Graduate Celebration
College of Science
Saturday, April 25, 2026
6:00 p.m. ET Leader Bank Pavilion
PROGRAM
Welcome
Tracy Tan
Associate Dean for MS Education and Lifelong Learning
Dean
Brent Nelson
Interim Dean, College of Science
Student Address
Andrea Bedoni
Recognition of Graduates
Tracy Tan
Associate Dean for MS Education and Lifelong Learning
Closing Remarks
Carla Mattos
Associate Dean for PhD Programs and Graduate Affairs
DEAN
Brent Nelson
Brent Nelson was appointed interim dean of the College of Science in 2025. Since 2017, he served as Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College, overseeing undergraduate curriculum, academic advising, and student success initiatives. His leadership contributed to significant achievements, including increasing undergraduate yield, expanding the Summer Bridge program for incoming underrepresented students, and establishing the Science Connects to Innovation Program, which empowers undergraduate science students to create entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges.
Nelson came to Northeastern in 2006 after having served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics in Ann Arbor, MI. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley under the supervision of National Academy member Mary K. Gaillard.
A professor of physics, Nelson is a theoretical particle physicist whose work connects string theory to testable observations in high energy physics and cosmology. His 60+ scholarly publications over the last 20 years include highly-cited research into hadron collider phenomenology, supersymmetric model building, dark matter phenomenology, mathematical physics, and computational approaches to string theory.
With colleagues at Northeastern University, Nelson established the rapidly growing field of machine learning applications in theoretical particle physics, including the use of network science to study the vacuum selection problem, and the use of reinforcement learning as a tool to study the string landscape.
STUDENT ADDRESS
Andrea Bedoni
Andrea Bedoni is a Venezuelan-born graduate student at Northeastern University, where she earned her Master of Science in Biotechnology. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biology from Florida International University. During her time at Northeastern, Bedoni explored the intersection of science and real-world impact through her co-op experience in Parkinson’s research, contributing to efforts aimed at better understanding and managing neurodegenerative disease through AI-driven platforms that analyze data for disease-modifying therapies.
Alongside her academic work, Bedoni has been actively involved in building community and supporting others. She served as a Graduate Student Senator and Graduate Student Ambassador and was an executive board member of Girls Into VC. She also founded the WE - Women Entrepreneurship chapter at Northeastern, creating spaces for young women entrepreneurs to connect, share ideas, and grow as future leaders.
This fall, Bedoni will join McKinsey & Company in their Mexico City office as a business analyst. She is especially interested in working across biotechnology, renewable energy, and the financial sector, with the goal of contributing to thoughtful and sustainable solutions in the region and beyond.
Outside of academics and work, Bedoni is a dedicated yoga practitioner who finds in it a sense of balance, clarity, and grounding—an anchor that supports both her personal growth and her approach to challenges.
Bedoni’s journey reflects a curiosity for learning, an openness to new environments, and a desire to use her experiences to create meaningful impact.
