By Mike Naughton
After five years of heading the Cooperative Education Department, Richard Porter has passed the torch to a new vice president. Lynn Lyford took over the position Sept. 15.
Lyford has an extensive educational background, which includes a bachelor of science in fine arts and education from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Lyford also holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as certificates in management and leadership from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management in Arizona.
“I am thrilled to pass the torch to Mrs. Lyford,” Porter said. “She brings tremendous experience to her role.”
In an e-mail addressed to the Northeastern community, President Richard Freeland discussed Lyford’s appointment.
“We are indeed fortunate to have attracted an individual of Lynn’s stature to the university. She comes to Northeastern with an impressive background and strong leadership experience in an array of public and private institutions,” Freeland wrote.
In May 2003, Lyford was named one of Boston Magazine’s “Top 100 Women Who Run this Town.” Her involvement in the local community is also widespread. Lyford has held managing and consulting positions in several organizations as well as serving as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance and before that as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.
In her short time as vice president, Lyford has yet to make any changes to the department, but plans to improve the co-op experience.
“The goal is to make co-op first class in every respect,” Lyford said. “The focus is on providing the highest in terms of quality.”
The Student Government Association Vice President for Academic Affairs Peter Antonellis said that Lyford’s background will be extremely helpful for the co-op department.
“I have a lot of confidence in Vice President Lyford’s abilities to help strengthen the co-op program,” Antonellis said. “I think Vice President Lyford’s background in the public sector will also be a major source of strength as she tries to build better ties with potential co-op employers.”
While previously, students had individual co-op schedules, only two tracks are available under semesters. Students on the “B” track will be starting co-op in January, and under Lyford’s direction, they will have to undergo an application process.
Dave Quartuccio, a middler behavioral neuroscience major, said the application process was a little hectic in the past.
“I applied while the university was switching between quarters and semesters so it was kind of crazy,” Quartuccio said. “But my advisor, Michelle Israel, was good. She hooked me up.”
Other students, including sophomore political science major Brian Cox, enjoyed the application process.
“The process was fine and organized,” Cox said. “It was a good mix of me being independent and my advisors not throwing me out on my own.”
While Northeastern students have the opportunity of gaining real world experience with co-op employers, Lyford still questions whether higher education is necessary.
“The increasing demand on life-long learning suggests more education is better. Learning does not stop when you leave school,” Lyford said.
