Verizon Smart Campus Competition

Jason Abraham, a Northeastern University alumnus, has dedicated 28 years to Verizon, serving in diverse roles such as Network Engineering, Program Management, Finance, Cybersecurity, and currently, Corporate Security. He actively mentors employees and has represented Verizon as a Brand Ambassador to Northeastern University.

Outside of work, Jason is trained in classical violin and enjoys classical music. He is also trained as an instructor for the Dale Carnegie Course. He enjoys playing table tennis, tennis, and pickleball and is a vocal supporter at his children’s athletic events.

Brendan Gallahue is a Senior Manager of Business Intelligence within Verizon’s Network AI & Analytics Team, where he helps drive the development and adoption of advanced data analytics and AI/ML capabilities across the company. He also serves as Chief of Staff for the VP of Network AI & Analytics.

Prior to this role, Brendan spent two years in the VGS Strategy & Transformation Organization, where he focused on strategy formulation, process improvement, design thinking, and program management, all aimed at driving revenue, efficiency, and customer-centricity.

Prior to joining Verizon, Brendan worked in Business Development for Rapid7 and served as an Infantry Officer in the Marine Corps. He holds a BA from Catholic University and an MBA from Boston College.

Maxine Hollie is a Principal Technical Project Manager in the Tech Ambassador Office (TAO) at Verizon, where she focuses on technology talent strategy. Her work involves building partnerships with universities like Northeastern, Cornell, Rutgers, University of Southern California and George Mason, as well as industry leaders and non-profit organizations. She is responsible for identifying and implementing programs to attract, develop, and retain top technology talent, and for fostering strategic alignment with assigned universities.

With over 16 years in telecommunications, Maxine’s career at Verizon includes roles in the Global Network & Technology Transformation Office, where she drove improvement and cost savings initiatives. She began her Verizon career in 2012 and her telecommunications journey in 2008 as a Site Acquisition and Leasing Specialist, holding various project and program management roles across Real Estate, Regulatory, Implementation, and Business Transformation. Maxine holds a Master of Science in Leadership from Duquesne University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from the University of South Florida.

Paul Kerl is the Senior Director of Network Analytics at Verizon. He leads a team of leaders focused on driving new value through AI/ML and data-driven insights and actions for GN&T across Network Planning, Engineering, Operations, Assurance, and Network Finance.

Paul holds both a PhD in industrial and systems engineering with a concentration in optimization and a master’s degree in operations research from Georgia Tech. His undergraduate degree is in applied math, engineering and physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He lives in the Boston metro area with his wife Liz and their two goldendoodles (Monty and Oscar) and their cat (Kali).

Mirela Marku is a distinguished electrical engineer and business leader with a career spanning telecommunications, technology, and international development. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania, and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Her professional expertise is deeply rooted in wireless telecommunications, with a specific focus on Small Cell, In-Building Wireless, and Private Wireless Networks. She has held significant roles at all three major US telecom carriers and served as an Engineering Manager at General Dynamics Corporation’s GDIT department.

Her consulting experience includes advising the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on critical telecom policy and wireless telecom strategy initiatives.

Beyond her technical and business acumen, Mirela is also an accomplished culinary enthusiast, holding a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu. She finds joy in cooking, traveling, and gardening. A dedicated mother of four, she cherishes time spent with her children, sharing her passions for travel, cooking, and exploring the world.

Yoav Rabino is a Senior Product Manager for AI and IoT Solutions at Verizon, where he leads the strategy and development of new growth products from concept to launch. In this role, he has successfully launched the Sensor Insights and 5G Video Insights products.

Prior to joining Verizon, Yoav began his career in mechanical engineering, where he was a Mechanical Design Engineer at Keurig Dr Pepper, contributing to the development of next-generation coffee brewers. He then transitioned into the digital innovation space at Schneider Electric, driving the creation of new IoT and edge-enabled solutions for smart buildings. Yoav holds a Master’s Degree in Integrated Product Design from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Ed Ropple is the lead architect for Verizon’s API First initiative, tasked with bringing next-generation API capabilities into Verizon and leading the digital transformation effort to bring together producers of connected capabilities with the consumers who want them. He has a broad base of experience in the industry and has worked as a manager and an individual contributor across most facets of delivering a software product.

Before Verizon, Ed worked at startups for about 10 years and ran a consultancy to help pre-revenue startups get off the ground. Most recently he was at Render in a lead DevRel role, and before that was a senior DevEx engineer at Mux, where he built out an API quality control process and also produced some of the most highly rated all-digital conferences during COVID. He’s a practicing woodworker and a former esports event organizer, and has a couple of great dogs. He graduated from the University of Maine with a BA in computer science.

Dr. Sarah Rustan is a highly accomplished data science professional with a deep and diverse background, most recently as a Distinguished Engineer – Data Science at Verizon. In this senior role, she is an ML product owner and a leader in developing and automating network infrastructure utilization and demand forecasts that guide capital investment strategies.

Her recent work involves building time-series models, identifying new data sources, and creating data visualizations to communicate key insights. She has hands-on experience in the entire machine learning lifecycle, from data ingestion and modeling to productionization and communicating results to stakeholders.

Prior to her current role, she served as a Principal Engineer at Verizon and as a Data Science Fellow at Insight Data Science, where she leveraged Python to build a predictive model for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to help optimize workplace inspections. Dr. Rustan’s academic background includes a Ph.D. in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University, where she taught statistics and data analysis as a Doctoral Fellow. She also holds a master’s degree in Arts Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts.

Adam Townsend is a seasoned Client Executive at Verizon, where he provides end-to-end consultation on a diverse range of solutions for clients in Higher Education, State and Local Government, and Healthcare. Since joining the company in 2017, he has focused on building strong client relationships to increase retention, drive new business growth, and enhance overall satisfaction and engagement.

With over two decades of experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, Adam has a proven track record of driving sales and managing key territories. Prior to his role at Verizon, he was a Territory Sales Manager at Actsoft, where he developed business pipelines and managed relationships with major wireless carriers. His extensive background also includes key account management roles at Sprint and Dentsply, as well as serving as an Indirect Sales Manager for Sprint/Nextel, where he led a team of account executives across the New England region. Adam is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies.

For 12 years John Wakim has defined himself at Verizon as a technical RF, AI, and Data Science leader. By combining these two skills, he has created the science of reality-based modeling and network GenAI, providing intelligence to Verizon’s network capital programs. His contributions have resulted in capital efficiencies, expense savings, and significant engineering/process efficiencies.

John is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a degree in electrical engineering and focus on wireless communications. He lives in New Hampshire, about 30 minutes north of Boston, with his wife, son, and four fluffy animals, and is preparing for a baby girl in November. In his free time John enjoys hitting the gym, gaming, and spending time with family.