Northeastern wins ISPE Student Chapter of the Year
ISPE Executive Board members: Surabhi Godbole, Gabrielle Rabadam, Victoria D’Agostino, Stephanie Riofrio
Earlier this month the Northeastern University Student Chapter of International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) was selected by ISPE Boston Area Chapter as the Student Chapter of the Year. The NU Student Chapter was recognized at the ISPE Product Show held at Gillette Stadium.
The Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes a chapter that has distinguished itself by effectively leveraging its affiliation with ISPE to bring significant value to its student members. In addition to recognizing exceptional participation in Boston Area Chapter activities, the Award also recognizes strong leadership, sound management, active recruitment, scheduled activity, and sustainability. Northeastern’s ISPE Chapter has won this award twice in the past three years. Gabrielle Rabadam, Chemical Engineering, COE ’19 and President of NU ISPE represented the current executive board of the NU ISPE Chapter at the awards ceremony held at Gillette.
Gabrielle identified that when she first joined ISPE, it was a small student organization whose leaders had just graduated. Along with her peers, she formed the current executive board which includes Victoria D’Agostino, SAC Representative and Vice President; Stephanie Riofrio, Treasurer; and Surabhi Godbole, Secretary. They wrote the club’s constitution and ensured it was formally approved by Northeastern University. Gabrielle comments, “Overseeing our chapter’s rapid growth has been both challenging and extremely rewarding. To be recognized just one year later as the Chapter of the Year is a testament to the tenacity of this entire team and the overwhelming enthusiasm of our members.”
and Gabrielle Rabadam, NU ISPE Chapter President
The NU Student Chapter of ISPE is dedicated to educating members on the pharmaceutical industry and provide career-building opportunities within the industry. This club hosts a myriad of events throughout the year to bring in companies and professionals from the field. Additionally, it facilitates student involvement in events hosted by the ISPE Boston Area Chapter. The club’s Secretary, Surabhi Godbole, shares, “I really love that our chapter is composed of individuals that all share the same passion and interest when it comes to engineering. There are a lot of opportunities that come out of being involved with ISPE, and I've truly enjoyed being a part of it.”
As the Vice President, Victoria D’Agostino identifies that she has been involved in nurturing the club’s growth, expanding its student reach, and developing its sustainability. She articulates, “Our student leadership has always been tight-knit. We get things done through lots of cooperation. Regardless of what titles we hold, we share the workload evenly…It’s excellent to work with other students who are all equally dedicated, and I believe that is what has allowed us to earn Chapter of the Year.”
Brian Hagopian, CPIP the Student Development Committee Co-Chair and past president of ISPE Boston Area Chapter commends Northeastern for the high level of commitment to the Boston Chapter of ISPE through faculty and student involvement in the larger organization and the University’s willingness to host ISPE programming on campus. He remarks, “This has a threefold benefit as it not only provides a location for ISPE members to meet, it provides Northeastern with visibility to its alumni working in the life science industry, and it provides a means for Northeastern students to easily attend ISPE programs.” He identifies that Northeastern faculty is “unmatched” in their support for ISPE and expresses gratitude for all they have done to promote the society on campus. Looking forward, NU ISPE plans to expand the executive board to provide leadership roles for more of its members and ensure sustainability of the club so it can continue to be a valuable link for students to the professional community.