The Pandemic Made the CPS Class of 2021 Double Down and Remain Focused
The pandemic was remembered at the College of Professional Studies’ master’s degree graduation ceremony on Friday as a unifying force that bred a kind of resilience and flexibility that allowed students to bend, but not break, under the pressure of a global health crisis.
“I Know He Would be So Proud” – Scholarship Donors Connect with Students
Written by Stephanie Krzyzewski
“Always, always be grateful to those who helped you.” These are the closing words of Marisa Lemus-Reynoso (Biotechnology, Class of 2023) as she addressed a crowded Raytheon Amphitheater at the annual College of Professional Studies undergraduate scholarship reception on the evening of August 19, 2021 on Northeastern’s Boston campus.
Marissa has good reason to be thankful, as do the dozens of other students in the room. A few weeks ago, they received the news that they would be receiving additional financial aid for the 2021-2022 academic year thanks to philanthropic contributions made by alumni and friends of Northeastern.
The College of Professional Studies has more than 50 scholarship funds established and supported through philanthropy throughout the past 40 years. For the upcoming academic year, this translates to approximately $400,000 in scholarship funding being awarded to more than 200 undergraduate students. Each summer the College hosts an event on campus to celebrate scholarship recipients and recognize their generous benefactors.
Marissa Lemus-Reynoso is receiving two scholarship this year – the Charles E. and Gail A. Evirs, Jr. Scholarship and the David R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship – and her benefactors were in the room on August 19 to hear her personal story and support her academic journey.
Nancy Johnson, who spoke just before Marissa, established the David R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship in memory of her late husband in 2019 along with her sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Pete Johnson. Dave, who earned his business degree from Northeastern in 1976, passed away in June 2018, and establishing the scholarship was a way for his family to find solace in his loss.
It was a special moment when Nancy introduced Marissa and invited her to take the stage, giving her an elbow-bump by way of welcome. Nancy had just finished sharing the story of Dave’s academic and professional journey, and you could hear her voice crack with emotion as she said, “Receiving this scholarship means Marissa’s life will forever be connected to Dave’s legacy, and I know he would be so proud of her if he’d had the chance to meet her.”
That sentiment is a tidy way to describe the purpose of this annual event – celebrating the impact of scholarships and the ability they have to transform lives and to foster lifelong connections among the Northeastern community.
College of Professional Studies Undergraduate Scholarship Program
Learn more about undergraduate scholarships at the College of Professional Studies and view photos and video from the 2021 annual reception event.
If you have any questions about the undergraduate scholarship program at the College of Professional Studies, please contact Stephanie Krzyzewski, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Funds, at [email protected].
Data Analyst Trey Williams Values the Firm Foundation Built at Northeastern
Intention, persistence, and perspective. These are some of the themes that rise to the surface when talking with 29-year-old Trey Williams about his Northeastern experience. But looking back, he will be the first to admit that this level of maturity took time to develop.
Trey graduated from New Mission High School in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 2010, and although he took mostly advanced level classes and had college aspirations, he hadn’t applied himself seriously enough to get accepted anywhere. When he heard about Northeastern’s Foundation Year program through a local youth support organization, he knew he’d found himself a pathway to a college degree; but his first year of college was a rocky start, and he almost didn’t make it through the first semester. “I was a kid. It was the first time I had responsibility, and I didn’t know how to manage that freedom properly. I wasn’t asking the right questions and didn’t know who to talk to, and at first I was just in it for the piece of paper at the end.”
With thoughtful guidance from the Foundation Year faculty and advisors, Trey finished the year on the Dean’s List and matriculated into the College of Professional Studies—starting as a Biology major before transitioning to Psychology, and eventually settling on Management. Like many students in the College of Professional Studies, he had to work full-time to finance his education as he went. As he neared the completion of his degree, the financial burden became too high, leading him to quit taking classes. “In 2015, I ran out of financial aid, and that’s when it hit me that life is real and you have to be very intentional about the choices you make. Losing financial assistance, not being able to graduate, watching friends and family members graduate around the same time. That really hit me hard.”
After working for several years in hospitality, Trey found himself at a crossroads. “As you rise through the ranks in your career as a person of color, you start to see less and less people who look like you, and it can be hard to gain favor. Over a four-year time-frame, I worked my way up to a Director level, but still no one took me seriously, because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree.” With the perspective he had gained over his years in the workforce, Trey knew he wanted to become a financial analyst, eventually pursue a PhD, and become an economist. But the first step was to complete his undergraduate degree.
“As a person in my early 20’s, paying for my education cost my entire life savings. I had slowly been saving over time, and I realized I could either use that money to invest in my education or keep working service industry jobs that would end up working me to death. And I figured that by the time I was 40 I would probably want to still be able to stand.”
Trey graduated with a degree in Management from the College of Professional Studies in 2019. He recalls, “Some of my friends didn’t end up graduating because even after finishing Foundation Year, they still experienced financial barriers they couldn’t overcome towards finishing. For me, it took 9 years.” Even after completing his degree and pursuing several certifications in financial modeling and analytics, he had trouble finding a job as an analyst. “I had to be in the workforce for a little while to realize that just because you have a piece of paper doesn’t mean you’re any more qualified than the person standing next to you. I needed to be ahead of the crowd on the cutting edge. I needed to be at home doing research in my free time. And I realized I would also need a master’s degree.”
By this time, Trey had gained perspective through life experience and had created a set of intentions and goals which he planned to achieve by investing in his education. But persistence always came naturally. “I lost a friend when I was young and knew I wanted to get my family out of the neighborhood we lived in. I lost my mother at 21 and wanted to help my grandmother. I wanted to be an example for my younger brother. I wanted to begin to establish generational wealth for my family. I knew as long as I applied myself and worked my connections, I’d get there.” Trey completed his master’s in analytics in July 2021, started a data analytics consulting company, and accepted a data science fellowship with The Data Incubator, an immersive training program designed to fine tune the skills necessary to become a leader in the data science field.
Having made measurable strides toward his goals, Trey has had time to step back, reflect, and begin to pay it forward. In 2020 he joined Northeastern’s Young Alumni Advisory Board as Chief Executive Connector. “I’d like to mentor current students to help them understand why they’re in school, how they can apply their skills and education to work in the world, and how to work their interests and passions into their course of study. I want students to have a more active role in engaging with project and academic work than I did as an undergrad.”
He has also had the opportunity to consider his personal journey from the very beginning, starting with Foundation Year. “The Foundation Year faculty are amazing, they give 110%. I see the value that they brought to my life with extra support and hand holding, because I was not prepared to be in a college environment, and if I had gone straight into the standard Northeastern experience, I don’t think I would have been able to survive let alone perform at a level that was exceptional. They were able to give me the space and feedback necessary to grow. Foundation Year is everything. It really is the foundation.”
Foundation Year is an innovative, first-year college program at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies that provides students from Boston with rigorous academics integrated with student support services to create an environment where students can be successful for their entire Northeastern college experience. Learn more about Foundation Year.
Learn more about our programs
The COVID-19 Outbreak in India Hit Hard in His Hometown. So He Built a Hospital There.
CPS Project Management student Jason Peter worked through the night the past few weeks to develop a COVID-19 hospital in his native Bangalore, India — an inspiration that took form from his capstone project.
The hospital, which will be called the Rapha Care Center, will open on July 1. The five-floor building will provide 130 beds and at least four ventilators. Peter’s team hopes to treat 400 patients per month.
CPS Announces Experiential Learning Award Winners
The Experiential Learning Awards are a recognition opportunity for students within the College of Professional Studies. They are awarded to students who have successfully integrated the classroom with real world projects, going above and beyond in their educational journeys. Our programs engage students with the world through professional work, research, and service on seven continents. They learn how to transform ideas into impact and become global citizens with successful careers.
Each year we recognize outstanding students who demonstrate great skills while on Co-op, through XN projects or sponsorship, through the Experiential Learning Awards. We hear nominations of highly accomplished students about what they were able to accomplish through our experiential opportunities. The students selected for these awards are nominated by their Co-op employers, XN Project Sponsors, Faculty or staff. The awards are broken down into three main categories: Co-op Excellence, XN Excellence, and Humanics.
Cooperative Excellence Award Winners
This award is for students who have demonstrated dedication and success in improving their organization through their workplace contributions and experiential learning.
Chi Doan
BS Management
“Chi Doan is a student who epitomizes Northeastern University’s goal of preparing students for. Chi is an international F1 student who started her academic journey in the College of Professional Studies in the Fall of 2018. She is a BS-Management candidate who will graduate in May 2021. Chi’s focus on her academic and professional development is unlike any student I have worked with as both an Academic Advisor and Adjunct Instructor. Academically, she has maintained a GPA of 3.986 with one course remaining. Professionally, she has sought out opportunities to obtain experiential learning activities that made her a highly sought after candidate.
Initially, Chi prepared herself by taking the XN prep course, INT2000 in the Spring of 2019. I had firsthand knowledge of her work in this course since we often met to discuss her resume and professional development goals. In CPS’ Academic Advising Office in the Fall of 2019, I leveraged a number of Chi’s marketing skills and self-sponsored an 8-week XN Project (INT2001) that helped me streamline communications to a cohort of international students. In the Spring of 2020, Chi obtained a 6-month, full-time Co-op (COP3945) at Wayfair as a Marketing Analyst where she led app marketing and email optimization campaigns. While initially on-site, Chi successfully transitioned to remote work when the global pandemic hit. In the Fall of 2020, she took on a part-time Co-op (COP3944) at LogRhythm where she executed webinar promotional campaigns. Also in the Fall of 2020, Chi enrolled in a 3-credit Experiential Management Practicum (MGT4995) and worked with a local non-profit, ThinkGive. Under Chi’s leadership, her team received the client’s highest accolades. I was the Instructor for this course and can also attest to the quality of Chi’s outputs.
It is with utmost pleasure that I submit Chi Doan for Northeastern University’s Experiential Learning Award. She has been the steward of her professional development and is a shining example of experiential learning in action. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can provide any additional information in support of my recommendation.” – Mark Almeida
Rohan Pappu
MPS Analytics
“Rohan interned at our project, Our Youth Social Community which manufactures and distributes Organic(100%) pads to rural women in India (3.5 lakh pads per month). He handled 4 teams of Indian Institute of Management, MBA students in our Organisation. Total group he organised was 4 and our project is about menstruation(Project Suraksha). Rohan helped all these 4 groups in researching the information or data regarding the napkins and menstruation. That led us to be on a successful path. Now our project is helpful for more than 42,00,000 girls in India. It’s not only increased our organisation’s reputation but also helpful for so many young girls in India (>42,00,000). He is a stronger team leader, and an even greater human being! Many Thanks to Rohan!” – Sohan Pappu
XN Excellence Award Winners
Experiential Network (XN) helps Northeastern University students work in their respective fields while working with different sponsors on a wide array of projects. The XN Experiential Awards celebrated a student who excelled in their XN curricular course project by applying knowledge gained in their academic program through the integration of key theoretical elements and related practical experiences.
Victoria Moore
Doctor of Education
“I would like to congratulate Victoria Moore for her achievements in extending experiential learning opportunities to children and faculty by establishing a community school in Zimbabwe. Wildwoods School, https://www.wildwoodsinternational.com/, champions a student-centered vision, as evidenced by the statement, “We believe in holistic education that commits to developing the whole child, inspiring our scholars to be global leaders advocating for our environment, community and beyond within a sustainable school environment, embodies experiential learning for the youngest of learners. When I first met Victoria, she engaged in an action research project through her coursework to make this vision a reality. Designing with students and families at the center, she began with a home preschool and has just realized her dream of opening an elementary school designed to provide the children of her community with access to high-quality, accessible education designed for positive global impact. Over the past two courses, I have witnessed an entrepreneurial educator’s grit, perseverance, and leadership. Victoria faced numerous barriers and challenges to making her vision come to life. With the encouragement of her community, she persevered. Wildwoods is just in its early stages, and Victoria understands the significance of teacher efficacy in making the experience successful for the students. As a part of the experiential learning course, she has designed a professional learning model built on the tenets of experiential learning so that her faculty has the tools and skills needed to deliver education through an experiential learning model.” – Paula Dillon
Watch Victoria’s nomination video
Vanessa Leyva
MS Project Management
“Vanessa participated in the XN project with BreastFeedLA. BreastFeedLA is a non profit advocacy group based in Los Angeles that was seeking assistance from Northeastern for a Marketing Plan to promote their breastfeeding courses. BreastFeedLA was looking to outreach to potential students who represented the ethnic and cultural diversity of LA County in order to promote breastfeeding to a wide range of communities. Vanessa and her team developed user personas based on feedback from the XN sponsor. These personas formed the basis of the marketing strategies for the entire course. Vanessa spearheaded the idea of user personas, identified people to interview so that they could capture intentions, requirements and sentiments. Vanessa’s approach is a clear example of leveraging a methodology taught in the PJM courses with a practical application such as a non profit’s marketing strategy. By using personas, identifying actual people to interview, Vanessa was able to create authentic profiles that BreastFeedLA can refer to in the future. Vanessa’s approach sets a template that the organization can re-use in any subsequent Marketing efforts. Vanessa’s creativity and proactive approach in this XN project represents Northeastern students at their finest. I recommend Vanessa without hesitation. ” – Mimi Wan
Humanics Award Winners
Humanics is specifically the integration of technical literacy, data literacy, and human literacy. This award celebrates and highlights a student who exhibits and demonstrates Humanics, contributes significantly to the understanding of the universe, and practices lifelong learning by combining technical, data, and interpersonal skills throughout their Northeastern career and within their respective communities.
Rachael Elliott
Master of Education
“Rachael worked tirelessly to develop a self-designed and scoped multi-component project, with both immediate and long-term utility, to address a current problem of practice she identified. Her intense commitment to this project was striking, as is her final work: – A fully developed and Creative Commons Licensed repository – The International Student Support Repository (ISSR). It can be accessed at www.internationalstudentsupport.org – A sample conference presentation (voice narrated) that demonstrates how she will introduce this project to the international education community. The presentation is titled “Harnessing Open Educational Resources for Faculty, Staff, and Community Training: A Pathway to Improving International Student Outcomes.” (Available on request.) – A virtual tour of the ISSR (which can also be found on the main page of the website): https://sites.google.com/view/international-student-outcomes/video-tour?authuser=0 Rachael shared, in the end, “This will never be complete or finished!” She got very, very deep into this work and is committed to lifelong learning and service. She added, “I’d love to be a sponsor/mentor for a future student who is engaging in something similar. I am so grateful I was able to work with Jaime, and hope I’m able to support someone just as fully in in the future.” Like Jaime, Rachael is committed to serving and supporting future NEU M.Ed. students in their XN experiences.” – Joan Burkhardt, Professor
Dandi Zheng
MS Commerce & Economic Development
“Dandi was so passionate about applying her mathematical modeling and statistical techniques to addressing an interesting and timely question. Along with another team member, she looked into the video streaming industry that became much more popular in the COVID-19 era. Specifically, she assessed the operational performance of video streaming firms (e.g., Netflix and Disney+) and examined the relationship between their performance scores and stock prices. To that end, she combined nonparametric analysis with parametric analysis. Her project was not only methodologically rigorous but also practically intriguing to investors and industry experts. She committed a lot of time to the project and I believe she is a strong candidate for the award.” – Youngbok Ryu
Watch Dandi’s nomination video
Congratulations to all of this year’s Experiential Learning Award winners!
In a First, Regional-Campus Student Wins Leadership Award
Puneet Kundu (MS ’22) has become the first student at a regional campus to receive Northeastern’s 2021 Graduate Student Award in Leadership. The award recognizes graduate students who have demonstrated significant leadership and a deep commitment to giving back to members of Northeastern’s community or surrounding neighborhoods. One of two students across the university to be recognized this way, Kundu joined Theresa Davenport, a PhD student in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center, in garnering this year’s honors.
Kundu was part of the first international student cohort at the Toronto campus, beginning his studies online in April 2020 in the project management program and arriving in person in the summer of 2020. Even before leaving his home country of India for Canada, Puneet had begun planning a Toronto chapter of the Northeastern Project Management Student Organization. Working with other students at the Toronto campus, as well as Professor Adel Zadeh, Puneet succeeded in establishing this group and mounting a series of successful student events. These included events focused on helping newly arriving students settle in Toronto and events helping project management students navigate the concentrations available to them in their program.
Kundu is an assistant director of the Toronto chapter of the Project Management Institute. He has also worked as a student ambassador for the College of Professional Studies, connecting with prospective project management students to provide a student’s perspective on the degree and the Toronto campus experience. He has also demonstrated leadership and commitment to the community in less formal capacities, including personally delivering groceries to newly arrived students in quarantine.
“Puneet’s accomplishments would be impressive under any circumstances,” Chief Executive Officer and Regional Dean of Northeastern University Toronto Aliza Lakhani said in a letter to the Northeastern community. “Given the unprecedented challenges created by the pandemic, however, they are even more noteworthy. Puneet and his fellow students have demonstrated remarkable initiative, creativity, and resilience under very difficult circumstances.”
Tackling Life and Learning with Resilience and Bravery
24-year old Master’s student Chethan Kumar BM knows about taking decisive action on a magnitude that few of his peers have experienced. Two years ago, in Chethan’s hometown of Bengaluru, a southern city dubbed the “Silicon Valley” of India, a pair of Hawk MK-132 jets practiced for a military air show. Suddenly, due to a piloting error, they collided in mid-air.
Chethan, a fourth-year aeronautical engineering student at the time, was watching the rehearsal from his window at home when the accident occurred. Living only feet from the airbase, he ran to aid the pilots and remained on the scene, assisting and reassuring them until paramedics and emergency personnel arrived. Two of the three pilots survived, and Chethan’s immediate action before ambulances attended is credited in saving their lives.
“People close to me always said that I was good at decision-making, especially in critical situations.” Some also suggested, “Why not hone that skill professionally?” This advice, coupled with his innate interest in making key decisions, led Chethan to start researching a Masters of Science in Project Management at Northeastern’s Toronto campus.
Meet Our New and Promoted Faculty
This year, the College of Professional Studies welcomed 15 new faculty colleagues and celebrated 11 faculty colleagues who earned a promotion, whose accomplishments are listed below.
The faculty of the College of Professional Studies create exceptional learning experiences that are essential to our students’ success. Along with that demonstrated excellence, the faculty also share a commitment to exploring new ways of responding to the changing needs of our students. Our faculty members’ ingenuity, expertise, and creativity in program and curriculum development prove that education can persist and even flourish during difficult times.
Quick Links:
New Faculty:
Heidi Liu Banerjee | Alex Fronduto | Susan Gracia |Fareed Hawwa |Sarmann I. Kennedyd |Varsha S. Kulkarni |Todd Loeb |Tim Mills |Mikhail Oet |Lindsay Portnoy |John Terpinas |Youngbok Ryu | Adel A. Zadeh | Lin Zhou
Promoted Faculty:
Jacques Alexis | Earlene Avalon | Cynthia Baron | Darin Detwiler | Constance Emerson | Patricia Goodman | David Hagen | Cristine McMartin-Miller | Pamela Wojnar | Xiaomu Zhou | Elizabeth Zulick
New Faculty:
Heidi Liu Banerjee
EdD (Applied Linguistics), Teachers College, Columbia University
Heidi Liu Banerjee is an assistant teaching professor in the NU Immerse and Global Pathway programs. Dr. Banerjee’s research and teaching interests include developing game- and scenario-based assessment and implementing learning-oriented assessment in language classrooms. Her dissertation, which investigates the construct of topical knowledge in a scenario-based language assessment, received a TIRF (The International Research Foundation for English Language Education) Doctoral Dissertation Grant and as well as ETS TOEFL (Educational Testing Service Test of English as a Foreign Language) Small Grants for Doctoral Research in Second or Foreign Language Assessment, and it was selected as the finalist for the Jacqueline Ross TOEFL Dissertation Award. Previously, Dr. Banerjee was a lecturer in the NU Immerse and Global Pathway programs where she taught English for academic purposes to international students. She also taught second language assessment to students enrolled in the TESOL Certificate program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Banerjee lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Alex Fronduto
DHS (Health Sciences), Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Alex Fronduto is an assistant teaching professor in the Graduate School of Education, where he teaches on topics that include strategic leadership in enrollment management, assessment and accreditation and the foundations of higher education. Dr. Fronduto’s research has ranged from the lab-based study of “Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus and Yeast-Two Hybrid System” to an investigation of team-based learning in health professions education and its impact on student achievement. He has also served as a Teaching Fellow in biochemistry at Boston University and as a Teaching Assistant in biochemistry at Simmons College. Dr. Fronduto previously worked for a decade in admissions at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where he became Associate Director of Admissions in 2017. His responsibilities included recruitment of students, supervision of staff and student workers, operations and data management, educating students on affordability and financial aid and managing events and marketing. He lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Susan Gracia
PhD (Educational Measurement, Research and Evaluation), Boston College
Susan Gracia is an assistant teaching professor in the Analytics program. She is also a former faculty member in the college’s Graduate School of Education, where she taught courses in learning analytics, data mining, data visualization, text mining and classroom assessment. For the past 20 years, Dr. Gracia has directed her own consultancy in educational research and evaluation. She previously served as a tenured associate professor at the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development at Rhode Island College, designing and teaching a variety of research and evaluation courses. She also served as the Director of Assessment at Rhode Island College and at Simmons College, where she assessed student learning outcomes and teaching effectiveness and evaluated programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She has been a visiting professor of evaluation and learning analytics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú since 2013. Dr. Gracia lives in Providence, RI, and teaches in Boston and online.
Fareed Hawwa
PhD (Mathematics), Louisiana State University
Fareed Hawwa is an assistant teaching professor in the Foundation Year program. Before joining Northeastern, Dr. Hawwa worked in the financial industry, first as an equities and exchange traded funds trader in New York City, then as an analyst, partner and head of trading at a financial firm in Chicago. In these roles he provided technical analysis and risk management using logic, quantitative analysis, and expertise in the mechanics of capital markets, leading trading and strategy for funds valued at $250 million in assets under management. In the course of his graduate studies at Louisiana State University (LSU), Dr. Hawwa was a three-time recipient of the LSU Mathematics Department Teaching Excellence Award for his work with LSU students. He was also named one of eight National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellows. He managed workshops for high school students on the LSU campus and at nearby high schools and implemented technology such as video conference teaching and online learning. Dr. Hawwa lives in Rhode Island and teaches in Boston and online.
Sarmann I. Kennedyd
PhD (Strategy, Program and Project Management), SKEMA Business School of Lille, France
Sarmann I. Kennedyd is an assistant teaching professor in the Project Management program. With more than 20 years of experience in business process reengineering, information technology systems development, managing complex projects and data analysis, Dr. Kennedyd has served as a strategic financial and business analyst, consultant, and project manager with companies that include AOL, Fannie Mae, Charles E. Smith, Verizon, and USAC (Universal Service Administrative Company). He has provided corporate training sessions in project, program, and agile management to professionals from all backgrounds in many countries. Previously, Dr. Kennedyd served as an Assistant Professor of Management at Kean University – Wenzhou China and at Northern New Mexico College, where his responsibilities included teaching, research, and developing undergraduate curricula for courses in operations management and project management. His research is focused on agile project management, electronic commerce, virtual communication in projects and topics related to the connected workplace. Dr. Kennedyd lives in the greater Seattle area and teaches at Northeastern’s Seattle campus and online.
Varsha S. Kulkarni
PhD (Information Sciences), Indiana University Bloomington
Varsha S. Kulkarni is an assistant teaching professor in the Analytics program. Dr. Kulkarni has worked at the Harvard Business School as a researcher specializing as a statistician and in applied math areas, as a research affiliate at the Harvard Institute of Quantitative Social Science. Her research encompasses quantitative data analysis, mathematical modeling and socioeconomics, and she has lectured on data analytics in business, socioeconomics and applied mathematical sciences. Her research on topics of the evolution of social innovation, inflation and volatility and rising food prices is published in academic journals including the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems. She has received numerous awards and fellowships. An affiliate of Harvard University, Dr. Kulkarni conducts research in various fields. Her interests are in dynamic models in social networks, social innovation modeling, health, development, macroeconomic modeling, market volatility, financial markets, and analysis of socioeconomic systems.
Todd Loeb
MBA, Boston University
Todd Loeb is an assistant academic specialist in the Project Management program. Professor Loeb is a consultant, speaker, author and blogger in the areas of project management tactics and strategy, communications and soft skills, and staff recruiting and development. In more than 30 years in the financial services industry, his professional roles have encompassed project management, leadership and technology. He has worked with organizations including State Street Corporation, Bank of New York Mellon, Thomson Financial, Barclay’s, and Liberty Mutual Insurance, where he managed the design, development, and implementation of several multi-million dollar technology platforms and helped clients improve project management practices. Currently a vice president and program manager at a large Boston investment management firm, Professor Loeb has been a certified Project Management Professional since 2003. In 2013, he published No Project Management by Powerpoint, a book on project management in the financial services industry. Professor Loeb lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Tim Mills
MBA (Global Management), Golden State University
Tim Mills is an assistant academic specialist in the Leadership and Project Management programs. He joined Northeastern as an associate professor in 2015. An executive management consultant, Professor Mills has led global projects with KPMG Consulting and IBM Global Services, focusing on information technology strategy and design, project management and e-commerce projects. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, where he managed acquisition and implementation of fighter aircraft, integrated telecommunications and ballistic missile programs. He also earned a Master of Science in Logistics Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Professor Mills has taught on topics including global project management, agile methods, and project portfolio management at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education, California State College Sacramento and as a guest lecturer at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is a member of the Project Management Institute, a certified Project Management Professional, and an Agile Alliance-certified Scrum Master. Professor Mills lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Mikhail Oet
PhD (Designing Sustainable Systems), Case Western Reserve University
Mikhail Oet is an associate teaching professor and the faculty lead in the Commerce and Economic Development graduate program. Currently the Director of Analytics at Financial Network Analytics, a deep technology analytics innovator, Dr. Oet began his career with the Federal Reserve System, working to strengthen the resilience of risky and complex financial service organizations. He later led research, development and the extension of supervisory technologies and financial stability analytics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. In 2016, he started the Economic Forecasting Group at the Bank of New York Mellon, the world’s largest asset servicing company. Dr. Oet has held teaching positions in economics, finance, and supervisory analytics at the Federal Reserve System, Cleveland State University, and Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of numerous articles in refereed journals including the Review of Finance and the European Journal of Finance. He lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Lindsay Portnoy
PhD (Educational Psychology), Fordham University
Lindsay Portnoy is a cognitive scientist and associate teaching professor in the Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership concentration in the Doctor of Education program. Dr. Portnoy’s research focuses on the use of immersive technologies and systems thinking to enhance cognition and create a more equitable and authentic system of education. She is a former public school teacher and a co-founder of the National Science Foundation and Institute of Education Sciences funded learning-games company Killer Snails. Dr. Portnoy has been published in academic journals and popular media outlets including The Washington Post, World Economic Forum, and EdSurge. She is the author of Designed to Learn: Using Design Thinking to Bring Purpose and Passion to the Classroom and the forthcoming Game On? Brain On! The Surprising Relationship Between Play and Gray (Matter). A member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, a former Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Emerging Leader, and an Assessment Fellow at Hunter College, City University of New York, Dr. Portnoy lives in New York City and teaches online.
John Terpinas
JD, California Western School of Law
John Terpinas is a professor of the practice and faculty lead in the Homeland Security, Strategic Intelligence & Analysis and Criminal Justice programs. Professor Terpinas’ experience encompasses leadership, law enforcement, intelligence, and international diplomacy. His 21-year career as a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI included serving as Director of the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary, and as the FBI Chair and Assistant Professor of National Security Studies at the Eisenhower School of National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Professor Terpinas held numerous managerial positions within the FBI’s National Security Division and Counterterrorism programs including serving as Director of Law Enforcement and Investigations in the White House. Previously, he was a counterterrorism specialist in the FBI Chicago Division. Before joining the FBI, he was an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Criminal Division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago. Professor Terpinas lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Youngbok Ryu
PhD (Policy Analysis), Pardee RAND Graduate School
Youngbok Ryu is an assistant teaching professor in the Commerce and Economic Development graduate program and the undergraduate Management program. The recipient of numerous grants and awards, Dr. Ryu has conducted research with the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT), the RAND Corporation, The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, South Korea’s Incheon Development Institute and other institutions. This work has included analyses of science, technology and environmental policy issues as well as the study of global special economic zones. Previously, Dr. Ryu was an instructor at NMT, where he taught courses including Business Policy and Corporate Strategy, Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship and Engineering Economics and served on thesis committees and as an advisor to independent studies and student clubs. At NMT, he founded the Tech Policy Group, the first science policy group in New Mexico affiliated with the National Science Policy Network. Dr. Ryu lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Adel A. Zadeh
PhD (Civil & Environmental Engineering), University of Cambridge
Adel A. Zadeh is an associate teaching professor in the Project Management program. A civil engineering and project management educator and consultant with more than 10 years of experience, Dr. Zadeh has managed complex public/private construction projects including planning, estimating, engineering, procurement and construction. He is a certified Project Management Professional, and accredited LEED BD+C (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Building Design and Construction). Dr. Zadeh’s research and teaching focus on organizational transformation, construction management, sustainability initiatives in green building construction, and how sustainability trends impact the building and construction industry. He previously served as program director and lecturer at a number of colleges in Ontario, teaching and supervising students in advanced project management and strategic leadership, construction management and engineering, and applied research. He is the director of the Toronto chapter of the Project Management Institute. Dr. Zadeh lives in the greater Toronto area and teaches in Toronto and online.
Lin Zhou
PhD (Second Language Studies), University of Hawai’i
Lin Zhou is an assistant teaching professor in the NU Global program.
An expert in pedagogical game design and innovative course design, Dr. Zhou promotes and practices teaching that revolves around experiential learning, project-based instruction and game-supported pedagogies using new online technologies. A frequent speaker at international conferences, she has presented papers on topics including Learning Chinese in Chinatown with an Augmented Reality Mobile Game, Translanguaging in Pedagogical Drama Gaming, and An Ecological Approach to an Online Second Language Writing Course.
Dr. Zhou has taught in the Department of Second Language Studies and the English Language Institute at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Her research focuses on game and course design to empower educators and foster differentiated instruction. For her PhD dissertation, she created a game-supported critical writing course for second-language learners in which students could work with peers and game characters to explore socio-political issues.
Dr. Zhou lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Promoted Faculty:
Congratulations to 11 faculty members of the College of Professional Studies who have been promoted, effective May 1, 2020. The following faculty members have been recognized for their excellence in teaching and curriculum development. Promotion also recognizes their contributions to the college and university through their leadership, service, educational innovation, discovery and professional engagement in their fields.
Dr. Jacques Alexis
Jacques Alexis, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
Dr. Alexis joined Northeastern in 2012. He teaches in the Master of Science in Project Management program and has served as Principal Instructor for the “Foundations of Project Management” and the “Project Quality Management” courses. He developed a guide for innovation in teaching the latter, has revised existing courses and developed a new course in project finance. Dr. Alexis participates in recruiting, outreach, and orientation events, and is a founding advisor to a student network for the Project Management program. He has served on the Faculty Academic Council, on the Professional Standards committee of the Council and on a task force examining college practices in faculty merit review. Dr. Alexis previously worked in the manufacturing and power-generation industries. An active member of several management-oriented professional organizations, he earned his Doctor of Management degree from the University of Maryland in 2018. He lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Dr. Earlene Avalon
Earlene Avalon, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
Dr. Avalon designed and piloted both the Health Management Capstone and Public Health courses and has co-authored numerous conference presentations and articles, including one in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. Other collaborations with colleagues include a grant to map the opioid epidemic in Boston using geospatial technology. An advocate for first-generation student success and a co-founder and steering committee member of the First Generation, Undocumented, Low Income (FUNL) Network at Northeastern, Dr. Avalon also serves on faculty governance committees and has been an organizer and presenter at Northeastern’s Women of Color in the Academy Conference since 2018. Dr. Avalon’s career has included roles as a financial analyst for Partners Healthcare, as Director of Nursing Diversity Initiatives at Boston Children’s Hospital and in various leadership roles in higher education. She earned her PhD in Health Professions Education from Simmons University in 2009 and joined Northeastern as a lecturer in 2010. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Cynthia Baron
Cynthia Baron has been promoted to Full Academic Specialist in the Professional Programs.
Professor Baron has contributed uniquely to the development of the Digital Media program at Northeastern, recruiting faculty, serving as the program’s Academic Director and adapting it for changing student populations. She designed and implemented a bridge program, Connect, that prepares students without undergraduate backgrounds in digital media for success in the master’s program. Professor Baron has also served as Chair of the Academic Programs Committee of the Faculty Academic Council and is the former Chair of the Council’s Agenda Committee. The co-founder and former Executive Vice President of Serif & Sans, Inc., a Boston graphic design company, Professor Baron was a partner in LeWinterBaron Graphics Multitasking, Inc., and a principal in her own firm, Phoenix Design & Communications, and she has edited, authored, or co-authored more than a dozen books. She joined Northeastern in 1988 and earned her MBA in Marketing at the university in 1993. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Dr. Darin Detwiler
Darin Detwiler, LPD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
Dr. Detwiler helped relaunch the college’s Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industries program and serves as its lead faculty member. The Assistant Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs, he oversees Academic Quality Assurance across the professional programs. The 2016 recipient of the college’s Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Detwiler has advised the Department of Agriculture and is the author of two books on food safety. He consults internationally on food safety and regulation, serves on advisory and editorial boards, and received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award from the International Association for Food Protection. Dr. Detwiler earned the Doctor of Law and Policy degree from Northeastern in 2016 and joined the university the same year. Prior to completing his doctorate, he served in the US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Force and was an award-winning teacher in Redmond, WA. He lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Constance Emerson
Constance Emerson, EdD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
Dr. Emerson has served as Academic Quality Assurance lead for the Project Management program and as a Master Teacher, ensuring the risk management and capstone courses teach relevant curricula in innovative ways. She teaches a number of courses in the program. She contributed to the Project Management program’s reaccreditation in 2017, took a leading role connecting the Project Management program with the needs of regional businesses, and is working to build and implement the bachelor of science program in Project Management. She also served on a task force that evaluated instructor feedback and presence and the use of best practices in online and hybrid learning across courses in the college. The principal of her own project-management consultancy, Dr. Emerson joined the university in 2015. She earned her EdD from Northeastern in 2018 and previously worked with firms that included Inland Steel Company and Mitchell Management Systems. She lives in Sarasota, Florida, and teaches online.
Patricia Goodman
Patricia Goodman, EdD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Communications, Media and Human Resources Programs.
A faculty member since 2015, Dr. Goodman led the development and implementation of the concentration in Cross-cultural Communication for the Master’s in Corporate and Organizational Communication and has served as chair of the college’s faculty development conference and on its Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion. She worked with students and faculty across the university to generate definitions and expressions of global citizenship and organized the university-wide “Visions of Peace” event with Northeastern’s Center for Intercultural Engagement. She serves on the Faculty Academic Council and chairs the Faculty Development Support Committee. A frequent presenter at international conferences, Dr. Goodman earned her EdD from The George Washington University in 2004. She previously served as Human Resource Director at Florida mental health provider The Centers and in finance and program delivery at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Dr. Goodman lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
David Hagen
David Hagen, JD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Security Programs.
Professor Hagen serves as Special Assistant to the Dean for Veteran and Military Affairs, acting as a liaison to Northeastern’s Dolce Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Service Members, to external agencies, and to faculty and student veterans and members of service families. He has served on committees including the Professional Standards Committee, which he currently chairs; the Academic Policy Committee; the Ad hoc Grievance Committee; and the Academic Policy Committee of the Faculty Senate. In 2019, he received the college’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Professor Hagen earned his JD from the New England School of Law in 1984. His teaching appointment at Northeastern in 2016 followed a distinguished career in military service, and he volunteers in the military and veteran community. In 2016, he was Military Volunteer of the Year at Veteran’s Inc., a shelter in Worcester, MA. He lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Cristine McMartin-Miller
Cristine McMartin-Miller, PhD, has been promoted to full Teaching Professor in NU Global.
The program coordinator of the International Tutoring Center (ITC), Dr. McMartin-Miller recruits, trains and supervises tutors who collectively deliver more than 2,000 appointments per term. She is course coordinator of the courses “Writing for Graduate School,” “Advanced Listening and Speaking for Graduate School,” and “Foundations of Professional Communication,” and she has served on curriculum committees and university-level search committees. The Vice Chair of the Faculty Review and Promotion Committee of the Faculty Academic Council, Dr. McMartin-Miller is also a member of the university-wide International Student Academic Success Team. She regularly presents at conferences, and her team’s findings on student engagement with the ITC were presented at NAFSA: Association of International Educators meetings. She also serves as a manuscript reviewer for two journals in language learning.Dr. McMartin-Miller earned her PhD in English, with a specialization in Second Language Studies, from Purdue University in 2012, joining Northeastern the same year. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Dr. Pamela Wojnar
Pamela Wojnar, EdD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
Dr. Wojnar’s contributions to the Master of Sports Leadership Program since 2016 have included curriculum development; supporting the Academic Quality Assurance assessment process; representing the program at the university’s Charlotte campus; helping maintain accreditation with the Commission on Sports Management Accreditation (COSMA); and engaging students in volunteering. She served on the planning committee for the college’s 2017 Faculty Development Conference, as Chair of an ad hoc Bylaws Review Committee for the Faculty Academic Council, and as co-chair of the Faculty Senate Full-Time Nontenure-Track Faculty Committee. She has also served on COSMA’s Nominating Committee and as Chair of the Program and Abstract Review Committee for COSMA’s annual conference. Dr. Wojnar earned her Doctor of Education from the United States Sports Academy in 2008. Previous professional roles included serving as Director of the Athletics at both Notre Dame of Maryland University and Rosemont College. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Dr. Xiamou Zhou
Xiaomu Zhou, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
As lead faculty member for the Informatics program, Dr. Zhou has expanded and restructured the curriculum in collaboration with colleagues to address cutting-edge technology needs, emphasizing academic honesty and incorporating real-world projects. Enrollment has risen under Dr. Zhou’s leadership, and she continues to guide the college’s work towards a cross-program integrated computing environment. Dr. Zhou served on the Professional Standards Committee of the Faculty Academic Council and currently serves on the Academic Program Committee and Faculty Development and Support Committee. She is a frequent journal referee, and her participation in Boston-area professional meetings on platform strategy and open data science support her leadership in the digital transformation of teaching and learning. Dr. Zhou earned her PhD in Information Science from the University of Michigan in 2010. Before joining Northeastern in 2016, she taught in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
Dr. Elizabeth Zulick
Elizabeth Zulick, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor in the Professional Programs.
A faculty member since 2016, Dr. Zulick is Faculty Director for Health Care and Biotechnology programs, Director of the Lowell Institute School, and Special Assistant to the Dean for Research, Innovation, Discovery and Entrepreneurship. In collaboration with faculty in the College of Science (COS), she designed the first “Plus One” pathway from the College of Professional Studies (CPS) into a degree in another college of Northeastern. She secured a $4.4 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to support students moving from a partner community college into CPS and COS earning both an undergraduate and graduate degree. She has collaborated with colleagues on another NSF grant assessing the efficacy of experiential learning in increasing the persistence of young women and underrepresented minorities in STEM careers. Dr. Zulick earned her PhD in Molecular Medicine from Boston University’s School of Medicine in 2015. She lives in the greater Boston area and teaches in Boston and online.
CPS Announces Experiential Learning Award Winners
The Experiential Learning Awards are a recognition opportunity for students within the College of Professional Studies. They are awarded to students who have successfully integrated the classroom with real world projects, going above and beyond in their educational journeys. Our programs engage students with the world through professional work, research, and service on seven continents. They learn how to transform ideas into impact and become global citizens with successful careers.
Each year we recognize outstanding students who demonstrate great skills while on Co-op, through XN projects or sponsorship, through the Experiential Learning Awards. We hear nominations of highly accomplished students about what they were able to accomplish through our experiential opportunities. The students selected for these awards are nominated by their Co-op employers, XN Project Sponsors, Faculty or staff. The awards are broken down into three main categories: Co-op Excellence, XN Excellence, and Humanics.
Cooperative Excellence Award Winners
This award is for students who have demonstrated dedication and success in improving their organization through their workplace contributions and experiential learning.
Isha Barot
MS Analytics, 2020
“Isha joined Tradewater during a period of transition for our Engineering department and was quickly asked to take over many of the responsibilities of a full-time developer. She helped us implement a new CRM system, a new call center software tool, and API integrations for both. She also developed new sets of metrics to track the implementation and success of our refrigerant collection programs. All of this was done with a great work ethic and a wonderful attitude that made Isha a pleasure to work with.” – Kevin Schwartzenberg, Director of Engineering and Innovation at Tradewater
Adam Masciangelo
MS Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices, 2019
“Adam joined VoxNeuro as part of this program and is now a full-time employee at VoxNeuro leading our FDA strategy, ISO 13485 development, and audit, along with full training and implementation of our QSPs. He has an incredible ability to think at a high-level while simplifying his communications for the average colleague. He is diligent, articulate, thoughtful, and a no-nonsense speaker, when he speaks, the team listens. I have personally received emails from our regulatory consultants, our main contact at the FDA and Health Canada, as well as our most valued investors, who all had gone out of their way to share with me how professional, productive, focused, and reliable Adam was for them. Adam is young in his career yet taking on a leadership role and thriving. I can see the pressure he is under and he manages it like a seasoned veteran.” – James Connoly, CEO of VoxNeuro
XN Excellence Award Winners
Experiential Network (XN) helps Northeastern University students work in their respective fields while working with different sponsors on a wide array of projects. The XN Experiential Awards celebrated a student who excelled in their XN curricular course project by applying knowledge gained in their academic program through the integration of key theoretical elements and related practical experiences.
Nicole Bernstein
MS Corporate & Organizational Communication, 2019
“Nicole thoroughly reviewed CareerAgility’s content strategy across all internal and external channels as well as marketing collateral/materials and provided recommendations on how to drive the CareerAgility brand forward by gaining visibility from prospective clients, and establishing thought leadership in the diversity, inclusion and belonging industry.
Nicole provided insightful and practical recommendations – the sponsor was so impressed that they asked her to serve as a consultant (which our guidelines do not permit). This was a top-notch experiential capstone!” – Carl Zangerl, Program Lead of Corporate and Organizational Communication
Watch Nicole’s nomination video
Joshua Roberts
MS Project Management, 2019
“Mr. Roberts made a highly favorable impression in my project management integrated experiential learning seminar. This advanced course requires students to apply principles of project management within their own professional workplace. For the course, as part of Joshua’s broader responsibilities as an associate production manager for a Boston-based theatrical company, he meticulously researched, created, and then implemented a tailor-made and comprehensive internal communications plan and external social media campaign that applied principles of organizational management. His project focused on the interrelation among various determinants of effective organizational communication and the impact of these determinants on successful outcomes for his theater company’s managers, actors, and staff as well as the audiences attending each theatrical production.” – Peter Lifton, Professor
Watch Joshua’s nomination video
Humanics Award Winners
Humanics is specifically the integration of technical literacy, data literacy, and human literacy. This award celebrates and highlights a student who exhibits and demonstrates Humanics, contributes significantly to the understanding of the universe, and practices lifelong learning by combining technical, data, and interpersonal skills throughout their Northeastern career and within their respective communities.
Andres (Carlos) Garcia
BS Liberal Studies 2020
“The student exhibited exemplary qualities of intentionality and passion during his Capstone course, in which Carlos researched mindfulness practices and techniques best suited in a yoga format for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Carlos’s research worked to break down barriers allowing for an inclusive and enriching environment for all while practicing mindfulness. Carlos was also very helpful in providing his peers with thoughtful feedback on their projects during peer-review. Carlos deserves this award because of his unwavering focus to help others be more inclusive.” – Steven Soares, Professor
Chen Fang (Anna) Hung
MS Project Management, 2020
“Chen Fang (Anna) Hung is a dependable, hard-working intern who has contributed greatly to our online support group for Chinese women living with breast cancer with her bi-lingual capacity and tech support. Her knowledge about WeChat and her dedication to the project enables us to capture valuable data and assess the effectiveness of this new initiative!” – Chien-Chi Huang, Executive Director of Asian Women for Health
Congratulations to all of this year’s Experiential Learning Award winners!
Celebrating our Newest Graduates– Virtually
The college celebrated the achievements of undergraduate and master’s graduates in a virtual recognition ceremony on May 15. Watch highlights from the ceremony below, and click here to watch the full ceremony, which includes candidates’ personalized messages and photos as well as messages from faculty members. Congratulations to our newest graduates!
Mary Loeffelholz, Dean of the College of Professional Studies, welcomes students, families and friends to the virtual recognition ceremony.
David Fields, Senior Associate Dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs and Professional Programs, introduces this year’s student speakers.
Anh (Ann) Doan and Tien (Tiffany) Nguyen, this year’s student speakers, discuss their career goals and how the college has helped them on their journey to create a start-up that supports women’s development.
Dave Hagen, Associate Teaching Professor, announces this year’s Excellence in Teaching award winners: Dr. Margaret Gorman and Dr. Wendy Crocker.
Dean Loeffelholz introduces the recognition ceremony speaker. Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Robert DeLeo, AS’72, gives his address to graduates.
Dean Loeffelholz introduces the ceremony’s alumni speaker. Clifford Harrison, CPS’15, addresses graduates as this year’s alumni speaker.