Is Your Lab Winter Ready? Check the List!

Don’t forget to review the Laboratory Winter Closure Checklist before heading off to enjoy your break!

Team Updates

We are pleased to welcome new safety professionals to Northeastern’s Boston campus:

Shawna Marquis

Executive Director – Global Laboratory Safety & Infrastructure

Shawna brings 20 years of experience advancing safety culture and supporting research excellence in academic settings. Most recently, she served as Director of Lab Safety Services at Harvard University, where she led a team that partnered closely with researchers across Harvard’s schools to proactively identify risks and develop practical safety solutions.

Before joining Harvard, Shawna worked at MIT, first as a researcher with safety responsibilities and later within the EHS department. Throughout her career, she has remained dedicated to supporting the research community and fostering safe, effective laboratory practices. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager.

Shawna is committed to collaborating with researchers to cultivate safe, compliant laboratory environments that enable innovative work. She looks forward to engaging with the Northeastern research community and supporting labs across the university’s global campus network.

Angela (Angie) Ford

Building Safety Manager (ISEC)

Angela graduated with a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Delaware (2023). She has a professional background in hazardous waste management as an Environmental Specialist, providing overview of the chemical and biological waste programs across multiple companies simultaneously. Angela’s most recent role was in Environmental Health & Safety consulting, where she acted as the safety professional for several companies in the Greater Boston area.

Angela has supported safety culture and compliance of labs and waste programs across various industries, including biotechnology, manufacturing, and life sciences. She has been employed in large facilities and small startups; working closely with scientists, facilities, and operations. Angela is excited to bring her experience to Northeastern and is looking forward to collaborating with others to support safe and productive research environments.

Jenny Maron

Biosafety Specialist II

Jenny brings extensive research experience in virology and the biomedical sciences to her role as Biosafety Specialist II. Prior to joining our team in October 2025, Jenny spent over seven years conducting research on host pathogen interactions and viral immunology at institutions including the Ragon Institute and Harvard Medical School. She holds a Masters degree in Virology from Harvard University and a Bachelors in Biology from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Outside of work, Jenny enjoys biking around Boston, creating floral arrangements and illustrations, and spending time with her cats. She’s an avid supporter of local bookstores and movie theaters, with a particular love for horror and science fiction books and films.

Her deep understanding of laboratory operations, combined with her commitment to scientific excellence and community engagement, makes her a valuable addition to our biosafety team as we continue to support safe and secure research practices across Northeastern’s growing research enterprise.

New Roles

As our programs continue to grow, two of our team members have stepped into new roles that reflect their evolving responsibilities.

• Alex DeSimone is now the Assistant Biosafety Officer.
• Conor Donovan is now the Lab Safety Program Manager and NU’s Chemical Hygiene Officer.

Thank you for your commitment to a safe and thriving research community. We hope you enjoy a peaceful and restorative winter break!