For Shannon Alpert, project management is more than a professional discipline. It is a field that welcomes people from different industries, career stages, and educational backgrounds—and gives them tools they can carry throughout their careers.

Alpert, Assistant Dean of Doctoral Programs at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies, was recently selected for a volunteer spotlight by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center. The feature will appear in PMI GAC’s Quarterly Insights newsletter and recognizes her sustained contributions as an accreditation reviewer.

PMI GAC is the organization responsible for accrediting project management education programs worldwide. Through her volunteer work, Alpert helps evaluate whether academic programs meet consistent and rigorous standards while recognizing that each institution may take a different approach to serving its students.

Upholding Standards While Recognizing Different Approaches

Accreditation helps ensure that students enrolled in project management programs receive an education that meets established expectations for quality and academic rigor.

As a reviewer, Alpert assesses how individual institutions meet those expectations. She does not expect every program to follow the same model. Instead, she looks for evidence that each institution has developed a thoughtful approach that aligns with accreditation standards and responds to the needs of its students.

“What lights me up is the realization that project management belongs to everyone,” Alpert said. “I have seen people come to this field from every direction imaginable—intentionally, accidentally, mid-career, fresh out of school—and the discipline meets them all.”

When visiting an institution as part of an accreditation review, Alpert is not searching for a replica of another successful program. She is looking for a program that has found its own way to meet the standard while genuinely supporting its students.

That balance between rigor and openness is central to her approach.

Giving Back to the Project Management Profession

Alpert’s volunteer work provides an opportunity to give back to a profession that has shaped her career across telecommunications, financial services, and higher education.

Project management offers professionals a transferable set of skills that can be applied across organizations and industries. Through accreditation work, Alpert helps extend the value of those skills to future programs, students, and project management professionals.

What lights me up is the realization that project management belongs to everyone.

Shannon Alpert

Her work also reflects the community-focused nature of the project management profession. By collaborating with educators and institutions around the world, Alpert contributes to a broader effort to strengthen project management education and prepare students to navigate complex professional environments.

Bringing Global Perspectives Back to CPS

Alpert’s involvement with PMI GAC is closely connected to her leadership role at Northeastern.

She describes the relationship as reciprocal. Reviewing programs and institutions outside Northeastern gives her direct insight into emerging practices, different academic models, and opportunities to strengthen CPS programs. It also expands her network of project management educators, universities, and industry professionals.

Those perspectives help inform her work with CPS doctoral programs and reinforce the College’s commitment to experiential learning, professional relevance, and continuous improvement.

Through her service, Alpert represents CPS within an international community of project management educators while bringing new ideas and connections back to Northeastern.

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Shannon Alpert is Assistant Dean of Doctoral Programs at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. Her professional experience spans telecommunications, financial services, higher education, and project management accreditation. Connect with Shannon Alpert on LinkedIn.