Career Paths to Impact
Alumni Fireside Chat
and Young Alumni Impact Awards
Discover how Northeastern engineering alumni turned their experiential education into impactful careers and celebrate the inaugural Young Alumni Impact Award winners
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM EST (doors open at 11:30 AM), Complimentary Lunch provided
Location: Curry Student Center (CSC) Ballroom and Virtual
Who: For engineers and non-engineers, including all students, faculty, staff, and alumni
***We have reached in-person seating capacity. Please join us virtually via the Zoom link below***
Join Northeastern’s College of Engineering Dean Gregory Abowd for a fireside chat with the recipients of the Young Alumni Impact Award.
- Inspiration: Learn how NUCOE alumni shaped impactful careers in engineering
- Networking: Meet the people who once walked your path and are now leaders in their fields
- Celebration: Be part of the inaugural Young Alumni Impact Award ceremony
Meet our award-winning alumni panelists who have leveraged their Northeastern engineering experiential education to forge impactful careers to find success in a variety of fields. This event is an excellent opportunity for aspiring engineers seeking career clarity and inspiration to learn about the diverse paths and possibilities an engineering degree can offer. Whether you’re an undergraduate exploring your future, a graduate student refining your professional journey, or a faculty member reconnecting with accomplished alumni, this event offers valuable insights, connections, and inspiration. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate Northeastern’s engineering excellence and design your own future with guidance from those who have already made their mark.
The Young Alumni Impact Award honors recent graduates of Northeastern University’s College of Engineering who have completed a degree within the past 15 years. This award celebrates alumni who exemplify outstanding commitment, leadership, and meaningful contributions in their professional fields or communities. Through their remarkable achievements and dedication, these recipients embody the values and mission of the College of Engineering, inspiring others and making a lasting impact.
2025 Young Alumni Impact Award Winners
Codi Gharagouzloo, PhD 2016
bioengineering
Codi Gharagouzloo is the scientific founder and CEO of Imaginostics, a health tech startup commercializing a novel technology called QUTE-CE MRI, which is a platform technology for non-invasive imaging that transforms any MRI machine into a powerful quantitative diagnostic tool. Imaginostics was recognized as a finalist among more than 4,500 participants of Hello Tomorrow, a prestigious competition for deep tech startups. Codi had a postdoctoral fellowship at the Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. He obtained his MS in biophotonics from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay, France, specializing in nonlinear optical microscopy. Read more
Anvesh Gurijala, BS 2016
mechanical engineering
Anvesh Gurijala leveraged capstone and master’s work to co-found Boston Materials, a spin-out from a faculty lab at Northeastern University. Boston Materials is known for its patented Z-axis Fiber™ technology, a lightweight and corrosion-resistant material that efficiently transfers thermal, electrical, and structural energy. As CEO, Anvesh has led the company’s tremendous growth over the past nine years, securing multiple rounds of funding. Anvesh was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and the company has won several industry awards, including being named to the Technology Pioneers community of the World Economic Forum in 2023.
Shruti Kotian, MS 2019
information systems
After graduating in 2019 with an MS in information systems from Northeastern University, Shruti Kotian joined McKinsey & Company as a senior software engineer. With a desire to make a broader impact by contributing to products that transform the way the world interacts with technology, Shruti changed her career path to product management. Today she is a product manager delivering innovative solutions that bridge the gap between technology and business. She completed an executive education program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Shruti is deeply committed to giving back to the community and has worked as a volunteer for the Boston Food Bank, the Grace Hopper Celebration which champions women technologists around the globe, and other causes. Read more
Kaitlin McCarthy, BS 2009
civil engineering
Kaitlin McCarthy is the founder and CEO of Ionic Development Co., one of Boston’s first woman-owned real estate development and consulting firms. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate development, engineering, and construction industries, she has been instrumental in managing large-scale projects across various industry sectors. Under her leadership, Ionic Development has been involved in the first all-affordable housing development in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. Kaitlin received a Northeastern University 2024 Women Who Empower Innovator Award, achieving first place in the Experienced Alumnae category. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and previously held roles such as vice president at The HYM Investment Group. Read more
Hamed Tabkhi, PhD 2014
computer engineering
Hamed Tabkhi is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. His research focuses on advancing real-world artificial intelligence and computer vision to address critical social and community challenges. Hamed has secured over $5.5 million in federal and state research funding, including a $2.4 million National Science Foundation Smart and Connected Communities award. He is co-founder of ForesightCares Inc., a company that has already received nearly $1 million in funding to leverage artificial intelligence to promote active, independent aging for older adults.
Emily Wisniewski, BS 2015
chemical engineering
Emily Wisniewski is the associate director of CMC Cell Therapy Process Development at Takeda, where she leads efforts to develop scalable manufacturing processes for cell therapies to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. With a background in chemical and bioengineering and a deep commitment to advancing cutting-edge therapies to help patients, Emily plays a key role in bridging the gap between laboratory-scale research and large-scale clinical production. Before joining Takeda, Emily earned a PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where her research focused on cancer cell motility and the underlying mechanisms of metastasis. This work contributed valuable insights into the behavior of cancer cells, enhancing understanding of cancer progression and potential therapeutic interventions.
