Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Teaching
This award recognizes students who, through teaching or teaching assistantship, have inspired and supported the learning of others, positively impacting their academic success.
2026 Honorees
Amelia Ballingall
Amelia Ballingall
Bouvé’26, MS Speech Language Pathology
Amelia is excited to obtain her Master’s degree in speech-language pathology as part of Northeastern’s PlusOne program. She is interested in speech and language disorders in young children with cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and other structural and neurological challenges. She found a passion for this area as part of her clinical placements in early intervention and in an elementary school, and as a daycare teacher on co-op. Amelia hopes to make an impact on these children, improving their long-term speech and language abilities for both educational and personal success. At Northeastern, Amelia has also been fortunate to be a part of the Huntington News, as sports editor, and WRBB Sports, as editor-in-chief. In these organizations, she gained experience as both a writer and broadcaster for hockey, baseball, and a number of other sports. This has shaped her passion for sports reporting, and specifically spotlighting women in sports, which opened up a path for her this year at the University of Connecticut as a color analyst for the women’s hockey team on ESPN+.
Mary Schwenzener
Mary Schwenzener
S’26, MS Biotechnology
Mary is a master’s candidate in biotechnology at Northeastern University and was previously an undergraduate student at Northeastern, where she studied biology and English. She was exposed to the biotechnology industry through her co-ops and aspires to continue learning more about analytical sciences as a way to problem-solve and be creative. Mary has served as a writing consultant at Northeastern’s Writing Center, as well as a teaching assistant for Foundations in Biotechnology, Molecular Approaches, Cutting-Edge Applications, and lead teaching assistant for the Biotechnology Applications Lab. She has a passion for STEM education and values the role educators play in fostering a safe and effective learning environment for students.
Andykan Tom-James
Andykan Tom-James
E’25, MS Chemical Engineering
Andykan completed his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in December 2025 and plans to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering. His interests focus on integrating computational modeling with experimental approaches to improve the validation and advancement of drug delivery and nanoparticle synthesis. These interests were shaped through project-based coursework and hands-on research in separation processes, nanoparticle synthesis, and biopharmaceutical production, alongside teaching experience in transport phenomena and pharmaceutical engineering. Andykan is an active AIChE member and enjoys scientific writing and mentoring students.