Community of Belonging
Fostering a Community of Belonging for All Students
Fostering a community of belonging is essential to the advancement of Northeastern University’s mission of teaching and research. Our university is stronger as a result of the varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all members of our global community bring to the pursuit of knowledge. Embracing this pluralism is not the work of one office, department, or academic unit. It is a shared responsibility that spans disciplines and boundaries. By harnessing the power of our differences, we will continue to light the path to bold new ideas and life-changing discoveries.
Our reimagined approach centers on embracing the experiences of individuals across the global university system to maximize impact at the institutional level. This involves offering trainings and workshops, encouraging participation in our affinity groups, sharing best practices, and using data to inform how we focus our resources and our work.
Some examples of efforts in the College of Engineering include: Member of NACME, Leading NSF INCLUDES Engineering PLUS Alliance, and Neurodiversity Initiatives, as well as a host of student affinity organizations, programs in multicultural engineering and women in engineering, and much more.
Recent Highlights
Inclusive STEM for Neurodiverse Learners
Erik Brenner, director of belonging initiatives, is a speaker at the 2025 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Boston. He will participate on the panel “How To: Inclusive STEM Programs for Neurodiverse Undergraduate/Graduate Students.”
Going Beyond Her Role To Set a New Standard for Working Parents at Northeastern
Alison Nogueira, COE distinguished senior co-op coordinator and senior director of co-op, speaks of her experience as a co-founder and chair of NU Parents, an employee affinity group that supports over 600 working parents at Northeastern.
Undergraduate Student Focusing on AI and Fairness Nominated for Prestigious Awards
With several successful AI research projects and published papers already on her resume, Maya De Los Santos, E’25, electrical and computer engineering, who has also served as president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and completed a co-op at Philips, has been nominated for the prestigious Rhodes, Marshall, Knight-Hennessy, and Churchill Scholarships.
Inventing Innovative Solutions for Neurodivergent Children To Develop Motor Skills
Students in Northeastern’s Enabling Engineering class developed a musical ball as a tool for a sixth-grade autistic child with a genetic disorder and neurological differences to help develop gross motor skills in an engaging and exciting way.
ri.harris@northeastern.edu
ostadabbas@ece.northeastern.edu
Computer Vision; Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Augmented Cognition with Medical Applications; Augmented/Virtual Reality
c.duggan@northeastern.edu
Enabling Engineering Class Develops Low-Cost Wheelchair for Individuals With Neurological Conditions
Students in Northeastern’s Enabling Engineering class designed a wheelchair rear-sensor system for a resident at The Boston Home, a care center for individuals with progressive neurological conditions. The system met the resident’s needs at a fraction of the cost of a typical wheelchair sensor system.
See Full StoryWomen in Engineering Panel Discussion Engineers Week Event
During Engineers Week, a panel of faculty and students shared their experiences and advice on their education and career journeys as women engineers. They offered advice to future female engineers to empower them and help them grow, including the importance of faculty and peer mentors.
See Full StoryFeatured Student Organizations
Affinity Group Annual Joint Recognition Banquet
Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate partners were recognized for their commitments to several COE affinity student groups at the 18th Annual Joint Recognition Banquet. The groups represented included SHPE, SWE, BESS, SASE, and DICE.
50th Anniversary of Black Engineering Student Society
At its 50th anniversary celebration, BESS recognized students, alumni, faculty, and supporters who have helped make this student organization a source of community, education, and professional development for more than five decades.