Video and photo credit: Luke Medalla
2025 Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Community Impact

Liang Chen
College of Professional Studies
CPS Graduate Programs, Commerce and Economic Dev
Recognized for fostering collaborative learning and impactful contributions to financial research. Her initiative in creating a peer-led Python study group helped students engage with complex subjects, while her research on “Sentiment Dynamics and Asset Pricing” showcased advanced econometric techniques applied to financial challenges.

Muhammad Elarbi
College of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Recognized for his dedication to STEM education outreach and expanding access to technical knowledge for underrepresented students. Through his leadership in the Northeastern University Wireless Club, he designed and led over 50 technical workshops, benefiting university students and Boston Public School students.

Manushi Sharma
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
School of Public Policy
Recognized for her leadership in climate advocacy and policy impact. Her work with the United Nations University – Centre for Policy Research and the Environmental Changemaker Training has empowered young advocates worldwide.
Nominees

Savani Nagarkar
College of Science
Interview

Akash Deepak Sancheti
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
Interview

Izzy Cotenoff
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Interview
2025 Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Leadership

Simran Pandey
College of Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Recognized for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Her leadership in bridging computational and experimental research for gut health, mentoring high school students, and founding the Northeastern University Biophysics Student Chapter has left a lasting impact.

Rujavi Ghelani
College of Science
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Recognized for bridging academia and industry, fostering student engagement, and launching impactful initiatives. Her leadership in founding the Biotech Student Interest Group and launching NU Toronto’s biotech newsletter has created lasting resources for the community.

Annie Ward
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Recognized for advancing research-driven solutions to gun violence, mentorship, and advocacy. Her contributions to the Center for Crime, Race, and Justice and the Mass Killings Database have influenced policy and prevention strategies.
Nominees

Carlie Chukrallah
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Interview

Surabhi Bhatt
College of Professional Studies
Interview

Armaan Sait
Khoury College of Computer Science
Interview

Saloni Sandip Shah
D’Amore-McKim School of Business
Interview
2025 Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Teaching

Bridget Dwyer
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Recognized for her innovative approach to teaching neurological concepts. As a Teaching Assistant for the Neurology of Communication course, she developed accessible learning methods and collaborated on real-world case studies to enhance student learning.

Vaibhav Kejriwal
College of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Recognized for his contributions to research and innovation in teaching. His mentorship and collaboration under Professor Masoud Salehi have reinforced his leadership in academia, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Jonathan Tarun Rajasekaran
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
Computer Science
Recognized for his dedication to student learning and mentorship. As a TA for Foundations of Artificial Intelligence, he enhanced course effectiveness through feedback collection and structured office hours, demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusive education.
2025 Outstanding Professional Doctorate Student Award in Community Impact

Emilia Nirmala
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Department of Physical Therapy,
Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences
Recognized for fostering inclusivity and professional networking in the physical therapy community. Her leadership in the DEI Committee for the Massachusetts chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and as President of Northeastern’s AAOMPT Student Special Interest Group has strengthened support networks for underrepresented communities.
Nominee

Heidi Cheerman
College of Professional Studies
Interview
2025 Outstanding Professional Doctorate Student Award in Leadership

Merissa Spaulding
School of Law
Law
Recognized for her commitment to legal advocacy and social justice. Her leadership in the Legal Skills in Social Context Law Office and mentorship within the Black Law Students Association have strengthened support networks and professional development opportunities for law students.
Nominees

Meera Ravichandran
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Interview

Katherine King
College of Professional Studies
Interview
2025 Outstanding Professional Doctorate Student Award in Practicum or Clinical Performance

Ali Tarokh
College of Professional Studies
Law and Policy
Recognized for his dedication to refugee advocacy and policy reform. His dissertation on economic self-sufficiency challenges among refugees informs policy change, while his leadership at Trellus and co-founding of the R-Stories podcast amplify refugee voices and drive systemic reform.
Nominees

Matthew Victoria
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Interview

Elena Kuran
School of Law
Interview
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Arlington

Akash Deepak Sancheti
Computer Science
Recognized for his commitment to student engagement and well-being, fostering academic mentorship, and creating sustainable community initiatives.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Toronto
Sujata Gaimar
Analytics
Recognized for her dedication to student learning, mentorship, and the application of data analytics for social impact. Her leadership in the Data Analytics Society for Huskies (D.A.S.H.) and co-founding the Analytics for Good volunteer group have significantly benefited marginalized communities and refugees.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Vancouver

Panxin (Claire) Liu
Computer Science
Recognized for her leadership in research and development, applying technology for real-world impact, and fostering collaborative innovation. Her contributions in optimizing an embodied Large Language Model (LLM) English-speaking agent in Virtual Reality and her leadership in hackathons demonstrate her ability to drive technological advancements.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Charlotte

Kelly Crowther
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Recognized for her leadership within the Speech-Language Pathology program, fostering inclusivity and engagement, and advancing the field through service and advocacy. Her role as Historian for NUSSLHA and her volunteer work at the Speech and Language Center highlight her dedication to academic and clinical excellence.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Silicon Valley

Richard Yue
Computer Science
Recognized for his pioneering research in computational linguistics and machine translation, mentorship efforts, and leadership in representing Northeastern at national conferences. His contributions at the Experiential AI Institute and NASA Aeronautics Research Institute underscore his dedication to AI advancements.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Oakland

Diya Wadhwani
Computer Science
Recognized for her academic excellence, mentorship, cultural leadership, and advocacy for student well-being. Her work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, President of Junoon, and securing a campus shuttle for students exemplifies her impact on the Oakland campus community.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Miami

Erdun E
Computer Science
Recognized for his leadership in fostering student engagement, mentorship, and technological innovation for social impact. His creation of the Miami Tech Club and the NEU Miami Discord Server has enhanced communication and student collaboration on campus.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Portland

Daniel Kwaning
Analytics
Recognized for fostering student engagement, mentorship, and applying data analytics for real-world impact. His efforts in welcoming new students, networking initiatives, and leveraging
analytics at Nearpeer and Bangor Savings Bank showcase his commitment to community building.
2025 Outstanding Network Student Award in Seattle

Yiwen (Emelina) Wang
Analytics
Recognized for her leadership in creating an inclusive student community, mentorship in technical education, and contributions to real-world problem-solving through technology. Her role as Founder of Tech@Crossroads and her impact as a Teaching Assistant demonstrates her commitment to education and technology-driven change.
Nominees for Outstanding Network Student Award
Areeb Salsabil
Opeyemi Bello
Sam Alyas
Sherin Sajan
Syed Faizan
Yash Trivedi
Ife Akinyele-Peter
Oluwatobi Alao
Priyansh Thakkar
Veera Varuni Radhakrishnan
David Treadwell IV
Anqi Guan
Ivan Kwetey
Shuang Deng
Vidhi Naik
Yijia Ma
Yiwen Wang
Hui Lyu
Benjamin Johnson
Unnati Gaglani
Aakash Mahalingam
Irma Denise Ramirez Soule
Riddhi Gohil