undergraduate students across the global network who will enter their final year of study in the fall semester. Huntington 100 and Laurel and Scroll 100, for graduate students, are collectively known as Northeastern University Societies of Distinction.

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University