Running to Stand Still

Fourth Week of Class
(January 30 - February 5)

By Monday morning I can already tell that this week is going to be less than fun. I'm up at 6:00 am and at the library before 8:00 am to cram as much homework as possible before a meeting with my teammate.

My partner meets me in our reserved room in Snell at 10:00 am and we cram some more for a case deliverable for our New Product Development class. The case is about Taino Construction, a construction company in Mexico focusing on green initiatives. The firm is facing a decision on which of three different new products to pursue in the coming years.

We wrap up our session by 1:45 pm in time for Global Management where the class discusses a case on the French/Swedish joint venture of Matra-Ericsson. It's interesting to see how cultural differences can cause such conflict between companies, eventually resulting in a stand-off between directors. Yikes!

After class lets out at 4:15 pm I work on my case write-up for Brand & Ad Management on the Clorox Company and am able to submit it just before heading to an extra credit lecture.

The lecture, presented by Andy Savitz, covers sustainability and getting your corporate culture to follow that focus. When the lecture finishes, I have just about an hour to write up a summary of it to submit for extra credit points and work in some Finance reading before heading into my 7:30 pm Brand & Advertising Management class.

When all is said and done I don't get home today until after 10:00 pm (a lovely 14 hours on campus!). Bed, alas, comes substantially later.

Tuesday I'm up and at the library by 8:00 am again. This time I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out my Finance case write-up. It's a follow-up to the one I had due last week on Marine Supply Company, a local marine supplier faced with generating enough financing to meet the demand placed on them by a Navy contract.

I only get in a couple hours of work until it's time to head to me job at 11:30 am. I spend the day researching competitor schools and their respective marketing materials. In between my secondary research I make sure to take a break at 2:30 pm for a phone interview for a full-time Assistant Marketing Manager position! I'm so excited!

I leave work at 4:30 pm today and head to my classmates office hours (she is a finance tutor this semester). I rack her brain trying to comprehend my Entrepreneurial Finance case write-up. Even after nearly three hours working with her I barely finish it in time to hit print and bolt to class. By the time we're finished analyzing the Marine Supply re-write and class let's out it's 9:30pm (a 13.5 hour day). Phew!

On Wednesday morning it's back to the library early in the morning (note a theme here?) to work with my teammates on our presentation and paper for Innovation & Enterprise Growth.  We have been tasked with finding ways to expand 3M's Greptile technology into new and innovative product extensions. My group has come up with what I think are several great applications for the 3M material, including military, tire and construction equipment uses. The presentation in class goes well also and I feel that our group had some of the best ideas presented.

After class I head back to the library to meet with my Taino Construction teammate and we continue to plug away at filling out our decision matrix for the case.

Thursday I'm up and at campus by 8:30 am for work. Today I continue to work on employer and alumni video edits, transcripts and the coordination of a focus group.

Luckily, in the midst of my work I get some great news in the form of an invite for second round interviews for the job I applied for! I'll be visiting the company's corporate headquarters next Friday for five hours of interviews! I'm super excited and nervous and make it point to do my product research in preparation.

As 4:30 pm rolls around I have just a few minutes to grab my requisite sushi dinner from the Curry Student Center before heading to my 5:20 pm class.

That night in New Product Development our case report on Taino is due. After class I rush to Spanish where I enjoy some foreign language practice.

When I get home that night I'm exhausted but relieved that this hectic week of running to stand still is over. Plus, I have some fun plans for tomorrow!

Taza Factory Tour!

Friday is a much anticipated day off. After getting up at a leisurely hour I board the 'T' to Somerville for my 1:30 pm tour of the Taza Chocolate factory with a classmate. For $5 we get an hour-long tour of the chocolate manufacturer' facilities. They specialize in Mexican stone ground chocolate in a mind-boggling array of exotic flavors (read: Chipotle Chili, Salted Almond and Salt & Pepper). My classmate and I enjoy the endless tasting opportunities and we even get interviewed by a couple of Boston.com writers for a Valentine's Day feature. I end the tour by picking up some Valentine's Day featured chocolate as an early Valentine's Day gift for Nick.

After our indulgent morning we decide to continue the Mexican food theme and grab some authentic and delicious tacos and pupusas at Taco Loco.

I'm glad I had such a relaxing Friday because the rest of the weekend is commandeered by homework.

I spend most of my day on Saturday engrossed in a huge project for Global Management. I, along with my team of three other students, have been assigned a company and industry and are required to pick the best of three international countries in which to proceed with expansion. While the presentation isn't until February 13th the sheer amount of research required to prepare for the deliverable has us working on it already. I'm in charge of putting together a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) Analysis for one of the three country options: France.

I also manage to plug away on a case write-up due on Monday for Brand & Advertising Management. I have to decide which branding strategy Red Lobster should pursue in light of recent market research results but I'm having hard time concentrating because I just keep thinking about seafood...

Chipotle Enchiladas, Homemade Guacamole and Margaritas!

Fortunately, I do get one break that evening and it satisfies the cravings generated by that Red Lobster case! I join my study-buddy for some Mexican food at the Cactus Club on Boylston Street. I truly enjoy my chipotle enchiladas and mango margarita after hours in the library. Ole!

*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.

A Shadow Day with my Executive Mentor

Third Week of Class
(January 23-29)

I'm back on campus early the Monday after my Montreal trip to help out with an Admitted Students Day at Northeastern. I really enjoy meeting the prospective MBA students of the Class of 2014 and try my best to mingle with all of them and answer their respective questions.

I spend the rest of the morning doing homework before my Global Management class where we discuss a case about Danimal (an offshoot of Danone yogurt). This case was particularly interesting to me because it discussed marketing and selling to the 'bottom of the pyramid' segment of the population (people living on less than $3,000 a year).

In Brand & Advertising Management we discuss the results of our consumer interviews. It's pretty fun to hear about each students interviewee and their respective brand passion (let's just say there were many Apple and Starbucks fans out there).

Tuesday is hectic for several reasons. One: my first case write-up for Finance is due and I am totally nervous. Two: I have a job application due which I want to make sure is as perfect as possible (yikes, can you believe that I'm already applying to full-time jobs?). Three: I'm meeting up with a friend for coffee somewhere in that madness.

Fortunately, all get accomplished and I even manage to sneak in that hour-long coffee break with my friend (a recently-graduated MBA student that I met during a class visit two years ago when I was a prospective student). It's super exciting to hear about her job search and all the offers she's received. Let's just hope I'll be as fortunate!


My Intercultural Effectiveness Rating

On Wednesday before class I complete a survey by the Kozai Group regarding my 'Intercultural Effectiveness'. This survey was assigned by my Global Management professor as a basis for a class discussion next week. I end up being scored as an 'Explorer' meaning I "enjoy developing friendships with and learning about people who differ from me, but that this is an emotionally challenging experience for me." Hmmm... don't know if I agree with the 'emotionally challenging' part but otherwise I'd say it's right.

Thursday is another crazy day. Besides eight hours of work, I also have a team meeting for a case write-up, New Product Development class and my first NUCALLS Spanish class!

In New Product Development we had to submit our first assignment of the class: contributions to an ideation community. This activity was the basis for learning about crowdsourcing: where companies generate ideas for new product development from individuals outside of the organization. Our assignment was to find such a crowdsourcing site, contribute an idea of our own and comment on an idea from someone else. I found a site for Starbucks called My Starbucks Idea.

Unfortunately, our professor is out sick for today's class so instead, we have a great guest speaker that talks to us about different ways to brainstorm ideas and leads us in exercises on thinking outside of the box.

After class I literally run to my Spanish class which is held across campus. As mentioned, the course is put on by NUCALLS, a student organization that offers free language courses taught by international students. I thought it would be an awesome way for me to keep my Spanish skills 'in shape' after several years of slacking off. Plus, I'm super happy that they offer levels beyond just 'beginner'.

Friday I'm up at the crack of dawn to board  the 'T' to Quincy for a shadow day with my executive mentor. I'm so stoked because he and I have been trying for several months to coordinate a day where I can come to his offices but with both of our hectic schedules it hasn't happened until now.

The wait was well worth it though and my day is super rewarding! My mentor graciously takes me to three of his office locations, introduces me to several of his employees and even lets me sit in and contribute during a meeting. We end the day with lunch at a Chinese restaurant where I get a call regarding the job I applied for. They inform me that I have been invited to interview next week!

When I get back into the city around 5:00 pm I quickly get ready and meet a friend for drinks and dinner at Jerry Remy's. I order up an obscene serving of nachos and my friend and I catch up on the past week.

Saturday morning I'm back at the library early before meeting my team at 1:00 pm to work on our case presentation on 3M for our Innovation and Enterprise Growth class. We have been tasked with coming up with innovative product extensions for 3M's Greptile technology which is currently used on golf gloves. Our ideas are about as varied as you can get and range from military uses to tires and even clothing!

Now that's what I call a home-cooked meal!

After the group parts ways I get in a few extra hours of homework before meeting up at a classmates apartment with several of my teammates for German food, drinks and dessert (all prepared by a classmate). I'm totally impressed with his cooking skills and have a great time.

Alas, Sunday is not funday...ugh. It's nose to the books nearly all day and I only manage to break away briefly for some grocery shopping.

*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.

The Power of Networking

Ice on the car window- Montreal

Second Week of Class
(January 16- 22)

As I had Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, my second week of class starts on Tuesday.

I do a bit of work on Tuesday morning before my 11:30 am check in at work. I hear back from some prospective students I reached out to last week and am able to answer some of their questions (which I love doing!)

I have also already scheduled my first office hours appointment with my Finance professor. You might ask, but isn't it only the second week of class? Yes it is; but hey, he offered for me to come in when I needed help so I'm going to take him up on it. My professor is very patient with me and I come away feeling much more confident with my assignment.

That night is Entrepreneurial Finance where our assignment is to submit a new business idea that will be the framework for our semester-long project. The project entails developing all of the financial documents to support our new venture including Income Statements, Balance Sheets, estimated funding, etc. In class we also hold a lottery for which topic each of us will cover in an essay due later this year. Mine? "Managing Non-Traditional Inventories in Customer Service".

Wednesday is a pretty amazing day of networking for me. I start out my morning by taking the 'T' out to Wellesley Hills to meet up with a guest speaker from my Market Research class. The informational interview goes amazingly well. I can't believe he spends an hour chatting with me, answering all of my pestering questions and offering me his network of LinkedIn connections to peruse for more networking opportunities. I'm even able to set up a connection with him and the Career Center to potentially recruit Northeastern MBAs in the future.

I don't have much time once I get back to Boston before my Innovation and Enterprise Growth class, but in the time I do have I cram some homework, grab lunch and head to campus.

Innovation and Enterprise Growth lets out a bit early today and thank goodness for that because I have an Ocean Spray Insider Insight Session to attend from 4:00-6:00 pm. The presentation is awesome and super informative. It's so nice to see people passionate about the company they work for. I particularly liked learning about the unique opportunities available within a cooperative business model (and the free Craisins and sparkling cranberry juice!).

After the info session gets out I head across the street to meet a few classmates for drinks at Conor Larkin's.We sip the new house brew and catch up on the past several months. It's hard to believe it's been that long since seeing some of them. Time flies!

Alas, I cannot stay with them long. I have much work to do. When I get home I make sure to send out my thank you notes in between my intense homework load.

Thursday I'm back in the office at 8:30 am with a special assignment. Today I get to help out with prospective students! Love it! Besides my research for the day I escort two prospective students to a class visit. This was particularly rewarding for me because this time two years ago I attended a class and it was the kind admissions staff, welcoming students and engaging course that really convinced me to apply. Plus, they attended a Strategy class with one of my favorite teachers from last year.

After the students get out I take them to lunch at International Village in one of the undergraduate dorms. We spend more than hour talking and I hope that I answered all of their questions.

That night in my New Product Development class we get to see students present real-life examples of the stage-gate process in their companies. I thought that this was a very cool way to teach us about the topic: by having our own classmates present slides with examples from their own experience.

When I get home I cram homework in between packing for my drive to Montreal tomorrow to visit Nick (did I mention that I'm loving that his work keeps bringing him to the same coast as me?).

Chipotle Poutine with Chorizo and Guacamole - Jack Astor's Bar & Grill

Raisin Bread French Toast with Bacon and Cheese - Le Dejeuner Cosmopolitain

That weekend is a relaxing one. After the six-hour drive up to Canada on Friday the next two days are decidedly less hectic. Nick and I eat good food (see examples 1 and 2 above), watch movies and take walks around the cold and snowy Mont Royal Park.

Sledding course set up in Mont Royal Park

I'm able to get some homework done as well (which relieves a lot of stress for me). One of those productive activities is sending in a revised version of my resume. I can't believe I'm already gearing up for that full-time job search. What works out even better is that one of my assignments for Brand & Advertising Management is to interview someone about a brand they love. Fortunately for me, Nick has more than slight addiction to Perrier. Perfect!

*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, it's employees or affiliates.

Back in School - Spring Semester 2012

First Week of Class 
(January 9-16)

Greetings all! It is officially my first week back in school and also the start of my last year in the Northeastern Full-Time MBA program (*sniff*). Below is my schedule for this semester, including classes and work. I would like you all to note the lovely 'Friday' column. That's right: it's completely free! Hooray!



Well, to get started, I am happy to say that my first week back as a full-time student is off to a pretty leisurely pace. I spend my Monday morning getting settled from my trip and running errands. I head to campus around 10:00 am to face my looming Living Document 3, which is due this Friday. I didn't get nearly as far with it before my trip as I had hoped and now must pay the price. Ugh!

After a solid three hours of work it's time for my first class (remember, classes this semester are in the afternoon and evening). First up: Global Management. I'm pretty excited about this class because it was the same one I attended for a class visit way back when I was a prospective student visiting Northeastern.

Fortunately, our professor is very engaging. We spend a good while doing the whole introduction thing, paying particular attention to everyone's diverse backgrounds and travel experience before digging right into our first case assignment on a Bulgarian entrepreneur starting a feta cheese company in the United States. We had to submit our case preparation charts for the Malincho case by 8:00 pm last night. Considering that my classmates and I tend to work on a 'midnight' time schedule, that early cut-off is going to be a bit rough to get used to.

After class lets out at 4:15 pm I have more than three hours to kill before my Brand and Advertising Management course at 7:30 pm so it's home for some early dinner and more Living Document 3 work.

At 7:30 pm I'm back in class for Brand and Advertising Management. I think it should be pretty good as well. Our professor actually comes from a technical background so she should offer an interesting spin on analyzing markets and managing a product. We'll also be working on a re-branding project for a company of our choosing throughout the course of the semester

As much as I enjoyed class I'm thankful when we are let out early. I take this opportunity to go home and sleep.

Tuesday is my first day of work back in the Marketing Department of the Northeastern Graduate School of Business!

I spend the morning beforehand working on my Living Document 3 and then come into the office (conveniently located in Dodge Hall) at 11:30 am. I'm really excited because I have been give double the hours I worked last year which means I should be able to contribute more to projects. I'm already off to a good start as I spend my day researching marketing touch points for the recently admitted classes of our graduate programs.

In the three hours between work and my Entrepreneurial Finance class I follow up with a employer contact (a guest speaker from my Market Research course last semester) to see if we can meet up for an informational interview. I told myself I would hit the ground running with networking when I got back so I'm determined to do so!

I also book my flight home for spring break, which this year is thankfully in March. I feel so jet-setter as I pay only $10 for the round-trip tickets to California using miles I've accumulated from all my travels.

Duh, Duh, Duh (that's supposed to be ominous music)...7:30 pm rolls around and it's time for my first Entrepreneurial Finance course! Yikes! But why, you ask, is an obvious marketing student with zero financial acumen taking a finance course of her own accord? Good question. You see, I am aware that analyzing financial statements is not my forte and that is precisely why I am using one of my free electives to take a finance class. I'm nervous, but also excited. I'll tell you in a few weeks whether or not I'm crying over this decision.

Luckily, and unexpectedly, I love the class and my professor. Dare I say it has been my favorite so far! Blasphemy! After getting the run-down on the course and how our professor believes in a more practical and applicable study of finance we are sent home. I make sure to go up to him after class and let him know about my handicap and, to my surprise, he's very supportive and tells me to come see him whenever I need.

What's more, when I arrive home I am greeted by a giant basket of Lindt & Sprungli chocolates! I won this prize through Twitter (of all places!).

Yay Chocolate!

Wednesday morning is filled with more Living Document 3 writing before my second required core course of the semester, Innovation and Enterprise Growth at 1:45 pm. This class was very entertaining and our professor seems to be another prime example of someone who cares more for applicable, realistic knowledge than textbook answers. Love it! Our first exercise? Well working in group to build as tall a tower as possible with marshmallows and spaghetti, of course.

Behold the glory! Maybe I should become an engineer instead?

After class lets out a friend and I head to a relatively new bar on Dartmouth Street: Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar. I indulge in a rose sangria and we share an obscene serving of chips and guacamole.

At 7:00 pm we make the quick walk over to City Table to meet up with another friend who is still on co-op for dinner. I order up their slider variety plate (with crab cake, braised short rib and Kobe beef burger sandwiches) and spend a lovely evening catching up with them.

I also hear back from my networking outreach! I have an informational interview set up for next Wednesday with the guest speaker from my Market Research class. So excited!

Thursdays are going to be long days for me this semester. I head into work for an eight-hour shift from 8:30 am-4:30 pm and spend most of it continuing my research on marketing touch points.

In the 50 free minutes I have between work and class I manage to grab some food.

At 5:20 pm it's time for New Product Development. I'm beginning to realize that I have a very 'innovation'- heavy course load this year (Innovation and Enterprise Growth, Entrepreneurial Finance, New Product Development) and I like it. I'm looking forward to the challenge of supporting my creativity with sound financial knowledge and business practicality.

In class I learn that my New Product Development professor is ALSO from a technical background! Interesting! Since it's week one of class we are let go early and I head home to work on my Living Document 3 (I have less than 24 hours to complete it!).

Despite it being my 'day off' from school and work, I'm up early and at the library before 9:00 am on Friday. I somehow manage to pound out the remainder of my paper, get it printed, bound and dropped off before 2:00 pm. The final result: a whopping 38 pages of glory! While I do think that the three-part Living Document process was a valuable tool, I'm a bit relieved that this is my final deliverable of the year-and-a-half long assignment.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday are so wonderfully lazy I would be embarrassed to spell it out in detail. Let's suffice it to say I was actually bored! Several movies were watched, errands were run and (some) homework was completed. I even managed to fit in a fab take-out Chinese dinner with a classmate (the grubhub iPhone app is a godsend, by the way). As I don't delude myself at all into thinking this can possibly last beyond this week, I savor every moment.

*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff, employees or affiliates.

Travel Week 3: Sahara Desert, Marrakech, Seville, Madrid

December 31, 2011

Hotel: Somewhere in the Dades Gorge

Nick and I are up early today for our scheduled 8:00 am pick-up by the guide leading our three-day, two-night trek into the Sahara Desert. The company we used, if any of you should ever feel so inclined to make the journey, was found at http://www.cameltrekking.com/index.html.  

Nick and I in the Tizi n'Tichka Pass

We spend roughly eight hours driving today. Along the way we maneuver the winding roads of the Tizi n'Tichka Pass (at an elevation of 2260m) and catch glimpses of the tucked-away Berger villages and snow-peaked mountain tops.

Ait Benhaddou

Around 1:00 pm we stop for lunch in Ait Benhaddou, a World Heritage Site kasbah that was supposedly used in more than 20 films including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.

After our fill of tagine, we drive on through the town Ouarzazate, home of Atlas Studios, a Moroccan film studio with impressive film sets built in the middle of the desert. These sets have been used to film movies such as The Mummy and Sex and the City II. We continue along through the Valley of Roses, Dades Valley, Skoura oasis and the valley of a thousand Kasbahs before stopping somewhere along the Dades Gorge for the night.

That night is New Years Eve! Nick and I spend it with our 10 new friends from the tour, eating tagines and sipping smuggled, warm champagne by the fire. Pretty sure being in middle-of-nowhere-Morocco was the coolest way I've spent New Years.

P.S. - On a geeky side note, I think it's pretty much the coolest thing ever that the mutually understood language in our car of people from Morocco, the Philippines, the United States and Switzerland was Spanish. I spoke more Spanish in Morocco than in Spain! Loves it!

January 1, 2012

Hotel: Tent in Erg Chebbi Desert
 
The group is up very early for a 7:00 am departure for another long day of travel. Fortunately, one of our first stops is at the Todra Gorge.  The Gorge was one of my favorite stops on the trek. It's true size (300m) can't be fully appreciated until you're standing in the face of it's towering pass. Loved it!

Todra Gorge - that tiny thing in the lower-right corner is me

We spend several more hours driving to what we have all been waiting for: the edge of the Erg Chebbi Desert of the Sahara! We arrive at around 4:00 pm and quickly saddle our camels for a two-hour sunset trek into the heart of the dunes.

You can tell how excited the whole group is as we run around like kids on caffeine snapping photos, running up and down sand dunes and laughing at the gurgling noises our camels make.

Dinner time!

We reach our home for the night (a cluster of Bivouac tents) after darkness has set. After settling in we all join for a dinner of tagines and bread followed by music around a campfire before snuggling beneath a pile of six camel wool blankets for the night (it was freezing out!)

January 2, 2012

Hotel: Riad Nesma

I'm glad to have gone to bed as early as I did because the group is up at 5:00 am today in order to catch sunrise over the dunes.

Sunrise over Erg Chebbi

The sight is truly breathtaking and totally worth the early wake-up call.

The rest of our day is spent covering what took us two days to drive before in just one. Nick and I arrive in Marrakech that night around 8:00 pm and manage to maneuver our way through throngs of people in Marrakech's frenetic Jamaa el Fna square (supposedly one of the busiest in Africa!) to our hotel. Thank goodness the riad we are staying in is a welcome oasis of calm.

We clean up, seek out our requisite tagine and pass out early.


January 3, 2012

Hotel: Overnight train

Today is our only full day in Marrakech so Nick and I make the most of it. We wake up early to another lovely rooftop breakfast, stroll through the stimuli that are the souks of Marrakech, enjoy snake charmers, shopping and, of course food. Plus, I manage to find a restaurant serving my favorite Moroccan dish: the pastilla. This amazing creation is made of ground meat with raisin and nuts, wrapped in phyllo dough and drizzled with honey. It is heaven.

Souks of Marrakech

We take quick nap that afternoon before heading to the station to catch our 9:00 pm overnight train to Tangier.

January 4, 2011

Hotel: Convento la Gloria

Today is another lengthy day of travel. After arriving in Tangier around 7:00 am (yes, you calculated correctly, that was a ten-hour train ride) we grab the earliest ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tarifa, on the Spanish Coast.

Spain!

With the aid of a helpful local Nick and I manage to find the bus stop we need for the third, and final, leg of our journey to Sevilla.

After a 3.5- hour bus journey we have finally made it! We decompress from our trek in the hotel and then snag some well-deserved tapas and sangria.

January 5, 2011

Plaza de Espana

So, suffice it to say the I adored Seville. It was the most pleasantly perfect weather out, orange trees lined nearly every street and the vibe was just so relaxed (and necessary after the past couple of days).

We start our day with a stroll around Plaza de Espana, a Plaza constructed in the 1920s for the Ibero-American Exposition that boasts stunning architecture, painted bannisters on bridges that cross over a man-made stream, facades dedicated to difference cities and regions of Spain and more. Plus, there are tons of horse-drawn carriages passing by.

After our fill of the Plaza, Nick and I take our time enjoying the shady calm of Seville's parks, taking a tour of its famed bull-fighting ring and, of course, eating, eating, eating.

January 6, 2011

Hotel: Clement Barajas

After a pleasant morning in Seville, it's time for Nick and to board the high-speed train to Madrid. The train is decidedly posh for public transportation and Nick and I enjoy brie and Iberian ham sandwiches as we watch the Spanish countryside whiz by at more than 300 km an hour.

When we arrive in Madrid we hit up our favorite kebab place one last time before making our way toward our hotel by the airport. The night is spent packing and re-packing trying to fit the goodies we've purchased on our three-week trip in our backpacks.

January 7, 2011

After a long day of travel, Nick and I arrive home in Boston around 7:00 pm. Now on to the that pressing matter of school starting the day after tomorrow...



*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.