Graduate Lands Full-Time Role at Arista Networks Following Successful Nokia Co-op
Marwin Victor Athyala, MS’25, telecommunication networks, credits Northeastern’s hands-on curriculum and industry connections for helping him transition from hardware-focused roles to landing his ideal position in core networking and automation.
Marwin Victor Athyala, MS’25, in telecommunication networks, chose to pursue studies at Northeastern University because of a growing desire to explore the core principles, protocols, and advanced concepts of computer networking. Athyala wanted to transition from hardware-focused roles to positions that would allow him to understand and design modern network infrastructures with a more strategic, packet-level, and software-defined approach. The MS in telecommunication networks program stood out as the perfect match. The university’s global reputation, cutting-edge curriculum, and strong emphasis on experiential learning convinced him that this was the ideal environment to pursue his ambitions and transform his career.
Before joining Northeastern University, he earned a master’s degree in advanced telecommunication engineering from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Later, after completing his first master’s in Australia, he served as an RF EME technical officer at Service Stream, one of Australia’s leading telecommunications service providers, for over one year. Athyala also holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering from Karunya University in Coimbatore, India. After completing his undergraduate studies, Athyala worked as a systems engineer specializing in networking at Infosys in Hyderabad for nearly two years.
Curriculum bridges academics with industry-relevant skills
Athyala credits the program for the emphasis on bridging academic rigor with industry-relevant skills, something that immediately resonated with him. Courses such as Data Networking, Internet Protocols and Architecture, Infrastructure Automation and Tools, Telecommunications Network Infrastructure, Network Security, and Fundamentals of IoT provided the depth and breadth he was seeking.
Moreover, the opportunity to learn under the guidance of inspiring professors, such as Rajiv Shridhar, adjunct faculty of multidisciplinary graduate engineering programs; Peter O’Reilly, teaching professor of multidisciplinary graduate engineering programs; and Rolando Herrero, program director of cyber-physical systems and telecommunication networks, significantly shaped his academic experience. Their teaching, mentorship, and real-world insights reinforced his decision that Northeastern was the right place for him.
The mandatory core courses provided a strong conceptual foundation, covering everything from basic principles to advanced technologies. Meanwhile, the wide range of electives allowed him to tailor his learning journey to his specific career goals. This flexibility ensured that every student—regardless of their background or aspirations—could craft a curriculum aligned with their ambitions.
Athyala especially credits Shridhar and his courses—Data Networking, Internet Protocols and Architecture, and Infrastructure Automation and Tools—for being structured in a progressive and interconnected manner. Taking these courses across multiple semesters felt like a well-guided technical journey. He also had the privilege of working under Shridhar as a teaching assistant for several semesters, an experience that significantly enhanced both his technical knowledge and leadership skills.
Additionally, courses such as Telecommunications Network Infrastructure, taught by O’Reilly; Fundamentals of IoT, taught by Herrero and Jim O’Brien, adjunct faculty of multidisciplinary graduate engineering programs; and Network Security, taught by Ritesh Mukherjee, adjunct faculty of multidisciplinary graduate engineering programs, had a profound impact on shaping his practical understanding and professional readiness.
Co-op at Nokia leads to a full-time position at Arista Networks
Athyala was fortunate to receive five co-op offers from top-tier organizations. After careful evaluation, he chose to complete a co-op at Nokia, as it aligned most closely with his long-term career goals in core networking and systems testing.
Securing these offers was not a matter of luck; it was the result of determination, strategic planning, and consistent effort from the very first day of his program. “I focused on refining my profile, staying updated with industry trends, and leveraging every resource available at Northeastern,” he shares.
His co-op at Nokia as a network software QA engineer became one of the most transformative parts of his journey. The role allowed him to develop automated test cases for both virtualized and physical network topologies using Nokia’s proprietary SR Linux OS. He worked hands-on with complex protocols such as OSPF, BGP, BFD, and MicroBFD, and utilized tools like Python, Git, and pytest for automation and CI/CD pipelines. This position gave him the opportunity to apply technical knowledge gained through his coursework in real-world networking environments. The experience not only sharpened his skills but also played a pivotal role in helping him secure a full-time position at Arista Networks.
From May to December 2023, during his co-op at Nokia, Athyala contributed to several high-impact projects. He developed advanced automated test cases for both containerized and physical topologies using SR Linux OS. He also set up and validated network configurations, testing a variety of protocols including OSPF, ISIS, BGP, BFD, MicroBFD, DHCP, Proxy ARP, and NDP—demonstrating deep expertise in TCP/IP and routing. Additionally, he led the development of automation infrastructure using both CLI and controller-based interfaces, integrating REST APIs for full-stack network device validation.
Athyala is especially grateful to his co-op coordinator, Marrian Mitry, who played a crucial role in helping him tailor his professional profile and navigate the co-op application process effectively.
Academic individual and group projects
During his time at Northeastern, Athyala worked on a variety of individual and group projects that significantly shaped his technical expertise. He credits these projects not just as academic requirements, but as hands-on experiences that deepened his understanding and helped define his technical identity.
Among his notable individual projects was Client-Server Socket Programming in Python (TCP), where he developed a client-server model to perform dynamic mathematical operations using TCP socket communication. He also designed a Corporate Network Architecture using Cisco Packet Tracer, building a scalable, multi-office network that incorporated multi-area OSPF, VLAN segmentation, HSRP, VPN tunneling, extended ACLs, and EtherChannel—mimicking real-world enterprise-grade infrastructure.
Another major project was Dynamic Infrastructure Provisioning on AWS using Terraform and Ansible, where he built a highly available, auto-scaling web infrastructure. Using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices, he created custom AMIs with Ansible playbooks and implemented real-time monitoring via AWS CloudWatch, streamlining cloud operations to meet industry standards.
In a group setting, Athyala contributed to an Ad-hoc Network Setup using Linux and Kali Linux. Working with a team of four, they built a fully functional ad-hoc network that included DNS and DHCP servers, Apache web servers, cron-based backups, firewalls, and IPsec tunnels for secure communication. The team also explored the offensive side of cybersecurity by simulating ARP poisoning attacks using Python on Kali Linux, effectively bridging theoretical learning with practical penetration testing tools.
Another team project was an Encrypted Chat Application using Python and Public Key Cryptography, where the group developed a secure chat system between two virtual machines. By implementing RSA encryption, SHA-256 hashing for data integrity and authentication protocols, they ensured secure end-to-end communication, demonstrating a solid grasp of cybersecurity principles.
These projects weren’t without their challenges. On infrastructure-heavy projects like AWS provisioning or complex network design, Athyala faced issues such as version incompatibilities, service failures, and intricate debugging tasks. In team projects, maintaining consistent development environments and coordinating tasks among members proved difficult. However, they overcame these obstacles through open communication, detailed documentation, and an agile-style approach to task management and execution.
Beyond the classroom
Outside the classroom, Athyala actively participated in technical events and industry-focused networking meetups, both on and off campus. He attended numerous tech talks and workshops hosted by leading organizations such as Arista Networks, Cisco, Nokia, AWS, and other multinational corporations throughout the Boston area. He leveraged Northeastern’s location in one of the world’s top education and tech innovation hubs to expand his professional network and stay engaged with industry trends.
Athyala was honored with the Program Director Award during the Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering Awards 2025—a moment made even more special by the presence of his family, who flew in from India to attend the ceremony. Winning this award was deeply emotional and remains a defining highlight of his academic journey. He expresses heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support of Northeastern’s faculty, the invaluable resources like the library and co-op services, his mentors, and the vibrant network of peers who consistently challenged and inspired him.
Looking ahead, Athyala aspires to carve a strong niche in data center networking and automation. His goal is to lead initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional networking and cloud-native architectures, helping enterprises transition seamlessly to modern infrastructure.
Ultimately, he is committed to lifelong learning and hopes to pursue advanced certifications, with the long-term vision of one day returning to academia—as an educator or mentor—to give back to the field that shaped him. Athyala is driven by a desire to make a tangible impact on how networks operate: securely, efficiently, and on scale in an increasingly connected world.