Mechanical Engineering Scholarship in Memory of James D. Arangio, E’62
The Family of the late James D. Arangio, E’62, mechanical engineering, met with Leah Aaronson, E’26, mechanical engineering (second from left), who is the 2025 recipient of a scholarship in memory of Arangio.
The legacy of James D. Arangio, E’62, mechanical engineering, lives on through an annual scholarship for a mechanical engineering student. Arangio had a co-op at Raytheon that led to a 43-year career.
When James D. “Jim” Arangio, E’62, mechanical engineering, passed away in 2011, he left behind a family who adored him and countless memories of his kindness, humility, and engineering accomplishments.
At Raytheon Co., where he spent his entire 43-year career, he was known as the “Michelangelo of design,” and at home he was such an expert at building and fixing things that his family never had to hire someone for home repairs.
“He loved the design process,” says Theresa “Terri” Arangio, who was married to Jim for 48 years. “He learned drafting in high school, and it just went from there.”
As the family contemplated how to best pay tribute to him, they recalled how he frequently raved about Northeastern and loved mentoring younger engineers. Jim was an advocate of co-ops, having completed one at Raytheon, which then led to a rewarding career. He worked in the Missile Systems Division, ultimately retiring as a principal engineer. One of his most noteworthy projects was creating the first night vision goggles for the U.S. Army deployed in Vietnam. The goggles were both accepted and later patented, and were instrumental in changing the way night combat was performed.
The family decided to establish an annual scholarship at Northeastern in Jim’s name. “We felt it would memorialize him and benefit a mechanical engineering student who would be going into the field he was so passionate about,” says his daughter Jennifer Papasodoro.
In the 13 years since establishing the scholarship, Terri and her children have provided annual support to a student who is in their second year of study or higher and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, as Jim was during his career.
Each year, the family visits Northeastern’s Boston campus to meet with the new scholarship recipient. “He would have loved to have had these conversations with the students,” says his daughter Christine Vasiliadis. “He would have been full of questions because he was such a curious individual.”
Terri says she believes she gets more from the meetings than the students do. “It’s a joy every year to meet them,” she says. “My husband would be in awe of their capabilities and how much they accomplish with their studies and co-ops. They are amazing.”
She occasionally stays in touch with recipients and recalls exchanging holiday cards with the first scholarship winner, learning about his path in becoming an engineer and starting a family.
The Arangio children – Christine, Jennifer, Jim, and Michael—initially planned to fund the scholarship for four years, with each of them contributing to one annual scholarship. Terri then decided to continue funding the scholarship and says she hopes to do so for many years to come. “I plan to continue this, and I’ve asked my children to continue when I’m gone,” she says.
“You know they are brilliant, and yet they are humble,” adds Terri when reflecting on the scholarship recipients. “My husband was a very humble person and so it gives us great pleasure to do this.”