Diversity and Inclusion
Committed to Providing a Diverse, Inclusive, and Welcoming Environment for All Students
Diversity of culture, thought, and viewpoint is necessary for growth, in individuals and societies. Diversity expands our potential to develop solutions to global challenges and teaches us how to be agile thinkers and learners.
With a commitment to diversity, Northeastern’s College of Engineering offers several programs to welcome, support and create opportunity for all talented students from all around the world and with a variety of backgrounds. We also proactively engage younger students with several outreach programs to bring awareness of the exciting field of engineering and encourage the next generation. Our efforts are supported by a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee made up of representatives from across the college, including administrators, faculty, and students.
In 2017, the Dean of the College of Engineering signed the ASEE Engineering Dean’s Council Diversity Pledge, and in 2019 the College was selected as a recipient of the ASEE Diversity Recognition Program- Bronze level. In 2020, Northeastern became the only NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering) university partner in Massachusetts. In 2021, Northeastern was awarded a $10M National Science Foundation grant to build a system and a network to increase engineering degrees among women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color) nationally.
Recent Highlights
Helping Underrepresented Students Access Education and Co-ops
Michele Lezama, E’88, industrial engineering, says Northeastern gave her access to a top-notch education and co-ops, including a pivotal experience at IBM, which set the stage for future success. She’s devoted much of her career to helping students from underrepresented communities get the same opportunities.
Co-ops Helped Alumnus Reach Top Tier of Computer Industry
Quincy Allen, E’82, electrical engineering, attributes his three co-ops to setting him apart from others when he graduated and landed a job at Xerox Corp., where he eventually became president of its Production Systems Group. Today, he continues to support technology companies as a board member.
Co-ops Are a Core Part of Alumnus’ Successful Career
Winslow Sargeant, E’86, electrical engineering, has had a highly successful career including roles as CEO, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, consultant, NSF program manager, member of the Northeastern University Board of Trustees, and a President Barack Obama appointee. He says his co-ops helped make it happen.
Civil Engineering Alum Wins a First Place Women Who Empower Innovator Award
Kaitlin McCarthy, E’09, civil engineering, is a first-place recipient of a Northeastern 2024 Women Who Empower Innovator Award, in recognition of her real estate development work as founder and CEO of Ionic Development Co. and the opportunities she provides to women.
Student Opportunity and Diversity - 2023
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
Honored with Two National Society of Black Engineers Awards
Assistant Dean Richard Harris was selected as a STEM Advocate 2019 Honoree by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Boston and received the NSBE 2019 Golden Torch Award as a Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year for 2018-2019.
Full Article - STEM Advocate NSBE AwardStrong Female Role Models Contributed to Their Success
Jennifer Morales comes from a place where feminist role models are rare and detainees are prevalent. No one, she said, expected her to get a PhD in bioengineering. Joined by fellow bioengineering PhD graduate Jaclyn Lock, she has provided support and guidance to dozens of women and girls during her time at Northeastern.
Full Article - Female PhD Student SuccessesFeatured Student Organizations
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers
Derek Tran, BS/MS, mechanical engineering, shares his experience as co-president of the Northeastern Student Chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers.
Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers
Northeastern’s SHPE is a professional organization whose goal is to enable Latinos in the New England area to pursue, obtain and develop successful careers in STEM fields.