Undergraduate and Graduate Celebration
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
9:00 a.m. ET Leader Bank Pavilion
PROGRAM
Welcome
Jennifer Kirwin
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor
Dean's Address
Carmen Sceppa
Dean
Student Speakers
Jillian Bettan
Angie Che
Adriana Totten
Alumni Address
Jennifer Kirwin
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor
Recognition of Graduates
Carmen Sceppa
Dean
Closing Remarks
Jennifer Kirwin
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor
DEAN
Carmen Sceppa
Sceppa received her medical degree from Francisco Marroquín University in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where she was born and raised. She received her PhD in Nutrition from The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Sceppa brings experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator. She is committed to science, discovery, and education to bridge the gap between research and practice, and this shows in her leadership of the college. Sceppa’s research area in healthy aging focuses on healthspan: how well one lives in good overall health – be it physical, mental, and social. Through this lens, Sceppa aims to transform the way we think about physical activity and exercise, from a personal choice to preventive medicine. The knowledge acquired from Sceppa’s research has informed the development of real-world interventions translated into policy to empower individuals, their families, and communities to lead healthy lives.
STUDENT SPEAKER
Jillian Bettan
Jillian Bettan is a graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology at Northeastern University, where she has completed her clinical training supporting individuals with complex communication needs. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science, with a minor in Disability Studies, from The Ohio State University. As an undergraduate, she served as an Educational Coach, mentoring college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to promote skill development, engagement, and independence. Currently, through clinical experiences in schools, private practice, and medically complex settings, Jillian supports individuals with diverse communication needs, focusing on functional communication. She is an active member of the Northeastern University Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association, participating in events, peer learning initiatives, and fundraising to raise awareness of communication disorders. Jillian also works for Advocates, a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with autism through daily living skills and in-home support. She is committed to continuing her work in speech-language pathology, providing meaningful, client-centered care serving pediatric populations.
STUDENT SPEAKER
Angie Chen
Angie Chen is an undergraduate student earning a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a minor in Data Science. She served as Director of ViTAL Ventures Consulting within ViTAL: Northeastern’s Healthcare Innovation Core, where she led pro bono consulting initiatives for growth-stage companies in the medical device and life sciences sectors. She also conducts research at the Center for Drug Discovery, focusing on pharmaceutical portfolio composition, pipeline innovation, and revenue lifecycle strategies to explore the intersection of scientific innovation and commercial performance. Each week, Angie also volunteers with the Community Volunteers Program, tutoring students at 826 Boston. Driven by a passion to improve access to rare disease treatments, she is now preparing to begin a full-time role focused on commercialization strategy within the pharmaceutical industry
STUDENT SPEAKER
Adriana Totten
Adriana Totten is a Health Science student minoring in Global Health. What began with earning her EMT certification through Bouvé’s on-campus course has blossomed into a full-fledged passion for pre-hospital care and medicine. Adrianna completed her co-op as an Emergency Room Technician at Brigham and Women’s Emergency Department. She now works as an EMTand teaches as a Lab Instructor for the very course that started it all. Her curiosity extends beyond borders through global health research and participation in the global health dialogue in Kenya and is involved in a series of scoping reviews on leishmaniasis in East Africa. As a deeply committed member of Northeastern University Emergency Medical Services, Adriana has helped spearhead the implementation of a Class V Ambulance License, a milestone that she is immensely proud of and will bring quality, reliable prehospital care directly to the Northeastern community. She has also proudly represented the university as a Presidential Ambassador throughout her undergraduate career. After graduation, Adriana plans to attend medical school.
ALUMNI SPEAKER
Jennifer Kirwin
Jennifer Kirwin, PharmD, BCPS, FNAP is the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and Clinical Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is a graduate of Northeastern’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. She completed post graduate residency training at the New England Medical Center now known as Tufts Medical Center and has a background in ambulatory care pharmacy practice. Dr. Kirwin has teaching experience in several areas of pharmacy practice including therapeutics, drug information and transitions of care, and currently teaches the Pharmacy Based Immunizations Training program in the PharmD curriculum. On behalf of the School of Pharmacy and Bouvé College, she advocates for interprofessional education opportunities so our students can learn from, with, and about each other. In her Academic Affairs role, Dr. Kirwin oversees graduate and undergraduate curriculum and operations, cooperative education, student services, workforce development and the college’s interprofessional Goldstein Simulation Lab. She is a member of several professional pharmacy organizations and in 2022 was recognized as a Distinguished Practitioner Fellow in the National Academies of Practice.
