Commencement
24 APRIL 2026
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline. Please note that not all graduates’ names are listed, as some students opt out of having their names appear in Northeastern publications.
Khoury College
Khoury College of Computer Sciences and Bouvé College of Health
Sciences
THE HISTORY OF NORTHEASTERN
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and recognized leader in experiential learning, renowned for its innovative approach to education. Yet its origins were remarkably humble.
At the end of the 19th century, immigrants and first-generation Americans constituted more than half of Boston’s population. Among the city’s institutions committed to helping newcomers improve their lives, the Boston YMCA stood out as a gathering place where young men attended lectures on literature, history, music, and other subjects considered essential to intellectual growth.
In response to enthusiastic demand for these lectures, the YMCA directors organized the Evening Institute for Young Men in May 1896. Frank Palmer Speare, a well-known teacher and high school principal, was hired as the institute’s director. Two years later, the YMCA established the “Department of Law of the Boston YMCA,” and on October 3, 1898, Robert Gray Dodge taught the first class. This program was an immediate success and marked the birth of Northeastern University. Speare would later remark, “We started with an eraser and two sticks of chalk.”
As demand for additional courses grew, Speare expanded the offerings. In 1909, full-time day colleges began instruction. That same year, the Evening Polytechnic School announced “cooperative engineering courses,” providing students opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in the workplace—the genesis of Northeastern’s signature cooperative education program.
Decades of expansion
The institution continued to grow, establishing the College of Business in 1922. More space was needed. The university acquired the former home of the Boston Red Sox in 1929, and in 1934, the distinguished Boston architectural firm Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, and Abbott was awarded the contract to design Richards Hall. Employing what would become a Boston campus signature—white brick—the firm created a neoclassical building. Opened in 1938, Richards Hall became the first structure on the front quadrangle.
As the physical campus expanded, so did academic programs. The addition of the College of Liberal Arts in 1935 signaled the institution’s evolution toward becoming a major university.
When Speare stepped down as president in 1940, Carl Stephens Ell, dean of the College of Engineering, succeeded him. Under Ell’s leadership, Northeastern admitted women to full-time day programs for the first time.
In the postwar era, Northeastern experienced phenomenal enrollment growth. The university expanded programs to accommodate an increasingly diverse student population. Additional colleges were established in rapid succession: College of Education, 1953; University College, 1960; College of Pharmacy, 1962; College of Nursing, 1964; Boston Bouvé College, 1964; College of Criminal Justice, 1967; and College of Computer Science, 1982.
This expansion required substantial physical growth. When Ell retired in 1959, Asa S. Knowles assumed the presidency. Under his leadership, the university acquired suburban properties in Weston, Nahant, and Burlington, Massachusetts. The Boston campus flourished with new
construction, including undergraduate dormitories for the growing residential student population at what had primarily been a commuter campus.
Transforming the Boston campus
Kenneth G. Ryder succeeded Knowles in 1975, bringing unique perspective as someone who had risen from history department faculty member to executive vice president. Under his leadership, the university expanded programs, particularly in arts and humanities, while continuing facilities improvements. Plans for Snell Library were finalized, and the campus was beautified. Northeastern also deepened its commitment to Boston and surrounding neighborhoods.
In 1989, Ryder stepped down as the fourth president of the university. He was succeeded by John A. Curry, Northeastern’s executive vice president and its first alumnus to become president. Under Curry’s direction, the university embarked on a series of ambitious undertakings, including a science and engineering research center, a state-of-the-art classroom building, a recreation complex, and several new undergraduate and graduate programs.
To support these new ventures, Curry led a successful fundraising campaign; his tenure also featured significant institutional restructuring as the university prepared to enter its second century. After four decades of service, Curry retired in 1996, and the trustees elected Richard M. Freeland as the sixth president.
Elevating experience
A distinguished historian and administrator, President Freeland brought to the university a renewed sense of energy and mission. His initiatives supported his vision of Northeastern as a university that would be student-centered, practice-oriented, and urban. The university developed the West Campus with architecturally acclaimed residence halls and teaching facilities for the health sciences and computer science, and added new spaces to enrich campus life.
When Freeland stepped down in 2006, Joseph E. Aoun, an internationally recognized linguistics scholar, became Northeastern’s seventh president. President Aoun came from the University of Southern California, where he served as dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. He developed an academic plan outlining the university’s vision in several areas: experiential learning, global outreach, use-inspired research, urban engagement, and intellectual life. He significantly expanded global co-op opportunities, and he aligned research with three worldwide imperatives— health, security, and sustainability—emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions.
A rising global profile
Under Aoun’s leadership, Northeastern launched a campus system designed as platforms for lifelong learning aligned with regional economies. The first locations opened in Charlotte, North Carolina (2011), and Seattle (2013); additional campuses followed in Silicon Valley, California (2015), and Toronto (2016).
In 2016, Aoun led development of a new academic plan, Northeastern 2025, a blueprint for transforming the institution into a global university system—featuring networks of learners and innovators— designed to empower people to succeed in this era of unprecedented technological change. The university expanded its global campuses as platforms for learning, research, and industry partnerships. In 2019, Northeastern opened a Vancouver location and acquired New College of the Humanities in London, now officially Northeastern University London, offering undergraduates a
unique opportunity to earn a dual U.S./U.K. degree. Later in 2019, Northeastern launched a research campus in Arlington, Virginia, complementing two existing research campuses in Nahant and Burlington, Massachusetts (formed in 1967 and 2012, respectively).
In January 2020, technology entrepreneur David Roux and his wife, Barbara, established the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine. The institute focuses on graduate studies and research in fields such as artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and advanced life sciences, amplified by industry partnerships. It was specifically designed to be a model of how higher education can ignite economic development in regions of the country largely bypassed by the innovation economy, setting a new bar for what the global university system could achieve.
Resilience and momentum
The revolutionary vision that inspired Northeastern 2025 infuses the university’s latest academic plan, Experience Unleashed. The plan is designed to deepen the impact of Northeastern’s global network by maximizing the power of experience to understand and solve the world’s interconnected, everevolving challenges.
In 2022, the university merged with Mills College in Oakland, California, becoming the first institution with comprehensive residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate students on both U.S. coasts. In 2023, Northeastern opened a Miami campus featuring graduate education and innovation partnerships aligned with South Florida’s economic growth. The following year, the university announced a New York City campus through a merger with Marymount Manhattan College.
Through dedication and vision, Frank Palmer Speare’s “eraser and two sticks of chalk” have evolved into one of the world’s most innovative universities. Our faculty collaborates fluidly with experts across industry, government, and community organizations. Ideas and solutions can be scaled. And our students are empowered to be global citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, and creators—prepared to make lasting impact wherever they go.
PROGRAM
Presiding
Beth A. Winkelstein
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Prelude
Processional
The audience is requested to remain seated during the processional of the graduates and faculty. Upon a signal from the Chief Marshal, the audience will rise and remain standing until instructed to be seated.
Music provided by Majestic Brass
Eric Berlin, trumpet
Hans Bohn, trombone
Takatsugu Hagiwara, tuba Whitacre Hill, horn
Richard Watson, trumpet
We kindly ask those in attendance to silence their electronic devices.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
LEADER BANK PAVILION, TEN O’CLOCK
The National Anthem
Madelyn Jean Krempler, D’Amore-McKim School of Business
Invocation
Alexander Levering Kern, Executive Director for the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service
Opening Remarks
Beth A. Winkelstein, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Introduction of the Commencement Speaker
Sara Wadia-Fascetti, Vice Provost of the PhD Network
Commencement Address
Cynthia Friend
Degrees in Course
Debra Franko, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Conferral of Degrees
Beth A. Winkelstein, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
COLLEGE OF ARTS, MEDIA AND DESIGN
R. Benjamin Knapp, Dean
Casper Harteveld, Associate Dean
KHOURY COLLEGE OF COMPUTER SCIENCES
Elizabeth D. Mynatt, Dean
Amal Ahmed, Associate Dean
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Gregory Abowd, Dean
Mark Niedre, Associate Dean
Recessional
BOUVÉ COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Carmen Sceppa, Dean
Gene Tunik, Senior Associate Dean
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Brent Nelson, Interim, Dean
Carla Mattos, Associate Dean
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
Kellee Tsai, Dean
Jun Ma, Associate Dean
The audience is requested to remain seated during the recessional.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Cynthia Friend
Cynthia Friend is a pioneering chemist and one of the most influential voices in American science. Her work embodies the conviction that fundamental discovery can reshape the world. Through decades of research into how surfaces and materials can drive and control chemical reactions, she has pursued questions whose answers carry consequences for global energy use, industrial sustainability, and the future of our planet.
Her research has focused on the surface chemistry of catalysts, exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying industrial processes responsible for nearly a quarter of the world’s energy consumption. This work has opened pathways toward greener, more energy-efficient methods for synthesizing chemicals and fuels. She has published more than 300 papers and mentored more than 75 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, while championing policies to support diversity in science.
Friend’s leadership is as consequential as her research. She became Harvard’s first female full professor of chemistry in 1989 and its first female department chair—while also serving as associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and, from 2013 to 2019, as director of the Rowland Institute. She held the role of associate lab director at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford.
Since assuming the presidency of The Kavli Foundation in 2021, Friend has led its global mission to advance discovery in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience—stewarding one of the world’s preeminent institutions for basic scientific research and ensuring that the pursuit of knowledge remains bold, ambitious, and boundless.
Friend earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, and her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral research at Stanford University.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CANDIDATES AND DISSERTATION TITLES
COLLEGE OF ARTS, MEDIA AND DESIGN
In the field of Interdisciplinary Design and Media
Ryan Bruggeman, BS, Concordia University; MS, Politecnico di Milano and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Dissertation: A Computational Cognitive Theory of Reasoning for Design Problem-Solving Advisors: Paolo Ciuccarelli and Tucker Marion
Nathan Miner, BFA, Rhode Island School of Design; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: The Well of Being: Reflecting the Somatic Self in Bio-Interactive Media Advisors: Casper Harteveld and Christopher Bono
Skye Elizabeth Moret, BS, Oregon State University; MFA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: The Scalar Complexity of Climate Visualization: Exploring Research-Through-Design Strategies Within Climate Change Knowledge Exchange
Advisors: Paolo Ciuccarelli and Brian Helmuth
Julie Rochelle Sievert, MFA, Otis College of Art and Design
Dissertation: Transformative Transdisciplinary Framework for Legal Design Advisor: Miso Kim
KHOURY COLLEGE OF COMPUTER SCIENCES
In the field of Computer Science
Jane Lydia Adams, BFA, MFA, Champlain College; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Engineering Visual Analytics Systems for High-Dimensional Data
Advisor: Michelle Borkin
Katherine Jeanne Atwell, BS, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dissertation: Responsible NLP Systems that Understand, Enact, and Critically Assess Human Communicative Goals
Advisor: Malihe Alikhani
Muhammad Abu Bakar Aziz
Konstantina Bairaktari, BS, National Technical University of Athens; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Theoretical Foundations of Multitask Learning and Metalearning
Advisors: Jonathan Ullman and Huy Le Nguyen
Andrea Baisero, BS, MS, Polytechnic University of Turin; MS, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Dissertation: Privileged Training Frameworks for Partially Observable Reinforcement Learning
Advisor: Christopher Amato
Michael Ballantyne, BS, Westminster College; MS, The University of Utah
Dissertation: A Macro System for Adding DSLs to a Multi-Language
Advisor: Matthias Felleisen
Colan Frenkil Biemer, BS, Drexel University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment via Procedural Level Generation Guided by a Markov Decision Process
Advisor: Seth Cooper
Zixuan Chen, BS, Beijing Jiaotong University; MS, Fudan University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Ranking Explanation With Linear Scoring Functions
Advisor: Mirek Riedewald
Maria Clara De Paolis Kaluza, BS, Boston University; MS, Tufts University
Dissertation: Evaluation and Correction Methods for Machine Learning Under Distribution Shift and Dependency Constraints
Advisor: Predrag Radivojac
Racquel Levia Fygenson, BS, University of Southern California; MS, New York University
Dissertation: Cognitive Affordances in Data Visualization
Advisors: Enrico Bertini and Lace Padilla
Kutub Gandhi
Satyajit Shashank Gokhale, BE, University of Pune; MS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Optimizing Web Applications Using Declarative Software Rewriting
Advisor: Frank Tip
Sean Gunn, BS, The Pennsylvania State University; MS, University of Connecticut
Dissertation: Generative Priors for Inverse Problems: Regularized Training and Recovery Analysis
Advisor: Paul Hand
Mert Inan, BS, Bilkent University; MS, Carnegie Mellon University
Dissertation: Threading Meaning: Modeling Coherence Across Modalities in Human-AI Communication Advisor: Malihe Alikhani
Colin Keil, BS, MEng, Cornell University
Dissertation: Haptic Teleoperated Robotic Underwater Manipulation for Low Visibility Environments
Advisor: Hanumant Singh
Daniel Jeffrey Kerrigan, BS, University of Notre Dame; MS, New York University
Dissertation: Guided Visual Exploration of Classification and Regression Models
Advisor: Enrico Bertini
Ankit Kumar, BTech, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi; MTech, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Dissertation: Refinement Based Reasoning of P2P Protocols is Feasible and Effective
Advisor: Panagiotis Manolios
Aristotelis Sigiouan Leventidis, BS, University of Michigan; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Homograph Detection and Understanding in Data Lakes and Its Effect to Data Integration Tasks
Advisor: Renée Miller
David Mingfei Liu, BS, Princeton University
Dissertation: Revisiting Representation Learning in Complex Networks with Applications to Recommender Systems
Advisor: Tina Eliassi-Rad
Zijia Lu, BS, New York University Shanghai
Dissertation: Efficient Understanding of Long And Complex Videos
Advisor: Ehsan Elhamifar
Xueguang Lyu, BS, University of California, Irvine; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: On Solving Cooperation With Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Advisor: Christopher Amato
Neha Rajesh Makhija, BE, University of Mumbai
Dissertation: Reverse Query Optimization
Advisor: Wolfgang Gatterbauer
Ethan Stewart Mook, BS, MS, University of Michigan
Dissertation: Doubly Efficient Private Information Retrieval: Construction, Applications, and Lower Bounds
Advisor: Daniel Wichs
Cameron Moy, BS, University of Maryland, College Park
Dissertation: Contracts and Effects
Advisor: Matthias Felleisen
Lisa Oakley, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Formal Probabilistic Reasoning for Cybersecurity and Privacy Advisor: Alina Oprea
Jung Yeon Park, BS, MS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Addressing Limitations of Equivariant Neural Networks: Learning Transformations, Relaxing Constraints, and Discovering Symmetries
Advisors: Lawson Wong and Robin Walters
Nathan Kamen Partlan, ScB, Brown University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Computational Creativity Support Tools for Game Behavior Design
Advisor: Stacy Marsella
Seth Pate, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Latent Graph Buffer for Online and Offline Learning
Advisor: Lawson Wong
Rashika Ramola, BTech, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Evaluation of Protein Function Prediction Algorithms
Advisor: Predrag Radivojac
Mohammad Saneian, BS, Sharif University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Matching Problems Under Uncertainty
Advisors: Soheil Behnezhad and Mahsa Derakhshan
Chantal Shaib, BS, Carleton University; MS, University of Toronto
Dissertation: What Makes Large Language Model Text Distinct? Lexical and Syntactic Markers of Style
Advisor: Byron Wallace
Yuhan Shen, BS, Tsinghua University
Dissertation: Understanding Complex Activities in Videos for AI Task Assistants
Advisor: Ehsan Elhamifar
Dilruba Showkat, MS, Oregon State University
Dissertation: Towards Algorithmic Reform: Ethical Values-Informed Tool Design and Inclusive AI/ ML Literacy
Advisor: Alexandra To
Ian Steenstra, BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: An Evaluation Framework for Assessing Quality of Care and Risk in AI Psychotherapy
Advisor: Timothy Bickmore
Shuwen Sun, BEng, Sun Yat-sen University; MS, Boston University
Dissertation: Towards an Efficient and Strongly Consistent Distributed Object Store
Advisor: Peter Desnoyers
Yunus Terzioglu, BS, MS, Middle East Technical University
Dissertation: Human Routine Behavior Modeling for In-Situ Opportunistic Health Interventions Using Mobile Robotic Platforms
Advisor: Timothy Bickmore
LaKyah Tyner, BS, Tuskegee University
Dissertation: Exploring Zero-Knowledge: Hardness Amplification, Statistical Uniqueness, and Applications to Secure and Anonymous Computation
Advisors: Daniel Wichs and Abhi Shelat
Somin Wadhwa, MS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dissertation: From Large to Small: Distillation in the Age of Large Language Models
Advisor: Byron Wallace
Andrew Thomas Walter, BS, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dissertation: Theorem-Prover-Assisted Counterexample Generation With Constrained Enumerative Types
Advisor: Panagiotis Manolios
Dian Wang, BEng, Sichuan University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Equivariant Policy Learning for Robotic Manipulation
Advisors: Robert Platt and Robin Walters
Ryan Paul Williams, BA, University of California, Los Angeles; MS, University of Southern California
Dissertation: Improving Software Security via Compiler-Assisted Transformations
Advisor: Engin Kirda
Jian Zhang, BS, Nanjing University; MSc, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dissertation: Verification of Transactional Isolation in Key-Value Stores
Advisor: Cheng Tan
Linfeng Zhao, BS, Northeastern University (China); MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Learning and Planning With Structured Abstraction for Embodied Decision-Making Advisor: Lawson Wong
Xupeng Zhu, BS, South China University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Symmetries in Visuomotor Policy Learning
Advisor: Robert Platt
In the field of Cybersecurity
Anthony James Gavazzi, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Exploration Strategies for Detecting Weaknesses in Web and Network Programs Advisor: Engin Kirda
Maryam Motallebighomi, MS, Sharif University of Technology, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Practical Security and Privacy Analysis of Emerging Wireless Communication Systems Advisor: Aanjhan Ranganathan
Cem Topcuoglu, BS, Sabanci University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Processing Discrepancies in Modern Web Architectures: Fingerprinting, Defense, and Discovery
Advisor: Engin Kirda
KHOURY COLLEGE OF COMPUTER SCIENCES AND BOUVÉ COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
In the field of Personal Health Informatics
Jixin Li, BA, University of Michigan; MA, Columbia University
Advisor: Stephen Intille
Natasha Yamane, BA, Barnard College; MA, Columbia University
Dissertation: Multimodal Assessment of Biobehavioral Synchrony in Parent–Child Dyads: A Multimethod Approach
Advisor: Matthew Goodwin
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
In the field of Bioengineering
Mirza Muhammad Junaid Baig, BS, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Computational Methods for 3D Biological Image Analysis: Neuron Morphology and Vascular Remodeling
Advisor: Armen Stepanyants
Timothy Layne Boyer, BS, University of Virginia
Dissertation: Development of a Cationic Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist for Prevention of PostTraumatic Osteoarthritis
Advisor: Ambika Bajpayee
Aaron Thomas Cherian, BS, University of Maryland, College Park; MS, Brown University
Dissertation: Open-Source Development and Validation of a Low-Cost Markerless Motion Capture System for Quantitative Movement Analysis
Advisor: Jonathan Matthis
Julia Elizabeth Clarin, BBmE, University of Minnesota
Dissertation: Tricuspid Valve Biomechanics in Pregnancy, Injury, and Disease
Advisor: Rouzbeh Amini
Fanke Gao, BS, University of California Los Angeles
Dissertation: A Droplet-Based Microfluidics Platform for Ultra-High-Throughput Antibiotic Discovery
Advisor: Kim Lewis
Noam Grunfeld, BS, Boston University
Dissertation: Quantitative Modeling of Bacterial Ser/Thr Kinase Signaling
Advisor: Elizabeth Libby
Ebraheim N. Ismail
Saad Sultan Khan, BS, Manipal University Dubai; MS, University of Warwick
Dissertation: Systematic Analysis of Post-Transcriptional Regulation and Protein Covariation in Primary Cells
Advisor: Nikolai Slavov
Yao Li, BS, MS, Hefei University of Technology
Dissertation: Bottlebrush Polymer Conjugates for Enhanced Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy of Muscular Dystrophies
Advisor: Ke Zhang
Amr Khalid Makhamreh, BS, University of California, Santa Cruz
Dissertation: Development of Approaches for Nanopore-Based High-Throughput Single-Molecule Epitranscriptomics and Proteomics
Advisor: Meni Wanunu
Nicholas Adrian Micovic, BS, Boston University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Systemic Toxicity of Wildfire Smoke Inhalation: Immune and Vascular Dysregulation With Flaming and Smoldering Combustion
Advisor: Chiara Bellini
Keqing Nian, BS, East China University of Science and Technology
Dissertation: Advancing Biomolecule Detection in Live Cells Using InCu-click
Advisor: Sara Rouhanifard
Joshua Pace, BS, University of Arizona
Dissertation: Labeling and Detection of Circulating Cancer-Associated Cell Populations In Vivo With Near-Infrared Fluorescent Molecular Contrast Agents
Advisor: Mark Niedre
Rahul Ragunathan, BS, University of Maryland, College Park
Dissertation: Generating and Modeling Complex Tissue-Mimicking Domains in Diffuse Optical Imaging
Advisor: Qianqian Fang
Fereshteh Sadeghian, BS, MS, Golestan University
Dissertation: Multiscale Regulation of Contractility: From Molecular Signaling to Cytoskeletal Mechanotransduction in C. elegans
Advisor: Erin Cram
Nathaniel James Silvia, BS, University of Rochester
Dissertation: In Vitro Biomimetic 3D Vascular Disease Modeling for Investigating Dormancy of Glioblastoma Stem Cells
Advisor: Guohao Dai
Ana Isabel Vargas Nufio, BS, Lehigh University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Pregnancy-Induced Mechanobiological Remodeling in Maternal Vasculature
Advisors: Rouzbeh Amini and Chiara Bellini
Keira Veillette, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Synthetic Biology for Transcriptional Control and Biosensing Applications
Advisor: Elizabeth Libby
In the field of Chemical Engineering
William Henry Doherty IV, BS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dissertation: Stimulating Excitable Cells With Optosomes: Development of a Non-Viral CellDerived Vesicle Capable of Stimulating Excitable Cells in Response to Light Stimulus
Advisor: Ryan Koppes
Victoria Elizabeth Duback, BS, Salem State University; MS, University of New Hampshire
Dissertation: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Assessment of a T Cell-Targeted Vector for In Vivo CAR-T Cell Therapy
Advisor: Abigail Koppes
Matthew Thomas Fernez, BS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dissertation: Development of a Hydrogen Sulfide Biosensor and Interrogation of the Role of Sulfide on Mucus Barriers
Advisors: Rebecca Carrier and Benjamin Woolston
Sevy Harris, BS, Ohio State University; MS, Stanford University
Dissertation: Highly Automated Methods for Improving Microkinetic Models
Advisor: Richard West
Justin Alexander Hayes, BS, BA, University of Rhode Island
Dissertation: Leveraging Synthetic Biology and Gut-on-Chip Systems to Interrogate and Modulate Intestinal H2S
Advisors: Ryan Koppes and Benjamin Woolston
Yang Hu, BS, Nanjing Tech University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Schwann Cell Migration Changes With Distinct Microenvironmental Cues–Can Cells be Directed to Repair a Nerve Gap?
Advisor: Rebecca Willits
Svilen Kolev
Victus Kordorwu, MS, Dalian University of Technology
Dissertation: Understanding the Role of Mucus in Supersaturated Drug Delivery Systems
Advisors: Steve Lustig and Rebecca Carrier
Sabrina Miranda Marnoto, BS, University of New Hampshire
Dissertation: Dynamics of Droplet and Soft Particle Systems in Confined Microflows
Advisor: Sara Hashmi
Alexandra Marta Nukovic, BS, Clemson University
Dissertation: Optimizing the Immunogenicity of an Oxygen-Generating Cryogel Vaccine Platform Against Prostate Cancer
Advisor: Stephen Hatfield
Bryan Gregory Schellberg, BS, University of Rochester
Dissertation: A Robust, Scalable, and User-Friendly Organ-Chip Platform for Automated, Spatiotemporal Characterization of Living Cell Culture Conditions
Advisor: Ryan Koppes
Barrett Thomas Smith
Su Sun, BS, Georgia Institute of Technology; MS, University of Southern California
Dissertation: Computational Modelling of Boron Nitride Chemical Vapor Deposition and Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Advisor: Richard West
Yujia Wang, BS, Shandong Normal University; BS, East Tennessee State University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Machine Learning and Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy for Controlled Synthesis and Novel Phenomena Discovery in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide
Advisor: Swastik Kar
Eric Karl Zimmerer, BS, Pennsylvania State University
Dissertation: Rechargeable Alkaline Zn-MnO2 Batteries for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
Advisor: Joshua Gallaway
In the field of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Nail Furkan Bashan, BSc, Bogazici University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Look Around: A Mobility-Centered Framework for Measuring Lived Urban Conditions and Inequality
Advisor: Qi Ryan Wang
Jesse Beckman, BS, Longwood University; MS, University of North Carolina
Dissertation: Numerical Modeling, In Situ Measurements, and Satellite-Derived Hydrodynamics to Inform Coastal Resilience Efforts
Advisor: Edward Beighley
Eliza Morgan Costigan, BS, MS, University of Maine
Dissertation: Purification of Concentrated Ammonium Nitrate Solution (ANSOL): Chromium Removal and Bench-System Design
Advisor: Philip Larese-Casanova
Kyla Rose Drewry, BSE, University of Connecticut; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Understanding Barriers to Safe Private Drinking Water Access for Enhanced DecisionMaking
Advisor: Kelsey Pieper
Maqsood Mansur, BS, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; MS, University of Minnesota Duluth
Dissertation: Assessment of Coastal Flood Vulnerability in Anthropogenically Modified Estuaries and the Effectiveness of Nature-Based Adaptation Through Field Studies and Numerical Modeling
Advisor: Qin Chen
Tyler Jonathan McCormack, BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Advances in Remote Measurements of Nearshore Hydrodynamics
Advisor: Ed Beighley
Michelle C. O’Donnell, BS, Northeastern University; MS, University of Colorado Boulder
Dissertation: Hydrologic Change and Extremes in the Mississippi River Basin: Insights From Observations, Simulations, and Projections
Advisor: Samuel Muñoz
Tiffany Tang, BS, MS, North Carolina State University
Dissertation: Informing Drinking Water System Resilience Through Data Availability and BenchScale Insights
Advisors: Philip Larese-Casanova and Kelsey Pieper
In the field of Civil Engineering
Elizabeth Bartuska, BS, The Pennsylvania State University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Satellite Data Applications for Flood Risk Reduction and Community Resilience
Advisor: Ed Beighley
Rong Ding, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Mapping Resilience Through Social Capital in Geospatial Networks: Insights From Natural Disaster and a Generalized Mobility-Based Social Capital Index
Advisor: Ryan Wang
Begum Erdincler Dimen, BS, Sabanci University; MS, Bogazici University
Dissertation: Purification and Valorization of Energetics Wastewater (ANSOL): Electrochemical and Adsorptive Removal of Nitramines and Alkylamines With Integrated Sustainability Assessment
Advisor: Philip Larese-Casanova
Joseph Jonathan Rodriguez, BS, Technion Israel Institute of Technology
Dissertation: Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind: Methods for Improving the Headway Regularity of High-Frequency Transit and Lessons From Field Experiments
Advisor: Haris Koutsopoulos
Xianglu Shen, MLA, Boston Architectural College
Dissertation: Realized Urban Opportunity: Environmental, Design, and Behavioral Mechanisms of Spatial Choice
Advisor: Ryan Wang
Xinhua Wu, BS, Nanjing Tech University; MS, Monash University;
Dissertation: Understanding Human Mobility With Location-Based Service Data and Emerging Technologies
Advisor: Ryan Wang
Lei Zhang, BEng, MEng, Tongji University
Dissertation: Performance-Based Wind Engineering of Super-Tall Building Towers Equipped With External Guy Wires
Advisor: Luca Caracoglia
In the field of Computer Engineering
Yue Bai, BS, Donghua University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Information Integration in Deep Neural Networks
Advisor: Yun Raymond Fu
Hai Cheng, BS, Xidian University; MS, ShanghaiTech University
Dissertation: AI-Enhanced Wireless Networks: From UAV to Next-Generation Cellular Networks
Advisor: Tommaso Melodia
Huu Phuc Dinh, MS, Concordia University
Dissertation: Dissecting Operational 5G mmWave Networks: Insights into Resource Allocation Policies, Beam Management, and Potential for Localization
Advisor: Dimitrios Koutsonikolas
Mehrdad Dorostian, BS, Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology; MS, Shahid Beheshti University
Dissertation: Optimal Control Strategies for Distributed Energy Resources Under Abnormal Conditions
Advisor: Bahram Shafai
Zhaoyang Han, BEng, The University of Manchester; MS, University of Pennsylvania
Dissertation: Enabling Flexible and High-Performance Networking With FPGA-Based SmartNICs
Advisor: Miriam Leeser
Khandaker Foysal Haque, BS, Islamic University of Technology; MS, Central Michigan University
Dissertation: Domain-Adaptive Learning-Driven Intelligent Wireless Systems for Sensing and Edge Computing
Advisor: Francesco Restuccia
Salin Junsangsri, BEng, Kasetsart University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Redundant Computing Systems for Error Tolerance: Analysis, Design, and Evaluation
Advisor: Fabrizio Lombardi
Beyza Kalkanli, BS, Bilkent University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Advancing Active Learning Through Dependency-Aware Parameter Estimation Advisor: Deniz Erdogmus
Imran Khan, MS, Southern Illinois University of Carbondale
Dissertation: Unfolding 5G: A Journey Through Performance and Progress From Inception to Maturity
Advisor: Dimitrios Koutsonikolas
Jun Liu, BS, MS, Beihang University
Dissertation: Towards Efficient and Scalable Deep Learning for Advanced AI Systems Advisor: Yanzhi Wang
Xu Ma, BS, MS, Nanjing Forestry University
Dissertation: Efficient Deep Neural Networks and Applications
Advisor: Yun Raymond Fu
Timothy A. Rupprecht, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Few-shot Learning with Domain Spanning for Supradiegetic and Semantic Language Tasks
Advisor: Yanzhi Wang
Xuan Shen, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Scaling Intelligence: Advancing Efficiency for Foundational AI Models Advisor: Yanzhi Wang
Davide Villa, BS, MS, University of Pisa; MS, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies
Dissertation: Design and Evaluation of Next-Generation Cellular Networks Through Digital and Physical Open and Programmable Platforms
Advisor: Tommaso Melodia
Yizhou Wang, BS, Xi’an Jiaotong University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Data-Level Alignment in the Foundation-Model Era: Detection, Curation, and FineTuning
Advisor: Yun Raymond Fu
Yanyue Xie, BS, Fudan University
Dissertation: Efficient Algorithms and Hardware Architectures for Transformer Model Acceleration Advisor: Xue Lin
Yi Xu, BEng, MEng, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Dissertation: Advancing Autonomous Driving: From Modular to End-to-End Advisor: Yun Raymond Fu
In the field of Electrical Engineering
Karen Abbaskhanian, BS, K.N.Toosi University of Technology; MS, University of Tehran
Dissertation: AC-Link Universal Converters: Modulation and Topology Improvements Advisor: Mahshid Amirabadi
Hussam Mohammad Rabih Abdellatif, BS, University at Buffalo; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Practical Design Methodologies for Terahertz Communication Systems: Electronics, Radio, and Channel Access
Advisor: Josep Miquel Jornet
Mostafa Abedi, MS, Iran University of Science and Technology
Dissertation: Power-Efficient and Security-Enhancing Techniques for Ultra-Low-Power IoT Devices Advisor: Aatmesh Shrivastava
Etki Acilan, BS, MS, Middle East Technical University
Dissertation: Computationally Efficient Methods for Transient State Estimation and Electromagnetic Transient Simulation of Large-Scale Power Grids
Advisor: Ali Abur
Mohammad Alali, BS, University of Tehran; MS, Montana State University
Dissertation: Bayesian Inference for Uncertainty-Aware Modeling and Decision Planning
Advisor: Mahdi Imani
Xavier Cantos Roman, BS, Polytechnic University of Catalonia; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Enabling the Terahertz Band: From Physics to Wireless Networks
Advisor: Josep Miquel Jornet
Diego Andres Cuji Dutan, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Multipath Beamforming in Time-Varying Channels With Applications to Underwater Acoustics
Advisor: Milica Stojanovic
Diptashree Das
Dissertation: Low-Power Adaptive Radio Frequency Circuit Design for Wireless Sensing, Energy Harvesting, and Reconfigurable IoT Networks
Advisor: Marvin Onabajo
Samar Abdelaaty Sayed Elmaadawy, BS, German University in Cairo; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Developing Guidelines for Safe Human Exposure to Terahertz Radiation
Advisor: Josep Miquel Jornet
Paul Ghanem, BE, Lebanese American University; MS, University of Maryland Advisor: Alireza Ramezani
Guillermo W. Hernandez, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Advances in Privacy-Preserving Cooperative Positioning
Advisor: Pau Closas
Davin Alexander Hill, BS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MS, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dissertation: Towards Trustworthy Explanations in Machine Learning With Applications in Health Advisor: Jennifer Dy
Chichen Huang, BS, Southeast University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Ultrasound Transducers Based on Curved Silica Microsystem
Advisor: Srinivas Tadigadapa
Onurcan Kaya, BS, MS, Middle East Technical University
Dissertation: Advancing RF MEMS Sensing and Communication Through Ferroelectric Materials and Piezoelectric Metamaterial Structures
Advisor: Cristian Cassella
Zhengnan Li, BS, Shandong University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Multiuser Underwater Acoustic Communications: Code-Division and Space-Division
Multiple Access Approaches
Advisors: Deniz Erdogmus and Michael Everett
Michael Lynn Potter, BS, MS, Northeastern University; MS, University of California Los Angeles
Dissertation: Temporal Point Processes for Health Applications
Advisor: Milica Stojanovic
Max Klaus Radermacher, BS, University of New Hampshire; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Advancing Ocean Acoustic Sensing Technology With a Coherent 192-Element Hydrophone Array for Marine Mammals and Fish
Advisor: Purnima Ratilal-Makris
Pardis Sadeghi, BS, University of Tehran; MS, Simon Fraser University
Dissertation: Non-Invasive Biosensor Technology for Disease Monitoring via Exhaled Breath Analysis
Advisors: Benyamin Davaji and Nian X. Sun
Nina Shamsi, BA, Mount Holyoke College; MS, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dissertation: Self-Supervised Learning With Topological Methods on Differentiable Manifolds
Advisor: Deniz Erdogmus
Elifnur Sunger, BS, Middle East Technical University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Generative Models for Fundus Image Sequences in Retinopathy of Prematurity Monitoring
Advisor: Deniz Erdogmus
Mohammadrasoul Taghavi, BS, University of Tabriz; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Scattering-Based Methods for Holographic Detection and Encryption
Advisor: Edwin A. Marengo
Shuo Tang, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Signal Processing Techniques for GNSS Positioning and Tracking
Advisor: Pau Closas
Maria Tsampazi
Yueyang Wang, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Nonnegative Matrix Factorization in Data Analysis, Image Processing, System Identification and Control
Advisor: Bahram Shafai
Michael Jonathan Wentz, BS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Data-Driven Adaptive Beamforming Techniques for Dynamic Radio Frequency Environments
Advisor: Kaushik Chowdhury
Jiayuan Zhang, BS, University of Science and Technology of China
Dissertation: Silica Microsystems for Physical and Gas Sensing Applications
Advisor: Srinivas Tadigadapa
Tong Zhou, BS, Xidian University; MS, University of Michigan
Dissertation: Secure and Responsible AI by Design: Defenses Across the Machine Learning Lifecycle
Advisor: Xiaolin Xu
Shaotong Zhu, BS, Harbin Institute of Technology; MS, George Washington University
Dissertation: Dynamic Scene Perception Under Data and View Constraints
Advisor: Sarah Ostadabbas
In the field of Industrial Engineering
Qiliang Chen, BS, Yanshan University
Dissertation: Adaptive Governance of Complex Socio-Technical Systems to Enhance System-Level Performance
Advisor: Babak Heydari
Noah Chicoine, BS, Clarkson University
Dissertation: The Impacts of Unreliable Information Sharing Practices on Optimal Inventory Management in Hospital Pharmacies
Advisor: Jacqueline Griffin
Priscila De Azevedo Drummond, BA, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; MS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; MS, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dissertation: Collaborative Attacks in Network Interdiction Problem: Applications on AntiTrafficking Efforts
Advisor: Kayse Lee Maass
Nithesh Bharadwaj Javvaji, BTech, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Exploring Human-AI Interaction Through AI as Play
Advisor: Casper Harteveld
Wei Li, BS, Zhejiang University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Explainable Machine Learning Methods and Information-Rich Training Data
Generation for Smart Manufacturing
Advisor: Sagar Kamarthi
Jiongbai Liu, BS, University of Iowa; MS, Columbia University
Dissertation: Production and Testing Scheduling Problems of High-end Servers Under Uncertain Demand Information
Advisor: Muhammad Noor E Alam
Sahil Anis Shikalgar, BTech, Institute of Chemical Technology
Dissertation: Robust and Interpretable Methods for Estimating Treatment Effect in Causal Inference
Advisor: Muhammad Noor E Alam
Keqi Wang
Dissertation: Mechanistic Modeling and Blockchain Framework for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing and Supply Chain Risk Management
Advisor: Wei Xie
Sachini Nimeshika Weerasekara
In the field of Interdisciplinary Engineering
Eeshan Basu, BTech, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal; MTech, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur
Dissertation: Modeling CO2 using WRF-GHG and WRF-Chem-GHG for Current and Future Scenarios: Novel Evaluation Methods, Chemical Mechanism Updates, and Plume-Rise Implementation
Advisor: Yang Zhang
Kiarash Farzad, BS, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch; MS, Amirkabir University of Technology
Dissertation: Enhancing Air Quality Predictions: Operational Forecasting, Source Apportionment, and Downscaling
Advisor: Matthew Eckelman
Ying Wang, BE, ME, Wuhan University
Dissertation: Advancing Urban Air Quality Modeling: Impacts of Traffic Emission Estimates, Urban Parameterizations, and Regional-Street Scale Dynamic Coupling
Advisor: Yang Zhang
Jack Robert Watson, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Resilience and Recovery of Multi-Scale Rail Transit Infrastructure Under Natural and Manmade Disruptions
Advisor: Auroop Ganguly
Libo Zhang, BS, MS, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Dissertation: Regional Air Quality, Meteorology and Ecohydrology Modeling in Contiguous United States: Model Evaluation, Application, and Improvement
Advisor: Yang Zhang
In the field of Mechanical Engineering
Nastaran Alamgir Tehrani, BS, Sharif University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Micropillar-Enhanced Acoustic Wave Device: Geometric Effects, Wetting Transition, and Biosensing Applications
Advisor: Hongwei Sun
Mahdiar Edraki, BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Physical Human Interaction With Complex Objects and Robots
Advisor: Dagmar Sternad
Jakub Filip Kowalewski, BS, Carnegie Mellon University; MS, University of Washington
Dissertation: Geometric Embodiment Simplifies Robot Control
Advisor: Jeffrey Lipton
Siyao Liu, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Unveiling the Thermo-Mechanical Responses and Tactile Sensitivity of 3D-Printed Chiral Mechanical Metamaterials Across Macro- and Micro-Scales
Advisor: Yaning Li
Yijie Lu, BEng, Dalian University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Delayed Human-in-the-Loop Control, Human Decision Dynamics, and Shared Autonomy
Advisor: Rifat Sipahi
Xu Wang, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: An Information-Theoretic Approach to Understanding Firearm Prevalence Across Time, Space, and Socioeconomic Context
Zhengxuan Wei, BS, Beijing Jiaotong University; MS, Brown University
Dissertation: Photomechanical and Thermomechanical Coupling in Liquid Crystal Elastomers
Advisor: Ruobing Bai
Dongchuan You
Dissertation: Power Generation Using Environmentally Friendly Energy Sources
Advisor: Hameed Metghalchi
Wenchao Zhu
BOUVÉ COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
In the field of Biomedical Science
Taylor Leigh Hickman, BS, University of New Hampshire
Dissertation: Investigating Preclinical Models for the Safety Assessment of T Cell Engagers
Advisor: Mansoor Amiji
In the field of Counseling Psychology
Payton Elizabeth Carroll, BS, Seattle Pacific University; MA, Gonzaga University
Dissertation: Strengthening Sibling Relationships: An Exploration of Families’ Needs in the Context of Childhood Disability
Advisor: Laurie Kramer
Milena Dasilva-Braga, BS, Florida Atlantic University; MA, William James College
Dissertation: We Belong Together: Insights on Belonging, Loneliness, and Well-Being in CollegeAge Students From the Healthy Minds Study
Advisor: Donald Robinaugh
Ruthann Corrie Hewett, BA, Brandeis University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Psychology Trainee Death Attitudes and Countertransference Towards BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ Clients at Risk for Suicide: A Mixed-Methods Study
Advisor: Tracy Robinson-Wood
Briana Alexandre Paulo, MS, BS, University of Miami
Dissertation: An Exploratory Study of the Attitudes and Beliefs Surrounding Consensual NonMonogamy (CNM) and Privilege and Oppression Among Mental Health Professionals (MHPs)
Advisor: Tracy Robinson-Wood
Sade Maya Prithwie, BA, University of Rhode Island; MA, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Dissertation: A Dating Violence Prevention Program for Juvenile Justice-Involved Females: Effectiveness for Adolescents With Minoritized Gender and Sexual Identities
Advisor: Christie Rizzo
Isabella Sereno, BS, University of Central Florida; MA, Virginia Tech
Dissertation: Family-Centered Care as a Moderator to Presence at the Bedside Among Underrepresented Caregivers During Intensive and Post-Acute Pediatric Admissions
Advisor: Jessica Edwards George
In the field of Human Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences
Corey J. Lanois, BS, Northeastern University; MS, Illinois State University
Dissertation: Ultrasound-Assessed Femoral Cartilage Thickness and Deformation: Relationships to Pain, Function, and Gait Mechanics in Knee Osteoarthritis
Advisor: Joshua Stefanik
Julia Manczurowsky, BS, DPT, Northeastern University
Dissertation: How Physical and Social Dynamics Modulate Motor Learning During Assisted Motor Training
Advisor: Christopher J. Hasson
Mark Chiebuka Nwakamma, MS, University of Hartford
Dissertation: Investigating Neural Mechanisms Underlying Cognitive and Brain Health Following Traumatic Brain Injury: The Role of Aerobic Exercise in Modulating Brain Dynamics
Advisors: Charles Hillman and Timothy Morris
Sundararaman Rengarajan, BE, Anna University; MS, Tokyo Medical and Dental University; MS, Johns Hopkins University
Dissertation: Temporal Dynamics of Gaze Behavior and Sensorimotor Prediction in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Advisor: Leanne Chukoskie
Trent Simmons, BS, University of Denver
Dissertation: Gaze Behavior Reflects Expertise in Goal-Directed Multiple Object Tracking
Advisor: Leanne Chukoskie
In the field of Medicinal Chemistry
Brittany Marie Brems, BS, Binghamton University
Dissertation: Development of 5-Substituted-2-Aminotetralin (5-SAT) Agonists That Selectively Target Serotonin 1 Receptor Subtypes
Advisor: Raymond Booth
In the field of Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery
Harvens Beauzile, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Allosteric Modulators of Cannabinoid Receptors: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation
Advisor: Ganesh A. Thakur
Wilder Arturo Felix, BS, Bates College; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Allosteric Modulators of the α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Advisor: Ganesh Thakur
Maria Gerasi, BS, MS, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Dissertation: Development of Novel CB1 Antagonists/CB2 Agonists
Advisor: Alexandros Makriyannis
Michael Speziale, BS, Central Connecticut State University
Dissertation: An Integrated Mechanism-First Discovery Pipeline Reveals a Novel Allosteric Pocket and Its Inhibitors in Human Monoacylglycerol Lipase
Advisor: Alexandros Makriyannis
In the field of Nursing
Rebecka Evans, BS, BA, University of Pennsylvania; MS, Boston College
Dissertation: Experiences of Transgender and Gender-diverse Youth Ages 18-24 With Primary Care
Providers in United States and Australia
Advisor: Ann Polcari
In the field of Pharmacology
Christopher M. Lucaj, BS, Boston College; MSEM, Tufts University
Dissertation: Uncovering Synthetic Cannabinoid Superagonism
Advisor: Hideaki Yano
Ziyue Meng, BS, Dalian University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: MD Simulation Reveals Ion-Specific Modulation of Ligand-Induced TRPA1 Activation by PIP2
Advisor: Diomedes Logothetis
Anh Minh Nguyen, BPharm, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: G-protein Subtype Selectivity in Dopamine D1 Receptor
Advisor: Hideaki Yano
Erin Elizabeth Sullivan, BS, Trinity College
Dissertation: Discovery of 2-Aminotetralins That Target the Serotonin 5-HT6 G-Protein Coupled Receptor and Characterization of Their Neurotherapeutic Activities
Advisor: Raymond Booth
Sachin Thigale, BS, Pune University; MS, Northeastern University; MPH, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dissertation: Structure Determination of A2aR-G Protein Trimer by Cryo-Electron Microscopy.
Advisor: Diomedes Logothetis
In the field of Population Health
Chloe Roxanne Bennett, BBA, Georgia State University; MPA, University of San Francisco
Dissertation: Health Inequities in Type 2 Diabetes: The Role of Technology
Advisor: Beth Molnar
Sara M. Burns, BA, University of Connecticut; MS, Washington University in St. Louis
Dissertation: Leveraging Real-World Data to Advance Population Health Research
Advisor: Justin Manjourides
Natalia Coriano Díaz, BS, MPH, University of Puerto Rico
Dissertation: Obstetric Practices, Adverse Maternal Outcomes, and Payment Reform: Epidemiological Evidence from the United States and Puerto Rico
Advisor: Louisa Smith
Francesca Mary Korte
Dissertation: “It’s About Who Has the Power”: Violence, Help-Seeking, and Health Among U.S. Latinx Populations
Advisors: Alisa K. Lincoln, Carmel Salhi, and Carlos A. Cuevas
Victoria Mary Nielsen, BA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; MPH, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Causal Inference and Machine Learning Approaches for Population Health Research Using Observational Data
Advisor: Justin Manjourides
In the field of School Psychology
Robert A. Antonelli, BA, Colgate University; MS Northeastern University
Dissertation: Peer Social Interactions Among Preschoolers With Autism During Active Playtime: Benefits of an Intervention Designed to Promote Physical Activity
Advisor: Jessica Hoffman
Isabella Grace Foarde, BS, Emerson College; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Training School Psychologists to Prevent Eating Disorders: Development and Evaluation of an In-Service Program
Advisor: Amy Briesch
Felicia Waldron, BA, Stonehill College; MEd, Harvard University
Dissertation: Immediate and Long-Term Effects of the Sisters of Nia Intervention on SocialEmotional Health and Positive Identity in Black Girls: A Mixed-Methods Study
Advisor: Chieh Li
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
In the field of Biology
Melissa Franco, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Investigating the Inheritance of and Selective Pressures on Mitochondrial Mutations
Advisor: Konstantin Khrapko
Michael F. Gates, BS, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Dissertation: Energy Expenditure Underlies Antibiotic Tolerance
Advisor: Kim Lewis
Jackson Griffiths, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Investigating the Role of Nerves and Antero-Posterior Patterning During Limb Regeneration
Advisor: James Monaghan
Yinghao He, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Investigation of Plant and Bacteria Interaction in the Rhizosphere
Advisor: Yunrong Chai
Yiwei Kong, BS, Wenzhou Medical University; MS, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dissertation: FOXA2+ Long-Term Stem Cells for Skeletal Growth and Growth Plate Repair after Injury
Advisor: Andreia Ionescu
Brian Hieu Nguyen, BA, Boston University
Dissertation: Regulation of Error-Prone DNA Polymerases in Acinetobacter baumannii
Advisor: Veronica Godoy-Carter
Victor Silverman Stolzenbach, BS, Eckerd College; MS, Johns Hopkins University
Dissertation: Investigating Key Genes and Pathways Responsible for Terminating Distal Tip Cell Migration in Caenorhabditis elegans
Advisor: Erin Cram
In
the field of Chemistry
Kelly Kerry Barnsley, BS, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dissertation: Queering the QM/MM Binary: Explaining the Unreasonable Efficiency of P. putida and Probing the Mechanism of ERK2 Via Hybrid Calculations
Advisor: Mary Jo Ondrechen
Alexandra Provost Braun, BS, MEng, Cornell University
Dissertation: Overcoming Production Bottlenecks in Bispecific Antibody Discovery: Development of a Bridging Antibody Platform and Pooled Production Methods for Functional Screening
Advisors: Jared Auclair and Naveen Mehta
Yunfan Gao, BS, Fudan University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Development of Nanoscale Liquid-Phase Separation-Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic and Multi-Omic Techniques for Analysis of Limited Samples and Single Cells
Advisor: Alexander Ivanov
Samantha Sarah Hilston, BS, Ithaca College
Dissertation: The Endocannabinoid Serine Hydrolases as Targets for Drug Discovery
Advisor: Alexandros Makriyannis
Benjamin William Kaufold, BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;
Dissertation: Automation and Parallelization of Multireference Calculations
Advisor: Sijia Dong
Hui Yan J. Kuang, BS, Boston University
Dissertation: Engineering Dynamic Living Systems Using E.coli-Mediated pH Modulation
Advisor: Neel Joshi
Jiachen Lin, BS, Sichuan University
Dissertation: Toward a Versatile and Predictive Bottlebrush Polymer Platform for Highly Efficient
Oligonucleotide Drug Delivery
Advisor: Ke Zhang
Madison McMinn, BS, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Dissertation: Chemical Analysis, Transformation, and Environmental Occurrence of RubberDerived Contaminants
Advisor: Zhenyu Tian
Meghan Monroy, BS, MS, University of Connecticut
Dissertation: Targeting Integrins Therapeutically Through Protein-Level Control and Structure
Guided Design
Advisors: Zhaohui Sunny Zhou and Albert Lin
Benjamin Neal Muller, BS, MS, University of Oregon
Dissertation: Unlocking Electromechanical Potential of Chemically Modified Liquid Metal Surfaces
Advisor: Sara Hashmi
Kasun Prabhashwara Ananda Pathirage Don, BSc, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Dissertation: Deciphering Mechanisms of Ras Signaling Through Raf Kinase
Advisor: Carla Mattos
Athul Sanjeev, BTech, University of Kerala; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Engineering T7 RNA Polymerase to Reduce Double Stranded RNA Impurities and Improve Capping Efficiency
Advisor: Penny Beuning
Sam Jackson Matthew Smith, BS, Georgetown University
Dissertation: Investigation of Acid-Catalyzed Organic Transformations Through Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis and Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry
Advisor: Eugene S. Smotkin
Tingyu Sun, BS, The Ohio State University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Bottlebrush Polymer–Based Non-Cationic Platforms for Oligonucleotide Therapeutics
Advisor: Ke Zhang
Wensheng Yang, BS, Tianjin Medical University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Methods for Proteoform-Resolved Kinetic Analysis of Covalent Protein Stabilizers
Advisor: Jeffrey N. Agar
Alan Joseph Zimmerman, BS, Michigan State University
Dissertation: Development of Isolation and Characterization Techniques for Molecular Proteomic Profiling of Human Blood Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles
Advisor: Alexander Ivanov
In the field of Marine and Environmental Sciences
Matthew Sean Baker, BS, College of William & Mary
Dissertation: Geographic Variation in Plasticity Across Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems
Advisor: Geoffrey Trussell
Angela J. Catalano, BA, MA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dissertation: Examining Social Factors and Policy Implications of Flood Risk Management in Repetitive-Loss Communities
Advisor: Damon Hall
Nicole Ebba Peckham, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Exploring the Impacts of Predation Risk Effects in a Complex Natural World
Advisor: David Kimbro
Eric Gerald Schneider, BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst; MS, University of Rhode Island
Dissertation: A Social-Ecological Systems Approach to Shellfish Restoration Research and Planning
Advisors: Jonathan Grabowski and A. Randall Hughes
In the field of Mathematics
Sean Patrick Carroll, BSc, MSc, The University of Auckland
Advisor: Alexander Martsinkovsky
Alon Duvall, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Monotonicity and Contractivity in Reaction Networks: Algorithms and Theory
Advisor: Eduardo D. Sontag
Vitor Emanuel Gulisz, BS, MS, Federal University of Paraná
Dissertation: A Functorial Approach to n-Abelian and 0-Abelian Categories
Advisor: Alexander Martsinkovsky
Rahul Hirwani, BS, MS, Chennai Mathematical Institute
Dissertation: Moduli of Weighted Degree 10 Hypersurfaces in P(1,2,3,5)
Advisors: Alina Marian and Maksym Fedorchuk
Xutao Hu, BS, Indiana University Bloomington
Dissertation: d-Regular Graphs With Many 4-Cycles
Advisor: Gabor Lippner
Shengnan Huang, BS, Zhejiang University; MS, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology
Dissertation: Quantum Cluster Algebras and Quantum Flag Varieties at Roots of Unity
Advisor: Milen Yakimov
Jieying Jin, BA, University of Minnesota Morris; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Circle Configurations From Symmetric Polyhedra and Polytopes
Advisor: Egon Schulte
Ryan Kannanaikal, BA, Cornell University
Dissertation: Strange Duality for Abelian Surfaces
Advisor: Alina Marian
Changchang Liu, BS, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dissertation: Physic-Informed Neural Network in Solving Inverse Boundary Value Problems
Advisor: Paul Hand
Aria Masoomi, BS, Sharif University of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Making Deep Neural Networks Transparent
Advisor: Jennifer Dy
Kadin Finn Prideaux, BS, The University of Auckland; BS, MS, Victoria University of Wellington
Dissertation: Modular Reduction and Alternating Semiregular Polytopes
Advisor: Egon Schulte
Muhammad Anadil Saeed Rao, BS, Lahore University of Management Sciences; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Supersymmetry, Monopoles, and Legendrian Knots
Advisor: Christopher E. Beasley
Brad Turow, BS, Long Island University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Discrete, Approximate Circle Bundles for Data Analysis and Machine Learning
Advisor: Jose Perea
In the field of Network Science
Wan He, BSc, Imperial College London
Dissertation: Integrating AI and Network Science to Analyze Biological Data and Solve Constrained Optimization Problems
Advisor: Tina Eliassi-Rad
Nunzio Lore, BS, MSc, Bocconi University
Dissertation: Large Language Models as Strategic Agents: Foundations for Modeling and Governance
Advisor: Babak Heydari
Benjamin Serlin Piazza, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Dissertation: Physical Networks and the Brain
Advisor: Albert-László Barabási
Alexi Quintana Mathe, BS, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; BS, Universitat de Barcelona; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: From Followers to Close Ties: Homophily in Population-Level Social Networks
Advisor: David Lazer
In the field of Physics
Hamza Ahmed, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Exploring Dualities of Little String Theories
Advisor: Fabian Ruehle
Anoj Aryal
Nathaniel Beaver, BA, Gustavus Adolphus College; MS, Illinois Institute of Technology
Dissertation: Advanced Drive Methods for Sensing With Diamond NV Centers
Advisor: Paul Stevenson
John Patrick Dervan, BS, Yale University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Search for New Physics via Higgs Portals in WWγγ Final States With the CMS Detector at √s = 13 TeV
Advisor: Toyoko Orimoto
Weiyi Gong
Advisor: Qimin Yan
Joha Joshi, BS, New York University
Dissertation: Single Molecule Dynamics of Nucleosome Stability: The Roles of Acylation Mimetics and Methylation-Reading Chaperone-Mediated Regulation
Advisor: Mark Williams
Amrutha Krishna, MS, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
Dissertation: Constraining the Higgs Boson Width via Signal-Background Interference in the Diphoton Decay Channel With the CMS Detector
Advisor: Toyoko Orimoto
Jinzheng Li, BS, Stony Brook University
Dissertation: Hearkening to the Heartbeat of the Born Universe: Thermal History of Cosmic Evolution, Supercooled Phase Transitions, and Gauge Invariance
Advisor: Pran Nath
Samuel James Milner, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Properties of Strongly Correlated One-Dimensional Chains Beyond the Hubbard Model
Advisor: Adrian Feiguin
Kevin Ng Chau, BS, MS, Universidad Simón Bolivar
Dissertation: Integrating Structural Features Into a T-Cell Receptor Model for Specificity Prediction and Analyzing Antigenic Cooperation in Viral Immune Evasion
Advisor: Herbert Levine
Anh Quoc Nguyen, BS, Centre College
Dissertation: Deciphering Tissue Plasticity and Cell-Cell Adhesion: Insights into Collective Tissue Behavior
Advisor: Dapeng Bi
Sneh Jayprakash Pandya, BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dissertation: Bridging Epochs: Machine Learning in the Era of Big Data Cosmology
Advisors: James Halverson and Jonathan Blazek
Abigail J. Postlewaite, BS, University of Vermont
Dissertation: Quantum Geometry and Nonlinear Optical Responses
Advisor: Gregory Fiete
Liam Price, BS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Integrative Approaches for Cancer Characterization and Treatment: Combining Hyperspectral Imaging Techniques With Nonlinear Laser Ablation for Precision Oncology
Advisor: Bryan Spring
Yidi Qi, MA, Stony Brook University
Dissertation: Machine Learning for String Theory Geometry: From Numerical Metrics to Evolutionary Discovery
Advisor: Fabian Ruehle
Arpit Raj, BS, MS, Indian Institute of Science
Dissertation: Nonlinear Optical Response as a Probe for Quantum Geometry
Advisor: Gregory Fiete
Yiwen Tang, BS, MS, Sun Yat-sen University
Dissertation: Spatial Order in Multicellular Collectives
Advisor: Dapeng Bi
Sudip Timilsina, BSc, Tribhuvan University
Dissertation: Enabling More Precise, Effective, and Broadly Applicable Photoimmunotherapy Through Systematic Target Identification and Protocol Refinement
Advisor: Bryan Spring
Nicholas B. Van Alfen, BS, Brigham Young University
Dissertation: Intrinsic Alignments in Simulated Data
Advisor: Jonathan Blazek
Douglas White, BS, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; MS, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dissertation: Energy Landscape Analysis of Paired Homologous Chromosomes
Advisor: Michele Di Pierro
Mohammadmehdi Zahedi, BS, K.N. Toosi University of Technology; MS, Northwestern University; MS, Shahid Beheshti University
Dissertation: Using Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Epidemic Simulations and Improve Forecasting
Advisor: Matteo Chinazzi
Jiancheng Zeng, BS, Sun Yat-sen University
Dissertation: Development of Current and Next-Generation Balloon-Borne Indirect Dark Matter Search Experiments
Advisor: Tsuguo Aramaki
In the field of Psychology
Kieran C. McVeigh, BS, Pomona College
Dissertation: Modeling Inter and Intra-Individual Variation in Brain–Behavior Mapping with Deep Generative Models
Advisor: Karen Quigley
Francesca Morfini, BS, MS, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Dissertation: Neural Correlates of Future Depression and Anxiety in Adolescence
Advisor: Juliet Y. Davidow
Emma Lucy Pitt, BS, MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Who Are You and Who am I? Conceptions of Multinationality Among Mono- and Multinationals
Advisor: John Coley
Yangyi Shi, BE, Chongqing University; MA, Brandeis University
Dissertation: Asymmetries Between Increments and Decrements in Visual Perception
Advisor: Rhea Eskew
Emma Marie Tinney, BS, University of Delaware; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Lifestyle Behaviors and Brain Health in Traumatic Brain Injury
Advisors: Charles Hillman and Timothy Morris
Mariya Vodyanyk,
Dissertation: Learn to Draw, Learn to See: Cognitive Mechanisms of Observational Drawing and Implications for Healthy Aging
Advisors: Susanne Jaeggi and Aaron Seitz
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
In the field of Criminology and Justice Policy
Abigail Ballou
Brandon Michael Craig, BS, Bridgewater State University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Exploring Entanglements: A Network Perspective on Intimate Partner Violence Among Queer Men
Advisor: Carlos Cuevas
Callie Anne Hansson, BA, University of Massachusetts Amherst; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: An Exploratory Analysis of Forced Criminality of Youth and Public Perceptions in the United States
Advisor: Amy Farrell
Ayanna Mary-Nicole Miller, BA, The City University of New York; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Policing Perceptions: Framing, Attitudes, and Public Views
Advisor: Kevin Drakulich
Jillian Alexandria Jackson Reeves, BA, University of Pennsylvania
Dissertation: Organizational Crime and Student Punishment: An Analysis of Autonomy in Philadelphia Charter Schools
Advisor: Simon Singer
Alexis Yohros, BS, Florida State University; MA, University of Central Florida
Dissertation: Examining the Interrelationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Neighborhood Context on Youth Recidivism
Advisor: Brandon Welsh
In the field of Economics
Peiran Cheng, BS: Xi’an Jiaotong University; MS, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dissertation: Three Essays in Applied Microeconomics: Topics in Higher Education, Public Health, and Crime
Advisor: Mindy Marks
Roy Lewis Gernhardt, BA, MA, Boston University
Dissertation: Econometric Applications to Social Justice: Three Essays Advisor: Mindy Marks
Shenghao Peng, MS, Tufts University
Dissertation: Three Essays in Child-Tax Policy, Stay-at-Home Order, and Energy Market Advisor: Mindy Marks
Rizwanur Rob, BS, North South University; MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Three Essays in Economics Advisor: Mindy Marks
Philip Matthew Strumine, BS, University of Florida; MS, Boston University
Dissertation: Three Essays in Applied Economics: Experimental and Observational Evidence in Healthcare and Reproductive
Advisor: Mindy Marks
In the field of English
Rachael McIntosh, BA, MA, Boston College
Dissertation: Humanizing the Archive: Coloniality, Racism, and the Rhetorics of Archival Structures
Advisor: K.J. Rawson
Cailin Flannery Roles, BA, University of East Anglia; MA, Kansas State University
Dissertation: Man-Made Machine: Global Animation and the Modern Advisor: Hillary Chute
Vijeta Saini, BA, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya; MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: The Merchant of the Empire: Shakespeare and Punjab Advisor: Erika Boeckeler
In the field of History
Victoria Onyae Dey, BA, University of Rochester, MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Before “Woke”: IM’média and the Anti-Racist Critique of French Republicanism, 1983–2005
Advisor: Heather Salter
Liam Carlisle MacLean, BA, Boston University; MA, Goldsmiths, University of London
Dissertation: The East German Betriebsräteinitiative: Labor, the Left, and the Long 1989
Advisor: Timothy Brown
Hunter Davis Moskowitz, BS, Cornell University; MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Labor, Race, and Technology in the Global Textile Industry: Lowell, Monterrey, and Concord
Advisor: Kabria Baumgartner
Colleen Louise Nugent McLean, BA, Union College; MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: “Mussulman Fanatics”: A Computational Analysis of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in The Times From the 1857 Sepoy Rebellion to the Rushdie Affair
Advisor: Heather Salter
In the field of Network Science
Clara Elizabeth Bay, BS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: From Prediction to Policy: Advancing Epidemic Model Evaluation and Scenario Analysis
Advisor: Alessandro Vespignani
Cory Scott Glover, BS, MS, Brigham Young University; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: From Local Rules to Global Structures: Entanglement, Design, and Reconstruction in Complex Networks
Advisor: Albert-László Barabási
Alyssa H. Smith, BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MS, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Emergent Power in Information Ecosystems on Social Media
Advisor: David Lazer
In the field of Political Science
Carlos Arriaga Serrano, BA, St. Lawrence University
Dissertation: Governing Climate Through Transnational Networks: Finance, Law, and the New Architecture of Cooperation
Advisor: Denise Garcia
Austin Barraza, AA, Norco College; BA, University of California, Los Angeles; MA, California State University, Fullerton
Dissertation: Legislatures Take the Lead: New Trends in Community College Governance
Advisor: John Portz
Nikolas Beimler, BA, University of New Hampshire; MA, Northeastern University
Dissertation: Great Expectations: Why Norm-Conscious States Fall Short of International Obligations
Advisor: Denise Garcia
Jonathan Michanie, BA, Florida International University; MA, Reichman University
Dissertation: Shield Diplomacy: The Strategic Weaponization of Soft Power in International Relations
Advisor: Mai’a Cross
Toshiaki Yoshida, BA, Meiji University, MSc, The University of Edinburgh
Dissertation: The Political Development of Nuclear Power and Disaster Recovery in Japan
Advisor: Daniel Aldrich
In the field of Public Policy
Mohsin Khan, MDP, KDI School of Public Policy and Management
Dissertation: Spatial Equity, Climate Change, and Community Resilience
Advisor: Daniel Aldrich
Alaina Dara Kinol, BA, McGill University; MSc, London School of Economics
Dissertation: Obstruction in U.S. Energy Policy Process: Navigating Power and Resistance Along the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Advisor: Laura Kuhl
Elijah J. Miller, BS, MPA, Florida State University
Dissertation: Solidarity Finance: Wealth-Building From a Solidarity Economy Perspective
Advisor: Alicia Modestino
Vivek Kumar Mishra, MA, Azim Premji University
Dissertation: Cultural Production of Property and The Contested State: Elite Informality, Class, and Citizenship in Delhi
Advisor: Gavin Shatkin
In the field of Sociology
Miranda Paige Dotson, BA, American University
Dissertation: Gender Heritage: The Logics That Shape Labor in Nonbinary Households
Advisor: Suzanna Walters
Yana Mommadova, MA, Central European University
Dissertation: All That Is Solid Melts Into PR: Power and Governmentality in the Domain of Think Tanks
Advisor: Liza Weinstein
Anna Yuanming Zhang, BA,Simmons University
Dissertation: Online Platforms and the Transformation of the Chinese Ethnic Economy Advisor: Eileen Otis
UNIVERSITY SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Joseph E. Aoun, President
Beth A. Winkelstein, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Kenneth W. Henderson, Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning
Michael Armini, Senior Vice President for External Affairs
Mary Ludden, Senior Vice President for Global Network and Strategic Initiatives
Diane Nishigaya MacGillivray, Senior Vice President for University Advancement
Thomas Nedell, Senior Vice President for Finance and Treasurer
Mary B. Strother, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
UNIVERSITY DEANS
Gregory Abowd, College of Engineering
Rajesh Aggarwal, Interim, D’Amore-McKim School of Business
Jared Auclair, College of Professional Studies
James R. Hackney, School of Law
R. Benjamin Knapp, College of Arts, Media and Design
Beth D. Kochly, Mills College at Northeastern University
Elizabeth D. Mynatt, Khoury College of Computer Sciences
Brent Nelson, Interim, College of Science
Carmen Sceppa, Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Kellee Tsai, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, TRUSTEES EMERITI, HONORARY TRUSTEES, AND
CORPORATORS EMERITI
Members of the Board of Trustees
Richard D’Amore, Chair
Edward Galante, Vice Chair
Alan McKim, Vice Chair
Joseph E. Aoun, Ex Officio
Jeffrey Bornstein
Subodh Chanrai
Alice Chinebuah
Jeffrey Clarke
William Conley
Richard D’Amore
Deborah Dunsire
Spencer Fung
Edward Galante
Sir Lucian Grainge, CBE
David House
Frances Janis
Chaitanya Kanojia
Amin Khoury
William Lowell
Todd Manganaro
Honorary Trustees
Scott M. Black
Charles K. Gifford
Trustees Emeriti
Barbara C. Alleyne
George D. Behrakis, Vice Chair Emeritus
Margot Botsford
Frederick Brodsky
Frederick L. Brown
Peter B. Cameron
Richard P. Chapman Jr., Vice Chair Emeritus
William J. Cotter
John J. Cullinane
Harry T. Daniels
Alan McKim
James Pallotta
Irene Panagopoulos
John Pulichino
Jean Eric Salata
Kathleen Sanborn
Winslow Sargeant
Jeannine Sargent
Maha Shair
Shelley Stewart Jr.
Hemant Taneja
Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Christopher Viehbacher
Gregory Waters
Christophe Weber
Lucille R. Zanghi
Susan S. Deitch
Neal F. Finnegan, Chair Emeritus
W. Kevin Fitzgerald
Arnold S. Hiatt
William S. Howard
Venetia Kontogouris
Richard G. Lesser
Diane H. Lupean
Roger M. Marino
Katherine S. McHugh, Vice Chair Emerita
Kathryn M. Nicholson
Arthur A. Pappas
Marcy L. Reed
Ronald L. Rossetti
Ronald Sargent
Carole J. Shapazian, Vice Chair Emerita
Robert J. Shillman
Janet M. Smith
Sy Sternberg, Chair Emeritus
Corporators Emeriti
Salah Al Wazzan
Quincy L. Allen
Tarek As’ad
Robert J. Awkward
Vincent F. Barletta
Richard L. Bready
John F. Burke Jr.
William P. Casey
Lawrence G. Cetrulo
Nassib G. Chamoun
William D. Chin
Steven J. Cody
Timothy J. Connelly
Joseph J. Cronin
Richard J. DeAgazio
Kevin A. DeNuccio
Robin W. Devereux
Robert E. DiCenso
Priscilla H. Douglas
Adriane J. Dudley
Michael J. Egan
Douglas M. Epstein
Joseph D. Feaster Jr.
Louise Firth Campbell
Lisa D. Foster
Francis A. Gicca
Gary R. Gregg
Nancy E. B. Haynes
Charles C. Hewitt III
Roderick Ireland
Mary Kay Leonard
Mark A. Krentzman
Joseph C. Lawler
M Benjamin Lipman
Jean C. Tempel, Vice Chair Emerita
Alan D. Tobin, Vice Chair Emeritus
Joseph Tucci
Catherine A. White
Arthur W. Zafiropoulo
Michael Zamkow
Ellen M. Zane
George A. MacConnell
Susan B. Major
Paul V. McDonough
Thomas P. McDonough
Kathleen McFeeters
Susan A. Morelli
Francis E. Murphy
James Q. Nolan Jr.
Peter J. Ogren
Lawrence A. O’Rourke
Leonard C. Perham
Valerie W. Perlowitz
Steven Picheny
John E. Pritchard
Eugene M. Reppucci Jr.
Rhondella Richardson
Patrick A. Rivelli
David J. Ryan
George P. Sakellaris
Richard A. Schoenfeld
Peter J. Smail
Karen Tay Koh
Gordon O. Thompson
Alexander L. Thorndike
James R. Turner
Mark L. Vachon
Laurie B. Werner
E. Leo Whitworth
Donald K. Williams Jr.
Donald L. Williams
Richard R. Yuse
UNIVERSITY MARSHALS
Mary Jo Ondrechen, Chief Marshal
Stefano Basagni
Jonathan Bell
Christopher Bosso
Luca Caracoglia
Christopher Cesario
Martin Dias
Amy Farrell
Kirsten Fertuck
Alex Fronduto
David Herlihy
Dan Kennedy
Barbara Larson
Kimberly Lucas
Steve Lustig
Jay Mulki
Hande Musdal Ondemir
Ana Otero
Mary-Susan Potts-Santone
Heather Streets-Salter
Annemarie Sullivan
Rajagopal Venkatesaramani
Edward Witten
Elizabeth Zulick
The Registrar of the university maintains the official list of all graduates. This program is for ceremonial purposes only.
PROGRAM NOTES
HISTORICAL NOTES ON
ACADEMIC DRESS
Academic dress appears to have originated at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge more than 600 years ago, and, to this day, the most colorful gowns in the world are those worn at Oxford functions. European institutions show great diversity in their academic costume, since each adopted or initiated its own dress.
In contrast, American colleges and universities follow a single system of academic apparel. In 1894, a group of leading American educators met to draft guidelines on apparel. Known as the Intercollegiate Code, these guidelines were adopted the following year and amended slightly in 1932.
The distinctions set up by the Intercollegiate Code are simple. Gowns for the bachelor’s degree are to be fashioned from “worsted stuff” with a yoke, pleated front, and intricate shirring across the shoulders and back. Worn closed, the bachelor’s gown is distinguished primarily by its long, pointed sleeves. The master’s gown has the same yoke effect and long, crescent-shaped sleeves; it may be worn open or closed.
The doctor’s gown, which may also be worn open or closed, has velvet panels draped around the neck. Three horizontal velvet bars are stitched on full bell-shaped sleeves. This velvet trimming may be black or in the color that indicates the field of study to which the degree refers.
Northeastern University’s distinctive doctoral gown is crimson with black velvet panels and sleeve bars. The crimson cap, or mortarboard, bears a gold metallic tassel. In accordance with academic custom, recipients of the doctor’s degree, members of the university’s governing boards, and government officials in the procession are entitled to wear the official regalia. The bachelor’s and master’s hoods have a similar shape, while the doctor’s hood has a rounded base. The length of the hood indicates the level of academic achievement, with the doctor’s hood being longest; the width of the border distinguishes the degree, with the doctor’s being widest. The color of the border indicates the field of study; the lining color indicates the institution conferring the degree.
At Northeastern, where only the master’s and doctor’s hoods are worn, a black chevron on a crimson background is used for the lining.
When colors were first assigned to signify a particular field of study, historical associations were retained as much as possible. For example, white, for arts, refers back to the white fur edging of the Oxford hood; red, for theology, to the traditional color of the church; and green, for medicine, to the color of herbs.
The tassel on the mortarboard may be black or in a color that indicates the graduate’s major field of study.
Oh, Alma Mater, here we throng, And sing your praises strong; Your children gather far and near And seek your blessings, dear; Fair memories we cherish now And will forevermore.
Come, let us raise our voices strong, Northeastern, we adore.