Khoury Stories

Students. Faculty. Alumni. Community. These are our stories.

  • Chris Jelly

    Chris Jelly

      Affiliation:
    • Alumni

    Location: Boston

    Based on his own experiences, alumnus Chris Jelly recognized the need for a dedicated fund to support students’ self-directed projects. As such, he created the Jelly Incubation Fund to function as “no-strings-attached cash grants to students with unique, self-directed ideas that are related to computer science in some way.”

  • Agnes Chan

      Affiliation:
    • Emeritus Faculty

    Location: Boston

    When Agnes Chan helped found the CCS in 1982, “cybersecurity” was not yet a word, much less a critical field within computer science. Through her longtime leadership, Northeastern is now a leader in cybersecurity and a top destination for interested students.

  • Carla Brodley

    Carla Brodley

      Affiliation:
    • Research Faculty

    Location: Boston

    Carla Brodley’s list of achievements as Khoury Dean from 2014-2021 is as sweeping and impressive as her legacy: creating Khoury’s mission of “CS for Everyone” that ensures equitable access to innovation that empowers and safeguards all people.

  • Larry Finkelstein

    Larry Finkelstein

      Affiliation:
    • Emeritus Faculty

    Location: Boston

    Under Dean Larry Finkelstein's leadership (1993-2014), Khoury College transformed from a traditional computer science department into an innovative interdisciplinary powerhouse. His visionary combined majors programs now encompass 60 degrees, and his work helped achieve national prominence in a number of CS fields.

  • Greg Waters

    Greg Waters

      Affiliation:
    • Alumni

    Location: Boston

    Alumnus Greg Waters finds himself drawn back to Khoury College through the years by its commitment to diversity and innovation. As such, he has hired numerous co-op students, as well as funded several scholarships increase tech education accessibility for motivated learners.

  • Crista Lopes

    Crista Lopes

      Affiliation:
    • Alumni

    Location: Boston

    As a Khoury PhD student, Crista Lopes pioneered research into aspect-oriented programming — and her expertise and level of innovation have only grown in the years since she graduated.

  • Wayne Duso (left) and Brecka Fetzer sit at a table

    Brecka Fetzer and Wayne Duso

      Affiliation:
    • Industry Partner

    Location: Boston

    Wayne Duso, Amazon Web Services' former vice president of engineering and product, and Brecka Fetzer, senior program manager, created the Align Career Prep Program to mentor Align students and guarantee them a technical screening for AWS's Software Development Engineering Internship.

  • Ivy Jordan

    Ivy Jordan

      Affiliation:
    • Undergraduate Student

    Location: Boston

    For Ivy Jordan, Khoury College’s combined majors awakened a passion to try every field adjacent to computer science. Now looking ahead to experiential learning opportunities, she’s bringing her appetite for exploration into the field.

  • Ethan Selinger

    Ethan Selinger

      Affiliation:
    • Align Faculty and Advisors

    Feeling unsure about his future as a schoolteacher, Ethan Selinger met with a career advisor and discovered his real passion lay in helping others find clarity within their own careers — leading to his role as assistant director of Align Career Advising.

  • Jen Gordon

    Jen Gordon

      Affiliation:
    • Align Student

    Location: Online

    After struggling with a lack of support as a middle school English teacher, Jen Gordon felt burnt out. In need of a change, Jen found the Align Online program and is now pursuing computer science as a way to make other teachers’ lives more manageable.

  • Alan Jamieson

      Affiliation:
    • Teaching Faculty

    Location: Portland

    Before joining the Roux Institute, Alan Jamieson was a theater hand, a small business manager, and a jazz DJ. Now the director of computing programs in Portland, he is passionate about helping students discover new disciplines that match their interests.

  • Benji Northrop

    Benji Northrop

      Affiliation:
    • Align Student

    Location: Online

    After becoming a father, Navy helicopter pilot Benji Northrop needed a career change. The Align Online program helped him transition into computer science at his own pace, giving him the flexibility to care for his family while pursuing a new degree.

  • Albert Lionelle

      Affiliation:
    • Teaching Faculty

    Location: Online

    As an undergraduate, Albert Lionelle pursued computer science to maximize his potential for career flexibility. Now as the director of Align, he is passionate about helping students achieve the same flexibility within their own careers.

  • Natalie Grillo

    Natalie Grillo

      Affiliation:
    • Align Student

    Location: Online

    Natalie Grillo knows it’s never too late to switch careers. After working in health care for 15 years, she attended a Break Into Tech event that introduced her to the Align Online program — empowering her to shift toward computer science and new career opportunities.

  • Ismael Sanchez

    Ismael Sanchez

      Affiliation:
    • Undergraduate Student

    Location: Boston

    Initially drawn to Northeastern by his family’s connection to the university, Ismael Sanchez says his curiosity was ignited when he discovered Khoury College’s cybersecurity program. Now, through co-ops and mentorship, he’s exploring an even deeper passion for the field.

  • Sarah Szvetecz

    Sarah Szvetecz

      Affiliation:
    • PhD Student

    Location: Boston

    Sarah Szvetecz thought that her aversion to the sight of blood would preclude a career in science and health care. But after she discovered computational biology, that world opened up to her, and now her cancer research is aiding the discovery of new drugs.