Senior Leadership Team

Dr. Christopher Hopey is the Vice President and Dean for the College of Professional Studies and an Associate Professor of Education. He has broad oversight of various academic units including, the College of Professional Studies, the Lowell School for Engineering Technology, the Executive and Professional Development Division, Northeastern Online, NU Global, and the School of Education. His research foci are adult learning and higher education. He is the author of numerous journal articles and a frequent speaker at national conferences. Prior to joining Northeastern, Dr. Hopey was Vice Dean at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Northeastern University.

Dr. Todd J. Leach is the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University and the Executive Director of the School of Education. Dean Leach has developed more than forty graduate and undergraduate programs, including a national award winning program and programs with international partners. Dean Leach holds a PhD from Northeastern University in the area of Law, Policy and Society and an MBA from Bentley College. Dr. Leach has published articles on higher education and has also been quoted by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Business Journal, and the Wall Street Journal’s Career Guide. Prior to his position at Northeastern University, Dr. Leach was an Associate Professor and the Director of Business at Lasell College, where he also ran the Yamawaki exchange program and served as faculty chair.

Dr. Patrick F. Plunkett is Senior Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Executive Director of NU Global. He is responsible for advocating and coordinating international programs, advises the Dean on international issues, and provides administrative oversight of the University’s international affiliations and contracts. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Plunkett served two year as the acting dean of the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. He led the college through a period of transformational change by integrating 137 full-time faculty, 38 academic programs and five research centers formerly housed in two separate colleges into one college. Before becoming acting dean, Dr. Plunkett served for nine years as the associate dean for academic affairs in the Bouvé College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. For seven years, Dr. Plunkett directed the University's Minority High School Student Research Apprentice Program. Plunkett holds an A.B. in biology from Saint Anselm’s College, an M.S. in physiology from Rivier College, and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from Northeastern University. He also completed the Management Development Program at Harvard University.

Kevin R. Currie is the Senior Associate Dean for Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. He has over 20 years of experience in management consulting, sales, and education and is responsible for overseeing admissions, advising, marketing and Northeastern University Online. Prior to joining Northeastern, Currie was Director of the Corporate Training Group at Boston University where he directed management consulting and training capabilities available through the Corporate Education Center, increased corporate enrollments to 3,500 to over 11,000 in three years, and expanded the corporate program from regional to international. Previous to Boston University, Mr. Currie was Director of the State-of-the-Art program at Northeastern University where he was responsible for doubling the size of the organization and developing an Indonesian training program in voice and data communications as well as a cooperative venture with the University of Oxford, England. Early in his career, Mr. Currie was General Manager of Nelson Communications and founding Director of their TELESOLUTIONS division. Mr. Currie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Framingham State College and Certificate of Professional Development in Training and Development from Boston University.

Michael Gladstone is the Associate Dean of Finance and Administration for the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. Dean Gladstone has held numerous positions at Northeastern including roles in central administration, as well as within several of the University’s Colleges. Prior to joining Northeastern University, Mr. Gladstone held various management positions in private industry. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Salem State College and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University.

Catherine S. Kim is the Associate Dean for Administration, Planning and Special Projects for the College of Professional Studies. She is responsible for administrative oversight of the College, including matters pertaining to legal and HR issues, and functions as the Vice President and Dean's chief of staff. Prior to her joining Northeastern, Dean Kim was an attorney in the Commercial Litigation group at Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP. Ms. Kim has also taught as a part-time Lecturer in the Legal Research and Writing Program at Boston University School of Law and was a Judicial Research Assistant for the Honorable David G. Sills, Presiding Justice at the California State Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division 3. Ms. Kim holds a J.D. from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Princeton University.

Mark A. Gould is the Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs for the College of Professional Studies. Mark has served on numerous boards for organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is a frequent speaker at national conferences. Mr. Gould has been a featured guest on talk radio and has also been quoted in, and written articles for publications such as Computerworld, PMNetwork, The Boston Globe, Mass High Tech, Projects@Work and ASTD's Training Scene on such topics as "From Liability to Definite Asset," and "Virtual Training Centers: The Future of Training and Development." Mr. Gould earned his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Maine, M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University, and M.Ed. from Boston University.

Kathi Mullin is the Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs for the College of Professional Studies. She is responsible for developing new initiatives locally and nationally with regard to workforce development and education. In addition, she will also play an integral role with the Center for Career and Industry Initiatives (CCII). Ms. Mullin is a nationally recognized expert with over 30 years of experience in high school renewal and district redesign. Prior to joining the College, she was Assistant to the Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools responsible for the High School Renewal Program. She was the visionary and operational strategist behind the plans for the small schools and small learning communities initiative and co-founded Boston's nationally recognized STRIVE program, a transition program for students with disabilities. She is a recipient of the Henry L. Shattuck Award for Excellence in Public Service. In addition, she received the Private Industry Council Achiever Award and City of Excellence Award Innovations in Education for development of TechBoston. Ms. Mullin holds a B.S. from Boston State College and an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts.