“Two minutes with…” is a feature blog focusing on the lives behind some of the faces and names you may see in your daily life at IT Services. Maybe you even know them personally and what they do here at Northeastern. But do you know what they like to do on a Saturday morning? Or what their go-to karaoke song is? That’s where “Two minutes with…” comes in, to shed some light on our ITS colleagues.
In this edition of “2 minutes with…”. Noah Pizzirusso shares the career path that led him to his current role as IT Support Specialist on the Toronto campus. Last month, Noah and his colleagues on the Operations Team received one of Northeastern HR’s 2025 Staff Excellence Awards in the “Dream Team” category.
Read on to learn more about Noah’s career journey, his work on the “dream team” and how he spends his free time.
How long have you worked at Northeastern and what roles have you held?
I’ve worked at Northeastern for just over three and a half years. During that time, I’ve been the IT Support Specialist on the Toronto campus, supporting both the IT and AV departments. Until 6 months ago, I was the only full-time IT member onsite in Toronto, although I do have two student assistants who help with classroom support.
What did you do before you joined Northeastern?
I worked as a repair technician at Canada Computers, where I built and repaired consumer computer systems. I also worked as a scientific IT coordinator at a forensic laboratory, supporting the maintenance and optimization of essential IT equipment.
It’s Saturday morning. Where are you, what are you doing, and with whom?
Most Saturday mornings, I’m sleeping in late and making coffee with my partner, Adrienne. Often, I also go to antique malls to look for unique items to decorate the condo.
Noah Pizzirusso
What did you want to be when you were in second grade? How did any of it carry over to where you are today?
Surprisingly, when I was in second grade, I wanted to be a scientist. I’ve always enjoyed learning about how things work, and inventions were always fun for me. I remember one car ride with my mom where I tried to explain to her my concept for creating a lightsaber using magnetic fields to contain light.
Your team was recently selected as a recipient of Northeastern’s 2025 Staff Excellence Awards in the “Dream Team” category. Can you share more about the award and why your team was chosen?
Here in Toronto, the IT team and Operations team work closely together. During the last academic year, we supported more than 1,500 students, hosted 228 ground and hybrid events, and successfully planned and hosted the largest convocation ceremony outside Boston, with more than 600 students crossing the stage. Those accomplishments, along with managing operations at the Queen Street and First Canadian Place campuses—really show how well-oiled our team is and it’s the reason we won this award!
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is, “Let them say no.” This means that it’s better to ask for something get a potential “yes” than to never ask at all. Then, if they say no, nothing changes, and you try something else. This is also useful outside of work!
What’s your preferred way to unplug?
My preferred way to unplug is definitely playing video games and watching TV shows. I enjoy delving deep into hard games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. When I need a break from games, I like to watch one of the many TV or anime series out there!
Any pets?
I don’t have any pets. I’m not that much of a pet person, though I do enjoy funny pet videos online!
Do you speak any languages besides English? If not, which other ones do you wish you spoke?
I speak French and a little bit of Italian. I was enrolled in French immersion until 12th grade, meaning that half my course load was in French. In university, I took a couple of Italian courses, but I haven’t retained very much of the vocabulary.