In ‘Last Lecture,’ computer science professor pushes students to remember those who shaped them
The Last Lecture is an annual tradition when a nominated professor provides personal insights and parting words to the graduating class.
Northeastern University professor Laney Strange made two things clear right from the start.
In addressing this year’s graduating class at the Curry Student Center on Monday for the university’s traditional Last Lecture, Strange said she wasn’t there to offer a model of what a successful career path looks like or instill some grand piece of advice that will set them up for the future.
She wouldn’t be the one to do it, she said. Her career path had been far from an upward straight line, she said. Sure, she had her career success — working at Amazon Web Services, among others. But she also had her share of misses, including her failed technology startup.
In truth, much of her success had been shaped by the people around her — her colleagues, her husband, and, in large part, her students, she said upon reflection during her address.
So her words of wisdom to the graduating class?
Reach out to the people in their lives who helped shape them and make their college experience a success, she told them.
“Whoever that person is, email them,” said the teaching professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. “Because I promise whoever that person is, even if you haven’t talked to them in a while, even if it’s the person next to you, I promise you they are so proud of you.”
The Last Lecture is an annual tradition held during Senior Week when a nominated professor provides personal insights and some parting words to the year’s graduating class.
The concept was popularized after Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, gave his final lecture “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” in 2007 following his terminal cancer diagnosis. Pausch published a book based on the lecture in 2008, and it has since become a tradition at universities across the country.
Northeastern University has hosted a Last Lecture since 2021.
In 2025, William Sharp, a professor of psychology, offered 10 pieces of advice, including finding meaning in your work; in 2024, Daniele Mathras, a professor of marketing, suggested graduates adopt a growth mindset and not be stifled by perfectionism; in 2023, Jenn Igemi, a professor in behavioral neuroscience and psychology encouraged them to embrace failure and to take risks; in 2022, Bridget Smyster, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, urged them to pursue their passions; and in 2021, Rebecca M. Shansky, a professor of psychology offered words of hope during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Strange received more than 500 votes from students to be this year’s Last Lecture speaker, according to Paula Sefia, vice chair of the Senior Year Experience Board and a graduating senior.
In addition to being a professor in Khoury, Strange is the director of the college’s broadening participation initiative, which works to make computer science more accessible and welcoming to all, and the director for Teaching Faculty, where she advocates for faculty.
Strange said she didn’t expect to learn too much new when she joined Northeastern University as a professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences in 2018. She was already well into her career at that point.
But in the eight years she’s worked at Northeastern University, she’s learned more than she expected, she told the attendees, particularly around negotiating, time management, collaboration and cultural competency.
And in all the categories, she can point to at least one person at Northeastern who helped her improve in those areas.
She remembers how helpful Northeastern professor Carla Brodley, then-dean of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, was when she came on board.
Her husband Tom Strange, who was among the attendees, has also been an asset in helping her navigate her busy schedule, she said
She recalled one instance when she was hosting a summer coding camp for kids and one of her speakers for a day dropped out.
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“I had a room full of 10-year-olds with nothing for them to do,” she said.
Despite knowing nothing about computers, Tom offered to help and instead gave a lecture on the history of comics and video games, somewhat computer-adjacent.
“He knocked it out of the park because he knew it was important for me,” she said. “He’s even here today because he knew how important it was for me to be here for the last lecture and be invited by the senior class.”
Her students have also been hugely influential in keeping her going amidst a rocky and uncertain political climate, she said.
“I still believe in what I’m doing,” she said. “I still believe in what I’m doing, and what makes that possible is all of you guys.”
Melody Yu, a fourth-year computer science student who is graduating this month, had Strange as a professor her first semester. She found Strange’s talk uplifting.
“I was inspired by her perspectives, especially surrounding that even though there are things that she doesn’t love about herself, there are people around her that still inspire her and carry her through that,” she said.
Sprinkled throughout her talk were mini exercises in which students could engage. They spoke about their own experiences at Northeastern University and about the people who played a role in their college careers.
Yu said after the talk that she’s going to think more about the people around her and how they influence her life.
“I’m going to continue to look for people to look up to and admire.”
Stone Liu, a fourth-year computer science and math major who is also graduating this month, said he was “pleasantly surprised” by Strange’s talk.
“It was more of a reflection on my time here at Northeastern rather than what I should do,” he said. “It was nice to think about all the experiences that shaped me throughout college.”
