Science Connects to Innovation Program
The Science Connects to Innovation program empowers undergraduate science students to create entrepreneurial solutions, spanning cleaner energy, eco-friendly pesticides, potential anticancer compounds, sustainable foods, and high-tech assistive devices.
Science Connects to Innovation aims to inspire College of Science students to engage with Northeastern’s venture creation network, offering support for recognizing and pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities. The program also provides essential resources for translating their ideas into ventures, encompassing prototyping, marketing, and more.
2026 Science Connects to Innovation Scholars
We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Science Connects to Innovation Scholarship — an award recognizing full-time College of Science undergraduates who demonstrate a passion for entrepreneurship and a commitment to advancing an entrepreneurial culture within COS.
- Lauren Kong ’27, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Dalia Zizumbo ’28, Data Science and Behavioral Neursocience
- Tochi Chukwuemeka ’27, Behavioral Neuroscience and Design
Congratulations to the winners and we look forward to the impact they will make — both in their own development and in the broader COS community.
Meet the Scholars
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Lauren Kong '27
For Lauren Kong, rigorous science and entrepreneurial thinking are not separate paths, but deeply interconnected ones.
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Dalia Zizumbo '28
Entrepreneurship has taught Dalia Zizumbo to see science not just as a pursuit of knowledge, but as a tool for building solutions.
Upcoming events
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Mar 18
COS Pitch Competition
Join us for the Science Connects to Innovation Pitch Competition from the College of Science on March 18, 2026! COS undergraduate students will present their entrepreneurial or research pitch to a panel of judges for chance to win prize money!
Meet the Faculty Advisors
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Leila Deravi
Integrating materials, biochemistry, and design at Northeastern University. -
Sanjeev Mukerjee
The research activity in Prof. Mukerjee’s group is an interdisciplinary approach encompassing the areas of solid state chemistry, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry of electrode materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. The current focus is targeted towards technologies for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and for batteries, these encompass electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction, CO tolerance […] -
Swastik Kar
Prof. Swastik Kar is an NSF CAREER-award winning physicist and educator and an NSF I-Corps certified inventor and innovator
Empowering our science entrepreneurs!
View our past speaker series, workshops, and events
News
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Student Spotlight
Dalia Zizumbo ’28, BS Data Science and Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My inspiration to pursue data science and behavioral science stemmed from lived experiences growing up in Chicago, IL, where I witnessed firsthand the language barrier and information gap between patients and their healthcare providers. At just 9 years old, I found myself becoming my mother’s […] -
Student Spotlight
Lauren Kong ’27, BS Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My fascination with the brain and with interdisciplinary thinking led me to pursue Behavioral Neuroscience. I was drawn to the field because it doesn’t isolate biology from behavior. Instead, it asks us to understand complexity: how molecular mechanisms, psychology, and the environment intersect to shape […] -
Events
Science students explore entrepreneurship through interactive workshop
The College of Science hosted the third annual Entrepreneurship Workshop on July 25, 2025 at the Warren Conference in Ashland, MA. The workshop demonstrates growing recognition of the importance of entrepreneurial skills in scientific careers. Thirty-one science students participated in the comprehensive workshop specifically designed to prepare the next generation of researchers to translate their […] -
Student Spotlight
Siima Kiriziya Machayo ‘26, BS Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My inspiration for pursuing behavioral neuroscience is rooted in my fascination with how the brain influences every aspect of people’s lives and how this knowledge can be applied to improve human health. My middle name, my grandmother’s maiden name, is a meaningful way to honor […] -
Student Spotlight
Naomi Rajput ‘26, BS Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My first co-op resulted in me pursuing my venture – Eden. Working as a front office administrator, I saw pain points on administrative workflows that affected physicians, admins, and patients alike. This resulted in me exploring current solutions in the space and after realizing that […] -
Student Spotlight
Donte Lewis ‘26, BS Cell and Molecular Biology
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My passion for science ignited in high school when I was exposed to cancer research at the Ellison Institute of Medicine where I was a summer research intern. I then pursued an internship at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) due to my interest […] -
News
Turning vision into action: Science students recognized for entrepreneurial endeavors
Four outstanding College of Science students were recognized for their entrepreneurial spirts and efforts promoting entrepreneurship in the College. -
Student Spotlight
Q&A with Lyric Westlund ’25, Science Connects to Innovation Scholarship Recipient
Tell us about yourself. I am a third-year behavioral neuroscience student from a rural area called Perrysburg, about an hour south of Buffalo, NY. I love being outdoors. I grew up in the middle of nowhere and still find so much peace in places with more trees than people. I went to Iceland on dialogue […]