As a 2007 graduate of both Northeastern and Dean Jim Stellar’s research lab, I was surprised, upset and disheartened by the news of Stellar’s resignation. The purpose of this letter isn’t to beg for his return, but rather to share with you my story and thoughts, with the hope of honoring my wonderful mentor of more than six years. Whether Stellar stepped down on his own volition or whether this was a decision made by the university, the timing of his resignation is an issue that deserves consideration. Northeastern is a great school that, in my time there, only improved. When I reflect on why I believe this, I don’t necessarily think about the numerical metrics mentioned in the Provost’s announcement. Sure, such things are important – but when I think of what really makes Northeastern great, it’s the people. Northeastern has a lot of good, and some great, people. Stellar belongs to the latter. Stellar is the reason I attended Northeastern. I came to the admitted students’ day: I saw, I watched and I decided to go elsewhere. Before heading home, I unwittingly contracted Stellar’s help to find the bathrooms. That exchange developed into a 4 hour conversation about college, neuroscience and attending Northeastern. In that conversation, he made some big promises. He told me to come to Northeastern, told me I could work in his lab starting immediately and told me that I could get into any graduate school I wanted. I drove home wondering if this guy was for real or if he was plain crazy. Well, here I am at Stanford, just starting my second year of medical school. When I tell my classmates here about Stellar, I tell them he’s the guy that not only helped some dumb girl from Massachusetts get into Harvard Medical School, he’s the guy who helped her turn them down. I mention this not to boast but to illustrate how much Stellar has done for me. He’s the boss who said “let’s go back and try again” when my experiments failed, and the friend who said “you’ll survive if you don’t want to go back and try again” when my relationships failed. Although I’ve never had the distinction of being enrolled in one of Stellar’s courses, he has taught me so much about neuroscience, life and myself. The remarkable thing is that Stellar doesn’t just show me such kindness, mutual respect and support – my story is one of hundreds. I recently watched Randy Pauch’s Last Lecture, in which he offers this sage advice: “If you don’t see the good in someone, you just haven’t waited long enough.” I feel like Stellar has been telling me this since we met. He believes in everyone and isn’t afraid to take chances. And, as his many successes attest, it pays. We need great people at Northeastern and we need to keep them. Great people should be leading the university in a way fitting of its increased rankings, excellent student body and strong faculty: Great people should not be stepping down days before school begins. I don’t doubt Professor Bruce Ronkin will do a good job, but he and Stellar’s permanent successor have big shoes to fill. It would be unfortunate should the university not continue on this successful path paved by Stellar or should another institution recruit away one of Northeastern’s most prized faculty. I hope for the university to respect and provide for its faculty, staff and students in a way indicative of my positive experience there. While the initial wave of protest, remembrance and confusion over this decision will wane, I pray Northeastern doesn’t believe such issues are forgotten (that is, Northeastern cannot simply “graduate” their problems). I want the University to remember that people do matter, just as I will when it is my turn to give back to Northeastern.

– Mariko Howe is a 2007 Northeastern aluma.