Spotlight Stories
May 07, 2026
Paying It Forward: Four Northeastern Engineers on Service, Purpose, and Giving Back
Four Northeastern engineering students — Clare Chi, Hebat Elkacemi, Jimmy Cheung, and Mia Filardi—were selected this year as Patrick P. Lee Scholarship recipients, chosen not for accolades alone but for their commitment to bringing others along with them. From teaching robotics to Boston schoolchildren to leading civic engagement programs and organizing voter registration drives, each has found a distinct way to turn their education outward. Their stories reflect a simple but demanding idea: that what you receive, you owe to others.
May 05, 2026
Free and Fair Internet Access for All
Ali Saeizadeh, PhD’27, is a graduate research assistant in electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern’s Institute of Intelligent Networked Systems, where he builds “digital twin” simulations of 5G and 6G telecommunications networks. His work aims at something ambitious: making free and fair internet access a reality for people around the world. Before completing his degree, he plans to intern at Apple and a smaller tech firm to compare perspectives across an industry he hopes to shape.
Mar 27, 2026
Where Impact Meets Innovation, Abhiram Elango, MS’25
Abhiram Elango, MS’25, electrical and computer engineering, recently completed his master’s degree at Northeastern. Armed with new confidence and expertise, he is now pursuing roles in wireless communications where he can work closely with customers and see the direct impact of his work.
Mar 26, 2026
Spoiled: How One Polymer Could Change the Way We Trust Our Food and Medicine
Tara Arjomandbigdeli, PhD’27, is an interdisciplinary engineering researcher at Northeastern’s eSOIL, a lab where she is developing a heat-sensitive polymer label designed to protect consumers by detecting when temperature-sensitive products like food or medication have spoiled. With plans to launch a startup from her research, she hopes to bring the technology to market—and eventually into every home.
Mar 24, 2026
Innovation in the World of Wireless Communication
Pietro Brach del Prever, PhD’27, computer engineering, is conducting research at the Institute for Intelligent Networked Systems. With the support of Northeastern and a drive to push boundaries, Brach del Prever continues to dedicate himself to research that advances wireless communication.
Mar 23, 2026
Trust the System: A Q M Sazzad Sayyed’s Mission to Make AI Safer
A Q M Sazzad Sayyed, PhD’27, is an electrical engineering researcher at Northeastern’s MENTIS Lab, where he works on making AI systems safer and more reliable—ensuring they can be trusted when deployed in the real world. His work on robustness, out-of-distribution detection, and data integrity positions him at the forefront of a challenge that will only grow more critical as AI becomes further embedded in everyday life.
Mar 09, 2026
Driven by Curiosity: Rohith Poola’s Journey in Autonomous Robotics
Rohith Poola, MS’26, is a robotics student in the Autonomy and Intelligence Lab at Northeastern, where he works on projects in autonomous navigation and off-road traversability estimation. Guided by a deep curiosity and strong mentorship, he plans to pursue a PhD and eventually establish his own research in autonomy and planning.
Mar 05, 2026
Making His Research Matter: From Lab to Practical Applications
Francesco Pessia, PhD’27, electrical engineering, develops machine learning systems for autonomous antenna calibration at the Mentis Lab in collaboration with the Institute of Intelligent Networked Systems. After graduation, he plans to transform his research into practical applications—either through industry or by launching his own startup in wireless communications technology.