Spotlight Stories
Nov 02, 2026
From automotive to consulting: How Northeastern helped Greg McGinnis find his path
Greg McGinnis, double Husky BS’21 mechanical engineering, MS’24 engineering management, and a graduate certificate in engineering business, chose Northeastern for its co-op program. The chance to work at three companies, possibly in three different areas of engineering, proved invaluable: He discovered that his original passion didn’t match the day-to-day reality of the work. The lesson? Learning what you don’t love is just as important as learning what you do.
Oct 23, 2026
Using Mechanical Engineering to Optimize Battery Life
Junning Jiao, PhD’27 (expected), mechanical engineering, has completed an internship at Tesla, leads a successful two-year project with LG Energy Solution, and is a graduate researcher at the Center for Battery Sustainability of Northeastern and MIT. After she graduates, she hopes to turn her research into a start-up and lead her own company.
Oct 16, 2026
Building Hull-Cleaning Robots During a High-Tech Co-Op
During his co-op at Fleet Robotics, Northeastern mechanical engineering student and marine science minor Timothy Wong helped develop and test an autonomous, magnet-equipped robot designed to clean biofouling and invasive species off ship hulls at sea.
Oct 16, 2026
How This Alum Built the “Amazon” of the Medical Device World
Northeastern mechanical engineering alum Katie Karmelek, E’06, MS’08, a Women Who Empower Innovator Award Fellow, co-founded Chamfr, an online marketplace known as the “Amazon for medical device R&D components,” to help engineers quickly source vital parts for prototyping and manufacturing.
Oct 07, 2026
Sending Microchips to the Stars Through a Student Co-op
During her co-op at Besxar Space Industries, mechanical engineering and bioengineering student Rhea Dharia, E’27, helped design equipment to test semiconductor manufacturing in the vacuum of outer space.
Aug 11, 2026
Data Analytics Engineering Student Develops AI Tools to Automate Hospital Workflows
Sai Anish Sreeramagiri, MS, data analytics engineering, developed artificial intelligence tools during his co-op to automate administrative tasks like insurance authorizations, giving doctors and nurses more time to care for patients.
Jul 31, 2026
Translating Data Rigor into Business Relevance
Tianyu Yang, PhD, industrial engineering, used Northeastern’s LEADERs program and an industry fellowship at AmeriLife to connect his academic data research with real-world business challenges, focusing on how to translate complex analytics into clear, actionable advice for decision-makers.
Jul 28, 2026
From Childhood Coding to Developing Next Generation AI at Amazon
Surya Sai Brahmendra Ramoju, MS’24, data analytics engineering, landed a role in Amazon’s Artificial General Intelligence division while simultaneously launching two successful startups.