Northeastern University College of Engineering

LinkedIn, CV, Resume: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-07-08 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-15 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-29 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-05 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
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 every other 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.

Scientific Oral Communication : CommLab Drop-In Workshops
2025-07-09 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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. Meet any Wednesday from 1-2pm in 306 Egan or on Zoom. Note on June 4th the workshop will be in 206 Egan.

Women in Engineering Book Club
2025-07-14 16:30 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Women in Engineering Book Club!
When: 2nd of Monday of every month at 4:30pm
Where: Snell Library’s Research & Teaching Hub (SL 215)
What we are reading: Women in Engineering Book Club – Book List

Graduate Student Writing: CommLab Drop-In Writing Hours
2025-07-15 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-22 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-29 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-05 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Graduate students, are you looking for a time for focused research writing? Join the CommLab drop-in writing hours any Tuesday between 9 -11 am ET. Drop in 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 Teams.

Graduate Student Proposal/Fellowship Writing Hours: CommLab Drop-In Hours
2025-07-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-29 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-08-05 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Graduate students, are you looking for support in writing your research or fellowship proposal? Join the CommLab virtual drop-in writing hours any Tuesday between 10 am -12 pm ET and stay for a short time or the whole two hours. A CommLab Fellow will be available to help you set writing goals and provide feedback on your writing. Join this drop-in workshop through Zoom.

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Yang Hu
2025-07-17 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Name: Yang Hu
Title: Sex-Based Difference in Schwann Cell Migration in Response to Topography, Laminin-derived Peptide and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 as in vitro Models for Peripheral Nerve Repair
Date: 07/17/2025
Time: 12:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Rebecca Willits (Advisor)
Prof. Matthew Becker
Prof. Ryan Koppes
Prof. Eno Ebong
Location: 220 Shillman
Abstract:
Peripheral nerve repair highly relies on Schwann cell migration within the nerve gap. Repairing a critical-sized nerve gap (~3-4 cm in humans) remains a significant challenge for satisfactory recover outcomes. Facilitating Schwann cell migration for accelerating nerve regeneration has attracted great research interest. This dissertation explores the individual and synergistic effects of different types of external cues: topography, uniform and gradient of biochemical cues.
First, this dissertation found that female cells moved faster, while male cells were more persistent on glass surfaces, indicating an innate sex-based difference in motility responses. This difference was additionally regulated in both a sex- and diameter-dependent manner by three distinct fiber diameter (0.9, 1.2 and 1.8 µm) provided by Dr. Becker’s lab (Duke University). The smaller fibers attenuated innate motility differences, while they reappeared on the largest fiber.
The second part of this dissertation harnessed the finding that 1.2 µm fibers did not induce migration differences, with YIGSR, a peptide derived from laminin β1 chain, which can facilitate Schwann cell proliferation and directionally guide cell migration. YIGSR-tethered fiber scaffolds in different profiles were characterized and provided (Dr. Becker’s lab) for conducting migration studies. We found that cells responded in both sex- and concentration-dependent manner to uniform concentrations. Directional cell migration only occurred at specific locations along the steepest gradient, indicating a competing effect of contact guidance and tethered YIGSR.
The third part of this dissertation discovered the role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in defined profiles on Schwann cell migration. We found that uniform TGF-β1 concentrations enhanced Schwann cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner, while no directional migration was observed under TGF-β1 gradients. Understanding how TGF-β1 modulates Schwann cell migration provides insights for developing therapeutic strategies and biomaterials that seek to promote nerve regeneration.

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: William Doherty
2025-07-21 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 420 Shillman Hall, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Name: William Doherty
Title: Stimulating Excitable Cells with Optosomes: Development of a Non-viral Cell Derived Vesicle Capable of Stimulating Excitable Cells in Response to Light Stimulus
Date: 07/21/2025
Time: 2:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Ryan Koppes (Advisor)
Prof. Abigail Koppes
Prof. Benjamin Woolston
Prof. Rebecca Shansky
Location: Shillman Hall 420
Abstract:
For years, researchers have studied and developed neuromodulation techniques meant to stimulate and/or inhibit excitable cells both in research and clinical settings. A method to excite cells with light, termed Optogenetics, has been researched extensively since its discovery in the early 2000’s. A major constraint of Optogenetics is the expression of the necessary light-gated ion channels most often achieved using a viral vector. While this is not overly concerning in research settings, clinical applications of optogenetics have been slow to develop as the use of viral vectors in humans presents challenges regarding safety. Additionally, foreign opsin genes are believed to be a permanent addition to the transfected cells.
This dissertation aimed to develop Optosomes; a cell-derived vesicle containing excitatory opsin that couples with excitable cells via Gap-Junctions that conduct the stimulus current from the opsin into the cell. Initial production of Optosomes followed established protocols for producing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles (GPMVs) in which small volumes of cytoplasm are encapsulated in a piece of the cell’s plasma membrane. The number of GPMVs produced varied with pH, cell confluency, and base medium having a noticeable impact on the number of GPMVs generated. Optosome production required the creation of a stable cell line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and connexin-43 (Cx43) proteins required to form Gap-Junctions. Two separate transfections in the series generated a ChR2-Cx43 Hek293 cell line capable of producing Optosomes at a high concentration. Finally, a mathematical model was built to simulate Optosome stimulation of excitable cells and how changes in the size of Optosomes and cells affect the strength of stimulus generated. The result of these simulations and attempts to stimulate neonatal Cardiomyocytes (CM) in vitro confirmed that the majority of Optosomes produced were too small to generate a stimulus capable of exciting CMs. Production of Optosomes with larger diameters or the use of a different strand of ChR2 is needed to increase the number of Optosomes able to stimulate CMs will be needed moving forward.
The results of this dissertation provide the foundation for developing Optosomes as an alternative approach to stimulating excitable cells with light.

William Doherty Northeastern University-Department of Chemical Engineering After spending nearly two years working on the development of a new automated Biomanufacturing system in the Love Lab, Bill was accepted and enrolled in the PhD program for Chemical Engineering. After finding his home for the next 7 years in the Koppes Lab, he got to work both on forming his thesis and integrating into the community at Northeastern. In pursuing his Ph. D, he had started to appreciate how applying mathematical modeling techniques to biological systems offers a whole new perspective when trying to understand the complex innerworkings of the human body. It offered a nice juxtaposition to the time spent in lab running hands on experiments that are less about math and academic prowess and more about technique, adaptability, and problem solving in real time. Bill has sed the better part of his twenties working in Research and its why he was so eager to pursue a Ph D as he hopes to work his way into scientist positions overseeing research and development projects. Still residing in Boston, he hopes to find a position in the New England Area after submitting his Dissertation; staying close to family and friends in the area.

ChE MS Thesis Defense: Julie Penn
2025-07-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Name: Julie Penn
Title: Development, Optimization, and Evaluation of SWIR Emitting QD Imaging Tools
Date: 07/24/2025
Time: 10:00:00 AM
Committee Members:
Prof. Allison Dennis (Advisor)
Prof. Bryan James
Prof. Ryan Koppes
Prof. Bryan Spring
Location: Shillman Hall 315
Abstract:
Shelf-stable fluorescent imaging references are commercially available. However, they are only available in the visible range (380-700 nm) and the near infrared I range (NIR I, 700-900 nm). These references are not available within the shortwave infrared range (SWIR, 1000-1700 nm). SWIR emitting semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have a tunable emission spectrum and are used in a range of SWIR imaging applications. In addition to their adjustable spectrum, QDs, particularly lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide (PbS/CdS) core/shell QDs, are incredibly photostable. This quality makes them optimal fluorophores for SWIR fluorescent imaging references. When the PbS/CdS QDs are embedded in epoxy, the QDs are contained in a permanent, shelf stable, oxygen-free environment. Thus, a SWIR fluorescent imaging sample is created. By changing the form factor of these objects, researchers can investigate SWIR imaging at depth, multiplexed imaging for spectral demixing using a baseline fluorescence intensity measurement. The performance of each tool was evaluated based on the photostability, the florescence intensity at depth, and the emission spectrum of the QDs contained within each type of florescence imaging tool.

Julie Penn is currently a 2nd year master’s student studying chemical engineering at Northeastern University. She is studying under the guidance of Dr. Allison Dennis, and her thesis is on Development, Optimization, and Evaluation of SWIR Emitting QD Imaging Tools. Outside of the laboratory, Julie is a proud and active member of the Boston section of Society of Women Engineers. In 2019 Julie graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical Engineering with a concentration in chemistry and began working at 908 Devices, a mass spectrometry manufacturer based in Boston, MA. As a member of the Customer Experience Team, Julie supported the R&D, manufacturing, quality, and sales departments, but most importantly the customers by repairing internal and customer-returned mass spectrometers, answering technical support phone calls, and traveling around the world to train users on their equipment. She was awarded the 2022 Customer Service Person of the Year for her outstanding support of the 908 Devices sales team. Upon the completion of her degree, Julie is looking to rejoin the workforce as a materials engineer. She is very excited to start this next journey of her career.

SUNY Buffalo Graduate School Fair
2025-07-25 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Join COE Graduate Admissions at the 2025 SUNY Buffalo Graduate School Fair in Buffalo, New York! Ask your questions about our graduate engineering programs across the U.S. and Canada during the fair on July 25th from 4pm-6pm. We look forward to meeting you there!

Virtual Monthly Coffee Hour with Neha!
2025-08-01 18:00 - 19:00 (Australia/Adelaide)
Join us for a coffee hour as Neha, College of Engineering enrollment coach in India, hosts a virtual webinar where you’ll:

Learn about our programs and co-op opportunities within the College of Engineering.
Explore the various campuses and impressive resources.
Learn about internal and external scholarships that you may qualify for.
Gain insight into the application process.
Connect with a student ambassador.

Discover the College of Engineering from Coast to Coast: Arlington
2025-08-05 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York)
Join Northeastern University’s College of Engineering Coast-to-Coast webinar series of events. We’ll explore each of our global campuses and highlight what makes them outstanding places to study, launch a tech career, and immerse yourself in a dynamic local culture.
During these webinars, you will:

Learn how our global campus network empowers you to shape your graduate experience around opportunity, innovation, and real-world impact.
Gain insight into the graduate engineering programs offered at each campus and discover how our programs help prepare you to become a forward-thinking leader by blending advanced technical expertise with strong communication skills to address society’s most pressing challenges.
Hear about the multinational companies that provide students with unique co-op opportunities.
Explore the campuses and their impressive resources, with insights shared by program and campus representatives.
Find out how you may be eligible for a 25% tuition discount scholarship.

Discover the College of Engineering from Coast to Coast: Miami
2025-08-06 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York)

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Sabrina Marnoto
2025-08-06 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 610-A EXP, 360 Huntington Ave, 610-A EXP, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Name: Sabrina Marnoto
Title: Dynamics of Droplet and Soft Particle Systems in Confined Microflows
Date: 08/06/2025
Time: 12:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Sara M. Hashmi (Advisor)
Dr. Petia Vlahovska
Prof. Xiaoyu Tang
Prof. Ambika Bajpayee
Prof. Mansoor Amiji
Location: EXP-610A
Abstract:
Droplets and soft particles are ubiquitous, exhibiting behavior in nature through rainfall and in biological materials, and serving industrial needs such as hopper de-cloggers and cell encapsulators. While droplets and particles appear in natural and industrial settings, their behavior is especially rich when flowing in confined geometries. In confined flow systems, droplets and soft particles exhibit unique phenomena that cause passive sorting and shape deformation. Many researchers utilize this distinctive behavior for applications in understanding the micro-vascular system, creating lab-on-a-chip platforms, and manipulating droplets and soft particles. In this thesis, we exploit droplet and soft particle dynamics in confined flow for two primary objectives: to develop a technique for measuring mechanical properties of individual droplets or particles and to gain a deeper understanding of the passive softness-driven separation of droplet and particle suspensions.
To begin, we focus on developing a continuous fluidic tool that combines droplet and particle formation with mechanical measurement in a single device. Current measurement tools are known to be challenging to use and time-consuming. Specifically, methods measure a single droplet or particle at a time. Furthermore, the measurement tools are discontinuous, requiring the creation of droplets and particles, followed by a separate measurement of mechanical properties. Discontinuous methods can introduce experimental errors in measurements. Confined geometries, such as microfluidic devices, offer the opportunity to measure the properties of multiple droplets and soft particles continuously. High-throughput continuous methods have implications in automation, material design optimization, and provide precise quality control. In this thesis, we explore the mechanical properties of two systems: droplets and soft particles. For droplets, we develop a robust yet simple fluidic tensiometer for surface tension measurements. The tensiometer accurately measures surface tension for a wide range of emulsion systems and is validated by established techniques.
Our tensiometer not only measures surface tension, but also can measure the restoring stress of soft particles. Restoring stress is the stress for a particle to reform back to its initial shape in response to an applied viscous shear. A higher restoring stress is indicative of a stiffer particle. We use polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as our model for soft particles. PEGDA is biocompatible, tunable, and photocurable, making it a widely used soft particle in fluidic measurements. In fluidic devices, PEGDA particles are formed by first pinching off PEGDA-filled droplets using oil, followed by exposure to UV light downstream, either on or off-chip. Off-chip curing presents complications, as droplets coalesce as they exit fluidic channels, causing polydispersion and negating the monodisperse advantage of fluidic techniques. On-chip exposure is possible with the rise of transparent fluidic device materials. In devices, many researchers expose particles to a single UV intensity and assume that particles are fully crosslinked as they flow. However, intensity and particle curing have a direct relationship. The UV curing mechanisms in flow are also not well understood. There are numerous methods for monitoring particle gelation, but few researchers combine techniques to comprehensively understand UV curing under precise flow conditions and UV control. We utilize our fluidic measurement tool, combined with a multitude of other analysis techniques, to fully grasp crosslinking kinetics both in and out of flow. We find that crosslinking particles in flow introduces additional complexities because UV intensity and exposure time depend on velocity and trajectory and can result in nonuniform curing.
In confined shear flows, wall effects cause individual droplets and particles to migrate towards the center of the channel and even deform. Shifting from individual droplet and particle measurements, we explore both emulsion and particle suspensions in flow. Suspensions of droplets and particles experience additional hydrodynamic forces due to pair-wise interactions with each other. In many computational and theoretical analyses, researchers assume monodisperse or bidisperse suspensions and simple shear flow for simplicity. However, real-world systems often deviate from these assumptions, particularly in polydispersed systems and Poiseuille flow. We employ a scaling behavior analysis on a polydispersed emulsion, considering both simple shear and Poiseuille phenomena. We investigate the validity of the scaling theory applied to varied shear rates, volume fractions, and viscosity ratios.
Multicomponent suspension flows through confined spaces are ubiquitous in nature. One of the most commonly investigated confined particle suspension systems is blood. In blood vessels in the microcirculation, red blood cells migrate towards the center of the channel, creating a cell-free layer, and other particulates, such as white blood cells, platelets, and leukocytes, partition towards the walls of the channels. Among the particulates circulating with red blood cells are drug delivery vehicles. Understanding carrier migration in blood vessels is crucial for improving drug efficacy and reducing adverse side effects. Both particle and flow properties control carrier migration. We provide a comprehensive review explaining how various properties affect particle migration in flow. Further, we suggest a method for quantifying said migration.
The thesis explores the individual and collective behavior of both particles and droplets in confined flow. By developing novel measurement tools and gaining a better fundamental understanding of droplet and particle behavior in confined flows, we present opportunities for broader industrial and academic applications, including automation, cell mechanics, and more.

Northeastern Global Study Expo- Hyderabad, India 2025
2025-08-09 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Join Kelly Egorova, Assistant Dean, Graduate Enrollment and Retention, in Hyderabad, India on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 9:00 AM until 11:45 AM at ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad
Knowledge City, Plot No.5, Survey No. 83/1 Madhapur for the largest in-person educational event hosted by a U.S.-based university!
Enhance your career and open doors to a world of opportunities by investing in yourself at Northeastern University College of Engineering. As a globally renowned institution ranked among the top-50 U.S. universities, Northeastern offers an education that is designed to propel your professional growth.
The Global Study Expo-India 2025 presents a unique chance to explore the unparalleled advantages of pursuing a engineering degree at Northeastern’s College of Engineering, which boasts a remarkable global network and a diverse community of talented individuals worldwide.
Register today and join us for an informative and inspiring day where you can:

Connect with Northeastern representatives.
Deepen your understanding of our graduate engineering programs.
Learn about our admissions requirements.
Discover potential scholarship opportunities.
Learn about our students’ educational and professional outcomes.
Hear about our successful students and alumni.

Northeastern Global Study Expo- Mumbai, India 2025
2025-08-10 09:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Join Kelly Egorova, Assistant Dean, Graduate Enrollment and Retention, on August 10, 2025 at 9:00am at JW MAriott Mumbai Juhu, India for the largest in-person educational event hosted by a U.S.-based university!
Enhance your career and open doors to a world of opportunities by investing in yourself at Northeastern University College of Engineering. As a globally renowned institution ranked among the top-50 U.S. universities, Northeastern offers an education that is designed to propel your professional growth.
The Global Study Expo-India 2025 presents a unique chance to explore the unparalleled advantages of pursuing a engineering degree at Northeastern’s College of Engineering, which boasts a remarkable global network and a diverse community of talented individuals worldwide.
Register today and join us for an informative and inspiring day where you can:

Connect with Northeastern representatives.
Deepen your understanding of our graduate engineering programs.
Learn about our admissions requirements.
Discover potential scholarship opportunities.
Learn about our students’ educational and professional outcomes.
Hear about our successful students and alumni.

Northeastern Global Study Expo- Bengaluru, India 2025
2025-08-12 06:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join Kelly Egorova, Assistant Dean, Graduate Enrollment and Retention, in Bengaluru, India Tuesday August 12, 2025 at 6:00pm until 8:30pm at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru
24/1 Vittal Mallya Road Bengaluru, Karnataka for the largest in-person educational event hosted by a U.S.-based university!
Enhance your career and open doors to a world of opportunities by investing in yourself at Northeastern University College of Engineering. As a globally renowned institution ranked among the top-50 U.S. universities, Northeastern offers an education that is designed to propel your professional growth.
The Global Study Expo-India 2025 presents a unique chance to explore the unparalleled advantages of pursuing a engineering degree at Northeastern’s College of Engineering, which boasts a remarkable global network and a diverse community of talented individuals worldwide.
Register today and join us for an informative and inspiring day where you can:

Connect with Northeastern representatives.
Deepen your understanding of our graduate engineering programs.
Learn about our admissions requirements.
Discover potential scholarship opportunities.
Learn about our students’ educational and professional outcomes.
Hear about our successful students and alumni.
