Meet the Team

Aliza Lakhani is responsible for the vision and execution of Northeastern’s first international campus, located in Toronto. She is driven by her passion to change the world of education, one lifelong learner at a time. She has deep expertise as a transformational leader within the finance, technology, and nonprofit industries. Prior to Northeastern, Aliza was head of business development and international at the DMZ, now the #1 ranked university tech incubator in the world. Under Aliza’s direction, the DMZ tripled annual revenue through corporate partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and expanded into global markets. Aliza has worked for years in revenue-generating, strategic, and advisory roles at RBC Capital Markets, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of Montreal in Toronto and New York. She started her career on the trading floor in fixed income sales and trading. Aliza serves on the advisory boards of C.D. Howe Institute Human Capital Council, #MoveTheDial, Wealthsimple Foundation and the Aga Khan Council for Canada. She was previously chair of the board of directors for the Rexdale Women’s Center. Aliza holds a Bachelor of Mathematics with distinction from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.

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Evan Clarke manages student experience at the Toronto campus and works with Northeastern faculty members to ensure high-quality program delivery. He is also the main point of contact for Toronto-based students, helping them access to the resources that they need. Prior to coming to Northeastern, Clarke taught philosophy at Boston College, where he earned a doctorate in 2014. The focus of his philosophical research is German philosophy between the late 18th and early 20th century. Information on Clarke’s publications can be found here. He is also a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph.

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Anna has been involved in international education for almost 20 years, managing international programs and developing retention and success programming for international students. Anna completed an MA in Intercultural and International Communications from Royal Roads University, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Immigration at Seneca College, where she also taught for many years. Anna has lived and worked overseas extensively and has been a student in five different countries, including Cuba and China. As a result, Anna enjoys the challenges of intercultural development as a way to deconstruct that which divides.

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Montse Sanzsole is responsible for the strategy and implementation of new and innovative initiatives and partnerships to better connect the regional campus priorities with the employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

For over 20 years, Montse has worked in the higher education sector (University of Waterloo) with employers, students, faculty and university staff to build relationships that fuel future career choices with purpose. Whether through co-op work terms, capstone projects, scholarships, donations or joint research initiatives, Montse uses her passion for people, conversation and connection to engage external partners from all industry sectors.

In joining Northeastern, Montse looks forward to continuing the growth of the university brand in Canada & beyond. With a world-class team at her side from campuses across the globe and a long-existing foundation at Northeastern, as a leader in work-integrated learning opportunities for students, the potential is limitless.

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Sam leads and supports the operations of the Dean’s office by providing executive administrative support as well as leading the strategy and execution of various special projects. In this dynamic role, Sam wears various hats, including connector, collaborator, leader, and executor.

Sam has several years of experience within the Ontario Public Service, specifically with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Sam holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Tourism and Environment from Brock University and has obtained a number of certifications, including Indigenous Cultural Competency, from the Ontario Public Service.
Outside of work, Sam enjoys spinning, taking waterfront walks and relaxing with her cats.

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Julienne brings diverse range of marketing and communications expertise to Northeastern University’s Toronto campus. Julienne earned her BA in Media, Information and Technoculture from Western University and has a Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communications from Seneca College.
Julienne oversees the demand generation, customer journey and brand development portfolio for Northeastern University’s Toronto campus.
Prior to joining Northeastern, Julienne was with Mohawk College where she focused on marketing strategy and support for domestic recruitment. She also brings several years of not-for-profit marketing and communications expertise with her work at the Insurance Institute of Canada and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

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Jack is responsible for writing, improving, and standardizing communications to a range of audiences at Northeastern University in Toronto. This means writing regular communications for students, faculty, and external partners, drafting website content, co-ordinating pre-event comms and collateral, and refining communications processes for the campus. He takes pride in producing written work that is clear, engaging, and consistent.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Jack worked in academic and administrative roles at several UK Universities. He completed a PhD in American Studies at Northumbria University and taught English Literature at Newcastle University. He has also held student facing and administrative support roles at Northumbria University, The School of Oriental and African Studies, and King’s College London.
At home Jack reads, writes, watches movies, and supports his soccer team Newcastle United.

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In his role as Admissions Recruiter at Northeastern University in Toronto, Michael is responsible for driving program enrollments and initiatives through strategic partnerships with companies, professional associations, government entities, colleges and universities.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Michael worked in the financial services industry for more than 20 years, helping individuals, families and business owners navigate the complexities of growing, preserving and transitioning wealth. Michael has held practice management, business development and advisory roles at TD Canada Trust, CIBC, Bank of Montreal and Fidelity. Recognized for leadership and helping others succeed, Michael is passionate about facilitating success in others and delivering an exceptional student experience.
Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.

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As the Associate Director of Community and Academic Partnerships, Deniz helps the campus to advance community engagement priorities by leading the development of collaborations with post-secondary institutions and community organizations. He earned his BA in English Linguistics from Hacettepe University in Turkey and completed his MA in Teaching English to Other Speakers of Languages (TESOL) at Western Michigan University in the United States. With more than a decade of experience as a culturally inclusive educator, Deniz has worked at language schools and universities, teaching a wide range of language skills to young adults, professionals, and immigrants with multicultural backgrounds. Prior to this role, Deniz worked as the first Global Learner Support (GLS) Specialist and provided global learners with language, academic, and cultural support services at the Toronto campus.

Being a community-minded leader, Deniz primarily aims to create a positive impact in the Greater Toronto Area through strategic initiatives and new academic pathways with peer institutions. Driven by diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, he is resolved to empower the community through authentic engagement and reciprocal relationships.

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Nayelli Perez builds relationships with industry partners who are seeking to engage with Northeastern students. In her role at Northeastern, she supports employers in finding Northeastern talent for their co-op, internship, and experiential opportunities.

Nayelli has over ten years of experience in coordinating career programming, career coaching/counselling, and conducting employer relations in higher education settings. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (from New York University), a Master’s in School Counselling (from Nova Southeastern University) and Master’s in Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies (from Hofstra University). In her career, Nayelli has worked in higher education institutions in the States and Canada (including Hofstra University, William Paterson University, Toronto Metropolitan University, McMaster University and University of British Columbia). Networking is a big part of how Nayelli conducts employer relations, as she frequently attends industry events to develop employer relationships. She enjoys doing economic development and industry research to stay current with happenings in various industries. Nayelli is a dual citizen of Canada and the US. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking and astrology.

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FZ is seasoned HR Professional with over 14 years of experience in managing human capital, with a proven track record in providing HR leadership and strategy development in all areas of HR.

In her Capacity, she is the onsite go-to contact for all HR matters across Canadian campuses and remote employees at NU, responsible for leading and influencing all HR activities within scope. Also, she provides global mobility support across all Northeastern Campuses and global remote employees collaborating with local HR, Office of General Counsel, and multiple vendors to ensure legal and tax compliance, as well as a positive employee experience.

FZ has Spent 13 years within the financial services industry at the Western Union company where she held many positions at an international level, where she has served as a regional Head of HR for Middle East & Africa region, and joined Coopervision where she provided HR leadership and support to both the Canadian commercial organization and Specialty Eye Care Division.

FZ has Extensive experience working in complex business scenarios across multiple global locations. Dedicated work areas include : Global Mobility, Employee Relations and Engagement, Compensation & Benefits, Recruitment & Selection, Performance Management, Talent Management, Learning & Development, Policies and Procedures, HR Administration.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and an MBA in Human Resources. FZ is an active member of the HRPA in Ontario and holds a CHRP & CHRL designations. She is trilingual ( English, French, Arabic ) and enjoys exploratory trips in islands.

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Matthew (Matt) Murray is the Associate Director of Operations for the Toronto Campus and leads the Toronto Operations team with the primary goal of delivering a best-in-class experience to our students. He is also responsible to lead all on/off campus events with external guests, including Northeastern Toronto’s annual graduation ceremony.

Matt earned his BA from the University of Toronto and is a seasoned operations professional with over 14 years of experience in higher education. Matt’s experience spans across various leadership positions within academic divisions overseeing events, budget planning, financial control, human resources, employee training, facilities planning and safety.

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As a Campus Operations Specialists at the Toronto campus Judith oversees day-to-day campus operations and provides front-line student support. She also coordinates and supports a range of virtual and on ground events.

Judith has s Master of Museum Studies degree from the Faculty of Information at University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Applied Science. Her professional work experiences include an internship in Collection Management, Co-curator and Exhibition Design for The National Ballet of Canada, and event management experience.
She is a baker, an amateur photographer that dabbles in event photography, and a true crime enthusiast.

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Kayla earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Classical Studies from Western University. While there she was heavily involved on campus, from athletics to student services. She spent several years away from campus life, managing escape rooms in Ontario and teaching English in China, before returning to Canada and joining Northeastern. Here she hopes to help create a space where students and staff alike can flourish. In her free time you can find Kayla paddling, reading, or playing games of all kinds.

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Noah Pizzirusso is the on site IT Support Technician. He is responsible for the IT needs that staff and students may have during their time at Northeastern University. Noah strives to always learn about new and existing tech in order to provide the best tech experience to staff and students.

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Anna has been involved in international education for almost 20 years, managing international programs and developing retention and success programming for international students. Anna completed an MA in Intercultural and International Communications from Royal Roads University, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Immigration at Seneca College, where she also taught for many years. Anna has lived and worked overseas extensively and has been a student in five different countries, including Cuba and China. As a result, Anna enjoys the challenges of intercultural development as a way to deconstruct that which divides.

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Laman is Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant with a focus on advising international students. Prior to joining Northeastern, Laman worked at Niagara College of Toronto and Toronto School of Management where she provided immigration support to international students.

Laman earned her MBA from Bremen University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Immigration from Academy of Learning in Canada.

Laman enjoys travelling, trying different cuisines and exploring nature. She has a great passion for learning foreign languages, she speaks five languages: Azerbaijani, German, English, Russian, and Turkish.

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Anurag leads the careers team in Toronto with a goal to elevate and streamline the career services on offer. He actively liaises with faculty and thought leaders to update and create programming that reflects trends within industry.

Anurag brings with him over 15 years of rich global experience across Asia, Europe and North America in the technology, manufacturing, and education sectors. He is an engineer and went on to earn his MBA from the Durham University Business School in England in 2008. Early in his career, he held various positions within Business Development and Key Account Management with organizations like Siemens and Schindler. More recently he has been working in the post-secondary sector with top institutions like the Indian School of Business where he supported MBA students, the Schulich School of Business where he worked with adult learners and then with the University of Toronto supporting BBA & international business students. Anurag brings with him a robust understanding of the career development journey and the resources needed at each stage. He is a firm believer of experiential education and served hundreds of students through unique programs he has created.

In his free time, Anurag loves to travel and explore new destinations, loves nature, is an avid summer camper, and many moons ago ran his own scuba diving travel company.

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Stephanie earned her Honours Bachelor of Arts from York University, followed by her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto (OISE). In April 2021, she completed her Master of Education from York University with a specialization in Postsecondary Education: Community, Culture and Policy. She is a strong advocate of lifelong learning and has experience in advising, teaching, counselling, leadership, and management.

Stephanie has worked with students of all ages from a vast spectrum of socio-cultural contexts, empowering them to be innovators, build resilience, and develop the tools needed for success. In her previous role as Student Services Advisor at Lambton College in Toronto, she gained extensive experience working with international students, leading orientations and teams, developing new initiatives, supporting extracurricular activities, and building a sense of community and purpose in the postsecondary environment. She is passionate about student engagement and experiential education and is grateful and excited to be able to help shape the NU-Toronto student experience as the Associate Director of Student Services.

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Nausheen completed her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and graduated with a Master of Education from University of Toronto. She has work experience in higher education as a Student Affairs Officer and in elementary school as a teacher's assistant in the Middle East.

Having lived in various countries and worked with students of all backgrounds has helped her develop a deep understanding of diverse student needs. Nausheen is passionate about providing personalized support and strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students, giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential. She is looking forward to bringing her varied experiences to her role at Northeastern University Toronto in the Student Services department.

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Hilda is the Wellness Program Specialist for Toronto Campus and serves as the campus’ main contact person to support students in their health and well-being through wellness programming, and ensures they have equitable access to the myriad of University and local community resources. Hilda is passionate about wellness and student development and studied Health Studies and Sociology at McMaster University and Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion at Centennial College. Hilda has been involved in shaping the student experience in residence life roles at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo, and loves the energy and sense of community that campuses have. In her recent role at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Hilda was responsible for the wellness programming and behavior management for students who lived in residence. In her spare time, she likes to relax with a true crime documentary.
Hilda is a Disney and Marvel fan who loves dessert at any time of the day.

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Cathie is an Academic and Professional Advisor for Toronto’s Analytics, Informatics, and Project Management students. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education and broad exposure to student advising, events, and communications from institutions such as the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and York University. Cathie possesses a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and both a Masters of Education and a Dual Diploma in Post-Secondary Education: Community, Culture, and Policy from York University. Personally speaking, Cathie is a newer mother who enjoys doing life with her son and husband, reading, eating diverse foods, and dreaming of travel! She looks forward to seeing you around campus.

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Tinuola Olawuyi is the Academic and Career Advisor for our Toronto campus supporting and assisting our students to develop an action plan that gets them to their academic and professional goals. Tinu earned her BA in Health and Society from York University, holds a master's degree in education from Nipissing University Schulich School of Education, and a Career Educator certificate from Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE).
Prior to joining Northeastern, she worked at Humber College, Ontario Tech University and Durham College, where she successfully supported students from transition to graduation. She brings experience in the areas of advising, career coaching, program development, orientation and transition. Tinu is a dedicated professional who cares deeply about the student experience.

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As an Academic and Career Advisor Rupy supports Northeastern University’s students in achieving their educational and professional goals.

Rupy has over 7 years of combined experience in advising, guiding, and developing career development instruction in a post-secondary classroom environment, and facilitating student success. Rupy earned her BA from York University and later completed her SSW diploma from Sheridan College. She is currently working towards her MEd.

Prior to joining Northeastern, she worked at Sheridan College as a Cooperative Education Advisor, where she successfully supported students in their career development as they built their professional brand. Rupy is a passionate student/client centered individual with a desire for enhancing the overall student experience.

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Jean has dedicated her work life to igniting the career paths of students. She has facilitated career focused workshops and delivered one on one career coaching to diverse audiences. Over 13 years in employment counseling, job development, and employer engagement, she coached and guided newcomers to Canada until she realized she developed great relationship building skills and career coaching experience to take her into the post-secondary environment.

Recently, she worked with University of Toronto, Humber College and non-profits such as COSTI. Jean earned her Bachelor of Commerce from Bangalore University and her Human Resource Management Certificate from Seneca College. She is also a Certified Career Strategist. Working with students gets her excited because each student has a unique challenge. She loves being that person who can help them create an inclusive space to share their challenges and bring out the best in them.

Outside of work, she enjoys solving crossword puzzles, talking to people and learning their stories and listening to music.

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Zeinab Alamagan is the Career Services; Co-op Advisor for the Toronto campus. Zeinab is responsible for supporting students in their career development as they build their professional brand. Zeinab supports students in navigating experiential learning opportunities including co-op.
Zeinab has extensive experience in higher education, with a focus on co-op and career advising and employer engagement. She comes to us from Ryerson University, prior to her years at Ryerson she was an Employment Specialist at the Career Foundation and a Human Resource Manager at Sunrise Resort and Spa.
Zeinab is passionate about supporting students in developing their career potential. Zeinab has extensive experience in developing tailored career education programming to support equity-seeking students, navigate barriers. Prior to her 11 years of experience in career education, Zeinab was a Business Analyst for Bell, T-Mobile and Microsoft. Zeinab is certain to be a valuable asset to co-op and the Toronto campus. She will be working with our CPS learners to provide important career advising, programming and administration support while also working with our co-op employers in the GTAA.

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Colin has a strong background supporting students, with over 15 years of international and domestic experience in education and leadership. Colin earned his Bachelors degree from Trent University double majoring in Business Administration and Hispanic Studies, and later earned his Master of Education from the University of Toronto. He committed to lifelong learning, student success, and culturally intelligent management. Colin has lived abroad in 4 different countries working as an English Language Instructor, which has added to his comprehensive knowledge of international students’ needs and the essential resources for them.

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Farzaneh earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo, holding a major in Rhetoric and Professional Writing, alongside a double minor in Human Resources Management and Management Studies. In April 2017, she completed her Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Waterloo, specializing in Experimental Digital Media.

Through her various experiences in higher education, Farzaneh has built an extensive and diverse portfolio. Over the years, she has developed expertise in Student and Residence Life, the International Student Experience, and Co-operative and Experiential Education. She is a strong advocate for supporting the unique needs of international students and is passionate about assisting all students in developing their sense of self-authorship within the classroom and industry.

Farzaneh is an avid foodie and traveler, hoping to one day roam across the planet to learn more about different cultures and try their incredible cuisines.

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