College Leadership

Jared Auclair, PhD
Interim Dean, Northeastern University College of Professional Studies

Jared Auclair serves as the Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies. Appointed in December 2023, Auclair leads all academic and administrative functions of the college.

With more than a decade of experience at Northeastern, starting first as a post-doc and most recently, Vice Provost Research Economic Development and Director of Bioinnovation, Auclair is a champion of innovation and collaboration and deeply values the promise that the College of Professional Studies brings to students as one of Northeastern’s most diverse and dynamic colleges committed to meet students where they are.

Prior to his role as Vice Provost Research Economic Development, Auclair served as the Associate Dean of Professional Programs and Graduate Affairs in the College of Science, and still holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. His past experience with the College of Professional Studies includes leadership on a variety of economic and workforce development and research programs, including PlusOne, a dynamic program that gives students the opportunity to accelerate their education by earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years.

With an extensive leadership background, Auclair’s passion for progress drives essential strategic initiatives for the College of Professional Studies. His focus on strengthening the connections between education, research, and community, along with fostering a global mindset is core to the College of Professional Studies’ commitment to delivering a world-class experiential education tailored to students’ needs.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Auclair held a variety of research and consulting roles for leading biopharmaceutical firms. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Massachusetts Medical.

Joe Brock
Executive Director of CPS Enrollment Marketing and Communications

Joe Brock serves as Executive Director of CPS Enrollment Marketing and Communications. He is a University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business graduate and has over 14 years of higher education marketing experience serving non-traditional, professional, and international learners.

Joe’s recent experiences include the creation of digital marketing strategies for over 50 state and private universities at Academic Partnerships, LLC, an online program manager, and the reimagining of extension studies at San Diego State University Global Campus. He has led teams developing social media, search engine optimization, email, paid digital advertising, user/student experience, and website development.

Prior to his education experience, Joe worked for 18 years at the largest movie theater chain in the world where he spent ten years in traditional marketing channels before moving into launching their nationwide digital programs.

Sara Ewell, PhD
Associate Dean of Faculty

Sara Ewell is the Associate Dean of Faculty for the College of Professional Studies. She previously served as the Assistant Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs, Director of the Doctor of Education, and Teaching Professor at the Graduate School of Education. During her tenure in the Graduate School of Education, she chaired nearly 100 dissertations and led the redesign of the EdD that was awarded the 2022 Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate Program of the Year. She was also elected to the Board of the Carnegie Project of the Education Doctorate.

Sara serves as a reviewer for professional journals and conferences, and volunteers for various community-based organizations and the Traumatic Brain Injury Association. Sara founded the Disability Alliance, an affinity group for faculty and staff with disabilities at Northeastern in 2022.

Magali Feruzi
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Magali Feruzi currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the College of Professional Studies.

Magali joined CPS as the Assistant Director of Finance in 2011, and since then, has held director positions in both CPS Finance and Northeastern’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society. As the Director of Operations and Partnerships, in collaboration with the Executive Director, she oversees the strategic plans, goals, and deliverables for all programs and ensures that the core competencies are organized and executed.

Magali focused on public health community development at the beginning of her career in the health field with positions in the Multicultural Affairs Office at Massachusetts General Hospital and Whittier Street Health Center. She developed deep roots within the traditionally marginalized communities and provided technical assistance to several grassroots start-up youth development organizations within the city.

Magali holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Sociology from Gordon College.

Michael Gladstone
Senior Associate Dean for Administration, Finance, and Business Planning

Michael Gladstone serves as senior associate dean for administration, finance, and business planning for the College of Professional Studies, named in 2014. As chief financial officer, he is responsible for budget and finance, campus facilities, and information technology.

Michael has held numerous positions at Northeastern University, including roles in central administration and teaching as an adjunct instructor in the College’s Information Technology Program.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Michael held various management positions in the private sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in management from Salem State College and an MBA from Northeastern University and completed the Management Leadership in Education Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Joe Griffin, PhD
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Teaching Professor

Joseph Griffin serves as the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies, where he also holds a faculty appointment as a teaching professor in project management.

Joe formerly served in a variety of roles within the university’s Chancellor’s Office and College of Professional Studies including as the Vice Chancellor of Educational Innovation, the Associate Vice President of Business Development, and Acting Vice Chancellor of Regional Campuses within the Office of the Chancellor. He also served as Associate Dean of Partnership & Engagement and as faculty director for graduate programs in analytics, informatics, and project management.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Joe worked in an array of project-oriented roles within the construction, land development, and real estate industry.

Joe holds a doctorate in Workplace Leadership and Ethics from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Master of Project Management from Western Carolina University, and an MBA from Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Francesca Grippa, PhD
Associate Dean of Research

Francesca Grippa is the Associate Dean of Research for the College of Professional Studies. In collaboration with the college leadership, she will develop an impact-centered research strategy for the College, foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research between CPS and other colleges at Northeastern, and provide leadership and oversight for research submissions. Additionally, Francesca is the Faculty Lead for the Bachelor of Science in Management.

Francesca joined CPS in 2010 as a faculty member teaching Business Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Francesca is also the Director of Northeastern’s Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. Through the support of grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Department of Commerce/Economic Development Association. Francesca is working on increasing community resilience through inclusive and equitable innovation and by promoting supplier diversity in higher education.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Francesca was an Assistant Professor of Innovation Management at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. She holds a PhD in e-Business Management, a master’s degree in business management, and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences (University of Siena).

Mariah Hwedi
Executive Assistant to the Dean

In 2023, Mariah joined Northeastern University as Executive Assistant to the dean. Mariah is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she completed her undergraduate studies. During her time there, she pursued a major in English and a minor in Theater, graduating with Honors and Summa Cum Laude.

Before joining Northeastern, Mariah gained extensive experience in administrative roles across various industries including hospitality companies, wealth management firms, and in digital commerce.

Uwe Hohgrawe, PhD
Associate Dean of Global Network and Product Development

Uwe Hohgrawe is the Associate Dean of Global Network and Product Development in the College of Professional Studies. In this role, Uwe focuses on leading the strategy planning and implementation of CPS academic and professional programs across our regional campuses and is leading the college in the development of new product ideas and innovation to expand our offerings.

Uwe joined CPS in 2016 and has served as a Professor of Practice, Faculty Lead, and Faculty Director for the Analytics and Enterprise Intelligence domain. He started the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Analytics in 2017 and the MPS in Applied Machine Intelligence in 2019. Under his leadership, CPS launched the Bachelor of Science in Analytics in 2020 and is currently preparing for the Fall 2023 launch of the MPS in Insurance, Analytics, and Management.

Uwe is a former president of the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association and has published numerous articles on business intelligence.

Allison Ruda, PhD
Associate Dean of Curriculum Strategy and Product Innovation 

Allison Ruda serves as Associate Dean of Curriculum Strategy and Product Innovation, leading curriculum and program-wide assessment strategy for the College of Professional Studies. She is involved in university-wide initiatives focusing on modular learning design, micro-credentialing, and AI-enhanced skills mapping. Allison leads the college’s Academic Quality Unit which focuses on data-driven, continuous improvement planning, program evaluation and reporting, and coordinated faculty development.

With two decades of experience in the learning design and ed tech field, Allison has collaborated with academic researchers, practitioners, technologists, and industry leaders around the shared goal of expanding access to experiential education. Prior to Northeastern, Allison worked at Emerson College, Regis College, and Harvard University and produced educational media for non-profit clients on a freelance basis.

Allison holds an EdD in Curriculum, Learning, Teaching & Leadership from Northeastern, an MEd in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College.

Molly Smith, PhD
Associate Dean, Opportunity Pathway Programs
Assistant Teaching Professor

Molly Smith leads the Opportunity Pathway Programs in the College of Professional Studies, named in 2018, building pathways and partnerships that advance opportunities for learners.

The Opportunity Pathway Programs division works with the university to create, deepen, and broaden undergraduate pathways and partnerships at Northeastern. In collaboration with community-based and industry partners, Molly and her team utilize asset-based advising models and academic curricula that meet learners’ immediate needs while building the competencies needed to be successful in 21st-century educational and career environments.

Molly was the founding director of the Foundation Year program and has extensive experience designing programs for first-year college students and nontraditional student populations. Prior to joining Northeastern, she worked as the associate director of teacher education at Rutgers University. She earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. Her research interests include higher education access, persistence, and attainment of first-generation and nontraditional students.

Corliss Thompson, PhD
Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education
Teaching Professor

Corliss Thompson is a Teaching Professor who serves as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE). She previously served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs in the GSE and Special Assistant to the Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Prior to becoming an administrator, Corliss taught in the Doctorate of Education and Masters of Education programs at Northeastern. In 2017, she was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award for the College of Professional Studies.

Corliss has led workshops and spoken to a wide range of audiences on systemic oppression, implicit bias, and action planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She volunteers her DEI expertise in her community and has focused on issues of equity in her scholarship, including a National Science Foundation grant to spur more underrepresented students’ interest in STEM fields.

Prior to working in higher education, Corliss was a program evaluator and elementary school teacher. She holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Art in Education from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and History.