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.

attend pitch competition

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

  • Lauren-Kong

    Lauren Kong '27

    For Lauren Kong, rigorous science and entrepreneurial thinking are not separate paths, but deeply interconnected ones.

  • 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.

  • Tochi Chukmueweka '27

    Entrepreneurship has shifted Tochi Chukmueweka’s approach to research design from focusing on individual components to thinking more holistically about how those components work together as a cohesive whole.

COS Pitch Competition

Co-sponsored by the Science Connects to Innovation program and NextGen Lab, the COS Pitch Competition is an exciting opportunity for undergraduates in the College of Science to present their entrepreneurial research idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win prizes!

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

  • First Place: Andre Bancu
    The Impact of Bioelectric Signal Disruptions on Chromatin State in Dugesia Japonica
  • Second Place: Emiko Tonachel
    Mucoadhesive hydrogel system for localized drug delivery in Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients
  • Third Place: Soumya Raguraman
    LabMatch: Undergraduate Research Matching Platform
  • Crowd Favorite: John Nguyen and Sai Vishnu Chitra
    Skinapse Labs

Meet the winners

  • Student Spotlight

    Andre Bancu ’29, Cell and Molecular Biology

    Andre Bancu won first place in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for The Role of Transient Bioelectric Disruption in Heritable Chromatin State Changes in Dugesia japonica. Learn more about his research idea and the impact he hopes to make.
  • Student Spotlight

    Emiko Tonachel ’29, Biology

    Emiko Tonachel, a biology major with philosophy minor, placed second in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for Mucoadhesive hydrogel system for localized drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Learn more about the inspiration behind the research.
  • Student Spotlight

    Soumya Raguraman ’27, Behavioral Neuroscience

    Soumya Raguraman, a behavioral neuroscience major with minors in business administration and public health, placed third in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for LabMatch: The Undergraduate Research Matching Platform. Learn more about how this idea came about.

College of Science Entrepreneurship Workshop

Over 30 students participated in the 3nd annual Entrepreneurship Workshop at the Warren Conference Center on July 25, 2025, building key leadership, communication, and practical skills as well as inspiration to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors.

Learn more

Empowering our science entrepreneurs!

View our past speaker series, workshops, and events

Read More

Explore programs and resources to support your entrepreneurial endeavors

Learn More