Experience with global reach

Anya Gupta, ’25, spent six months at industry juggernaut Sony Entertainment working as a promotions co-op for Columbia Records. The experience was wide-ranging: She learned about radio airplay, sales correlations, the relationship between finance and promotion, and how business relations can affect an artist’s success. A bonus perk: The music industry major also got to attend artist events. Gupta is now positioned to pursue her dream career working for a major label after graduation. 

Christian Bernier, ’25, with a combined major in computer science and physics, did a six-month co-op at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, working on the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. A particle physics research assistant, Bernier helped develop software to ensure detector circuit boards connected to the LHC function long term without overheating. The experience illustrated for him how computer science can revolutionize physics research. 

Cybersecurity major Owen Seltzer, ’24, set ambitious goals for his co-op, landing a position at NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation department in Washington, D.C. There, he worked with NASA’s leadership to help shape agencywide cybersecurity policies. Seltzer also developed a tool that could be used across teams to streamline risk metrics reporting. In all, the experience proved to be not just a resumé builder, but an opportunity to make a real impact in the organization.

Philip Mathieu, ‘24, had a bachelor’s in physics from Brown University and was teaching middle schoolers at the Ecology School, in Saco, Maine. But he had his eye on a career in tech and when he discovered the Roux Institute’s Align program in data science, designed for people like him with no computer science experience, he took the leap. He now works as a data scientist at IDEXX, which creates diagnostic and software products and services for veterinary medicine. 

Marcello Twahirwa, ’25, got to experience surgery up close and personal during his co-op at a Seville, Spain, medical clinic. The biology major helped with everything from holding tools during surgical procedures to helping with tasks like cutting sutures. He also worked in pediatrics, which taught him how to interact with patients, an essential skill for a physician. By the end of his co-op, Twahirwa was sure he wants to pursue a career as a surgeon.

Health sciences major Leah Oruko, ’25, is already contributing to understanding how to take on a deadly, but often overlooked, tropical disease: visceral leishmaniasis. While on co-op at the Research on Multi-Disease and Educational Services Center in Chemolingot, Kenya, Oruko interviewed local doctors and residents about barriers to seeking treatment—vital information for the team to break the disease’s continued spread and valuable experience for Oruko’s career plans in medicine.

Bioinformatics major Tianyi Zhang, ’23, chose to study computer science at Northeastern’s Vancouver campus under the mentorship of machine learning instructor Aanchan Mohan. Recognizing Zhang’s potential, Mohan offered him a position at his software development company, Happy Prime. There, Zhang worked with the team on an app that uses machine learning to recognize the voices of people with speech disorders. He earned his master’s in December 2023 and is now pursuing a PhD in computer science at University of Victoria.

Andie Weiner, ’24, spent a semester working in development at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, doing everything from event planning to hashing out old gift agreements with donors. The theater/psychology combined major especially enjoyed helping with a holiday gala that introduces young students to the symphony. The experience also opened Weiner’s eyes to what’s possible in the arts. She’s now a master’s candidate studying creative producing at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in London.

As a biology major at Rochester Institute of Technology, Paige Norris, ‘24, discovered her passion for sustainability. During an internship, she caught the data science bug and saw how it could apply to sustainability. The Roux Institute and its Align master’s program in data science was the perfect next step. Norris is now a data engineer at Braincube, a startup that creates tools for manufacturers to improve quality, productivity, and sustainability in their factories.