Graduate Student Writing: CommLab Drop-In Writing Hours
2025-12-02 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-09 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-16 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/95748947707?pwd=[REDACTED]
Graduate students, are you looking for a time for focused research writing? Join the CommLab drop-in writing hours on any Tuesday between 9 -11 am ET. Drop in on any Tuesday and stay for a short time or two hours. A CommLab Fellow will be available to provide feedback on your writing. We will be meeting virtually on Zoom.

LinkedIn, CV, Resume: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-12-02 11:00 - 12:00 | https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/linkedin-cv-resume-commlab-drop-in-hours-2/2025-12-02/
Graduate students, do you need to increase your on-line presence or update your CV or Resume? Join the CommLab’s LinkedIn, CV, and Resume drop-in workshops any Tuesday from 11 pm to 12 pm ET. This collaborative space offers valuable advice and peer feedback to enhance your online profile and professional presence. Join this drop-in workshop through Zoom.

Crafting Posters with Visual Impact and Designing Poster Narratives: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-12-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-17 10:00 - 11:00 | 206 Egan, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Working on a poster? Stop by the CommLab Drop-In hours to brainstorm ideas, get feedback and fine tune the visual and oral presentation of your research or project. Join any Wednesday from 10-11am in person in room 206 Egan or join virtually on Zoom.

Scientific Oral Communication : CommLab Drop-In Workshops
2025-12-03 13:30 - 14:30 | https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/scientific-oral-communication-commlab-drop-in-workshops-2/2025-12-03/
The NU CommLab is hosting a weekly hybrid Scientific Oral Communication Drop-in practice for graduate students. Drop-in virtually or in-person any week to practice for your upcoming oral exams, proposals, thesis, dissertation or talks. Receive and implement feedback on your verbal and non-verbal public speaking skills. Drop-in any Wednesday from 1:30-2:30 pm in 306 Egan or on Zoom. Note on September 10 and October 8 the workshop will be in 334 Curry Student Center.

Chemical Engineering Research Showcase
2025-12-04 14:30 - 18:00 | Raytheon Amphitheater (240 Egan), 360 Huntington Ave, 240 Egan, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join us for our Annual Chemical Engineering Research Showcase in the Raytheon Ampitheater! Every year, our Chemical Engineering PhD students and select faculty members present their work through Oral Presentations, Poster Sessions, and 5-minute Presentations. This year, the Capstone and Professional Development classes will also be presenting their posters as part of the event. All are welcome to attend.

LinkedIn, CV, Resume: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-12-09 11:00 - 12:00 | https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/linkedin-cv-resume-commlab-drop-in-hours-2/2025-12-09/

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Barrett Smith
2025-12-10 09:00 - 13:00
Name:
Barrett Smith
Title:
in situ polymer gelation in confined flow
Date:
12/10/2025
Time:
9:00:00 AM
Committee Members:
Prof. Sara M. Hashmi (Advisor)
Prof. Steve Lustig
Prof. Xiaoyu Tang
Prof. Matt Kipper
Location:
425 Shillman Hall
Abstract:
Polymer flows through pores, nozzles and other small channels govern engineered and naturally occurring dynamics in many processes, from 3D printing to oil recovery in the earth’s subsurface to a wide variety of biological flows. Cross-linking within these polymer flows can change their material properties dramatically. Bulk characterization of these changes is insufficient to describe how these materials behave in microfluidic flow. Shear stresses produced by confinement cause changes in gel properties. Additionally, small inhomogeneities which arise during cross-linking become more important at microfluidic length scales. As a result of these complexities, the behavior of polymer solutions which are actively undergoing cross-linking is understudied and few principles have been established which help determine a priori whether emergent behaviors such as clogging will occur.
In this dissertation, we investigate a simple model system of polymer cross-linking in microfluidic flow. Alginate, a common biopolymer, is crosslinked by calcium ions while being driven through a microfluidic channel at constant flow rate. We map the boundaries defining clogging and flow as a function of flow rate, polymer concentration, and crosslinker concentration. Between the dynamic regimes of complete clogging and unrestricted flow, we observe a remarkable phenomenon in which the crosslinked polymer intermittently clogs the channel. This pattern of deposition and removal of the crosslinked gel is simultaneously highly reproducible, long-lasting, and controllable by system parameters. We provide an analytical framework to quantitatively explain and describe the intermittent behavior as resulting from diffusively driven deposition in a high Peclet number flow where convection dominates over diffusion. Fitting the experimental data shows that higher component concentrations lead to more efficient deposition and more swollen gels, while increasing the flow rate increases the deposition rate but produces much less swollen gels. By correlating the analytical analysis with bulk rheology measurements, we find that deposition efficiency increases with the stiffness of the gel formed in flow. Softer gels withstand higher shear stresses before ablation. Upon detaching from the channel, the gel retains its shape, resulting in alginate microrods. To investigate the properties of these alginate rods, we
develop and validate a novel method which uses common laboratory equipment to measure viscoelastic mechanical properties of small, soft rods and fibers. Finally, we discuss future directions for this model system and related experimental setups.

Barrett Smith is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. Mr. Smith obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Engineering from Cornell University in 2014. Upon graduating, he worked for five years in the research department of the pharmaceutical company Insmed Inc, where he developed nebulized and intravenous nanoparticle formulations for novel antibiotics. He joined the Hashmi Complex Fluids lab in 2021and is defending his dissertation in December 2025. In his graduate work, Mr. Smith investigates the behavior of polymer hydrogels in microfluidic systems. Outside of school, Mr. Smith enjoys spending time with his wife and two children reading, completing puzzles, and riding bikes.

Scientific Oral Communication : CommLab Drop-In Workshops
2025-12-10 13:30 - 14:30 | https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/scientific-oral-communication-commlab-drop-in-workshops-2/2025-12-10/

LinkedIn, CV, Resume: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-12-16 11:00 - 12:00 | https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/linkedin-cv-resume-commlab-drop-in-hours-2/2025-12-16/

COE Global Co-op Info Session
2026-01-12 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-01-22 17:30 - 18:30
This is an in-person information session hosted by the College of Engineering Global Co-op Team. Location: 909 Renaissance Park
We will focus on searching for co-ops abroad for the Fall 2026 semester or later.

Have you ever thought about doing co-op in another country?
Would you like to learn more about available co-op opportunities, or creating your own opportunities abroad?
Are you curious about the logistics associated with a global co-op?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we hope you’ll attend so that we can introduce you to the search process and provide you with some important resources.
These info sessions are a great opportunity to connect with the COE Global Co-op Team and students who have participated in global co-op in past semesters. If you have questions or would like more information, please find our contact information below.
Please register on the NUworks Calendar.
Sally Conant, s.conant@northeastern.edu
Kristina Hubbard, k.hubbard@northeastern.edu
We look forward to meeting you!

The Gordon Institute: Virtual Information Session
2026-01-14 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
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 20 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:

October 8, 2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
November 5, 2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
January 14, 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.

Fusion Book Club
2026-01-26 16:30 - 17:30
Join the Fusion Book Club on Monday, January 26th at 4:30pm (ET) in Snell Library (SL-215A) or online via Teams.
We’ll start with an open discussion about reading recommendations, then discuss this month’s book: The Six: the untold story of America’s first women astronauts.
Copies are available to borrow from the library in e, audio, and print formats.
All are welcome!

COE Global Co-op Info Session
2026-01-27 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
This is a virtual information session hosted by the College of Engineering Global Co-op Team.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/97929114082
Meeting ID: 979 2911 4082
We will focus on searching for co-ops abroad for the Fall 2026 semester or later.

Have you ever thought about doing co-op in another country?
Would you like to learn more about available co-op opportunities, or creating your own opportunities abroad?
Are you curious about the logistics associated with a global co-op?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we hope you’ll attend so that we can introduce you to the search process and provide you with some important resources.
These info sessions are a great opportunity to connect with the COE Global Co-op Team and students who have participated in global co-op in past semesters. If you have questions or would like more information, please find our contact information below.
Please register on the NUworks Calendar.
Sally Conant, s.conant@northeastern.edu
Kristina Hubbard, k.hubbard@northeastern.edu
We look forward to meeting you!

The Gordon Institute: Virtual Information Session
2026-02-11 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
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:

January 14, 2026 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
February 11, 2026 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
March 18, 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.

COE PhD Research Expo
2026-02-23 12:00 - 14:00
The College of Engineering is excited to announce the eighth annual COE PhD Research Expo, and we invite all COE students to submit a poster abstract. The expo is a wonderful opportunity for your students to highlight their research and gain experience presenting their work in a friendly environment.
Place: Indoor Quad, Curry Student Center
Student Abstracts:

Please encourage your PhD students to submit poster abstracts by January 19, 2026. The CommLab will offer workshops on poster preparation in early February.

Faculty Judges:

We are also looking for at least fifteen faculty members to serve as judges. If you are available to judge between 12:00pm – 1:30pm on Monday, February 23th please fill out this form by Monday, January 19, 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tracy Carter (t.carter@northeastern.edu)

CommLab Poster Workshops for Students

Webinar Series Title: Creating and Delivering Impactful Poster Presentations: Showcase Your Work with Confidence” Zoom Link

Webinar Series Description: From concept to creation to presentation, your poster is a tool to convey your research and projects. By attending this webinar series, you will learn and hone valuable skills to engage your audience with a clear and distinct poster. Whether this is your first poster submission or you are a seasoned poster presenter, you will learn valuable tips and tricks at each of the four steps in the poster process.

Monday, February 2nd, 10-11 am: “Designing Poster Narratives”
Monday, February 9th, 10-11 am: “Crafting Posters with Visual Impact”
Monday, February 16th, 10-11 am: “Delivering an Impactful Poster Pitch: Strategies for Engaging Your Audience”

Chemical Engineering 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony
2026-04-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Alumni Center, 716 Columbus Ave, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02120, United States
This is the annual event for our community to celebrate the department, College, University, and external awards and achievements given over the past year.
**Parking is available for a fee at Gainsborough and Renaissance Park Garages. There are also meters on Columbus Ave. Lyft and Uber are also suggested. MBTA commuters can take the Orange Line to the Ruggles stop.**
