Dear Friends of NetSI,

I have spent most of my career trying to understand how things connect: how a pathogen spreads through a population, how fragility propagates through infrastructure, and how ideas spread and mutate. But the most important network I have ever been part of is this one: the community that has grown around theNetwork Science Institute.

Our students arrive with a particular kind of curiosity: they want to understand the whole, not just the parts. I have watched them progress from hesitant steps into science to mapping the molecular architecture of disease, supporting pandemic responses, uncovering hidden structures in social systems, and asking how humans and AI agents can work together to navigate a world flooded with generated information. That shift, from curiosity to something meaningful, is why I love this work.

Great research relies on a community, and in network science, that community is literally the network itself. However, networks need to be built and maintained. This requires resources: fellowships that enable talented students to focus without financial stress, support for our Graduate Student Association, and seed funding for collaborations and gatherings where the most unexpected breakthroughs often occur.

Northeastern provides a solid foundation, but what makes NetSI unique is also the generosity of the people who choose to be part of what we are building. As we join Northeastern University for Giving Day this year, a gift at any level truly makes a difference. Funding for student activities fosters community and collaborative habits that define how good science gets done. A scholarship doesn't just cover tuition; it shows a young scientist that the world is paying attention and adds another connection to a network that grows stronger with every link.

To our alumni and long-standing collaborators: you already know what it means to be part of this network. Once part of it, always part of it. To everyone reading this: that is an open invitation. Your support is not just a contribution to our work; it creates new connections, making our network stronger.

Thank you for your generosity and for being part of this community.

With gratitude,

Alessandro Vespignani

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