Outstanding Master’s Student Award In Leadership

This award recognizes a student who have showcased exceptional leadership skills, positively impacting the academic community, projects, or extracurricular activities.

2025 Honorees

Rujavi Ghelani

S’26, MS Biotechnology

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Rujavi Ghelani

S’26, MS Biotechnology

Rujavi is a master of biotechnology student at Northeastern’s Toronto campus, with a strong passion for bridging academia and industry in biotechnology. Her research interests include biologics manufacturing, oncogenic biomarkers, and translational medicine. As the co-founder and President of the Biotech Student Interest Group, she organizes networking events and fosters industry collaborations. Additionally, as a Graduate Student Council representative, she advocates for student engagement and resource accessibility. With hands-on experience in wet-lab research, clinical observerships, and industry collaborations, she is dedicated to fostering innovation in biotechnology. Beyond academics, she runs a small business and volunteers in her local community. 

Simran Pandey

E’24, MS Chemical Engineering

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Simran Pandey

E’24, MS Chemical Engineering

Simran is pursuing a master’s degree along the way to a PhD in chemical engineering, while working in a computational biophysics lab. She bridges computational and experimental research, modeling mucin mesh for gut health studies. Simran founded the Northeastern University Biophysics Student Chapter to foster research exchange, and, as a mentor in the Young Scholars Program, she guided high school students in computational research, nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders. She promotes inclusivity in scientific communities and seeks to bridge cultural gaps while fostering an environment where everyone can integrate smoothly into both academic and research settings. 

Annie Ward

SSH'25, MS Criminology and Criminal Justice

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Annie Ward

SSH'25, MS Criminology and Criminal Justice

Annie is receiving her master’s in criminology and criminal justice. She is passionate about school safety and ending gun violence in our communities. Her love for research grew through her contribution to Dr. Natasha Frost’s and Dr. James Alan Fox’s research teams at the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice. She also works with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at CU Boulder. Inspired by CSPV’s mission of translating research into practice, Annie created her own co-op to implement strategies to prevent violence in communities and school, and she will continue working at CSPV after graduation.