Kudos March 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.
Tanya Crane, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, was named a 2024 United States Artist Fellow by the United States Artists organization. The USA Fellows are dedicated to their communities and committed to building upon shared legacies through artistic innovation, cultural stewardship, and multifaceted storytelling.
Deborah Donahue-Keegan, lecturer in the Department of Education and SELECT Fellow, Sehba Hasan, associate director at the Center for STEM Diversity, and Rikki Morrow-Spitzer, associate director for inclusive student engagement, have been accepted to participate in the University of Washington’s Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes and Living) Multi-Campus Facilitation Training program as a Tufts team this semester. Together, they will explore research-based approaches that support student mental health and well-being in higher education and then share and practice this learning at Tufts.
Isha Fahad, accommodations coordinator at StAAR Center, was recognized by her colleagues for managing a 143% increase in the number of exams proctored for students with accommodations. She served as a calming presence for students during finals, a logistics coordinator, and a communications point person as she navigated questions from students and faculty.
Jeffrey Foster, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science, was named a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, a prestigious title held by only 1% of the organization’s members. Read more about this achievement on the School of Engineering’s website.
Juan Gnecco, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nisha Iyer, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sameer Sonkusale, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Fiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, received grants for research related to improving women’s health. Read more about the grants on the School of Engineering’s website.
Eric Johnson, former senior vice president of University Advancement and now senior philanthropic advisor to President Sunil Kumar, was awarded the Hosea Ballou Medal for Distinguished Service by the president in recognition of exceptional service to the university. Johnson is the 25th member of the Tufts community to receive the Ballou Medal. Read more about this achievement on Tufts Now.
Don Megerle, director of the President’s Marathon Challenge and former longtime Tufts varsity swim coach, has been named to the inaugural class of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame.
Sara Pantel, V26, earned first place honors for individual live scenario assessment in the veterinary division at American Veterinary Medical Association’s annual animal welfare and assessment contest.
Joel Trachtman, professor of international law at The Fletcher School, received the Serge Lazareff Prize presented by Andrés Muñoz Mosquera, NATO director of the Allied Command Operations Office of Legal Affairs and a Fletcher School GMAP alum.
Moritz Armbruster, research assistant professor in the School of Medicine, Samantha Bottom-Tanzer, doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Chris Dulla, professor and interim chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Mary Sommer, laboratory manager, and Sadi Quiñones, doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, alongside researchers from other institutions, authored an article in the journal Cerebral Cortex, finding that head injuries serious enough to affect brain function, such as that caused by a car accident or sudden fall, lead to changes in the brain beyond the site of impact. Read more about the research on the Office of the Vice Provost for Research’s website.
Kristin Chai, Maya Kaul, Sophia Letcher, Miriam Rittenberg, Michelle Shub, Andrew Stout, Xiaoli Zhang, all researchers affiliated with the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), and David Kaplan, Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering, authored a study entitled “Engineered autocrine signaling eliminates muscle cell FGF2 requirements for cultured meat production” in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. The researchers have created bovine (beef) muscle cells that produce their own growth factors, a step that can significantly cut costs of production. Read more about the research on Tufts Now.
Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at The Fletcher School, authored an article entitled “What if Regulation Makes the AI Monopoly Worse?” in Foreign Policy. Chakravorti, Patrick Schena, Barton L. Rachlin, E59, A85P, Professor of Economics, and DP Singh, professor of the practice of global consulting at Fletcher, (along with authors from Deloitte) authored a global study titled “How can the enterprise earn investor trust through sustainability disclosures?”
Alice Connors-Kellgren, assistant professor of psychiatry, shares insights on the concerning trend of teens using non-prescribed weight-loss products in a WCVB segment.
Emily Dahl, F22, Amy Myers Jaffe, affiliate, Soyoung Oh, Ph.D. student, Kelly Sims Gallagher, dean ad interim and professor of energy and environmental policy, all at The Fletcher School, authored research entitled “Diversity and Inclusion in Public Clean Energy Innovation Programs in the United States” for The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab. Sims Gallagher was also quoted in the E&E News article “U.S. and global climate policy: Can Podesta do both?”
Brent Forester, chair of psychiatry at the School of Medicine, discussed lifestyle changes that may help alleviate symptoms of dementia in a recent AARP article.
Justin Hollander, A96, professor of urban and environmental policy and planning, and his book Cognitive Architecture were mentioned in an article in Forbes magazine.
Evan Horowitz, executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tisch College, joined Radio Boston to discuss the impact of slumping Massachusetts revenue as tax cuts are about to take effect. Horowitz also joined CBS News and Radio Boston to discuss Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s planned spending cuts.
Neelakshi Hudda, research assistant professor in the School of Engineering, discusses her research into air quality near New Haven’s Tweed Airport and the impact that a planned expansion could have on nearby homes in a CT Examiner article.
Hannah Jacoby-Brooks, print and paper postgraduate teaching fellow, curated Checks Cashed Here, which featured pieces from the Intro to Digital Fabrication students of fall 2023, as well as risograph works. The show explored the concept of value through the materiality of fabricated objects. The exhibition was at SMFA’s Lowercase Gallery.
Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History, authored “Rigged or Not, Polls Are the Only Option for Pakistan” in advance of the general elections in Pakistan, which took place on February 8. Additionally, The Economist recommends Jalal’s book, The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan, as one of six books to read to learn more about Pakistan. Jalal also wrote an op-ed for The Indian Express titled “Pakistan votes: Here’s what’s at stake in the elections.” And she wrote a piece for The Conversation about what the results of the recent general election in Pakistan mean and what could happen next, entitled “Pakistan’s post-election crisis—how anti-army vote may deliver an unstable government that falls into the military’s hands.”
Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Newhouse director of CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), was interviewed for an NPR piece on young voters in the 2024 election.
Abby Kiesa, deputy director CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), is quoted on the importance of connecting elections to something that resonates with younger voters in a New York Times op-ed.
Susan Landau, Bridge Professor in Cybersecurity and Policy at The Fletcher School and the School of Engineering, was profiled for an article by the Association for Computing Machinery. The article was centered around Landeau’s recent receipt of the 2024 Bertrand Russell Prize of the American Mathematical Society. Landeau also coauthored a new study in the Journal of Cybersecurity titled “Bugs in our pockets: the risks of client-side scanning.”
Jennie Jieun Lee, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, exhibited her ceramics in the group show I Was Only Dreaming, which was reviewed by the New York Times.
Frank Lehman, associate professor of music, was featured on KCRW’s (Los Angeles NPR outlet) radio show, “Press Play,” where he shared his expertise and insight on the lesser-known works of composer John Williams. Read more about Lehman on Tufts Now.
Diego Javier Luis, assistant professor of history, sheds insight into the myths surrounding religion during Latin America’s colonial period in a new piece for The Conversation.
Pavel Luzin, visiting scholar at The Fletcher School, is quoted in the Newsweek article “Russia Suffers Costliest Three Months Since Ukraine War Began: Kyiv.” Luzin and Volodymyr Dubovyk, visiting professor at Fletcher, co-authored a report entitled “Containing Russia, Securing Europe” with scholars from other institutions for the Center for European Policy Analysis. Additionally, Luzin authored a report for the Eurasia Daily Monitor, a publication of the Jamestown Foundation, entitled “Kremlin Exaggerates Production of Russian Arms Manufacturing in 2023.”
Giusy Matzeu, research assistant professor, Fiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Elisabetta Ruggeri, Ph.D. candidate in the School of Engineering, authored “Paper-Based Wearable Patches for Real-Time, Quantitative Lactate Monitoring” in the journal Advanced Sensor Research.
Laurel McLaughlin, curator at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, was mentioned in a Boston Globe article about her work organizing the exhibition As the World Burns: Queer Photography and Nightlife in Boston. The exhibition Christian Walker: The Profane and the Poignant was also mentioned in the article. Read more about the Christian Walker exhibition on Tufts Now.
Alberto Medina, communications team lead at Tisch College’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), is quoted in a USA Today article titled “Swifties may be able to sway 2024 elections: All Taylor Swift has to do is say the word.” Medina was also quoted in an article in The Hill entitled “Gen Z seeks to grow ranks in Congress.”
Chris Miller, associate professor of international history at The Fletcher School, was awarded the 2023 Arthur Ross Book Award, presented by the Council on Foreign Relations, for his book Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology. The annual Arthur Ross Book Award recognizes books that make an outstanding contribution to the understanding of foreign policy or international relations. Miller was also interviewed for a recent Talking China in Eurasia podcast episode “What China’s Xi Learned From The Soviet Collapse,” was quoted in The Hill article “How the Ukraine war ramped up Russia’s reliance on nuclear weapons,” wrote the Financial Times op-ed “Western nations need a plan for when China floods the chip market,” appeared on the Bloomberg TV segment “Competition for Chips Between U.S. and China Intensifies,” was quoted in the Foreign Policy article “Everyone Wants a Chip Factory,” and was interviewed for the Meduza article “Scholar Chris Miller explains the challenges (and pitfalls) of Moscow’s fight to import the Western microchips it needs for Russia’s invasion force and economy.”
Iris Montes, a Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, authored an article entitled “Making a Difference: From California’s Orchard Fields to an Inclusive Academy” in the Association for Women in Science’s magazine.
William Moomaw, professor emeritus at The Fletcher School, published an article with Beverly Law, Oregon State professor emeritus, in The Conversation titled “Old forests are critically important for slowing climate change and merit immediate protection from logging.”
Neda Moridpour, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, has an interactive installation entitled Seven Conquests of Story II in the ART IRAN: Falling into Language Exhibition at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition will be on display until May 5.
Karen Panetta, dean for graduate education and professor at the School of Engineering, spoke with CNBC about the role of AI in the future of work and shared her insights about the role of artificial intelligence in assistive technology in a recent TechTarget article.
Kenneth Pucker, professor of the practice at The Fletcher School, authored the Business of Fashion article, “Why Big Brands Are Pushing Back Against Sustainability Regulations.”
Kendall Reiss, professor of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, presented her ongoing research project BEING [with] TREES at the College Art Association annual conference. Chaired by Martina Tanga from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the panel was on “Learning from Trees: Artists & Climate Solutions.”
Tyler-Jane Robins, A20, and fourth-year D.V.M. student at Cummings School, along with Melissa Mazan, professor and associate dean of professional education ad interim, and Daniela Bedenice, professor of clinical sciences, both at Cummings School, authored “A Longitudinal Analysis of Equine Asthma Presentation and Response to Treatment Using Lung Function Testing and BAL Cytology Analysis in Combination with Owner Perception” in a special issue of the journal Animals, entitled “Advances in Equine Respiratory Disease: Severe Equine Asthma.” Read more about Robins and her involvement in the research on Cummings School’s website.
Sheldon Rowan, scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts, was a co-lead author on a recently published study entitled “Selective transcriptomic dysregulation of metabolic pathways in liver and retina by short- and long-term dietary hyperglycemia” in iScience. Rowan worked with other researchers at the HNRCA and additional institutions on this study.
Elizabeth Rozanski, associated professor of clinical sciences, and Stephanie Kline, resident in clinical sciences, both at Cummings School, are featured in the WVCB segment “Cannabis and your pet: The dangers, the benefits, the unknown.” They discuss if cannabis intoxication from THC is dangerous in dogs.
Elizabeth Setren, assistant professor of economics, determined that a longstanding voluntary school desegregation program in Massachusetts, called METCO, has a significant positive impact on the urban students who take part in it. Read more about this study on Tufts Now.
Jeffrey Sobel, associate professor of dermatology at the School of Medicine, was quoted in an Everyday Health article entitled “Is Light Therapy Good for Psoriasis?”
Tara Sonenshine, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice in Public Diplomacy at The Fletcher School, authored two op-eds for The Hill: “When governments invade women’s privacy” and “Are Americans willing to pay the price of freedom in 2024?”
Sara Suzuki, senior researcher at CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), is quoted in the Orange County Register article “Will young, first- or second-time voters create change in American politics?”
Josephine Wolff, associate professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School, is quoted in The Telegraph article “The small print leaving UK plc exposed to ‘nuclear level’ cyber attacks.”
Ya Yao, research affiliate, John Yuen Jr., entrepreneur-in-residence and director of technology, Cellular Agriculture Commercialization Lab, Kevin Lin Zhang, A24, Chunmei Li, research assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and David Kaplan, Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering, alongside researchers from MilliporeSigma, Inc., authored “Cultivated Meat from Aligned Muscle Layers and Adipose Layers Formed from Glutenin Films” in the journal ACS Biomaterials.
A Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) report on the Community Preservation Act is cited in the Commonwealth Beacon.
A new Tisch College CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) pre-2024 election survey on young people’s political views and participation is referenced in Newsweek.
Tufts University Prison Initiative of the Tisch College of Civic Life and its first class of incarcerated graduates from MCI-Concord appeared in a Boston Globe article.
Lauren Barry was promoted to partnership development director for University College.
Amanda Merola was promoted to project coordinator in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.