Northeastern University College of Engineering

Crafting Data Visuals to Tell a Scientific Story: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2026-07-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-16 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-09 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates
Looking to illustrate your data? Join the CommLab Data Visualization Drop-In sessions Tuesdays from 10-11am on Zoom to discuss strategies or receive feedback on your data visualization process.

STEM Pride Table at Snell Library Lobby, Boston
2026-06-22 11:00 - 16:00
Join the Northeastern University Library in promotion of STEM resources about LGBTQIA+ topics. The table will be staffed from 11-1pm but you are welcome to visit any time. You can also peruse our list of recommended reads. If you have any suggestions for inclusion on the list, please email STEM Librarian Alyn Gamble.

The Gordon Institute: Virtual Information Session
2026-06-17 17:30 - 18:30
Learn how you can earn a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership as a stand-alone certificate or in combination with one of over 25 Master of Science degrees offered through Northeastern’s College of Engineering, College of Science, or Khoury College of Computer Sciences.
Our Director of Admissions will be answering your application questions for Fall 2026.
You will have the opportunity to meet Alumni and hear how The Gordon Institute propelled their engineering careers. Program professors will also be present to answer curriculum questions.
The Gordon Institute also offers one-on-one info calls with admissions representatives. If you are interested in scheduling a call, please contact Amy Manley at a.manley@northeastern.edu.
Register

The Gordon Institute: Virtual Information Session
2026-06-17 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-05-13 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
Register for an upcoming information session. Learn how you can earn a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership through The Gordon Institute as a stand-alone certificate or in combination with one of 25+ Master of Science degrees offered through Northeastern University College of Engineering, Northeastern University College of Science, or Khoury College of Computer Sciences.
You will have the opportunity to hear from alumni about how The Gordon Institute propelled their engineering careers, speak with program professors about the curriculum, and ask the director of admissions your application questions for fall 2026.
Upcoming Information Session Dates:

April 15, 2026 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
May 13, 2026 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
June 17, 2026 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

The Gordon Institute also offers one-on-one info calls with admissions representatives. If you are interested in scheduling a call, please contact Amy Manley at a.manley@northeastern.edu.

Bioengineering Student WIP Seminar - Summer '26
2026-06-17 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-10 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-03 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-20 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-13 12:00 - 13:00
Work in Progress (WIP) seminars with Bioengineering PhD students. Weekly in 121 Snell Library from 12-1pm on Wednesdays during Summer 1.
All are welcome!

PhD Candidate
Faculty Advisor

MAY

5/6
Qiaochu Liu
Lei Wang

Mitchell Thomas
Jing-Ke Weng

5/13
Sophia Millan
Amir Vahabikashi

Ysabel del Fierro
Rebecca Willits

5/20
Rui Tang
Neel Joshi

Xiwen Zhao
Mingyang Lu

5/27
Neelabh Sharma
Elizabeth Libby

Katya Karpova
Guohao Dai

JUNE

6/3
Fan-Yu Yen
Qianqian Fang

Hannah Harens
Nikolai Slavov

6/10
Grace Flynn
Guohao Dai

Ivonne Lozano
Bryan Spring

6/17
Masoud Keramati
Mary Jo Ondrechen

Ashlyn McCann
Qianqian Fang

QMSI Seminar - “Probing correlated states with excitons in van der Waals heterostructures” - Prof. Andrew Y. Joe
2026-06-05 11:00 - 12:00
SEMINAR
Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute (QMSI)
“Probing correlated states with excitons in van der Waals heterostructures”
Prof. Andrew Y. Joe
Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Riverside
Friday, June 05, 2026, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Venue: Elliott Hall – Room 130C
147 South Bedford St, Burlington, MA
The seminar is both in person and online
Pizza will be served
Abstract: Since the isolation of atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials, vdW heterostructures have been used to engineer new quantum phenomena at the two-dimensional (2D) limit. Semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers are of particular interest because they serve as a highly tunable platform hosting both 2D electron gases and light-induced electron-hole bound pairs, known as excitons. In this talk, I will demonstrate how we utilize excitons as highly sensitive optical probes to explore correlated electronic behavior in these systems. First, I will highlight their use in studying correlated electron-hole fluids, revealing the formation of interlayer excitons and perfect Coulomb drag. I will then present recent work from my group exploring correlated insulating phases in TMD moiré heterostructures. By performing optical spectroscopy, we identify moiré-induced exciton species that can detect charge localization between different moiré sites and layers. Together, these findings establish excitons as a versatile optical probe for mapping the complex landscape of correlated electron phenomena in van der Waals systems.
Bio: Andrew Joe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Riverside. Prior to joining UC Riverside, he was a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where his research focused on electrostatically created interlayer excitons. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University, working with Philip Kim and earned his B.A. in Physics from Cornell University. As an experimental condensed matter physicist, his research centers on discovering novel quantum phenomena in low-dimensional materials. By combining advanced electrostatic control and nanoscale device engineering, his group investigates moiré superlattices in van der Waals heterostructures, strongly correlated electron-hole fluids, and emerging electronic and optoelectronic properties in novel quantum materials.
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Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/229273301684794?p=QiVtiYaOtA1y6FhM2X
Meeting ID: 229 273 301 684 794
Passcode: [REDACTED]

COE Research Expo
2026-06-04 12:00 - 14:00 | Curry Student Center, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
The College of Engineering is excited to announce the eighth annual COE PhD Research Expo. The Expo is a fantastic opportunity for PhD students to highlight their research and for faculty and students to network and talk about research in a friendly environment.

Chemical Engineering GSC CV/Resume Workshop
2026-06-03 14:00 - 16:00
The Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Council is inviting fellow students to attend an upcoming CV/Resume Workshop designed to help you strengthen your academic and professional applications.
Please RSVP
This workshop will cover:

Resume and CV formatting
Tailoring applications for internships, fellowships, and jobs
Common mistakes to avoid in CV/Resume

We encourage all graduate students to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to improve their professional documents.

3rd CV4Smalls Workshop Computer Vision with Small Data: Beyond Scale Toward Data-Efficient Dynamically-Aware Video Intelligence
2026-06-03 - 2026-06-07
While foundation models keep scaling, many real-world domains still face scarce, costly, and complex data. That’s why we’re excited to bring the 3rd CV4Smalls Workshop to CVPR 2026 with a new theme:
Beyond Scale: Toward Data-Efficient & Dynamically-Aware Video Intelligence
Working on small-data video understanding? We’d love to have you join the conversation — submit your work or participate in our upcoming challenge!
Paper Deadline: March 4, 2026 (CVPR format)Challenge Track: Coming soon with Voxel51 and TwelveLabs🌐 https://lnkd.in/eq3Taarx
See the flyer for keynote speakers and the full list of topics — hope to see you there!

Digital Twins for MEMS Manufacturing
2026-05-31 10:00 - 15:00
Northeastern University College of Engineering will be at the forefront of one of the MEMS and Microsystem community’s most anticipated gatherings this summer. Benyamin Davaji , Assistant Professor in the College of Engineering, is co-organizing a full-day workshop on Digital Twins for MEMS Manufacturing at Hilton Head 2026 , taking place May 31–June 4 at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The workshop, co-organized with Prof. Gary Fedder of Carnegie Mellon University, will open the conference on Sunday, May 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Hilton Head 2026 is the 22nd edition of the biennial Workshop on the Science and Technology of Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems, a multidisciplinary gathering that draws researchers from academia, industry, and government worldwide.
The Digital Twins for MEMS Manufacturing workshop reflects growing momentum around smarter, more adaptive and process-aware MEMS and semiconductor fabrication. The session will explore how digital twins — virtual representations of physical manufacturing systems — differ from conventional modeling approaches and will cover topics including automated critical-dimension extraction, virtual metrology using equipment data, and the integration of AI methods such as agentic approaches for iterative process and design optimization. A panel with industry participants will spotlight unmet needs and pathways for collaboration, making the workshop a bridge between academic research and real-world manufacturing challenges.
This workshop builds on research from Northeastern’s Autonomous Integrated Microsystems (AIMS) Laboratory , which develops AI-driven digital twin frameworks to connect design, fabrication, and metrology data in continuously learning systems. The session at Hilton Head 2026 represents an opportunity to share this work with the broader MEMS community and shape the conversation around data infrastructure, interoperability, and standards that will define the next generation of MEMS manufacturing.
Abstract: Recent interest in semiconductor digital twins is driven by the expectation of accelerating process development, enabling device – technology design co-optimization, and supporting agile manufacturing workflows. This participatory workshop examines digital twins for MEMS from a manufacturing-centered perspective, emphasizing how they differ from traditional modeling and simulation. Topics include an introduction to digital twin concepts with examples from MEMS-relevant processes, automated CD extraction and process characterization, virtual metrology using equipment data, and the challenges of extending these approaches across complete process flows. The workshop will also introduce the role of digital twins in enabling AI methods relevant to MEMS workflows, including agentic approaches for process and design iteration. Commercial tools and current capabilities will be reviewed, followed by a discussion of gaps in data infrastructure, interoperability, and standards. A panel with industry participants will highlight unmet needs and opportunities for research and collaboration in MEMS digital twins.
For more information on the workshop program, visit https://www.hh2026.org/events/sunday_workshops.html.

Closing the Loop: AI-Driven Predictive Modeling for Printed Electronics
2026-05-28 12:00 - 13:00
Northeastern University College of Engineering faculty are bringing cutting-edge advances in AI-powered manufacturing to a national audience through the NextFlex AI Webinar Series, a leading Flexible and Hybrid Electronics initiative accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence across the electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
ECE Assistant Professor Benyamin Davaji will present “Closing the Loop: AI-Driven Predictive Modeling for Printed Electronics” on May 28th, in a free, publicly accessible webinar hosted by NextFlex. The talk highlights ongoing research from Northeastern’s Autonomous Integrated Microsystems (AIMS) Laboratory, where Prof. Davaji and his team are developing an end-to-end AI-driven framework designed to move printed electronics manufacturing beyond reactive inspection and toward predictive, closed-loop control. The framework integrates multi-modal sensing, combining ultrasound, vision, and acoustic emission, with digital twin models and machine learning pipelines that enable real-time print proximity correction, electrical impedance adjustment, and process parameter tuning across multiple printing platforms and print heads.
The work also extends closed-loop intelligence upstream into design, bridging ECAD and MCAD environments through a computer-vision-based slicing approach that generates print-ready files anticipating known process behaviors. Results are benchmarked across dimensional accuracy, impedance prediction, and process yield, reflecting both the promise and the practical realities of AI integration in advanced manufacturing workflows.
Abstract and Registration

Graduate Admitted Student Webinar
2026-05-28 09:30 - 10:30
Join us for Northeastern’s Admitted Student Webinar
An exclusive invite only (via email) event to the Graduate School of Engineering Admitted Student Information Session with Kelly Egorova, assistant dean of graduate admissions, on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
During the webinar, During this webinar, you can learn more about the following topics:

Deposit timelines
Foreign Credential Evaluation
I-20 information
Funding your degree
Ambassador roadmap
Course registration
orientation communication
and more

CommLab Workshop Series: Automating Your Data Visualization Process with Python
2026-05-19 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-05-12 10:00 - 11:00
Looking to boost your skills in showcasing data? Join the CommLab’s Python Data Visualization workshop this coming May to expand your data visualization toolkit and streamline your illustration process with simple Python programming.

Over the course of three sessions, we’ll demonstrate how to setup and interact with a user-friendly Python plotting environment before walking through the basics of importing and plotting your data. This workshop requires no prior Python knowledge.

Tools of the Trade and System Setup
May 5th, 10-11am Zoom
– Installing Miniconda and VSCode
– Setting up your Python environment with data visualization tools
– Interactive Python plotting using Jupyter Notebooks

Getting Comfortable with Python for Data Illustration
May 12th, 10-11am Zoom or in room 334 Curry Student Center
– Basic Python plotting with Matplotlib
– Plotting examples with full tutorials

Importing Your Data for Tailored Visualization
May 19th, 10-11am Zoom or in room 334 Curry Student Center
– Using Pandas for data management
– Putting it all together with Seaborn

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Kevin Yang
2026-05-08 13:00 - 14:00
Name:
Kevin Yang
Title:
Structural Investigation of Single-Atom Catalysts in HCl Electrolysis, CO₂ Reduction, and Li-S Batteries
Date:
05/08/2026
Time:
01:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Sanjeev Mukerjee (Advisor)
Prof. Joshua Gallaway
Prof. Hannah Sayre
Prof. Magda Barecka
Location:
EXP 202
Abstract:
Transition metal single-atom catalysts have emerged as a promising class of materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage due to their high atomic utilization, tunable electronic structure, well-defined active sites, and use to high earth abundant metals. Metal nitrogen carbon (M-N-C) catalysts are practical in a wide range of electrochemical systems. However, the development of M-N-C catalysts into industrial systems still requires much effort, in part, due to the lack of durability and stability studies. M-N-C catalysts can be used in oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) HCl electrolysis, CO2 reduction, and lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Understanding the mechanisms of M-N-C degradation, durability, and effects of modifications to such catalysts would ultimately benefit their implementation in each electrochemical system. Chapter 1 introduces M-N-C catalysts and the various electrochemical systems they will be used in (ODC HCl electrolysis, CO2 reduction, and Li-S batteries).
In chapter two, we investigate the durability of the Fe-N-C catalyst in ODC HCl electrolysis. Fe-N-C exhibits high oxygen reduction activity and strong resistance to chloride poisoning relative to most noble metal catalysts. However, its durability and degradation mechanisms in HCl electrolysis are not well studied. Through a combination of durability studies, accelerated stress tests, and multimodal spectroscopic techniques, we identified two main degradation pathways: an operational demetallation of Fe-N4 active sites under sustained polarization and a carbon-corrosion-induced demetallation that occurs during the transient conditions of uncontrolled shutdown. Spectroscopic analysis reveals one unstable FeN4 moiety and two stable Fe-N-C moieties that can withstand the HCl electrolysis operating conditions. These findings establish a mechanism for Fe-N-C degradation to drive future catalyst design.
In chapter three, we modify Fe-N-C catalyst and Ni-N-C catalyst with heteroatom dopants to observe their effects on CO2 reduction activity, product selectivity, and the correlation with the changes in electronic and coordination structure. Using a post-pyrolysis treatment process, we dope the environment around the metal active center either by introducing an axial ligand or binding to the carbon structure. Utilizing in situ/operando XAS, we found that the dopants are generally not stable and can introduce a site-blocking effect at low overpotentials. Through these findings, we find that the axial ligand dopants are not durable during CO2 reduction and do not make large contributions to the activity or product distribution of Ni-N-C and Fe-N-C in CO2 reduction.
In chapter four, we investigate the effects of metal centers for M-N-C in polysulfide conversion and the changes in the active site structure after operation. The catalytic activity of M-N-C catalysts varies largely with different metal centers and coordinating environments. We find that Co-N-C and Fe-N-C favor the oxidation of short-chain polysulfides to elemental sulfur, while Sn-N-C and Ni-N-C make a larger contribution to the reduction of elemental sulfur to short-chain polysulfides. Mo-N-C, which had the presence of Mo nanoparticles, exhibited the lowest increase in performance compared to the others. This finding emphasizes the catalytic capability and importance of synthesizing purer M-N-C catalysts. All M-N-C catalysts were able to impact the conversion of lithium polysulfides to gain performance greater than baseline carbon. X-ray spectroscopic methods were used to analyze the structure of the M-N-C catalyst at various cycles to find that the active site structure of Fe-N-C undergoes a partial change to form Fe2O3, while Co-N-C and Ni-N-C remain relatively stable. This change in the active site could be a cause of capacity decay in Li-S batteries.
Chapter 5 summarizes the findings and offers suggestions for future work.

Kevin Yang is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University, where his research focuses on understanding structure–property relationships in single-atom catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. His work spans multiple electrochemical systems, including oxygen depolarized cathodes for hydrochloric acid electrolysis, CO₂ electroreduction, and lithium–sulfur batteries, with an overarching emphasis on how catalyst active sites evolve under operating conditions and how those structural changes govern activity, selectivity, and durability. Kevin’s research combines electrochemical engineering with advanced multimodal characterization, including in situ and ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES/EXAFS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and electrochemical diagnostics. Through this work, he has developed mechanistic insights into active site degradation pathways in Fe–N–C and other transition metal–nitrogen–carbon single-atom catalysts, helping bridge fundamental catalyst chemistry with practical reactor operation.
