The annual Service Recognition Reception honoring faculty and staff members who have served for five, 10, 15 or 20 years at the university.
Milestones and achievements were celebrated by Northeastern on April 3 at the annual Service Recognition Reception, honoring faculty and staff members who have served for five, 10, 15 or 20 years at the university.
They met on the eighth floor of the EXP research complex, where appetizers and drinks were served as university leaders circulated the room in a spirit of gratitude.Ken Henderson, chancellor and senior vice president for learning, lauded the hard work, dedication, passion and creativity of the honorees.
“Congratulations to everyone in the room on your milestone anniversary,” Henderson said. “You have built a strong sense of community, provided innovative learning experiences, delivered expert advice and guidance and celebrated scholarship and achievement.”
Henderson noted the milestone achievements covering the past two decades — 105,000 applications to Northeastern undergraduate programs this year, the formation of the Roux Institute five years ago, a doubling of Northeastern’s research portfolio over the past 10 years, the establishment of 13 campuses over the past 15 years — and more than 177,000 degrees earned over the past 20 years.
“Imagine in [another] five years’ time what will have been achieved,” Henderson added.
More than 200 honorees were on hand. The event offered them a moment of reflection.
“It’s great to see the excitement,” said Usama Fayyad, executive director of Northeastern’s Institute for Experiential AI and a professor of the practice in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. “At Northeastern, time really flies. Taking a pause and reflecting is a good thing.
“It’s been five years for me here and I still meet new people all the time. It’s a big place.”
Lin Zhou, an assistant teaching professor, said she hadn’t realized her five-year milestone until she received a Northeastern email celebrating it.
“It’s a great moment for me to reflect how far I’ve come after I finished my Ph.D.,” said Zhou, a pioneer in merging augmented reality with game design for educational purposes.
Zhou said it was inspiring to see the university recognizing extended service.
“I was very surprised to see the website we have for all the employees for each five-year period,” Zhou said. “I personally feel that I am being valued — like they keep track of what you have done, how far you’ve come along.”
On April 17, Northeastern will celebrate 38 community members who have achieved 25 years of service to the university, said Michele Grazulis, vice president and chief human resources officer.
“I think it’s wonderful that Northeastern acknowledges its employees at particular milestones,” said John Tobin, vice president of city and community engagement, who was celebrating 15 years of service at Northeastern. “Not every place does this. It’s really important, I think, to have people recognized for their contributions to the university.”