Kudos January 2024
Celebrating Tufts Faculty and Staff
Kudos is a monthly submissions-based roundup celebrating university faculty and staff—awards, honors, thought leadership, new arrivals, and more. Share your own great news or recognize a colleague at go.tufts.edu/kudos.
AS&E Shared: Alicia Abdulrazzaq, Asst Dir Career Services, Career Services
AS&E Shared: Laila Shaikh, Asst Dir Financial Aid, Financial Aid
AS&E Shared: Tatiana Cassel, Residence Life Coordinator, Residential Life & Learning
Advancement: Abigail Meyers, Administrative Coordinator, UA-Dental Dev & Alumni Rel
Arts and Sciences: Clara Hawken, Program Manager, Graduate Arts & Sciences
Cummings: Angela Miller, Administrative Coordinator, Amb Med & Theriogenology
Cummings: Julia Berger, Assistant Clinical Professor, Amb Med & Theriogenology
Cummings: Marie Gryszowka, Veterinary Technician II, Foster Hosp - Cummings-Vet
Cummings: Jessica Du, Veterinary Technician II, Foster Hosp - Cummings-Vet
Cummings: Idrissa Nonmon Sanogo, Postdoctoral Scholar, Infec Disease&Global Hlth-Vet
Dental: Lamar Gary, Central Sterilization Asst, Clinic Materials-Dental
Dental: Dorothy Park, Practice Administrator, Periodontology - Dental
Dental: Abigail Lugo, Practice Administrator, Prosthodontics
Dental: Rebekah Blackburn, Billing Coordinator, Revenue Cycle Operations
Dental: Vien Nguyen, Patient Financial Coordinator, Revenue Cycle Operations
Dental: Kristen Marino, Patient Financial Coordinator, Revenue Cycle Operations
Dining: N’Vee Royal, Service Attendant, SMFA Dining
Medical: Blaine Tolle, Sr Research Administrator, Immunology
Medical: Mengxing Liu, Postdoctoral Scholar, Neuroscience-BasicSci/Medical
Operations: Kunta Simeon, Grounds Keeper, Facilities Services - Medford
Operations: Karen Cutone, Senior Director Real Estate, Office of VP Operations
Operations: Adam Faulkner, Campus Security Officer I, Public Safety - Medford
SMFA at Tufts: Celine Gomes, Communications Coord, SMFA at Tufts
Tufts Technology Services: Xue Li, Bioinformatician, Tufts Technology Services
Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion and Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health, was honored with Irth’s 2023 Crown Award for Academic Excellence for Black Mothers.
MyDzung Chu, director of Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT) Coalition and assistant professor at the School of Medicine, was named to Popular Science’s Brilliant 10 list.
Lee Edelman, professor of English literature, received an honorable mention for the Modern Language Association of America’s 54th annual James Russell Lowell Prize for his book, Bad Education: Why Queer Theory Teaches Us Nothing.
Richard Jankowsky, professor of music, is the winner of the Alan P. Merriam Prize in the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM) for his book Ambient Sufism: Ritual Niches and the Social Work of Musical Form (Chicago 2021). Awarded annually by the SEM, the honor recognizes the most distinguished English-language monograph in the field of ethnomusicology. Ambien Sufism also received honorable mention for the American Institute for Maghreb Studies’ L. Carl Brown Book Prize. Jankowsky was the joint keynote speaker for the Society for Arab Music Research and Religion, Music, and Sound Section at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology.
David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor of Engineering, has been named by Vox as one of the 50 thinkers, activists, and scholars working on solutions to today’s most pressing problems.
Valencia Koomson, associate professor in the School of Engineering, and her team were one of three finalists in the global Device Performance Challenge hosted by the University of California at San Francisco’s (UCSF) Open Oximetry Project. The Tufts team presented EquiVitals, a patent-pending pulse oximeter device developed in Koomson’s lab that features signal-to-noise enhancement to improve accuracy for all skin tones, user feedback to determine sensor placement, and signal quality index for classification. As a finalist in the challenge, the Koomson team’s device will receive free performance validation studies at the UCSF Hypoxia Lab. EquiVitals will be tested in 18 to 20 healthy human volunteers during controlled desaturation studies. The team is currently working with a medical device manufacturing company to develop a prototype for testing in these clinical trials.
Ronald Schenk, clinical professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Boston Program, led a study that unveiled the potential of repeated end-range movements, offering promising directions for the effective management of cervicogenic headaches. The publication of this research received the prestigious research poster award at the 2024 conference of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. The School of Medicine featured this study in a news article on its website.
Ramnath Subbaraman, associate professor at the School of Medicine, received a Clinical Scientist Development Award from the Doris Duke Foundation in recognition of his research in infectious diseases.
Alice Isabella Sullivan, assistant professor of medieval art and architecture, was awarded the 2023 Book Prize from the Early Slavic Studies Association for the best book published between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2023, in the field of Early Slavic Studies (pre-1800), for her book The Eclectic Visual Culture of Medieval Moldavia.
Farshid Vahedifard, professor and Louis Berger Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recently appointed to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Committee on America’s Infrastructure where he will contribute to the new Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
Several School of Medicine faculty received 2023 teaching awards:
- Victoria Hayes, associate professor of family medicine: Tisch College of Civic Life and Tufts University School of Medicine Community Service Learning Faculty Award
- Aftab Iqbal, clinical assistant professor of medicine: Competency-based Apprenticeship in Primary Care (CAP) Teaching Award
- Lorraine McElwain, associate professor of pediatrics: Mark Aisner, M.D., Award for Excellence in Teaching Physical Diagnosis
- Elisabeth Ann Merchant, assistant professor of medicine: Milton O., M30, and Natalie V. Zucker Clinical Teaching Prizes
- Robert Rovner, clinical instructor: Competency-based Apprenticeship in Primary Care Teaching Award * Laura Snydman, associate professor of medicine: The Outstanding Core Clerkship Director Award
Robert Trowbridge, professor of medicine: Milton O., M30, and Natalie V. Zucker Clinical Teaching Prizes
Tufts Medicine and Tufts University Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) received a successful FDA inspection. The FDA conducted a routine inspection of the IRB, and no issues were identified. Mary Ann Volpe, IRB chair, Maher Ghamloush, vice chair, Terry Howard, vice chair, Gordon Huggins, vice-chair, and Leslie Rideout, vice chair, led the team. Participating in the process were affiliates in the Office of the Vice Provost: Renee Brody, Christine Choy, Kimberly Garabedian, Meghan Howard, Julie Morelli, and Manuel Ricardo, along with Caitlin Farley, affiliate in the Department of Institutional Research, Hannah Lee, SMFA student, and Casey Tan, affiliate in the Department of Institutional Research.
Kwame Ababio, Ph.D. student at The Fletcher School, wrote an article about climate negotiations for JoyNews.
Joseph Auner, professor of music, wrote the original program notes for an opera about Harpo Marx, was in China for its performance, and was quoted in the South China Morning Post.
Marie-Claire Beaulieu, associate professor of classical studies, explored Greek mythology present in gardens in a piece for Academic Minute.
Ruby Belle Booth, research assistant at the CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), comments on youth voter engagement in The American Prospect.
Stephanie Borns-Weil, an assistant clinical professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, shared with the Washington Post ways to make it a smooth trip for all when traveling with your pet.
Brian Brenner, professor of the practice at the School of Engineering, explores the use of artificial intelligence to prepare a bridge-type study in a featured project entitled “Bridge Alternatives Analysis: Via Artificial Intelligence” for the Boston Society of Civil Engineers.
Sean Cash, associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Josh Erndt-Marino, affiliate at the Friedman School, Dariush Mozaffarian, dean emeritus of the Friedman School and Distinguished Professor, and Julia Reedy Sharib, senior research coordinator at the Friedman School, had their research on the global rise of sugary drink consumption featured in a SciTechDaily article.
Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at The Fletcher School, provided valuable insights into the complexities of the African job market and potential pathways to overcome its challenges in Business Insider.
Bonnie Donohue, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and Alpha Massaquoi, M.F.A. student, will have work on exhibit at Kingston Gallery during the month of February 2024.
Shira Doron, professor of medicine, spoke to WBUR about staying protected from the combined challenges of COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Doron was also quoted in a WGBH article about getting flu, COVID, and RSV shots before Thanksgiving.
Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at The Fletcher School, was quoted in The Week about the Ukraine-Russia relationship.
Alnoor Ebrahim, professor of management at The Fletcher School, explains the “hybrid governance” structure of OpenAI in the wake of its recent leadership tumult in The Conversation.
Kendra Field, associate professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Tufts, was the Whiting 2023 Creative Nonfiction Grantee for her forthcoming book, The Stories We Tell. The Stories We Tell will trace the history of African American genealogy and family storytelling from the Middle Passage to the present. Field’s first book was Growing Up with the Country: Family, Race, and Nation after the Civil War.
Kelly Sims Gallagher, dean ad interim and professor of energy and environmental policy at The Fletcher School, was quoted in a Politico article entitled “What’s missing from the U.S.-China climate deal.” Gallagher was also interviewed for a recent NPR segment, “What to expect from COP28, the UN climate summit, in the hottest year on record.” She was quoted in the Axios article “COP28 shows need for ‘ambition’ to match reality.” And, alongside Easwaran Narassimhan, affiliate at The Fletcher School, and Zdenka Myslikova, GMAP lecturer, Gallagher published “Strategies for green industrial and innovation policy–an analysis of policy alignment, misalignment, and realignment around dominant designs in the EV sector” in Environmental Research Letters.
Riccardo Giacconi, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, had his film, Giganti Rosse (“Red Giants”), premier at the Torino Film Festival and was awarded Best Italian Documentary at the festival.
Tarun Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D. student at The Fletcher School, wrote “COP28 Climate Conference: Who Is Most Responsible and Who Deserves Compensation?” for ABP LIVE.
Aarti Grover, assistant professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, provided tips on how to help your body adjust to shorter, darker days in a recent Health.com article.
Kimberly Hall, senior instructional designer for online learning in Tufts Technology Services, has authored Creating Your Signature Online Course: Design, Tone, and Narrative in Digitized Instruction. The book features five Tufts faculty members, along with faculty from other schools, and focuses on engaging and inclusive approaches to online course design.
Paul Hart, IRB analyst III/QI specialist in the Tufts Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research (SBER) IRB, co-presented the talk entitled “Virtual Reality (VR) Bites: Practical Considerations for Researchers and IRBs for Research in the VR Space” at the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research’s 2023 SBER conference held in Washington, D.C.
Justin Hollander, A96, professor of urban and environmental policy and planning, authored a book earlier this year entitled The First City on Mars: An Urban Planner’s Guide to Settling the Red Planet that was just recognized among the best in 2023 by New Scientist, the weekly science magazine based in the U.K. [subscription may be required]. Read more about the book on Tufts Now.
Mary Hopkins, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Tufts Medical Center, is quoted in a Livestrong article on important things to know about the RSV vaccine.
Evan Horowitz, executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College, discussed the center’s study of Massachusetts census data and annual household incomes in the Boston Globe.
Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Newhouse director of CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), is quoted in a USA Today article along with Sara Suzuki, senior researcher at Tisch College, in which Suzuki discusses a 2022 white paper she authored, which found that more than 20% of 18- to 25-year-olds would consider running for office.
Abby Kiesa, associate director at the CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) was quoted about factors motivating youth voters for the 2024 election in The Fulcrum, about voting barriers faced by college students on Good Morning America, and about what’s motivating young voters on ABC News.
Jennie Jieun Lee, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, was included in the New York Times Style Magazine story, “The Ceramists Putting a Fresh Spin on Traditional Korean Techniques.”
Amanda Lemire, Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering, and Pan Menasuta, Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering, led a team that presented at the North American Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy.
Michael Levin, Vannevar Bush Professor of Biology, led a study titled “Motile Living Biobots Self-Construct from Adult Human Somatic Progenitor Seed Cells,” which was recently published in Advanced Science. The research was also featured in a recent CNN article. Reach more about the research on Tufts Now.
Pavel Luzin, visiting scholar at The Fletcher School, joined The World to discuss what the results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive say about how the war will develop going into the winter.
Chris Miller, associate professor of international history at The Fletcher School, was interviewed for an episode of the Motley Fool Money podcast about the semiconductor supply chain, Intel’s turnaround and new focus on foundries, and how the company TSMC balances secrecy, transparency, and trust when it comes to intellectual property. Miller was also interviewed on CNBC’s Squawk Box, discussing the state of the U.S.-China tech war, the impact of U.S. chip export controls, the AI arms race between the U.S. and China, and more. Additionally, Miller was quoted in two New York Times articles: “Addressing the Tensions Between China and the Rest of the World” and “Biden Administration Chooses Military Supplier for First CHIPS Act Grant.”
Ethan Murrow, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, had a solo show in Paris at Galerie Les at Filles du Calvaire and had work featured in a group show at Print Center New York as part of the D&S Fine Art Editions.
Dede O’Shea, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine, shares personality traits and work behaviors that are commonly associated with ADHD in a Huffpost article.
Seth Owusu-Mante, pre-doctoral research fellow at the Climate Policy Lab at The Fletcher School, wrote an article about energy transition for the Diplomatic Times.
Karen Panetta, professor and dean of graduate education at the School of Engineering, is quoted in a CNET article entitle “How Close Is That Photo to the Truth? What To Know in the Age of AI.”
Meghan Pronovost, operations manager of the Tufts Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research (SBER) IRB, served as a member on the SBER Planning Committee for Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research’s annual conference and SBER conference held in Washington, D.C.
Kenneth Pucker, professor of the practice at The Fletcher School, had his 2022 co-authored Harvard Business Review paper with a Boston University colleague referenced in a recent article in The National. Pucker also recently wrote the article “Don’t Believe What Consumers Say When It Comes to Sustainability” for Business of Fashion.
Nadim Rouhana, professor of international negotiation and conflict studies at The Fletcher School, was interviewed for a WGBH segment entitled “What happens after the Israel-Hamas temporary ceasefire ends?”
James Smoliga, professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Seattle Program, wrote an article entitled “Is the NFL making progress in tackling its concussion crisis?”
Tara Sonenshine, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy at The Fletcher School, co-authored an op-ed in The Hill about long-term care in America.
Jill Weinberg, associate professor of sociology, and Louise Bond, A25, published their research article “College Access After Incarceration” in Contexts, a quarterly magazine published by the American Sociological Association.
Josephine Wolff, associate professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School, was quoted in a CBC article, “Paying ransom for data stolen in cyberattack bankrolls further crime, experts caution.” Wolff also authored the article “The role of insurers in shaping international cyber-security norms about cyber-war” in the journal Contemporary Security Policy.
Chantal Zakari, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, had her book, Pictures from the Outside, reviewed in the Boston Art Review.
Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach researchers examined how dominant discourses might manifest in K–12 engineering education in a recent paper in The Research Journal for Engineering Education. An article about the research can be found on the School of Engineering’s website.
Helena Han was promoted to director of strategic initiatives in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
Kristin Scalisi was promoted to administrative manager in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.