Meet Cord Stasolla. He’s pursuing a Master’s Degree in Data Analytics Engineering at Northeastern University, paired with a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership from The Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership.

Raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Cord studied mechanical engineering at Lafayette College before commissioning into the U.S. Navy where he still serves on active duty. His career spans nuclear engineering, cryptologic warfare, and multiple deployments, including time aboard four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines and a recent deployment to Djibouti, Africa.

Life at The Gordon Institute 

Cord was accepted to Northeastern University while living in Annapolis, Maryland, with options for where to pursue a graduate program. After speaking with a Navy veteran in the Gordon program who emphasized the strength of the cohort community, his decision became clear. He ultimately chose The Gordon Institute for its support system, saying: “I always feel connected and supported when I walk into the Stearns building for class, and it’s helped me transition to my new life in Boston.”

While the military values leadership, Cord notes that it offers little formal leadership training. Knowing the toll that deployment can take on sailors and their families, he hopes to develop the skills needed to better connect with and mentor his sailors, support their families, and build high-performing, empowered teams. 

Meeting Colonel Mike Manning and seeing him model the leadership principles that he teaches has been a standout moment. Cord particularly loved the Field Leadership Reaction Course at Joint Base Cape Cod with Providence College Army ROTC cadets and is excited for more hands-on learning as the school year continues.

What’s more, the program has helped Cord feel more confident in his leadership style, especially in a male-dominated environment such as the military, where vulnerability and psychological safety are often overlooked. With these principles in mind, he feels validated in his approach and ready to integrate them when he returns to the fleet, saying, “As a Naval Officer in charge of hundreds of sailors, I feel it’s my primary responsibility to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunity the Gordon program represents to learn, grow, and become a better leader.”

“As a Naval Officer in charge of hundreds of sailors, I feel it’s my primary responsibility to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunity the Gordon program represents to learn, grow, and become a better leader.”

Cord Stasolla is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Data Analytics Engineering at Northeastern University, paired with a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership from The Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership.

Putting Leadership into Practice 

Concurrently with his studies, Cord is leading a high-visibility project at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a place he felt drawn to because of its upbeat, supportive culture and an immediate sense of belonging when he walked through the doors. His work focuses on creating a mesh network of autonomous buoys with on-board sensors for Maritime and Air Domain Awareness (MDA), providing early awareness of potential threats and enabling timely, coordinated responses. Cord works with many other teams within the lab, including hardware and software engineers, product developers, data scientists and military liaisons.  When it comes to applying leadership principles to his day-to-day, he says, “Especially as a project lead, the principles, models, and frameworks from the Gordon Leadership program have proven to be highly effective tools.”  

“Especially as a project lead, the principles, models, and frameworks from the Gordon Leadership program have proven to be highly effective tools.” 

Looking Ahead

After graduation, Cord will return to the Navy to complete a Lieutenant Commander Milestone role. He’s considering stations across the country as he continues to serve and lead with the strengthened framework he’s developed at Northeastern University and The Gordon Institute.