What is WREN?
WREN, the Women's Research Engagement Network, is a program created through the Interdisciplinary Women's Collaborative to promote and celebrate women in research at Northeastern University. WREN not only helps women find research positions, but it also actively supports women in research through providing resources, programming, networking, and presentation opportunities. Ultimately, we hope to fight against the "leaky pipeline" and increase the number of women in academia.
Our Mission
Why was WREN Created?
Women are systematically underrepresented in research. According to UNESCO, just 30% of researchers worldwide are women. This number is even less for BIPOC, low-income, or LGBTQ+ women. WREN seeks to increase the number of female-aligned individuals in research through connecting students with faculty researchers, developing a supportive network of women in research at Northeastern, and providing unique funding and presentation opportunities.
Furthermore, a primary goal of WREN is to provide opportunities and support to those underrepresented in research. The WREN team acknowledges that forces beyond gender, such as racism, classism, homophobia, xenophobia, and others, create additional barriers for women hoping to enter the world of research. WREN seeks to help women overcome these barriers, and the program is designed with a diverse team of women in order to support and uplift the entire Northeastern student body, regardless of their background. If you have any ideas on how to make WREN a more inclusive program, please contact us.
WREN's History
WREN, the Women's Research Engagement Network, was founded in Fall 2020 after members of the Interdisciplinary Women's Collaborative realized that many students at Northeastern, particularly women, felt that research was inaccessible to them.
The organization was founded with a central goal: to promote and celebrate women in research at Northeastern. Since its founding, WREN has built a robust team of both faculty advisors and passionate students. As of Fall 2023, we have 110 Scholars, 50 Jumpstart participants, and 22 student leaders. We have directly helped provide over 25 students research positions, in addition to establishing a dual internship program with the Northeastern Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research.
WREN
WREN, the Women's Research Engagement Network, is the
first branch of the IWC. It was founded to support women at Northeastern involved in
research with the ultimate
goal of increasing the number of women in academia across the disciplines.
TWC
TWC, The Women's Council, is
the second branch of the IWC.
TWC works to train future
female leaders at Northeastern.
It also hosts countless events
each semester focused on supporting women and
amplifying female voices.
IWOC
IWOC, the Interdisciplinary Women's Organization Collective, is the third branch of the IWC. It is a coalition of women's organizations on Northeastern's campus. IWOC works to support these organizations while also providing them with a space to collaborate.
Research at Northeastern
Northeastern is classified by the The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as Tier 1 research institution, meaning the university ranks among the top institutions in the country in terms of research activity.
Undergraduate students are actively involved in research on campus, frequently working to generate meaningful findings as demonstrated by the many students that present annually at Northeastern's Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (RISE) Expo. However, at Northeastern, there is no defined path to find a research position. WREN is seeking to change that.
Find a Position
WREN's centralized application system gives women at Northeastern a clear path to find research opportunities on campus. However, there are other ways to get involved for students who are not interested in or are not able to participate in WREN.
Some ways to get involved in research on campus beyond WREN include:
1. Connecting with a professor in a class you are taking and asking about their research.
2. Attending research fairs, student organization meetings, and other events to network with students and faculty
3. "Cold-Emailing" professors whose contact information you find via individual college websites.
4. Performing research while on co-op.
5. For students who are part of the Honors Program, earning an Honors Early Research Award.
Find Funding
Many student researchers in long-term positions work anywhere from 5-15 hours a week on their projects. As such, finding funding to support research is essential for many students, especially for those who rely at least partly on their own income to support themselves during college.
The Northeastern University Office of Research and Fellowships website is a great resource to explore options for funding. A notable highlight includes PEAK awards, which can provide up to $3,000 in funding on a semester-by-semester basis for NU students.
In the future, WREN hopes to be able to offer more opportunities for research funding uniquely to our members.
Meet the Team
Director of Media and Design
Claudia Ferenc
Hello! I’m Claudia Ferenc, and I'm a 2nd-year Business Administration and Communication Studies major minoring in Psychology. I'm excited to blend my passion for research with my interests in business and communication through WREN. My research includes Community to Community: Policy Equity for All (C2C), where I conducted data-driven analysis to guide investment strategies for Bay Area programs, and for Dr. Yang's News Data Collection project, where I collected images and captions from online news articles. I also enjoy fencing, cycling, learning languages, and playing the piano and flute.
Director of Marketing
Jaimie Lee
Hello!! I’m Jaimie, a second-year Health Science and Business Administration major on the Pre-Med track and the Director of Marketing for WREN. On campus, I am involved in the Public Mental Health and Substance Abuse Cluster at the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research. Our research group primarily focuses on preventing depression in Chinese-American adolescents. Outside of school, I love hanging out with friends, exploring the great outdoors, and playing sports!
Scholar Program Event Associate
Pema Sherpa
Hi! My name is Pema and I am a second year majoring in Biology and minoring in Art. I am a WREN Scholars Program Event Associate and I love how WREN is based in the community aspect of research. I’ve worked in the Laboratory for Aging and Infertility (LAIR), and am currently a part of the Physical Activity Assessment using Wearable Sensors (PAAWS) Study. My interests lie in the clinical applications of research and how they can help improve the accessibility of treatments for under served communities. In my free time I love running, playing tennis with friends, and practicing bass.
Scholar Program Event Associate
Bella Selekman
Hi, I'm Bella! I'm a 3rd-year Cell & Molecular Biology major with a minor in Ethics. My research experience includes a couple biotech startups, centered around immunology and drug discovery, and Northeastern's Levine Lab, focused on understanding microbial interactions in the gut and their effect on host health. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering, sci-fi movies, and going on walks with friends!
Scholar Program Event Associate
Dina Yacoub
Hi! I’m Dina, a third-year Health Sciences major with a Nutrition minor on the pre-med track. I am a research mentee with the Northeastern Social Justice Peer Mentorship Program. My research project aims to assess how international students access care on campus, identify potential barriers that can delay care and advocate for increased supports. In my free time, I like to go thrifting and explore different coffee shops in Boston!
Scholar Program Event Associate
Amira Toivonen
Coming Soon!
Jumpstart Events Associate
Vivian Lin
Hi everyone! My name is Vivian, and I going to be a third-year Biochemistry major. I joined WREN initially to find ways to get involved in research and now hope to help others do the same. I am currently doing research on campus and off campus, and love it so much! In my free time, I enjoy reading and participating in any creative activities.
Jumpstart Events Associate
Ari Hong
Coming Soon!
Jumpstart Events Associate
Amy Crook
Coming Soon!
Faculty Outreach Associates
Amina Abdirahman
Coming Soon!
Faculty Outreach Associates
Jessica Lin
Coming Soon!
Faculty Outreach Associates
Samantha Nett
Coming Soon!