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Business pioneer invests in Northeastern's future
Business pioneer and Northeastern alumnus Roger Marino has once again stepped forward to invest in his beloved alma mater by making a multimillion dollar gift to support the ambitious goals of the university's historic Empower campaign. His passion for Northeastern's experiential-learning model and for its unprecedented momentum under the leadership of President Joseph E. Aoun is the driver behind Marino's latest gift.
"President Aoun has taken Northeastern to new heights," Marino said. "The university's future looks bright."
He credited Northeastern's co-op program with giving him the confidence to succeed in the fast-paced business world. "I became very comfortable interacting with my colleagues because I was knowledgeable about how I should act in a professional setting," he said, noting his experiential-learning opportunities with Raytheon and Sylvania Lighting. "Co-op helped me understand the inner-working of different types of corporations so that they weren't alien to me when I graduated from Northeastern." Marino's investment will help future generations of students experience similarly rewarding professional experiences through co-op.
Marino graduated with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering in 1961; received an honorary doctorate in humane letters in 1996; and was named a lifetime trustee emeritus in 2009. His $2 million investment is the latest from Marino who has been a loyal supporter of Northeastern for the last 20 years, giving back to the university for initiatives focused on health and education.
"Roger epitomizes the impact Northeastern has had on many of our graduates," said President Aoun. "Just as his education was transformative for him, Roger's enduring commitment to Northeastern has impacted countless members of our community."
His gift in the early 1990s funded the Marino Recreation Center, which opened in 1996 on Huntington Avenue. "I was really bowled over when I saw it at night, all lit up against the Boston background," he once said of his first visit to the Marino Center. "That was just amazing."
Marino is also a benefactor of the Torch Scholars Program, a seven-year-old initiative that supports first-generation, low-income students who exhibit potential in nontraditional ways. Based on data from the first two graduating classes, 100 percent of scholars are either in graduate school or employed in their fields.
"I can't believe how smart these kids are," Marino said. "They're extraordinary."
Marino grew up in Revere, Mass., and arrived at Northeastern in the fall of 1956. His father immigrated to America from Italy in the early 20th century and worked as a tailor at a factory not far from campus.
Marino and fellow College of Engineering alumnus Richard Egan cofounded EMC in 1979, transforming the Hopkinton, Mass.-based global data storage company from a startup into a multinational corporation with 40,000 employees.
He retired from EMC in 1992 to pursue business ventures related to his lifelong interest in sports and entertainment. He is the executive producer of five feature films and the former principal owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.
More Empower Stories
Ready All, Row!
2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the men's rowing program at Northeastern—and pacesetting philanthropic gifts are helping today's oarsmen pull past the competition.
In rowing, the oarsman in the seat closest to the stern is known as the stroke. More than a top-notch athlete, the stroke is a human metronome, the one who sets the team's cadence both in and out of the water.
"It's a key leadership role, and a tactical one as well," explains former Northeastern rower Christopher Meehan, DMSB'75. The stroke sets the pace and calls the rowers' moves, deciding when to flutter, when to power 10, and when to sprint.
As a former stroke on the university's storied squads of the early 1970s, Meehan describes rowing as "a total team effort, one that builds a shared sense of responsibility and discipline." Some of his fondest memories hinge on races won and lost, he says, "and hundreds of other Northeastern rowers feel the same nostalgia and pride."
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of men's rowing, Meehan and fellow rowers past and present plan an April reunion regatta on the Charles River in Boston. Their goal: to raise $1 million for new rowing shells, training equipment, and technology.
Since Meehan and his wife, Cynthia, DMSB'86, pledged a $100,000 gift in 2014, others have followed their lead. The funds, and the university's $5 million renovation of the Henderson Boathouse, could help the current rowing team repeat its 2014 and 2013 top-five national championship finishes.
"We all had a hand in making Northeastern rowing what it is today," Meehan says. "Let's get excited about the next 50 years."
The 2015 milestone commemorates an unexpected Cinderella story. In 1965, a fledgling team, with coach G. Ernest Arlett at the helm, defeated 33 of 34 competitors and earned a berth at England's prestigious Henley Royal Regatta. Husky crews began turning heads. In 1988, coach Walter S. "Buzz" Congram's varsity shell posted a first-place finish at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association's Championship Regatta.
Today's squad, coached by John Pojednic, aspires to become the number-one force in Division I. With honors that include a gold medal for the second varsity eight boat at the 2014 Eastern Sprints—the team's first gold in 36 years—this crew is prepared to pull past the competition.
Pictured are Northeastern corporator Chuck Hewitt (left), Larry O'Toole, E'76 (center), and Guy Pronesti, DMSB'00, whose combined philanthropy has helped secure nearly $500,000 toward a $1 million fundraising goal for men's rowing. To learn more, go to northeastern.edu/empower/mens-rowing-50th.
An Alumna Helps Foster Cultural Exchange
With a gift to the Asian Studies program, Hong Liu will support international research, a new lecture series, innovative course development, and co-ops in Asia.
It was the handshake that shook the world. In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon and China's Chairman Mao Zedong, the leaders of a democratic superpower and a Communist giant, respectively, ended 25 years of animosity with a historic meeting in Beijing and a gesture of friendship. For Hong Liu, MA'87, MA'89—then a 13-year-old in the metropolis of Tianjin—a mental snapshot of the moment has inspired her own efforts to bridge the two cultures.
Last summer, Liu's dream of peace and understanding between her native China and America, where she has lived since 1985, moved her to make a $100,000 gift to Northeastern's Asian Studies program. Liu, who worked in international relations in China before coming to Northeastern for graduate studies in sociology and economics, sees strength in both countries' ideologies and institutions. "American culture stresses individual rights and freedoms," says this business owner and public school teacher. "The Chinese emphasize mobilizing people to achieve a common good."
To foster cultural exchange, the Hong Liu Asian Studies Fund will support international research, a new lecture series, innovative course development, and travel for co-ops and study in Asia. Liu says the fund will enable more faculty and students to "engage in dialogues that remind us how complementary our strengths and challenges really are."
With an award funded by Hong Liu (left), Patricia Gavelek, a first-year undeclared major at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, will explore the language and culture of China on a Dialogue of Civilizations course in May 2015.
Family Ties
"Northeastern is like family," says Larry O'Rourke, whose enthusiasm at athletic events, volunteer leadership on the governing board, and generous philanthropic gifts mirror that sentiment.
Like many of his classmates, Larry O'Rourke, DMSB'65, was drawn to Northeastern's signature co-op program as a means of affording college—and he credits a co-op at United Art Company with launching his career in business merchandising. In a series of roles that capitalized on his outsized people skills, O'Rourke built a wide network of Husky relationships.
"Northeastern is like family," says O'Rourke, whose enthusiasm for athletic events, volunteer leadership on the governing board, and generous philanthropic gifts to the university mirror that sentiment. In 1989, he established the Sean P. O'Rourke Memorial Scholarship for political science majors in memory of his late son, who like his dad was a Northeastern student. Motivated by a desire to help hardworking undergraduates, O'Rourke set up a charitable remainder trust in 2000 and recently decided to include the university in his will. Both gifts will benefit the scholarship in Sean's name.
"I really want to contribute to the future of Northeastern and invest in the generations to come," he says. "Many people think they have to be wealthy to leave a future gift to the university, but that's not true. Once I took care of my family, I knew I would provide for Northeastern and other charitable interests."
"We all have to give back in life."
An Investor Ignites Discovery
Visionaries like George Kostas, E'43, H'07, are not hemmed in by the seemingly impossible. They surmount obstacles, dive into challenges headlong, and empower others to take action.
Visionaries like George Kostas, E'43, H'07, are not hemmed in by the seemingly impossible. They surmount obstacles, dive into challenges headlong, and empower others to take action. Since 2003, when Kostas began investing in nanotechnology and security research at Northeastern—his three gifts total $16 million—faculty have made rapid gains in biopharmaceuticals, communications, energy, medicine, and defense.
Numbers merely hint at the compounding power of Kostas' support. In nanotech alone, 36 researchers have joined Northeastern's faculty. Their work has led to $80 million in new federal and private grants, 200 patents, and more than 1,000 scientific papers.
The key to such yields, Kostas asserts, is putting "as many brains as possible to work on a problem." To thrust progress into high gear, he says, universities must reimagine their relationship to industry and government. Instead of working in isolation to build technologies on the nanoscale or combat global terrorism, faculty-researchers must link their intellectual creativity to industry's profit-driven pragmatism and the government's deep resources.
When Northeastern needed innovation incubators, Kostas provided equipment and facilities, including the 70,000-square-foot George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security, for which he pledged $12 million. To this alumnus, the university is a model for doing things differently.
Kostas looks back with pride on so much ingenuity, knowing that society, and the country, will be the better for it. The man whom President Joseph E. Aoun has called a "patriot and a hero" deflects praise, deferring instead to Northeastern's take-the-lead, mission-driven culture.
"Partnerships that accelerate technologies are the best way to make a positive impact on the world," Kostas told a gathering of researchers at Northeastern last spring. "Through your creativity, you will not only drive the world's economy, you will keep your country safe."
Healy supports aspiring engineers with $5 million gift to endow new scholarship
James Healy, E'54, is rewarding a spirit of inventiveness in Northeastern students by endowing a new scholarship fund for standout undergraduates with a gift of $5 million.
A childhood fan of airplane models and Erector Sets, James W. Healy, E'54, earned his first patent shortly after graduating from Northeastern's College of Engineering. He got his idea—a new take on the ubiquitous adjustable Crescent wrench, with a plier's tight grip—after skinning his knuckles while rebuilding a 1939 Ford convertible.
Today, Healy rewards a spirit of inventiveness in Northeastern students. Recently he endowed a new scholarship fund for standout undergraduates with a gift of $5 million, bringing his total gifts and pledges to the college to more than $9 million.
The James W. Healy Scholars Fund will provide one or more aspiring engineers with full tuition, room, and board, and support exceptional individuals aiming to stay for a graduate degree. In 2006, Healy established a charitable remainder trust for the College of Engineering that he says will ultimately augment this new fund. And in 1999, he funded a Legacy Scholarship to recruit and retain exceptional undergraduates.
Healy is the founder and former president of Healy Systems, Inc., which he started in 1965 as Cambridge Engineering, Inc., and sold in 2006. During a prolific career, he designed and patented several vapor recovery systems to reduce gasoline vapor emissions during vehicle refueling. These systems, which significantly reduce hydrocarbon production, are used by more than 100,000 gas service stations worldwide.
Healy has amassed more than 90 patents so far. Never idle, he's now focused on wave energy air turbine generator system technology, which has applications in the renewable clean-energy sector. "I view this work as contributing to a better life for people on our planet," he says.
Healy credits co-op for sparking his interest in mechanical engineering, and for enabling him to earn a salary while he learned on the job. "Co-op made my education possible," says the inventor, who now makes a Northeastern education possible for other curious, gifted minds.
Co-Op Under the Microscope
By investing in research co-ops, Northeastern trustee Carole Shapazian, LA'66, MS'72, is helping students get ahead.
For budding scientists, research co-ops are the hot new thing at Northeastern. Thanks to trustee Carole Shapazian, LA'66, MS'72, seven Shapazian Scholars have completed co-ops at leading research laboratories, hospitals, and non-profits.
According to Northeastern chemistry professor and department chair Graham Jones, these undergrads showed their mettle by doing PhD-level work. "They dive in for six months, contributing from day one because they're highly skilled and well-funded."
Shapazian was so impressed she recently endowed her namesake co-op fund. "I've been an advocate for chemistry majors who see research and grad school in their future," she says, "and Graham ensures a high return on my investment."
A retired Polaroid Corporation executive, Shapazian attributes much of her success to her three research co-ops. Within a few years of joining the photography giant, she published a paper and was awarded two patents.
"The impact of Carole's support on our students and on our department's reputation is impossible to quantify," Jones says. "When prospective students hear from our graduates, their reaction is, 'Wow—count me in.' "
Razon investment opens doors for international students
Northeastern parent Enrique Razon is helping to bring talented international scholars to campus.
Enrique Razon is a results-oriented man who brings the same focus to his company's charitable giving as he does to its business plan.
As chair and president of Manila-based International Container Terminal Systems Inc., which operates 27 ports in 19 countries, Razon is optimistic that economic growth in the Philippines will continue, and feels an urgent need to help build his country's workforce.
That's why, at his behest, the ICTSI Foundation recently funded two full Northeastern scholarships for Filipino public school graduates.
"It's easy for successful companies to just give to the poor," he observes, "but in the long term, education is the better way."
For many international students, an American education is beyond reach because most scholarships target U.S. citizens. But through Northeastern, Razon is opening doors.
"This is not a gift; it's an investment," says Razon, whose daughter Katrina, AMD'14, graduated in May. Higher education shouldn't be reserved for the wealthy, he says. Students who can't afford a leading U.S. university "are as smart and capable as anyone. Once empowered, they will be able to build a better country."
"The ICTSI Foundation supports young talent, which is the engine of prosperity. That's the strategy here. We need more highly educated people to keep the momentum going."
Wenzinger gift fuels academic and research partnerships
When an ambitious student with a great idea hits a stumbling block, the worst outcome is for the idea to be abandoned. Brian Wenzinger, CS'89, is making sure that doesn't happen here.
When an ambitious student with a great idea hits a stumbling block, what's the worst that could happen? If guidance and resources are scarce, that student might miss a life-changing opportunity. Investment portfolio manager Brian Wenzinger, CS'89, is ensuring that scenario doesn't happen at Northeastern.
Mindful that mentorship and funding are frequently lynchpins to success, this pragmatic philanthropist has invested $1 million to establish the Larry Finkelstein Innovative Computing Education Endowment (ICEE) at the College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS). Named for Wenzinger's collaborator on the project—who is his one-time professor and the college's former dean—the fund advances academic and research partnerships between students and faculty.
"Computer science is a vast and continually changing field," Wenzinger observes. "I want to support students who have that creative spark, and push them to experiment and challenge themselves."
Spurred by his generosity, CCIS faculty and students teamed up to develop and publish Realm of Racket, a computer programming guidebook by freshmen for freshmen. The group wrote and illustrated the manual in graphic novel format, united by a knack for data analysis and problem solving—talents Wenzinger himself uses each day as a principal at AJO, a Philadelphia-based investment adviser firm.
At Northeastern, Wenzinger was a Carl S. Ell Presidential Scholar. "The university gave me the basis for learning and work, and enabled to me to go somewhere in life with the skills that I had." His gift to launch ICEE is the largest ever made to the college and marks his most recent investment in a long history of giving back to students.
"At the end of the day, my goal is to enhance the educational experience," he says. "Hopefully other alumni will be inspired to take what I've started and build upon it."
CEO International Forum with Spencer Fung
Businesses must be nimble and flexible to adapt to an evolving global supply chain, Spencer Fung, PA'96, group chief operating officer and executive director of Li & Fung, said Wednesday at Northeastern's CEO Forum in Hong Kong.
Think about how you got the jeans you're wearing. As the consumer, your role was pretty simple: You went to the store, tried them on, flashed the plastic, and left with your purchase. But that's merely the tail end of a massive, complex global process that brought those jeans from initial design to manufacturing to the store where you found them.
Spencer Fung, PA'96, group chief operating officer and executive director of Li & Fung, is immersed in this intricate process. He heads up global infrastructure for Li & Fung, a multinational group headquartered in Hong Kong that engages in the design, development, sourcing, and distribution of consumer goods worldwide. The company manages end-to-end supply chains to connect more than 7,000 retailers and 15,000 suppliers globally through three business networks comprising trading, logistics, and distribution.
Fung, who is also a member of Northeastern's Board of Trustees, spoke at the university's CEO International Forum in Hong Kong on May 28.
In his talk titled "New paradigms in global sourcing," Fung described how the family business was founded in 1906, its global expansion over generations, China's labor force, and the challenges and opportunities facing the company today.
He said numerous factors shape the global sourcing arena, including the price of raw materials, wages, demographics, trade relations, and political and economic stability. This all makes for a multifaceted global supply chain that's evolving daily and facing new challenges and opportunities—whether it be consumer trends or needs, regional trade agreements, protocols due to wage inflation, or safety measures following last year's deadly collapse of a Bangladesh clothing factory.
"If you look at the global sourcing landscape, there is no constant. Almost every week you're reacting to something," Fung said. "You have to be nimble, fast, and flexible to be able to change almost on the fly. Otherwise you'll have no goods to sell, and you'll have no jeans to wear."
In welcome remarks, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun referenced the impact Fung said his own international co-op experience had on his career. Aoun also lauded the opportunities Li & Fung has been providing Northeastern students with in Hong Kong. Northeastern is a global leader in experiential education anchored in its signature co-op program. Since 2006, students have completed experiential learning opportunities in 114 countries.
"We need to increase the opportunities for students to go overseas because we want them to be exploring the world and becoming global citizens," Aoun said.
For his part, Fung's job requires him to be closely in tune with the global business world, or risk Li & Fung falling behind its competitors. Along with keeping up with traditional factors that affect the global supply chain, Fung pointed to new forces coming into the fold. Social media has driven companies to be more transparent. The "fast fashion" trend has transformed the industry by dramatically shrinking the production cycle and forcing industry to churn out new clothing options much more quickly than ever before. And omni-channel retailing provides a seamless, integrated customer experience that today's consumers expect.
Fung said predicting the impact of emerging factors isn't easy; rather, the key is setting up an infrastructure that can react swiftly to them. To that end, he called 3-D printing "the biggest unknown."
"Right now, it's a hobby for enthusiasts or prototyping, but who knows about tomorrow?" he said. "I can imagine a day when there are factories in Mexico or North Carolina with thousands of 3-D printers mass producing products for the consumer and customizing everything. You can even do it at home. What will that do to global supply chains? There are huge social implications."
In a Q-and-A following his talk, Fung fielded inquires on topics ranging from the work-life balance to family businesses. One attendee asked him to name the biggest competitive pressure facing his business. In response, Fung said, "Our industry is highly fragmented around the world. … As large as we are as a company, we have a small share of global sourcing. Competition is everywhere." He added: "Being able to compete with these small– and medium-sized entrepreneurial quick-moving units is what we're going against."
Wednesday's event coincided with the launch of Northeastern's historic Empower campaign in Hong Kong. Launched one year ago, Empower: The Campaign for Northeastern University, is a comprehensive fundraising drive to secure $1 billion in support of programs and initiatives, with a particular focus on three strategic goals: student financial support and financial aid, faculty advancement and expansion, and innovation in education and research.
CEO Breakfast with Karen Kaplan
Hill Holliday Chairman and CEO Karen Kaplan shares her brand storytelling expertise with an audience of CEOs, executives, and business leaders. Her remarks are entitled "Welcome to the Human Era: The New Model for Building Trusted Connections, and What Brands Need to Do About It."
As chief executive officer of the fourteenth-largest advertising agency in the United States, Karen Kaplan has been a driving force in helping grow Hill Holliday to over $1 billion in annual billings since being hired as a receptionist in 1982. Business Insider and Advertising Age have recognized her as one of the most influential women in advertising today.
Karen shares her brand storytelling expertise with an audience of CEOs, executives, and business leaders. Her remarks are entitled "Welcome to the Human Era: The New Model for Building Trusted Connections, and What Brands Need to Do About It."
Northeastern opens Rogers Corporation Innovation Center
The opening of the Rogers Corporation Innovation Center at Northeastern's Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security marks a unique industry-academic partnership that will enhance basic research and develop commercially viable innovations in advanced materials to address global challenges.
When George J. Kostas, E'43, first began conversations with Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun six years ago about establishing a state-of-the-art security research facility, he had a unique vision. The facility—which ultimately opened in 2011 as the George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security—would go beyond advancing science and research in one of the nation's most pressing fields. It would also enable unlikely industry-academic partnerships.
"Today, your vision is becoming a reality," Aoun said on Tuesday, March 25 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the Rogers Corporation Innovation Center at the 70,000 square foot Kostas Research Institute in Burlington, Mass. The goal of the unique partnership—announced in June 2013—is to advance basic research and develop commercially viable breakthrough innovations in advanced materials to address global challenges for clean energy, Internet connectivity, safety, and security.
"Innovation and creativity are the basis for the future of this country," Kostas said. "You have established a reputation of being great innovators." The distinctive collaboration, he said, will improve security for the nation.
The 4,000-square-foot Rogers Corporation Innovation Center was built out over the last year. It is housed within a 9,000-square-foot space at the Kostas Research Institute that includes laboratories, conference rooms, and office space designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between the on-site Rogers staff members and the Northeastern faculty and students working alongside them. It includes space for Northeastern professor Vincent Harris' spinout company.
With support from Kostas' endowment, the partnership—which is expected to be the first of many at the institute—will also enable experiential learning opportunities through student research co-ops, sponsored research and development programs, and other industry-classroom interactions.
Since its inception more than 180 years ago as a paper company, Rogers Corporation has had to evolve to accommodate the shifting needs of the American people. Today, the company is a global technology leader in advanced materials and components for consumer and power electronics, transportation, telecommunications, and defense systems.
Rogers CEO Bruce Hoechner noted that perhaps the biggest evolution—and revolution—facing society today is technology. In an effort to match the pace of technological change, the company sought an academic partner to help it innovate more rapidly. Hoechner said Rogers was drawn to Northeastern because of its commitment to use-inspired research that addresses global challenges—particularly in health, security, and sustainability.
"We felt very much at home here," Hoechner said. "We knew that we could find an academic organization here that was not only focused on developing new and great technology but also technology that has great application for the world."
Aoun, for his part, noted that universities have traditionally shied away from industry partnerships. As a result, "they have restricted their impact on society," he said. "This is why I'm very excited about this partnership—yes it's unique, but it's going to bring us together along different dimensions."
First, Aoun said, the discoveries and technologies developed in universities only have impact when they meet the consumer. Second, lifting financial burden off of researchers enables a reverse innovation that allows products to enter the market more rapidly.
"We have to have a mindset that will bring together technology, consumers, cost, and—more importantly—the safety of the nation," he said.
Largest marine biorepository finds home in Nahant
Thanks to the generosity of New England Biolabs and other private donors, Ocean Genome Legacy will continue and likely expand at its new location at Northeastern. Watch this video to see how OGL is saving the DNA of many marine species every day.
Preserving our oceans is one of the greatest challenges facing humankind today. Fortunately, Ocean Genome Legacy (OGL) has come to Northeastern's Marine Science Center to advance its mission of sustaining the biological diversity of the sea. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Donald Comb, who is also founder and former CEO of New England Biolabs, OGL is a one-of-a-kind genomic collection that includes some of the ocean's rarest, strangest, and most remarkable creatures.
Thanks to the generosity of New England Biolabs and other private donors, OGL will continue and likely expand at its new location at Northeastern. Watch this video to see how OGL is saving the DNA of many marine species every day.
Women Who Inspire: Sustainability
This Women Who Inspire speaker series event honors women in renewable energy, climate change, and sustainability. Practically Green founder and CEO Susan Hunt Stevens moderates a panel of global business leaders.
Mindy Lubber is the president of Ceres, a nonprofit organization that's mobilizing businesses to integrate sustainability into their bottom lines. She manages a $10 trillion investment fund focused on evaluating the business risks and opportunities of climate change. Her journey to success began as an eager undergraduate student—just like many of those in the audience she addressed Tuesday night in the fifth event in Northeastern University's Women Who Inspire series.
While fighting for consumer rights with Ralph Nader in New York, Lubber recalled, she was challenged by the former leader of the green party and environmental icon to take the issue to the state capitol and try to change the law. At first, she wondered how much an undergraduate could really change. But "lo and behold, we passed the law."
"The way that empowered me and the way I want the students in this room to walk out and understand is that we each can change the world," Lubber said. "It was an extraordinary feeling."
The Women Who Inspire series is designed to promote the advancement of women and inspire the next generation of female leaders in technology, engineering, science and sustainability. Tuesday night's event featured a panel of innovative women leaders in renewable energy, climate change, and sustainability who discussed their own careers and global growth of green industries.
"Sustainability is one of the most compelling and urgent issues that we have facing us today," Diane MacGillivray, senior vice president for university advancement, said in welcome remarks.
Joining Lubber on the esteemed panel were Marcy Reed, AP'86, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, and Wendi Goldsmith, CEO of Bioengineering Group. Susan Hunt Stevens, founder and CEO of Practically Green, a leading technology provider of sustainability engagement programs for global companies, moderated the event.
Years ago, environmentalism was considered a four-letter-word for companies, the purview of dreadlock-donning hippies and "tree huggers." But Reed said in the last 10 years, "the space has undergone a 180 transformation."
"It's become a business imperative," said Reed, whose company stands with hundreds of companies worldwide that are incorporating sustainability practices and policies into the very fabric of their organizations. "The world is changing. We need to be part of it, we need to help shape it."
Reed said that for National Grid, which now relies on a solar energy to produce 400 megawatts of power each year (that's about the size of a small power plant), sustainability also presents a social imperative that affects jobs, customers, and moving society forward.
Goldsmith, for her part, noted that when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, her company helped the city rebuild—while simultaneously building its own reputation as a leader in sustainability.
She said companies today have to play an increasingly active role in identifying and embracing the next generation of solutions. "So many people don't know that we now have the world's most advanced [sustainable] infrastructure," said Goldsmith, who noted that such sustainability efforts helped save Louisiana from more than $30 million in damage when Hurricane Isaac struck in 2012.
Lubber explained how similar investments would continue to strengthen the U.S. economy, noting that the clean technology industry is expected to be valued at $36 trillion by 2050. "Energy efficiency is a massive opportunity," she said. The panelists noted that this opportunity would take shape as companies invest in clean energy technologies that already exist—such as solar panels, windmills, and biofuel—and the innovative green technologies of tomorrow.
"What's really exciting is all the stuff we haven't even thought of yet," Goldsmith said.
Bringing the conversation back to the students in the audience, Hunt Stevens urged them to consider opportunities in the green industries.
"This industry needs you," she said. "It needs the world's best marketers; it needs the world's best accountants; it needs the world's best engineers and software developers, and customer service people. There is a huge opportunity in this space for you to do well and to do good."
Written by Angela Herring. Photo by Brooks Canaday.
Northeastern hosts Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian
Alexis Ohanian, open internet activist and co-founder of Reddit, came to Northeastern's campus to speak to an audience of nearly 500 students, faculty, and alumni as part of his Without Their Permission book tour.
Alexis Ohanian, open internet activist and co-founder of Reddit, came to Northeastern's campus to speak to an audience of nearly 500 students, faculty, and alumni as part of his Without Their Permission book tour. During his hour on stage, Alexis shared his story and gave advice to budding entrepreneurs. He also interviewed Northeastern alumnus Michael Norman, CSSH'05 about his crowdfunding investment platform, Wefunder.
Alexis encouraged Huskies to "get in the habit of taking ideas and executing them." Mike's advice – "Be diverse with co-op and learn about how the world works."
Northeastern's Entrepreneurship Club hosted the event in Blackman Auditorium as part of their weekly speaker series. The Empower Campaign provided video coverage.
Northeastern to build state-of-the-art science and engineering complex
Northeastern University has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science and engineering research facility, scheduled for completion in fall 2016.
Northeastern University has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science and engineering research facility in Roxbury on Columbus Avenue. Scheduled for completion in fall 2016, the new complex will provide 220,000 square feet of research and educational space and is part of the university's ongoing effort to expand its capacity to engage in path-breaking research across disciplines.
"This new complex is the canvas upon which our faculty colleagues, students, and staff will produce the next generation of breakthroughs," said Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun. "It will be a hub of scholarship and teaching and will significantly advance our mission as a use-inspired research university. We are also proud to create the first private research development in Roxbury."
The interdisciplinary science and engineering complex will be located next to the expanding Ruggles MBTA station and house wet and dry lab facilities, educational laboratories, classroom space, and offices for faculty and graduate students. It will feature cutting-edge scientific equipment to be shared by researchers from Northeastern's College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Engineering, and College of Computer and Information Science. The project will also include a 280-seat auditorium and a large atrium with a spiral staircase.
The six-story facility will be designed with open shared laboratory space, and numerous areas that promote informal serendipitous discussions will foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Through the liberal use of glass walls, faculty, students, and visitors will be able to view a broad range of research activities that are underway.
"Solutions to many of the world's most pressing challenges are created at the intersection of disciplines," said Stephen W. Director, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Our integrated science and engineering complex will allow Northeastern researchers to address challenges across many fields, with particular emphasis on our signature research themes of health, security, and sustainability."
Construction of the new facility will provide much-needed space for Northeastern's ongoing faculty-hiring initiative. Over the past seven years, the university has recruited 387 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members, many of whom have joint appointments across academic disciplines. The university is continuing to recruit tenured and tenure-track faculty at a record pace.
Northeastern has increased its annual research funding by more than 100 percent since 2006, and in the 2011–2012 academic year the university received more than $100 million in external research funding. The university is also diversifying its research funding by deliberately increasing support from philanthropic and corporate sources, not just government grants.
The new LEED-certified facility will be constructed on a 3.5-acre parcel owned by Northeastern and currently used as surface parking. The site's development provides an opportunity to strengthen the Columbus Avenue corridor, improve pedestrian connections, and create new open space and streetscape amenities to be shared with the surrounding community. The project represents an investment by the university of approximately $225 million.
Designed by the architectural firm Payette, the project also includes plans to construct a unique pedestrian bridge over the MBTA Orange Line, commuter rail, and Amtrak tracks. The bridge—similar to New York City's "Highline"—will connect two distinct sections of Northeastern's campus and bolster the university's strong ties to its surrounding communities.
The new science complex is a key part of Northeastern's Institutional Master Plan, which university officials developed over the past two years in collaboration with faculty, students, staff, city planners, and campus neighbors. The plan was approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority on November 14.
"At the outset of this process we identified mutuality, respect, and transparency as our guiding principles," said Ralph Martin II, senior vice president and general counsel, who spearheaded the Institutional Master Plan Process. "After nearly two years of discussion, debate, and negotiations with elected officials and neighbors, and guided by the redevelopment authority, we believe we have a plan that serves those principles and will have a transformational effect on both Northeastern and our neighborhoods."
IDEA, School of Law team up to support local startups
Through a new partnership between IDEA and the School of Law's Community Business Clinic, the Boston-based entrepreneurs unaffiliated with Northeastern have been accepted to the university's student-run venture accelerator for the first time ever.
Through a new partnership between IDEA and the School of Law's Community Business Clinic, the Boston-based entrepreneurs unaffiliated with Northeastern have been accepted to the university's student-run venture accelerator for the first time ever.
The clinic, directed by law professor Peter Sessa, offers law students real-world experience in providing free, business-related legal services to startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in the Boston area.
"This is the real practice of law," Sessa explained. "It's not a simulation course. We expect the unexpected."
Sessa's clinic teamed up with IDEA to provide three of its clients with business support from IDEA that is typically reserved for startups with a Northeastern affiliation. Previously, unaffiliated clients could attend workshops and receive coaching from the IDEA staff but could not get funding—until now. IDEA's $1,000 Prototype Fund Grants will be available to these ventures.
"The value added is the coaching, mentoring, and business planning support we can provide them," said Max Kaye, CEO of IDEA. "This was a community outreach opportunity for us."
Students in the clinic selected three of their clients to join IDEA: Pixel Life, an underground and hip-hop clothing brand founded by Northeastern psychology major Vlad Dimitrov, S'15; Envite Design, a design and production company; and Practice Gigs, a social networking platform that helps athletes find practice partners.
Toni Oloko, the 17-year-old Boston Trinity Academy student who started Practice Gigs, spoke highly of working with Northeastern. "My experience with IDEA and the Community Business Clinic has been great," Oloko said, noting that a mentor at the Small Businesses Association referred him to the law school clinic. "With their help, Practice Gigs Inc. attended NEXPO in November, but more importantly we have received advice on our business model and business plan."
Kaye has received positive feedback from all three ventures, which have already attended workshops on business modeling, pitching, and financing. Last month, Envite Design joined Practice Gigs in participating in NEXPO, a biannual entrepreneurship exposition hosted by IDEA.
The law students, for their part, are also benefiting from this new partnership. According to Sessa, their service has taught them the importance of collaboration and delegation.
"All new lawyers experience some stress because they think they need the answers to all their clients' questions," Sessa explained. "My students learn the value of collaboration and being able to send their clients to another resource for certain questions."
January marked the beginning of the law school's second quarter of the year, which means new clients and new students for Sessa's clinic. Both he and Kaye said they hope to add three new ventures to the IDEA family in addition to the original three, which are expected to continue working with IDEA.
"The sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned," Sessa said.
Empowerfest celebrates Northeastern's past, present, and future
The Northeastern community celebrated the university-wide launch of its $1 billion Empower campaign with Empowerfest on November 15-16.
On November 15-16, the Northeastern community celebrated the university-wide launch of its $1 billion Empower campaign with Empowerfest, an exciting showcase featuring dozens of interactive exhibits that highlighted innovative student and faculty research projects, as well as musical performances, food and many fun activities for all ages.
Empowerfest served as the centerpiece of Homecoming Weekend, which brought together generations of alumni and students, faculty, staff, and friends to celebrate the university's momentum and show their Northeastern pride.
Empowerfest took over the Cabot Field House with global experiential learning, use-inspired research, entrepreneurship and innovation, and athletics woven through the myriad hands-on activities. These exhibits included startups supported by IDEA, Northeastern's student-run venture accelerator; a closer look at the university's new 3-D Printing Studio; live touch tanks featuring species at the center of some of Northeastern's marine science research; interactive cybersecurity, and game design demos; and global endeavors from Northeastern's Social Entrepreneurship Institute.
"Many of you have told me that you love what you are seeing here today," President Joseph E. Aoun said during his welcoming remarks. "But this didn't happen by itself. The students, staff, and faculty have been working hard. But more importantly, you empowered them. You made it happen because many of you have invested in them."
Faculty and staff received a special preview of Empowerfest on November 15. About 2,000 people attended Empowerfest over the two days.
Diane MacGillivray, senior vice president of university advancement, said celebrating Empowerfest during Homecoming Weekend allowed for the opportunity for Northeastern to honor its past while also look toward its bright future.
"This is bringing together a wider audience to showcase what is happening on this campus," MacGillivray said. "We wanted people to come and rediscover the pride of not just what has happened, but what is happening. A lot of people have expressed amazement this is happening at Northeastern."
In May, Northeastern announced the launch of Empower: The Campaign for Northeastern University, a comprehensive fundraising drive to secure $1 billion in support of programs and initiatives, with a particular focus on three strategic goals: student financial support and financial aid, faculty advancement and expansion, and innovation in education and research.
The unprecedented campaign aims to raise $500 million in philanthropic support and $500 million through industry and government partnerships by 2017, which together will shape the future of teaching, learning, and innovation in education and research.
Richard A. D'Amore, DMSB'76, co-chair of the Empower campaign, welcomed guests on November 16 and said it was great to see all of Northeastern's hard work in action. Last year, D'Amore teamed up with fellow campaign co-chair Alan McKim, DMSB'88, to make a combined $60 million gift—the largest philanthropic investment in Northeastern's history and which renamed the business school the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.
"It is fabulous to see the energy," D'Amore exclaimed. "We know all the metrics that are happening around here, the applications, the quality of the students, the great faculty hiring, but to see it all in action is just great for us. We are all lucky to be part of this fabulous institution. We all have to support it to the extent we can. "
Homecoming Weekend also allowed students, faculty, staff, and alumni to see many of Northeastern's athletics teams in action. Women's volleyball held two games on campus, fans celebrated their Husky spirit at FanFest prior to the men's hockey game against New Hampshire, and men's basketball earned its first victory of the year by winning its home opener against Central Connecticut State, 83–69.
The Varsity Club Hall of Fame, which recognizes the accomplishments of Northeastern student-athletes, coaches, and benefactors, held an induction ceremony and dinner on November 16 to welcome six new inductees.
The Northeastern Choral Society hosted an alumni reception as a lead up to its November 17 concert at Jordan Hall, which marked professor Joshua Jacobson's 40 years as its conductor. And the sixth annual Big Dog 5k road race and walk was held in Dedham, with participants finishing the new course on the revamped athletic track at Northeastern's Dedham campus.
At Empowerfest, every aspect of Northeastern's momentum was on display. Visitors got an up-close look at the real and robotic creatures from the Marine Science Center and ventured over to the Game Design Dome to play a variety of video games designed in campus facilities.
Attendees used the iCRAFT, an eye-controlled robotic feeding arm developed by Northeastern students, to pick up candy, and enjoyed performances by musical groups on campus. As an added bonus, visitors also had the opportunity to get their photo taken with the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series trophy.
"It's interesting to see the huge expansion taking place since I walked these hallowed halls," said Phillip Mecajni, a double Husky who earned his undergraduate degree in engineer technology in 1976 and his MBA in 1978.
Ali Fraenkel, class of 2016, was one of several students manning the booth for Northeastern Students4Giving booth, an experiential philanthropy education program that combines rigorous academic content with real-dollar grant making. She said the two-day event was a great success. "It's great to touch upon what we do," Fraenkel said. "I think it has been very successful. It was cool to have a wide range of conversations and gauge people's interest based on those conversations."
"Whatever your passion is, choose a piece of this university and make it happen," Aoun told the crowd.
Empower campaign surpasses fiscal year 2013 goal, raising $63.3 million
On the heels of the official announcement in May of the Empower campaign, Northeastern announced that the university has secured $63.3 million in new gifts and pledges in fiscal year 2013, handily surpassing the year's goal by $8.3 million.
Despite challenging economic times, Northeastern secured $63.3 million in new gifts and pledges in fiscal year 2013, handily surpassing the year's goal by $8.3 million. That announcement comes on the heels of the official launch in May of Empower: The Campaign for Northeastern University, the most ambitious fundraising effort in the university's history.
The kickoff of Empower was punctuated this week by the release of the campaign's official website. Mirroring Northeastern's innovation-driven ethos, the site not only announces gifts of all sizes, but also invites alumni and other supporters to explore inspiring stories of student and faculty empowerment—and to share their own memories and anecdotes about formative Northeastern experiences and relationships.
Support from all members of the community—alumni, students, parents, friends, and university partners—has been integral to Northeastern's rise as a global, experiential research university. Since 2006, Northeastern's annual fundraising has more than doubled. Undergraduate alumni set a record for giving in fiscal year 2013, with an impressive 13,103 individuals making gifts.
"Northeastern has a bold vision for the future, and the philanthropic support of our community and friends is giving life to that vision," said Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun. "Our momentum is unprecedented. Our goal is to sustain it for generations to come by remaining at the leading edge of research, and by continuing to attract world-class students and faculty."
True to its global character, Northeastern followed the Empower campaign's official launch in Boston with celebrations in July in London and Paris. Nearly 150 members of the university's international community gathered to celebrate the campaign's public phase—the point at which, with significant funding in hand, an institution calls upon every constituent for support. Northeastern seeks to raise $500 million from generous donors on one hand, and $500 million from corporations, university alliances, and government on the other.
"At Northeastern, these funds are highly interdependent and synergistic," said Diane N. MacGillivray, senior vice president for university advancement. "A donor's gift may support a faculty member, who brings in grants—which ignite discoveries, inspiring additional gifts. Philanthropy has the power to change lives—both of those who give and those who benefit."
During the coming months, Northeastern will continue hosting Empower events across the country and around the world. And on November 15–16, Homecoming Weekend, the greater university community will convene for exciting, family-friendly campaign celebrations. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the future of Northeastern through interactive exhibits showcasing the innovation, entrepreneurship, and research of exceptional students, faculty, and alumni.
Empower campaign supporters are already making a remarkable impact across disciplines at Northeastern. They have established a pioneering partnership with the Ocean Genome Legacy Center of New England Biolabs to house a renowned collection of marine genome samples; the innovative Michael J. and Ann Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education; and the Northeastern University-Boston Ballet Education Program, a groundbreaking educational program to help professional ballet dancers earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and to prepare them for careers after dancing.
For details and updates on the Empower campaign—and to share the story of how Northeastern has empowered you—visit northeastern.edu/empower.
College education ahead of a dancer's final curtain call
Northeastern University and the Boston Ballet have created a comprehensive educational program to help professional ballet dancers earn college degrees and to prepare them for careers after dancing.
Northeastern University and the Boston Ballet have created a comprehensive educational program to help professional ballet dancers earn college degrees and to prepare them for careers after dancing.
The innovative partnership, which was profiled by The Boston Globe, provides flexible and customized opportunities for Boston Ballet dancers to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and to take advantage of experiential learning programs, including Northeastern's renowned co-op model. The university will provide access to its robust infrastructure of academic courses and career coaching resources and work with qualified candidates to streamline the admissions and enrollment processes.
The first-in-the-nation initiative—called the Northeastern University-Boston Ballet Education Program—is backed by a combined gift from two Boston Ballet board members: chairman Jack R. Meyer and Henri Termeer. Meyer is the CEO Convexity Capital Management. Termeer is the former CEO and chairman of Genzyme Corporation and a pioneer in developing and delivering treatments for rare genetic diseases.
"Henri, Jack, and our institutions share a dedication to excellence, culture, education, and the growth of the human spirit," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University. "This partnership is exemplary of academia and the arts advancing the future of human talent."
Through the Northeastern University-Boston Ballet Education Program professional dancers will earn undergraduate or graduate degrees through the College of Professional Studies in disciplines of their choosing. A scholarship fund has been established to cover 80 percent of the tuition and costs for each of 16 company dancers starting this month. Dancers will be able to complete their undergraduate degrees in roughly six years.
The program also capitalizes on Northeastern's leadership in developing hybrid, flexible degree programs designed to meet the individual needs and interests of talented professionals. Company dancers will take courses on campus, at the Boston Ballet, and online. They will also receive a range of experiential-learning opportunities—including co-op and internships—that align with their career goals.
Since its founding in 1963, Boston Ballet has evolved into one of the world's leading ballet companies. It attracts dancers from around the globe–17 countries are currently represented.
While the dancers are at the very top of their profession, very few have college degrees. Northeastern's commitment to global education, research, and experiences dovetails with the Ballet's mission so the partnership between the two institutions complement each other well.
"The intense rehearsal and performance schedules of the dancers make it nearly impossible to earn a college degree," said Meyer. "The Northeastern program provides the flexibility and coaching that will allow them to earn a degree while still dancing."
"Northeastern is the perfect match for Boston's Ballet," said Termeer. "They are at the leading edge of flexible education and have gone all out to make this program a success. We are optimistic that our partnership will expand as we get to know one another."
Mikko Nissinen, artistic director of Boston Ballet, is equally excited about the partnership. "We are all thrilled about this new collaboration with Northeastern. The opportunity is truly a dream come true for today's professional dancer," he said.
Boston Ballet executive director, Barry Hughson, also sees the partnership as crucial to the evolution of the dance business model, adding, "The future of our industry depends on the talent of our dancers. Our ability to attract, retain, and educate a world-class dance force will ensure the sustainability of not only Boston Ballet—but the arts industry as a whole."
Rare biorepository finds new home at Marine Science Center
Northeastern has partnered with the Ocean Genome Legacy and New England biolabs to bring a publicly accessible biorepository of DNA samples from ocean species to the university's Marine Science Center.
Northeastern's University's Marine Science Center will soon house a tissue collection from the world's most rare, strange, and remarkable ocean creatures. Based on the partnership between Northeastern, Ocean Genome Legacy and New England Biolabs, the university will be home to the Ocean Genome Legacy Center of New England Biolabs—a publicly accessible biorepository of DNA samples from ocean species.
Founded in 2001 by Dr. Donald Comb, OGL is a nonprofit environmental research organization and DNA bank dedicated to promoting new methods for the study and conservation of marine species through preservation and analysis of their DNA.
The priceless collection will move to the Marine Science Center, located in Nahant, Mass., later this year. It will continue to be used to uncover some of our ocean's deepest mysteries and reveal genomic information that can help cure diseases, protect the environment, and improve the sustainability of global food and energy supplies.
A generous multi-million dollar gift from New England Biolabs and other private donors, as well as a commitment toward creating a matching endowment, will enable operations of OGL at the Marine Science Center to continue and likely expand. A new lab to house the growing collection will be built in the coming years.
"Global change is causing massive biodiversity loss in the oceans and we are thrilled to take responsibility for this unique and important collection," said J. Murray Gibson, dean of Northeastern University's College of Science. "The collection becomes a focus for our research, education, and outreach, and through this partnership we aim to accelerate the fulfillment of the goal of OGL—to preserve DNA samples from all the ocean's species."
Located 25 minutes outside of Boston, Northeastern's Marine Science center offers faculty and students a unique opportunity to study the human impact on the urban coastal system. Marine science researchers are building global collaborations and conducting groundbreaking research in areas ranging from underwater robotics to the effects of climate change on the globe's coastlines.
Northeastern faculty will utilize the Ocean Genome Resource Collection to aid their genomic research. Students will contribute to the biorepository through field collection and experiential learning opportunities at the marine lab.
"This is a great opportunity for OGL to join forces with Northeastern, a major research university with a huge commitment to environmental sustainability and education," Dan Distel, executive director of OGL, said in a statement.
"The outstanding faculty, students, and infrastructure and the forward-looking philosophy of Northeastern University and the Marine Science Center provide a growth opportunity for OGL that would be hard to match anywhere else."
Empower to take Northeastern to 'amazing heights'
President Joseph E. Aoun, presided over Northeastern launching its $1 billion comprehensive campaign on Thursday night at a kickoff event that featured interactive research exhibits and inspiring calls to support the university's momentum.
Northeastern launched its $1 billion comprehensive campaign on Thursday night at a kickoff event that featured inspiring calls to support the university's surging momentum and interactive exhibits through which faculty and students showcased Northeastern's groundbreaking research, rising global profile, and leadership in experiential education.
Empower: The Campaign for Northeastern University aims to raise $500 million in philanthropic support and $500 million through industry and government partnerships by 2017, which together will shape the future of teaching, learning, and discovery at the university by supporting students, faculty, and innovation in education and research. The campaign will support programs and initiatives university-wide, focusing on three strategic goals: student support and financial aid, faculty advancement and expansion, and innovation in education and research.
Speaking to nearly 400 people gathered in the Marino Center, President Joseph E. Aoun said the Empower campaign is about "excellence, quality, and impact." Philanthropic support, he said, will increase scholarships for students to pursue innovation, entrepreneurship, and professional leadership; provide resources for faculty to hurdle barriers and solve global challenges through use-inspired, interdisciplinary research; and deepen alumni connections with the university.
"I am asking you to empower our community and give life to a bold new vision of what Northeastern can be," he said. "I am asking you to strengthen your university—and your Northeastern community—for decades to come." By doing so, Aoun said Northeastern will continue attracting distinguished students and faculty and remain on the leading edge of research, particularly in areas of health, security, and sustainability.
A series of major gifts have already set the stage for the Empower campaign's success, including a $60 million gift from alumni Richard D'Amore and Alan McKim to the business school, now known as the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. D'Amore and McKim will serve as the Empower campaign co-chairs.
On Thursday night, the pair cited both the enormous professional and personal impact Northeastern has made in their lives and the university's incredible momentum as factors to remain actively engaged on campus and ultimately make their combined gift last fall. D'Amore, who earned his bachelor's degree in 1976, said he and other alumni have been consistently impressed by how much Northeastern's world-class reputation, quality of students, global profile, and depth of research have soared since he was a student.
"We're tremendously proud of our university," D'Amore said.
"We recognize Northeastern's potential, just as Northeastern recognized our potential as students," added McKim. "This is a monumental day for the university."
Henry J. Nasella, chairman of the Northeastern Board of Trustees and a 1977 graduate, also addressed attendees. He touted Northeastern's signature co-op program, which he said gave him the real-world experience to understand how business worked, "from the shop floor up."
"There hasn't ever been a job that I didn't feel confident that I could do or learn to do in my career," he said.
"We're here to secure Northeastern for the future," he added.
Later in the evening, a series of interactive exhibits allowed visitors to immerse themselves in the scope of Northeastern's interdisciplinary research, global reach, innovative mindset, and entrepreneurial spirit. In various exhibits, students and faculty showcased cutting-edge projects in game design, cybersecurity, and explosives detection. Another station showcased Northeastern's Marine Science Center in Nahant, Mass, where students and faculty are collaborating on research ranging from underwater robotics to climate change studies.
There were also two alumni ventures on display: One was Njabini Inc., which helps poor families in rural Kenya grow income-generating projects that support their families and communities, including a new project that uses a cooperative model to bring potato producers together to collectively increase their production and profits. The other was Fresh Truck, a social venture aimed at transporting healthy food into urban areas without wide access to grocery stores.
Northeastern to launch $1 billion comprehensive campaign
Northeastern is undertaking a historic, $1 billion campaign that will shape the future of teaching, learning, and discovery at the university by supporting students, faculty, and innovation in education and research. The campaign will also strengthen Northeastern's partnerships with government and industry.
Northeastern is undertaking a historic, $1 billion campaign that will shape the future of teaching, learning, and discovery at the university by supporting students, faculty, and innovation in education and research. The campaign will also strengthen Northeastern's partnerships with government and industry.
Empower: The Campaign for Northeastern University aims to raise $500 million in philanthropic support and $500 million through industry and government partnerships by 2017. The campaign will capitalize on Northeastern's surging momentum in areas ranging from research to global leadership in experiential education. The number of global co-ops has increased 235 percent since 2006-07, the university's annual research funding has increased 115 percent since 2006, and 90 percent of graduates from 2006 to 2011 were employed full time or enrolled in graduate school within nine months after graduation. These are among the many factors contributing to the increase in quantity and quality of students the university attracts, as applications for the fall 2013 freshman class exceeded prior benchmarks in terms of total applicants, geographic diversity, and quality.
"This historic campaign is about people empowering people," President Joseph E. Aoun said. "Since 1898, we have championed innovation, entrepreneurship, service, and the integration of study and real-world experience—a tradition rooted in our co-op program. Today these values are reflected in our global experiential-education opportunities and use-inspired research. Northeastern's momentum has been extraordinary, and the best is yet to come."
The Empower campaign will support programs and initiatives university-wide. These include new co-op and research opportunities for students, who will be prepared to lead emerging, interdisciplinary fields and industries—from nanomedicine, personal health informatics, and network science to green architecture and the digital arts. Investments will also equip faculty with the tools and guidance to collaborate across disciplines and forge partnerships worldwide, while also confronting societal imperatives—among these, health, security, and sustainability—to develop fresh solutions to global challenges.
The campaign focuses on three strategic goals:
• Student support and financial aid, which includes experiential learning, international education, scholarships and fellowships, athletics and club sports, community engagement, student research, and opportunities for students to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
• Faculty advancement and expansion, which includes endowing new deanships, faculty chairs, and professorships in order to attract and retain world-class researchers and teachers; and building teams of faculty members that work across disciplines to deliver leading-edge scholarship.
• Innovation in education and research, which will build on Northeastern's strengths in co-op, launch new degree programs, and modernize education-delivery systems, in part by adopting new digital communication technologies; and which will advance use-inspired research—particularly in health, security, and sustainability—and create new research centers that will keep the university on the leading edge of invention and exploration.
The campaign will engage the entire Northeastern community, including alumni, parents, corporate partners, faculty, staff, and students.
A series of major gifts have already set the stage for success. Alumni Richard D'Amore and Alan McKim made a joint $60-million gift to the business school, now known as the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. And alumnus George J. Kostas invested $12 million in his alma mater to establish the George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security.
Empower campaign supporters are exerting tremendous impact across the university. Supporters have created a new center for engineering entrepreneurship education; a co-op scholarship that funds laboratory research on campus by students who aspire to medical school and careers as physician-scientists; a fund to support senior engineering capstone projects; a fund that supports the School of Law's Initiative on Experiential Education in Law; the Nasella Family Endowment Fund in support of financial aid; and an endowment to fund a professional coaching position for the Sailing Club.
Tech innovator supports program for engineers to become entrepreneurs
College of Engineering alumnus and tech innovator Michael Sherman is the man behind Northeastern University's Michael J. and Ann Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education.
College of Engineering alumnus and tech innovator Michael Sherman is the man behind Northeastern University's Michael J. and Ann Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education.
Scheduled to launch this fall, the new program's curriculum is designed to arm engineering undergraduates with the appropriate entrepreneurial skills to successfully pitch and commercialize their innovations. Workshops and courses will be led by Northeastern faculty and innovators from industry.
"We need to ensure that engineering students are able to communicate in the commercial world," said Sherman, who graduated with a bachelor of science from the College of Engineering in 1968. In some ways, he said, the "commerciality of innovation is more important than the innovation itself.
"It doesn't matter how good your product is," he explained. "If you can't make a business case for its viability then you won't be able to bring it to market."
The center complements Northeastern's commitment to fostering entrepreneurship on campus and will work closely with faculty in the D'Amore-McKim School of Business and IDEA, Northeastern's student-run venture accelerator.
"Michael's passion for turning innovative engineers into savvy entrepreneurs resonates deeply with our mission at Northeastern," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University. "Our students thrive on infusing their knowledge with real-world experiences. Michael's support will be instrumental for our engineering students and the sustainability of their inventions."
Nadine Aubry, dean of the College of Engineering, shares Sherman's passion. "Engineers create products but without taking those to market, what's the point? Business considerations need to be an integral part of the engineering design process; otherwise engineers waste time designing products that will never be used," said Aubry, who met Sherman shortly after she had expressed her vision to introduce entrepreneurship in engineering education as new dean last fall. "Michael and Ann's investment will allow the College to introduce entrepreneurship in our engineering curriculum at a much larger scale."
Sherman has 40 years of experience in communications hardware and software development, including wireless applications for military, government, and commercial use. His business, AES Corp., of Peabody, Mass., produces and installs leading-edge security products for organizations and households in more than 130 countries around the world.
Sherman grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to Boston in 1963 to attend Northeastern. He credited co-op with giving him the confidence to excel in the business world. "Gaining experience in the work environment made me realize that I could accomplish the business objectives I desired," he said. "I have always considered Northeastern integral to my career success."
This multi-million dollar seed investment is a testament to Sherman's loyal and ongoing support of his alma mater during the last 25 years. He is grateful to be in a position to give back to Northeastern's crop of burgeoning engineers. "Engineers and the engineering profession will exist long into the future if they are able to become the commercial engines of innovation," he said.
$1 million raised for Pharmacy scholarships
Thanks to a $250,000 challenge gift from George, P'57, H'98, and Margo Behrakis, more than $1 million in scholarship funds have been raised in honor of the School of Pharmacy's 50th Anniversary.
Thanks to a $250,000 challenge gift from George, P'57, H'98, and Margo Behrakis, more than $1 million in scholarship funds have been raised in honor of the School of Pharmacy's 50th Anniversary. Behrakis, vice chairman emeritus of the board of trustees, pledged a dollar-for-dollar match to funds generated by other alumni and friends—and more than 50 donors and corporate partners answered the call.
The scholarship was named the School of Pharmacy 50th Anniversary Scholarship Fund and will provide lasting need- and merit-based aid to pharmacy students.
"The School of Pharmacy has become a nationally known research institution that remains steadfastly practice-based," says Behrakis. "It provides the best pharmacy education possible, and I want to help deserving students be more successful in this increasingly important field."
The school's rich history dates back to 1927 when Constantine Meriano founded the Meriano School of Pharmacy in Boston. In 1940, it was incorporated into the Boston School of Pharmacy, and was renamed the New England College of Pharmacy in 1949.
Then, in 1962, the college merged with Northeastern to become the Northeastern University College of Pharmacy. Northeastern's Bouvé College of Heath Sciences was formed in 1999 and it now houses the School of Pharmacy.
Many enthusiastic alumni met the philanthropic challenge presented by Behrakis, either by making a gift toward already established scholarships or to the Anniversary Scholarship Fund.
Herbert P., P'55, and Marylou Gray contributed significantly to the challenge with a bequest intention in support of the Herb and Mary Lou Gray Scholarship. Through their legacy gift, generations of future pharmacy students will have the opportunity to pursue a Northeastern education.
Bruno, P'64, and Vivienne Mazzotta also made a leadership gift to help students finance what he believes is an excellent education. "At the New England College of Pharmacy, the importance of the pharmaceutical trinity of accuracy, integrity, and service was emphasized by serious and dedicated professionals who molded and motivated our professional and personal character," Mazzotta says. "This excellence continues today at the Northeastern University School of Pharmacy."
"On behalf of the entire school community, I wish to thank Dr. and Mrs. Behrakis, Mr. and Mrs. Gray, and Mr. and Mrs. Mazzotta for their generous lead gifts," says John R. Reynolds, dean of the School of Pharmacy. "We are also grateful to the many alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who contributed to the 50th Anniversary Fund."
John Merianos, P'61, and Gary Frazier, P'81, also made major gifts to support scholarships in the anniversary year. Numerous other alumni and friends contributed generously as well.
"There is no better way to mark this milestone than by reaffirming our commitment to students," said Bouvé Dean Terry Fulmer.
To contribute to the School of Pharmacy 50th Anniversary Scholarship Fund and to help grow this important resource for our students, contact Marie-Noël Appel, associate dean of development, at 617.373.2637 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Bouvé Simulation Suite named for Northeastern alumnus
Northeastern University has announced that Marlene Goldstein invested $2 million to name the new simulation laboratories suite in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences in memory of her late husband, Arnold S. Goldstein, P'61, PhD'90.
Northeastern University has announced that Marlene Goldstein invested $2 million to name the new simulation laboratories suite in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences in memory of her late husband, Arnold S. Goldstein, P'61, PhD'90. Goldstein, who passed away in 2010, was a professor of pharmacy at Northeastern and had served as acting dean in what was then the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.
"Arnold loved academia and his thirst for knowledge was unquenchable," said Marlene Goldstein. "Our gift to Northeastern University will hopefully make a difference in the future, one that lasts longer than our lifetimes. Arnold would be so delighted and very proud to see it at work."
By training students in techniques designed to ensure patient safety, improve outcomes and prevent medical errors, the Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Laboratories Suite will have a significant impact on the next generation of health-care providers and bolster national efforts in health education, research and service.
"Arny Goldstein was a farsighted innovator who recognized the value of experiential education," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University. "With this transformative investment, Marlene is solidifying the legacy of his pioneering spirit and is strengthening the Bouvé College of Health Sciences as a national leader in patient safety and health-care quality."
The Goldstein Suite will facilitate health-care instruction, utilizing computer-driven mannequins and lifelike models, and will allow faculty and students to replicate clinical symptoms and modulate realistic human responses. By practicing hands-on skills such as starting intravenous lines, resuscitation, and administering anesthesia, students will acquire the training necessary to work as part of a strong health-care team, in settings ranging from emergency rooms to home care.
"Arny had a long history with Bouvé and he remained dedicated to our students throughout his lifetime," said Stephen Zoloth, former dean of Bouvé. "His passion for teaching and innovation was unparalleled, and thanks to Arny and Marlene the college will offer one of the most advanced clinical simulation environments in the nation."
Goldstein, who ultimately pursued a career in law, founded Arnold S. Goldstein and Associates, LLC, and was a managing partner at Presser & Goldstein, LLC. In addition to being an accomplished legal author and speaker, he was an inaugural member of Northeastern's Health Sciences Entrepreneurs program and regularly led student workshops on campus.
"In naming the Goldstein Simulation Laboratories Suite, Marlene is celebrating Arny's dynamic personality and honoring the value he placed on education," said Diane MacGillivray, senior vice president for university advancement. "Future generations of Northeastern students and faculty will learn about Arny and be inspired by his tireless enthusiasm for learning and knowledge."
"Arnold was a great humanitarian," said Marlene Goldstein. "One of his greatest aspirations was to have the opportunity in his lifetime to better people's lives."
Alumnus endows chair in Engineering
Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, founder, CEO, and chairman of Ultratech, Inc., has provided a $2.5 million gift to establish a new endowed faculty chair in the College of Engineering at Northeastern University.
Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, founder, CEO, and chairman of Ultratech, Inc., has provided a $2.5 million gift to establish a new endowed faculty chair in the College of Engineering at Northeastern University.
The fundamental strength of a research university begins with recruiting and retaining professors who are dedicated to transforming the lives of students through teaching and research," said Zafiropoulo, whose Silicon Valley-based company develops, manufactures and markets photolithography and laser thermal processing.
"I think it's important that Northeastern have the resources it needs to attract the best undergraduate, graduate and PhD students. That begins with attracting the best faculty," he said. "The future of individual lives, and the future of our nation, depends on quality education."
Although Zafiropoulo has resided in California for the past 20 years, he was raised in a suburb of Boston in a working-class family and attended Northeastern's College of Engineering in the early 1960s.
"My family's income level limited the scope of things I could do educationally," he said, adding that it was his modest upbringing that first empowered him to support causes to benefit young people. His current philanthropy also supports organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House in Silicon Valley.
"Today I give back for the many rewards I've received in my life," said Zafiropoulo, who is director emeritus for Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, a global trade association representing the semiconductor, flat-panel display equipment and materials industry. He is also founder and owner of the successful Ferrari dealership of Silicon Valley, one of the largest in North America.
The Art Zafiropoulo Endowed Chair in Engineering Fund will directly support the work of an engineering faculty member in the College of Engineering.
"Art is a visionary philanthropist and friend. By endowing a chair, he is ensuring the College of Engineering continues to have a positive impact on society over many generations, in perpetuity. That is the ultimate gift a university can receive," said Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University.
Endowed chairs and professorships are among the highest recognition that an institution of higher education can bestow on its faculty, and among the most powerful tools Northeastern has for recruiting and retaining top faculty. Donors like Zafiropoulo who establish an endowed chair create a lasting legacy that links their name to excellence in research and teaching in perpetuity. Endowed chairs are reserved for distinguished scholars and teachers and provide funds to the chair holder in support of his or her teaching, research and service.
David Luzzi, former dean of the College of Engineering—who partners with Zafiropoulo on the college's West Coast Dean's Advisory Council—said, "This is a transformative and catalytic gift for the College of Engineering. Already other alumni and friends are stepping forward and supporting our faculty because they respect Art and are inspired by his investment in our shared vision to embrace education as a means to better our society."
Zafiropoulo said, "This gift is a small step toward making a large impact. I hope others will take that step with me."
Alumni answer the Mission: MacWade Challenge
Northeastern alumnus Mike MacWade urged his fellow Huskies this Spring to participate in the Mission: MacWade Challenge—and alumni enthusiastically answered the call in resounding numbers.
Northeastern alumnus Mike MacWade urged his fellow Huskies this Spring to participate in the Mission: MacWade Challenge—and alumni enthusiastically answered the call in resounding numbers.
The challenge's goal was for 3,500 alumni to make a gift toward anything they loved about their experience at Northeastern, and to do it by March 31. In return, McWade, a 1983 graduate and senior executive at Putnam Investments, promised to make a $100,000 gift to the university.
The goal was met and MacWade gave $100,000 to support what he loved the most about his alma mater—the College of Arts, Media and Design. And he didn't stop there. Energized by the huge turnout of his fellow alumni he issued another challenge: in return for support from an additional 500 alumni he would raise the amount of his own gift by an additional $15,000. The April 5 deadline was once again met with unexpected turnout of passionate Huskies and MacWade kept his promise.
All told, Mission: MacWade brought in more than $400,000 from 4,785 alumni donors since the challenge was launched.
"This gift is a fantastic example of how collective giving can move our university forward. It was inspiring to see alumni empowering other alumni to give back to their alma mater through annual giving," said Diane MacGillivray, senior vice president for university advancement.
"The success of Mission: MacWade illustrates how much this university means to every one of us. Mike put out the challenge and thousands of his fellow Huskies answered the call, making a gift to support what they love most about Northeastern," said Jack Moynihan, vice president for alumni relations and The Northeastern Fund.
As part of the challenge, alumni could offer their support to the Northeastern Fund or to a specific area of the university most meaningful to them.
The Northeastern Fund is the engine that supports the university's momentum on many fronts. Annual gifts support operational and academic resource needs that continue to grow as the campus expands and evolves, and annual gifts also serve as important resources to support teaching, research, and scholarship priorities.
"We all have a vested interest in this amazing university, and because of your involvement today's students, those who are following in our footsteps, will enjoy the same incredible opportunities we had at Northeastern," MacWade said in thanking alumni for their support.
Eenkema van Dijk family makes a splash
With their gift to Northeastern, the Eenkema Van Dijks hope to inspire a wave of support for the Empower campaign from other parents. Pieter and Yvette, PNT'14, endowed a coaching position for the Sailing Club, captained by son Maarten.
It's perhaps no surprise that Pieter and Yvette Eenkema van Dijk, parents to son Maarten, Class of 2014, decided in December to make Northeastern history, with a standout gift to the Sailing Club. The couple, born in the Netherlands, joke that all Dutch children swim, skate, and sail—after all, they're surrounded by water. And sailing is their son's grand passion.
Maarten, a civil engineering major and the club's co-captain, has been sailing since he was eight. "He'd take his lunchbox and lifejacket, and off he'd go," his mother remembers. "Summers out on the water were fun, and sailing taught him responsibility and organization."
But even Maarten was startled when, in December, his parents told him they would pledge $750,000 to the club—enough to generate a coach's salary in perpetuity. The gift is the largest from nonalumni parents since the university's founding, and the first to endow a club sport.
To his parents, who had often hosted traveling team members at their home in Darien, Connecticut, the gift made perfect sense. "The thought came when we saw how great these kids were—so smart, polite, funny, and so dedicated," said Pieter. "Watching them from the docks, we could see how very skilled they were. But they were up against professionally coached teams, and that was a real drawback.
"We wanted to have a lasting effect—to help not only these outstanding sailors, but future generations," Pieter says.
Adds Yvette: "Sailing requires discipline and strategy—reading the course, the elements, and, of course, your competitors." It's a sport, she feels, in which a university of Northeastern's caliber should excel, especially given its proximity to the Charles River and its superb facilities, which are leased from MIT.
With his fellow sailors, Maarten began strategizing two years ago about ways to identify potential funding sources. Meanwhile, their student-run club was starting to get noticed by big varsity-level teams backed by schools like MIT, Boston University, and Yale. To fill their need for high-level instruction, then-coach-adviser Matthew Largess was pulling in professional coaches at practices. Among them was veteran Olympics coach Jonathan Farrar, whom the students hired in January 2013.
Yvette encourages other parents to support students in whatever way they can. "If you have the means, go for it! Our gift filled a real need. It gave us the great feeling that we had contributed something substantial, with immediate results. Plus, it's nice to support something our son is so involved in."
The Sailing Club's 40-member team has a new goal: to raise $100,000 to replace and expand their fleet of four aging boats. To help, contact Development Officer Shawn Cote, firstname.lastname@example.com, 617.373.7391, cell 617.510-9721.
D'Amore, McKim named two of nation's most generous donors
Northeastern alumni Richard D'Amore and Alan McKim invested a combined $60 million in the university's school of business last fall, placing them among the nation's 50 most generous donors to non-profit organizations in 2012.
Northeastern alumni Richard D'Amore and Alan McKim invested a combined $60 million in the university's school of business last fall, placing them among the nation's 50 most generous donors to nonprofit organizations in 2012.
According to a report released Monday by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, D'Amore and McKim both ranked 40th among America's biggest givers, with each contributing $30 million. Other notable names on the list include business magnate Warren Buffett, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
D'Amore, DMSB'76, is a co-founder and general partner at North Bridge Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Waltham, Mass. McKim, DMSB'88, is the founder and CEO of Clean Harbors, the nation's leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services.
Their combined gift represents the largest philanthropic investment in Northeastern's history. As a result of their generous contribution, the university's College of Business Administration was officially named the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.
"A gift is about a passion and a partnership to make a dream come true and to leave a legacy," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern. "Rich and Alan's unprecedented investment in their alma mater will advance Northeastern to new heights and will keep their legacy alive forever."
Both D'Amore and McKim grew up in the Boston area and enrolled in Northeastern's College of Business Administration as undergraduates. Although both dropped out, they were each drawn back to the college that would later become their alma mater and, ultimately, bear their names. D'Amore received an undergraduate business degree and McKim a master's in business administration.
Over the past five years, D'Amore and McKim have become actively engaged with the university as members of the Board of Trustees. Their prior gifts focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, core values that span colleges and disciplines at Northeastern.
"Rich D'Amore and Alan McKim are wonderful representatives of the lasting bonds created between Northeastern and the students who come here," said Diane MacGillivray, senior vice president for university advancement. "I am not surprised that two of the top 50 philanthropists in the nation are Northeastern alumni. Nor am I surprised that Northeastern inspired them to make such generous and heartfelt gifts. It speaks directly to the kind of institution we are and the incredible community of alumni who remain committed to our success."
In a celebration of the naming of the school of business last October, they both expressed their appreciation for the role Northeastern has played in their success. D'Amore characterized his investment as a vote of confidence in Northeastern's students, faculty, and senior leaders, all of whom, he said, have remained true to the university's longstanding "practical, pragmatic and real-world orientation."
In his remarks, McKim noted that studying at Northeastern has "helped shaped who I am as a professional but more importantly as an individual."
He also challenged young researchers and entrepreneurs to make a worldwide difference through class, co-op, and extra-curricular opportunities. "I know this gift will shape tomorrow's business leaders and entrepreneurs who will create innovations that will improve our lives," he said. "I hope students will take advantage of what this unique culture has to offer."
Kontogouris-Djokic scholarship opens doors to international talent
Northeastern University trustee Venetia Kontogouris, LA'74, and her husband, Zoran Djokic, have pledged $1 million to endow a scholarship for entrepreneurial students from her native Greece.
Northeastern University trustee Venetia Kontogouris, LA'74, and her husband, Zoran Djokic, have pledged $1 million to endow a scholarship for entrepreneurial international students.
"I believe in our youth globally, because they look at the world very differently—and that's an enormous opportunity for new enterprises to create new jobs and new possibilities," said Kontogouris, whose Connecticut-based venture capital firm Venkon Group, LLC, invests in early-stage information technology companies worldwide.
Her dedication to fledgling entrepreneurs stems from her own pioneering spirit—and her ability not only to recognize opportunity when it arises, but also to create it.
Kontogouris, a native of Athens, Greece, chose to pursue her education in the United States. At Northeastern, her perspective as an outsider and her astute observations on American culture taught her the value of being nimble.
"Any human being with exposure to different cultures develops skills you cannot get by being exposed to a single way of life," Kontogouris said. "A lot of my own insights are the result of being at ease in many different circumstances."
After earning a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago, where she met Djokic, Kontogouris rose through the corporate ranks during stints at IBM, Dun & Bradstreet, and Cognizant Corporation. Executive positions in venture capital firms followed, including running a joint venture with Bain Capital and a tenure at Trident Capital, where she co-managed more than $1.7 billion in early-stage investments. In 2011, Kontogouris launched her own company, Venkon.
Kontogouris is resolutely committed to advancing innovation through global partnerships. In the midst of Greece's financial crisis, she and Djokic sharpened their focus on her native country, where they discerned an opportunity for education to power economic change.
"We realized that by teaching Greek students that it's possible to develop new ideas and start businesses through entrepreneurship, we could help them rebuild their economy," said Djokic.
With a $1 million investment, part of which will come to the university through a charitable gift annuity—the couple will assist Greek students seeking to bring entrepreneurial thinking to their studies. The Kontogouris-Djokic Scholarship will support international undergraduate or graduate students who would not otherwise be able to afford a Northeastern education. It is their hope that these students will return to Greece to build a stronger, more diverse economy.
"Northeastern's international students are determined to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience that will allow them to build stronger economies and communities at home and abroad," said President Joseph E. Aoun. "Thanks to Venetia and Zoran, generations of talented students will have the opportunity to attain the education necessary to make a difference, both for Greece and for our global economy."
Endowed scholarships generate a stream of permanent support and empower gifted students to engage in transformative experiences while earning a degree.
Kontogouris and Djokic want their gift to inspire other alumni, parents, and friends to step forward and invest in Northeastern's students.
"It's our hope that people from other countries will be moved to build a bridge linking the youth of their own country, Northeastern, and that country's future," said Kontogouris. "We can do our part to drive the economy forward. The world is changing, nothing is staying constant. We cannot stay put as the rest of the world moves ahead."

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Wow! It is really fast now (compared to ShadowFB turned off). It is really useable now. Nice work!
Phoronix News: Avivo Driver Gets Shadow FB Support
Last week we reported that version 0.1.0 of the Avivo driver would soon be released and that following day were several noteworthy commits to the driver such as new PCI IDs added and cleaning up the code. Over the weekend, Alexander Larsson has added shadow frame-buffer support. To use the Shadow frame-buffer with the Avivo driver using the latest code from git, the ShadowFB boolean option needs to be added to the device section of the xorg...
Wow! It is really fast now (compared to ShadowFB turned off). It is really useable now. Nice work!
I didn't install Fedora 7 yet (planned to do so today), but I will very soon. I might have a better experience with testing Avivo now
If anyone has a hint for me with this problem, tell me:
In the old Fedora Core days you could install KDE, GNOME, and/or XFCE all from the DVD. Ah the days when there was the "Everything" option as well to install all packages on the DVD.
However, if you use Revisor you should be able to just master your own Fedora 7 KDE build with all the packages you want. Have you tried that approach?
Michael, I've never tried that. Maybe I'll give a try later.
My "problem" is more a suggestion, because I love the default Fedora-Gnome installation with all necessary tools but you can also install all development tools to build programs. There is no such perfect way for KDE, but I read that they want to improve their KDE support in the next releases. I am awaiting a big KDE hype when KDE 4 comes out and that could give it a "kick".
Kubuntu will not offer KDE 4 as a default until October 2008 (!), but I bet Fedora 9 will, so it is a great chance for them. I wonder how the easy codec installation in Fedora 8 will look like.
Okay everyone,
I am currently running Fedora 7 with the latest avivo driver on my ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512. It does not start X when I set a proper resolution (it is 1360x768, I want 1280x1024) and my monitor keeps telling me that is uses wrong HorizSync and VertRefresh settings (I configured both in the xorg.conf and can chose them, but X server just crashes).
But I have no other screen corruption like these weird screenshots Michael did some days ago (btw. I am using KDE).
And when I enabled ShadowFB, the 2D performance was so much better. It is as good as fglrx now, well if not better, because everything is buttersmooth.
KDE 4 should be default in F8.
No.Did you try using xrandr to change the resolution
Yes, I could chose them after that in kcontrol and in settings-fedora-display, but it would hang X on restart.or to specify the modes in your xorg.conf?
really? hwo much difference does it make?And when I enabled ShadowFB, the 2D performance was so much better.
i'm anxiously waiting for xv. but that's not going to happen anytime soon.