2015: Year in review by Luis Delgado December 23, 2015 Share Mastodon Facebook LinkedIn Twitter We discovered something amazing In January, Northeastern University professors Kim Lewis and Slava Epstein and their research colleagues published work detailing the discovery of a new antibiotic— teixobactin—that kills pathogens without encountering any detectable resistance. The discovery was made possible by the iChip, an invention that has opened up a new frontier of drug discovery, and the research generated international attention and was covered by news outlets across the globe. In the News New York Times: From a pile of dirt, hope for a powerful new antibiotic Boston Globe: Northeastern researchers discover new antibiotic in a Maine soil sample Wall Street Journal: Scientists discover potent antibiotic, a potential weapon against a range of diseases The Atlantic: A new drug in the age of antibiotic resistance We went dancing In March, the Northeastern men’s basketball team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 24 years. The excitement captivated the entire Northeastern community, and signified another step in the university’s steady path to national prominence. We made our campus a canvas From Los Angeles-based street muralist El Mac’s masterpiece on the side of Meserve Hall, to internationally-renowned street graffiti artist Jef Aerosol’s work throughout campus, to Los Angeles-based pop surrealist artist John Park’s mural in East Village, President Aoun’s Public Art Initiative turned our entire campus into a canvas. El Mac mural from start to finish Open-air museums New faces around campus Campus muralist at work We opened a new residence hall EAST VILLAGE At 17 floors, it is the second-tallest building on campus, Home to more than 700 students, The university’s first residence hall with inoperable windows, an important part of receiving LEED certification We expanded our global network Northeastern University pioneers new learning model in Silicon Valley “Northeastern’s Silicon Valley hub builds on our approach of seeing businesses as partners and new regions as opportunities to empower human potential,” said President Joseph E. Aoun as the university launched a pioneering new learning model in the San Francisco Bay area. Northeastern University opens regional campus in Toronto Building on the success of its regional campus network in selected U.S. cities, Northeastern announced the launch of its first international campus. Northeastern will open a location in Toronto, Ontario, in 2016. We invested in our community Northeastern will invest $26 million to transform city park In a unique public-private partnership, Northeastern announced that, with the City of Boston, it will build a state-of-the-art athletic complex that will expand recreation opportunities for both Northeastern students and Boston residents. Northeastern Crossing formally unveiled Members of the Northeastern and Boston communities celebrated the opening of Northeastern Crossing at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 29. The center is the university’s first formal venue dedicated to fostering dialogue, creative collaboration, and new connections between city residents and Northeastern faculty, staff, and students. We invested in our veterans In honor of Veterans Day this year, the university announced the launch of the Center for Advancement of Veterans and Service members. The first-of-its-kind center offers a range of resources and benefits, including mentorship opportunities, assistance with the transition to civilian life, and help securing meaningful careers following graduation. The center continues Northeastern’s long-standing commitment to our nation’s veterans. We invested in our families At Parent and Family Weekend this fall, President Aoun announced the Lifetime Learning Membership, a first-of-its-kind program enabling parents and siblings of undergraduate students to pursue part-time or full-time graduate degree programs with a 25 percent discount. We invested in research The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, a state-of-the-art facility that will foster groundbreaking research and strengthen community ties, took shape in 2015. The ISEC will feature 230,000 square feet of research and educational space, and is the first private research development in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. We experienced the world Students reflect on once-in-a-lifetime global experience President Aoun’s first two Global Officers, Matt Bilotti and Caitlin Morelli, said that their global expeditions shaped their career paths. After returning to campus, they shared personal anecdotes and life-defining lessons. A shark-infested co-op experience Northeastern student named Rhodes scholar Why they loved their global co-ops #iheartcoop from anywhere: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab We had fun Fall fun in the sun Thousands of Northeastern students packed the campus quads for Fall Fest ’15, an annual festival celebrating the start of the new semester with music, food, dance performances, games, and giveaways. The campus-wide event also showcased the university’s more than 300 student-run clubs and organizations. Welcome Week highlight reel Gingerbread Disaster Campus sights as fall semester begins Northeastern 5K Color Run And we captured the best photos Photos of the year 2015 Our university photographers were there to capture all the monumental and memorable moments of our community in 2015.