Student Staff

Current Co-op Students

Ellen Biewald (Spring 2012), from Willimantic, Connecticut, will graduate in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. Ellen plans to pursue a career in the design field and do cake decoration on the side. As a co-op student at EdTech, Ellen is looking forward to teaching Northeastern faculty and staff about web 2.0 tools and she is excited to develop a better understanding of web development, HTML and CSS.

Rafi Rodriguez (Spring 2012), from Warwick, Rhode Island, will graduate in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Digital Art and a minor in Graphic Design. Rafi plans to work in the fields of video production and web design and he is also interested in freelance photography and video work. Rafi's other interests include music, pole vaulting, snowboarding, kitesurfing, and the outdoors.

Past Co-op Students

Mettie Ostrowski (Fall 2011), from Stafford Springs, Connecticut, chose to do her first co-op position at the EdTech Center because she wanted to gain a better understanding of web development and improve her HTML and CSS skills. Mettie will graduate in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. Her ultimate goal is to become a Disney Imagineer in the Graphic Design department. Mettie's other interests include typography, traveling, photography, sea life and Wes Anderson films.

Phuong Phan (Spring 2011), who was born in Vietnam but grew up in Massachusetts, began her first co-op position with the EdTech Center in hopes of gaining a better understanding of web development so that she can improve her coding and visual communication skills. Phuong will graduate in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Digital Art with a Concentration in Animation and a minor in East Asian Studies. Phuong plans to become an animator for a game company and eventually end up working for an animation studio doing film work. She has recently developed an interest in motion graphics and video effects. Phuong's other interests include watching films, animation, trying new foods, and learning kanji.

Mike Godlewski (Spring 2011), from Schenectady, New York, accepted a co-op position at the EdTech Center because he was interested in helping faculty and staff use technology to improve teaching and learning at Northeastern. During his co-op he hopes to learn a number of new applications that can be used to help create informative websites and online interactive lessons. Mike will graduate in May 2013 with a major in Digital Art and Interactive Media. After he graduates he would like to work with emerging digital technologies.

Jessica Leary (Fall 2010) will graduate in May 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History. Since joining the EdTech Center in May, Jessica has developed websites for the CAS Tutoring department and the General Studies Program. She has also improved her knowledge of HTML and CSS and developed two WordPress Child Themes. In addition to developing websites, Jessica is assisting with the EdTech Center's online course development initiative by creating online course materials using Adobe Presenter and Captivate, capturing and editing video lectures and becoming proficient in Blackboard. After graduating next spring Jessica would like to continue her travels through Europe and then return to New England to work and utilize her design skills. When Jessica isn't working or in class she enjoys going to the beach, traveling, visiting art museums, listening to music and spending time with her friends.

Taryn Sadauskas (Fall 2010) will graduate in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a minor in business. Taryn joined EdTech three weeks ago and has been busy helping develop the Financial Accounting Online course that will launch this fall. In order to assist with developing the accounting course she became proficient in using Adobe Captivate and Presenter. She has also been learning WordPress and has even developed her own WordPress child theme. After she finishes her degree she hopes to work for a major advertising company, eventually becoming a senior designer. During her spare time she loves watching movies, listening to music, reading books and playing the piano.

Molly Gillette (Spring 2010) is in the Creative Industries program at Northeastern University and will graduate in May 2011 with a degree in Interactive Media and Graphic Design. Since joining the EdTech Center in January 2010, Molly has worked on several web development projects using both WordPress and the EdTech content management system. The projects she has worked on include websites for the Department of Risk Services, the Languages, Literatures and Cultures program, the VOTERS project, and the International Affairs co-op program. She is also producing videos for the "What's in a Major" program to help undecided Northeastern students discover what they would like to study. In addition to developing websites and videos Molly trains Northeastern faculty and staff in WordPress, the EdTech content management system and google forms. During her free time Molly enjoys cooking, traveling, music and interior design.

Chelsea Costaney (Spring 2010) is in the Creative Industries program at Northeastern University and will graduate in May 2012 with a degree in Interactive Media and Graphic Design. In addition to helping develop the Psychology department's new website and the Internal Audit and Compliance website, Chelsea is assisting with EdTech’s online course development project. The work she is doing includes using Adobe Presenter to combine slideshows and audio files, and researching screencasting tools that would improve online communication between students and professors. She has also been working with Sophie, a multimedia presentation maker. For fun, Chelsea enjoys cooking, crafting, collecting vinyl albums and going to concerts. After graduating Chelsea plans on exploring different fields of interactive media and eventually teaching.

Hope Blanchette (Fall 2009) will graduate in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in Architecture. She plans to continue on in the Graduate Architecture Program at Northeastern in September 2010, and eventually work as an architect in the city of Boston. Since joining the EdTech Center in July, Hope has become proficient in HTML and completed work on several departmental websites, including the International Affairs Program website and the Bouve Interdisciplinary Geriatric Center website. In addition to working on EdTech's web development projects, Hope has created an iMovie using iLife and provided technical assistance to faculty and staff.

Although Kyle Langford (Spring 2009) joined the EdTech team only a few weeks ago, in January, 2009, he is already applying his digital media skills to department websites through the Ed-Tech template program and providing on call support for faculty members. Kyle, a forth-year student at Northeastern University is currently pursuing a dual major in Multimedia and Graphic Design as well as a visual arts concentration in animation. After graduating, Kyle plans to work in either in the field of compositing or motion graphics or perhaps both. His animation skills will soon be put to good use on a variety of academic projects.

Allison Reese (Fall 2008), a fifth year student, will graduate in the Spring of 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design and a minor in Math. Her background includes product and advertising design. While working at EdTech she has developed skills in both website design and production.
 

Samantha Kanter (Spring 2008), a fifth year student, will graduate this year with a dual major in photography and multimedia, along with minors in business and art history. Samantha came to the EdTech Center with experience in commercial art, fine art and event photography, art education, curation, and art event planning. Since joining the EdTech Center in January, Samantha has proactively involved herself in a broad range of EdTech activites. She develops websites through the EdTech templates program, provides faculty with instruction on Blackboard and other programs, seamlessly plans EdTech events, and provides general support for EdTech callers. Samantha exemplifies how Northeastern students can use co-op opportunities to become experienced professionals even before they graduate.

John Lewis (Spring 2007) is a junior at Northeastern University working towards his Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Arts with a concentration in Animation. Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, John began working with the EdTech Center in January. In addition to creating template designs for Student Groups, he is adding content tothe EdTech Center's newly re-designed website. John is also working on his digital story which focuses on how his Northeastern experiences have aided him in creating his own online business.

Herculano Fernandes (Spring 2007), originally from Brockton, MA, is a third year dual major in Multimedia Studies and Animation. He hopes also to minor in graphic design to expand his skill set and broaden his visual style. Herculano is currentlly working on designing and building website templates for student groups and assisting with adding content to the newly re-designed EdTech website. He is also working on a Digital Story about his experience as an animator and the rewards of animation as a major. Upon graduation, he hopes to live in Los Angeles and work in all parts of the visual arts industry, particularly animation and motion graphics.

A junior majoring in graphic design at Northeastern, Irina Acsinte (Fall 2006) hails from Brasov, Transylvania, a Romanian city renowned for its Medieval architecture. Irina began her co-op position at the EdTech Center in September. Over the past few months, she has worked on several projects including a new Web site for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Irina compiled and published a narrated presentation in Articulate Presenter for the Offshore Geohazards site. In addition, as part of the EdTech Center’s Web template program, Irina is designing a new template for student groups. Currently, Irina is scripting a digital story about her experience as a world champion rower, who left home at age 13 to train with the Romanian national team.

Rachel Bertolani (Fall 2006) will graduate from Northeastern University in May with a major in Graphic Design and a minor in Business. A native of Davis, California, Rachel joined the EdTech Center in June. To date, she has completed several projects, including the design of a Web site for the Summer ’06 Teaching with Technology Workshop. Additionally, Rachel has developed an FAQ for the Co-op Web site, built components of the Offshore Geohazards Web site, and set up student accounts for Northeastern’s newly developed pre-med advising site. Rachel is also working on a digital story, which will focus on her summer studying art in Florence.

Nathan Stearns (Spring 2006) is a multimedia studies and graphic design major from Hadley, Massachusetts, who will graduate next May. This spring Nate designed and built the following Web sites: digital storytelling, SIDR, and Blackboard & Beyond. He designed posters for two events and built a Flash application for a project for the College of Business Administration. An avid game player, Nathan hopes to make a career in the game industry.

Also in her fourth year, Kristen Lindblom (Spring, 2006), who is from Dedham, Massachusetts, is a computer animation major with a minor in photography. In addition to taking most of the photographs for this newsletter, Kristen has conducted research for several projects, designed and produced a brochure for the Learning Communities Open House, and built a digital story using a Flash tool.

EdTech coop students Rob Delvecchio and Ryan McIntyre (Winter 2006) are developing digital stories that will be used as models for the undergraduate research digital storytelling pilot program. Digital stories are short (1.5-3 minute) narratives that synthesize images, video, voice, text and music. In the pilot project four students and two faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences will produce a digital video chronicling their experiences participating in one of the following: Individual Research and Experiential Projects; Faculty Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI); or the Community Based Research Initiative.

Producing a digital story will allow undergraduate students to reflect deeply on and think critically about their research experience, thereby considering more fully their field of study and discovering something about themselves. The faculty stories will serve to attract other faculty to work with undergraduate research assistants. The stories will be published on the undergraduate research site.