While TV medical dramas have ruled entertainment for decades, Dr. Washington, AS’05, was putting in the real work. She received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and was the first Black woman to be admitted into the residency program. From a private practice in Texas to a prestigious surgery fellowship in Oregon, Dr. Washington is a lifelong learner, now specializing in liver and pancreatic procedures. In this episode, she speaks about her experience as a Black woman in medicine—from her undergraduate days at Northeastern’s John D. O’Bryant African American Institute to the podcast she started with her two sisters called “The Drs. Washington.” Not only a healthcare hero, she is building a platform to mentor students, discuss medicine, and highlight African American physicians who are making an impact in the field. 

Check out The Drs. Washington Podcast

Northeastern alumni can be found around the world—there over 275,000 people who are connected by one global university. Every day our alumni volunteers give their time and talent to make the Northeastern network even stronger. 

In this episode, Ilana Gensler, assistant director of alumni engagement, will speak with a few of our volunteers from San Francisco to Thailand. 

Volunteers: 

Rachel Rappe, DMSB’15, Chicago Community Volunteer, Young Alumni Advisory Board Member, Women Who Empower Mentor

Ezgi Kosereisoglu, E’14, Chicago Community Volunteer, Young Alumni Advisory Board Chair, NUCEAO President Emerita

Kim Tran, E’17, Alumni Co-op Mentor in San Francisco

Dave Wedge, AS’00, Northeastern Rugby Club Alumni President

Sureena Sachdev, DMSB’19, Alumni Community Leader in Thailand

Hear what volunteering is all about and why they give back.

Visit alumni.northeastern.edu/volunteer to learn more.

“The Breakfast Club with murder” is how Karen McManus, MA’04, describes her first novel, "One of Us is Lying." Now with four books published and more on the way, this New York Times Bestselling author has made writing her full-time career. Karen started in PR and Marketing, but realized it was never too late to make a switch. In this episode she shares how a familiar '80s song inspired her writing and gives updates on the forthcoming TV adaptation of her first book.

Visit karenmcmanus.com and follow @writerkmc on Instagram 

This episode was recorded in collaboration with the Northeastern Women who Empower Initiative. 

Pandemic pivots became a priority for many entrepreneurs in early 2020, but a variety of factors can influence a product change. In this episode, you’ll hear from two business leaders: Yewande Masi, CJ’09, founder of Ornami skincare and Glen Giovanucci, DMSB’83, CEO at G-Form.

This episode features a pre-recorded interview from our virtual entrepreneurship event in November. It’s moderated by Katie Hemphill, MS'19, Associate Director of the McCarthy(s) Venture Mentoring Network (VMN). This university wide resource pairs student, faculty, and alumni-owned ventures with experienced mentors to help with business challenges.

Successful CEOs are not born overnight. Ryan Drexler, AS’93, grew up as the shy kid and lacked confidence in public speaking, but like every Northeastern student, he focused on finding his career path. Ryan majored in theatre, a unique choice at the time, but one that brought him outside his comfort zone to develop essential leadership skills. Fast forward to the present, Ryan is now CEO and president of MusclePharm, a publicly traded sports nutrition company, and shares his advice on leading teams, overcoming challenges, and reaching the top.

Creativity. Diversity. Changemakers. What do these buzz words really mean? Vallabhi Singh, DMSB’17, has been chasing that answer and her own curiosity since she graduated. Unexpectedly, she left her promising career in New York City to return to her home country of India, but she brought with her a deep passion for entrepreneurship, collaboration, and connection. She focused her energy and founded Creatives Around The World (CATW), in the midst of the global pandemic, to bring diverse minds together and #NetworksForGood. Hosting several virtual roundtables since May, the CATW network is growing, pushing boundaries on how we approach problems and define creativity.

Find Creatives Around The World on Instagram and YouTube

An American passport changed her life. Alexandra Tarzikhan was born in the United States to her American mom and Syrian dad. She grew up in the city of Aleppo, returning to Boston to attend Northeastern. But in 2011 at the start of the Syrian civil war, Alexandra could easily hop on a plane thanks to her passport. Her lived experience became drastically different than the refugees struggling for safety and asylum in Europe. Instead, she experienced the migrant crisis in Lesvos as a volunteer. Alexandra received a JD/MPH dual degree and is passionate about pursuing a legal career in human rights and humanitarian operations with a focus on migration and health. Her Instagram account @meetarefugee helps share stories and bring attention and awareness to the refugee crisis.

What do the Beanpot and Chicken Lou’s have in common? They are both beloved Northeastern traditions, and Men’s Hockey Head Coach Jim Madigan speaks fondly of both. Coach Madigan set foot on campus for the first time in 1981 as a first-year student. Graduating in 1986, he landed his first assistant coaching job at Northeastern, and 34 years later, hasn’t looked back. Coach Madigan is a six-time Beanpot champion and has held roles in athletics, facilities, and advancement, proudly serving the university as an alumnus, staff, coach, and parent. However, the soul of Northeastern goes beyond academics and athletics, and Coach Madigan remembers a special friend and campus icon, Lou Ferretti, the late founder of Chicken Lou’s, a little sandwich shop on Forsyth St. Chicken Lou’s closed in 2020 after 30 years of bringing joy through food to the campus community and in this episode, Coach recounts where it all began.

To pre-order a commemorative Chicken Lou's plate visit: giving.northeastern.edu

If sports journalism makes you think of box scores and game recaps, you are only scratching the surface. Kade Krichko, AMD'12, is a freelance writer, editor, and photojournalist who makes a living traveling the world and chasing stories. Covering skateboarding in Cuba, and the history of skiing in China, he writes with a unique lens at the intersection of sports and culture and is published in The New York Times, ESPN, Outside Online and more. Kade is also an editor for Northeastern’s Game Plan, a student-run publication exploring the future of sports journalism. During the pandemic, we have seen live sports grind to a halt, and while fans have to adapt, so does the journalism industry. Listen to hear Kade’s experience living in Spain when COVID-19 hit Europe and what he is working on next.

Visit: kadekrichko.com

Twitter: @caskade88